2019

It was an emotional year.

Aurora - Seed
Big Thief - Not
Emily King - Look at Me Now
Maggie Rogers - Say It
Ben Pratt - Grow As We Go
Sharon Van Etten - Seventeen
Vampire Weekend - Hold You Now
The National - Oblivions
Pete Yorn - Caretakers
Hadestown - All I've Ever Known

Songs often on repeat
*Rufus Wainwright - The Sword of Damocles
*Donna Missal - Jupiter
*Radiohead - Exit Music for a Film
*Phoebe Bridgers - Motion Sickness
*Olafur Arnolds - undir

Previous: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008

2018 Playback

Here are some new songs that I really enjoyed from 2018. This annual routine started ten years ago and it's fun reading my old lists. Musical reflections bring me back to certain people, places, and feelings from the past. I can still repeatedly listen to some songs today, yet there are others that bear too much heaviness. How powerfully evoking!

Cowboy Junkies - All That Reckoning
Nicholas Britell - Agape
Eels - The Deconstruction
Tune-Yards - ABC 123
Mitski - Nobody
Neko Case - Hell On
My Brightest Diamond - It's Me on the Dance Floor
Sylvan Esso - PARAD(w/m)E
The Decemberists 20- Once in My Life
Superorganism - The Prawn Song
David Byrne - Here
Mountain Man - Baby Where You Are
Empress of - When I'm With Him
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow

Previous: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008

Top of 2017

I am three months late but here I am. 2017 was filled with lots of throwbacks, particularly Death Cab for Cutie and The Decemberists. Here are new faves of last year.



Patrick Grant- Seven Years at Sea
St. Vincent - Los Ageless
Alex Cameron ft Angel Olsen - Stranger's Kiss
Sufjan Stevens - Mystery of Love
Sufjan Stevens - Tonya Harding (in Eb major)
Dressner, McAlister, Muhly and Stevens - Mercury
Regrettes - Seashore
Portugal the Man - Feel it Still
Dan Auerbach - King of a One Horse Town
Gabriel Kahane - Jason

Previous faves: 2016, 2015, 2014/ 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008

Celest

Rachael made a constellation playlist. I'm including her notes.

Mike Doughty - Madeline and Nine
"I can name you the constellations."
Bjork - Hunter
For Orion
Tim Buckley - Buzzin' Fly
Cancer constellation, "the beehive cluster" of stars
Nico - I'll Keep it With Mine
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)
Pleades because one was married to Sisyphus who pushed the rock up the hill
Electric Guest - Dear to Me
Being under water and having a friend help you put like story of Cygus
Sagittarius - Get the Message
The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun
Rilo Kiley - Portions for Foxes
Vulpes
George Harrison - I'd Have You Anytime
Apollo
Sunny Levine - Saturn Returns
Mulatu Astatke - Tezeta (Nostalgia)

Rupi Kaur

Belle sent this to me yesterday morning.

Melancholy Haze

My afternoon soundtrack goes something like this:

Agnes Obel - Chord Left
Agnes Obel - September Song
Karen Dalton - Reason to Believe
Aphex Twins - Avril 14th
Sibylle Baier - Forget About
Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue
Fairport Convention - Who Knows Where the Time Goes
Rodrigo Amarante - Irene
Cat Power - I Found a Reason
Devendra Banhart - Rosa
Joni Mitchell - A Case of You
Carole King - So Far Away
Todd Rundgren - It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference

Tippity Tops of 2016

Lucius - Something About You
Mitski - Your Best American Girl
Andrew Bird - Left-Handed Kisses ft. Fiona Apple
Margaret Glaspy- Love Like This
Sylvan Esso - Radio
Wye Oak - If You Should See
Pinc Louds - Last Chance at Love
Laura Gibson - Empire Builder
Lucy Dacus - Dream State
Joanna Newsom - Make Hay

Previous faves: 2015, 2014/ 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008

Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby

Mood, and on repeat. My insides feel like a dreary blur. 

Paul McCartney

His setlist from last night's concert. I am a changed woman now.

1. A Hard Day's Night
2. Save Us
3. Can't Buy Me Love
4. Letting Go
5. Temporary Secretary
6. Let Me Roll It
7. I've Got a Feeling
8. My Valentine
9. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
10. Here, There and Everywhere
11. Maybe I'm Amazed
12. We Can Work It Out
13. In Spite of All the Danger
14. You Won't See Me
15. Love Me Do
16. And I Love Her
17. Blackbird
18. Here Today
19. Queenie Eye
20. New
21. The Fool on the Hill
22. Lady Madonna
23. FourFiveSeconds
24. Eleanor Rigby
25. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
26. Something
27. Obladi Oblada
28. Band on the Run
29. Back in the U.S.S.R.
30. Let It Be
31. Live and Let Die
32. Hey Jude
33. Yesterday
34. Hi, Hi, Hi
35. Birthday
36. Golden Slumbers
37. Carry That Weight
38. The End

Playful Musicals

Just one of those gray days - been listening to cast recordings in its entirety for the past 7 hours straight.

1. The Sound of Music (1965 Soundtrack)
2. She Loves Me (1963 Original)
3. My Fair Lady (1956 Original)
4. The Music Man (1958 Original)
5. On the Town (2015 New)
6. Damn Yankees (1955 Original)
7. Cabaret (1998 New)

George Fest

Saturday morning with beautiful George Harrison in mind.

Synchronicity

Weirdest thing. I stayed up late last night listening to several versions of "Happy Days are Here Again." Of course, one of them included a clip of Barbara Streisand and Judy Garland's medley with "Get Happy."

Tonight I went to a live podcast recording of "Crybabies." Amy Sedaris was one of the guests and she shared some tearjerking cues that make her cry. One of them included this same clip. Whaaaat.

Waterloo Records

Went to Austin, TX last week and splurged on some vinyls.
First song I played was Waltz for Debby.

1. Loudon Wainwright III - Unrequited
2. Carole King - Faith
3. Joni Mitchell - Blue
4. Talking Heads - Little Creatures
5. Bill Evans - New Jazz Conceptions

Next Year's Resolutions

1. Cook more.
2. Learn swing dance.
3. Make it to 2017 for Twin Peaks comeback.

Currently listening to Sibylle Baier.

Joanna Newsom

Tonight's date at the Apollo.

Tippy Tops of 2015

1. Sufjan Stevens: Should Have Known Better
2. Rodrigo Amarante: Tuyo
3. Joanna Newsom: Leaving the City
4. The Decembrists: Philomena
5. Hamilton (OCR): Alexander Hamilton (and shoutout: Helpless)
6. Beach House: Space Song
7. Grimes: California
8. Asaf Avidan: Bang Bang
9. Christine and the Queens ft. Perfume Genius: Jonathan
10. Courtney Barnett: Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party

Previous faves: 2014/ 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008

Beach Lake, PA

Perfect autumn afternoon with Eunice.

Amber Alert

Dear Rachael,

This morning I was underground for about 3 hours. The E was stuck mid-tunnel and we waited almost 2 hours before a "rescue train" arrived. Everyone had to evacuate to the rear and head back towards Queens. They said there were 867 passengers total. We were squeezed into the other train which started having signal problems since it's going opposite direction of track. I left my house at 8:50 and arrived in the office at 12:20. Also on 3 hours of sleep.

Since there was no reception at all, my boss contacted Marilla (listed as emergency). Mar reached out to Bei who sent out an urgent email to a bunch of my friends. See email below.

-----

Hey Guys,

Jeanie did not show up to work today and she did not call in, which is very un-Jeanie like. I've tried calling her, but her phone is off and have not heard from her since last night. Have any one of you heard from her? Are anyone of you close to where she lives now and can check in on her? If can locate her, please let me know. Thank you.

------

Search party was immediately commenced and everyone sent texts/ called my phone nonstop (which went to voicemail) and asked around. My coworkers were freaking out since MTA did not list any train issues. I came above ground only to find my phone in a frenzy. Some thought I was trafficked into sex slavery. Some thought a stranger lured me into his shiny van. Some thought I was kidnapped from the bathroom (since that was last place Regina saw me in). One thought "Please, that bitch probably had a one-night stand and is passed out drunk." Jared was going to swing by apartment and check up. Of course, in the back of everyone's mind they thought I'm probably just stuck in train. Still panicked anyway. In the end, I showed up at work and my boss gave me a hug.

Today's lesson is that if I ever plan to escape, it won't be so easy.

Northeast Road Trip

Enjoyed a beautiful autumn trip in Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Manchester, Kennebunkport, and Portland, ME. These photos are only a tiny snippet of my adventures. Transitional seasons can be exhausting as your body braces itself for all fluctuations in weather. The foliage was worth it though, especially in the company of my favorite people.

Nightcap with Guillaume and Raed

Place Émilie-Gamelin, Montreal

Convos with a view

Quebec City

Ceiling of National Gallery of Canada

Ottawa

Kennebunkport, Maine

Sapokanika

After waiting 5 long years, Joanna Newsom's new album, Divers, is now only an arm's reach away.

I first heard Joanna's voice during senior year of high school in 2004. Peace, Plum, Pear was among a shuffle of new discoveries that period (mostly indie rock) but by far in its own category. Until this day, the line What was golden, now gray, and I'm suddenly shy" still hits a weak spot in the inner girl that I keep inside. Despite the sounding barriers that's kept people away from Joanna Newsom's music, I am only more in love with her storytelling with all its interwoven obscurities, ciphers, and intimacy.

My favorite songs:
1. Emily
2. In California
3. Soft as Chalk
4. Sawdust & Diamonds
5. Sprout and the Bean

Drag City recently released her newest video, Sapokanika, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Joanna sings and strolls down the streets of Greenwich Village, streets that I know and walk everyday. Besides its sweet and charming melody, the song is coated with an eerie sentiment to the ghosts of the village. The history and burial grounds is no secret. Yet how strange we go about our lives knowing that these graves tucked under our feet is part of the scenery.

Where all the 20,000 attending your footfall

And the causes they died for are lost in the idling bird calls

And the records they left are cryptic at best

Lost in obsolescence

The text will not yield, nor x-ray reveal

With any fluorescence 

This coming winter, I will be locked in my room untangling her new album.