The Tan Vampires
A few words on year-end lists: Those who make them feel important for doing so.
More than a few words about this list: Though important, this list should by no means be interpreted as a best-of arrangement. The order, though important in terms of premium listening pleasure, suggests no hierarchy. I do, however, have a few additional words for my first selection, which is currently in my cd player in my car on repeat: Think of the Roots new album undun as a contemporary counterpart to Blind Willie McTell’s rendering of “Dying Crapshooter’s Blues” (just puttin’ that out there!). And one more thing concerning my sixth selection, “I found a Body” from The Tan Vampires: This is a band you should keep a look out for, and listen closely to the lyrics on this one (wonderfully dark humor!). I’ll let the rest of the list speak for itself. Except for the Waits cut: Is there a song out there that better captures the absurdity of a soldier coming home from war? Time to shut up and listen to these songs one more time before years’s end.
1. One Time, The Roots Feat. Phonte and Dice Raw–undun [Explicit]
2. Holy, Holy, Wye Oak–Civilian:
3. Hell Broke Luce, Tom Waits–Bad as Me:
4. Medicine, We Were Promised Jetpacks–In the Pit of the Stomach
5. Et Tu, 13 & God–Own Your Ghost
6. I Found a Body, Tan Vampires–For Physical Fitness
7. Little Black Submarines, The Black Keys–El Camino
8. Landforms, Other Lives–Tamer Animals
9. She’s a River, Firehorse–And So They Ran Faster…
10. Colomb, Nicolas Jaar–Space is Only Noise
11. Runner Ups, Kurt Vile–Smoke Rings for My Halo
12. I Might, Wilco–The Whole Love
13. June, Jolie Holland–Pint of Blood
14. Born To Be Loved [The Kitchen Tapes], Lucinda Williams–Blessed
15. Codex, Radiohead–The King of Limbs
16. Drmz, AA Bondy–Believers
17. Santa Fe, Beirut–The Rip Tide
18. SWM, Tapes ‘n Tapes–Outside
19. Slow Lights, Sin Fang–Summer Echoes
20. Rising, Son Lux–We Are Rising
21. Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win, The Beastie Boys (Feat. Santigold)–Hot Sauce Committee Part Two [Explicit]
22. Lyric, The Sea and Cake–The Moonlight Butterfly
23. Patton State Hospital, We Are Augustines–Rise Ye Sunken Ships
24. Crescent-Shaped Depression, Title Fight–Shed
25. How Come You Never Go There, Feist–Metals