#6 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Julien Baker

January 26, 2022 by Royal Stuart in Top 31

Little Oblivions by Julien Baker

I’ve done a great disservice to the artist here at #6. Little Oblivions is the third album by singer/songwriter Julien Baker, yet it’s the first of her’s to appear on the Top 31. I’ve enjoyed her previous album, 2017’s Turn Out the Lights, but it came out mere days before I put together my list for 2017, and so it consequently missed inclusion. And don’t even ask about her debut, 2015’s Sprained Ankle.

I’ve mentioned Baker a couple times in other reviews, as she’s quite chummy with Lucy Dacus (#23 this year) and Phoebe Bridgers (#3 last year). The three of them teamed up as boygenius on an ep back in 2018, and left us begging for more. If you’re a fan of any of those three, you’re a fan of all three. But each has their own voice and spin on where they take the role of “honest and fucked up.”

Of the three, Baker’s voice is strongest. Where Bridgers is delicate, and Dacus is smooth, Baker is wrought. Self-doubt, suicidal tendencies, and alcoholism are common refrains in Baker’s songs, all dripping with the raw emotion that proves she’s lived every bit of it. And there’s so much power behind it all, too. Baker can (and often does) take a song from a quiet, intimate moment to a literal screaming-at-the-top-of-your-lungs crescendo, you’ll find yourself losing your voice singing along on the way to the grocery store.

Little Oblivions is much more rock band-oriented than her two previous albums. There’s a sparseness to her earlier work that has been shed for a more traditional guitar/bass/keyboard/drums setup, all performed by Baker. Baker plays nearly all the instruments on her albums - just like Prince. Baker, 26, has established herself as a true musical force in her 10+ years as a recording artist. She hasn’t hit Billie Eilish levels of popularity, but there’s a sincerity to her music that Eilish lacks, along with a distinct, pleasing absence of pop hooks. In addition to the fantastic song “Faith Healer,” shown in the video above, check out the awesome stop-motion animated video for “Hardline” as well.

Do yourself a favor and get aboard the Julien Baker train. We’ve already left the station, but if you start now you can catch up to us by the next station. All aboard!

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7. Valentine by Snail Mail
8. sketchy. by tUnE-yArDs
9. A Very Lonely Solstice by Fleet Foxes
10. Hey What by Low
11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#4 on the 2020 Bacon Top 31 — Taylor Swift

January 28, 2021 by Royal Stuart

folklore + evermore by Taylor Swift

If I were to allow myself a quick indulgence in forgetting the shit ton of god awful shit that happened, 2020 would go down as “The Biggest, Most Exciting Year For a Fan of The National That Doesn’t Feature a New Album by The National.” Not only was there the phenomenal debut solo release by lead singer Matt Berninger (Serpentine Prison, at #8), there were not one but two wholly-unexpected Aaron Dessner-produced and co-written jaw-droppingly good Taylor Swift albums, albums that could easily be called The National albums but with Swift slotted in for Berninger.

I would find it unbelievable if you told me you didn’t know Swift had released a couple albums in 2020. It’s impossible to be that in the dark that you somehow avoided hearing about the best selling album of 2020 (folklore set so many records upon its release on July 24, and it ended the year atop many best-of lists) and its sister album (evermore, released on December 11, may yet set records for sales in 2021, even if it will be out of contention for the critical year-end lists). But I can’t blame you if you discounted it outright, simply for being a couple of Taylor Swift albums. Well, I’m here to tell you that you’ve been thoroughly missing out. These albums are two of the most approachable, exciting, and universally-appealing records you’ll ever experience.

Swift was meant to team up with Dessner (guitarist, producer, and co-writer for The National, who have appeared on numerous Top 31s in the past, as well as one-half — with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver — of Big Red Machine, who appeared at #13 in 2018). Her personal, intimately written stories told in rhyming couplets and double entendres layer beautifully on Dessner’s musical tapestry. If you remove Swift’s words and voice from these songs, these are The National songs. It’s abundantly clear who drives the sounds of their albums. Then you add in Swift’s poetry and voice, and it’s almost too much for one person to handle.

folklore was a huge hit in our house from the day it was released. My family loved it as much as I did, including the youngest of us. Only two at the time of release, my toddler loves to proclaim “You know this song!” whenever she hears any song she’s heard more than once. We heard her say that a lot when we’d put it on. But when she got even more comfortable with it, demanding “Again!” at the end of the album’s best song (“Exile,” one of two duets Swift has with Bon Iver on the albums), and then started quietly singing the words from the song on top of Vernon and Swift… ouch my heart. Hearing my three-year old daughter singing “I never learned to read your mind, I couldn’t turn things around, ’cause you never gave a warning sign” will stick with me forever.

I’ve written so much about The National over the years, but I’ve not ever written about Taylor Swift, so let’s dive into how amazing she is for a minute. The woman has been producing music professionally since 2006, when she was only 17 years old. In the ensuing 14-year span, she’s put out 9 albums and a ton more EPs and single, all of which have sold over 227 million copies, good enough for #10 on the all-time list for most copies sold by any artist, ever. She’s won 10 Grammy Awards, an Emmy, and has set seven Guinness World Records, including “Biggest-Selling Album Worldwide For A Solo Artist” for her 2019 album Lover.

She is the perfect embodiment of female empowerment, and speaks out for herself, gun control, women’s rights, Black Lives Matter, LGBT rights and gender and racial equality, and the importance of voting. And she speaks out against white supremacy, systemic racism, and police brutality, all with an impeccable wardrobe and smile. On top of that, she’s picked up where Prince left off with his struggles against the leech-like record labels that suck every last dollar out of the artistic rights of their recording artists. She has publicly, continually, vehemently battled her record label for the ownership of her master recordings. Failing that, she’s decided to simply re-record all of her old recordings, no doubt making them better in the process and rendering the old masters all but worthless. “Commendable” doesn‘t even begin to define Taylor Swift.

All of that history makes the creation of folklore and evermore all that more astonishing. WIthout the pandemic-induced lockdowns, I don’t believe these records would have happened at all. Rather than being on a worldwide tour (that was supposed to begin in April), she set to recording new music. A few months of absolute chaos later, and she delivers the nicest care package imaginable.

These songs are without fault, and are infinitely listenable. The video above, which Swift directed, for her song “Cardigan” from the first album is not my favorite (see “Exile,” mentioned above), but even the worst song on the album is world’s better than 99% of what came out in 2020. The companion song from the second album, “Willow,” also has a Swift-directed video that starts exactly where the first video left off, and it’s not my favorite, either. For that, I’ll point you to the Justin Vernon co-produced song “Closure,” which doesn‘t feature Vernon’s succulent voice, but does feature key Bon Iver sounds and digitization, such as when he pushes Swift’s voice through his Messina – the vocal modifier that featured prominently on his 2016 Top 31 #1 album 22, A Million.

It’s clear I could keep gushing about these albums for much more — I’m finding myself striving to read all the background material out there (of which there is plenty, of course) to repurpose and regurgitate for you, dear reader. But I’ll stop here, and just tell you to listen, and then seek out the additional material yourself. There are deluxe versions and pared down versions and accompanying films and and and… The Taylor Swift machine is in high gear, per usual, but this time around I truly care, and I’m excited to see where she goes next. I hope there’s at least a few of you out there that I’ve convinced to listen to these records if you haven’t already. And for those of you that were as surprised as I was to find yourself in love with a couple of Taylor Swift albums in 2020, I’d love to hear from you about your experiences with the albums. Do reach out!

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1. Saint Cloud by Waxahatchee
2. Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple
3. Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers
4. folklore + evermore by Taylor Swift
5. Untitled (Black Is) + Untitled (Rise) by Sault
6. RTJ4 by Run The Jewels
7. Shore by Fleet Foxes
8. Serpentine Prison by Matt Berninger
9. The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens
10. Making a Door Less Open by Car Seat Headrest
11. Dreamland by Glass Animals
12. A Hero’s Death by Fontaines D.C.
13. Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez by Gorillaz
14. Mordechai + Texas Sun EP by Khruangbin
15. Introduction, Presence by Nation of Language
16. Free Love by Sylvan Esso
17. Miss Anthropocene by Grimes
18. 3.15.20 by Childish Gambino
19. Women In Music Pt. III by HAIM
20. The Third Mind by The Third Mind
21. Superstar by Caroline Rose
22. Impossible Weight by Deep Sea Diver
23. We Will Always Love You by The Avalanches
24. Ultra Mono by IDLES
25. Visions of Bodies Being Burned by clipping.
26. Thin Mind by Wolf Parade
27. The Loves of Your Life by Hamilton Leithauser
28. Palo Alto (Live) by Thelonious Monk
29. color theory by Soccer Mommy
30. Fall to Pieces by Tricky
31. Quarantine Casanova by Chromeo

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#18 on the 2020 Bacon Top 31 — Childish Gambino

January 14, 2021 by Royal Stuart

3.15.20 by Childish Gambino

Time for another digression. “This is America,” a song that came out nearly two years ago (!), is a perfect song. It’s only gotten more perfect as Trump’s presidency has steamrolled over our democracy while our collective blinders to the massive presence of white supremacy have been slowly and then suddenly removed. In the song, Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, brilliantly raps, dances, and displays in the video the symbolism of a hypocritical world that squeezes every last drop of joy and attitude out of black culture for its own selfish amusement while simultaneously pressing its collective knee onto their metaphorical and literal necks.

When the horrific facts surrounding the devastating and extremely avoidable deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of the police surfaced, in what was already shaping up to be an insanely difficult year, the not-really-melting pot of America boiled over. Protests and vigils and marches began happening at regular intervals (monthly, weekly, and sometimes daily depending on where you lived in the country, and even outside of it) and still continue today, albeit on a much smaller scale. The heat of the summer combined with an inability to leave the house due to Covid-19 lockdowns (as well as smoke from months-long west coast wildfires) blended into a literal fever pitch of anger. All the while, “This is America” played in the background in my head.

Things continue to escalate, as our racist president has made it painfully clear that the bigots and nationalists and white supremacists have his full, undivided support. They have been empowered, and they’re coming out of hiding in droves. I’m ashamed at my own surprise at the truth, that this truly is America. This is who we are.

These painful acts that happen again and again with greater and greater frequency, and each day more horrifying than the last — I once was blind, but now I see. This is America. 57% of the white voting population did so for Trump in 2016. Despite four years of constant disgust and disgrace, and despite 20+ million more voters being added to the rosters, that same 57% of whites voted for Trump in 2020. The vast majority of white voters — 73% more than voted for Biden — voted for Trump. This is America. Centuries of oppression and segregation and suffering. This is America.

And Mr. Glover captures it all in the space of 4 minute song.

This truth weighs on my conscience, and I strive to raise my children in a way that opens their eyes to it. I don’t pretend to have the power or knowledge to fix any of it. But I do know I won’t be letting that fucking genie get back in the bottle.

/digression

“This is America” doesn’t appear on 3.15.20, but the song has never appeared on any album. Despite it being the song that has continually bounced around my head throughout 2020, I feature it here as 3.15.20 is Glover’s first album to come out since the release of “This is America.” Plus I needed another opportunity to watch the video.

3.15.20 is Glover’s fourth Childish Gambino album, and only the first to appear on the Bacon Top 31. I suppose I, too, in a way have been coming out from hiding these past four years. The album doesn’t hook you so much as seep into your skin upon multiple listenings. In his review for allmusic.com, Tim Sendra summed the album up well, saying it is:

“a challenging, hooky, mysterious, and odd record that feels like it was built out of pieces left over from a collision between OutKast, David Bowie, Sly & the Family Stone, and Prince. Add in bits borrowed from Flaming Lips, Tyler, The Creator, and Lee Perry, and it’s a mad scientist’s take on modern pop with Glover at the middle alternately crooning with honey-dipped sweetness, rapping menacingly, crying out in pain, and telling tales”

The call-backs to OutKast and Prince are glaring, but it’s the more subtle nudges toward Bowie and Sly that really get you. This is a soundscape more than a cohesive album. “42.26” (most of the songs on the album are titled by the time stamp they exist on the album), previously released on the 2018 Summer Pack EP titled “Feels Like Summer,” is the most radio-friendly song, and well worth the price of admission.

Glover is supremely talented. He has the potential to join the vaunted EGOT crowd. (To date, 16 people have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. Currently, Glover has only won grammys and emmys, but it wouldn’t be a stretch for him to earn the final two awards needed to complete the set.) He’s a performer, fully aware of his stardom and exploitation of the world around him for his own personal gain. But we’re all better off with him in the world, opening our eyes and reflecting back to us what I and so many other white people have ignored for far too long.

Rewatch the video above, often. Buy 3.15.20. And then use your power (and privilege) to make constant, significant, and lasting change.

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#4 on the 2018 Bacon Top 31 — Janelle Monáe

January 28, 2019 by Royal Stuart

Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe

My daughter’s favorite album of her 15-month life is an exceedingly catchy, exceedingly raunchy album by the genius singer, songwriter, actress and producer Janelle Monáe. It just so happens to (thankfully) be one of my favorites of the year as well. Monáe is one of those people who is so insanely talented at everything she does that you kinda want to hate them. Like Justin Timberlake, Monáe can sing, dance, write, act, is drop dead gorgeous and can seemingly do no wrong. What an asshole.

If you haven’t yet heard of Monáe, you’ve probably seen her. She had a couple of great recent supporting roles: one in the Oscar-winning Best Picture of 2016 film Moonlight (her big screen debut), and another in the Oscar-nominated Best Picture of 2016 film Hidden Figures. Before she’d received the script for either of those fantastic movies, Monáe had started writing what would eventually became her third album. Once shooting was done, back into the studio she went, and out came 2018’s Dirty Computer.

The album is a pop music, sex-filled dream. Some of the lyrics within would make someone who’s not been listening to artists like Prince their entire lives blush, such as:

Pynk, like the inside of your... baby
Pynk behind all of the doors... crazy
Pynk, like the tongue that goes down... maybe
Pynk, like the paradise found

You know I love it, so please don't stop it
You got me right here in your jean pocket
Laying your body on a shag carpet
You know I love it so please don't stop it

Listening to the album will remind you of Prince, because his signature sound is all over the album. Prince worked with Monáe on the album before his death in 2016, and “Make Me Feel,” shown in the video above, is the climax of their joint effort. Just watch that video, but be warned: while there’s not a naked part in the whole video, it definitely toe’s the line of what’s safe for work viewing. In addition to having Prince’s fingerprints all over it, the album is chockablock with guest stars as well. Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder and Grimes all make appearances.

Monáe took other cues from Prince, too, releasing Dirty Computer – An Emotion Picture along with the album. At just over 45 minutes, the film is a loose sci-fi story built around the sounds of the album. You can watch the long film and see all the music videos within, or you can watch them individually, too:

“I Like That”
“PYNK”
“Django Jane”

If you’re not familiar with Monáe, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Start with listening to this album, then watch out for her next thing. I guarantee, if she hasn’t done it already, she’ll be the next megastar to host Saturday Night Live as both the host and the musical guest, and she will kill it.

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5. The Horizon Just Laughed by Damien Jurado
6. Chris by Christine and the Queens
7. Wanderer by Cat Power
8. Tell Me How You Really Feel by Courtney Barnett
9. The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs by Wye Oak
10. Ruins by First Aid Kit
11. Cocoa Sugar by Young Fathers
12. Loner by Caroline Rose
13. Big Red Machine by Big Red Machine
14. I’ll Be Your Girl by The Decemberists
15. The More I Sleep the Less I Dream by We Were Promised Jetpacks
16. Joy as an Act of Resistance by IDLES
17. Hell-On by Neko Case
18. Superorganism by Superorganism
19. Living in Extraordinary Times by James
20. Thank You for Today by Death Cab for Cutie
21. Black Panther: The Album by Kendrick Lamar
22. Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film) by Thom Yorke
23. Merrie Land by The Good, the Bad & the Queen
24. Room 25 by Noname
25. WARM by Jeff Tweedy
26. God's Favorite Customer by Father John Misty
27. Vessel by Frankie Cosmos
28. For Ever by Jungle
29. Twerp Verse by Speedy Ortiz
30. Remain in Light by Angélique Kidjo
31. This One’s for the Dancer & This One’s for the Dancer’s Bouquet by Moonface

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2009-2017 Top 31s

#21 on the 2018 Bacon Top 31 — Kendrick Lamar

January 11, 2019 by Royal Stuart

Black Panther: The Album by Kendrick Lamar

From one type of movie soundtrack at #22 to a completely different take here at #21. Black Panther was the highest grossing movie of 2018, and the Kendrick Lamar-produced soundtrack album of songs in and inspired by the movie holds up well to scrutiny. A movie soundtrack this good hasn’t come out since The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou came out in 2004.

This isn’t the first time that Lamar has been on the Top 31. His last album was #22 in 2017 and his seminal To Pimp a Butterfly was (erroneously) ranked all the way down at #29 in 2015. The man knows how to put the right people (producers, musicians, rappers) together to support his hard hitting, poignant lyrics, and this soundtrack is no different.

This being a Disney movie from the venerable Marvel Cinematic Universe, the album is most surprising in its apparent freedom from oversight. The album’s 14 songs are chock full of explicit lyrics and un-kid-friendly imagery. It’s an album that simply could not have been made five or ten years ago. Compare the Black Panther soundtrack to Prince’s Batman soundtrack from 1989 (incidentally, my first-ever CD purchase). This is Prince at his most-owned by his oppressive Warner Bros. contract, and the treacly, movie-sample laden songs, while massively popular when they were released, have not stood the test of time (have you tried to listen to it lately? It’s awful.)

But this Black Panther soundtrack, even though it includes some very similar movie samples within, is something different. This is a Kendrick Lamar album for an even larger audience than he’s already enjoyed, that just so happens to be tied to a movie. Full of interesting, cross-genre mashups (including SZA, 2 Chainz, The Weeknd and James Blake, just to name a few), the songs on this album radiate with energy. If you’ve not been a fan of Lamar’s work in the past, maybe this is your gateway into his genius. Give it at least one listen, if not more. You will not be disappointed.

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22. Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film) by Thom Yorke
23. Merrie Land by The Good, the Bad & the Queen
24. Room 25 by Noname
25. WARM by Jeff Tweedy
26. God's Favorite Customer by Father John Misty
27. Vessel by Frankie Cosmos
28. For Ever by Jungle
29. Twerp Verse by Speedy Ortiz
30. Remain in Light by Angélique Kidjo
31. This One’s for the Dancer & This One’s for the Dancer’s Bouquet by Moonface

Subscribe to the 2018 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2017 Top 31s

#20 on the 2016 Bacon Top 31

December 12, 2016 by Royal Stuart

★ by David Bowie

We lost quite a few great musicians in 2016. Prince. Leonard Cohen. Sharon Jones. Phife Dawg. And Bowie. David fucking Bowie. I can’t say his death was the hardest to take. They were all difficult. But it wasn’t easy, that’s for sure.

He presented himself to us as a pure entertainer, his life for the stage, and Bowie orchestrated his death in exactly that same way. He released ★ (aka Blackstar), his 25th album, on his 69th birthday, January 8, 2016. Two days later he died of complications from liver cancer, something he’d been secretly battling for a year and a half. From Tony Visconti, the coproducer of the album:

“He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way. His death was no different from his life — a work of art. He made ★ for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn’t, however, prepared for it. He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life. He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry.”

This is a sad, exhausting album. The sadness comes from the overt lyrics, which Bowie wrote about the experience of cancer treatment and impending death. The exhaustion comes from knowing what Bowie must have been feeling, himself, as he wrote it, which comes through in every slow tempo, every bass beat. It’s the perfect counter to the previous album on the countdown, Farewell, Starlite! Sure, there are many albums I’d reach for to memorialize Bowie by before reaching for this one, but ★ is still the perfect swan song, and I can’t recommend it enough.

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21. Farewell, Starlite! by Francis and the Lights
22. This Unruly Mess I’ve Made by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
23. LNZNDRF by LNZNDRF
24. Puberty 2 by Mitski
25. Light Upon the Lake by Whitney
26. A Corpse Wired for Sound by Merchandise
27. Away by Okkervil River
28. case/lang/veirs by case/lang/veirs
29. Love Letter for Fire by Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop
30. Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future by Underworld
31. Preoccupations by Preoccupations

#5 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

December 27, 2014 by Royal Stuart

And the War Came by Shakey Graves

The band at #5 is actually the work of just one man, sometimes actor Alejandro Rose-Garcia. When he’s not trying to expand his acting career (he was on Friday Night Lights and Sin City 2!), he’s creating and performing folky, americana music as Shakey Graves. And the War Came is his second album, and it’s no joke that I’m placing it in the top 5 of the year. It is solid from start to finish.

In the same vein as Prince or Matthew Houck (aka Phosphorescent, last year’s #1 band), Rose-Garcia performs most of the instruments on the album. He does have a few guest stars, most notably Esmé Patterson, who shares songwriting credit with Rose-Garcia on three songs on the album and lends her beautiful voice to the harmonies on those same three songs (including “Dearly Departed” above).

Rose-Garcia resides in Austin, Texas, and he sometimes sings with a purposeful, lazy drawl (most prominent on the track “Pansy Waltz”), lending a flare of Nashville to the songs. Overall, the album feels very alt.country, in a good way. The stories he tells on the album revolve around relationships and living life. As he said in this interview on NPR’s World Cafe, this album is about “what it means to love and be loved. It’s a responsibility album.”

“Dearly Departed” is the most approachable song on the album, but it verges on cringe-worthy in all of its hand-clap glory. I fear it could reach the same level of over-played insanity that the Lumineers (fellow Dualtone label-mates), Of Monsters and Men, or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have reached in years past. You can see Rose-Garcia and Patterson perform the song live on Conan, from a show back in October. I also recommend this live set on KEXP, from back in August. Four great songs, and you can really see the talent bubbling over.

I love this album. I can’t recommend it enough. Get. It. Now.

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6. Nicky Nack by tUnE-yArDs
7. Not Art by Big Scary
8. The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
9. Owl John by Owl John
10. LP1 by FKA Twigs
11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#10 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

December 22, 2014 by Royal Stuart

LP1 by FKA Twigs

The Top 10 of 2014! We’ve made it!

Coming in at the bottom of the Top 10 is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, otherwise known as FKA twigs, an english singer, songwriter, producer and dancer, whose trip-hop based sound took me completely by surprise back in August. This album, and the previous two EPs she released (EP1 in 2012, EP2 in 2013), are best listened to LOUD. Moreso than any other album I’ve listened to in the past few years, this album is layered with sonic goodness. Deep deep bass, voices off in the distance, electronic drums, and her crystal clear voice riding across the top like a slow-motion surfer atop the biggest wave at Mavericks.

This album is sexual, in a way similar to what Prince has been capable of in the past. With lines like “When I trust you we can do it with the lights on,” LP1 has much less innuendo than a Prince album typically does, but the feelings evoked are identical: musical intimacy. Each song is credited to FKA Twigs, along with a bevy of other producers, but that doesn’t prevent the album from holding together well. This is FKA Twigs’ vehicle. The others are just there as hangers-on.

My favorite song on the album, “Two Weeks,” was also the first single and video from the album, and it was posted here back in July. The video above, for the song “Video Girl,” is a close second for “favorite” from the album, but its a less universal song, and will be a more difficult entry into her work for most of you. Don’t let it deter you. The mix of the song featured in the video is different from the album, for what that’s worth. If it’s not your thing, go watch “Two Weeks,” and crank it loud. You won’t be disappointed.

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11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#6 on the 2013 Musical Bacon Calendar

December 26, 2013 by Royal Stuart

In Focus? by Shugo Tokumaru

The album at #6 came out towards the end of 2012 in Japan, but not until January 22, 2013 in the U.S. In Focus?, from Shugo Tokumaru, wins my award for Most Listened-To Album in 2013. It is sheer bliss, in musical form. Tokumaru’s fifth official full-length album, In Focus? is my first experience with the artist.

According to what I’ve read online, Tokumaru is a wunderkind similar to Prince. He writes, performs, records and mixes all of his own music. The album reminds me quite a bit — again — of Sufjan Stevens. Whenever recommending Tokumaru to friends, I would sum him up by calling him “The Japanese Sufjan Stevens.” He has a mastery of the strange and unexpected. In Focus? is chock full of whimsy, giving the listener an almost uncanny sense of musical serendipity upon each listen.

As Tokumaru sings in Japanese, this album has the added benefit of not being too distracting to listen to when trying to write (usually an impossible task for any album with someone singing). This also makes for strange car karaoke, where you find yourself attempting to sing along to Tokumaru’s Japanese by simply mimicking the sounds he is making. I’m positive this would sound horrible to anyone who speaks the language. This became especially problematic when I saw Tokumaru at the Sunset on July 16. I like to sing along with performers when I know the words (but I don’t shout over the performer). But for Tokumaru, I felt 100% self-conscious of sounding like the charlatan that I am, which prevented me from singing at all.

The live show itself, however, was unbelievable. Tokumaru had four other people on stage with him (and one off stage, on the floor, as the stage was not large enough): a bassist, a wild-man drummer and three percussionist / keyboard / backup singers who played all manner of instruments and toys, whirligigs and noisemakers. It was a truly happy show, and my cheeks hurt at the end of it. (You can get a glimpse of what that experience was like by watching this KEXP In Studio Performance from the same day.)

The above video, for the lively song “Katachi,” is featuring on the Bacon Review for the second time. It’s so good, I’ve posted it twice. He also has another video from this album, for the song “Decorate,” which I featured in these pages back in December of 2012. Be sure to watch that one as well.

I would like more people to know and love Tokumaru, but only if it means I can continue to see him in venues as tiny at the Sunset. I know this is an impossible request, so, therefore, please listen, enjoy, and do NOT under any circumstances plan on seeing him live.

Thank you very much.

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7. Psychic by Darkside
8. AMOK by Atoms for Peace
9. White Lighter by Typhoon
10. Hummingbird by Local Natives
11. If You Leave by Daughter
12. Pedestrian Verse by Frightened Rabbit
13. The Silver Gymnasium by Okkervil River
14. The Next Day by David Bowie
15. Reflektor by Arcade Fire
16. We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic by Foxygen
17. Lanters by Son Lux
18. Howlin’ by Jagwar Ma
19. Impersonator by Majical Cloudz
20. Dream Cave by Cloud Control
21. Mole City by Quasi
22. Phantogram by Phantogram
23. Julia With Blue Jeans On by Moonface
24. Uncanney Valley by The Dismemberment Plan
25. Event II by Deltron 3030
26. Wise Up Ghost by Elvis Costello and The Roots
27. Us Alone by Hayden
28. Pure Heroine by Lorde
29. Shaking the Habitual by The Knife
30. False Idols by Tricky
31. Let’s Be Still by The Head and the Heart

2012 Musical Bacon Calendar
2011 Musical Bacon Calendar
2010 Musical Bacon Calendar
2009 Musical Bacon Calendar