#9 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Mental Illness by Aimee Mann

I’ve been enjoying Aimee Mann’s work for a long time (ever since she wrote some original songs for one of my favorite films ever, P. T. Anderson’s Magnolia, way back in 1999¹), but her albums of the last decade haven’t hooked me. That is, until her ninth album, Mental Illness, came out this past March.

Mann’s music is always easy to listen to in the background, but as soon as you move it to the foreground you start to notice the dark undertones of her lyrics. It’s this balance of folky darkness that draws you in, and that effect is especially evident on Mental Illness (as if the title wasn’t enough of a hint).

Another great thing about Aimee Mann is that she seemingly knows everybody. She’s married to Michael Penn. She’s in a side-project band with Ted Leo called The Both. And for this album she teamed up with Jonathan Coulton, who co-wrote “Patient Zero,” “Good For Me,” and “Rollercoasters” and John Roderick, who co-wrote “Poor Judge.” That list of names might as well be the start of my nonexistent Top 10 Male Songwriters of the 2000s list.

Mental Illness is a great album, and Aimee Mann is a great singer/songwriter. The orchestration throughout this album puts it over the top. I can’t recommend it enough — go get it now!

^{1. Magnolia climaxes with the all-star cast halting in their various storylines and lip syncing Mann’s song “Wise Up,” which is such an odd experience but a perfect release for the pressure that builds up over the length of the movie. Check out this amazing music video, for another song from the movie, called “Save Me.” The video was filmed by director P. T. Anderson on the movie sets at the end of each day of shooting, with the actors in the movie sitting motionless in their various scenes. Aimee Mann had Tom Cruise (et al) in her music video; I’m guessing that’s something that nobody else can claim.↩}

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10. The Wild by The Rural Alberta Advantage
11. american dream by LCD Soundsystem
12. Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes
13. Famous Last Words by The True Loves
14. Cry Cry Cry by Wolf Parade
15. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
16. Shake the Shudder by !!!
17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by La La Land
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#10 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

The Wild by The Rural Alberta Advantage

Welcome to the Top 10 of 2017! At #10, we have a mainstay of the Bacon Review. I’ve featured the Rural Alberta Advantage many times over the years. Their debut, Hometowns, was #6 in 2009; Departing, their 2nd album, was all the way up at #2 in 2011; and their third album, Mended With Gold was my absolute favorite album of 2014.

With nowhere to go but down, the Toronto band’s fourth album, The Wild, comes in at a relatively meager (for them) #10 on the year. By many accounts, this album is their best album to date. I’ve been more attracted to their previous efforts, but I will admit this one has grown on me significantly over the months that it’s been out. Their sound is generally the same, but the band has been through a fairly significant line-up change since their last album: keyboardist/background vocalist Amy Cole left the band in 2016, to be replaced by Robin Hatch. Robin’s contribution to the band could be seen as fairly equal to Amy’s, but when I saw the band live a few months ago, I was disappointed by Hatch’s lack of dynamism on the stage.

Nils Edenloff’s songwriting continues to shine, and his voice has taken on a Tom Waits-esque strain that I worry can’t be maintained long term, lest his voice wither away completely. Drummer Paul Banwatt’s excitement behind the kit is still very much evident, and continues to be the main draw for me.

This is a great album in a sea of greats from the trio. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the band’s ability to stay around and current given their rather meager following, but I will continue to sing their praises. Someday, maybe they’ll catch on with a larger American public, but for now, I will love them as if they were my own.

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11. american dream by LCD Soundsystem
12. Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes
13. Famous Last Words by The True Loves
14. Cry Cry Cry by Wolf Parade
15. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
16. Shake the Shudder by !!!
17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by La La Land
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#11 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

american dream by LCD Soundsystem

Just like the Fleet Foxes at #12, the band at #11 broke up at the beginning of the decade, only to reunite to great triumph years later. But where the Fleet Foxes went away in 2011 with a whimper, James Murphy and his band LCD Soundsystem went out in the biggest way possible, playing their “last show ever” at Madison Square Garden along with four warm-up shows at Terminal 5 in New York. The build up to those last shows was even followed by a documentary about the experience. It features many non-performance shots of Murphy in his daily life as well as him being interviewed by Chuck Klosterman, called Shut Up and Play the Hits (it’s great, if you haven’t seen it I recommend it highly). The band was 100% dead by the end of 2012.

Or so it seemed. Three years later, the rumors started flying around the internet that LCD Soundsystem was going to be reuniting in 2016. Thankfully, the rumors proved to be true. They reunited, and then proceeded to record this album, american dream, which is truly great. It sounds as if the band never went anywhere, picking up exactly where they left off in sound and stature. This isn’t the first time LCD Soundsystem has appeared on the Top 31. Their previous album, This is Happening, was #21 that year (looking back, I should have ranked it much higher, probably around #11 or #12, as I continue to listen to it fairly regularly).

Much like past LCD albums, there are one or two klunker songs, but overall it’s superb. The same influences are there (David Bowie being most prominent), with the same unmistakable sound and James Murphy’s near-spoken lyrics. If you’ve liked past LCD Soundsystem albums, you’ll like this one every bit as much.

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12. Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes
13. Famous Last Words by The True Loves
14. Cry Cry Cry by Wolf Parade
15. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
16. Shake the Shudder by !!!
17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by La La Land
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#12 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes

Here we are at #12 with the album voted “most definitely” to appear on this year’s Top 31: Crack-Up. The Fleet Foxes have been one of my most-loved bands since they first appeared on my radar back in 2007. I’ve written so much about the band, I’m sure I don’t need to cover where they came from or who they are.

But what I can cover are where they’ve been. After touring extensively to promote 2011’s Helplessness Blues, the band’s #9 ranking second album, they seemingly broke up so that lead singer/songwriter Robin Pecknold could get his undergraduate degree at Columbia University. Imagine my excitement when, in March 2017, a new song came out of nowhere — the first single from their forthcoming third album, Crack-Up.

I devoured the song, listening to it on multiple repeats over the next week. It was a sprawling, 9+ minute epic called “Third of May / Ōdaigahara,” and while it had hints of the Fleet Foxes of old, the song felt deeper, wiser, as if having been the result of a great journey. Two months later, still having not heard the full album, I got to see the band play in the small-ish (for them) Showbox Market. Hearing those wonderful harmonies, and the new songs blended with the old, it brought all the love right back to the fore.

Then the album came out in June, and I’ve listened to it at least once a week since then. This is a work of art. Unlike the band’s previous work, there’s no real “hook” to these songs, so it does take a little while to catch you. But once it does, it won’t let go, seeping into your thoughts even when you’re not listening to it. Such is the magic of Fleet Foxes.

If you’re interested in hearing more from the album, I recommend this live set from KEXP, performed around when the new album came out. You’ll recognize everything you remember about them, but they’ve clearly aged. And I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look and sound good on them.

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13. Famous Last Words by The True Loves
14. Cry Cry Cry by Wolf Parade
15. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
16. Shake the Shudder by !!!
17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by La La Land
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#13 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Famous Last Words by The True Loves

You may recognize the name of the band at #13, but have the distinct feeling that something’s different about them. That’s because The True Loves used to have vocals, produced by the fabulous Grace Love. Their eponymous debut album was featured at #14 in 2015. Since then, the band has been through a lot.

At the end of the summer 2106, Grace Love broke up with the band, citing a desire to sing something other than soul music. The now 8-piece band, an amazing mix of horns, drums, keys, guitars and bass decided to move on, voiceless but in no way diminished. Before you read on, hit play on the above video for a snippet from the recording of the title track on their fantastic album, Famous Last Words,

As you can tell, these guys are a tight-knit group. They read each others cues and create rhythms and sounds that keep you engaged and bouncing, even without any vocals to latch on to. I’m convinced this won’t be the last we hear from these guys. They’ll either get a new lead singer, or they won’t, but if they can keep up the songwriting, and then killing it on stage (as I hear they have been), their future is bright.

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14. Cry Cry Cry by Wolf Parade
15. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
16. Shake the Shudder by !!!
17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by La La Land
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#14 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Cry Cry Cry by Wolf Parade

I don’t remember disliking Wolf Parade, but apparently I did. I just reread my post for the band’s third album, Expo 86, which was #17 in 2010. In it, I discuss how much I used to hate Wolf Parade and why.

That, apparently, was a long long time ago. Because now I really like Wolf Parade, and I especially like their fourth album, Cry Cry Cry. Their music is not surprising — each album sounds like an extension of the previous one. But the formula they’ve managed to create for themselves works very well. As I mentioned in my 2010 post:

The band has an interesting dynamic. Two lead singers, who each write separate songs for the band to perform, each with a different aesthetic. Dan Boeckner is the more poppy of the two, writing songs with upbeat hooks that appeal to a greater audience. Spencer Krug, (my favorite and lead singer for another fave band of mine, Sunset Rubdown), is decidedly more eccentric in his song construction.

The video linked above is a dual video for two songs from the album, “King of Piss and Paper” (written by Krug) and “Artificial Life” (written by Boeckner). So you can get a taste of both sides of the band.

Sadly, the website I linked to in the post above, for Spencer Krug’s band Sunset Rubdown, is no longer. But it looks like his other solo project, Moonface, has a website that is still going strong. His second Moonface album Julia With Blue Jeans On was #23 in 2013. He even released a 2-song thing earlier this year, apparently. Excuse me while I go listen to that.

OK, I’m back. That was NOT what I expected it to be¹. Anywho, Wolf Parade is awesome, and this album continues to prove that face. Run out and buy it now.

^{Turns out there’s an electronic artist out there that is also going by the name Moonface, and Apple Music thinks those two Moonface bands are the same entity. Clearly they are not, but I’m not sure where to go to get it corrected. I reached out to Spencer Krug’s US PR guy (as listed on the Moonface website) in a lame attempt to do something.↩}

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15. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
16. Shake the Shudder by !!!
17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by La La Land
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#15 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Pure Comedy by Father John Misty

I’ve written quite a bit about Josh Tillman’s alter ego Father John Misty a few times over the years (his debut album, Fear Fun, was #14 in 2012 and his second album I Love You, Honeybear was #6 in 2015). But it’s only on recent runs through his fantastic third album Pure Comedy that I’ve come to this opinion: Father John Misty is the millennial Elton John.

Bear with me here. Think about it: Tillman’s stage presence is wild and ironically humorous, much like Elton John but without the costumes. Tillman’s voice is quite similar to John’s, and they both use them to great effect. The music of Pure Comedy is very orchestral, similar to much of John’s work from the 80s and 90s. Are you seeing it yet?

Where Tillman differs from John is his use of thick sarcasm to paint a bleak picture of humanity. This album is mostly quiet and good for having on in the background until you start paying attention to the words. Then you realize Tillman’s world is depressing and lonely. I’m not put off by sad, depressing music — I did come of age in the 90s, after all — so this album is right up my alley.

Tillman has always had a good grasp of the visual, but he’s taken it to new heights with this album. His website takes Ed Steed’s fabulous illustrations from the album cover and animates them. The video shown above, “Total Entertainment Forever,” features Macaulay Culkin dressed up like Kurt Cobain in a demented “virtual” world. And there are a number of other videos from the album:

• “Pure Comedy”
• “Leaving LA”
• “Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before The Revolution”

There’s even a 25-minute short film called “Pure Comedy” directed by Tillman and Grant James that dismantles the Father John Misty songwriting process into a series of in-studio and LA-based imagery, a lot of which shows LA covered in raging fire — perhaps a little too prescient given the most recent spate of forest fires in the area. You can read a lot more about this album and Tillman’s process in the feature from the NY Times back when the album came out.

The song “Leaving LA” nearly killed the entire album for me. The song is over 13 minutes long, and the lilting way Tillman sings throughout the entirety of the song somehow expanded in my mind to fill the entire album, thinking he was stuck in a groove that had infected all 74 of its musical minutes. I thankfully got past it, and so can you. Give this album a listen if you haven’t already. And listen to its sad, broken stories. They paint a bleak picture that perfectly captures what 2017 felt like politically.

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16. Shake the Shudder by !!!
17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by La La Land
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#16 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Shake the Shudder by !!!

While the band at #26, Portugal. The Man, have some odd punctuation in their name, the band here at #16 has a totally unpronounceable punctuation-only name. !!! are an electronic dance band currently living in NYC. Before you proceed, I’ll make it slightly easier for you to read this post: the band calls themselves “Chk Chk Chk”. So you can call into your local DJ and request them without feeling dumb.

!!! have been around for the better part of two decades, but they haven’t been on my radar since their awesome album Myth Takes came out in 2007. This year’s Shake the Shudder is the band’s seventh album, and it slays. Even though there’s only men in the band, the vocals on more than one of these songs are provided by an unnamed woman. It makes for a more well-rounded experience than past !!! albums. Go ahead and hit play on the video above, for the opening track “The One 2” and you’ll see. The album carries on nicely from there, but I dare you to not get up and dance around after a few songs.

We’re cresting the mid-way point of the Top 31. Things are heating up, and I can’t wait to share the remaining 15 albums!

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17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Justin Hurwitz / Pasek and Paul
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#17 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Justin Hurwitz / Pasek and Paul

From angry and politically-charged at #18 we now cross-fade to the sappiest, treacle-filled music around: musical theater. I know there are many many lovers of the movie La La Land out there (it won five of the 12 Oscars it was nominated for, not including Best Picture), but the anecdotal evidence from my friends and acquaintances is that to enjoy this movie, with its predictably cheery disposition and supreme Hollywood narcissism, is to have a dissenting opinion.

Then dissent I shall. I loved this movie, I love these songs. It’s magical, I dare say. I don’t gravitate towards musicals or broadway as a rule, but this isn’t my first musical rodeo. The Broadway smash Hamilton soundtrack was #11 in 2015. And Singin’ in the Rain is one of my favorite movies (if you’ve not seen it, please correct that ASAP). Granted, it did take me a couple listens to get used to Gosling and Stone’s singing, but after a few times through I no longer get hung up on them. I just smile and dance (in my head) along to the songs.

The music for the soundtrack was composed by Justin Hurwitz, who went to Harvard with the writer/director of La La Land, Damien Chazelle. The lyrics were written by the writing duo Pasek and Paul. Together, the group has made a fantastic movie and soundtrack, and if you’ve not seen or heard either, I implore you to correct your mistake post haste.

P.S. — Feel free to skip the John Legend song (“Start a Fire”). That song is garbage.

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18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#18 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

The Underside of Power by Algiers

And now for something completely different. Algiers, from Atlanta, Georgia, blend a number of seemingly unrelated influences into inciteful, politically motivated, upbeat and most times angry rock and roll. They occupy the very tiny space in the center of the Venn diagram between TV on the Radio, The Dirtbombs, Gil Scott Heron and southern gospel.

The Underside of Power is the band’s second album. Their eponymous debut came out in 2015 and while it appears to have been critically acclaimed, I had not heard of the band until John in the Morning played them a few months back. Regardless of whether you like this music, it definitely calls attention to itself. The clash of sounds does its job beautifully, making you sit up and take action, even if that action is to change the station.

Give the album’s title song a listen above for an example of how they sound. Some of the songs on the album are slower, piano-led numbers with dark overtones, and some go the opposite way: hard, fast and loud guitar and drum-laden punk rock anthems. When reviewing the band’s debut album in 2015, Willamette Week called them “dystopian soul,” which sums their sound up perfectly, and puts them in a genre all their own.

“Dystopian” and “soul” are not words you can usually assign to one band or one sound, but Algiers manage to pull it off with aplomb. If you find yourself intrigued, I recommend reading this All Songs Considered article, where the band breaks down each song on the album, with references and background provided. There’s even an “influences” playlist at the end that is jam packed with interesting things.

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19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#19 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

What Now by Sylvan Esso

The album in at #19 would have fit right in on the 2015 Top 31, when Chvrches’ Every Open Eye was #1 and bands like The dø and Purity Ring were in the top 15. It was the year for indie girl-led pop. Sylvan Esso, a duo from Durham, North Carolina, are definitely in that mode. Their eponymous debut album came out in 2014, but failed to make my radar that year even though it was fairly popular (I can’t possibly hear every good album that comes out, right?).

What Now is their second album, and it is full of treacly indie pop goodness. The best song from the album, “Die Young,” is shown in the video above, but there are a number of other great songs (and videos: “The Glow,” “Radio,” and “Kick Jump Twist”) on this record. If you’ve liked any of the band names mentioned thus far, you’ll love Sylvan Esso. Beyond that, there’s not much more I can say.

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20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

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2009-2016 Top 31s

#20 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields

Here we are at #20 of the Top 31, on the 12th day, with the 12th album, from a band called The Magnetic Fields, with sometimes five, sometimes eight members, led by one spectacular songwriter named Stephin Merritt. Numbers are supremely important for this particular entry in the countdown.

I used to love The Magnetic Fields. I feel their 1999 triple-album 69 Love Songs is one of the best albums of the 20th century. But since that album came out, Merritt and co’s output has gone steadily downhill, to the point where the albums they’ve released since the dawn of the Top 31 (2010’s Realism and 2012’s Love at the Bottom of the Sea) have not made those respective years’ countdowns. That was until, with Merritt nearing 50 years of living on this planet, someone at the band’s label, Nonesuch, had the brilliant idea to have him release a second number-based album multi-record album. They suggested he write a song for each of his 50 years on Earth. And so it is that we now have this lovely five-record album called 50 Song Memoir.

Before you dive in, be warned: if you’re not familiar with Merritt’s deep baritone, sharp sarcasm and genius intelligence, you may overlook the beauty of this music. Some — most — of the songs are not traditionally performed, and may well sound unlistenable to your ears. Pay attention to the words, and you may be able to rise above the noise. Merritt’s rhymes and humor are what carry the day. In addition to writing and singing on all fifty songs, the number of instruments Merritt plays on the album is greater than 100¹. There are some gems within the 50 songs, but they’re not easy to find.

I have a special affinity for this album not just because of my love for the band, but also because I got to see them perform this album in its entirety across two 25-song nights at the Moore in downtown Seattle. Merritt has experience in writing musicals and stage shows, and the setup for the 50 Song Memoir performances demonstrated that beautifully. The stage was set up as if Merritt were performing from inside a doll-house, surrounded by actual toys and ephemera from his life. Outside the walls of the dollhouse sat the other performers (7 of them) who each played 7 different instruments throughout the two nights. The songs were played in order from 1966 through 2015, and each song had a unique video accompaniment that was played overhead. It was magical, and made me love Merritt and The Magnetic Fields all that much more.

You can see some of the videos that were played during the performance online. In addition to “’71 I Think I’ll Make Another World” above, “’68 A Cat Called Dionysus,” “’81 How to Play the Synthesizer,” “’83 Foxx and I,” “’85 Why I Am Not a Teenager,” and “’88 Ethan Frome” are all good songs with fun visuals to watch.

It may take a few listens, but I think you’ll grow to love these songs as much as I have. Don’t give up halfway through the first song!

^{1. As listed on the Nonesuch website, Merritt plays: National resonator ukulele, bass ukulele, all lead vocals, bass drum, log drum, slit drum, cymbal, woodblock, tambourine, bells, sleigh bells, cabasa, bottle, glockenspiel, cavaquinho, Joia Tubes, Dusty Strings harp, Farfisa organ, Dusty Strings hammer dulcimer, Kazoobie kazoo, Veillette Avante Gryphon guitar, AdrenaLinn drum machine, Tempest drum machine, Andes melodica, Realistic organ, Sequential Circuits Pro One synthesizer, Danelectro baritone guitar, mandola, Rhythm Ace drum machine, Harmony bass, Almeira classical guitar, Wurlitzer electric piano, thunder sheet, Rhodes Piano Bass, Oscar Schmidt autoharp, Oberheim OB-12 synthesizer, Kamaka 8-string ukulele, feedback, Congost Xylomatic, Simcha tongs, Roland JP-8000 synthesizer, tapes, TomCat drum machine, shakers, Fender acoustic bass, Roland TB-303 bass computer, Roland TR-606 Drumatix drum machine, Vermona DRM-1, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesizer, Adam bell set, bowed psaltery, Roland vocoder, xylophone, EML 101 synthesizer, Roland TR-707 drum machine, Dawg electric dulcimer, Oberheim drum machine, LP Trash Snare, cowbell, bar chime, Metasonix D-1000 drum machine, Gretsch organ, Rheem Kee Bass, guiro, djembe, cajon, bell stick, LP Street Cans, electric sitar, Martin 12-string guitar, XBASE 999 drum machine, Yamaha CS-60 synthesizer, Dewanatron Keyed Melody Gin, Moog Voyager synthesizer, Schoenhut toy piano, Virus Access synthesizer, Gold Tone bass banjo, Metasonix S-1000 Wretch Machine vacuum tube synthesizer, Marxolin, metals, one-man band, Critter & Guitari Pocket Piano, charango, celeste, Fender Stratocaster, Yamaha RX21 drum machine, Fender acoustic bass, Yamaha U4 piano, hihat, wind chime, Hohner Pianet, Kilpatrick Audio Pattern Generator, Dewanatron Triple Slice, prepared piano, Korg Sigma synthesizer, zill, triangle, Suzuki Omnichord, ARP String Synthesizer, Baldwin organ, Casio VL-Tone, ocean drum, Korg KR mini drum machine, abacus↩}

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21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

Subscribe to the 2017 Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2016 Top 31s

#21 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Plunge by Fever Ray

And now for the strangest (and probably more divisive than Kendrick Lamar, musically) entry on the 2017 Top 31: Fever Ray. If you like Fever Ray, the band, then you’ve probably already latched onto this album and are loving it. If you don’t know who Fever Ray is, then prepare to be equally angered, frightened, and dumbfounded by what you’re about to hear. Maybe you’ll like it, maybe you won’t.

Fever Ray is the stage name of Karin Dreijer Andersson, who is half of the famed Swedish electronic brother-sister duo The Knife. The Knife had some amazing albums when they were together, and now Fever Ray carries the Swedish dark electronic torch. And boy does it get dark.

Her eponymous debut album made #18 on the 2009 Top 31, and here we are eight years later with Plunge. Andersson has a unique sound and voice that is unmistakably hers, and Plunge is no different. But within the album, she seems to be pushing things further, into more difficult territory, similarly to what Björk has been doing on her last few albums. But while Björk has managed to find a zone that is completely unlistenable to me, Fever Ray manages to pull it off a little bit better.

I only cringe a little when I’m listening to Plunge. But I do make a point to make sure no children are within earshot, as the music can get quite vulgar in addition to the darkness, with lines like that from the song “This Country,” which has the lovely line “This house makes it hard to fuck” and “This country makes it hard to fuck” repeated over and over and over again.

Fever Ray’s visual output is every bit as dark and interesting as the audio. The video above, for the song “To the Moon and Back,” you’ll notice, is labeled “Part III.” That’s because there were two disturbing, minute-long shorts that were released prior to the video (Part I: Switch Seeks Same and Part II: A New Friend).

I believe I’ll continue to listen and be intrigued by Fever Ray for the entirety of her musical career. And I doubt I’ll ever feel at ease about it. And somehow that’s a good thing.

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22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

Subscribe to the 2017 Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2016 Top 31s

#22 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar

And here we are again. If you recall, the last time I featured Kendrick Lamar on the Top 31 (his third album To Pimp a Butterfly was a reluctant #29 in 2015), I was conflicted. While I enjoyed listening to the music, it’s deep-seated (and appropriate) anger was too much for my liking, and pushed things too far.

And now DAMN. Every bit as angry and difficult as Butterfly, this album has done little to make Lamar’s music less confrontational to my core being. I’m convinced that most of my difficulty with it centers around my inherent white male privilege, and there’s nothing I can do about it. A white man talking about his privilege is in itself problematic, and I’m not proud of myself for leaning on that crutch, especially in this day and age.

This album is good. Lamar is clearly and infinitely talented. He’s even being tasked with producing the score to the new Black Panther movie, of which I am most excited. And I’m sure I’ll continue to listen to him, and continue to question everything about that action. Such is my lot.

Lamar has created many videos for this album. In addition to “Element,” above, you can watch the rest here:

• Humble
• DNA
• Love
• Loyalty

I’m curious what you think about this album, and about him. Please share!

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23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

Subscribe to the 2017 Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2016 Top 31s

#23 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Capacity by Big Thief

Oh, Brooklyn. It must be nice having so much indie rock talent just laying around. Such as Big Thief, whose sophomore album Capacity comes in at #23 on the Top 31.

Nothing about Big Thief is shockingly good; the band fails to shock at every turn. Instead, this is a great, quiet, peaceful album that may just put you to sleep if you’re not careful. If you’ve enjoyed other female singer-songwriter acts I’ve featured in the past, such as Sharon van Etten or Fiona Apple, then you’ll find something to enjoy in this album. Adrianne Lenker’s voice is low and steady, and will cause you to lean in just a bit to truly hear what she’s trying to say.

I was not familiar with Big Thief before this album hit my radar, so I can’t speak to their first album, Masterpiece, which came out in 2016, although in poking around the internet it looks as if I should have heard. Excuse me, I have some further listening to get to.

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24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

Subscribe to the 2017 Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2016 Top 31s

#24 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

What else can I say about Clap Your Hands Say Yeah that I haven’t said already? The band has been on the Top 31 twice before (Their third album, Hysterical was #16 on the 2011 Top 31 and their fourth, Only Run, #19 in 2014). Additionally, front man Alec Ounsworth’s 2009 solo record, Mo Beauty, was #20 on that year’s, the inaugural, Top 31.

Go read those prior reviews to learn about CYHSY’s backstory. The band members continue to evolve, with this new album featuring nobody that was on previous albums aside from Ounsworth. But it’s his voice and energy that draws me to the band and their music, so dutifully back into the fold I go.

Ounsworth and band will be coming to the Tractor on February 12, in support of the reissue of their 2007 sophomore album Some Loud Thunder. That show will be worth it if only to hear them perform “Satan Said Dance” one more time. Maybe I’ll see you there?

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25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

Subscribe to the 2017 Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2016 Top 31s

#25 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

CCFX EP by CCFX

The band at #25 represents the first “new” band on this year’s list. CCFX are the combination of two Olympia bands (neither of whom I was familiar with before writing this line) CC Dust and Trans FX, but they don’t sound like they’re from the Pacific Northwest. They do sound like they’re from another era.

This is a continuation of where The Cure or the Cocteau Twins (good Cure and good Cocteau Twins) left off a few decades ago. You’ll recognize it immediately in the jangly guitars and the warbly, buttery vocals from frontwoman Mary Jane Dunphe. Unfortunately, the band has only this four song EP to their name, for now.

The above song, “The One to Wait”, is the shining highlight. This song is SO good. Please give it a listen by clicking play, above. I’ve listened to this song nearly every day since I first heard it a couple months ago. There are other good songs on the EP as well — “Venetian Screens” is almost as good as “The One to Wait.” And while the EP only has four songs, it leaves me hopeful that CCFX will go on to produce a fantastic debut album in the coming year.

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26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

Subscribe to the 2017 Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2016 Top 31s

#26 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

Woodstock by Portugal. The Man

(I’ll start this review by apologizing for how difficult it will be to read. The band’s name has punctuation in it, and I’m beholden to include that punctuation every time I mention the band’s name. It will cause difficulty in reading, and I’m sorry.)

Sometimes it takes a while for me to notice a band. I’d heard of Portugal. The Man over the years, and while I always loved the band’s name (who doesn’t love a band with a period in their name? For the same reason I always loved seeing Panic! At the Disco’s name in writing), I’d not heard anything that really caught my attention until this, Woodstock, their 8th album. And it was the power of one song in particular that drew me in: “Feel It Still,” which is featured in the video above.

Please hit play now, and revel in the song’s glory.

Isn’t that nice? The rest of the album, while nice, pales in comparison to that magical number. I’m not sure if Portugal. The Man has other songs of this magnitude, but this song alone makes picking up Woodstock worthwhile.

Being a designer, it’s always nice to see a band with a visual style and true attention to detail. I mean, having a period in the middle of your band’s name is a considerable commitment to detail. But check out the band’s video output as well. There are so many great videos for this new album alone:

• “Live In The Moment” features a larger than life marionette “surfing” atop a moving car
• “Number One” is a combination of live action and animated laser lights shown around children blankly staring at a screen in the creepiest way possible
• “Rich Friends” has a full interactive experience where you can start and stop pieces of the video on your own that lives at chardonnayandadderall.com

There is power in the visual representation of song, and Portugal. The Man understands this. If you’re not swayed by hearing these songs and seeings these amazing videos, I don’t know what else to say!

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27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

Subscribe to the 2017 Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2016 Top 31s

#27 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent

It’s been a while since I musically connected with Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent. I quickly fell in love with her stage presence ten years ago, amidst the release of her debut album, Marry Me. She was a force on the stage, and I made sure to let everyone know about it.

Her 2nd album Actor appeared on the first Bacon Top 31 in 2009, but her third and fourth albums failed to hook me enough to break into the Top 31 in 2011 and 2014. She did, however, appear again on the Top 31 in 2012, because of the fantastic Love This Giant album she made with David Byrne.

But sometimes good things come to those who wait. With MASSEDUCTION, her fifth full-length album, St. Vincent has found new musical ground to cover. This album is solid from start to finish, and helps her escape that “sonic safe zone” my brain had put her in back in 2011.

On top of the great music, Clark has always been a visually stunning musician, both physically and in how she portrays her image in the world. She clearly takes many cues from David Byrne and his chameleon-like transformations over the years. The videos that have come out in support of MASSEDUCTION demonstrate this visual acuity: be sure to watch the above video for “New York,” as well as these great videos for “Pills” and “Los Ageless”.

If you’d given up on St. Vincent like I had, give this new album a listen. You may find you like what you hear.

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28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

2009-2016 Top 31s

#28 on the 2017 Bacon Top 31

On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band

I like horns. A good horn section is often the only thing a band needs to make it into my regular rotation. I consistently go back to the large ensembles of the late 60s / early 70s, like Chicago’s first couple albums, or Blood, Sweat & Tears’ eponymous sophomore record. I’m convinced I will be listening to those albums until I die, and it’s the horns that keep me coming back.

The Hot 8 Brass Band is a new spin on “good horn section”. “Brass” is in their name! It’s the center of the band. But they’re also so much more. The band hails from New Orleans, which has a fantastic history of loving horns itself. The band has been around for over 20 years, and the membership has morphed a little over that time (a few current members were not even born when the band formed in 1995). They blend traditional New Orleans brass sounds with a touch of hip-hop and funk that just totally wins me over.

Be warned, this album is a bit sloppy — it’s hard to record 10+ horn and percussion instruments and mix them well together — but it’s fun and energetic. The above video, for their version of the jazz standard “St. James Infirmary Blues” which was first made famous by Louis Armstrong in 1928, is beautiful, but not indicative of the rest of the album. For an example of the more upbeat songs, give “Working Together” or “Can’t Nobody Get Down” a listen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

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29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

2009-2016 Top 31s