No Longer Contagious

This is one of my few finished musical projects that I'm truly proud of.

Between school, work, travel, and social and family obligations, I managed to listen to some 100+ albums this year.  But somehow I couldn’t find the time to write reviews.  So here’s my top 25 albums this year:

25) Let the Good Times Roll, JD McPherson 24) Painted Shut, Hop Along 23) Sprinter, Torres 22) Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weeknd 21) Wildheart, Miguel 20) Every Open Eye, Chvrches 19) I Want to Grow Up, Colleen Green 18) Cocksure, Laura Stevenson 17) I Love You Honeybear, Father John Misty 16) Art Angels, Grimes 15) Surf, Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment 14) Rose Mountain, Screaming Females 13) Platform, Holly Herndon 12) Summertime 06, Vince Staples 11) b'lieve I'm goin down..., Kurt Vile 10) 1989, Ryan Adams 9) The Epic, Kamasi Washington 8) Abyss, Chelsea Wolfe 7) No Cities to Love, Sleater-Kinney 6) Ratchet, Shamir 5) Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Courtney Barnett 4) Currents, Tame Impala 3) Ivy Tripp, Waxahatchee 2) The Most Lamentable Tragedy, Titus Andronicus 1) To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar (duh)

“Higgs Boson Blues” - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away

“Wicked Garden” - Stone Temple Pilots, Core

I’ll admit I always thought Scott was a terrible person but god damn I loved him as a musician. 

I haven’t been on Tumblr in two months.  And it’s good to see nothing’s changed.  In those two months, Matt and Trey have done a great job with this season.  It’s getting easier to just accept that y’all are full of shit a good portion of the time.

“Chorus” - Holly Herndon, Platform

“After the Fall” - Chelsea Wolfe, Abyss

I put this on my Facebook page a week ago and totally forgot to put it on tumblr as well.  Either way, here’s another album I can’t wait for.  To paraphrase myself:

It might be a little late for this but coverage of that Free the Nipple Day was pretty awful.  Every news website I saw blurred out everything, effectively shitting all over that movement.

Speaking of shitting all over things, rooting for New York sports is tough and amazing at the same time.  Only the Giants could totally embarrass themselves while playing against one of the worst teams in the league.  But I love my pinstripes and it’s good to see the Yankees going through their whole batting order in a single inning.

Moving on, I’m really hoping that people stop liking Macklemore.  That new song is like he tried to do “Uptown Funk” but he was just way too white to be groovy.

Finally, I really wish my neighbor wasn’t married.  She is literally the only person in Hoboken that laughs at my jokes.  Oh well.

“Thunder Road” - Bruce Springsteen, Born To Run

Flying down the Parkway.  Just lost $100 in Atlantic City.  Getting a slice on the beach in Asbury Park.  The Gaslight Anthem just finished a gnarly set.  Day drinking on the 4th of July.  Staying up late for extra innings.  Giants winning the Superbowl.  Twice.

“Fired Up” - Titus Andronicus, The Most Lamentable Tragedy

...and I felt like I was in high school again.

Alice Cooper was gnarly as hell.  The theatrics were amazing, especially during The Ballad of Dwight Fry.  And he sounded great.

Motley Crue was pretty cool too.  The pyro and the strippers were a bit much though.  I kinda feel like I should get tested now.

“Carrion Flowers” - Chelsea Wolfe, Abyss

Upon first listen, I have immediately fallen in love.  It’s cold, it’s dark, it’s heavy.  Each album Chelsea Wolfe drops is better than the last.  And her voice continues to hypnotize me without fail.

DUDE

“Come On, Siobhan” - Titus Andronicus, The Most Lamentable Tragedy