#1 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — The War on Drugs

January 31, 2022 by Royal Stuart

I Don’t Live Here Anymore by The War on Drugs

We’re now a month into 2022, I’m 48 years old, my kids are 13 and 4, and I’m finally willing to admit it: I love dad rock. My parents raised me on classic rock (shout out to KMOD 97.5 FM in Tulsa, Oklahoma). My tastes have been shaped by a heavy foundation of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and The Eagles (for better or worse). I’m aware that a lot of what I have loved in the past decade could be categorized as dad rock – previous Top 31 #1s like The National, Elbow, Phosphorescent, and Bon Iver all qualify. But none of those are so obviously Dad Rock with a capital D as the #1 of 2021: The War of Drugs. I’m fairly certain if you look up “dad rock” in the dictionary, you’ll find a glamour shot of lead singer / songwriter Adam Granduciel, with his flowing locks, vaseline smeared on the lens, with ghostlike images of his band flanked around him.

I Don’t Live Here Anymore, their fifth studio album, quickly jumped into the running for top album when it was released on October 29, 2021. At the time, I had already convinced myself that Big Red Machine was going to be my #1, given how much my family loved hearing How Long Do You Think It‘s Going to Last over the year. But the first time I heard that strong piano ring out on the opening song of Anymore (“Living Proof,” shown in the video above - hit play on that right now while you read on), my knees got shaky, my confidence wavered. There’s just something about Granduciel’s raspy voice, his beautiful songwriting, his strong melodies — this album grabbed ahold of my playlist and muscled its way to the front. My wife fell in love with it, too – we must have listened to the album at least three times a week from the day it came out. And the excitement when it comes on hasn’t yet worn off – will it ever?

The War on Drugs perfected the form: that classic rock sound of the 70s and 80s, in songs about lost love while driving down the highway over sweeping crescendos and slow guitar solos. This album took me back to my childhood so much that I actually sent the album to my dad for Christmas, and of course he loves it, too. Truly Dad Rock. I dare you to listen to the fourth song, “I Don’t Wanna Wait,” and not picture in your mind’s eye a musical montage showing Crockett and Tubbs flying across the waves of the Atlantic in a speedboat on their way to break up a cocaine deal gone bad.

Granduciel, whose real name is Adam Granofsky, leads the charge in the band, but there’s five other members who make up the current lineup: David Hartley on bass, Robbie Bennett on keyboards, Charlie Hall on drums, Jon Natchez on sax and Anthony LaMarca on rhythm guitar. Various members have dropped in an out since they formed in 2005 (including Kurt Vile, who was an original member before breaking off for his own solo work), but this lineup has been intact since their third album, Lost in the Dream took the world by storm (and appeared at #13 in the Top 31 that year).

This is now the third album put out by this particular War on Drugs lineup. In addition to Dream, their last album, A Deeper Understanding, also appeared on the Top 31, but it was near the bottom at #29 in 2017, mainly due to me not giving the proper chance. It won Best Rock Album at the Grammys that year. I have no excuse, but I do plan on returning to it, thanks to the strength of Anymore.

And Anymore is such a strong album. I recommend headphones when you put it on. Granduciel is legendary for the amount of time he spends on the production of his albums. Hints of Jimmy Iovine’s production of Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedoes run throughout. It’s a pristine recording, something you can’t hear just anywhere. One of my favorite sounds in all of music is the quick, high-pitched yet intimate sound that the pads of fingers make when quickly moved up and down the neck of a guitar while searching for that next chord. Listen for it – once you hear it, you can’t stop hearing it.

Granduciel and band have found the top of the mountain. The tip top comes at the second song on the album, “Harmonia’s Dream.” At nearly six and a half minutes, it builds an amazing wall of sounds across two verses and choruses before taking a turn at 2:45 when the keyboards pierce through at the three minute mark into an extended bridge that will leave you in a fit of anticipation but the time the full band kicks in again at the 4:45 point. Then everything hits all at once and you’re moving and shaking uncontrollably when the guitar solo kicks in at 5:15. “You’re on your own” the band sings in harmony – and they’re right. The world has melted away, the bad is gone, and you’re left with pure joy.

The title song is also fantastic, with the gorgeous harmonies of Lucius filling in the chorus.

Granduciel appeared on Song Exploder to talk about the making of this song, how Lucius got involved, how the end of the first stanza is filled with nonsense words… it’s a good listen.

The War on Drugs hit peak form, and I’m very curious to hear where they head next. Similar to the Nation of Language album at #4, I have trouble imagining them continuing without breaking out of their tried-and-true format. But they’ve done it consistently now for three albums, so maybe the formula is so dialed in that it doesn’t need to change. It’s clear that what started in the 70s and 80s has retained enough uncharted territory to leave room for new music here in the 2020s. I’m so excited to hear what’s next, and hopefully it hits on all the right 40-year-old notes.

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#24 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Various Artists

January 08, 2022 by Royal Stuart in Top 31

I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists

Here at #24 we’re crossing off a couple of unexpected scorigami-like firsts here at the Bacon Top 31. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico, the lovely full-album cover of the seminal debut album Velvet Underground & Nico, is not only the first time I‘ve featured not one but two full-remake cover albums on the Bacon Top 31 in the same year, but, somewhat unbelievably, it’s also the second time a full cover of this particular 1967 album is appearing on the countdown.

Way back in 2009 (the inaugural Bacon Top 31), Beck’s Record Club version of The Velvet Underground & Nico was #7 on the countdown that year. The 2021 cover version, put out by the band’s original 1967 label, Verve records, is aiming to cash in on the recently released Todd Haynes documentary about the band that was in theaters earlier this year.

(It’s mildly interesting that Verve has put this together, given that one of the reasons the 1967 original suffered poor sales at first — according to Wikipedia — was because of Verve, “who failed to promote or distribute the album with anything but modest attention.”)

But they’ve put together a masterpiece. The album’s roster is like the Bacon Top 31 all-stars: Andrew Bird, Kurt Vile, St. Vincent, Thurston Moore, King Princess, Fontaines D.C., and even Iggy Pop.

Like any compilations of covers, there are some highs and lows. The Matt Berninger cover of ”I’m Waiting for the Man,” shown in the video above is one of the lows. Berninger tries to channel his inner Lou Reed, but he’s too polished and controlled to pull it off. “Sunday Morning” by Michael Stipe and Bill Frissell is gorgeous from the very first note. Sharon van Ettan’s cover of “Femme Fatale” with Angel Olsen is slowwed waaay dowwwwn, a beautifully frustrating listen. And Courtney Barnett brings her usual off-beat and -key production to the title song “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” proving her music is a direct descendant of what The Velvet Underground & Nico accomplished 54 years ago.

If you like any of the artists mentioned above, definitely check out this album. They’re essentially performing the songs of their grandparents – without them, these artists would not exist. If you don’t know the artists, but like the original album, give this one a listen. You’ll find some kindred spirits you can explore to widen your tastes.

late addition: check out this live rendiition of Andrew Bird and Lucius’ cover of “Venus in Furs”. Watching Bird put the sonic landscape together all at once is a sight and sound to behold.

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

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#23 on the 2020 Bacon Top 31 — The Avalanches

January 09, 2021 by Royal Stuart

We Will Always Love You by The Avalanches

“Well-known vocalists singing atop dreamy electronic music” has always been a favorite genre of mine, yet somehow The Avalanches have eluded me until now. Granted, they’ve only released three albums in their 23 years as a band, but all three are phenomenal, and I’m ashamed to have missed out on them until now. It’s ok, go ahead and laugh, I deserve it. But if you, too, haven’t heard of them before, have I got an album for you!

We Will Always Love You, at 71 minutes long, might actually be better bylined “The Avalanches and a mind-boggling number of collaborators.” A cake of fantastic original instrumentation blended with hundreds of samples, with the icing of roughly twenty “with…” names scattered across the 25 songs on the album. To whit (along with links to the videos):

“The Divine Chord” with MGMT and Johnny Marr, shown above
“Running Red Lights” with Rivers Cuomo and Pink Siifu
“Interstellar Love” with Leon Bridges
“Take Care In Your Dreaming” with Denzel Curry, Tricky & Sampa The Great
“Wherever You Go” with Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry and CLYPSO
“Reflecting Light” with Sananda Maitreya and Vashti Bunyan
“We Will Always Love You” with Blood Orange
And other song collaborations without videos featuring Orono, Perry Ferrell, Cola Boyy, Mick Jones, Kurt Vile, Karen O, Cornelius and Kelly Moran

Additionally, there’s another video medley of songs from the album, blended together as a film of experimental choreography created using 3D volumetric capture techniques in collaboration with TEM Studios and Rambert Dance London.

Whew! Impressive, to say the least. If you like Washed Out or Odesza, you’re going to absolutely love this record. Jump on it ASAP.

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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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#25 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Strand of Oaks

January 07, 2020 by Royal Stuart

Eraserland by Strand of Oaks

The last time we heard from Timothy Showalter’s Strand of Oaks on the Bacon Top 31 was not for his last album, but the one before that – his groundbreaking fourth album Heal, which hit #15 back in 2014. The album that followed, Hard Love, was rather forgettable (literally: I‘d forgotten all about it until I sat down to write this review). It’s hard for an artist to recover from releasing an amazing album like Heal and then follow it up by a lackluster one, and it sounds like Showalter had a particularly tough go of it in the aftermath of that 2017 album.

Battling with depression and exhaustion, he sequestered himself on the Jersey Shore. He used that negative energy to fuel his songwriting, and channeled it into this new, amazing 2019 record Eraserland. Showalter was not shy about his depression, and wrote about it on Instagram when commenting on the suicide of other greats, such as Dave Berman of the Silver Jews and Mark Hollis of Talk Talk (although Hollis’s death has not been confirmed a suicide). Of Hollis’s death, Showalter went so far as to claim the Talk Talk album Spirit of Eden changed his life and the tone of this new album:

Spirit of Eden is a prayer and a discussion with existence and it was the singular gateway for me to do that with my own life. Eraserland’s DNA is interwoven with Mark Hollis and the gifts he gave through music … I urge any of you who haven’t heard it to dig in, perhaps before you hear Eraserland to understand and perhaps find that communication with your own existence. Music saves it truly does. Thank you Mark your work will continue for the rest of time.

Sage advice, for sure. For now it sounds like Showalter is doing better, thankfully. If you’re a current fan of the Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, Kurt Vile, or an older fan of My Morning Jacket (just to name a few), you’ll love Strand of Oaks and this new album. It’s powerful and moving, in the best way that a wailing guitar, heavy drums, and reverbed voice can be.

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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

#13 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

December 19, 2014 by Royal Stuart

Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs

First we have Warpaint, now we have The War on Drugs. An indie rock band from Philadelphia, The War on Drugs is a throwback to another era of rock and roll. If you grew up in the 80s, when saxophones and keyboards played a bigger role in the sounds that were coming out of the aging classic rock crowd (think: Glenn Frey, Bruce Springsteen), then Lost in the Dream will resonate well.

The War on Drugs has been around for nearly a decade, started in 2005 by Kurt Vile and Adam Granduciel. Vile left the band shortly after the band’s debut album, Wagonwheel Blues, came out in 2008. While Grandunciel has carried on with The War on Drugs, he also helped Vile get his footing, playing as part of Vile’s backing band The Violators through their 2011 release, Smoke Ring for My Halo.

Vile’s records have been good in their own right, but Lost in the Dream is the best thing to come out of either musician in their time. These songs feel less about telling stories, more about evoking a mood, one that would be right at home on a Miami Vice episode. This description may not sounds like I’m being nice, but I do mean that in the best way possible. This is a great album. It’s solid from start to finish, with some hard rocking tunes, and some slower thought pieces with heavy guitar reverb. If you like Dire Straits, Phil Collins, and other 80s classic rock, then you’ll love this album. But if hearing those names doesn’t resonate with you, don’t let that stop you from listening. This album stands on its own, and it is well worth listening to.

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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