Today’s Top 5 Music Obsessions are all songs I listened to on my commute into work. The weather is still warm here in Los Angeles, but starting to slowly cool down. I kept the window down for the drive, enjoying breathing in the morning. I’m counting the days until its Fall. I’m ready for sweater weather, cooler temperatures, and the feel of Autumn on my skin. I know there’s still time to wait, but with school back in session, it feels like Fall should already be here. I’m looking forward to spending this Autumn with Chris, our first together. Once the air cools I’m hoping we can go walking in the evenings sometimes. Where we live now is up against some hiking and horse trails. It would be nice to get out of the house some evenings, walk hand-in-hand and talk, or not talk. I’d love to get one of those headphone cord splitters so we could listen to music together while walking like they did in the film Begin Again. I’ve been wanting to do that with someone ever since I saw it, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather do that with but him.

Top 5 Music Obsessions – Monday, August 13, 2018

Listen via Spotify and YouTube

1. “To Bring You My Love” by Polly Jean Harvey
from the album, To Bring You My Love (1995)

“Cast out of heaven.
Cast down on my knees.
I’ve lain with the devil.
Cursed god above.
Forsaken heaven.
To bring you my love.”

It took years to find the love I have in my life now. In some ways, it feels like it took a lifetime. But everything, every rough time, every failed relationship, every close call and false start, and heartbreak was worth it to be here now. To have found the love we have now.

2. “Cowboys” by Portishead
from the album, Portishead (1997)

“But don’t despair this day,
will be their damnedest day.
Ooh, if you take these things from me.”

One of my favorite Portishead songs (in my Top 10). A strong opening track (I love opening tracks) that makes me think of a post-modern/post-apocalyptic city, or what’s left of a city. Perhaps Los Angeles left in shambles, turned more into a desert than its ever been. It reminds me of the apocalyptic/speculative fiction novel I’ve been working on, off-and-on, for a few years. I think this track is on my character Remy’s playlist.

3. “About You” by The Jesus And Mary Chain
from the album, Darklands (1987)

“I can see,
that you and me,
live our lives in the pouring rain,
and the raindrops beat out of time to our refrain.
And you and me,
will win,
you’ll see.”

I believe in us. Completely. No matter how rough it is sometimes, making our way in this life, I know we will always be good. I know we will always find our way to us. Always.

4. “Save Me” by Aimee Mann
from the album, Magnolia – Music from the Motion Picture (1999)

“You look like,
the perfect fit,
for a girl in need,
of a tourniquet.
But can you save me?”

I think I realized long ago that the only one who could save me was myself. That said, I think love saves me, too, every day. And I think, in our own ways, we save each other, every day. I think it is part of the way we love each other.

And though I think we each have to save ourselves. That we have to want to be saved, or fixed, or “okay”. But, that at the end of the day, when we curl up into each other’s arms, that the love we hold and share together, saves us, too. Or maybe it’s just the stuff that makes all the challenges and work and living worth it.

We are lucky to have it. This love, and each other.

5. “Revelator” by Gillian Welch
from the album, Time (The Revelator) (2001)

“Leaving the valley,
fucking out of sight.
I’ll go back to Cali where I can sleep out every night.
And, watch the waves and move the fader –
times’ the revelator,
the revelator.”

I want to write a story to this song. I close my eyes and listen and see a story unfold. I can feel it under my skin. Music is such a muse to me.

Top 5 Music Obsessions – Week of August 13, 2018

Blow up each memory to leave me in ruin
A Monday Playlist

Listen on Spotify and YouTube

“Crystal” by New Order
“Hey Sunrise” by The Charlatans
“Sonnet” by The Verve
“Bed On Fire” by Butch Walker
“Things” by Paul Westerberg
“Look at Miss Ohio” by Band Of Heathens
“Everybody Knows” by Ryan Adams
“Songs That She Sang In the Shower” by Jason Isbell
“Slow Show” by The National
“There Goes the Fear” by Doves
“Darklands” by The Jesus And Mary Chain
“Jean Jeanie” by The Dandy Warhols
“Life Is Strange” by T-Rex
“Its the End of the World” by Julie London
“Oh Yeah!” by Roxy Music
“Cure For Pain” by Morphine
“Last Nite” by The Detroit Cobras
“List of Demands (Reparations)” by The Kills
“Gold Lion” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Digging In the Dirt” by Peter Gabriel
“Anthem For a Doomed Youth” by The Libertines
“Baby’s Coming Back To Me” by Jarvis Cocker
“Make You Better” by The Decemberists
“Hounds of Love” by Kate Bush
“Made of Stone” by Matt Corby
“The Death of You and I” By Isaac Gracie
“Come Undone” by Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell
“Wild Is the Wind” by Nina Simone
“Maybe I’m Right” by Pete Yorn
“I Miss the Zoo” by Joseph Arthur

Blow up each memory to leave me in ruin

 

“The Hardest Walk” was my first Favorite Song from The Jesus And Mary Chain. Though it is from their 1985 debut Album, Psychocandy, it was actually a Soundtrack that introduced both the Song and the Band, to me. It was in the 1987 John Hughes’ Film, Some Kind of Wonderful, and featured on the Soundtrack, that I owned and Music Obsessed over.

The Music off of the Some Kind of Wonderful Soundtrack played like they’d all been collected from the Import section of my favorite Record Stores during my teen and twenty-something years. Record bins where I’d discovered Bands and Artists that were not getting airplay on even the edgiest radio stations of the time. I loved perusing these Albums, discovering new favorites to follow and share with other Music Obsessive friends. The Some Kind of Wonderful Soundtrack was full of them, and led me to Bands, like The Jesus And Mary Chain, that I’d become a true fan of.

“The Hardest Walk” by The Jesus And Mary Chain
from the Album, Psychocandy (1985)

“I never thought that this day would ever come,
when your words,
and your touch, 
just struck me numb.”

“The Hardest Walk” would show up in another of my Top Favorite Movies, Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation, and it would also be heard in an episode of my Favorite TV Series, “Gilmore Girl”s. The Song seems to “walk” into so many “me” places, reminding me every time how much I love it.

Psychocandy was released in November of 1985 on Blanco y Negro Records. Its considered a quintessential recording due to the Albums combination of Guitar Feedback with traditional Pop Song Structures. This Album and The Jesus And Mary Chain have been noted as influential on the Shoegaze Genre. (from Wikipedia)

For me, this Song has always been about the end of a relationship just before it actually ends. Everything has dimmed but you’ve yet to officially call it quits. As they say, “breaking up is hard to do”, and that anticipation to saying “its over” is a hard walk.

It also seems to me that the “it’s over” is only felt by the Song’s protagonist. With lines like “I don’t want you to need me” always made me think that the other person is still in it, or maybe that is just the perspective of the “singer”.

What do you think?

“The Hardest Walk” (live, 2015) by The Jesus And Mary Chain

Monday is back again, and the end of the first month of 2018 is upon us. How has January been for you? How has 2018 been for you, so far? I’m liking this new year, so far, and looking forward to the next month. Music, as always, has been a big part of this new year, and I’m happy that I’ve discovered quite a few new Artists and Bands this January. Today’s Top 5 has another new one – it’s starting it all off.

Song 1 is from Big Thief. I think I heard them, and this Song (“Shark Smile”) first from my daughter, and then again on Sirius XMU (Today’s Top Indie Rock). Its Adrianne Lenke’s voice that got me first, and it still attracts me, as does the chorus hook, and the low-fi sensibilities. I need to check out more of their Music. Next up is Public Image Ltd. (PiL), with “Public Image”. I’ve been re-discovering PiL lately, along with The Sex Pistols. “Los Feliz (Blues and Greens)” is Song 3. This one was my First Listen Favorite of The Jesus And Mary Chain’s most recent Album, Damage and Joy. It’s still my favorite Track. The Jam’s “In the City” follows rather perfectly, and turns Up the energy in a way that every Monday needs. Last but not least is Courtney Barnet’s “Elevator Operator”. I actually thought of this Song as I was in the elevator this morning, and couldn’t shake it. A sure sign of a daily Music Obsession. I love her style of songwriting-storytelling.

Are you ready for this Monday’s Top 5? What Songs would you add to Today’s list?

Follow the Spotify Playlist for this week’s Top 5 here. Stream via YouTube here, or at the end of this post.

Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day – January 29, 2018

1. “Shark Smile” by Big Thief

2. “Public Image” by Public Image Ltd.

3. “Los Feliz (Blues and Greens)” by The Jesus And Mary Chain

4. “In the City” by The Jam

5. “Elevator Operator” by Courtney Barnett

What did you think of this Today’s 5 Songs?

What Songs are you obsessing over this Monday? Did you have any Weekend Songs that you are still Singing in your head (or Out Loud)? I’d love to know – please share in the comments.

Check back tomorrow to catch another set of 5 Music Obsessions. As the week unfolds you can keep up with January’s Music Obsessions by following the Spotify or YouTube Playlists. Each Day’s 5 Songs will be added to the monthly Playlist.

Stay tuned, too, for the January Music Obsession Round up – – – coming later this week.

Top 5 Music Obsessions – Week of 1/29/18

Wednesday is here again, my favorite of the week, a day that is a halfway mark, and also date night for me and my boyfriend. Though work is crazy busy, and the week feels hectic and emotional, I’m still glad its Wednesday, and look forward to a little escape from the week tonight, to be by the ocean, and with my person. In the meantime, while I work on a huge to-do list, I’m looking to Today’s Top 5 Music Obsessions to carry me through (as always). Today’s are full of nostalgia and old favorites, along with a newly discovered Cover Song. I hope you enjoy, and that these 5 Songs help you through your mid-week day, too. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Song 1 is the First Track off of Madonna’s True Blue. I’ve been obsessing over this Album this morning, reliving my teenage years, and time spent with one of my best friends who loved this Album as much as I did. “Papa Don’t Preach” is the Song I woke up with, and its what started my True Blue obsession today. I remember this Song being controversial at the time, teenage pregnancy and all. I listen to it now and think that it is very Pro-Life, and wonder if it was meant to be that way, or if it was, how I took it, a story told in Song. On another less political note, I love Madonna’s outfit in this. The boyfriend jeans, that striped shirt, her hair. I’d love to steal her look today. Next up is “Topaz” from The B-52’s, a bit of a deep cut off of their 1989 Album Cosmic Thing. This was always one of my Favorites of the Album. I had this on cassette and played it so much in my first car. It was definitely one of my Top 10 car cassettes in 1989 (ooh, that might be a fun list to do someday). Perfume Genius’ Version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” is Song 3. I’m really into this Cover today. What do you think of it? The Jesus And Mary Chain Tune, “Happy When It Rains” is up next. I wonder how this would sound like as a Mash-Up with Garbage’s “Only Happy When It Rains”? Last, but not least, is OMD’s hit from Pretty In Pink (one of my Favorite Movies), “If You Leave”. So much nostalgia, and so many memories with this Song. Oh, my stars!

Are you ready for this Wednesday’s Top 5? What Songs would you add to Today’s list?

Follow the Spotify Playlist for this week’s Top 5 here. Stream via YouTube here, or at the end of this post.

Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day – January 24, 2018

1. “Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna

2. “Topaz” by The B-52’s

3. “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Perfume Genius

4. “Happy When It Rains” by The Jesus And Mary Chain

5. “If You Leave” by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD)

Check back tomorrow to catch another set of 5 Music Obsessions. As the week unfolds you can keep up with January’s Music Obsessions by following the Spotify or YouTube Playlists. Each Day’s 5 Songs will be added to the monthly Playlist.

Top 5 Music Obsessions – Week of 1/23/18

Morning After Resolutions (We Start All Over Again)

Available on Spotify and YouTube (see YouTube Playlist below)

“Hey Sunshine” by The Charlatans
“For What It’s Worth” by Liam Gallagher
“The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” by Declan McKenna
“505” by Arctic Monkeys
“Last Words” by The Real Tuesday Weld
“Your Balloon is Rising” by Stone Foundation, featuring Paul Weller
“Take It Out On Me” by White Lies
“At Most a Kiss” by Blossoms
“This Year” by The Mountain Goats
“T-Shirt Weather” by Circa Waves
“Black and Blues” by The Jesus And Mary Chain, featuring Sky Ferreira
“Lola + Joseph” by July Talk
“How To Say Goodbye” by Paul Tiernan
“Places We Won’t Walk” by Bruno Major
“4 Seasons” by Rex Orange County
“B.H.S.” by Sleaford Mods
“All the Wine” by The National
“Wreckless Heart” by Glen Hansard
“The Cranes are Back” by Paul Weller
“The Right Stuff” by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
“Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye” by The Lemonheads, featuring Liv Tyler
“10,000 Emerald Pools” by Børns
“Tea-Soaked Letter” by Anna Burch
“Trying” by Bully
“Planet Hunter” by Wolf Alice
“Turn of the Century” by Pete Yorn
“A Smiling Face” Yellow Days
“New Girl (Tom’s Song)” by The Walters
“No Peace” by Syd Arthur
“(Just Like) Starting Over” by John Lennon

Morning After Resolutions (We Start All Over Again)

Goodbye, 2017. Hello, 2018. We welcome the New Year with all its Resolutions and Things to Come. But, before we turn completely away from the year that’s now passed, let’s have a listen to some of the stellar Albums of 2017.

This list of 30 Albums spans the genres of Post-Modern Rock, Indie Pop, Electro Pop, Dark Wave, Indie Rock, Ambient Pop, Neo-Folk, and Alt-Country. It starts with my most played Artist of 2017, Paul Weller, then on to Laura Marling, who had one of my favorite Songs of the year, and then it’s my most played Album since its release, Liam Gallagher’s As You Were. There’s 27 more to go, and after reading a 3-sentence mini-review of each album you can listen to a Top 30 Albums of 2017 Playlist below, either on Spotify, or YouTube.

Lyriquediscorde’s Top 30 Albums of 2017

1. A Kind Revolution by Paul Weller

2017 was the year I saw Paul Weller live for the first time, it was the year of Weller Wednesday, and of finding the love of my life who re-introduced me to the Mod Father’s Music. Complex and Ever-Changing, much like the man himself, A Kind Revolution offers harmonic hope in a time full of political and social dissent and disagreement. “The Cranes Are Back” (my favorite track on the album) gifts us a promise of recovery and rebuilding, “Woo Sé Mama” makes us want to dance, and his new baby daughter’s namesake, “Nova”, showcases Weller’s ability to cross genres and surprise his listener.

Favorite Tracks: “The Cranes Are Back”, “Nova”, and “Satellite Kid”

2. Semper Femina by Laura Marling 

I’ve always been a fan of Laura Marling, and not just because we share a first name. This Album, by far, is Marling at her best, taking her storytelling skills a step further in the development of a Concept Album centered around Women and their friendships with each other. This was a year of change for me as I reevaluated my some of my closest female friendships, also it was one of loss as I let go of toxic friendships for good – I really needed this Album this year.

Favorite Tracks: “Nothing, Not Nearly”, “Wild Fire”, and “Next Time”

3. As You Were by Liam Gallagher

I never imagined a Gallagher would be in my Top 5 of anything, especially not Liam, but then 2017 happened and his Album As You Were came out, and every time I listened to it I loved it more. Also, a surprise to me is that I prefer As You Were to Noel’s new High Flying Birds release (it didn’t even make this list). Age has changed Liam, or maybe age has changed my perspective, either way, I can’t seem to get enough of this one, the tracks range from melodic to rock with a Britpop sheen, and lyrically (despite some criticism I’ve read) the songs are feel honest and humble (surprisingly), and “read” like a life-so-far biography; I do so wish I’d gotten to see him play live at The Wiltern this year.

Favorite Tracks: “Paper Crown”, “For What It’s Worth”, and “Greedy Soul”

4. Masseducation
by St. Vincent

I was slow to the table where St. Vincent was concerned, even though so many of my fellow Music Obsessives raved about Annie Clark/St. Vincent, and then Masseducation came out. More electro-clash/indie pop than her off-beat guitar heavy predecessors, this Album convinced me of Annie’s genius and explained why she is often referred to as the “Female Bowie”. The storytelling is out of this world, unfolding as if the skin has been peeled back to show raw true feelings, both joyful and full of pain.

Favorite Tracks: “New York”, “Hang On Me”, and “Los Ageless”

5. Self-Titled by Cigarettes After Sex 

Ever since a Fellow Blogger and Friend introduced me to Greg Gonzalez’ Brooklyn Sonic-deliciousness, Cigarettes After Sex, I’ve been longing for more. This Album was deliriously anticipated and did not disappoint one bit. Greg had me at Track One (“k”), and never let go, inhaling and exhaling Ambient Indie Pop that is highly addictive, seductive, and impossible to quit.

Favorite Tracks: “K.”, “Truly”, and “Apocalypse”

6. Self-Titled by Slowdive

Shoegaze meets Dream Pop meets Ambient Pop, with a little bit of Dark Wave thrown in, is what this unexpected new Album (first release in 22 years) from Slowdive is made of. The Songs’ gorgeous distortion and ethereal sounds transcends the “reunion curse” that plagues many beloved bands who come back together and subsequently release Music that disappoints – but not this time Honestly, Slowdive sounds better on this Album than on any of their past creations, and with each new listen, this Album affixes itself more to my Music-Obsessing heart.

Favorite: “Star Roving”, “Don’t Know Why”, and “No Longer Making Time”

7. No Shape by Perfume Genius

Mike Hadreas’ magical creation of Perfume Genius feels like a Sonic merge of 70’s Disco, Early New Wave, and Alternative Pop – think Blondie meets Shirley Manson meets St. Vincent, with Andy Bell sewing them all up and producing them into one sound. I have been a fan of Hadreas since I first heard his Song “Queen” on the First Season of the TV Series Mr. Robot, and have not stopped listening to Perfume Genius since. This New Album is everything I wanted and more, bringing together so many of the Musical genres I love, all finely tuned into story-told Songs that sound magical and mystical, and, at times, a little alien.

Favorite Tracks: “Slip Away”, “Just Like Love”, and “Die 4 You”

8. Silver Eye by Goldfrapp

I was slightly disappointed with this album when I first listened and reviewed it, but after months of picking it up, spinning it, and selecting Songs from it for Playlists, my initial qualms have dissipated and disappeared. Butch Vig/Garbage/Shirley Manson still come heavily to my mind when I listen, especially to the song “Ocean”, and “Become the One” and “Anymore” take me into a synthetic state of bliss which makes me want to dance. This is one of those Albums that just gets better with each listen.

Favorite Tracks: “Ocean”, “Everything Is Never Enough”, and “Become the One”

9. Pussycat by Juliana Hatfield

Juliana is one of my all-time favorite songwriters, an Artist I discovered back in the late 80’s/early 90’s when she was part of Blake Babies, and have loved ever since. At times the Songs on Pussycat are confessional and slightly self-deprecating, a songwriting style she’s carried with her, but at other times there is an anger and outrage to the world around, and people in power, especially predatory men. Even in her angriest moments though she still keeps her signature sound of a jangly guitar and vulnerable vocals intact, making every moment – even the angry ones – play out sincere, melodic, and beautiful.

Favorite Tracks: “I Wanna Be Your Disease”, “You’re Breaking My Heart”, and “Good Enough for Me”

10. Losing by Bully

The 90’s feel like they returned with Losing, and Bully (Alicia Bognanno) reminds me of a cross between Sonic Youth, Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr., and Riot Grrl bands. That said, lyrically the Album is 100% now. Bognanno’s Chicago roots, and relocated Nashville now, add a quality to the Songs overall that is unique, adding Pop melody sensibilities to a Punk-meets-Grunge attitude.

Favorite Tracks: “Kills To Be Resistant”, “Blame”, and “You Could Be Wrong”

11. Sleep Well Beast by The National

in 2016, The National ruled my world, their Songs reflecting so many of the inner conflicts, confusion, and roller-coaster whip of emotion I was experiencing. In 2017, with Sleep Well Beast, I held some distance, partially because of the way my life had changed, and partially because I wasn’t bleeding feelings anymore. But, as one of the Tracks on this Album Sings, “I’ll Still Destroy You”, and The National still does, in the very best of ways.

Favorite Tracks: “Born to Beg”, “I’ll Still Destroy You”, and “Nobody Else Will Be There”

12. Visions Of a Life by Wolf Alice

Sophomore Albums are hard, disappointment is almost always the pitfall that a Band falls into, especially if, like Wolf Alice, their debut is a hit. I feel like Ellie Rowsell and Wolf Alice know it and played with it a bit, especially with Loud and Angry “Yuk Foo” (with the repeated lyrics “I don’t give a shit”) – I almost wish they had opened with this Track. Other Songs, such as “Beautifully Unconventional”, harken a Brit Pop meets Indie Rock sound, think Jack White circa White Stripes getting it on with Ian Brown of the Stone Roses. Visions of a Life feels like Dream Pop meets Grunge (back to that 90’s influence again), with an underlying bite, lyrically, and in Rowsell’s vocals – compelling stuff.

Favorite Tracks: “Planet Hunter”, “Heavenward”, and “Yuk Foo”

13. The Other Side Of You by Aimee Lay

Aimee Lay’s Album, The Other Side Of You is the last Album that I got Music-Obsessed with, in 2017, last, but not at all least, as I fell hard and fast for it at first listen. Reminiscent of Hope Sandoval and Mazzy Star, also Isabel Monteiro, and her Band Drugstore. Dream-Pop meets Indie-Pop meets Shoegaze-distortion doused with sprinkles of Garage on top of it all. Aimee’s voice is stunning, mysterious, and cinematic, turn up songs like “Heavy Clue After Clue” and can’t you see scenes from a film in your head (think desert, late at night, indie thriller).

Favorite Tracks: “Cosmic Exchange”, “Heavy Clue After Clue”, and “Psychedelic Morning”

14. don’t smile at me by Billie Eilish

The last time a legitimate teenager wrote and sang about the teenage experience in a raw and realistic kind of way was Lorde and her Debut Album. Billie Eilish, along with 19-year-old brother Finneas O’Connell, wrote and produced don’t smile at me, which is the Music equivalent to the 90’s short-lived TV Series, My So-Called Life, in regards to real, sometimes painfully so, look at teenagers and teenage life. The Tracks on this EP cross-genres between R&B, Jazz, Big Band/40’s (See “my boy”), and Indie Pop, all weaved together with an electronic buzz and whir. At times the Songs are dark lyrically, especially “bellyache”, at other times they are empowering and strong; all are sung with Billie’s gorgeous voice, full of range, warmth, and unique tone.

Favorite Tracks: “bellyache”, “COPYCAT”, and “idontwannabeyouanymore”

15. Mental Illness by Aimee Mann

Mental Illness is the kind of Aimee Mann Album that I love, a stitched together set of Sung short stories that unfold like an anthology of cinematic tales, similar to her earlier Albums, Lost in Space and The Forgotten Arm. This collection is set in Los Angeles, set in the city of so many cracked souls and broken lives who mostly keep their eyes pointed up to the sky, still believing there’s something more. After my first listen, once I got to the last Song, I wanted more of the story.

Favorite Tracks: “You Never Loved Me”, “Lies of Summer”, and “Patient Zero”

16. Out In the Storm by Waxahatchee

Katie Crutchfield’s (Waxahatchee) fourth Album is my favorite Album. A manic-panic urgency in this “break-up” Album that gets better and better with each and every listen. The introspection and “extraspection” (think emotional meet-ups between your introverted self and your extraverted self – or maybe that’s just me), this Album will have you singing-a-long loudly while you sort your issues out.

Favorite Tracks: “Sparks Fly”, “A Little More”, and “Never Been Wrong”

17. Everything Now by Arcade Fire

Oh my stars, this Album is a grower, one of those sets of Songs that at first fall slightly unnoticed, lingering, and singing, just out of reach. But, then I kept playing it and playing it more, and then it hit me like a semi-truck on an all-night drive through the desert, with a driver that is falling asleep – in a good way. The Album has not been well-received, it seems, but perhaps they just haven’t listened enough; after 5 listens Everything Now stole my heart (and ears).

Favorite Songs: “Creature Comfort”, “Everything Now”, and “Electric Blue”

18. Humanz by Gorillaz – Deluxe

This was one of a few “grower” Albums on my list of 30 Albums. It took about a half a dozen listens before Humanz started to sink in and stick with me, though there were a few first-listen-favorites that had me enthralled (see “Charger, with the fabulous Grace Jones, and “Andromeda”). I keep coming back to this Album feeling like a giant Mix Tape of Sound and Style that lift and fall in a way that just works, also, Humanz is best played loud.

Favorite Songs: “Charger” (featuring Grace Jones), “Andromeda” (featuring D.R.A.M.), and “Strobelite” (featuring Peven Everett)

19. English Tapes by Sleaford Mods

In April my boyfriend and I went to see Sleaford Mods at the Echoplex, and we were both blown away. The Album quickly became a favorite, and one I played often in the car, especially when in the throes of Los Angeles traffic. Jason Williamson’s vocal stylings, which are like a brilliant mash-up of spoken word, slam poetry, and rap, blow me away, both on this Album, and live (if you get the chance, go see them live).

Favorite Songs: “B.H.S”., “Moptop”, and “Carlton Touts

20. Savage (Songs from a Broken World) by Gary Numan

I had no idea what to expect from a new Gary Numan Album, especially since I’d not listened to his Music since his late 70’s brilliant New Wave Release, The Pleasure Principle (I have a lot of Albums to catch up on). Savage is a Post-Modern New Wave-Industrial thing of Sonic Beauty, full of passion, emotion, evocative storytelling, darkwave sensibilities, and an underlying beat you can dance to. This is the unexpected, underrated, surprise of the year, and this list.

Favorite Songs: “Bed of Thorns”, “The End of Things”, and “Broken”

21. Damage and Joy by The Jesus And Mary Chain

Damage and Joy was one of my most anticipated New Albums of the year, and despite some trepidation (high anticipation can lead to disappointment and regret), the Album turned out to be everything I was hoping for, starting strong with a Song that reminds me of a mix of The Dandy Warhol’s’ hit “Bohemian Like You” and Love And Rockets’ “So Alive”. Brothers Jim and William Reid were quoted as saying they “buried the hatchet” this past year, and the brilliance of this Album is proof of that. There are so many favorite Tracks on here – see “All Things Pass” and especially the electronically-fused”Simian Split” without losing their quintessential sonic sound (see the Darklands’ sounding “War On Peace”). Track 7, “Los Feliz (Blues and Greens)” is by far my favorite, the nod to Los Angeles, the layers of sound, and the lyrical story told within.

Favorite Songs: “Los Feliz (Blues and Greens)”, “Song for a Secret, “Amputation”, and “All Things Pass”

22. Melodrama by Lorde

It felt like years between Albums for Lorde, and I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Melodrama, drinking in the Pre-Album Singles as they came out, anticipating more and more. Lorde beat that so-called “Sophomore Slump”, with an Album of Songs that showed how she has grown as an Artist, and as an individual. I love the more “grown-up” Lyrics, the reminders of Kate Bush, Florence Welch, and at times, Madonna and Robyn – Melodramatic Dance Music with an Edge, that’s what this Album has felt like to me from the very first listen.

Favorite Songs: “Sober”, “Green Light”, and “Writer in the Dark”

23. Prisoner by Ryan Adams

The first Ryan Adams Album that I did not immediately fall head-over-heels for, Prisoner is still one of my favorites of the year, and a definite “grower” to me. The Songs feel denser than previous Ryan songs, sonically complex, but with a lyrical distance that I’m not used to with his music. That said, with time and with some leaning in, and repeat listens, the Songs and the Storytelling made their way in. “To Be Without You” is the most immediately accessible of the bunch, but the others are a bit more hard to get, though I do believe they are worth the time, the re-listens, and the “throw the album on, get in the car, and drive” effort taken to get this album under my skin.

Favorite Songs: “Do You Still Love Me?”, “To Be Without You”, and “Shiver and Shake”

24. 6 Feet Beneath the Moon by King Krule

I feel like King Krule is an Artist I kept hearing about, so much so that I swore I’d heard the Rap/Jazz Fusion/Punk Archy Ivan Marshall before. But, I hadn’t, not until the end of the year when the Song “Easy Easy” got played repeatedly in my car (part of a Playlist my teenage daughter made and played more-than-often). I dove in deeper and started to play 6 Feet Beneath the Moon in its entirety, more-than-often, in my car. wowed by the dynamics and style-shifts of this young (age 23) Artist/Producer.

Favorite Songs: “Easy Easy”, “Baby Blue”, and “A Lizard State”

25. Apricot Princess by Rex Orange County

Another Artist that my daughter introduced to me, in the car, as part of one of her Playlists, Alex O’Connor (a.k.a. Rex Orange County) is a Poetic Songwriter who weaves stories that make you feel like you are right there, in his day-to-day, living life, merging R&B and Contemporary Jazz with Indie Electronica. Alex is from Haslemere, a suburb in the southern county of Surrey, and went to the BRIT School at sixteen, where he began writing music. Calling himself Rex Orange County threw me off, at first, as “Orange County” is where I grew up – also a suburb, but even though he’s from nowhere near there, I feel like I’ve been where he did start from, because Lyrically these Songs are like seeing the world through his eyes.

Favorite Songs: “4 Seasons”, “Happiness”, and “Never Enough”

26. Kill For Love by Chromatics

The more I listen the more I love Kill For Love, and the more I feel lost in it, the kind of swirling in sound kind of lost, the kind of lost that stories are created in, and mysteries become clear in. Some of the Tracks on here send chills throughout my body, and tears to my eyes (see: “Into the Black), and others make me want to wander into the Double R Diner in “Twin Peaks”, or take a road trip with Sailor and Lula in Wild At Heart (I was so glad when Lynch used the Chromatics in his new installment of “Twin Peaks”). Darkwave meets Shoegaze at its best here – doesn’t it make you want to swing and sway?

Favorite Songs: “Into the Black”, “Kill For Love” and “These Streets Will Never Look the Same”

27. A Deeper Understanding by The War On Drugs

I keep waiting to open my eyes and find myself in the midst of a movie when I listen to “Strangest Things”, closing my eyes and letting this cinematic collection of Songs take me in. There is something so perfect here, every sound in its right place, and lyric a page-turning, every note played with intent – and yet, the “perfection” does not take away the raw and real feeling of Adam Granduciel’s (a.k.a.) The War On Drugs fourth release emanates. If you listen close the song-told-stories that unravel are mostly about loss and longing, but there is such warmth and honesty in the Music I just feel wrapped up in it – blissfully.

Favorite Songs: “Strangest Thing”, “In Chains”, and “You Don’t Have to Go”

28. Self-Titled by Harry Styles

No, I was never a fan of One Direction, but that did not matter when it came to giving Harry Styles (former member of One Direction) solo work a spin, with an open mind, and open ears. First and foremost, I was taken back by songwriting and storytelling, especially on songs like “Sign of the Times” and “Ever Since New York”, and the Seventies Folk-Pop style (think solo Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Harry Nilsson) that is underlying in many of the Album’s Tracks. Though I prefer the more “ballady” of Tracks, there are some high energy, dance-with-an-edge Songs, too, that will probably make their way onto my 2018 workout Playlist.

Favorite Songs: “Ever Since New York”, “Sign of the Times”, and “From the Dining Table”

29. Dropped Again by Brick + Mortar

Another Band/Album discovered via my daughter, who saw Brick + Mortar as an opening band at a show in San Diego. Brick + Mortar have been spreading more than Music, they also believe in spreading messages of empathy, positivity, and self-motivation (they popped balloons of “good feelings” at the show my daughter discovered them at;  she came home with “find a lizard” from the good feelings balloons). Dropped Again is a collection of mostly previously recorded Songs, released now after Brick + Mortar acquired ownership of the songs Masters, with two new Songs added to the mix.

Favorites Songs: “A Hollow Tune”, “Move to the Ocean”, and “Staying Gold”

30. Sugar at the Gate by TOPS

TOPS and their album Sugar at the Gate are categorized as “Indie Electronic”, though I think this Album transcends the label, adding in Dream Pop, Indie Jazz, Indie Pop, and straight-forward Pop into the mix weaved together by their Electronic style. This Album is so catchy, sometimes reminiscent of 60’s Girl Groups, sometimes channeling 90’s Alternative Music such as Sonic Youth and The Breeders, and then at other times still it is Indie Pop babies such as Beach House, Camera Obscura, Best Coast, and Ariel Pink. To me, this was the Album that most felt like Summer this year.

Favorite Songs: “Marigold & Gray”, “Petals”, and “Dayglow Bimbo”

Take a Listen to 30 Songs from Lyriquediscorde’s Top 30 Albums of 2017

Listen on YouTube (above) or Spotify

Listen on Spotify and YouTube

Back to the start Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day for another Monday. We all may be moving a bit slower today. The wake-up call alarms clanging before we were ready to open our eyes and start another week. Besides coffee, music is always my go-to pick-me-up get-me-through-a-Monday cure. Hopefully, this mix of Top 5 songs will help cure you of any “Case of the Mondays” you may have contracted. Mondays really can be a fresh start day, a do something different day, a first-step-to-something you want kind of day. Maybe Monday can get a new reputation if the music is turned up loud enough. What do you think?

Song 1 is a new discovery band and song for me, courtesy of Spotify’s Discovery playlist. This Is The Kit’s song “Moonshine Freeze” got me today, and I can’t stop listening to it. Leave it to Rough Trade Records to have another band I dig. “Fix You Up” by Tegan and Sara is next. It has been awhile since I listened to T and S. Too long, I think. My binge watch of “Grey’s Anatomy” has me remembering how much I enjoy their harmonies and song-sounds. The Kooks alternate version to “Naive” is up next, which lends itself perfectly to the first song I heard this morning – The Jam’s “Tonight at Noon”. Every day is a good day for Paul Weller’s voice, it doesn’t have to be Weller Wednesday. Rounding up today’s Top 5 is “Far Gone and Out” from The Jesus And Mary Chain. This one is the song of the 5 that I can’t stop hitting repeat on. Those opening drums are everything!

So, are you ready to Press Play? Click the Spotify and YouTube links above to hear today’s Top 5, as well as the rest of the week, as it unfolds. Don’t miss a single day!

Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day – 9/11/17

1. “Moonshine Freeze” by This Is The Kit

“As the change sets in,
we are separate.
As the game begins,
we are separate.”

2. “Fix You Up” by Tegan And Sara

“What do I,
what do I,
what do I need to do to get myself in a better mood?
What do you do,
what do you do,
what do you need to do to get yourself in a better mood?”

3. “Naive”(Alternate Version) by The Kooks

“I’m not saying it’s your fault,
although you could have done more.”

4. “Tonight at Noon” by The Jam

“When we meet in the midnight hour,
I will bring you night flowers.”

5. “Far Gone and Out” by The Jesus And Mary Chain

“And I’m television sick,
and I’m television crazy.”

Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day for Monday

I hope you enjoy Today’s Top 5 Music Obsessions featuring This Is The Kit, Tegan And Sara, The Kooks, The Jam, and The Jesus And Mary Chain.

Be sure to Tune in tomorrow for the next round of Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day.

TOP 5 MUSIC OBSESSIONS OF THE DAY :: 5/30/17

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
LISTEN ON YOUTUBE

Today’s Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day is filled with a plethora of Amazing Songs to get you through a Tuesday that feels like a Monday. This Mix is a blending of Old and New. Some Songs are New Sonic Discoveries, others are Favorites that you won’t be able to resist Singing-A-Long to. So, don’t hesitate…Press Play and Turn that Volume Up…and Enjoy.

Song 1 is my Favorite Track off of the New Album from The Jesus And Mary Chain (pictured below), “Los Feliz (Blues and Greens)” (I’m ever a sucker for Songs set in Los Angeles). Next up is the Quintessential Portishead Song, “Sour Times”, which leads so perfectly into # 3, The Rolling Stones’ Song, “Gimme Shelter”. Curtis Mayfield’s Amazing Voice brings us Song 4, with the Stellar Track “Make Me Believe in You”, which leads us to the close of Today’s Top 5 Music Obsessions, brought to us by The Who.

Here’s hoping you enjoy this Week’s Edition of Tuesday’s Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day. Go on and Turn Up the Volume and Sing-A-Long to these 5 Great Songs – you know you Want to. Oh, and don’t worry, if you miss a day of Music Obsessions you can always catch-up through the links above. Each day’s Songs are Added to the Spotify and YouTube Playlists for the Week, for your Listening, and Music Obsessing Pleasure.

TOP 5 MUSIC OBSESSIONS OF THE DAY:

1. “Los Feliz (Blues and Greens)” :: The Jesus And Mary Chain

“Girl,
you taste like coffee,
and you feel like rain.”

I Love that Lyric above. Tasting like coffee and feeling like rain sounds like a Dream to me.

2. “Sour Times” :: Portishead

“Who am I,
what and why?
‘Cause all I have left is my memories,
of yesterday.”

“Sour Times” and Portishead, especially the Dummy Album, remind me so much of a particular time and place in the late 90’s. It isn’t so much people, but place and surroundings, weather and time of day, that this Song brings back to me.

3. “Gimme Shelter” :: The Rolling Stones

“War,
children,
it’s just a shot away.
It’s just a shot away.”

I think this may have been the first Stones Song I ever heard, and for a long time it was my Favorite Stones. It still definitely remains in the Top 10.

4. “Make Me Believe In You” :: Curtis Mayfield

“I ain’t for no heart wrappin’,
so you can stop with your eyelids slappin’.
It’s gonna be a real cryin’ shame,
if I find that you’re playin’ in a game.”

I had a dream with this Song in it, last night. I don’t remember the dream that clearly, but I do remember this Song in it.

5. “Behind Blue Eyes” :: The Who

“But my dreams,
they aren’t as empty,
as my conscience seems to be.”

My current Favorite Who Song, though it changes all the time. I can’t get enough of this one recently. This Album, too. Probably due to the current 8-Track Obsession that my Boyfriend and I have been on.

There it is – Tuesday’s Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day. Hope you all Pressed Play and Turned that Volume Way Up, and Enjoyed Today’s 5 Songs.

Did you have a Favorite Track?

What Song, or Songs, are you Musically Obsessed with Today?

BE SURE TO TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR WEDNESDAY’S EDITION OF TOP 5 MUSIC OBSESSIONS OF THE DAY. YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS IT…

My Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day :: 3/29/17
LISTEN HERE AT SPOTIFY

Wednesday’s Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day is here again. Wednesday, a favorite day of mine. So, let’s crank up the Music and see what is in store for our ears in this Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day. We start with a new song discovery of mine, Pixx’s “I Bow Down”. then its on to an old favorite, Cocteau Twins’ “Bluebeard”. A solo Peter Murphy tune leads into a classic one from The Jesus And Mary Chain. Siouxsie Sioux (pictured above) and her Banshees wrap it all up with “Hong Kong Garden”, a song that will surely make us all want to dance.

You can click to listen to each video below, or choose the Spotify link to listen to the My Top 5 Song Obsessions of the Day :: Top Five playlist. I add each five songs shared to the playlist each day, so the playlist evolves as the week does.

My Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day:

1. “I Bow Down” :: Pixx

“To put a name on it,
would be to nail the age of,
anxiety.
To put a mask on it,
would be to hide the face of,
your empathy.
To put a wheel on it,
would be to steer the one with,
integrity
To put a spin on it,
would be to change the way that,
life must rotate.”

At first listen I was immediately reminded of some of the underground Hollywood clubs I used to frequent in the very late 80’s/early 90’s. There is a little bit of Electronica here, a little bit of Goth, a little bit of Electro-Clash, and a little bit of 80’s New Wave. I am digging this song so much – haven’t stopped spinning it since I discovered it yesterday (thank you, YouTube Recommends).

2. “Bluebeard” :: Cocteau Twins

“Healthy dependence,
and healthy independence,
and healthy assurances –
this love’s a nameless dream.”

I love the feeling of this song, the lightness and brightness to it, the melodic guitar and synths. The lyrics, too, seem much more healthy than the title of “Bluebeard” would suggest (see the “fairy tale” of Bluebeard, who was anything but “healthy” in his relationships).

3. “All Night Long” :: Peter Murphy

“Oh your see-saw smile,
lasts me all night long,
like a siren’s curl,
when the night is long.”

This song is so lyrically rich, poetic, sensual, beautiful. This is the song I woke to in my head, and immediately had to play when I got in the car this morning.

4. “Almost Gold” :: The Jesus And Mary Chain

“You take me here from far,
up to the highest star.
You took a part of me,
no one else will ever see.”

With the recent new album from The Jesus And Mary Chain I have had an appetite for more of their music. Going backwards through their catalog, exploring their albums, their songs, has been a fun Music-adventure. This song is one I came upon today, taken from 1992’s Honey’s Dead album.

5. “Hong Kong Garden” :: Siouxsie And The Banshees

“Would you like number 23?”

I dare you not to dance to this song. I dare you. I DARE YOU.

Also, there’s my favorite number — “23”.

So, that’s Wednesday’s Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day. I hope you sang. I hope you danced. I hope you enjoyed. Check back tomorrow for another set of 5 Music Obsessions of the Day as we dip into Thursday (or as some people call it…”Friday Eve”)