This guy, Joshua Tillman, appears to havehad his big break in rock music as the drummerfor Fleet Foxes. The breakout album he playedon happens to be in my collection, the 2011Helplessness Blues. The drummer’s identity didn’t register with me at the time, nor should it have, as I wouldn’t hear a song byhis adopted monikerContinue reading “#690: F is for Father John Misty (12, 15, 17)”
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#688: F is for Fabulous Poodles
“Mirror Star,” the first song on this album,was the single and maybe the only songI’d heard from this British pre-new wavepower pop band in 1978. It’s a song about a young man who pretends to be famous, a kind of Walter Mitty of rock and roll. It’s a damncatchy tune. However enticed I may havebeenContinue reading “#688: F is for Fabulous Poodles”
#687: E is for Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
My first introduction to progressive rock was likely Yes. But I didn’t know it was prog rock because theyhad hit songs and the complexitywent over my head, or I didn’t hearit as complexity because I was not yet a musician. As a pre-teen, I started listening to Rush, but cameto them via their very firstContinue reading “#687: E is for Emerson, Lake, and Palmer”
#685: E is for Electric Light Orchestra
As a kid, I used to hang outwith my cousins Chris and Nick. In my musical autobiography, I have my cousins to thank for introducing me to two artiststhat would be pivotal in my development as a music fan and a music maker. The first time I ever heard an Elton Johnalbum all the wayContinue reading “#685: E is for Electric Light Orchestra”
#682: E is for Eilish, Billie
I see her as both adorableand as a serious artist. Adorable, in that, like Swift, but perhaps even more-so, she seems to exude goodness. And her creative collaborationwith her brother Finneas is perhaps the most adorablesibling musical endeavor ever. They clearly love each otherand are astoundingly well-matchedin their talents and tastes. Finneas is an enormouslyContinue reading “#682: E is for Eilish, Billie”
#676: D is for Dry Cleaning
I In the short storied tradition of spoken word poetswho front rock bands, stands Florence Shaw, the lead singer, or speaker, the raconteusefor post-punk English rock band Dry Cleaning. She does not sing, although she can carrya tune, as evidenced by the occasional humming or melodic lyric line. Mostly, she talks, recites, speaks her poemsContinue reading “#676: D is for Dry Cleaning”
#675: D is for The Dresden Dolls
I remember thatI came across this albumyears after its releaseat a sidewalk sale at oneof Portland’s most historicrecord stores. I had heard of them, nothing else, so I decided, maybe intriguedby the art work and by a screaming deal, to buy thisalbum. Later when I became interested briefly in Amanda Palmer’s solo stuff, it tookContinue reading “#675: D is for The Dresden Dolls”
#672: D is for Dirty Projectors
I’d forgotten how crazy and greatthis music was. Claps, subsonicbass, acapella female voices, nutty lyrics, great, rubbery, pitch-perfect, jazzy tenor lead vocals, gnarly guitar, a goofy and groovy mix of real drums and machines, odd time signatures, impossible sounding figures, warbley and wobbly synthesizers,suddenly a string section, female lead vocal here and there,abrupt stops andContinue reading “#672: D is for Dirty Projectors”
#671: D is for Devo
Are we not men? We are Devo. A rare instance during my buddingmusical identity, discovering, or hearingfor the first time, a band’s debut album.Most of my all-time favorite bandsI heard for the first time on their thirdor forth record (XTC, Boomtown Rats, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Japan). After all, I was just a kid. IContinue reading “#671: D is for Devo”
#670: D is for Destroyer
I first heard Dan Bejar’s voiceon The New Pornographers’ records, and I thought to myself, what the hellis that? A voice, not really similarto, but along the linesof a Neil Young–a totally uncharacteristic kind of voicefor rock music, but simultaneouslyperfect for it. At first, I didn’t like it, but there was some hook,some element ofContinue reading “#670: D is for Destroyer”
michael jarmer 