Every year, I design what ends up being a 6-cd best-of-the-previous-year mix. I have several friends who want all six, another several who like to receive samplings therefrom. I design one set in February, another in August or so (giving me further time to explore, as I don’t assume I’ll discover all my favorite music in the calendar year it happens to be released in). I’m told, and choose to believe, that I’m very good with track-to-track flow, so in this era of things like Spotify and Rhapsody playlists, I figured I might as well share with you the first three tracklists for 2012 in case you want copies (if I know you) or just were curious and wanted to play with these a bit.
I chose to let them be dominated by my 50 Favorite Albums list; the subsequent set, obviously, will not be. All mix titles are lyrics from somewhere on the mix.
Food for Thought is a Good Trade
Decomposure, Readymade
Animal Collective, Pulleys
Paul Weller, That Dangerous Age
Delta Spirit, Money Saves
Winter Sounds, Everything Wounded Comes Home to Die
Agony Family, I Stop Clocks
Jon Lindsay, Tiny Violins
Profusion, Chuta Chani
Amanda Palmer, Melody Dean
Jukebox the Ghost, At Last
Bryan Scary, Faintness Moody: Outlaw
Verlaines, Pets
Mike Keneally w/Andy Partridge, You Kill Me
Rudi Zygadlo, the Domino Quivers
Lost Lander, Belly of the Bird / Valentina
Birdeatsbaby, Love Will Bring You Nothing
dEUS, Constant Now
Stew & the Negro Problem, Black Men Ski
Pepe Deluxe, Go Supersonic
the Very Best, We OK
Manifesting a Metropolis
Rush, Brought Up to Believe
Mars Volta, the Whip Hand
Bastards of Fate, Huge Magic
Of Montreal, Spiteful Intervention
THEESatisfaction, Enchantruss
Holobody, Hurricane Season
Justinus Primitive, City Dervish
Mawwal, No Finer Men than We
Jesca Hoop, Peacemaker
Carina Round, Girl and the Ghost
Yakuza, Lotus Array
Jonny Polonsky, See Your Lies
Sigh, Purgatorium
Propagandhi, Things I Like
Serj Tankian, Ching Chime
Thinking Plague, Sleeper Cell Anthem
Gemma Ray, Bring Ring Ring Yeah
Regina Lund, Return
Aesop Rock, Gopher Guts
This Monkey Who’s Just Curious
Dirty Projectors, Offspring are Blank
District 97, Who Cares?
Debo Band, Habesha
Surplus 1980, M.E.S. Shoe Contract
BBU, Beau Sia
Killer Mike, Reagan
Extra Life, Righteous Seed
Fiona Apple, Left Alone
Kyle Hambor, So I Said to Her
glenn mcdonald, the Rules That Govern Hearts
Kate Miller-Heidke, Ride This Feeling
Passion Pit, I’ll Be Alright
Beth Jeans Houghton, Nightswimmer
Squonk Opera, Shimmy and Shake
Ani DiFranco, Which Side are You On?
Mountain Goats, Amy a.k.a. Spent Gladiator 1
BidiniBand, Last of the Dead Wrong Things
Dar Williams, I am the One Who Will Remember Everything
Regina Spektor, the Party
LATE EDIT: glenn mcdonald has created an online playlist from this. It contains only 47 of the 58 tracks – his own song is among the 11 missing – which means there’s a few bizarre segues. Nonetheless, I’m happy: that was super-thoughtful of him. Enjoy!
Some years ago, I remember having a conversation with a friend who had just bought a new album and was disappointed because she hadn’t realized it was a “live recording”. She objected to the sound of the roar of the crowd and the variations on studio perfection that come out on live albums. My friend said she planned to take the album back to the store because, in her words, “if [she’d] wanted to hear that shit, [she’d] go to a concert.”
Over time, I’ve discovered that I actually like live albums. In fact, I find that if I love an artist’s live album, I typically become a diehard fan of their music. If an artist impresses me live, even if it’s just on a live recording, I find that I respect their talents more. Sometimes I find live renditions of songs incredibly moving. A couple of years ago, I was watching a DVD of Stevie Wonder in concert and before I knew it, I had tears rolling down my cheeks. My husband asked me why I was crying and I couldn’t really explain it. I think it was the sheer joy of listening to an incredible talent playing for an appreciative crowd. I am myself an occasional performer and there’s nothing quite like performing with other musicians to get the blood pumping. I think that energy is infectious.
So I’ve sort of come up with a “live album” test. If I really like an artist’s live album, I figure I’m a true fan. I’ll want to see them in concert. I’ll want to buy their studio albums as soon as they come out, listen to them, and review them. It makes me more likely want to follow them and less likely that I’ll lose interest in their career. A good live album impresses me. Here are a few live albums I’ve loved and returned to again and again.
Alison Krauss & Union Station- Live
Alison Krauss & Union Station sing “Oh Atlanta” on Live…
I discovered Alison Krauss & Union Station in 2002 or so when I bought a couple of her CDs from the old BMG music service. When my husband bought me a CD as a Christmas present and discovered I already owned it, we exchanged it for a copy of Alison Krauss & Union Station’s 2002 double disc set, Live. I quickly fell in love with it and became a devoted follower of their version of “newgrass” music. From there, I branched out to other bluegrass artists and found a couple more I admired. I eventually managed to see Alison Krauss & Union Station in concert and it was one of the best I’ve ever been to, despite the fact that we were in the nosebleed seats.
AC/DC- Live
AC/DC playing “Thunderstruck” live…
Okay, so I’ve never actually seen AC/DC live, I do have their two disc Live album, which is all kinds of fun. I became particularly enamored of their song “Thunderstruck”, which is a lot fun to drive to in icy weather. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see these guys perform live, but I sure do enjoy their live album. Something tells me their show would kick ass.
The Police- Live
The Police performing “Roxanne” live in 1979…
I’ve never seen The Police live either, but I did buy their 1995 album Live while riding on a train through southern France. I bought the album on cassettes because I had a Walkman and to this day, I can’t listen to their live recordings without being reminded of traveling through France in the mid 1990s. Not a bad memory to associate with a band, eh? I later replaced the cassettes with CDs and I’m always surprised by how that band evolved between the 1979 concert in Boston and the 1983 concert in Atlanta represented on that album. Anyway, it’s safe to say that I love The Police… as long as they’re performing and not breaking down my front door with a search warrant.
Lyle Lovett- Live In Texas
Lyle Lovett sings “That’s Right, (You’re Not From Texas)”.
My husband and I had the great pleasure to see Lyle Lovett perform live in Stuttgart, Germany in March 2009. We had amazing seats and Lyle was up there on stage with a small band. The Germans didn’t seem to get his jokes, especially when he sang “Pantry”, a tongue in cheek song full of double entendres. In 1999, he released Live In Texas, which introduced me to what a great performer he is live. I chose “That’s Right, (You’re Not From Texas)” because pretty soon that will be the story of my life. My husband and I are moving to Texas in 2013.
James Taylor- Live
James Taylor sings “Copperline”, live.
It’s no secret that I am a true JT fan. I’ve only gotten to see him in concert twice; both times were amazing, despite the fact that two drunk women were in front of me the last time and were practically creaming themselves every time James sang one of their favorites. He’s done several live albums and I love them all. I think my favorite two right now are One Man Band and Live At The Troubadour, which he did with Carole King. His most popular live album is probably 1993’s Live I do love “Copperline” too, and it’s probably nearer to my heart now because I live in North Carolina, very close to where James grew up.
Livingston Taylor- Unsolicited Material
Livingston Taylor sings “Railroad Bill” at a concert.
Livingston Taylor is James Taylor’s younger brother. I had the pleasure of seeing him live at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia in October 2003. Again, we were within spitting distance of the stage. Livingston Taylor is amazing live and very approachable. I own two of his live recordings, Unsolicited Material and Snapshot- Live At The Iron Horse. I prefer Unsolicited Material, but it’s pretty hard to find that album these days.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band- Live At The Wetlands
Robert Randolph and the Family Band sing “I Don’t Know What You Come To Do”.
I discovered Robert Randolph and the Family Band at an Eric Clapton concert in Washington, DC. They were the opening band and I’d never heard of them. They were freakin’ awesome. I enjoyed their part of the show much more than I did Clapton’s. When I got home, I immediately bought the two albums they had out at the time. One of them was 2001’s Live At The Wetlands, which was a concert they did at a club that closed shortly after, just days before 9/11. Anyway, they definitely passed the Live Album test with flying colors!
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band sing “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) in 1984… live…
I didn’t specify a live album for Bruce Springsteen because he’s released a couple of them. I’ve never seen The Boss live, but I did have a teacher who went to high school with him in Freehold, New Jersey. In 1986, I got a box set with live recordings done between 1975 and 1985 and just about wore it out. No live album test results would be complete without Bruce Springsteen on it.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Stevie Ray Vaughan sings “Pride and Joy” Live at Montreux.
Again, I didn’t specify an album because just about all of the ones I’ve heard by Stevie Ray Vaughan kick ass. It’s so sad that Stevie Ray Vaughan died so young.
Heart- Live in Seattle
Heart performs “Mistral Wind” live in Seattle, 2002.
Back when I was in college, I had a copy of a live album by Heart which featured them covering Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll”. Ann Wilson did such an amazing job on that song that when I heard about another live album coming out in 2002, I knew I had to have it. Heart has a long history of putting out solid rock hits, some of which are better than others. They do a fine job with “Mistral Wind” here, though.
There are definitely other artists out there who would easily pass my live album test. I’ll save those for another post. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!
Reach for the stars… and catch ’em on Star Search!
The 1980s and 90s era talent show Star Search used to come on every weekend. I would usually dutifully tune in and watch, even though it seemed like no one who won on the show ever went on to bigger and better things. It wasn’t until years later that I realized there was a lot of legitimate talent on Star Search, even though it featured a lot of cheesy acts set to schmaltzy music. The singers, especially, were prone to big hair, dorky outfits, and way too many vocal histrionics.
Yesterday, I was watching old episodes of Melrose Place and actor Brian Bloom had a guest starring role. Brian Bloom is about my age and I remembered him when he was a teen, starring as Dustin Donovan on the now defunct daytime soap As The World Turns. For some reason, I thought I’d first seen him on Star Search. Allow me to explain for those who weren’t around in the early 1980s. Star Search was to my generation what American Idol, The Voice, and X Factor are to today’s young people. It was a long running talent show hosted by Ed McMahon. I remember watching it when it first began in 1983 and remained a devoted fan for several years, until I went off to college and quit watching so much television.
I looked up Brian Bloom on IMDb.com and did not see Star Search listed as any of his credits, even though I could swear I saw him compete in the teen acting category back when the show first started. The acting category was quickly done away with, which might explain why Brian Bloom is nowhere to be found in lists of former Star Search contestants. On the other hand, it could be that my usually steel trap memory is failing now that I’m hitting middle age. But my investigation did ultimately lead me to a list of all the people who competed or won on Star Search. I couldn’t help but notice that there are quite a few legitimate performers counted as Star Search alums; several of them are now huge stars.
Sam Harris
The very first big winner on Star Search was Sam Harris. Harris was memorable because he wore a tuxedo with tails and high top sneakers. He had a big voice that could do vocal gymnastics and that was apparently enough to impress the judges.
Sam Harris sings “Over the Rainbow” on Star Search.
He went on to score a contract with Motown Records and eventually cut a single called “Sugar Don’t Bite”.
Sam Harris singing “Sugar Don’t Bite”, a 1984 song that eventually climbed to #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984.
Sawyer Brown
While I wasn’t able to find a clip of country band Sawyer Brown when they appeared on Star Search in 1983, I did find this clip of them talking to Dick Clark about their big break on Star Search.
Sawyer Brown talks about performing at Carnegie Hall after Star Search.
Here’s a video for their 1993 hit “Thank God For You”, complete with funky dancing.
LeAnn Rimes
Country star LeAnn Rimes made history in 1996 when she was just 14 years old. She was the youngest person to win a Grammy for Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance on her song, “Blue” But in 1991, she was just another Star Search contestant.
Here she is at just eight and a half years old and already showing a lot of star quality.
And here she is many years later, covering the song “Swingin’”, which was originally made famous by John Anderson in the early 1980s.
Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake,
Moving on a few years, viewers started seeing some young performers who would eventually go on to become big stars. Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake are today household names and they have been bona-fide stars since the late 1990s. But back in the early 90s, they were hopefuls on Star Search.
Here’s little Britney Spears singing her heart out to The Judds’ “Love Can Build A Bridge”. She’s come a long way since then.
And here’s Britney all grown up and sexy, singing “Womanizer”.
Christina Aguilera is just eight years old in this 1989 clip from Star Search.
Christina Aguilera all grown up!
In this clip, 11 year old Justin Timberlake is competing and losing against 10 year old Anna Nardona. I have to wonder if Justin cringes when this clip comes up, showing him trying to sing country style and sporting a big belt buckle.
And here’s grown up Justin performing at the 2013 Grammy awards with fellow Star Search alum, Beyoncé.
Beyoncé
Yes, Beyoncé was also once a Star Search contender.
In this clip from 1993, she was 12 years old singing, dancing, and leading her backup singers and dancers, Girls Tyme.
That Star Search clip is a far cry from Beyoncé’s performance in the video for “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”, isn’t it?
Usher
Even Usher was on the Star Search starmaking machine.
In this clip, Usher hangs out with Countess Vaughn and Sinbad, also former Star Search contestants.
The younger they were, the more likely they were to be stars…
When I look at the list of notable Star Search winners, I notice that the ones who were most likely to become household names were junior contestants on the show. I also notice that a lot of times, the future big stars were losers on Star Search. I guess those Star Search judges didn’t necessarily know star quality when they heard it. Or maybe the losers were just hungrier for success or had pushier stage parents. It’s hard to tell.
I must have gotten my fill of talent shows back in the 1980s because I’ve never really watched American Idol, The Voice, or X Factor. In fact, watching these old clips from Star Search actually made me cringe a bit. I’m not so sure these types of shows really allow people to show off their talents to the fullest. I do like to watch America’s Got Talent, mainly because audition week usually showcases bizarre or unintentionally funny acts that I find a lot more entertaining than the acts from people who legitimately want to become stars. On the other hand, looking at some of these stars when they were very young, I can’t help but see that they were obviously very talented and probably didn’t need Star Search.
