We sat under the stars and waited to hear the album we had been anticipating for the last two years. People spread out on the ground on blankets and sleeping bags. The night was a brisk 45 degrees but an 8ft tall bonfire kept us warm. Spirits were flowing and spirits were high. Nearly a decade after the release of the last Polyphonic Spree album, we were finally about to hear new music…

If someone were to try and define the distinct musical fingerprint of The Polyphonic Spree, they would talk about choirs, trumpets, strings, and joyous mantras. Their sound is instantly recognizable. That said, what makes The Polyphonic Spree’s new album, Salvage Enterprise, so interesting is that it seems absolutely unconcerned with sounding like themselves. The familiar elements are all there but instead of being used to create bombast, they are used to accent and develop a feeling.

Salvage Enterprise might be described as an exercise in restraint, with each member doing only what each song needs instead of what it allows. As an example, in the opening track, the band opts to use a mellotron to add “strings” instead of one of the numerous string players they have. The mellotron adds a vintage pathos that perfectly recorded violins would not. Salvage Enterprise strips out individual ego, subverts expectations, and as such is perhaps the richest Polyphonic Spree album yet.

A few individual notes on the album, the choir is exceptional and provides some wonderful worded harmonies instead of their typical ethereal oohs and aahs. I absolutely love the B3 organ that pops up in track 4. Every musician kind of has their own internal musical motif or pattern and Tim’s guitar picking pattern runs like a bloodline from Tripping Daisy through Salvage Enterprise. The sequencing of the album is also perfect. Rather than being merely a collection of excellent songs, Salvage Enterprise feels like one cohesive idea, a journey through hard times, fighting for something worth saving.

peace,

daniel

Without my hourlong commute to work and no concerts to prep for or follow up on, 2020 was a relatively unmusical year for me. I didn’t discover any new bands or see a show that made me change the way I feel about a band. That said, there were 11 albums that I really loved this year…

11. The Polyphonic Spree – We Hope It Finds You Well (Covers EP)

In a normal year, a cover EP doesn’t qualify for my list but in a year where everyone needs a little joy, a list that doesn’t include The Polyphonic Spree is just lacking something. Their cover of Spirit of the Radio is especially smile-inducing!

10. Corey Taylor – CMFT

Slipknot’s Corey Taylor recorded one of the dumbest, funnest albums of the year which means it’s basically a perfect rock’s’ roll record. CMFT is insanely catchy and littered with all the guitar solos and sunset strip punk sneer you can handle. It bears repeating, do not go into this looking to exercise your brain cells…this album was made for sweaty mosh pits, spilled beer, and tattooed ladies in tight pants.

9. Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man

Ozzy Osbourne is like The Who and Neil Young and Pearl Jam, he doesn’t have to put out new music to get people to buy concert tickets but he does it anyway. Ozzy hasn’t had a must-listen-to single since he and Lemmy penned Mama I’m Coming Home and See You On The Other Side but on Ordinary Man, Ozzy sounds surprisingly fresh and makes you think that maybe at 72 he’s still got a few tricks up his sleeve. All My Life is easily my favourite Ozzy song in a long, long time.

8. The 1975 – Notes On A Conditional Form

Every album by The 1975 could be described similarly – long, eclectic, and entirely pleasing listening experiences. Notes On A Conditional Form ranges from spoken word to punk to film score to stutter-pop over just the first four songs. They capture an eagerness that hasn’t been felt since their first EP. If you have an 80 minute drive ahead of you, I can’t imagine a better soundtrack.

7. Power Trip – Live In Seattle: 05.28.2018

A second “In a normal year,” entry. In a normal year I wouldn’t include a live album in my list but it wasn’t a normal year. Power Trip was the last band that I saw before lockdowns started. I was excited that shortly after that show they announced they would be part of the opening lineup at Dallas’ new music venue The HiFi. Then Riley Gale was no longer with us. It’s tragic. While we won’t get another Power Trip show, at least we have this incredible live album. This is a slow jam!

6. Jonsi – Shiver

Jonsi has an otherworldly voice. His work with Sigur Ros was always perfect but the band had a fairly defined palette to work with. Jonsi’s solo work lets him work much more freely, experiment, and even sneak some English into the album. Shiver finds a perfect balance between meditative and exuberant.

5. Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension

The Ascension is a gorgeous album and should be held in the same regard Sufjan’s best known works, Illinois and Carrie & Lowell. Opening track, Make Me An Offer I Cannot Refuse gives a refreshing new version of Stevens with him abandoning his normal singing voice and finding a desperate yelp. The entire album feels like the plea of a guilty man who isn’t sure if he deserves to be guilty at all. The Ascension is a wonderfully dense album that gets more rewarding with additional listens.

4. Jade Hairpins – Harmony Avenue

Canadian punk band, Fucked Up, has an embarrassment of talent in its band lineup. Their members have made a vast number side-project albums and Jade Hairpins is the new project from FU players Jonah Falco and Mike Haliechuk. It’s impossible to accurately describe but Harmony Avenue sounds like a summer day mixed with The Beatles and 80’s dance music. There is no way to listen to this album and not find yourself smiling the whole time.

3. Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple is a national treasure. She is completely raw and unhinged. There is nobody working today that can do what she does. Fetch The Bolt Cutters is strange and fiercely compelling. It is impossible to listen to this album in the background – Fiona Apple demands your attention.

2. Lydia Loveless – Daughter

Daughter is a masterclass in songwriting. Every note is soaked in earnest honesty. I don’t know where Lydia Loveless fits in today’s musical landscape. She isn’t country enough for the Nashville machine but she’s too country to be played beside today’s interchangeable pop star. Maybe that’s part of why this album feels so special though…it drifts beyond genre and time. Timeless tunes sung by an incredibly strong voice.

1. The Flaming Lips – American Head

American Head just might be the best album The Flaming Lips have ever made. It leaves most of the Lips’ quirk and gimmick behind and is instead steeped in nostalgia and self-reflection. They don’t sound like a space band anymore, in the best possible way they sound like a group of men from Oklahoma. That said, when I listen to American Head, the whole experience and trip, feels so much like the first time I listened to Dark Side Of The Moon. The album must be listened to in one sitting and preferable a few times in a row.

If you don’t feel like listening to each of the albums in their entirety, here is a 2020 playlist with some songs I hope you’ll like.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2HYIgSAyaIZIMzr3tKxbph?si=XpweCx4bSjOii0FR4IOS8Q


peace,
daniel

Over the span of this last decade, the importance of an artist compiling a unified group of strong songs reached an era of unimportance not seen since the very early 1960’s. From a pop culture standpoint, the album all but disappeared. There have been a handful of albums that have moved impressive numbers since 2010 but in nearly every case, they were created by an established or legacy act. This isn’t to say that there hasn’t been some great singles released but I was raised in an era of $15 CD’s and if I pay money for an album, I expect it to be good all the way through and have a high-repeat factor. So, my list of the top 60 albums of the 2010’s is a list of albums by artists who appreciate not only the idea of an album but just how special a particular set of songs can be when they are placed in a specific order to capture a specific feeling.

My words don’t sound as good as the tunes so I’m skipping the commentary and letting the music speak for itself. Click the album art to go the album on Spotify(opens in a separate window).

60. Langhorne Slim – The Spirit Moves(2015)
    
61. Perfume Genius – Too Bright(2014)
    
62. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream(2017)
    
63. Passion Pit – Gossamer(2012)
    
64. Soundgarden – King Animal(2012)
    
65. Say Anything – Hebrews(2014)
    
66. Cloud Nothings – Here And Nowhere Else(2014)
    
67. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost(2011)
    
68. Monster Magnet – Mindfucker(2018)
    
69. Bon Iver – Bon Iver(2011)
    
70. Preteen Zenith – Rubble Guys & BB Eye(2012)
    
71. Cat Power – Sun(2012)
    
72. Music Band – Wake Up Laughing(2016)
    
73. Local Natives – Hummingbird(2013)
    
74. Maren Morris – Hero(2016)
    
75. Amanda Shires – To The Sunset(2018)
    
76. Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell(2014)
    
77. Run The Jewels – RTJ2(2014)
    
78. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming(2011)
    
79. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go(2019)
    
80. My Chemical Romance – Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys(2010)
    
81. Trash Talk – No Peace(2014)
    
82. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist(2012)
    
83. Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide To Earth(2016)
    
84. Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness – Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness(2014)
    
85. Le Butcherettes – bi/MENTAL(2019)
    
86. Typhoon – White Lighter(2013)
    
87. Sunshine Village – The Buffalo Trees Saved The Children Of The Sun(2019)
    
88. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel(2018)
    
89. The Hotelier – Goodness(2016)
    
90. The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep…(2016)
    
91. Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth(2012)
    
92. Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams(2019)
    
93. Jane’s Addiction – The Great Escape Artist(2012)
    
94. Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob(2013)
    
95. Typhoon – Offerings(2018)
    
96. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light(2011)
    
97. Brand New – Science Fiction(2017)
    
98. Childish Gambino – Awaken, My Love!(2016)
    
99. Spiritualized – And Nothing Hurt(2018)
    
100. Adele – 21(2011)
     
101. J Roddy Walston and The Business – Essential Tremors(2013)
     
102. Benjamin Booker – Benjamin Booker(2014)
     
103. NOFX – Self-Entitled(2012)
     
104. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition(2016)
     
105. St. Vincent – Masseduction(2017)
     
106. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues(2017)
     
107. Drive-By Truckers – Go-Go Boots(2011)
     
108. Lady Gaga – Artpop(2013)
     
109. Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy(2015)
     
110. Fidlar – Too(2015)
     
111. Old 97’s – Most Messed Up(2014)
     
112. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs(2010)
     
113. Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence(2014)
     
114. Deftones – Koi No Yokan(2012)
     
115. Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit(2015)
     
116. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear(2015)
     
117. David Bowie – Blackstar(2016)
     
118. Fucked Up – David Comes To Town(2011)
     
119. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy(2010)
     

I hope you all enjoy!

peace,
daniel

This World Won’t Break
Directed by Josh David Jordan
Whiskey Beard Films

Artists are a funny breed. It takes a strange combination of guts, naiveté, stubbornness, and, often times, pure dumb luck to create something that stands the test of time. Being an artist can be a reckless endeavor. For every artist that earns their place in our collective culture, there are thousands that spend the balance of their lives never quite making it. Josh David Jordan’s feature directorial debut, This World Won’t Break, places a microscope on the life of fictional Texas musician, Wes Milligan, and examines the cost of a life dedicated to one’s own art.

Jordan introduces Wes at a low point; a vagrant songwriter who leans on a flask too frequently and is embittered by the indifference of local barflies who aren’t there specifically to hear him play. His wife has left him, he can’t pay his bills, he lives in a trailer, and he keeps getting rejected at the one thing he thinks he’s good at. Does this sound like a blues song yet?

The common, “My baby done left me,” blues tropes are all in play but after hearing them all is where the film gets really interesting. Taken on the surface from Wes’ point-of-view, life is but a wearisome and necessary burden for the sake of his craft. However, Jordan begins dropping in hints that Wes has far more support at the ready if he ever were to acknowledge it. His ex-wife still returns his drunken calls and reminds him that he’s talented but it was his own self-sabotage that forced her to leave. He has a pure-hearted simpleton friend who is willing to sit and listen to him at any hour of the day. He has a gem of a father who believes in him and encourages him to take his writing gift to Nashville and then gives him a place to live. Even the radio DJ takes the time to administer sage advice and about getting a band together and putting out a professional quality recording so that he isn’t just spinning his wheels. And through all of this, he still wears being alone as some twisted badge of honour.

In a touching scene, the humility of Wes’ father, played brilliantly by Matthew Posey, when talking about life after the loss of a spouse acts as the emotional counterweight to Wes’ self-centered nature. Being purposefully alone might help him manufacture a few decent songs but for the first time he recognizes the profound impact that the love from others has on one’s life. That recognition is the beginning of a powerful turning point for Wes learning to accept the help from others that is readily available.

One thing that sets This World Won’t Break apart from many of its peers in the indie-character study category, is its inherent humour. Greg Schroeder, who plays Wes Milligan, has a naturally mischievous twinkle in his eye that lets him deliver even the most dour of lines with some hope that maybe he’s kind of joking. Jordan also writes incredible supporting roles that interject the absurd hilarity and awkwardness of the common man just when levity is needed the most.

As far as the technical aspects of the the film are concerned, This World Won’t Break is nothing short of stunning. Everything from the vivid colouring to those gorgeous, lingering Terrence Malick-esque shots, make it hard to believe this is Josh Jordan’s first feature-length film. Music films can always be a little dicey when it comes to believability of the performance or syncing a studio track up to a supposed live scene but the musical background of the TWWB crew creates a flawless experience.

I would be remiss if I didn’t note that this entire film was assembled for under $50k, which is less than big brands spend on creating 15-second YouTube ads. Much like Wes, Jordan has a community of support behind him and by leveraging a team of local talent, family and friends, they achieved something truly remarkable. This movie shouldn’t even exist but here it stands as maybe the quintessential movie about songwriters. Also, the local production crew and their shared experiences help make the city of Dallas as much of a character as any other character in the movie. I feel comfortable in saying This World Won’t Break has overthrown David Byrne’s True Stories as the definitive, “Dallas Music Movie.”

The only noticeable flaw in the movie is its runtime. In every slightly bloated double-album is a more succinct perfect single album but the trouble is knowing which songs to cut. I would imagine that when writing, directing, and producing your first movie, every scene and every line is incredibly personal – it never hurts to have an outsider kill your darlings for you.

Narcissism is a powerful force. A dash of it can be terribly useful and motivating – too much and you crumble under the weight of your own arrogance. Artists have to wield this force carefully. A passing theme in This World Won’t Break is the old adage, “Don’t take any wooden nickels.” Whether you are a first-time filmmaker or a struggling musician, the wooden nickel is believing you are owed a shot at glory or believing that things have to be done a certain way. The wooden nickel is believing you can do it alone. This World Won’t Break is a testament to the potential that exists in all of us…together.

peace,
daniel

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9590954/

For the past few months now, local Dallas radio station 91.7 KXT has been randomly dropping a few new songs by Oscar Delaughter into their rotation. Imagine catching the tail end of a song that sounded really interesting, only for Shazam to tell you that song doesn’t exist. Luckily, KXT keeps a running playlist on their website but, frustratingly enough, when you would find that the song you missed was by Oscar Delaughter, there would be no link to Spotify or iTunes. The guy was a digital ghost in an era where that’s nearly impossible.

Just a few hours ago, Oscar Delaughter decided to step out into the light and surprise released his debut self-titled EP. It’s a shame that we had to wait this long for it because it is really quite good. Over the EP’s 19 minutes, Delaughter darts from genre to genre, displaying his Timberlake-esque swagger on Grand Prize to dabbling in alt-power-pop on Lost and You Don’t Know to showing he can hang with the best of the Soundcloud group on This Feelin and You Remind Me.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love the first thing you hear from a new artist. Sometimes the artist has a crystal clear identity of exactly who and what they are and other times it’s more of a coming out party, showcasing all the different facets of their talent. On the Oscar Delaughter EP, it feels like a mix of both. Musically, Delaughter’s influences are pretty clear – JT, Post Malone, Future, and not surprisingly, his own dad, Tim Delaughter of The Polyphonic Spree/Tripping Daisy – and that’s not a bad thing. He is a young artist, still finding his style and direction, so why not use the sounds that he loves and create something of his own with them?

The reason, though, that I think this EP is more than just a collection of catchy songs in the popular styles of today, is the heart that it shows. Top 40 hasn’t ever really done a whole lot for me and it has less to do with the music than it does the content. When pop hits have nothing to say, there is no risk, no vulnerability, and no emotional connection with the listener. This EP feels, lyrically, very honest and I can’t imagine putting myself out there like that at such a young age – it seems to share more a kinship with mid-90’s emo music than it does with the music that it actually sounds like. And that, is the biggest reason to be excited about what we’ll hear in the future from Delaughter. In an age where it is increasingly easy to detach the worries and sadness from the perfect Instagram pictures, there is ever-growing need for artists like Delaughter who inject honesty and pathos into the music that already sounds perfect.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/self-titled-ep/1450439014

peace,
daniel


p.s. I have listened to Lost and You Remind Me probably 5 times each now – those two songs are simply outstanding. I also loved the nod to his dad with the vocal effects on You Don’t Know and using what sounds to me like a Spree-related Placid Audio Copperphone mic on the second verse of Lost. The production on Lost should also be noted…Greg Kurstin would be proud!

I forgot to do a nice big writeup so here is my quick list. Enjoy!

9. Thrice – Palms A few rough years, a crisis of faith, and a desperate plea for human connectivity make for a very excellent record from these rock veterans.

8. Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer After 2017’s indulgently smarmy, Pure Comedy, I thought Father JohnMisty had taken his act too far but God’s Favorite Customer is incredibly sincere and just a wonderful album to sink into for a bit.

7. Monster Magnet – Mindf*cker This record is as dumb and awesome as you could possibly hope a rock record could be. The mix of classic rock riffs and psychedelia attitude comes together perfectly on the album standout track, I’m God.

6. David Byrne – American Utopia The songs on American Utopia are indistinguishable from classic Talking Heads and David Byrne songs…he is as good as he has ever been.

5. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel Being clever is a blessing and a curse because you are constantly being judged on just how witty you are. On Tell Me How You Really Feel, Barnett smartly traded her stock in cleverness for punk rock cred. If Kurt Cobain were alive, I think this would probably be his favourite record of the year.

4. Amanda Shires – To The Sunset To The Sunset is a master class in songwriting. Ever song is simultaneously catchy yet mired in meaning. Having people sing along with every word and then realize how profound those words are is the ultimate goal for any musician and Shires should be extremely proud of this outing.

3. The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships The 1975 have yet to let me down. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is everything you expect from a 1975 record but it finds the band incorporating more meaning and sincerity and slowly transforming from a young rock band to a mature r&b act.

2. Spiritualized – And Nothing Hurt This is easily the most beautiful album put out in 2018. It sounds so familiar, like an album that has always existed, yet brand new each time you hear it. It reminds me of the best parts of Beach Boys, Polyphonic Spree, Rolling Stones, and Girls all rolled into one fantastic album

#1 Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams This is without a doubt the most audacious and far-reaching album of the year. No matter what you think this album might be, it’s nothing like what you expect. This album is unclassifiable. It is rock, dub, punk, experimental, pretty, meta. It shifts from Jarvis Cocker to Keith Morris from one moment to the next. It’s less of an album than it is a journey and it’s hands-down the most fascinating album of 2018.

peace,

daniel

Surprise is a rare and wonderful thing, especially in the music world. The formula for songwriting success was perfected decades ago. Since the existence of managers, musicians have had someone hovering over their shoulder whispering suggestions about fanbase expectations and brand and image. How a band should sound and look and act is all part of the “perfection” of the music machine. But, every now and then, maybe once in a generation, a band comes along and says no. Artists like Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Gang of Four, Pixies, Deftones, Sigur Ros, The Polyphonic Spree, all knew the game, they knew the stakes, and they chose to forge their own paths. Toronto’s Fucked Up has been toying with the boundaries of punk music since 2001 but with their latest release, Dose Your Dreams, they stretch further and force us to ask what it even means to be a band. Continue reading Album Review: Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams →