Showing posts with label Car Seat Headrest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Car Seat Headrest. Show all posts

Jan 3, 2017

Trailer's Top 30 Albums of 2016


We'll turn loose of 2016 with one more post. Trailer's Top 30 of 2016. This is what the "Top Albums of 2016" list would've looked like if we didn't do a group vote now. 


 1. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
2. Lori McKenna - The Bird and the Rifle
3. Flatland Cavalry - Humble Folks
4. Brandy Clark - Big Day in a Small Town
5. Cody Jinks - I'm Not the Devil
6. Justin Wells - Dawn in the Distance
7. Austin Lucas - Between the Moon and the Midwest
8. Caleb Caudle - Carolina Ghost
9. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
10. Brent Cobb - Shine On Rainy Day
11. Kelsey Waldon - I've Got a Way
12. St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Sea of Noise
13. Gojira - Magma
14. Lydia Loveless - Real
15. Luke Bell - s/t
16. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
17. Paul Cauthen - My Gospel
18. Rob Baird - Wrong Side of the River
19. Mark Chesnutt - Tradition Lives
20. Quaker City Night Hawks - El Astronauta
21. Bonnie Raitt - Dig in Deep
22. Miranda Lambert - The Weight of These Wings
23. Western Centuries - Weight of the World
24. BJ Barham - Rockingham
25. Metallica - Hardwired… to Self Destruct
26. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
27. Robert Ellis - s/t
28. Hayes Carll - Lovers and Leavers
29. Loretta Lynn - Full Circle
30. Erik Dylan - Heart of a Flatland Boy

Dec 15, 2016

Farce the Music's Top 10 Songs of 2016



Spotify playlist created by Jon Sorrell below the selections.

1. Lori McKenna - Old Men Young Women
We had a casual poll about 2016 music a month or so back. Lori McKenna led the way on the 
"Best Songwriter of 2016" voting, and it's no surprise. With observant, incisive songs like 
"OMYM" and the others on her brilliant The Bird and the Rifle, McKenna stays at the forefront 
of American songwriting. She has the ability to put the listener into a situation they may have 
never even dealt with and make them think "Yes, this is exactly how that feels!" Here she takes 
on a lover who's moved on to a newer model and skewers the whole cliché (see title) with pointed lines like "you want the lights off, he wants the lights on, so you can pretend" and "She's the past in a 
summer dress, he's a ride in a new Corvette"…damn, just damn. The Bird and the Rifle is a master-class and for me, "Old Men Young Women" is its centerpiece.


2. Justin Wells - The Dogs
Passion. That's what drives this tune and it's the feeling that comes to mind in describing it. "The Dogs" is an unapologetic portrait of life on the edges, embracing the underdog life of a touring musician trying to drink away a broken heart. He's doing his best, but the hurt bleeds through even on stage: "It ain't easy acting like it ain't personal, and the band asked me not to curse no more." Wells can belt and he does a bit in the chorus, but he knows how to sing with fire even when using restraint. That give and take of emotion, but more so, the palpable tension when it's held in check, is what makes this song one of the best of 2016.


3. Car Seat Headrest - Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales
I don't pretend to know what the hell this song is about; I just know I love it. The lyrics are smart and snarky and anxious and abstract. The music is jangly indie-rock (with a slice of power pop) that's constantly shifting tempos. The hooks though. This freaking song has like 4 hooks. It's crazy, but somehow it works. When that crunching and cathartic "it doesn't have to be like this" refrain finally kicks in, it's nearly as bracing as any face-slapping Nirvana chorus. I've tried to review the album this song is from about ten times this year, but I just don't know what to say about it that would make any sense or sound like I vaguely know what I'm talking about. Just know that it and this song are badass.

4. DJ Shadow & Run the Jewels - Nobody Speak
I already loved this song before its absurdly entertaining video took my affections to a new level. Run the Jewels has a new album coming out early next year, but it was nice to have this reminder of their magnetism in 2016. Underground legend Shadow provides an aggressive, pounding arrangement with just as many memorable turns as the lyricists spit. If I'd done much working out this year, 
this would have been on repeat.


5. Brandy Clark - Love Can Go to Hell
It sounds so sweet but it packs a sting. This time around, Brandy isn't casting barbs at exes and jerks, but at love itself. She doesn't linger on goodbye or blame her former lover; it's the unseen forces of the heart she's wishing ill upon. The instrumentation is light and intoxicating, the melody is gently rolling. "Love Can Go to Hell" ought to be a hit, but maybe it's too good for that.


6. Turnpike Troubadours - Come as You Are
These guys are so damn talented, they didn't even release an album this year and still had one of the best songs. This single from Bruce Robison's The Next Waltz series sounds like something that might've been left off last year's self-titled masterpiece, only because it didn't really fit the feel of that set, not due to any questioning of its merit. This tale of a come-and-go relationship surely set off some smoldering slow dances across Texas dancehalls this year. TPT can do no wrong.


7. Cody Jinks - I'm Not the Devil
There's really not a best song on Jinks' 2016 album. It's an incredibly consistent and 
moving collection without a single droop in quality, much less a weak moment. This tune 
just kinda gets the de facto nod for being probably the most memorable of the bunch. 
Jinks is blessed with a wonderful voice and possibly even better songwriting talents. 
He'll be a star in this realm of music for years to come.


8. Paul Cauthen - I'll Be the One
A voice that recalls Elvis and Waylon Jennings all at once probably could sing the proverbial phone book and make me happy. The fact that this powerful vocalist can also write songs this good should make a lot of other artists jealous. "I'll Be the One" sounds both timeless and modern, sticking in your head with multiple vocal hooks, and moving your feet with a shuffling rhythm. I can't wait to see and hear where this guy goes. There's no ceiling.


9. Austin Lucas w/Lydia Loveless - Wrong Side of the Dream
"I look around at 35 and all I've got are songs." Whew. When this line hits shortly into the song, you know it's not gonna be all sunshine and roses. Lucas has one of the more distinct voices in Americana and adding Loveless turns that chill up your spine into full-fledged goosebumps. 
This is a lonely and longing look at how life on the road affects a relationship. 
Spoiler alert: it ain't good - but it makes for a great song.


10. Rodney Parker and 50 Peso Reward -
The Road Between None and Some
This is probably the coolest song of 2016. It's just "different," I don't know how to describe it best. It starts with a slinky bass line and minimal drums before building only slightly into a mid-tempo groove that never lets up. It's an earworm of the highest caliber - one you don't mind getting trapped in your head for days. Simplicity serves RPFPR well here. This feels like sipping a good beer in a New Orleans dive bar in spring with the door open and a nice breeze blowing in.


Oct 6, 2016

Top 25 Albums of 2016: Trailer's 3/4 Report

 

Here's my top 25 list. It's fluid, as always, so this is just how I'm feeling about them today. 
The year-end list will be a composite from Farce the Music contributors, so it will look a lot 
different than this. There are also nearly 3 months more of new music to sort through... ~Trailer

Trailer's Top 25 Albums of 2016: 3/4 Report

1. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
2. Lori McKenna - The Bird and the Rifle
3. Flatland Cavalry - Humble Folks
4. Brandy Clark - Big Day in a Small Town
5. Austin Lucas - Between the Moon and the Midwest
6. St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Sea of Noise
7. Justin Wells - Dawn in the Distance
8. Cody Jinks - I'm Not the Devil
9. Caleb Caudle - Carolina Ghost
10. Kelsey Waldon - I've Got a Way
11. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
12. Gojira - Magma
13. Lydia Loveless - Real
14. Luke Bell - s/t
15. Robert Ellis - s/t
16. Rob Baird - Wrong Side of the River
17. Drive-by Truckers - American Band
18. Mark Chesnutt - Tradition Lives
19. Quaker City Night Hawks - El Astronauta
20. Bonnie Raitt - Dig in Deep
21. Hayes Carll - Lovers and Leavers
22. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
23. Western Centuries - Weight of the World
24. BJ Barham - Rockingham
25. Loretta Lynn - Full Circle

Jul 7, 2016

Favorite Albums of 2016: Mid-Year Report

This is Trailer's list of favorite albums. The year-end list will look a lot different because all 
Farce the Music's contributors will vote on it, there will be actual write-ups of the top albums, 
and besides... there are 6 more months in the year. 



 

 







11. Bonnie Raitt - Dig in Deep
12. Hayes Carll - Lovers and Leavers
13. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
14. Quaker City Night Hawks - El Astronauta
15. Western Centuries - Weight of the World
16. Loretta Lynn - Full Circle
17. Deftones - Gore
18. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
19. The Temperance Movement - White Bear
(out July 22)
20. Parker Millsap - The Very Last Day
21. Band of Horses - Why Are You OK?
22. Larry Hooper - No Turning Back
23. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let Me Get By
24. Southern Family
25. Robbie Fulks - Upland Stories
26. Candlebox - Disappearing in Airports
27. Arliss Nancy - Greater Divides
28. Dub Miller - The Midnight Ambassador
29. Chris King - Animal
30. Randy Rogers Band - Nothing Shines Like Neon
31. Wheeler Walker Jr. - Redneck Shit
32. The Honeycutters - On the Ropes
33. Rival Sons - Hollow Bones
34. YG - Still Brazy
35. The Cactus Blossoms - You're Dreaming
36. Mavis Staples - Livin' on a High Note
37. The Jayhawks - Paging Mr. Proust
38. Kyle Craft - Dolls of Highland
39. Bonnie Bishop - Ain't Who I Was
40. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity

Jun 15, 2016

Car Seat Headrest Performs "Fill in the Blank"

From one of my favorite albums of 2016, Teens of Denial, here's Car Seat Headrest performing "Fill in the Blank." RIYL: Pixies, Weezer, JEFF the Brotherhood, Pavement.

May 27, 2016

Car Seat Headrest Performs "1937 State Park"

Yes, that's the band's name. Car Seat Headrest is not remotely country, but their new album Teens of Denial is easily one of my favorite albums of the year thus far. RIYL: Pixies, Weezer, Pavement, Nirvana.


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