#5 on the 2022 Bacon Top 31 — First Aid Kit

January 27, 2023 by Royal Stuart in Top 31

With three albums scattered across the last 12 years (Lion’s Roar at #4 in 2012, Stay Gold at #16 in 2014, and Ruins at #10 in 2018, and now their fantastic Palomino here at #5, First Aid Kit match Sharon Van Etten yesterday at four albums each that have appeared on the Top 31. And like Van Etten, they are also the exception that proves the rule of this site having been male-band-centric for far too long. Unlike Van Etten, I’ve managed to hear and include every album First Aid Kit have released.

As my appreciation of non-white-male artists has matured, so has First Aid Kit. Johanna and Klara Söderberg, Swedish sisters, have been performing together as First Aid Kit since 2007. The 15 years have been good to the sisters and their sound – what was already really good has transcended into something else entirely: another level, another decade. Palomino wouldn’t be out of place on a mix of 70s female-led classic rock, a la Fleetwood Mac and Heart. They’ve brought in a new backing band, Swedish brothers Johannes and Gabriel Runemark on drums and guitar, and Freja Drakenberg (“Freja the Dragon” – how can you no wrong with that nickname?) on keyboards. That backing band, combined with the Söderberg sister’s penchant for perfect harmonies and choruses you want to sing at the top of your lungs, First Aid Kit have reinvented rock n’ roll for the 2020s.

The band has put out a handful of videos to accompany the singles released from the album. In addition to the upbeat and rocking “Out of my Head” featured above, you can watch “A Feeling That Never Came,” “Palomino,” “Turning Onto You,” and “Angel.” That last one is probably my second favorite track on the album. When they hit the bridge, which in First Aid Kit fashion tends to be a nearly a cappella chorus, and Klara’s voice cracks — heart melting. The LP is full of hidden little gems like that.

In May, we get to enjoy First Aid Kit live on stage. It’ll be only the 2nd time I’m seen them. Back in 2012 the sisters came through town and played the Crocodile. This time around, they’re playing the 3,000+ capacity Paramount. Hearing their voices fill the cavernous room will be divine. Listen to the album, then pick yourself up a ticket (or, better yet, hit me up and I can help you get Club tickets). I hope to see you there.

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6. We've Been Going About This All Wrong by Sharon Van Etten
7. SOS by SZA
8. Wet Leg by Wet Leg
9. Chloë and the Next 20th Century by Father John Misty
10. Big Time by Angel Olsen
11. Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road
12. Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To the Sky by Porridge Radio
13. I Walked with You a Ways by Plains
14. The Last Goodbye by Odesza
15. A Light for Attracting Attention by The Smile
16. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar
17. Inside Problems by Andrew Bird
18. Laurel Hell by Mitski
19. Full Moon Project by Phosphorescent
20. Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C.
21. I Love You Jennifer B by Jockstrap
22. Too Much to Ask by Cheekface
23. Dripfield by Goose
24. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief
25. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow by Weyes Blood
26. NOT TiGHT by DOMi & JD BECK
27. Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain
28. Live at KEXP, vol. 10 by Various Artists
29. All You Need Is Time by Daisy the Great
30. Cool It Down by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
31. CAPRISONGS by FKA twigs

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#29 on the 2022 Bacon Top 31 — Daisy the Great

January 03, 2023 by Royal Stuart in Top 31

All You Need Is Time by Daisy the Great

Many bands will be new to the Bacon Review when they show up in the 2022 Top 31, but the honor of being the first new band on this year’s list goes to Brooklyn-based Daisy the Great. The six-member band is led by dual lead singers Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker, and my brain categorizes them thusly: smart, hook-driven pop; First Aid Kit without the twang.

All You Need Is Time is the band’s 2nd album, and it’s a happy, upbeat pivot from a lot of the other “serious” music you hear (and love!) coming out of our pandemic malaise the past few years. Daisy the Great’s debut, I’m Not Getting Any Taller, came out in early 2019 but completely missed my radar. The band rose to internet fame in 2021 when their very first released song, 2017’s “The Record Player Song¹” became the object of a viral “one breath challenge” on TikTok. Users created 20,000+ videos featuring the song’s chorus, which generated over 270 million aggregate views on the app.

I believe that makes Daisy the Great the first TikTok-famous band to hit this blog, but TikTok is not how I found them. My friend Ryan Spain² introduced them to me, by way of a musical puzzle. He shared that he had been playing the opening track (shown in the video above) obsessively for a few weeks, and had surprisingly unlocked a massive easter egg in the song. As a fan of puzzles, and of the art of making music that has a literal deeper meaning that can be discovered upon multiple listens, I’m not going to ruin the surprise for you (but ask directly and I’ll happily reveal). I will not be surprised if you happen to fall in love with the song upon repeated listening, or because of the discovery itself, or both.

The band has been prolific when it comes to the visual side of music. In addition to the “Time Machine” video above, there are seven additional videos for six other album tracks:

“Record Player” with an additional animated version, performed with pop trio AJR
“Glitter”
“Cry in the Mirror”
“Easy”
“Aluminum”
“Liar”

Check them all out, as they’re clearly gifted in song craft as well as creating candy for the eyes. And then go listen to the rest of the album, it’s worth it.

^{1. Not to be confused with another non-album single called “Record Player,” the reimagined version of the TikTok hit that appears on the Deluxe Edition of All You Need Is Time and features the same choral hook as the original.↩}
^{2. Ryan’s been mentioned numerous times on the Bacon Review over the years. He and I met across a friendly poker table nearly 20 years ago, and it was his advent-themed Top 24 music list that he compiled annually in the 00’s that was the catalyst for what become the Bacon Top 31. Ryan continues to help with the production of this Top 31 — the Spotify and (new this year!) YouTube Music playlists exist because of him. If you like that those playlists exist, or really even that the Bacon Top 31 exists, you can thank Ryan directly on Discord at username GoingOptimal#3697. ↩}

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30. Cool It Down by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
31. CAPRISONGS by FKA twigs

There are many ways to listen to the 2022 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as they are revealed on the countdown!

Full Album
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Radio Station
A single song selection pulled from each album.

View all previous Bacon Top 31s

#23 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Orville Peck

January 09, 2020 by Royal Stuart

Pony by Orville Peck

When country music makes it onto the Top 31, it usually has a hard time being fully classified as “country music.” Phosphorescent, Neko Case, First Aid Kit — in a certain light, these could all be classified as country, but usually aren’t. This is untrue of the obscured and befringed Canadian artist Orville Peck, whose wonderful debut album Pony couldn’t fall into any other genre than Country with a capital “C.” This isn’t “my wife left me, my dog died, and I accidentally got drunk” kinda country, but it does feature rodeos, horseback riding, and a Johnny Cash name-drop in all the right ways.

You may not have heard of Peck, but you’ve likely seen him. His visage is quite memorable; he’s always seen in a lone-ranger style mask with fringe attached and hanging down to his shoulders, fully obscuring all but his eyes and most of his jawline and neck when at rest; atop that he wears a standard-issue, not-quite 10-gallon cowboy hat.

Despite his public-facing disguise, his identity is known, but remains unconfirmed by Peck himself. So I won’t perpetuate the information here. What I can tell you is he’s Canadian, he’s gay, he commands a magical baritone voice, and his stage presence is second to none. The mystery certainly contributes to what I and so many other people like about him, but once you learn the truth of who he is, that doesn’t quell the fervor people feel for him.

I’d been hearing of Peck (which is different from hearing Peck) since the beginning of the year. I found him intriguing, but didn’t scratch that itch until he was on the bill at the inaugural Thing NW music festival. He played to a crowd that sardined itself into the covered McCurdy Pavilion about midway through day 1, and ended up being the highlight for many at the festival. A friend of mine’s 10-year old daughter fell so madly in love, she bought a tee (he’s smoking a cigarette! *gasp*) and then created her own Peck costume for halloween. Such is the charisma of Mr. Orville Peck, winning fans over at all ages.

I trust we’ll have much more to love about Peck in the years to come. We’re just at the tip of the iceberg. Give this album a listen now, so you can say “I was there when…”

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24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

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2009-2018 Top 31s

#10 on the 2018 Bacon Top 31 — First Aid Kit

January 22, 2019 by Royal Stuart

Ruins by First Aid Kit

Breaking into the top 10 of 2018, here’s Swedish duo First Aid Kit appearing again with their fourth album, Ruins. (They first appeared on the Bacon Top 31 with their sophomore album Lion’s Roar at #4 in 2012 and then Stay Gold at #17 in 2014.) Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, like The Decemberists back at #14, have found a formula that works well for their unique talents. But the difference here is that their music is timeless. Rooted in country, theirs is not a new sound, but it’s not an old sound, either.

Voices like butter, harmonies like satin sheets, these two have been making hit after hit since they first started recording music back in 2007 when they were both still in their mid-teens. By sheer coincidence, the sisters’ younger brother was in kindergarten with the daughter of Fever Ray / The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson, and mother Söderberg encouraged Dreijer to listen to her daughter’s songs on Myspace. Achieving popularity in Sweden came shortly after they signed and recorded with Dreijer’s music label, Rabid Records. But it wasn’t until Robin Pecknold, lead singer of Fleet Foxes, came across the sisters’ cover of his song “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” and subsequently discussed it on his own band’s webpage did the duo start to get international fame.

Listen to the song in the video above, for “It’s a Shame,” and you can see why these big name artists wanted to be attached to First Aid Kit. Put on the album and the difficulties of the day just slough off. There’s a couple more fun videos from this new album, for Rebel Heart and Fireworks. This band, and this record, will be one I listen to often probably for the rest of my life.

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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

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

#16 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

December 16, 2014 by Royal Stuart

Stay Gold by First Aid Kit

This is the second appearance the band at #16 has made on the Top 31. First Aid Kit, a pair of sisters from Sweden, had the #4 album in 2012: their fantastic sophomore album, Lions. I absolutely loved that album, and I had my doubts they’d be able to capture the magic again.

Stay Gold is an apt follow-up. As with their previous efforts, this album is full of perfectly-produced old-school country music. Sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, 24 and 21 respectively, sing — in flawless English — about love, life on the road, and other timeless tropes worthy of being sung. But the subject hardly matters; their voices are what keep me coming back. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the sisters share a brain, such is their ability to sing in lock-step harmony.

If you never listened to Lions, I recommend you start there. Once you’ve thoroughly absorbed that gem, come back to Stay Gold. First Aid Kit have a good thing going, and it looks like they’re going to be around for a while.

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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

December 28, 2012 by Royal Stuart

#4 on the 2012 Musical Bacon Calendar

Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit

The album at #4 for the year also contains my #1 song of the year. I don’t tend to chart my favorite songs, as I’m very much an album listener over any one song on a record, but I have to make an exception for “Emmylou,” the second song on First Aid Kit’s lovely album Lion’s Roar. An ode to the beauty of famous country songwriter couples Graham Parsons & Emmylou Harris, Johnny & June Cash, the song feels like a fictionalized country & western past brought to life through drippingly sappy dual harmonies. It is gorgeous, and that song alone, shown in the video above, will make me think of 2012 more than any other song.

The album is equally breathtaking. These two Swedish sisters know how to craft a song. You may think you don’t like country music, but as cliché as it sounds, this isn’t anything like the country music you’ve tried hard not to hear before. I beg you to give this a listen, to hear the earnestness in their voices, the finger-picking and slide-playing guitars, those harmonies. Total beauty in recorded sound.

I got to see the band perform at the Croc back in April, and I wrote a long piece about the show over on Another Rainy Saturday:

First Aid Kit, sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg — 22 and 19 respectively — have been playing and performing together for a very long time. The first time I (and probably most everyone else at the show) heard them was in 2008, when they posted a video of the two of them beautifully singing Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.” Unfortunately, I missed the release of their Karin Dreijer Andersson-produced EP, Drunken Trees, shortly after that video was posted, as well as their 2010 debut album, The Big Black & The Blue. But when I heard “Emmylou,” from their 2nd album The Lion’s Roar for the first time earlier this year, the memory of what I loved about that original video — the range of their amazing vocal talents — came rushing back.

There were some great little moments in that performance at the Croc that really sealed the deal for me on First Aid Kit:

For the song “Ghost Town,” from their debut album, they chose to do an experiment. Asking the crowd to get quiet, and the Croc to cut the loud fan hanging above, the sisters came out to the edge of the stage. Encouraging the crowd to sing along, and Johanna on an unplugged guitar, they proceeded to sing the song entirely mic-less. Their voices were strong enough to be heard over the crowd, quietly singing along with the chorus. It was gorgeous.

And also some rather big moments:

First Aid Kit’s songs make them appear wholesome and sheltered, even though this isn’t the first time they’ve been on a worldwide tour. But they managed to shatter that image with the performance of a single cover song, Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot.” It was as if a new band had come out after a brief break. They were head banging, going a little wild with their instruments, and Klara, the younger of the two, did a great job with the spoken-word portion at the end of the song. It was raw, rough, and guttural — completely unlike the rest of the set.

Be sure to watch these other videos from the band: “Blue,” and “Wolf.” I’m going to be listening to this album for many many years to come. It comes with a built-in timelessness that will make it all the more easy to pick up at any time, in any era, and just bathe in it’s sound.

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5. Maraqopa by Damien Jurado
6. Shallow Bed by Dry The River
7. Valtari by Sigur Rós
8. The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
9. Heaven by The Walkmen
10. State Hospital EP by Frightened Rabbit
11. A Thing Called Divine Fits by Divine Fits
12. Some Nights by fun.
13. Tramp by Sharon van Etten
14. Fear Fun by Father John Misty
15. Love This Giant by David Byrne and St. Vincent
16. To The Treetops! by Team Me
17. The Master: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood
18. There’s No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man On Earth
19. Transcendental Youth by The Mountain Goats
20. A Church That Fits Our Needs by Lost In The Trees
21. Hospitality by Hospitality
22. Free Dimensional by Diamond Rings
23. History Speaks by Deep Sea Diver
24. A Different Ship by Here We Go Magic
25. Negotiations by the Helio Sequence
26. Moms by Menomena
27. The Sound of the Life of the Mind by Ben Folds Five
28. Shields by Grizzly Bear
29. Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon A Sun by The Wooden Sky
30. Fragrant World by Yeasayer
31. Reign of Terror by Sleigh Bells

What is the Bacon Calendar?

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