I am very much excited for the spring to roll around for obvious reasons, but I think primary reason I’m ready for the change is because I am a seasonal music listener. I don’t bump wild shit during the winter unless it comes from Die Antwoord, Jack Parow, or Magnetic Man. I usually keep a rotation heavy with downbeat stuff like The Antlers and Bon Iver. As much as I like that stuff, it is time to go away. But before I shed my layers of musical skin for the springtime, I’d like to say thank you to a number of albums that hit every depressing, sleepy note for me to perfection:
1. Phosphorescent - Here’s To Taking It Easy and Pride
These albums both kickstarted my December. They were right there for me when it started to get too cold to justify a blazer and hoodie as appropriate. Thank you for being up in my earholes, when I was leaving Barcade and fell asleep on the G train in Park Slope.
Best Song - Los Angeles
2. Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
This was another one that stayed heavily on rotation for me. You were often the first album I played at work after I finished a Bill Simmons or Nerdist podcast because you were melodic and light at the same time. Not as heavy as Phosph.
Best Song - Smile
3. Adele - 21
This should come as no surprise that people left and right who weren’t on the Adele bandwagon before are flocking to it like flies on shit. Adele’s music is that critical mass of expertly written songs that appeal to both the “real” music fans and the “oh my god that song at the end of Grey’s last night was so goooood” music fans. This album made me want to have a girlfriend, just so we could break up and I could have something to guide me through it. Thank you Adele for making me sad about stuff that didn’t even happen.
Best Song - Someone Like You
4. Radiohead - King of Limbs
DUH. It’s Radiohead.
Best Song - Little By Little
5. James Blake - James Blake
So I guess dubstep inspired music is gonna stick around for a while huh? If that’s the case, I’m ok with it, as long as more artists like James Blake take a genre that can get old reallllly fast and make it fresh. At first it’s a hard album to get into because it always seems to zag where you would expect a zig, but it’s a great album nonetheless and I’m excited to see what this guy does in the future. I don’t even really know what to compare it to. Thanks JB for being my “i’m driving alone” music.
Best Song - Unluck
6. Gayngs - Relayted
This might have been the album I found latest in my winter music stealing, but good god this album has soul. Everytime I play it which is usually towards the middle of the workday, it makes me wanna grab my nonexistent lady and take her home for a nooner. It’s what I imagine syrup pouring all over a mound of pancakes to sound like if it was music. It’s not really sad or depressing, but it’s definitely winter night tunes. Thank you for being my future babymaking music.
Best Song - No Sweat
