Guest List Week: Gene's Best of 2017

GUEST LIST WEEK

#1: Ilana Bergstrom

#2: Saskia Warwick

#3: Dionicio Solano

#4: Jamie Pfeifer

#5: Megan Swidler

#6: Erik Kristjanson

#7: Curt Trnka

#8: Gina Uriarte

#9: Marisa Plaice

#10: Mike Brand

#11: Desa Warner

#12: Alex Kain

#13: Carl Anderson

#14: Gene Novikov

15. JR JR - "Control (Secretly Sorry)":  It's a shame these guys dropped the "Dale Earnhardt" moniker, but at least they're holding on to their position as a catchier, less misogynist Chromeo. I don't usually go in for spoken-word verses, but the sheer tireless jauntiness of this single won me over.

14. Alvvays - "Lollipop (Ode to Jim)": Speaking of jauntiness, this love letter to LSD is the year's cleverest sugar rush. LOLLIPOP-POP-POP-pop-pop-pop-pop!! (Your mileage may vary.)

13. Perfume Genius - "Wreath": Probably the most fully realized version of Mike Hadreas's trademark pop bombast to date; beautiful, with a coda that sort of hilariously recalls Sting's "Desert Rose."

12. Grandaddy - "Evermore":  These guys are still doing the same thing they've been doing for a quarter century, and it's still awesome.

11. Dams of the West - "Bridges and Tunnels":  Yeah, it's the Vampire Weekend drummer's band. And yeah, there's a reason why Ezra Koenig is Vampire Weekend's singer, and not this guy. But his debut album shows a promising knack for straight-ahead melody and lovely arrangements, best illustrated by this soaring opening track.

10. St. Vincent - "Los Ageless":  St. Vincent's songs only sometimes land for me, but when she makes contact she tends to hit it out of the park. This is a good example. I know her diversity of styles is why she's adored, but I wish more of her work had this sort of energy and propulsion.

9. MUNA - "I Know a Place": Aaron's already written about this one, and I'll just defer.

8. Pickwick - "Light It Up (Let It Burn)": I always have at least one weird pop throwback on my list; here's this year's. The chorus's glorious disco shuffle is what makes it.

7. Hans Zimmer - "Supermarine": Thank you, Coachella, for letting me justify putting this on my list. I'm a huge, huge Hans Zimmer fan, as anyone whose office is near mine knows well. This, from Dunkirk, might not actually be the best intro to his work -- it distills his percussive, recursive, Philip-Glass-with-guitars style to its essence, and newbies might be better off listening to the Interstellar score, or the Batman films -- but I think it's stunning.

6. Lorde - "Green Light": Not sure what to say about this one. Sometimes a great radio single is just great, period.

5. Spoon - "Hot Thoughts":  This is one of those songs that seems ridiculous "on paper," and if you listen to just a little snippet you might laugh at it. But there's a reason why these guys have been around almost as long as Grandaddy; Britt Daniel knows what he's doing.

4. BØRNS - "Faded Heart":  Like most reasonable people, I find the stage persona of this bohemian popster a little bit annoying, and even some parts of this fantastic song manage to grate, like the weird groan at the beginning. Then that ridiculously great chorus comes in, and all is forgiven.

3. Waxahatchee - "Hear You": It was about time Waxahatchee came out with a real anthem. This is the song I feel like she was gesturing toward for three promising but painfully understated albums.

2. Ezra Furman - "Driving Down to LA": This must, must, must be listened to in high fidelity, loudly, and with good headphones. It could kill small animals. I would nominate 2:07 (on the Spotify track) as one of the most badass moments in rock music, at least this century.

1. The New Pornographers - "Whiteout Conditions":  No one who knows me will be surprised at this choice, but for what it's worth, this song came out the first year I was equipped to understand it. The whole album offered a beautiful contrast between Newman's typically clever and upbeat pop melodies and a persistent, cold, metallic synth line that added a layer of unease and melancholy to almost every song, but that otherwise lovely aesthetic choice became utterly heartbreaking here.

Guest List Week: Gene's Best of 2016

[It's Guest List Week! The best week! You've heard my thoughts on the year in music, now let's hear from some other people who have equally great taste in music (but somehow have the ability to express their opinions in under 10,000 words)! Guest List Week III kicks off with Gene, and "the most sophisticated Backstreet Boys song in history."]

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10. James Supercave, "Better Strange" -- I feel like glam rock had its second moment in the sun with Scissor Sisters and then faded again, though The Struts did what they could to resurrect it once more last year. Here's another, more low-key attempt, though this buzzy LA band would probably rather be categorized with the likes of Sir Sly. This is a textured, addictive calling card of a song.

9. Basia Bulat, "In The Name Of" - Bulat went electronic this year, to cries of protest from loyal fans who complained about the synths and moderately-elaborate production getting in the way of her pipes. It'll surprise no one who knows me that I think those people should shut up. The gleaming keyboard arrangements complement Bulat's ethereal voice and enhance her pop instincts, nowhere better than on this gorgeous gospel-tinged number.

8. Minor Victories, "A Hundred Ropes" -- Shoegaze! Remember shoegaze? I'm not sure this is actually shoegaze -- purists would probably scoff at the insistent melodic throughline to the guitar riffs (plus those strings!) -- but if it isn't, it's an incremental improvement. 

7. Pillar Point, "Strange Brush" - This is Scott Reitherman's follow-up project to the underrated Throw Me The Statue. It's not as consistent -- I'm not sure dance music is Reitherman's highest and best use -- but occasionally it hits the spot, as on the unexpectedly shimmering chorus to this otherwise darkly propulsive banger.

6. Manwomanchild, "Plan B" -- I always feel like I'm the only one who has any use for these sorts of minor, twee-ish guitar pop acts (see also: San Cisco), but this is the kind of thing they can deliver sometimes. One of the year's most satisfying hooks. 

5. Lucius, "Almost Makes Me Wish for Rain" -- Saw this get snidely dismissed as an 80s throwback in a few reviews, but the production is decidedly 21st century, and if predominantly melodic R&B is now automatically retro, I think that's a shame. We could use more songs like this. Plus Wikipedia tells me this is Paul Krugman's favorite band, so there you are.

4. Eliot Sumner, "Dead Arms and Dead Legs" -- Admittedly in order to really dig this you have to be on board, at least conceptually, with Sumner's brand of glum, bombastic rock & roll. It's not for everyone. But I thought this was one of the year's loveliest compositions, with the distorted guitar, insistent piano rhythm, and Sumner's hoarse vocals providing a bracing 5-minute blast of barely-coherent existential melancholy. You either roll your eyes or roll with it. 

3. Yeasayer, "Cold Night" -- Every experimental rock band worth its salt eventually makes a pure pop album. This was Yeasayer's year, and "Cold Night" is the best song on their formidable effort. 

2. Bear Mountain, "Alibi" -- This is clearly nostalgia of some sort, though I can't quite place my finger on what it harkens back to, which might be its genius. The best I can come up with is that this is the most sophisticated Backstreet Boys song in history, with a hefty dose of something else in those background vocals -- maybe Toto? I don't know, but I spent entire days with it on repeat, and went to sleep with it in my head.

1. Vita and the Woolf, "Brett" -- Here, on the other hand, is something that feels original -- an elusive, sinuous anthem, at once hard-hitting and haunting. Who or what the hell is Brett?? This Philly duo has yet to release an album, but when they do, hide the children.

Guest List Week 2014: Gene's Top 15

It's the triumphant return of Guest List Week!  Every day from now until I run out of lists, we'll take a look at 2014 through the eyes of people who are not me.  (My list, if you missed it, is here).  I'm lucky that my friends have such uniformly exquisite taste in music. 

Today, live from Nigeria (and soon to be live from Pakistan), it's Gene Novikov!  Gene's 2013 Guest List is here, his 2014 Guest List is below.

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15. Bishop Allen – “Start Again.”  

Lights Out didn’t quite have the oomph of Grr… or The Broken String, at least for me, but I did really dig this catchy little tune, and particularly the contrast between the synthy soundscape and the jangly guitar that propels the song forward.

14. Jeremy Messersmith – “Steve.” 

Because, I mean, come on.

13. Owen Pallett – “Song for Five & Six.” 

Pallett’s hardest-driving song to date, opening with a gorgeous vocal melody and progressing to an absolutely soaring arrangement of violins and cascading keys. If you’ve previously thought Pallett’s stuff was sort of almost there, pop-music-wise, this might be your entry point.

12. The Rural Albert Advantage – “Vulcan, AB.” 

One of the reasons I love these guys is that their quieter songs often pack just as much punch as the jaunty singles. Here’s a case in point, beautiful and melancholy; I only wish it were longer.

11. Together Pangea – “Badillac.” 

Generally speaking this band can safely be categorized under “not my thing,” but there’s something about this shambling rock song that really caught my ear – particularly that triumphant shouty refrain.

10. The Apache Relay – “Katie Queen of Tennessee.” 

Like Blondfire's "Waves" last year, here’s a song that plays to seemingly my every predilection. Swooping violins? Check. Propulsive 4:4 shuffle? Yup. Rousing, wordy sing-along chorus? Roger that. Thanks, guys!

9. Royskopp & Robyn – “Every Little Thing.” 

Wish Robyn would hurry up and record another actual album, but this thing’s shimmering, metallic menace will hold me over nicely. Love Robyn’s vocals here, with what may seem at first blush like vamping instead integrating perfectly into the melody.

8. Generationals – “Black Lemon.” 

These guys’ previous project, The Eames Era, is one of my all-time favorite bands, seemingly incapable of producing a bad or even mediocre song. Generationals is more prolific but also more uneven – the last couple of albums have had more misses than hits, by my count. But when they nail it, they nail it, and here they most certainly nail it.

7. Katy B – “5 AM.” 

Not at all surprised to learn that Katy B has an honest-to-goodness college degree in pop music composition. This seemingly frivolous, radio-friendly single is just impeccably orchestrated, with stabbing synths and Phil-Spector-y girl-group backing vocals complementing an irresistible combo of hooks.

6. Conor Oberst – “Artifact #1.” 

Ho hum, another terrific album from Oberst in one of his many incarnations. What got me here is the acoustic guitar seemingly trying to wrestle the melody away from Oberst himself. I know he’s yesterday’s news to many, but I’m constantly agog at this dude’s consistency and versatility.

5. La Roux – “Sexotheque.” 

This song is idiotic. And I spent much of the second half of 2014 humming it under my breath.

4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Simple and Sure.”  

That's about right, actually. Is there a term for a song that describes itself?

3. Tennis – “Never Work for Free.” 

This is sort of a throwback-y She & Him-like number except… I dunno… better. I mean, that chorus is pretty undeniable, isn’t it? I’m pretty disappointed this song and album got precisely zero attention this year – does no one care about this sort of straight-ahead earworm anymore?

2. Marina and the Diamonds – “Happy.” 

Marina is hands-down my favorite of this new crop of divas we’re presently inundated with, mostly because of her interesting voice (lush and husky) and unerring melodic instinct. When was the last time someone delivered an unadorned piano ballad this immediately compelling? In a saner world this would top the Billboard charts for months.

1. The New Pornographers – “Champions of Red Wine.” 

My favorite song of the decade, really, and the culmination of Carl Newman’s gradual move from angular, inscrutable guitar pop to a style more lyrically straightforward and musically complex. This is probably the most comprehensible NPs song ever, and perhaps the most beautiful – some days the contrast between the bittersweet and mournful verses and the simple declarative chorus chokes me up. And when, at the end, the rest of the band suddenly joins Neko on “we’re coming over” – and the plinking synths respond – it’s a moment that kind of defines why I listen to music, if that makes any sense.

Guest List Week: Gene's Top Fifteen

[It's Guest List Week! We had so much fun with Guest List Week last year that we're hoping it becomes Guest List Month this time around. We've already got a bunch of great lists lined up, and we're looking for more. If you have opinions on the year in music, we'd love to hear from you. Previous Guest List Week posts are collected here. And, if you're looking for my 100 Songs for 2013, you can find it here.]

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[Guest List Week II continues with Eugene Novikov, who is (seriously) moving to Nigeria TOMORROW. So, (a) this means we have to wait one more day for our first international Guest List, and (b) if you enjoy this Guest List, probably best to let Gene know RIGHT NOW. Please join me in wishing Gene equal parts safety and adventure in the land of the Super Eagles.]

15. Smith Westerns - “Glossed.” 

Look, I’m 100% on board with the notion that these guys are insufferable. Sadly, my most vivid memory of Outside Lands 2013 may be their hungover, lifeless, beyond-half-assed set in the Friday noonslot; they had 45 minutes to play one of the country’s premier fests, and left after 30. So it’s almost sad that they’re also really fucking talented; this song, in particular, sends a classic melody floating over two interweaving guitar lines and proves that there’s rock-solid songcraft lurking under the stoner facade. 

14. Ivan & Alyosha - “Fathers Be Kind.” 

Anthems are fun. I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing Ivan & Alyosha live, but really want to, just to be part of the crowd shouting this triumphant chorus back at the band. 

13. Sleigh Bells - “Young Legends.” 

Somewhat of a departure from Sleigh Bells’ sonic-assault m.o. (for that, see the almost-equally-terrific “Bitter Rivals”), instead deploying their drum machines, staccato synths and cryptic lyrics in service of a quiet, beguiling singalong. 

12. Josh Ritter - “A Certain Light.” 

A gentle and bittersweet lullaby; a love song at once rapturous and apologetic. I like Ritter best in this straight-ahead, unshowy mode, which showcases both his fantastic voice and his formidable gifts as a tunesmith. 

11. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - “Beautiful Dream.” 

Didn’t think much of It’s a Corporate World, but was convinced that these guys were capable of way more, and two years later they proved me right. This is my favorite track from the fantastic The Speed of Things; it’s a beautifully arranged, almost intimidatingly sophisticated pop song, packing in so many sneaky little hooks that it surprises me each time I hear it. The upward lilt in the chorus (“I forget your face”) is one of those ecstatic little musical moments for which I can only be eternally grateful. 

10. Blondfire - “Waves.” 

In some ways this is the platonic “Gene song” — sweet female vocals singing a catchy melody over a propulsive beat. I can’t make a strong aesthetic case for it except to say that it hits just about all the musical pleasure centers I possess. 

9. Lorde - “400 Lux.” 

Why couldn’t I write and perform a fantastic album — or for that matter do anything worthwhile at all — at age 16? Lorde’s debut is remarkable by any measure, but downright supernatural for a teenager; this lovely slow-burner is her best song so far, a disaffected-teen anthem with a sentimental, weirdly touching twist (“and I like you”). 

8. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - “In the Lion.” 

Completely in love with the production on this song — ESMZ finally fully embrace their tent-revival tendencies, assisted by a glorious melange of horn bursts, handclaps, and (I think?) timpani. Somehow it makes sense that these guys are at their least annoying when they go totally balls-to-the-wall. 

7. Tove Lo - “Habits.” 

The little-known Swedish siren out-Lorded Lorde with this one, I think; the ramp-up into chorus #2 at 1:01 (and again at 1:54 and 3:04) is a total pop triumph. Check out “Love Ballad” from last year, too. 

6. Mikal Cronin - “Don’t Let Me Go.” 

Love just about all of Cronin’s awesome MCII, but it was this simplest number that totally slew me. It’s like sadness in gorgeous song form. 

5. Marnie - “High Road.” 

Helen Marnie is the lead singer of Ladytron, and this is mostly for fans of Ladytron’s brand of metallic, ineffably sinister pop; like, say, “Destroy Everything You Touch” (their masterpiece), “High Road” would sound equally at home in a club or as the theme song of a Terminator film. Maybe the year’s straight-up hookiest song — a hell of a feat given the unrelentingly steady midtempo pace. 

4. San Cisco - “Nepal.” 

Showed up at San Cisco’s show at Slim’s in SF only to discover that the average age of their (surprisingly sizable) fanbase is, oh, 15. Fuck! Anyway, I like these Aussie popsters a whole lot, and “Nepal” boasts an irresistible melody elevated by Jordi Davieson’s killer vocal — he’s not a great singer, but his voice is perfect for this type of song, and his enthusiasm is infectious. 

3. CHVRCHES - “We Sink.” 

So this is what the hipster kids are listening to these days? I like it. 

2. Sir Sly - “Where I’m Going.” 

Aaron and I saw Tanlines open for Vampire Weekend a few months back, and upon watching them perform with a guitar and a Macbook, I wondered aloud about the future of live popular music. I mean, I know the zeitgeist is trending strongly toward electronic bands (see #3), but come on — screw this. I don’t go to shows to watch a guy tap away at a computer. LA up-and-comers Sir Sly provide the answer, I think. Their gloomy, beautiful songs are set against the sorts of pulsating synth soundscapes that are in vogue right now, but they’ve retained the trappings of rock, and in their (great, but for now too-brief) live shows they’d much rather simultaneously have four keyboardists and two percussionists than a dude with a laptop. “Where I’m Going” is your best introduction to this remarkable band, who I hope have an actual album in the pipeline. We’re still doing those, right? 

1. Vampire Weekend - “Ya Hey.” 

So gratifying to watch these guys get better and better. I’ve bragged to multiple people that I saw Vampire Weekend before anyone gave a shit about them (opening for the New Pornographers at a pop-up show in NYC shortly after the release of Challengers), and while it’s easy to see why they broke out, a band with songs called things like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” can flip the switch from “fun” to “insufferable” at the drop of a hat. But through three albums, their music has only gotten more intricate and less precious, culminating in this gorgeous, inscrutable magnum opus. I have no idea what “Ya Hey” is about, but it’s brought me tremendous solace and joy in what’s been a stressful, eventful year.

Guest List Week: Gene's Top 15

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[Guest List Week continues with my concert-going buddy and former co-worker Gene, a man who may have out-obscure-Swede-ed me with this Speedmarket Avenue song.]

15. Menomena - "Pique"

These guys have been around forever, but I came to them only recently, after Brent Knopf left to start his compellingly oddball spin-off Ramona Falls. This year, I fell in love with this gloomy anthem, which plods along for a couple minutes before building to a stunning full-band crescendo of angsty moping. A great winter song.

14. Brendan Benson – "Keep Me"

One of my all-time favorite popsters had a bit of an off year, putting out a B-minusy album and not seeming to give much of a shit about it on tour. (Maybe I caught him on an off night.) "Keep Me," the best song off What Kind of World, is a reminder of how fucking good he is when he's focused on churning out flawless two-and-a-half-minute gems.

13. Tilly and the Wall – "Heavy Mood"

Saw Tilly with Aaron at Great American Music Hall last month, and we were both surprised at the 2/3-empty room that greeted the tap-dancing stalwarts. They gamely showed the small crowd a good time, though the uneven new songs brought the vibe down a little ("Love Riot" is just a mistake all-around); "Heavy Mood" is probably my favorite of that bunch, a goofy, pulsating dance-rock number that's a ton of fun live (HUH!).

12. Jason Lytle - "Young Saints"

I started listening to Grandaddy in preparation for Outside Lands this year, and I really dig them; Lytle's solo album is indistinguishable from his Grandaddy stuff, and consistently good, with this bizarro sing-a-long the highlight.

11. Gossip - "I Won't Play"

Can't think of a more welcome musical turn-of-events recently than Gossip's turn toward full-on 80s-style electropop. Joyful Noise is one of my two or three favorite albums of the year even though nearly every song is theoretically "the same," with Beth Ditto's incredible (but totally un-show-offy) vocals laying an ace upbeat melody over her band's meticulous, propulsive beats. Had trouble choosing between this and "Get a Job" for the list.

10. Saturday Looks Good to Me - "Sunglasses"

Fred Thomas is a stone-cold genius who all too rarely uses his powers for good. A new album is allegedly on the way in the spring; meanwhile, "Sunglasses" brought me back to when I first discovered these guys and listened to Lift Me Up on repeat for a good three months. Irresistible.

9. Phantom Buffalo - "Stark Glass Man"

This song is here almost entirely on the strength of that "Dee-da-daa-da-dum" chorus, which is my favorite thing at the moment, but more generally, you should check out these talented, perenially under-the-radar indie-rockers from Maine.

8. Django Django – "Love's Dart"

"Life's a Beach" is great too, but I just adore the precise harmonies over the super-simple guitar riff here, perfect shutting your office door and having a quick dance party. Probably the most deserving mainstream break-out of 2012 (bite me, fun.).

7. Miike Snow - "Devil's Work"

A little confused about why this stunning, off-kilter, piano-driven number didn't get more play, since it makes both Gotye and Passion Pit instantly irrelevant.

6. Marina and the Diamonds - "Sex Yeah"

The worst song to be caught singing under your breath. Not totally sure what the difference is between Marina and La Roux, but almost every song on Electra Heart is ridiculously catchy, and "Sex Yeah" is the catchiest (and the most hilarously political!).

5. AC Newman - "They Should Have Shut Down the Streets"

I'm more of a movie guy than a music guy overall, but no artist has meant more to me in my adult life than Carl Newman: I became interested in music thanks to The New Pornographers (more particularly, after hearing "The Laws Have Changed"); have seen the NPs or Newman solo over twenty times; have gotten through countless finals and all-nighters and other tough times with his songs in my ears. After six albums of mostly inscrutable nonsense (but what nonsense!) it's kind of heartbreaking to suddenly hear a song this direct and straightforward. And gorgeous, natch.

4. Tennis - "My Better Self"

Don't have much to say about this one other than that it's just amazingly pretty -- a dead-on, straight-ahead, once-in-a-lifetime melody. And I don't even really care about this band otherwise.

3. Bruce Springsteen - "We Take Care of Our Own"

Amazed to hear this used at Obama rallies; either someone in the campaign misplaced his sense of irony, or was convinced that we've all misplaced ours. You almost don't even need to parse the lyrics to tell that this is no sort of rah-rah-America number -- Springsteen's vocals are pleading, questioning, mournful even as the violins soar and the hand-claps and foot-stomps try to get people out of their seats. This is brilliant songwriting.

2. Speedmarket Avenue - "You Can't Follow"

These guys have never made it out of the Swedish pop ghetto stateside, which is a shame, 'cause they could find a hook deaf, blind, and muzzled. This is the opener to their new album, the short and very good Goodbye, and I listened to and sang it for a month non-stop.

1. Metric - "Nothing But Time"

My personal big discovery of 2012. Based on prior experience, I had written off Metric as I-get-why-people-like-this-but-it's-not-for-me, and then proceeded to be completely blown away by Synthetica, and in particular by this staggering closer, which contains two of my favorite minutes in all of pop music, period. (It's the last two.) Seeing them live is now very high on my bucket list.