There is a good chance you found us accidentally by using the word “taint” in your search (If you found us on purpose, you deserve our accolades). Of course, we don’t know what you were looking for, but you stumbled on a damn cool project. Look around; let us help send you on a musical journey. Here you will find a number of album reviews from the strange and extreme to the tame and mainstream. Our reviewers are a bunch of obsessive miscreants. Most of us are avid music collectors and have been involved in the music world for decades. A couple of us have been in or are still in bands.
There are no rules on Tickle Your Taint Blog. Our reviewers might make you laugh, or piss you off; both results are legitimate. One reviewer might write a glowing review of an album; another might tear it apart. We may have a new review every week, or we could end up with one every six months. This blog exists as a social experiment to build community among a diverse group of music maniacs – our reviewers and hopefully you.
The first solo album by the Crowbar mastermind sounds kind of like a Crowbar album, but moodier and mellower. I would have been up for KW moving in an entirely unexpected direction, but this is a nice complement to the Crowbar style. His cover of “Aqualung” is an added bonus.
Dool, Summerland.
Thank you to SoDak for this recommendation. I don’t usually go looking for new music like this (dark hard rock?), but this album is truly excellent. Plus, there’s a certain vibe here that reminds me of the most recent, and sadly, final, Rush albums.
The Harry Smith B-Sides.
Someone had the simple but fucking brilliant idea to put together a collection of all the B-sides to the songs from the influential Anthology of American Folk Music, compiled by Harry Smith in 1952. The packaging and extensive liner notes are a reminder, if you needed one, of the glories of physical media.
Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers, At the Ryman.
I picked this up after watching Ken Burns’s newest documentary series, Country Music. People who are better informed and more opinionated than me will probably find 1,001 things to critique in that series, but I thought it was, on the whole, pretty enjoyable and absorbing. It also reminded me that I needed to get this album, one that helped bring attention to the Ryman Auditorium when it was in a bad state of neglect, long after the Grand Old Opry had moved out. It’s a solid Emmylou live recording with a great set list.
Ozzy Osbourne, Ordinary Man.
I listened to the opening track, “Straight to Hell,” on the radio, and when I heard Ozzy sing this line, “I’ll make you scream, I’ll make you defecate,” I knew I would be buying this album. And it turned out to be a more than pretty good Ozzy album. In 2020, I’ll take it!
Well my musical kittens…it’s been quite a year. I hope this finds you and yours safe and healthy. My uterine-deep-felt thoughts are with you. Especially with those of you who have suffered loss in these most difficult times. The constant for many of us is art; and nothing quite lifts my sagging vagina like music. I must admit, 2020 was weird for me too. I felt uncreative and experienced more than one bout of malaise. I listened a lot. Most times, I couldn’t hear the music above the cries for justice, equality, reason, and basic decencies. These are heavy flow times, and it’s been hard to focus on much else. Just the cramping of our country. But remember my dear friends, with the flow comes the contractions of periodic cleansing. The festering and the unwelcome are removed from the collective. With that release comes a chance for a new breath, a new lining, a new world. Music is our heartbeat, our life, our voice. So, with that, I wish you all the best in the coming new year.
Now, let’s take a look at the tunes that helped guide us through the birth canal of 2020.
Forever yours, Anita
Rating System:
5 smears = the best, most perfect offering a band/artist can do—it’s downright malignant.
4 smears = almost perfect, pretty sure it’s malignant.
3 smears = middle of the road—not bad, not awesome—it’s a biopsy moment.
2 smears = you best change your diet and exercise right quick.
1 smear = benign—no good.
The songs/albums listed below have all earned the coveted 5 smear rating.
Best songs of 2020, in no particular order:
Arab Strap, “Comparison Part 1,” from As Days Get Dark.
Full CD out 2021. This is a perfect song for a road trip.
Thee Oh Sees, “If I Had My Way,” from Protean Threat.
If I had cool badges to give out, this band would get one. Their musical library is filled with great tunes. This song was a standout in 2020:
I’m a little bit dry
I’m a little bit wet
I’m a little bit concerned with that compost on your breath
I’m a little bit high
I’m a little bit low
I’m all filled with nonsense since you talk so goddamn slow
Tricky, “Fall Please,” from Fall to Pieces.
Marta sings quite a bit on this CD and I have always felt that Tricky is at his best with her. I was drawn to this song in particular, as the lyrics take on deeper meaning as the video story is told.
Idles, “Grounds,” from Ultra Mono.
The Bristol, England, band hits a home run on their third release. Great tunes for people who give a fuck.
Holy Fuck, “Deleter,” from Deleter.
It’s a dancey gem that features Angus Andrew from the band, Liars. Really decent CD too.
Yves Tumor, “Gospel for a New Century,” from Heaven to a Tortured Mind.
Sean Bowie has been on my radar for a while now. Born in Tennessee, now living in Turin, Italy, “Gospel for a New Century” is a fantastically catchy tune. Sean states Throbbing Gristle as a major influence. I also hear Prince, Anthony Kiedis, and more in his music. Cin Cin!
My Morning Jacket, “Magic Bullet,” The Waterfall II.
Great record and a timely tune about the connection between gun violence and mental health.
That low feeling starts to get to me
Need to find escape
So smoke it fills the lungs
And drink corrupts the brain
And morals get confused
In a desperate mind
And there ain’t no wrong or right
In a desperate time
Perfume Genius, “On the Floor,” from Set My Heart on Fire Immediately.
It’s upbeat musically, but this song is about struggles with unrequited love, forbidden love, and the demons that hold a person in shame when society “doesn’t approve.” It could easily be about the relationship to one’s body after a violation. I dig songs with multiple meanings. This is catchy, beautiful, and deep.
The Strokes, “The Adults Are Talking,” from The New Abnormal.
It’s had tons of airplay, so it really doesn’t need my support. The song is undeniably catchy, and The Strokes deserve credit for churning out great songs over these last 22 years.
Moby, “Power Is Taken,” which features D.H. Peligro, from All Visible Objects.
Moby is king. He is so talented and makes amazing music that everyone from kids to geriatrics can love. Another great album and the video for “Power Is Taken” is a summation of America’s disgusting underbelly.
Black Lips, “Hooker Jon,” from Sing in a World That’s Falling Apart.
Black Lips are one of my favorite bands. What I like about them is their ability to put out great punk-lite songs that get their ideology across with humor. This song was my favorite off Sing in a World That’s Falling Apart. Great live too! I highly recommend catching them at a venue near you next time they come around.
Jake Bugg, “Rabbit Hole,” single.
This guy! So good.
Unloved, “Strange Effect,” single.
It’s like The Supremes on acid. Yum!
Baxter Dury, “The Night Chancers,” from The Night Chancers.
Yup. Son of that Dury (Ian). Not that it’s important, but when you hear his voice, the question will come to mind. When Baxter is on, he is on! I have attached evidence.
Faithless, “What Shall I Do?” from All Blessed.
This is an important song and there’s no video (insert sad face here). You can listen to the song and read lyrics here:
Paul Weller, “Mirror Ball,” from On Set.
Gorgeous, fucking song.
Chromatics, “Twist the Knife,” from Faded Now.
Their last couple albums haven’t been up to par, if you ask me (you did, didn’t you?). No matter, I still love them, and one of the disappointments of 2020 was the cancellation of their U.S. tour. Nice tune here.
The Go Go’s, “Club Zero,” single.
The chorus says it all, “Zero Fucks Given.” These women should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Best Full-Length Albums in 2020, in no particular order:
Glass Animals, Dreamland.
It’s everything you would want from Glass Animals and more. If you haven’t seen them live, I highly recommend it. They are vibrant, bubbly, and whimsical, while still having something to say. Best tracks include: “Domestic Bliss,” “Space Ghost Coast to Coast,” and “Tangerine” (there is a nice version of this song with Arlo Parks on YouTube).
Jamie Lenman, King of Clubs.
I discovered Jamie last year when he released brilliant covers of Cyndi Lauper’s “She Bop” and Seal’s “Killer.” He was immediately on my forever radar. A former illustrator and bandmate of England’s Reuben, he embarked on his solo career several years ago. I was late to Lenmania. King of Clubs is a continuation of his artistic abilities and marks songs with the most important themes of this weird year. It’s the closest I get to “Cookie Monster Rock.” He doesn’t hang out in the scream zone too long though. Just enough to release that pent up 2020 anger. I have included 3 videos that are must views: “The Future Is Dead” (featuring Illaman), “I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend,” and “Like Me Better.”
Death Valley Girls, Under the Spell of Joy.
I’m a fan and have been since the first album. This record is a bit more accessible, but they didn’t skimp on songwriting or musical content. Great CD. Best tracks include: “Little Things,” “I’d Rather Be Dreaming,” “Bliss Out,” and the single “Hold My Hand.”
Michael Kiwanuka, Kiwanuka (2019).
This guy! He is responsible for more earworms over the past year than anyone else. His self-titled CD rolled out in November of 2019, so it was just getting into full swing at the turn of the year. It’s a beautiful disc with some very strong tracks: “Rolling,” “Hero,” and “Final Days.” Although the track I included isn’t on this new release, if you haven’t heard 2017’s “Cold Little Heart,” I put it here for you. It’s pure beauty.
Lunar Twin, Ghost Moon Ritual.
This is beautiful. Bryce has a voice that will haunt the recesses of your mind. Each of this duo’s Eps are distinct and gorgeous. Ghost Moon Ritual is a full-length release of immense beauty and a wee bit o’ broodiness. The songwriting is luscious; the music is mesmerizing. Favorite tracks include: “Cinema,” “Electric Lights,” “Hawks,” and “Mountains Turn To Dust.”
Black Rainbows, Cosmic Ritual Supertrip.
Another solid release from these crunchy psychedelic rockers. Favorite tracks include: “Universal Phase,” “Radio 666,” “Isolation,” and “Glittereyzed.”
Yello, Point.
This was an unexpected musical surprise. What a fun, energetic, well-crafted release from these colorful pioneers. My favorites are: “Waba Duba,” “Out Of Sight,” “Arthur Spark,” and “Hot Pan.”
The Pack A.D., It Was Fun While It Lasted.
For you, annual smear readers, the presence of The Pack A.D. on my list is not a surprise. Canadian powerhouse duo, Maya & Becky, never disappoint. The songwriting is lit and the influences on It Was Fun While It Lasted conjur The Cramps and Sonic Youth. Every album is chalk full of great songs and their wall of sound is similar to that of The White Stripes (purr) and The Kills (double purr). Favorite tracks include: “Soul Warden,” “Change Kills,” and the attached-for-your-pleasure “Give Up” and “Reprogram.”
Golf Dolls, Die Trying.
Dare I say this is accessible punk? It’s fucking great whatever the identifying tag. The songwriting is whimsical and serious, the rhythms upbeat with just the right amount of fuzz. “Microchip Your Children,” “Que Responsible,” and “WWIII Ace” are gems. “Magic Mirror” makes me happy.
Mark Lanegan, Straight Songs of Sorrow.
Another familiar name on my annual best of list, Mr. Lanegan. The album closely follows his memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep. Personal, reflective lyrics (wouldn’t expect anything else) that are relatable and heartfelt. Some real beauties on here include: “Ketamine,” “Bleed All Over,” and “Ballad of A Dying Rover.” From “Skeleton Key”:
I spent my life, tryin’ every way to die
Is it my fate to be the last one standin’?
Don’t you know it’s a crime? All the shadowy peaks I climb
And I have yet to ever be remanded
Yes, I have yet to ever be remanded
Holy, holy
All of your religions are a lie
Hold me, don’t you try to hold me
I clearly see my own way to the other side
Yes, I will make my own way to the other side
Fantastic Negrito, Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?
Blown away by this guy. I found him a couple years ago (maybe he found me?) with his Please Don’t Be Dead (which is a must for any musicphile). Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? is a gift in 2020. It’s everything you require, you only need listen. Included here, the videos for “How Long” and, for the pandemic listener inspired, “Chocolate Samurai.”
Clan Of Xymox, Spider on The Wall.
Tasty, tasty goth right here. These guys have been around long enough to know exactly what they are doing. Just as good as ever with “She,” “All I Ever Know,” “I Don’t Like Myself,” and “When We Were Young.”
Joywave, Possession.
Tunes like “Blank Slate,” “Funny Thing About Opinions,” and the “Obsession” solidify Joywave into a 5 smear rating. Undeniably vibrant and yet easily able to inspire reflection. Possession is a great set of songs.
Night Club, Die Die Lullaby.
It’s dark, it’s synth, it’s dancey…why are these two not the King & Queen of the prom? Anywho, this record was co-produced by the one and only Dave Ogilvie (Skinny Puppy, NIN). I saw Night Club perform live in a tiny venue and they have what it takes to hit it big. Here’s hoping! GothPop at its finest. “Civil War,” “Die In The Disco,” and the Carrie-inspired “Miss Negativity.”
Gorillaz, Song Machine: Season One.
Sigh…. It’s the Gorillaz. They also published a coffee table book, Almanac, filled with the amazing cast of animated characters (including the band) who have helped create the Gorillaz’s unique brand. They collaborated with alt-favs Peter Hook (Joy Division) and Robert Smith (The Cure), among many others. It’s a fabulous CD!
Best Cover Songs of 2020:
The National, “Never Tear Us Apart” (INXS).
Crocodiles, “Burning Up” (Madonna).
Father John Misty, “One of Us Cannot Be Wrong” (Leonard Cohen).
Joan As Police Woman, “I Keep Forgetting” (Michael McDonald).
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Is In)” (The First Edition) and “Take Me with You” (Prince). RIP Queen.
The past year was full of anxiety and absence. It was topped off, like it is every year, with well-meaning-but-misguided friends wishing me a merry CHRIST-MYTH even though they have been asked to stop. Those few disrespectful words automatically spoken or typed send me into a multiday funk. It is in this fuck jesus mood that I write my year-end musical obsession list. Therefore, I must put a compilation of Mercyful Fate’s early evil songs in the number one spot. This doesn’t mean it was my favorite album of the year, but it definitely belongs on the list. Live by the horns!
Mercyful Fate, The Beginning (Metal Blade Records, 2020).
I have never thought of myself as a Mercyful Fate fan. I developed a dislike for King Diamond when I was in high school. I thought his vocal style was silly. A friend sent me a copy of The Beginning a few months ago. I have changed my mind about King Diamond and MF. After thirty years of ignoring anything King Diamond related, I am ready to admit that I was wrong. The music is great, and the vocals add an important element of creepiness and surprise.
Cirith Ungol, Forever Black (Metal Blade Records, 2020).
Forever Black is an album I have been looking forward to for years. For those unaware of Cirith’s recent history, they were coaxed out of retirement several years ago to play the headlining slot of the Frost and Fire festival held every year in Ventura, California. The annual festival was doing well, and it seemed inevitable there would be a new Cirith Ungol album. Forever Black is not for everyone, but I feel like it was produced for me. Forever Black is a natural extension of what the band was doing in the mid-1980s. Forever Black has better production than past records, but the style and sound are unapologetically ‘80s Cirith Ungol.
Gerry Paul Nestler, Mama’s Child (The Wild Red Mother Records, 2018).
I stumbled upon Mama’s Child accidently. I am a fan of the band Philm, featuring Dave Lombardo of Slayer. I was trying to find information about the band and a date for a new album (Lombardo left the band; there will be no new Philm records). Nestler was Philm’s guitarist and vocalist, and I believe he was the driving artistic force behind the project. I found his website. I listened to a few tracks from Mama’s Child and was completely blown away by it. It has sweet folksy moments and bluesy moments. It is a very earnest record by a very earnest artist.
Mel Tillis, Mr. Entertainer (MCA Records Inc, 1979).
This is a strange record. Is it country? How about pop? Rock? I guess it is all three. It is country with rock/pop sensibilities, particularly the rhythm section. I even heard a jazz flourish in one song. It also has that bullshit orchestration that Chet Atkins popularized as the Nashville sound. The orchestration on this record contributes to its odd character. When I was a kid, I would see Mel Tillis on television, often playing the straight man for the jokes of others. The jokes were usually about Mel’s speech impediment. I suppose I had heard him sing as well, but I have no memory of it. I consider Mr. Entertainer my first introduction to Tillis. I think what really grabs me about Mel Tillis and this record is the quality of his voice. There is no shortage of great voices or dominating voices like George Jones or Dolly Parton in country music. Tillis has a big voice that cuts across through the music. There is no twang in Tillis’ voice; it works well for all musical styles.
Joy Division, Closer (Rhino/Warner Brothers, 2020).
I am embarrassed to admit that until 2020 I was more or less oblivious of Joy Division. I knew songs covered by other bands, but little more than that. The phrase, “holy shit!” sums up my response to JD and Closer. I will be exploring JD and New Order in 2021.
Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl, Artlessly Falling (Firehouse 12 Records, 2020).
Mary Halvorson has become one of my favorite guitarists over the past few years, but she is one that I approach cautiously. Mary’s jazz vision can get a little too experimental for my taste. Artlessly Falling is loaded with Mary’s chicken-cluck guitar style, as well as odd vocalizations and tempo changes, but it is brilliantly done. The album is weird, but also very listenable. This my favorite Mary Halvorson album.
Sodom, Genesis XIX (Ent. One Music, 2020).
In the 1980s, I avoided Sodom. They seemed like the lesser of the thrash bands coming from Germany. Actually, I avoided all of the German bands at that time. I still find the early albums by Kreator and Sodom to be unlistenable. The 1980s metal bands grew up as their audience grew up. The albums became more political while the music remained aggressive but more accessible. Some of this is probably due to the band members becoming better musicians while metal fans developed a better or more particular ear. Sodom probably won’t replace Kreator as my favorite German metal band, but they are solidly in second place. Genesis XIX is their best album to date.
The Fall, Re-Mit (Cherry Red Records, 2013).
The Fall is a difficult band to love. The vocalist, recites poetry to music. Some of it makes sense and some of it is contradictory; it is all mumbled. Fans of the Fall tend to pan Re-Mit and most of the later Fall albums as uninteresting. I couldn’t disagree more. Mark E. Smith’s rants became less noisy, but musically the later albums are much better. I think Re-Mit is one of the top three albums in the Fall’s catalog.
Unknown Instructors, Unwilling to Explain (Org Music, 2019).
Mike Watt! All anyone should ever have to say when describing a Watt project is “Mike Watt!” Those two words tell you the album is going to be interesting. Unknown Instructors, I believe, is a nod to the Kraut rock band, CAN. I love CAN. I CANnot easily explain the style of CAN, but here goes nothing: it is art rock with hypnotically spoken words, backed up by raucous and repetitive music. It is wonderful. Unknown Instructors didn’t go for the hypnotic element, or as much repetition, but the CAN influence is unmistakable.
Ray Russel, Fluid Architecture (Cuneiform Records, 2020).
This album contains ethereal new age passages, progressive rock, and jazz. To me there are both Pink Floyd and Bill Frissell influences.
Rubba, In Motion: Modern Progressive Group Sounds (Music De Wolfe, 2020).
The best way I can describe the music of Rubba is to call it progressive pop. It is much lighter on the rock than I usually like my prog. I liked the album right away, but I wasn't obsessed with it until it had spent a couple hours on the turntable. The friend that recommended this album led off with "this is going to be your new favorite record." It's not. But it is one my favorite new discoveries of 2020.
Honorable mentions:
Bill Frissell, Valentine (Blue Note, 2020)
Shabaka and the Ancestors, Wisdom of the Elders (Brownswood, 2016)
This has been a fucked up year. I would be stupid to believe that working from home, living in a pandemic, dealing with right-wing insanity, quarantining downstairs from my life’s companion for much of the year, living close the fiery hell that became the Rocky Mountains due to an ever-worsening climate catastrophe, and never having the opportunity to hug my friends and loved ones didn’t influence my list of musical obsession for 2020. Of course it did. There were weeks were I couldn’t go outside because the smoke was so thick. I remember in the early summer during lockdowns hearing birds everywhere in the absence of cars and human movement and yearning for a slower, post-capitalist society. This was a year of beauty and dread, but then, I guess they all are.
One of the other major factors in my unending music consumption this year was the fact that at one point, I decided to open a box of old cassette tapes. This led to me listening to the bulk of my music, and buying the majority of my music, on cassette. It was cheaper and it was kind of fun. Of course, the niche, or trendiness of cassettes (if that exists), isn’t at play here, because being a dinosaur most of my original record collection was on cassette.
The second and more sobering reason I believe I did this is because cassettes somehow symbolized what I felt. As anyone who grew up listening to cassettes can attest to, they sound like shit, they could break, and be destroyed, rendering them unusable at any moment. I felt this in my gut. There is nothing beyond this moment. All will be dust. If not today, then tomorrow.
Cleary, as evident from my list, I am music’s bitch.
Also, I would like to send a shout out to my favorite bands, that I listen to often, and each year I move through their respective catalogs: Joy Division, The Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, Dead Moon, Fugazi, Iron Maiden, Shostakovich Quartets, and Rachmaninov. You are my bed rock.
Kick back, have a few glasses of wine and read this crap, watch these videos, and listen to this music. You might like it.
Let’s do this. These albums appear in no particular order.
Tomberlin, At Weddings (Joyful Noise, 2018).
“My heart is a heavy coffin where I lay down everyone I love.”
This whole album is like a secret whispered in the dead of night. It’s a quiet and confessional affair from a young lady who escaped a repressive Baptist upbringing. It is intimate, painful, and hauntingly beautiful.
Smile Orange Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Written and composed by Melba Liston (Knuts, 1976).
Melba Liston was the first woman trombonist to play in big bands during the 1940s and she put together a great band here to perform the music she wrote for this 1976 Blaxploitation film. I think the movie is a commentary on tourism in Jamaica, but I haven’t seen it myself. This record has been long out of print, but Tapehead City is selling copies of it on cassette. This is the kind of roots reggae that Joe Strummer loved, and it reminds me of hearing early Wailers for the first time. It sounds like it wasn’t recorded very well, which makes it sound perfect. It’s an instant, instrumental, reggae masterpiece, old school style.
Thelma and the Sleaze, Heart Like a FistEP (Tapehead City, 2014).
As a self-described “independent all-female, queer southern rock band from Nashville, Tennessee,” Thelma and the Sleaze know how to rip it up. This 6-song EP arrived in my mailbox on a cute little pink cassette. Heavy rock tunes and a few slow burners with a little Janis Joplin thrown in the mix. Apparently they have a bunch of other releases too.
Kate Bush, The Kick Inside (EMI, 1978).
I bought my second copy of this album when it was remastered a few years ago. I only have this album, her first, and a greatest hits record that only reaches to 1988. I have been obsessed with this record for several years now. The story of Kate Bush and her first record are fascinating. She wrote all of these songs, complete, and with astonishing levels of lyrical and musical complexities when she was still a teenager who was known for smoking a lot of weed. The center piece of the album is the brilliant “Wuthering Heights,” which, of course, is based on Emily Bronte’s Victorian, gothic romance, novel of the same name. However, the other songs on the album showcase just how creative this young lady was. She was just 19 when the album was released. The album is a melding of classical music, pop, rock, and musical vignettes…I guess. It covers issues such as incest, sex, menstruation, love, and suicide. This level of musicianship just blows my mind. It feels so honest, raw, and unfiltered that it contains the essence of punk rock, as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but after a few listens, the melodies invade the soul and simply refuse to let go. If you like Bjork, you may be able to appreciate this beautiful and unique masterpiece. Also, “Wuthering Heights” was the first UK #1 that was both composed and performed by a woman.
Unicorn, Too Many Cooks(Harvest, 1976).
I stumbled across Unicorn by accident. This British band’s warm 1970s country rock reminded me of the soothing sounds I heard on the radio in my youth. Produced by David Gilmore, one can hear some of the same elements of the production found in mid 70s Pink Floyd. I discovered a Kate Bush connect here too. Apparently, Kate Bush’s brother gave a tape of her demos to a guy in Unicorn who then passed it onto Gilmore, who, in turn, practically forced his record company to sign her. Small world. Anyway, this Unicorn album kicks ass.
Julia Shapiro, Perfect Version (Hardly Art, 2019).
I wouldn’t say I was “obsessed” with this album, but I played it a lot in the background while I was working. It inadvertently weaved its way into my head. I internalized it, but the album is still a vague mystery to me. Its part dream-pop, shoegazing, and sometimes reminds me of Johnny Marr. I find most shoegazing bands pretty boring, but this isn’t a full on shoegazing record, but it is dreamy. Perfect Version is a solo album by Julia Shapiro. I think Julia sings and plays all the instruments except the drums. She is a member of the band Chasity Belt. I have never heard a Chasity Belt song.
Benediction, Scriptures (Nuclear Blast, 2020).
This is another album I bought on a whim. It arrived in the mail on a blood-red cassette tape. I only have space in my head for one death-metal band, and that band is Cannibal Corpse. As much as I have tried to get into other death-metal bands, I just can’t do it. I’ve heard Benediction referred to as an old school death-meatal band, but this album is much more chill than a Cannibal Corpse record, which illustrates just how extreme the Corpse is. Anyway, if you’re in the mood, check these guys out. The album is super catchy and the lead singer is a really fun and chilled out guy in interviews. I get an anti-Catholic vide from this album, which is reason enough to love it. These guys are old timers. The singer said in an interview that he had to sit in a chair during the filming of their new video, because he just had his hip replace. Keep on keepin’ on. Again, I can’t emphasize enough how catchy and hooky this album is; it’s just full of killer riffs, and for the most part you can understand the singer.
Blue Oyster Cult, Revolution by Night (Columbia, 1983).
SoDak turned me on to this stuff. Who knew I would be listening to BOC’s more commercial, radio friendly albums of the 1980s? Not me. I blame SoDak, a fellow comrade and Tickle Your Taint reviewer, for this one. We both swoon over “Shooting Shark,” which was a classic 80s single that should have been a big hit. The chorus really hits the heart. I listened to this strange album a lot this year. This is BOC’s “If You Leave,” or “(Don’t You) Forget About Me.”
Blue Oyster Cult, Mirrors (Epic, 1979)
Goddamn SoDak. Considering the pervious album, I found BOC’s 1979 release, Mirrors on cassette, so I threw down $2.99 and brought it home. It’s more of that commercial 1980s sound. I listened to this tape a lot this year too. Here is another earworm about ego and vanity. The background vocals were stuck in my head for at least a month. “Pretty girls can’t look away!”
Taylor Swift, Folklore (Republic, 2020).
Surprisingly, this may be my favorite album of the year, because, if I’m to be honest, I probably listened to this album more than any other.
I know I’m not supposed to like it, but my life is a long list of things I’m “not supposed to do.”
I don’t give two shits about Taylor Swift’s public persona, or interviews, or videos. I avoid them if I can. However, this album killed me, and comforted me. It reminded me of falling in love with my life partner 25 years ago. It reminded me of being a little kid and trying to rationalize a violent and abusive step-father. It reminded me of the little things that wouldn’t mean anything to anyone else. I love the music, Taylor Swift’s voice, and the shifts from single vocal tracks to multi-tracked harmony vocals and the rhythmic, cascading, and percussive words falling down cliffs in slow motion, as well as the call and response patterns found throughout the album.
Now that she is in her 30’s, we get the joy of hearing her say “shit” and “fuck” several times.
The song “Epiphany” really did me in. In many ways it was the theme to the darkest times of this pandemic. Not only do I have several health care workers in my family, but I have also held the hand of 8 human beings, as they took their last breath. It’s the heart and the lungs. Also, I once knew a patient on an Alzheimer’s unit who always used to urgently tell me to “put your goddamn helmet on; you’ll get shot in the head and bleed out.” He was a WWII vet. He died alone in his bed. This song killed me.
Ada Lea, What We Say in Private (Saddle Creek, 2019).
This is another cassette I spontaneously bought from Tapehead City. I listened to it a lot in the background while I was working. It’s a strange little record filled with Beatles influences and some psychedelic weirdness. I had the last refrain from this song stuck in my head for weeks. “For real now, not pretend.”
Joanna Brouk, Hearing Music (NUMERO, 2016).
Numero released this two-disc set that collects much of Joanna Brouk’s home recordings. Whether one would call her music “new age,” “ambient, “drone,” or whatever, the fact of the matter is that her music is extremely beautiful and ethereal instrumental meditations. I think most of this music was made in the 1970s and 80s, but don’t quote me on that. It’s defiantly the best ambient album I have heard in quite some time.
L.A.N.E., Pictures of the Century (Vicious Circle 2020).
From the ashes of Les Thugs, L.A.N.E. (Love and Noise Experiment) release their second full-length album. Pictures of the Century is pretty moving, in that, by the end of this album the world looks bleak, as they illustrate both the rise of fascism and the ecological rift. Great, emotional punk rock.
Summer Cannibals, Can’t Tell Me Know (Tiny Engines, 2019) and Full of It (Kill Rock Starts, 2016).
I spontaneously picked up a Summer Cannibals cassette and really enjoyed it. They’re not reinventing the wheel; they just play guitars, write songs, and go on tour. They’re a very non-gimmick, straight up rock band that was clearly influenced by the late 1980s, early 90s rock, like the Pixies, Breeders, and what not. These two albums are just fun to listen to. Great riffs, catchy tunes, and great vocals. It takes me back to simpler times.
The Exbats, I Got the Hots for Charlie Watts (Tapehead City, 2018) and A Guide to the Health Issues Affecting Rescue Hens (Tapehead City, 2016).
The Exbats are just plain fun. They sound like the offspring of Dead Moon, but without all the weight and darkness.
Shostakovich, Violin Concertos, Alina Ibragimova – violin, State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Vladimir Jurowski – conductor (Hyperion, 2020).
Dmitri Shostakovich is my favorite composer. I never listen to his symphonies, because his true brilliance was found in his smaller pieces, such as his violin concertos No. 1 and 2, found here.
I already have 3 other versions of these violin concertos, and my first one will probably always remain my favorite. However, I read some rave reviews of the performances here, so I thought I would pick it up. I was not disappointed; it is brilliant. The sadness, sorrow, fear, joy, beauty and heartache all bleed through.
Various Artists, Tapes Not Dead Vol. 2 (Tapehead City, 2019).
Some compilations are better than others. This comp has a great flow and I listened to it over and over and over and over and over again, and again. Punk, ska, garage rock, reggae, etc.
Here is a list of the bands: Clown Sound, Warm Drag, The Bobby Lees, The Advertisers, Thelma And The Sleaze, Gymshorts, Mount Sharp, The Loving Paupers, Dragon Inn 3, Antarctigo Vespucci, Juliana Hatfield, The Prizefighters, Jumpstarted Plowhards, Culture Shock, Shellshag, Adult Magic, Glasses, Worlds Fair, Living Room, Tanya Donelly.
The Loving Paupers, Lines (Jump Up, 2019).
The Loving Paupers are a great little reggae band with very soothing vocals. This album creates a particularly comforting mood. I instantly loved it. I can’t help but think of 10,000 Maniacs Hope Chest album. It also reminds me of the mellow grooves on H.R.’s Singing in the Heart EP, which I think is his best album.
Ghost Work, You’ll Be Buried With… (IDEAS, 2020).
Ghost Work is a new band from current and ex-members of Seaweed, Minus the Bear, Snapcase and Milemarker. I am a huge fan of Seaweed and hearing Aaron’s voice again was great. I was unfamiliar with the bands that the other members were in, but, like Seaweed, Aaron’s voice fits perfectly in with this underground rock post-punk stuff, or whatever you would call it. There are some dashes of new wave structures in Ghost Work as well. Not the syth new wave, but earlier Cure, or Buzzcocks, pop guitar hooks. It feels real and raw. I love it.
New Model Army, Between Dog and Wolf (Attack Attack, 2013).
The first time I listened to this record, I was lying in a completely black room with my Iron Maiden headphones on in my basement. My mind was blown. I hadn’t been this swept up by an album in a long time. The whole album is like a vision quest on the cusp of where the wilderness meets city, the personal meets the political, the subjective meets the objective, and the darkness meets an even deeper darkness in which one finds a source of light. NMA have always been a “360 degree” band, in that, they are able to sing about, and emotionally articulate, everything all at once while remaining tethered to the real world. I also need to state that a big aesthetic and earthy part of this album is that NMA introduce a plethora of drums all over this record, which, in part reminds me of the first time I heard Dead Can Dance. It’s as though this album is being orchestrated from the earth itself. This is a masterpiece album from one of the greatest punk rock bands of all time. (Thanks, SoDak.)
The Psychedelic Furs, Made of Rain (Cooking Vinyl, 2020).
The Furs achieved the impossible this year. See my review on this site from earlier this year:
The year has been a long dumpster fire and shit show. There are too many grievances to list, so a few taint ticklers share short reflections on this front.
Anita Papsmear:
The white male patriarchy.
Round Up pesticide.
Racists.
Elf on the Shelf.
Mariah Carey’s Christmas Songs.
Children in cages.
“Christians.”
The VID.
Jimmy “Explosive Diarrhea” B:
By now we have all said the same phrase about this year, “FUCK 2020.” So much of what made 2020 suck is well known to all of us, so I won’t waste any words on pandemic related items. Here are the minor complaints I have about a wasted year.
If you read the 2019 grievances, then you are aware of some disturbing Amebix and Tau Cross news. I am going to rehash this old news since Tau Cross released a new album in 2020. Rob Miller has become an alleged holocaust denier. I will get to that word “alleged” in a moment. The first two Tau Cross records, the only two I will ever own, are quite good. Rob Miller thanked a holocaust denier in the liner notes of the new album. Apparently, Rob read Gerard Menuhin’s book on the holocaust, and had his eyes opened to some alternate reality related to the Jewish experience. I have not read the book, and am taking it on faith that the internet news has it correct, hence my use of the word “alleged.” Tau Cross’ record label took it seriously enough to drop the band.
My second complaint is aimed at two people, Mrs. Explosive Diarrhea B and Adele. For some reason, my spouse is quite taken with Adele, and I have to admit that she has a good voice. But every fucking song sounds the same. I realize I am being a hypocrite since I love tons of bands that have the same problem. Something about Adele makes my sphincter pucker and blood pressure rise. Aaargh, I fucking hate it. My lawfully-wedded-wife only owns something like ten records, and one-fifth of them are Adele albums. They are in constant rotation.
Sonny James frustrates the shit out of me. I have been listening to a lot of Sonny James lately. This dude had a great voice, was a fantastic guitar player, was capable of great songs, but his songwriting was about as creative as Adele’s—mostly turds.
I am frustrated with all those non-touring bands who are not writing or recording. What’s the holdup? You can’t tour so get in the studio and do something with your time. If I can’t see you live, I should at least be listening to a new album. I keep reading how bands are writing new music or are in the studio. Where the fuck are the new records? Get off your asses you prima donnas. Shit, even Sun Ra released an album in 2020, and he has been dead for decades.
Opposed to those lazy non-touring musicians is Tanner Olson of Across Tundras. I swear this guy is putting out an album every week. I am going broke trying to keep up with him. Tanner, you don’t have to record every song. It’s okay to put one away in a drawer or file cabinet now and then, or better yet look into selling some songs to those bands sitting around with their thumbs and/or heads up their asses.
Null:
1. Digital Music, across the board, fuck that shit.
2. COVID-19.
a. All I wanted to do was hang out upstairs with my health care worker girlfriend,
drink beer, watch Grizzly Adams, and listen to cassettes, but no. I’m in the basement by
myself.
b. No punk rock shows, or shows of any kind. Period.
c. I couldn’t go hang out at the one used music store in town and shoot the shit with
other music nerds.
d. It was painful watching music venues close their doors for good.
e. It was sad watching friends in the music industry lose their jobs.
3.Nobody makes a high-quality ghetto baster with a cassette deck anymore. Nobody.
Scott:
In a year of mass deaths, which has included the loss of many musical artists, it feels strange to dwell on any one or two of them. But I was especially struck by the deaths of the drummer Sean Reinert and the bassist Sean Malone. Reinert died in January and Malone in December: sad bookends to a shitty year. They will be best remembered as members of Cynic, the incomparable technical death/prog metal band that, fifteen years after their 1993 debut, made an unlikely resurgence and released two excellent albums and EPs. But Reinert and Malone played together in other contexts as well, notably (for me) Malone’s instrumental prog project Gordian Knot. The song, “Reflections,” is one I have loved for a long time, but now it feels newly poignant after the sudden loss of these two supremely talented musicians.
As Scott noted, the mass deaths associated with the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and the general march of global capitalism immiserating people’s lives are both terrifying and maddening. I am losing track the musicians who have died from the pandemic. Thus, it is with sheer disgust that I read about and hear yet another anti-mask song from bloated millionaires such as Van Morrison and the perpetual racist Eric Clapton. Fuck them.
