Penny Lane's Top 10 Whatever of 2014

Oh 2014. I don' think I'll be sad to see you go. This year brought me leaving a job I hated for four years to finding a job I tolerated for six months, to getting promoted to a position I've loved for the last four months, but still don't feel quite settled into yet. And then there was the obsession with an immature asshole for five months (which I am happy to report is over). Meanwhile starting my own business (www.cursingsailormgmt.com). All, while trying to feed myself and have fun, trying not to get fat in the process (lost six pounds bitches), and seeing a ridiculous number of shows (I think I spent about $900). This year has been both amazing and a hot mess. Regardless, it does not excuse the fact that I have been Queen Slacker on DCILY this year. I have posted a total of 56 times, this being my 57th. Shameful. Utterly, shameful.

Busy as I may have been the past 12 months, you know I always have time to pontificate about my favorite albums of the year. So getting it in four days before the actual end of the year, here is...

Penny Lane's Top 10 Albums of 2014 (in order)

10. Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
Tracks: Guess Again!, The Mother Lode, There Is No Ice (For My Drink)

9. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga - Cheek to Cheek
Tracks: I Won't Dance, Anything Goes, Sophisticated Lady

8. EMA - The Future's Void
Tracks: Neuromancer, Cthulu, So Blonde

7. Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun
Tracks: Motherload, Ember City, Tread Lightly

6. Sia - 1,000 Forms Of Fear
Tracks: Elastic Heart, Chandelier, Fire Meet Gasoline

5. Strand of Oaks - Heal
This dude has had to deal with a lot of fucked up shit in the last 10 years or so. Cheating wife, moving to Indiana and almost dying. It's no surprise this aptly titled album is full of ranging emotion. I had never heard of Strand of Oaks or Timothy Showalter before the beginning of this year, but haven't been able to stop listening to this album since.
Tracks: Goshen '97, JM, Wait For Love

4. Beyonce - Beyonce
I hadn't included Beyonce's self-titled album in last year's list, simply because I had already created my list when she surprised us all with the album the second week of December 2013. So I feel justified in including it for 2014. This woman is amazing. Her voice. The lyrics. Each video. A tour, I am very disappointed I missed. EVERYTHING. Every once in awhile someone will say to me, "I just don't understand why people love her so much." And to those people I say, Bye Felicia. I don't understand how you could not love her. She is the epitome of the woman I want to be. Strong, independent, business woman, compassionate human being, wife and mother,. She is literally everything and we all need to bow down (bitches)...
Tracks: Blow, Mine, Pretty Hurts (and, of course Drunk In Love)

3. Interpol - El Pintor
Interpol and I have had a love hate relationship almost since the beginning. In one album I can love a song so much it makes my entire being hurt, but in the same breathe hate a song it feels almost the same. Pleasure and pain are synonymous. Then comes along El Pintor and it shot that whole theory to shit. I love every song on this fucking album. Only slightly disappointed when I went to Austin City Limits Festival, in October, that they didn't play more from this album (it was an Antics heavy performance), but what they did play was incredible.
Tracks: My Desire, Ancient Ways, All The Rage Back Home

2. Lykke Li - I Never Learn
This album is dark. Like, sit in a corner cradling your body while you ugly cry for three hours, dark. I'd love to talk to Lykke for 10 minutes to just get an idea of what kind of fucked up relationship she had been in to write such an album. I suppose from the deepest pain, we find creativity. And if that is the case, she fucking bled. Her pain is our pleasure...
Tracks: I Never Learn, No Rest For The Wicked, Never Gonna Love Again

1. TV On The Radio - Seeds
The week this album came out I listened (guesstimating) 15 times. Upon finding out they were going to be playing two shows that same week at Music Hall of Williamsburg I emailed a friend to see if she could get me some tickets, since the website said they were sold-out. Scored two tickets and it all happened that fast. I fell in love with this album. I honestly don't even think there is one song on the album I don't like. I like them all! Which hasn't happened in awhile.
Tracks: Careful You, Trouble, Seeds

Buy 'Seeds' on TVontheRadio.com

**I should also probably note that I only recently bought Taylor Swift's new album 1989 and am listening for the first time. Had I gotten my shit together and bought it when it came out (or if it had been on Spotify, ahem), it would likely be on this list...again...Queen Slacker ;)

Penny Lane's Top 10 Concerts of 2014 (in order)

10. Greighwolfe at People's Lounge and Bar
9. Pete Yorn at Gramercy Theater
8. Justin Timberlake at Barclays Center
7. TV on the Radio at Music Hall of Williamsburg
6. Band of Horses Acoustic at Town Hall
5. Built to Spill at Music Hall of Williamsburg
4. Stevie Wonder at Madison Square Garden
3. NIN at Jones Beach Amphitheater
2. Fleetwood Mac at Madison Square Garden
1. Pearl Jam at Austin City Limits Festival
(side note: stood on the rail for 7.5 hours in the blazing hot Austin, TX sun just so I could capture this picture...)

Stuff I Loved in 2013; Penny Lane's Year in Review

And the winner of 2013 is...

The albums, singles and shows I picked are an overall representation of MY taste, what I have been listening to and what I chose to see in 2013. Your opinion matters to you, but certainly not to me.

I'm not sure why I settled on seven. Maybe because five wasn't enough and ten was too much...

Happy New Year and see you in the clean slate, 2014! {PL}

************************************************************************************************************

Top Seven Albums of 2013
1. Diarrhea Planet - I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
~My guess is, if you follow me on Spotify, this is no surprise to you. I have streamed this album approximately 200 times. Not including plays thru iTunes. And I'm still trying to get my hands on the pink vinyl that seems to be impossible to find. I. LOVE. THIS. ALBUM. On the day of its release I went around my office telling anyone I thought would appreciate it, to listen and buy tickets to see any show wherever they could. Just pimping this band for no reason, other than I love this album, the guys and everything they stand for at this moment in time. Bring this back to a world where pop music has completely out shined rock music. Bring back the DIY ethos, that says a band can be successful without selling their soul to the devil. Be punks. Call yourself something so absurd that after awhile, your fans don't even notice how absurd the name is because of how good the music is. Be yourselves. Do what you want. And leave everyone in the fucking dust.
Tracks: Separation, Skeleton Head, Emmett's Vision

2. Ghost - Infestissumam
~The saying is you should never judge a book by its cover. This band is the living embodiment of that sentiment. Their appearance is terrifying. And rightfully so. They're Satan's helpers. Close your eyes for one minute and just listen. The music is equally as terrifying as their appearance, but there's something else there. Talent. Not just a gimmick. Actual talent. Lead singer Papa Emeritus, is perfect. A terrifying father figure with the voice of an angel. Not sure how Satan feels about that, but it makes me very happy.
Tracks: Secular Haze, Ghuleh/Zombie Queen, Body and Blood

3. Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt
~It took me a minute to warm up to this album, but I did in a spectacular way. Seeing Pearl Jam live twice towards the end of the year didn't hurt either. I don't know what I could say about PJ that hasn't already been said, so I'll just say, they may be a little older, but they are still the same guys we all fell in love with 22 years ago.
Tracks: Getaway, My Father's Son, Swallowed Whole

4. James Blake - Overgrown
~Do you want to cry? Are you feeling blue? Or is it just raining? All good questions to ask when listening to this album. Very ethereal. Dreamy and space like. When James sings, you listen and you listen with intent. This album is spectacular. *Winner of the Mercury Prize 2013
Tracks: Overgrown, Retrograde, Our Love Comes Back

5. Wavves - Afraid of Heights
~There's a whole wave of bands and records coming out that have this very cool, old, grunge, surf rock feel to them. I'm not mad, at all. This is one of those albums and one of those bands and I love them both.
Tracks: Demon to Lean On, Lunge Forward, Gimme A Knife

6. Haim - Days Are Gone
~When this album came out I reluctantly liked it. I have no idea why. But the more I listened, the more I just let myself love the whole feel of this album. Just danceable enough to be fun, just rock enough to be cool.
Tracks: Forever, The Wire, Don't Save Me

7. Big Jesus - One
~I have been obsessed with this album for the last two months or so. Gritty, a little low-fi, dirty, feedback. 100% Fantastic. I am looking forward to seeing this band live.
Tracks: Shards, My Being, Lost Dog

************************************************************************************************************
Top Seven Singles of 2013:
1. Matt Corby - "Resolution"
~Every now and then a song comes along that actually moves me. Fills me with something so special I have no other choice but to listen to the song on repeat until I know every word, every note, every feeling, everything. That is how I feel about this song. I can't explain it. But I know that my life would be missing something if this song wasn't in it (CHEESY!). To say I am excited for more things from Matt Corby is the understatement of the fucking century. What a voice. A voice I hope has a long and lasting place in music.

2. Katy Perry - "Roar"
~I love this woman and I don't care who knows. She is pop. Her music is a little cheesy. But she is amazing and I love her with every fiber of my being. This song, is every reason why I love this woman. It is uplifting, inspirational and so catchy you cannot possibly sit still when listening.

3. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Can't Hold Us featuring Ray Dalton"
~Wanna see my ass shake all over the dance floor, at my office, in my apartment, in a random bar in my neighborhood? Put this song on and step back in amazement.

4. Hunter Hayes - "I Want Crazy"
~Hunter Hayes is about the cutest lil thing in country music right now. And so super nice. I hope he has a long and prosperous career. Side note: If a guy ever said... "I don't want good and I don't want good enough. I want can't sleep can't breath without your love..." I would marry him on the spot. Just sayin.

5. Drake - "Hold On, We're Going Home"
~Everyone picks on Drake. But I don't. I stare at him with stars (or hearts) in my eyes, hoping he will sing sweet nothings in my ear.

6. K. Michelle - "V.S.O.P."
~If "Can't Hold Us" makes me want to dance my ass across the world, "V.S.O.P." makes me want to strip down naked and find Drake. This is one of the sexiest songs I have ever heard. K. Michelle's voice is soulful, passionate, sultry. And just beautiful.

7. Arctic Monkeys - "Do I Wanna Know?"
~Dark and menacing. This song actually gives me the creeps a little, but I fucking love it so much I can't stand it. Was never a huge Arctic Monkeys fan, but after hearing this song in a commercial and immediately Googling to figure out the artist, I may need to give them another chance.
************************************************************************************************************
Top Seven Shows of 2013
1. Diarrhea Planet - Mercury Lounge, NY
2. Soundgarden - Hammerstein Ballroom, NY
3. Pearl Jam - Barclays, NY (tie)
3. Pearl Jam - Key Arena, WA (tie)
5. Ghost (BC) - Webster Hall, NY
6. Lamb of God - Roseland Ballroom, NY
7. Father John Misty - Webster Hall, NY

************************************************************************************************************
Spotify Links:
Diarrhea Planet – I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
Ghost B.C. – Infestissumam
Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt
James Blake – Overgrown
Wavves – Afraid Of Heights
Haim – Days Are Gone
Big Jesus – One

Singles Playlist - Resolution; Top Seven Singles of 2013

tylerb.'s Year End Thoughts 2012

DCILYmusic: tylerb.'s Year End Thoughts 2012.

by tylerb.

This was one of the first years of my life where music took a back seat to more important matters happening around me. To say that I felt completely lost this year would be an understatement, and normally I turn to music to help me out in these types of situations. But this is one of the first years that I can remember in a long time where nothing really fit my mood (until the very end of the year), and I couldn't really remember if the album actually came out in 2011 or 2012. It wasn't until after I started listing out the albums I listened to here and there that I realized just how much stuff came out. I'm terrible with ranking things, so I'm just going to try and group them into some random categories.

Here goes:

1. The year of the old reliables: 

The Walkmen - Heaven

Pinback - Information Retrieved

Grizzly Bear - Shields

Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky

At this point in the above mentioned's careers you can pretty much predict that you're going to get a mostly consistent and solid album from front to back. These are albums you can throw on when you're having trouble figuring out what you're in the mood to listen to. That might not seem like the best compliment in the world, but whatever. Even though they've only put out two albums to date, I'd also like to lump The XX's "Coexist" into that mix too. If they continue down this similar path, then I'd be cool with that.

2. Albums I didn't pay as much attention to as I initially thought I would:
Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance
Wild Nothing - Nocturne

Twin Shadow - Confess

These are all albums that started out in heavy rotation but then for whatever reason went by the wayside. However whenever a song from any of them come on my iPod's shuffle I thoroughly enjoy it and tell myself, "I really should go back and revisit this album." 

3a. The albums that I played the most: 

The Men - Open Your Heart

Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Chromatics - Kill For Love
The Evens - The Odds

The Weeknd - Trilogy

Crystal Castles - III

Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions

Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

3b. EP's I played the most:
Burial - Kindred

Solange - True

Empty Flowers - Six

This year my car's CD player decided that it would eject CDs whenever it damn well pleased, so sometimes I had to make a conscious choice of what I wanted to get stuck in there. The above albums and EPs were ones that I would actively choose to get stuck in there so I'm guessing those are the ones that could be classified as my "favorites" this year. With all that said, I'd like to give a huge shout out to the band Mineral. They aren't around anymore (though who knows, reunions are the new what next and I'm sure they've discussed it), but their two CDs The Power of Failing and EndSerenading were two CD's that got me through the absolute hardest thing I've ever had to experience on this Earth.

Here's to hoping 2013 has a much better outlook!

Everyone have a safe and happy holiday.

PL's 10 Favorite Albums of 2012

DCILYmusic: PL's 10 Favorite Albums of 2012.
*in alphabetical order
by Penny Lane

This has been an interesting year. Both in life and music. We are another year older but it remains to be seen if we have become wiser. At the end of every year I pretty much feel the same way...bring on the clean slate. Musically, is has been an equally interesting year. After perusing the many end of year lists, it is clear my list is a little off the beaten path. There were few similarities and at least one, maybe two, I am shocked appeared virtually no where else but on my list - though I have to admit I haven't read ALL the year end lists.

I think 2012 was a great year for music from newbies and old timers alike. I'm looking forward to not only a clean slate for life, but for music as well...

Cheers to a healthy and happy New Year!

Chairlift - Something: Chairlift – Something
Tracks: Wrong Opinion, Ghost Tonight

Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky: Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky
Tracks: Watch the Corners, Rude

Father John Misty - Fear Fun: Father John Misty – Fear Fun
Tracks: Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange: Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE
Tracks: Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Lost

Good Old War - Come Back As Rain: Good Old War – Come Back As Rain
Tracks: Over and Over, Calling Me Names,Not Quite Happiness

Grizzly Bear - Shields: Grizzly Bear – Shields
Tracks: Yet Again, Half Gate, Sun In Your Eyes

Heartless Bastards - Arrow: Heartless Bastards – Arrow
Tracks: Marathon, The Arrow Killed The Beast

Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts: Norah Jones – Little Broken Hearts
Tracks: Say Goodbye, After The Fall, Happy Pills

Passion Pit - Gossamer: Passion Pit – Gossamer
Tracks: Take A Walk, On My Way, Love Is Greed

Stars - The North: Stars – The North
Tracks: The Theory of Relativity, Through the Mines

Wanna hear my favorite songs from each album? PL's Favorite Songs of 2012