That Wonderful Year in Music... 2022

 

2022 wasn't necessarily as deep as 2020 or 2021 were, but it arguably more versatile and eclectic. A number of artists returned from lenghty hiatuses (some COVID related, others not) while others maintained a steady pace. There was a fun mix of old stalwarts, artists in their prime, and promising debuts. 

In short, it seems like we're knee-deep in a particular era of popular music, but I can't pinpoint a name or dominant genre. (Then again, I don't think there's been an underwhelming year for music since 2013 or '14.) That also means a ridiculous, bountiful variety of interesting sounds. There doesn't seem to be a consensus best album from the critics, either. It's best to just ignore the arguments, take these suggestions, and plug in your headphones. 

BEST POP/ROCK ALBUMS

1. Renaissance, Beyonce. The first of a reported trilogy, Queen Bey's first proper solo album since Lemonade could have suffered from too many cooks. ("Alien Superstar" has 26 credited writers and producers. Not a typo.) Fortunately for the Beyhive and casual music fans alike, this is an effortably danceable album, both retro and looking forward, exquisitely arranged like a DJ mix.

2. Blue Rev, Alvvays. A Lazarus act if there ever was one, this Canadian collective weathered five years of stolen demos, personnel changes, *and* a flooded basement that ruined their gear to release their strongest work to date. They didn't alter their sound either, retaining their usual insistent, hooky rush with a slight glow-up. Old school shoegaze and 90s jangle-pop fans won't feel lost here.

3. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow, Weyes Blood. In another artist's hands, this follow-up to 2019's lush Titanic Rising would've sank under the weight of its own self-seriousness. Both sequel and ambitious companion piece, Natalie Mering's steady, mellow, double-tracked vocals continue and build upon Titanic's gorgeous arrangements and intricate songwriting.

4. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar

5. Ants From Up There, Black Country, New Road

6. A Light for Attracting Attention, The Smile

7. Skinty Fia, Fontaines DC

8. Gemini Rights, Steve Lacy

9. Once Twice Melody, Beach House

10. Big Time, Angel Olsen

11. Pompeii, Cate Le Bon

12. Aethiopes, Billy Woods

13. WE, Arcade Fire

14. Preacher's Daughter, Ethel Cain

15. Melt My Eyez See Your Future, Denzel Curry

16. Caprisongs, FKA Twigs

17. Laurel Hell, Mitski

18. Fossora, Bjork

19. Versions of Modern Performance, Horsegirl

20. Ugly Season, Perfume Genius

BEST JAZZ ALBUMS

1. Ghost Song, Cécile McLorin Salvant. I dislike hyperbole almost as much I disdain repeating myself, but I'm reiterating this for emphasis: Cécile is the best vocalist in music right now. Not the best in jazz, not the top BIPOC singer, the best full stop. On this latest work her gift is her weapon, and we've never heard it so relentless or tormented. The sparse arrangement, led by guitarist Marvin Sewell, matches her energy as she throttles from love to loss, from life to death. Opening with a Kate Bush cover was ballsy, but she justifies it and then some. 

2. Trio: Ocean, Charles Lloyd

3. World Construct, Matthew Shipp Trio

4. Origin, Joey Alexander

5. The Lights Are Always On, Lynne Arriale Trio

Honorable Mention: Every Note Is True, Ethan Iverson.

Best Jazz Album of 2021 I Didn't Hear Until Early '22: Dear Love, Jazzmeia Horn & Her Noble Force

BEST SINGLES (in no order)

"Prester John," Animal Collective

"Eight Years Old With An iPhone," Joshua Epithet 

"Unnecessary Drama," Belle and Sebastian

"Paddle to the Stars," The Dip

"Bad Love," Dehd

"Love Brand New," Bob Moses

"Mistakes," Sharon Van Etten

"Angelica," Wet Leg

"Under Control," MJ Lenderman

"Perm Act," Osees

"Make a Picture," Andrew Bird

"Seventeen Going Under," Sam Fender

"Trash Mental," Sinaive

"New Body Rhumba," LCD Soundsystem

"Selfish Soul," Sudan Archives

"Billie Toppy," Men I Trust

"Get Inspired," Genesis Owusu

"Expert in a Dying Field," Beths

"Shotgun," Soccer Mommy

"Lullaby," Grace Ives

Best Lionel Richie Imitation: Bruce Springsteen's cover of "Nightshift"

Best Radiohead Side Project Named After Something Thom Yorke Never Does: The Smile

BEST VIDEOS

1. "We Cry Together," Kendrick Lamar feat. Taylour Paige. A rare pick that is Oscar-eligible, this clip is a too-honest take on toxic relationships and the horribly vicious fights (and apologies) that keep them going.

2. "Out of Time," The Weeknd. Karaoke, anyone?

3. "Shinigami Eyes," Grimes feat. Jennie. On a personal level, 2022 was a challenging year for Canada's freakiest polymath artist. It didn't deter her from this slick, technical marvel of a video, a robotic acid trip that grips your subconscious.

4. "Ur Mum," Wet Leg. As a former 20-year-old myself, I can assure you 20-year-old guys are annoying.

5. "Free," Florence + The Machine. An absolute bop about mental health, personified by a grounded Bill Nighy.

Honorable Mentions: "Purple Zone," Soft Cell & Pet Shop Boys; "What I Want," MUNA; "New Beginning," Automatic.

WORST MUSIC VIDEO: "From the D 2 the LBC," Eminem and Snoop Dogg. If you believe both rappers have delved into self-parody at this point, here's your Exhibit A. Four minutes of NFG infatuation, aged like milk, intended to promote Slim Shady's second (and mostly unnecessary) greatest hits disc.

Your thoughts?

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Remember, Remember, The 8th of November

 Election Day is tomorrow. This is my ninth election cycle since I started this blog, and I feel like with each passing decision the stakes have risen. I've grown to resent how the first midterm of a president is an early moratorium on the sitting president; that has taken an uneasy turn, as a president as uniquely vulnerable as Joe Biden could be handcuffed by a GOP that has descended into pseudo-fascism and cult of personality. 

Misinformation has always had a home in American politics. Even before the internet, lies and slander were ingredients in the average candidate's word salad. Now we have dueling echo chambers, with the GOP's arguably being the loudest and more shrill of the two. The events of 1/6 should have been reckoning, a moment of crisis for Republicans at every level; instead, 1/6 "attendees" are running for office, and the majority of GOP candidates think the 2020 election was stolen without any proof. It's saddening and appalling, but the seeds of this were planted over a decade ago with the Tea Party. 

My message remains the same: vote. I beg of you, vote. Your decision in the booth makes an impact. Do your part as an American citizen, and afterwards if all else fails, hope for the best.

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32 Teams, 32 Haiku: My 2022 NFL Preview

 

I work best with deadlines, so naturally I tend to make sports predictions mere hours (in some cases, minutes) before the first game of the season starts. Even if my Bears aren't challenging anyone this year, there's always another storyline to latch on in the NFL. Without further ado, my annual football forecast:

AFC NORTH

1. Bengals (11-6) Overachievers/must claw past improved rivals/Burrow won’t (h)airball.

2. Ravens* (10-7) Rejuvenated/and maybe healthy; birds won’t/drop six straight again.

3. Steelers (8-9) Will Tomlin’s streak end?/QB play, most curious/No questions on D.

4. Browns (6-11) Deshaun suspension/casts a pall; run-first O will/settle for Brissett.

AFC EAST

1. Bills (13-4) Madcap playoff loss/motivates; Allen isn’t/joshing; too much depth.

2. Dolphins* (10-7) Tua must grow up/all the other pieces are/here for playoff run.

3. Patriots (9-8) O-line questions wracks/Mac’s apple; no OC or/DC? I’m confused.

4. Jets (5-12) Gang Green upswing; Zach/and strong draft class will excite/but not contend yet.

AFC SOUTH

1. Titans (10-7) Tannehill for now/but Malik is the future/to serve King Henry.

2. Colts (9-8) WIll Matty Ice melt/under pressure? Playoff dreams/must be Taylor-made.

3. Jaguars (4-13) Did Urban ruin/T-Law? Lush free agent adds/for bonus baby.

4. Texans (2-15) Lovie among the/ruins; inexperience/makes for rough viewing.

AFC WEST

1. Chiefs (12-5) Fresh faces and tough/schedule vex Mahomes; they/just need good Juju.

2. Chargers* (10-7) The record deceives/Herbert became elite quick/in deep division.

3. Broncos (8-9) No top tier QBs/drafted since Elway; Russ won’t/make much difference.

4. Raiders (8-9) Offense upgrades might/finally help Carr; Crosby/takes D to the Maxx.

NFC NORTH

1. Packers (12-5) Run-happy offense/result of hefty Rodgers/deal; title or bust.

2. Vikings* (10-7) Top tier O always/undercut; pass rush upgrade/might not be enough.

3. Bears (7-10) Give Roquan that cash/new stadium drama means/two rebuilds in town.

4. Lions (6-11) Optimist Campbell/wants this team to be mmm, mmm/good; cats make small gains.

NFC EAST

1. Eagles (11-6) Several good drafts/offer youth and upside, but/AJ Brown don’t clown.

2. Cowboys* (9-8) Tyron Smith’s bum knee/might unspool the whole D; Dak/*better* stay healthy.

3. Commanders (8-9) Wentz under center/finally gives McLaurin/potential breakout.

4. Giants (4-13) Judge, executed/rebuild back at zero, not/unlike “Groundhog Day.”

NFC SOUTH

1. Bucs (12-5) Tom Brady’s portrait/ages in an attic; new/coach Oscar Wilde?

2. Saints (8-9) Bayou oddity/Who Dat D will carry load/not chancy Jameis.

3. Panthers (7-10) Are Baker and Sam/good or awful QBs? My/best answer is yes. 

4. Falcons (3-14) Angelo and Pace/Chicago legends bring their/winning ways deep south.

NFC WEST

1. Rams (11-6) Status quo reigns, though/Matt is one year older; depth/is a concern, too.

2. Cardinals* (10-7) Kyler the bookworm/leads them through controversy/death, and bad PR.

3. Niners (8-9) Lance will be a lot/lack of free agent legroom/gives off win-now vibe.

4. Seahawks (6-11) Legion of Boom ends/with a fizzle; best QB/option is… Geno?

*denotes wild card

OTHER PICKS:

NFL MVP: Jonathan Taylor, Colts
Offensive ROY: Chris Olave, Saints
Defensive ROY: Aidan Hutchinson, Lions
First Head Coach Fired: Matt Rhule, Panthers
Super Bowl LVII: Bills 30, Rams 27

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Through a Freshman's Eyes: Abu Ghraib Edition

Graduation season is here. It's also time to realize that most of this year's high school graduates were born in late 2003 and early 2004, and their perspective of the world is just a tad different than anyone born in the 20th century. These incoming college freshmen have a curious perspective.

With that said, if you graduated high school this year...

...China has always been in space.

...privately funded spaceplanes have always been in orbit.

...Latvia has always been in the EU and NATO.

...Elon Musk has always run Tesla.

...same-sex marriages have always been legal in California and Massachusetts.

...Donald Trump has always been associated with a reality TV series.

...Barack Obama has always been a national figure.

...Facebook and 4Chan have always existed.

..."Friends," "Frasier," and "Sex & The City" has always been in repeats.

...Ken Jennings has always been associated with "Jeopardy!"

...Janet Jackson has always been associated with indecent exposure and "wardrobe malfunctions."

...Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been known as "The Governator."

...Howard Dean has always been associated with screaming.

...Kenan Thompson has always been on SNL.

...Craig Kilborn has never hosted a talk show.

...Casey Kasem has never hosted a radio show.

...you might be graduating with a set of sextuplets. 

...LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have always been in the NBA, and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal have never been teammates.

...Marc-Andre Fleury, Patrice Bergeron, Brent Burns, and Dustin Brown have always been in the NHL.

...Tom Brady has always had multiple Super Bowl rings (and has always been in the NFL).

...you might run into David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, *and* Jon Stewart on a college campus visit (all had babies in Fall 2003).

...Warren Zevon, Johnny Cash, John Ritter, Gordon Jump, Robert Palmer, Donald O'Connor, Althea Gibson, Elia Kazan, Robert Kardashian, Timothy "Grizzly Man" Treadwell, Elliot Smith, Rod Roddy, Bobby Hatfield, Art Carney, Jonathan Brandis, Warren Spahn, Alan Bates, Uta Hagen, Ann Miller, Helmut Newton, Leonidas, Mercedes McCambridge, Paul Winfield, Peter Ustinov, Alistair Cooke, Pat Tillman, Estee Lauder, Tony Randall, Elvin Jones, Ronald Reagan, Ray Charles, Marlon Brando, Isabel Sanford, Francis Crick, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Rick James, Fay Wray, Julia Child, Elmer Bernstein, and Laura Branigan always been dead. 

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