Thinking About Perfect Songs
Right now, I’m sitting around talking with two co-workers about our unforgivably subjective “12 Perfect Songs” after going over Mark Richardson’s 2008 list. I really like the concept of building a list like this because I think it puts me in a place about music that I don’t visit, in that I really have to think critically, and out loud. So, here goes…
Thinking about what I would include, I know the discussion includes “I See A Darkness”. It would probably also force my hand to admit that the next song, Hefner’s “Don’t Flake Out On Me” isn’t as good as I believe it is, but it makes my list. I’d have to bring “Avalon” to the party, and pick up Brian Eno’s “Baby’s On Fire” along the way. That solo! Throbbing Gristle’s “What A Day”, Skinny Puppy’s “Dig It” are coming, too, even of they don’t make the cut. Animal Collective’s “Brothersport” is there, too. Definitely “Paranoid Android”. Harry Chapin’s “Mr. Tanner” or “WOLD”. Elton John’s “Daniel”. Jim Croce’s “Operator”. “My Sweet Lord”. “Suspicious Minds”. Y’know?
And to think of everything I can’t remember off the top of my head. And, anyways, what even makes any of these perfect?
It’s only ever an impromptu list of my favorite songs. I’m having a hard time thinking critically about what is and isn’t a perfect song, and maybe that’s why I hold Mark’s list in high regard. If there’s one person that I’d want to make a list of thy material, it’s Mark. He nailed it. To me, it’s such an overwhelming concept.
Larry Cuba (thx Tamas)
Esoteric Ramblings about +
A reminder that placing a single statistic on a pedestal freezes it in time, and that is counterproductive.
Great plainspeak explanation of wOBA
A down to Earth overview of wOBA, where it came from, benefits and drawbacks, and how it plays into wRAA, wRC, and wRC+. Tip: throw this Instapaper or similar for a better reading experience.
Favorite Music of 2011
Here’s a list of some of what kept me listening. This list is broken into three sections: The Top Tier, 15 albums that I loved; the “Honorable Mention” tier, the overflow bin; the “new to me” tier, material reissued this year or otherwise new to me. All in all, 2011 was a fun year for music.
TOP 15 »
- Bon Iver - Bon Iver
- Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica
- Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
- Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
- Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
- Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
- How To Dress Well - Just Once EP
- Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise
- Grouper - Alien Observer / Dream Loss
- Drake - Take Care
- Sepalcure - Sepalcure
- Julia Holter - TRAGEDY
- Sandro Perri - Impossible Spaces
- The Weeknd - House of Balloons
- Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
THOSE WHO ALSO RAN »
Every album in this list is entirely worth hearing.
- Real Estate - Days
- Andy Stott - Pass Me By
- Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder
- Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation
- Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
- Dirty Beaches - Badlands
- Shlohmo - Bad Vibes
- Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler/The Dream
- Zomby - Dedication
- The Field - Looping State of Mind
- Luke Temple - Don’t Act Like You Don’t Care
- Patten - GLAQJO XAACSSO
- Quilt - Quilt
- Pete Swanson - Man With Potential
- David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding
- The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This Wall
- Four Tet - Locked 12”
- Holy Other - With U
- Mark McGuire - Get Lost
- Colin Stetson - Those Who Also Ran
- Jürgen Müller - Science of the Sea
- Shlohmo - FACT Mix
- Thom Yorke’s Money Back Mix
NEWS TO ME! »
via 5thworldpics
Art Cloakey’s “Gumbasia”.
Filed under: Weird artwork for sensitive, conciliatory 404 pages.
from Destination Moon by Anna Pogossova
