The Twenty-Five Best Music Videos of 2020

 

1. Ice Cream - BLACKPINK with Selena Gomez

2. State Of The Union (STFU) - Public Enemy feat. DJ Premier

3. Boyfriend - Selena Gomez 

4. Joke's On You - Charlotte Lawrence 

5. Sad Girl Summer - Maisie Peters 

6. Fight The Power: Remix 2020 - Public Enemy feat. Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, Jahi, YG, and Questlove

7. Man from the Magazine - HAIM 

8. No Save Point  - Run The Jewels 

9. 34+35 - Ariana Grande 

10. cardigan - Taylor Swift 

11. Czar - Busta Rhymes 

12. Kool - BENEE 

13. Forget - Nikki Yanofsky 

14. Don't Wanna - HAIM 

15. Bathroom Floor - Maddie & Tae 

16. My Own Soul’s Warning - The Killers 

17. positions - Ariana Grande 

18. ooh la la - Run The Jewels feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier 

19. Savior Complex - Phoebe Bridgers 

20. Supalonely - BENEE 

21. Moral of the Story - Ashe 

22. The Man - Taylor Swift 

23. The Steps - HAIM 

24. willow - Taylor Swift 

25. Feel The Way I Want - Caroline Rose 

The 100 Best Songs of 2020

 

1. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd 

2. the 1 - Taylor Swift 

3. Sad Girl Summer - Maisie Peters 

4. Joke's On You - Charlotte Lawrence 

5. exile - Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver

6. Sometimes - H.E.R. 

7. Supalonely - BENEE feat. Gus Dapperton

8. Everywhere I'm Goin' - Maddie & Tae 

9. Send You My Love - Liz Longley 

10. Gaslighter - The Chicks 

11. Moral of the Story - Ashe 

12. ooh la la  - Run The Jewels feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier

13. Thought vs Everybody - Black Thought 

14. cardigan - Taylor Swift 

15. Ice Cream  - BLACKPINK with Selena Gomez

16. Levitating - Dua Lipa 

17. Maybe Don't - Maisie Peters feat. JP Saxe

18. Say Peace - Common Feat. Black Thought & PJ

19. Boyfriend - Selena Gomez 

20. Good Times - The Lone Bellow 

21. rock bottom - MisterWives 

22. Love On Top (from the cast of Pitch Perfect) - The Bellas 

23. Neon Cross - Jaime Wyatt 

24. Hero - Michael Kiwanuka 

25. Forget - Nikki Yanofsky 

26. Oh Yeah! - Green Day 

27. Be Afraid - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 

28. My Own Soul’s Warning - The Killers 

29. Strong Enough - Ray LaMontagne 

30. betty - Taylor Swift 

31. Ring - Selena Gomez 

32. And It Breaks My Heart - LÉON

33. decide to be happy - MisterWives 

34. Kyoto - Phoebe Bridgers 

35. Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa 

36. Johnny - Sarah Jarosz 

37. Feel The Way I Want - Caroline Rose 

38. Texas Sun - Khruangbin 

39. Starting Over - Chris Stapleton 

40. Chasing A Feeling - LÉON

41. Salt And The Sea - The Lumineers 

42. Complicated - Eves Karydas 

43. Moment - Dagny 

44. The Steps - HAIM 

45. The Curse - Will Hoge 

46. willow - Taylor Swift 

47. Shameika - Fiona Apple 

48. Let Me Tell You Something - Lera Lynn 

49. Can't Fight - Lianne La Havas 

50. Shine A Little Light - The Black Keys 

51. Another You - Elle King 

52. 21 Days - Brian Fallon 

53. Rolling - Michael Kiwanuka 

54. Ring - Phoebe Ryan 

55. Charlie - Mallrat 

56. Conversations in the Dark - John Legend 

57. Bluebird - Miranda Lambert 

58. Only Time Makes It Human - King Princess 

59. Say So - Doja Cat 

60. Rare - Selena Gomez 

61. Bitter - FLETCHER 

62. the end - MisterWives 

63. Bigger Love - John Legend 

64. Oh, What a World 2.0  - Kacey Musgraves 

65. If I Hated You - FLETCHER 

66. Surrender - Will Butler 

67. Put Me Back Together - Caitlyn Smith 

68. Physical - Dua Lipa 

69. Letter To You - Bruce Springsteen 

70. Dead Horse - Hayley Williams 

71. If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975 

72. Stay With Me - Margaret Glaspy 

73. Lilacs - Waxahatchee 

74. circle the drain - Soccer Mommy 

75. I Don't Wanna Lie - Yola 

76. Sleep at Night - The Chicks 

77. 3 Crow - Liz Longley 

78. Friend - Gracie Abrams 

79. Under The Table - Fiona Apple 

80. Honeybee - The Head and the Heart 

81. Ride  - Lenny Kravitz 

82. Bathroom Floor - Maddie & Tae 

83. I Know Alone - HAIM 

84. bon iver - mxmtoon 

85. Private Lives - Low Cut Connie 

86. Cold - Chris Stapleton 

87. Wild - John Legend feat. Gary Clark Jr.

88. It Ain’t Easy - Delta Spirit 

89. Ohio - King Princess 

90. Shot In The Dark - AC/DC 

91. Heartless - The Weeknd 

92. Can I Believe You - Fleet Foxes 

93. Don't Wanna - HAIM 

94. Pearl Cadillac - Gary Clark Jr. feat. Andra Day

95. Miss You - Gabrielle Aplin 

96. It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault - Courtney Marie Andrews 

97. You Have Stolen My Heart - Brian Fallon 

98. Fire - Waxahatchee 

99. Kool - BENEE 

100. Czar - Busta Rhymes feat. M.O.P.

The Five Most Anticipated Albums of Spring 2020

The movie business is being upended by the global pandemic but the music business is just humming along after pretty much converting to digital last decade. There are some major releases that do not even get physical releases now. Amazon said they would not be storing any CD's or vinyl records in their warhouses to save space for essiental product and that was met mostly with a shrug. I was a little surprised that Alicia Keys delayed her album that was supposed to come out last week for two months, just days after announcing it was coming at all. No one really knows how long we will be stuck inside, but there actually is a bunch of noteworthy albums coming out this spring to keep us entertained until the quarantine is listed. I am certainly not renting The Hunt for twenty bucks, that is like three and a half months of Hulu. Here are the ones I am most looking for:


1. Gaslighter - Dixie Chicks (My 1): Has it really been fourteen years since the last Dixie Chicks album? I guess it does not seem that long because Natalie Maines released a solo album while Emily Robison and Martie Maguire released two albums under the name Court Yard Hounds in between. The title track lead single makes it sound like they have not skipped a beat and are just as angry as they were during the Bush era. And to think, most people actually miss the Bush era compared with what is going on now.

2. Women In Music Pt.III - Haim (April 24): Ha, WiMP III. Clever title. Haim sprinkled three quality single across 2019 and those are finally culminating with their third album. Okay, the fourth song that was released with the album announcement was the weakest, but I am still looking forward to it.

3. Gigaton - Pearl Jam (This Week): Well that was a weird first single. Maybe we should have guessed end times were upon us when Pearl Jam released a song with a dance-able bass-line. While they will likely never reach the heights of those first three classic albums, late period Pearl Jam has been pretty solid.

4. Pick Me Off the Floor - Norah Jones (May 8): Thanks to that massive first (and technically only) hit, Norah Jones has has the luxury of doing pretty much what ever she wants since. This time around she worked with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and if it is like past collaborations, it should end up being pretty good.

5. Fetch the Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple (TBD): Not quite Dixie Chicks long but it has been way took long Fiona Apple has released an album. Nothing is know but the title, based on a television quote of all things (but still not as weird as when she wrote poem length album titles) but just the thought of an album from Fiona will at very least put her on the list.


Here is everything else that is at least worth a spin on Spotify:

Last Week
After Hours - The Weeknd
3.15.20 - Childish Gambino

Tomorrow
Local Honey - Brian Fallon
Love Is An Art - Vanessa Carlton
Stain Cloud - Waxahatchie
Aporia - Sufjan Stevens
Walking Proof - Lilly Hiatt
Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (25th Anniversary Digital Deluxe Edition) - Ol' Dirty Bastard

April 3
Migration Stories - M. Ward
The Mike & Micky Show Live - The Monkees
Born to Sing: 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition - En Vogue

April 10
The Way it Feels - Maddie and Tae
LIFERS - Local H

April 17
Italian Ice - Nicole Atkins
One World - Billy Ocean
The Rainbow Children (Reissue) - Prince
One Night alone... (Reissue) - Prince

April 24
Notes On A Conditional Form - The 1975
Three. Two. One. - Lennon Stella
First Rose Of Spring - Willie Nelson
MTV Unplugged Live at Hull City Hall - Liam Gallagher

May 1
Hate For Sale - The Pretenders

May 8
Petals for armor - Hayley Williams
Recover - The Naked and Famous
That’s How Rumors Get Started - Margo Price

May 15
Alicia - Alicia Keys
Reunions - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Van Weezer - Weezer

May 29
Imploding The Mirage - The Killers

June 5
What's Your Pleasure - Jessie Ware
Surface Sounds - KALEO

June 12
Canyons - Gone West


TBD
Brother Sister - Watkins Family Hour
Ariana Grande
Daryl Hall and John Oats
Lorde
The Cure


Of course this could be the quarter Dr. Dre releases Detox.

The 50 Best Music Videos of 2019

1. I Can’t Get Enough - benny blanco, Selena Gomez, J Balvin, Tainy


2. Summer Girl - HAIM


3. I Get No Joy - Jade Bird


4. bad guy - Billie Eilish


5. Cops Shot the Kid - Nas, Kanye West


6. Lose You To Love Me - Selena Gomez

7. Lonely Generation - Echosmith

8. 7 rings - Ariana Grande

9. antisocial - Ed Sherran featuring Trais Scott

10. Prophet - King Princess

11. Afterlife - Hailee Steinfeld

12. Land of The Free - The Killers

13. Go - The Black Keys

14. 555 - Jimmy Eat World

15. GIRL - Maren Morris

16. Screwed - Janelle Monáe featuring Zoë Kravitz

17. Good as Hell - Lizzo

18. Harmony Hall - Vampire Weekend

19. Sing Along - Sturgill Simpson

20. Swan Song (From the Motion Picture Alita: Battle Angel") - Dua Lipa

21. White Mercedes - Charli XCX

22. Now I'm In It - HAIM

23. Lover - Taylor Swift

24. My Motto - Jade Bird

25. Used to Be - Anna of the North

26. This Is On You - Maisie Peters

27. Sisyphus - Andrew Bird

28. Party For One - Carly Rae Jepsen

29. ME! - Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco

30. Raise a Man - Alicia Keys

31. Hey Rosie - The National

32. Fire - Sara Bareilles

33. The Hunger - Bat for Lashes

34. Take On Me - Weezer

35. Stay Young - Maisie Peters

36. Sugar Coat - Little Big Town

37. Sunflower - Vampire Weekend featuring Steve Lacy

38. This Land - Gary Clark Jr.

39. Don’t Call Me Angel (Charlie’s Angels) - Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey

40. Truth Hurts - Lizzo

41. Look at Her Now - Selena Gomez

42. Western World - LION BABE featuring Raekwon

43. You Mean the Wold to Me - Freya Ridings

44. MONOPOLY - Ariana Grande with Victoria Monét

45. Lost in the Woods - Weezer Version - Weezer

46. Spirit - Beyonce

47. I Remember - Betty Who

48. break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored - Ariana Grande

49. Doin' Time - Lana Del Rey

50. You Need to Calm Down - Taylor Swift

The 100 Best Songs of 2019

1. The Bones - Maren Morris

2. Stay Young - Maisie Peters

3. Hard Place - H.E.R.

4. Cross Me - Ed Sheeran feat. Chance the Rapper & PnB Rock

5. Thoughts - Sasha Sloan

6. GIRL - Maren Morris

7. Harmony Hall - Vampire Weekend

8. I Was Wrong - BAILEN

9. Lover - Taylor Swift

10. Truth Hurts - Lizzo

11. Out of Love - Alessia Cara

12. Faking It - Sasha Sloan

13. Now I'm In It - HAIM

14. Sunflower - Vampire Weekend feat. Steve Lacy

15. Summer Girl - HAIM

16. Count On Me - The Lone Bellow

17. Oh, What a World - Kacey Musgraves

18. I Get No Joy - Jade Bird

19. BLOW - Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars

20. This Is On You - Maisie Peters

21. Lo/Hi - The Black Keys

22. Orphans - Coldplay

23. bad guy - Billie Eilish

24. This Life - Vampire Weekend

25. Wildflowers - Elle Fanning

26. seasonal depression - mxmtoon

27. Family and Loyalty - Gang Starr feat. J. Cole

28. You and I - LÉON

29. Complainer - Cold War Kids

30. Late Night Feelings - Mark Ronson feat. Lykke Li

31. You Ain't the Problem - Michael Kiwanuka

32. Adore You - Maisie Peters

33. When I Wasn’t Watching - Mandy Moore

34. Missed Connection - The Head and the Heart

35. Eagle Birds - The Black Keys

36. Castles - Freya Ridings

37. Priorities - Jillian Jacqueline

38. Good as Hell - Lizzo

39. Baby Don't Talk - LÉON

40. Bang Bang - The Avett Brothers

41. Black Moon Rising - Black Pumas

42. Tucson Train - Bruce Springsteen

43. Fire - Sara Bareilles

44. I Guess I Just Feel Like - John Mayer

45. Hold Your Nerve - Boy & Bear

46. Sing Along - Sturgill Simpson

47. Gloria - The Lumineers

48. Go - The Black Keys

49. Outnumbered - Dermot Kennedy

50. prom dress - mxmtoon

51. Almost (Sweet Music) - Hozier

52. Western Stars - Bruce Springsteen

53. Seventeen - Sharon Van Etten

54. The Flower - Michael Franti & Spearhead feat. Victoria Canal

55. Heartless - The Weeknd

56. Just Do It - Lily & Madeleine

57. Supply & Demand - Wilder Woods

58. Bad - James Bay

59. Can't Help the Way I Feel - Lily & Madeleine

60. Common - Maren Morris feat. Brandi Carlile

61. Bad Name - Gang Starr

62. Hallelujah - HAIM

63. SPIRIT - Beyoncé

64. Sure Don't Miss You - The Dip

65. bury a friend - Billie Eilish

66. Gave You Everything - The Interrupters

67. TATTOOED ON MY HEART - Bishop Briggs

68. Hero - Michael Kiwanuka

69. Father of All... - Green Day

70. High Steppin' - The Avett Brothers

71. It Wasn't Easy to Be Happy for You - The Lumineers

72. Something Tells Me - Meg Mac

73. Here With Me (feat. CHVRCHES) - Marshmello

74. NASA - Ariana Grande

75. Rainbow - Kacey Musgraves

76. Burning - Maggie Rogers

77. Crowded Table - The Highwomen

78. Season’s Greetings - Stella Donnelly

79. Black Jeans - Lucie Silvas

80. At Least I Look Cool - Sasha Sloan

81. Forgive Me Friend - Smith & Thell feat. Swedish Jam Factory

82. Cheap Queen - King Princess

83. Don't Leave Me Lonely - Mark Ronson feat. YEBBA

84. Sucker Punch - Sigrid

85. Give Me My Name Back - Meg Mac

86. I Dare You - The Regrettes

87. Bad Ideas - Tessa Violet

88. My Motto - Jade Bird

89. Do Your Worst - Rival Sons

90. I Like (The idea of) You - Tessa Violet

91. No Bullets Spent - Spoon

92. Blame It On Your Love - Charli XCX

93. Insomnia - Daya

94. Out of Touch - Dove Cameron

95. Everyone Hides - Wilco

96. Beloved - Mumford & Sons

97. Prophet - King Princess

98. Ride out in the Country - Yola

99. in my head - Ariana Grande

100. Come Tomorrow - Dave Matthews Band feat. Brandi Carlile

I Want My Music Television: 10/9/2017

Little of Your Love - HAIM


When HAIM released their last video I said they should never not dance in their music videos, though country line dancing was not really what I had in mind.


The Last of the Real Ones - Fall Out Boy


Killer llamas may have been more entertaining if it was not in super slow motion. And it was not until the end before I realize, didn’t Kanye West do this already but with a hot model and not farm animals? Is Fall Out Boy really parodying a decade old Kanye West video I barely remember?


Heart Break - Lady Antebellum


There was no pre-ad roll before I watched this Lady Antebellum video on YouTube. I bring this up because about ten seconds in I was looking for the Skip This button because that opening was mostly boring. And really, the video’s plot did not make much sense. Unless it continues but I hate music videos that are to be continued.

Generous - Olivia Holt

Sure the new Olivia Holt (who distractedly looks like nineties Mandy Moore) song sounds like a rip off of Bad Liar, but still, it is mostly catchy.

I Want My Music Videos: 6/26/2017

Bad Liar - Selena Gomez


You may not know the name Jesse Peretz but if you watched MTV in the nineties, you have seen his work as he directed many Foo Fighters videos (including Learning to Fly where Dave Grohl played multiple roles) as well as Popular by Nada Surf. What those videos had in common have in common were that they were weird and fun, but that was mostly lacking here except Selena Gomez dressing up as a nerdy dad. And what was that “Coming Soon” at the end? Is there a second parter to this because that looked like a completely different video. I hope this does not become a trend.


Want You Back - HAIM


Haim should never not dance in the videos.


Chase Me - Danger Mouse feat. Run The Jewels and Big Boi


It is a shame Edgar Wright is not a big a big a director as he should be, his trio of British films with Simonn Pegg and Nick Frost were brilliant. Scott Pilgrim should have been a massive hit (seriously, the film featured up and comers Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, and Aubrey Plaza). Ant-Man was going to be his first blockbuster but ended up leaving because of creative diferences. Maybe a movie featuring Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, and Kevin Spacey will finally get him widespread recognition. At the very least the Danger Mouse song from the soundtrack is cool.


Secrets - The Weeknd


The Weeknd biting The Romantics… interesting. And the visuals in the video are cool.

I Want My Music Television: 5/1/2017

Right Now - HAIM


Haim put out one of the best debut albums this decade, an indie pop band that was heavily influenced but nineties rock and RnB. So I have been eagerly anticipating the follow up but the first single is kind of boring. And why even get Paul Thomas Anderson to direct if you are just going to record a studio video? Hopefully there are better things to come.


DNA. - Kendrick Lamar


Does that make me less racist that I did not know what DNA stands for? Though I do not understand how a lie detector can make Don Cheadle channel Kendrick Lamar. Art, I guess.


Hard Times - Paramore


Paramore have always been a power-pop band but a lot of songs on their last album lost that “power” part of their sound. This just sounds like something that come out of the new wave eighties, and visuals to match. But much like their power pop days, this is mostly mediocre.


Total Entertainment Forever - John Mayer Misty


I know Father John Misty is making some comment on pop culture with his new album, but it is getting harder and harder to enjoy his stuff anymore. Mackuly Culkin as Kurt Cobain? Pass.

I Want My Music Television: 2/17/15

Style - Taylor Swift


When you listen to Taylor Swift, her lyrics are so direct and to the point, you can see the music video play out in front of you, and when she finally puts her own visuals to her music, it is pretty much what you expect it to be as they are usually acted out versions of her lyrics. This is the first time that I can think of that Taylor went very abstract with her music video which look like something you would expect to have seem on 120 Minutes (well if she would have wore less stylish clothes and pick a less attractive co-star) instead of TRL.

Black Son - Death Cab for Cutie


Death Cab for Cutie announced their new album along with the departure of guitarist Chris Walla, usually credited with creating the sound of the band though he still contributed to most of the album. Their first song since comes off as a little more menacing than anything the band has done before. If Codes and Keys was about Ben Gibbard's dissolving marriage, is this another album of something breaking up? I am not optimistic it will be better just from the first single.

Pray to God - Calvin Harris featuring Haim`


I was a big fan of Haim's first album, but I really do not need a crappy EDM / Calvin Harris version of their music. Much like I was hoping (and got) an acoustic Aloe Blacc version of Wake Me Up, I do kind of want to hear Haim play this song by themselves. And maybe they can do it without the coven outfits and random animals.

Champagne Kisses - Jessie Ware


I wanted to like Jessie Ware's first album more than I actually did but her sophomore outing was a vast improvement (Say You Love Me cracked the top ten of my 100 Greatest Songs of 2014), the latest single is alright but the video is messing with my mind. I really want whatever that director was taking.

The 50 Best Music Videos of 2014

1. Girl in a Country Song - Maddie and Tae


2. Just One of the Guys - Jenny Lewis


3. My Song 5 - Haim featuring A$AP Ferg


4. Sweatpants - Childish Gambino featuring Problem


5. Word Crimes - "Weird Al" Yankovic


6. Our Time - Lily Allen

7. I Blame Myself - Sky Ferreira

8. Foil - "Weird Al" Yankovic

9. Blank Space - Taylor Swift

10. URL Badman - Lily Allen

11. Tacky - "Weird Al" Yankovic

12. The Writing's on the Wall - OK Go

13. Water Fountain - tUnE - yArDs

14. Break the Rules - Charli XCX

15. Air Balloon - Lily Allen

16. If I Could Change Your Mind - Haim

17. Yellow Flicka Beat - Lorde

18. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

19. Shesszus - Lily Allen

20. I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers

21. Magic - Coldplay

22. Talk (Expletive Deleted), Get Shot - Body Count

23. Something Bad - Miranda Lambert featuring Carrie Underwood

24. Ain't It Fun - Paramore

25. Girls Chase Boys - Ingrid Michaelson

26. Fever - The Black Keys

27. Desire - Meg Myers

28. Stay Awhile - She and Him

29. Shake it Off - Taylor Swift

30. Sing - Ed Sheeran

31. Make You Better - The Demberists

32. Let Her Down Easy - George Michael

33. Paris - Magic Man

34. Fancy - Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

35. Katie Queen of Tennessee - The Apache Relay

36. Mission Statement - “Weird Al" Yankovic

37. The Walker - Fitz and the Tantrums

38. Think Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

39. Understand - The Roots featuring Dice Raw and Greg Porn

40. A Sky Full of Stars - Coldplay

41. Do You - Spoon

42. Habits (Stay High) - Tove Lo

43. Guilty All the Same - Linkin Park featuring Rakim

44. High Ball Stepper - Jack White

45. Don't - Ed Sheeran

46. Back to the Shack - Weezer

47. All Washed Out - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

48. Heart Is a Drum - Beck

49. Headphones - Matt Nathanson featuring LoLo

50. Hayloft - Nickel Creek

I Want My Music Television: 3/4/14

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Midnight – Coldplay


Usually when an artist drops a new song, it is accompanied by big fan fair, maybe a press release about a new album. But now we are living in a post-Beyoncé world where artists are getting more and more cryptic. Prior to releasing a new music video, Coldplay posted on social media that they would be releasing something, at midnight in the time zone local to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The song ended up being entitled Midnight and is this weird Bon Iver meets Radiohead track with an even weirder accompanying video. A week later they did announce a new album coming in May with pre-order where the insta-download track being a more traditional sounding Magic (though it is more bass heavy than previous Coldplay work) which they are calling the first single instead of Midnight which is stuck in the very middle of the album.


Partition - Beyoncé


Speaking of Beyoncé, she just officially released a new music video (though if you bought the visual album, you have already seen it). It weird that after giving birth, her music videos have gotten more sexual between this and Drunk in Love as if she has something to prove. And she definitely is proving something. Why do I think this is just your average Monday in the Carter household?


If I Could Change Your Mind – Haim


Even though they are a band who play their own instruments, listening to their music, you can easily tell that Haim are heavily influenced by girl groups of the nineties and their latest music video is just a great throwback to that era. Of course the song itself is a throwback lamenting “lying eyes” which were a staple in lyrics back in the eighties and nineties (I guess songwriters today date people with better poker faces). And like I do whenever they release something new, it is time to update the Haim Sisters Power Rankings and after this video I have Alana in pole position.


Arabella – Arctic Monkeys


The golden age of music video nudity continues with Arctic Monkeys who latest looks like a mix between an old noir flick and old time peep show.

Nothings Gonna Wake Me Now Cause Im a Slave to the Sound

Lorde was not the only highly buzzed about new artist to release an album last week (see my review: I'm Kind of Over Being Told to Throw My Hands in the Air). Much like Lorde, Haim built their buzz with critically adored EP and plenty of high profile endorsements (in the case of Haim wide ranging artists from Rihanna to Mumford & Sons have express support) but unlike Lorde the three sisters of Haim (and one unseen male drummer) have also build a reputation of a great live act playing basically every major festival over the past year.

Unlike Lorde whose debut album was made up almost entire of new songs, Haim does recycle half the songs on their full length first album Days Are Gone from their previous EP’s, whether this is a good thing or not depend on if you already bought the EP’s or not. Even as a listener it is a bit disappointing that much of the album is not new. But to steal the NBC’s slogan from decade, if you are just hearing of Haim for the first time, the songs are new to you.

If you are new to Haim, there is a reason why everyone from Rihanna to Mumford and Sons are championing the trio; they check almost every musical box you can think off. The first thing I heard was Falling (which is also the first track on the album) which harkens back to Southern California rock of the seventies like Fleetwood Mac, a comparison that deepens as each sister trade off lead vocals, but they also combine their voices that are reminiscent of nineties RnB. They go deep on RnB with songs like Go Deep with its penetrating bass worthy of any slow jam from two decades ago. There is also a pop sensibility of that other sibling band Hanson, but since all the members of Haim are legally able to buy beer, there is not an underlying cheesiness to them.

Haim’s influences sometime get too prevalent. Most notably on the first new single off the album The Wire which completely lifted another seventies So-Cal band The Eagles guitar riff from Heartache Tonight. And on Forever, it is hard not to hear the synthesizers from New Order’s Bizarre Love Triangle. It is a fine line between homage and stealing and Haim toes the line a little too close a couple times on Days Are Gone.

For those familiar with Haim’s previous EP’s, the group gets weird and dark on some of the newer tracks on the album which makes it more diverse than the very homogeneous Pure Heroine that Lorde put out. My Song 5 sound more like something you would hear on a Dirty Projectors album than from the group that put out the Forever EP. While Let Me Go is a menacing track to that could have been a hit on alternative rock stations back in the nineties.

Last Tuesday was the deadline for the 2014 Grammy awards which is probably why Haim and Lorde (and a few other artists) dropped their album on Monday. Both are angling for a Best New Artists nomination, which should be a lock for both, along with Kacey Musgraves as well as maybe Capital Cities, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (assuming they are eligible, the rules for the category are fuzzy so not so new acts like Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar may also be in the mix even though they do not seem very "new"). And the last two entrants may be the ones to beat next January, being fresh in a voters mind is usually a good thing. Lorde may have the inside track because of the smash Royals but Days Gone By is a much more fun album.

Song to Download – Falling

Days Are Gone gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

The Ten Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2013

It has been an abysmal year for music. In the first eight months there were only four marquee albums released by Daft Punk, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, and Jay-Z. Except Yeezus bombed, Magna Carta... Holy Grail and The 20/20 Experience will probably end up being the two best selling albums of the year but were still disappointing, and Random Access Memories has yet to garner a second hit. Just think that the next biggest release this year was the Fall Out Boy comeback. Was anyone even hoping for a Fall Out Boy reunion twelve months ago?

What is worse, the music industry has yet to create a breakout artist this year. Just think back to this time last year when Gotye, Fun., and Carley Rae Jepsen all had massive hits while The Lumineers and Of Monsters and Men were still building steam. The closest thing the music industry has to a breakout star this year is Anna kendrick. No shots at Cups because it is extremely catchy but it is sad that an acapella song by an actress from movie released in December of last year is still hovering around the iTunes top ten in September. With that said, I really hope Anna capitalizes on the success and goes into the studio to create a full version of No Diggity. At any rate, rumors are there is a Pitch Perfect Christmas album coming our way this winter.

Yeah the year in music has been extremely bad this year, but hold off declaring that 2013 has overtaken 1999 as the worst year in music ever. Usually it is hard for me to come up with five albums to make up my Most Anticipated Albums list each quarter, but this Fall I could have easily come up with a top twenty this time around and that is not even using the albums that are just rumored to be coming out sometime in the next four months like U2 and The Black Keys. Although I hope all of those marquee albums named in the TBA category hold off their albums until early next year so 2014 does not start off as abysmal as this year. Here are some albums that are scheduled to come out over the next four months. Click on the album title or art to pre-order on Amazon and the artists name to go to their iTunes page.

1. Magpies and Dandelions – The Avett Brothers (October 15): After putting out steller folk albums on their own, The Avett Brothers hooked up with uber-producer Rick Rubin for their best album to date, I and Love and You four years ago. Just last year, they collaborated again for another good album The Carpenter. So my hopes are high when they hooked up for the third time with a new batch of songs recorded during The Carpenter sessions.

2. Wise Up Ghost – Elvis Costello & The Roots (Tomorrow): When The Roots signed up as The Late Night house band, I thought it was slow down their output, but they have managed to put out as much, if not more music than ever. And it has opened them up to unexpected collaborations, The Dirty Projectors, Jim James, and Joanna Newsome have appeared on their albums and The Roots did a whole album with John Legend. And now maybe their weirdest collaboration yet with Elvis Costello. And like the previously mentioned collaborations, this one weirdly works.

3. Pure Heroine – Pure Heroine - Lorde (September 30): If you had at the start of the year a sixteen year old from New Zealand who spouts anti-materialism anthems as the breakout star of 2013, you would be raking it in right now. And while Miley is off twerking, Lada Gaga is trying to hard to be shocking, Katy is recycling songs, and Britney trying too use profanities again to jump start her career, the pop world really needs Lorde right now. Her five song EP was great and though Royals will pop up on the full length debut everything she has done so far has been great. Seriously, she even made a song off of Yeezus listenable.

4. From Here to Now to You – Jack Johnson (Tomorrow): At this point, Jack is not changing anyone's mind, and the new album will not be changing anyone's mind. But if you are already on the Jack Johnson bandwagon (like me, I own all of his albums), he has put together another set of songs that will help you remember the summer as the days start getting shorter.

5. Days Are Gone – Haim (September 30): This fall is so jammed packed with music, the two highest profiled debuts arrive on the same day (not so coincidentally, I believe this is the last day to be eligible for the 2014 Grammy Award which is why so much music is being released on a Monday instead of the usual Tuesday; and Haim and Lorde are pretty much a lock for Best New Artist along with Kacey Musgraves with the other two slots taken by Capital Cities and... um... could Anna Kendrick really get the last spot? Actually the Grammys will probably not realize 2 Chainz has been around for a decade and give him the final spot). Like Lorde, Haim put out a solid EP which mixed southern California pop with nineties RnB and somehow makes it sound awesome. Listening to Heartache Tonight biting first single, their full length debut will be more of the same (but unlike Lorde, much of their EP shows up on Days Gone By).

6. Lightning Bolt – Pearl Jam (October 14): After some unremarkable albums durning the late ninties to the early 00's, Pearl Jam has had a bit of resurgence with their last two album. They go full agro on first single Mind Your Manners which brings up memories of Spin the Black Circle off their best album. Here is hoping Lightning Blt turns out to be their best album yet, or at the very least the best since Vitology.

7. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 - Eminem (November 5): I cannot say I have ever anticipated an Eninem album, but that all chanced with the release of Berserk and word that the album is being co-produced by Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre. As you can tell by the cameo in the video Rubin was responsible for the beat, the first he has done since 99 Problems a decade ago (both sample a Billy Squire which make me wonder if Rubin will try to resurrect his career Johnny Cash style in the near future). No word of Eminem goes full retro on the whole album, but I certainly hope so.

8. New – Paul McCartney (October 15): Another artist I usually do not get too excited for, because aside from Spies Like Us, is there any other solo songs from Paul McCartney to get excited about? But for his next album, the former Beatles has teamed up with probably the best new producer of the past decade, Mark Ronson whose retro soul style helped launch the careers of Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Adele.

9. Speak a Little Louder - Diane Birch (October 15): As Ronson ushered in a new age of retro female British singers, American Diane Birch was unfortunately ignore with her retro leaning debut Bible Belt which was one of my favorite debuts from last decade. From what I have heard, the follow up is a bit darker with influences from eighties shoe-gazers. Hopefully the whole album is as good as the first one.

10. To All the Girls… - Willie Nelson (October 15): Willie Nelson is jumping on the duets bandwagon, but as the title suggests, he is just singing with his favorite ladies including featuring Dolly Parton, Mavis Staples, Sheryl Crow, Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Rosanne Cash, Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Tina Rose, Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Secret Sisters, Brandi Carlile, Lily Meola, Shelby Lynne, Melonie Cannon, and Paula Nelson.

I put together a Spotify playlist of the first singles off of the albums listed above which you can listen to at right while you peruse seventy other albums coming out this fall that should at the very least be worth a spin on Spotify.

Last Week
The Electric Lady – Janelle Monáe
AM – Arctic Monkeys
Feels Like Home – Sheryl Crow
Kiss Land – The Weeknd
B.O.A.T.S. 2# Metime – 2 Chainz
Dynamics – Holy Ghost!
Now, Then and Forever – Earth, Wind and Fire
Say That to Say This – Trombone Shorty
Sound System - The Clash

Tomorrow
New Constellation – Toad the Wet Sprocket
In Rolling Waves – The Naked and Famous
Spreading Rumours - Grouplove
Battle Maximus - GWAR
Bookmarks – Five for Fighting
MGMT – MGMT
Sun Will Rise – Animal Years

September 24

Mechanical Bull – Kings of Leon
The Diving Board – Elton John
The Last Ship - Sting
Seasons Of Your Day – Mazzy Star
Build Me Up From Bones – Sarah Jarosz
Negativity – Deer Tick
Bones of What You Believe – CHVRCHES
Wishbone – Oh Land
Shout! - Gov't Mule
Sammy Hagar and Friends – Sammy Hagar
My Brothers Keeper – K-Ci and JoJo
Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture)
In Utero (3CD+DVD Super Deluxe Edition) – Nirvana

October 1
VII – Blitzen Trapper
Blur the Line – Those Darlins
B-Room – Dr. Dog
I'll Find A Way – The Blind Boys of Alabama
Innocents – Moby
Unvarnished – Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Lucky Numbers - Dave Stewart

October 8
Back to Forever – Lissie
Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song – Amos Lee
Bitter Rivals – Sleigh Bells
Tin Star – Lindi Ortega
You Can't Make Old Friends - Kenny Rogers
Frame By Frame – Cassadee Pope
High Rise – Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington
Melophobia – Cage the Elephant
My Name Is My – Pusha T

October 15
Let's Be Still – The Head and the Heart
Make A Move - Gavin DeGraw
Static – Cults
No Poison No Paradise – Black Milk
Mary Christmas – Mary J. Blige
Unplugged: Expanded and Remastered (2xCD+DVD) - Eric Clapton

October 22
Smoke and Mirrors – Brett Dennen
Fade Away - Best Coast

October 29
Reflektor – Arcade Fire
Night Time, My Time - Sky Ferreira
Get There – Minor Alps (Juliana Hatfield and Matthew Caws of Nada Surf)
Wrapped in Red – Kelly Clarkson
Recharged - Linkin Park

November 5
Magic Hour - Luscious Jackson
Mantangi – M.I.A.
Avril Lavigne – Avril Lavigne
Loved Me Back To Life - Céline Dion
Miami Pop Festival - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

November 12
Black Panties - R. Kelly
Under the Covers, vol. 3 – Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
November - Grace and Tony
Inside Llewyn Davis Soundtrack
Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection - Jewel

December 3
Love, Marriage and Divorce – Toni Braxton and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds

TBD
blackSUMMERSnight – Maxwell
The Art of War: World War III - Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Fading West - Switchfoot
Beck
Better Than Ezra
Beyoncé
The Black Keys
Common
Danielle Bradbery
Ed Sheeran
Lily Allen
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
U2

And of course I have to mention the obligatory this may be the quarter that Dr. Dre finally releases Detox.