I've been doing best songs and albums lists for a few years, mainly for friends and family. Last year I posted on twitter and my roto ball league site. It finally dawned on me to use my rarely attended blog as a link so I can more easily tie in choices to song videos and audio links.
To set the stage, these are my picks and obviously my opinion. I love reading other people's picks and almost always discover some gem I had not heard before and like enough to pursue, even if I overall don't relate to most of the person's interests. So no drama necessary. My tastes which obviously influence my choices are more eclectic than the average person but I clearly have my genres of heavier absorption. I love most genres, country, rock, alternative, hip hop, r+b, jazz, some classical, punk but of course what are all of those genre's anymore? Most country I detest if it's pop radio schmaltz- phony big hat guys and sold out Nashville divas. I like old school country and what would be called alt country maybe. I love some hip hop and rap ( a good country song and a good rap song have a lot in common) but today I'm turned off by same old sexualized lyrics and themes, I guess I like more conscience based hip hop ala Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Public Enemy in the day, but I love a good groove too and can get comfortable with a pure hook groove if it's good enough. I love a simple well crafted pop song. In short I like almost any music if it's honest, interesting and not manipulative. I appreciate a good lyric (a good lyric doesn't have to be deep, there are some great silly lyrics). My favorite artists are Beatles ,Springsteen, Marvin Gaye, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Bob Walkenhurst/Rainmakers, Ryan Adams, Beck, Fountains of Wayne, James McMurtry, Jason Isbell/DBT, Mos Def/Black Star, James Brown, Elvis Costello, Clash, John Coltrane- so that should clue you in on the type of music I'll be pointing to but I usually will have several surprises as that's what makes music so wonderful as I find myself going from unaware to initial intrigue to flat out being blown away after a few listens. There are a few songs and albums on this years list that came from nowhere. Last years top 5 albums:
5. Lost on The Highways The New basement tapes
4. Ryan Adams- Ryan Adams
3. Chrissie Hynde - Stockholm
2. The War on Drugs - Lost in a Dream
1. Beck-Morning Phase
The War on Drugs was a band I wasn't familiar with and it just kept staying in my head, with every listen I heard and felt new things, new layers. I also will be affected by songs that connect with my life my story. My #1 song was Kim from Ryan Adams- great song in it's own right but that captured 16 year old me so well with a girl from my past named Kim- this will explain Mountain Goat love down the road.
I also will try and promote some good local artists (I live in Kansas City area). This year may be tough as I've got a couple hanging on to that 20 spot but may have to drop. There is 1 KC artist but more a national act today not so local.
I've been reading several lists, blogs etc and see some albums that consistently come up that sync with some of my favorites. I don't think I let that influence me, although one got me to listen to This Love, from Ryan Adams remake of Taylor Swifts 1989. I enjoyed the album but was fighting my bias against Taylor Swift. This blog and top list got me to listen again with more open mind - I had Welcome to New York around the cutoff but just couldn't consider This Love as I always heard the pop version first. After reading and listening to Left Field blog- link below (great idea on the beer pairings) I heard how good the song was, not just Ryan Adam's version the song Taylor Swift wrote. Then it began to move up my list ( I do believe his stripped down version is superiorl), so that was a cool realization to remind me to keep my mind open and how beauty can so easily be missed.
http://left-field.blogspot.com/
I would not want to copy a list, these are too personal for me, and I suspect they are personal for everyone else as well thus you can't judge or be judged. Each brain is designed to respond to different stimulus's like anything else. Music tells stories and expresses so much that when you hear a song and where you are in your life has so much to do with your response. Of course there are genius's who just have the ability to do something no one else can do. I love baseball and I can appreciate my personal favorite players based on my life (Tony Solaita, Tony Conigliaro or Lorenzo Cain). They are baseball players who bring me joy or sadness over time but there also exists Ted Williams, George Brett, Pedro Martinez etc who are simply great-genius at their craft, "They just play" and it's more beautiful and perfect than 99.9 % of the world can understand, but we can appreciate it and love to watch it.
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