Shooflypie

I can't remember the last time I had such a short span between Heavy Rotation posts. I am going to only talk about 4 albums and 1 EP, which might have something to do with it. My listening has been more scattershot and less concentrated than usual, which has a lot to do with this being my first year as a teacher. Still, I've listened to these albums quite a bit in the last 5 or so weeks and I wanted to get down some thoughts on them, especially with the big releases coming up in the next month or so. Stating the obvious here, but boy, do I love music! Middle Kids/Middle Kids EP - I first heard this band on KEXP (side note: I miss summer because I my schedule doesn't allow me to stream John in the Morning right now), specifically the song "Edge of Town." It begins it muted fashion, just some guitar and getting the melody established. It starts expanding as the song goes along, with a simple yet effective guitar solo almost 2 minutes in, then it pulls that great ...

The last Heavy Rotation was way back in September, which is too long. I've definitely had albums that would qualify in the interim, but I'll just focus on the last month or so here. Charly Bliss/Guppy - This album was getting really good reviews, so I decided to check it out. I liked the music on the first listen, but wasn't sure if I could handle the lead singer's very high, sharp voice. On the second listen, I didn't notice the voice so much. On the third listen, I fell in love with it. Power pop always gets me in the end. "Percolator" starts everything off with its nervy guitar and solid bass line. "Westermarck" is more of a shuffle and has a great guitar solo. If you need an entry point, however, "Glitter" is a perfect choice, with a chorus that will sink its hooks deep into your brain. And if that isn't enough, "Ruby" sounds like a lost track from Weezer's Blue Album and it is glorious. Actually, if you like t...

I thought I'd do a double issue today, since next Sunday is Christmas and I won't be doing a shuffle. I just went back into the archives and discovered that my last double issue was all the way back on June 30, 2103. Huh. I'm starting this before going out to shovel snow, but will pause soon. We got more in Valpo than they were predicting, so there's a lot to do. The temperature and wind chill are going to drop steadily too. I've got my sights set on watching football today, so I want to take care of my chores this morning. Hope you are safe and warm. Okay, let's get to today's twenty... 1. Guide Down Denied/Grandaddy (9) - last played on 9/19/14 2. Song 2/Blur (7) - last played on 11/27/16 3. Black Postcards/Luna (9) - last played on 3/23/15 4. Holy War/Matthew Sweet (8) - last played on 9/30/16 5. Dark Hand of Contagion/Minus 5 (7) - last played on 2/22/15 6. Watch the Corners/Dinosaur Jr. (20) - last played on 12/11/16 7. Bruce Wayne Campbell ...

I posted the first Sunday Sweet back in April, right after it was announced that Matthew Sweet would be playing this year's Popcorn Fest. I ripped my CDs to iTunes and talked about how the play counts would be much higher the next time I devoted a Sunday Shuffle to his music. Well. the Popcorn Fest is this coming Saturday and while I'm still very excited to see him perform...I haven't gorged on his music this summer. I started going through his albums last weekend and haven't gotten all the way through one time yet. So, the play counts are still low, but like I said last time, I've listened to most of these on CD a hundred times or more. I wonder what his setlist will be...and I hope to see some of you there! 1. The Ugly Truth (3) - from Altered Beast 2. Sunrise Eyes (4) - from Sunshine Lies 3. Pleasure Is Mine (7) - from Sunshine Lies 4. If Time Permits (2) - from In Reverse 5. Do It Again (3) - from Altered Beast 6. We're The Same (3) - from 100% Fun 7...

I still can't wrap my head around the news that Matthew Sweet is playing the Popcorn Festival this year. I have been a fan for almost 25 years, ever since Girlfriend came out in October 1991. That album is in my top ten, for sure, and could even be my all-time favorite. His 1995 album 100% Fun is also a favorite and I never take a road trip with the CD in the car. Heck, his music is probably what fueled my love of power pop. So, this news is pretty darn exciting. I decided to load his CDs into iTunes last night, so I could do a shuffle with his music today. I had a couple albums in already, but the play counts are going to be extremely low today. Oh well. I've listened to all these songs many many times. I'm sure that by the time the concert comes around (and I most likely do another Sunday Sweet) the play counts will be higher. If you're not familiar with his music (or forgot about him since in the mid-90s), check out the Spotify playlist that I'll link to la...

This was a small year for me as far as new music went. I only got 42 albums, which is most likely my lowest total in a decade or more. It's not that I didn't want new music but I just didn't pick up as much. Thanks to podcasts, though, I heard a lot of music and have a list a mile long of things to get. I also didn't listen to many albums as much as I normally would after getting them. It's not that I disliked them, per se. It was just an atypical music year for me. Even so, it's hard for me to not do a Top Ten list in this category, which means you get one... 1. Wilco/The Whole Love - Really, how could this not be my favorite album? I've liked the last 2 albums but I love this one. It has a stunning opener, a long engaging closer, and in between it's full of great songwriting and tons of John Stirratt's bass. 2. Sloan/The Double Cross - Speaking of bands I love, the tenth album by this still under-the-radar Canadian power-pop band is really re...

My music consumption has been a bit scattered over the past month plus but there are still some albums that I've played more than the rest... The Beatles/Please Please Me - Last year I set out to listen to and write about every Beatles album after I got the big stereo remastered box set for Christmas. I managed to write about the first two and then stopped. I recently thought about picking up that project again and started at the beginning of the catalog once again. I wrote about this album here but I'd also like to mention John's vocals on "Anna (Go To Him)" and reiterate my love for "Twist and Shout," especially the four-part "ah"s. Hard to believe it's almost 50 years old. Fleet Foxes/Helplessness Blues - I really liked the first album and not just for the gorgeous harmonies. This album feels more intimate and more expansive at the same time. The title track is the star of the show for me but I also love "Someone You'd Admire...