Friday, December 30, 2016

A Year In Music - 2016

Normally, this is where I'd do my Year in Music segment.

2016 goes on record as one of the lamest years for music overall. For me, there were not a lot of releases I thought were good, let alone great. Ditto with individual songs.

I for once do not have a best album for the year. Nothing stands out.

If I had to go with one, it would be a pseudo-repeat from last year with New Order's remix album - Complete Music.

Songs were a little better, but I feel my lack of radio listening is snuffing out my ability to make good choices.

....and yes, I just used the verb, 'snuff'.

I do have a few songs of which I've enjoyed this year - some even surprises me a little.   ...and not unusual, I'm kind of all over the board here. I'm not saying it is great music, but again, I enjoyed it for one reason or another.




An song from the movie Sing Street.

The movie and its music borrows heavily from the '80s. "Drive it Like You Stole It" is heavily influenced by Hall & Oates' "Maneater" ....and it works.  They have some good vocal arrangements and I find myself hitting 'repeat' a lot when it comes through rotation. It's pure pop and I love it.




Capital Cities new song played incessantly on one of our trips this year, thanks to SiriusXM. I think it was to Maryland and back for my mother-in-law's service. If I have a problem with the song, it is that while it's called "Vowels", they only use three of them. But oddly, it's a catchy tune.




Fitz & the Tantrums rank with "HandClap".

Overall, I'm not a Fitz fan, but I like this one.  ....and I don't know why.


I have no rhyme or reason for liking "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots. I think the music and lyrical phrasing are someone hypnotic. I'd never purchase it, but it is on the radio enough. What really baffles me:  537,570,134 views.   Really???




This is the third year in a row that Sara Watkins has made this list in one form or another (Nickel Creek or Watkins Family Hour).  I just enjoy a lot of her music. Her newest solo release has some good stuff, but really enjoy "One Last Time".


It's a little underwhelming - or at least I think so - but it is what it is.

Here's hoping 2017 brings a more robust selection.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I feel quite ancient, in my case sixty is the new ninety, but I have never heard of any of these. I got a little nostalgic a couple of weeks ago and bought two cds. Yes, I said it, cds. I don't do i thingys or mp whatevers. I've been rockin' The Best of Allen Sherman and Ella in Berlin.
I was a preteen in the sixties and my father would play this live Ella Fitzgerald album all of the time. There was one song that my five sisters and I loved especially, Lorelei. I still smile at the mental picture I get of us singing " I want to bite my initials on a sailor's neck" and "I want to be just like that other trollop, the Lorelei". Being little girls, we had no idea what we were singing about! Good times. Sorry, I don't know why I felt the need to share this, but thanks for letting me.

Deedles

Deedles

Morty said...

21 Pilots are from cbus, y'know.

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