My 2013 Music Highlights

Songs (links to Rdio)
Get Lucky feat. Pharrell WilliamsRoyals - Lorde - Daft Punk
Stoned and Starving - Parquet Courts

Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys

Walk Us UPTOWN - Elvis Costello And The Roots

Man - Neko Case

Your Life Is a Lie - MGMT

Work B**ch - Britney Spears

Avant Gardener - Courtney Barnett

Albums

Dawes - Stories Don't End
David Bowie - The Next Day
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
Arctic Monkeys - FM

Live Shows (no particular order)

• Coachella (esp. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
• Calgary Folk Music Festival (bonus - talked to John Fullbright about his Emmylou and Friends appearance)
• Dawes - Lee's Palace, Toronto (bonus - chat and photo with Craig Finn of the Hold Steady)
• Nick Waterhouse/Lee Fields - The Bowery Ballroom, New York
• Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and friends (Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, the Zac Brown Band, J.D. Souther, Damien Rice, Joan Osborne, Shannon McNally, John Fullbright and Shawn Camp.) - Troubadour, Los Angeles
• Dave Stewart and Friends - Troubadour, Los Angeles
• The Hives - House of Blues, Anaheim
• Palma Violets (opening for Franz Ferdinand) - Pappy and Harriet's
• The International Swingers - The Date Shed, Indio (Clem Burke hammers the drums)

Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of 2013

I made a playlist of Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of 2013. A few are missing because... well they just weren't on Rdio but I'm sure you can track those ones down if your a completion freak. I know I did.

So far I'm liking 100% of the female artists who are from south of the Equator.

I'm sure the compilers were biased and out of touch and that someone has a better list out there but I'm starting with this one. If someone has a competing list I'd be happy to check it out.

Soul Revival - Myles Sanko

I've been using Songza pretty regularly for background music at dinner and for parties. They use human curated playlists based on a variety of themes. When you login you'll get a statement like this. It's Wednesday NightPlay music for...  Depending on time of day, a variety of mood/activity options appears with multiple playlists suitable for each. I love music but don't always have the musical IQ to find music that might fit a specific situation. I tend to force my tastes on others but in my defence, the bands I liked in High School have had long careers and some now have satellite radio channels.

I have a weakness. If I see a band with a Hammond B3 and or 3 piece plus horn section, I'm gonna take a long listen.  I've been seeking out the Songza Sweet Soul Revival playlist on a regular basis. Songza uses a Facebook plugin for people to make comments. People are throwing out the names of similar bands and so far it hasn't gotten spammy. That's how I came across UK based singer Myles Sanko. High on You has fantastic vocals, horns, and keys. Hooks aplenty.

What Your Music Says About You

My Music Personality

Nick Waterhouse - Some Place

Nick Waterhouse is gaining a large following. I recently saw him open for Lee Fields and The Expressions in New York. I did it based on this video and his appearance on LFDH.

Maximum Cowbell - Your Life is a Lie - MGMT

MGMT uses an oversize cowbell on their Letterman appearance. Pretty cool.

Get Off This - David Lowery Challenges Status Quo

Cracker's lead singer, David Lowery, put together the  300 Songs blog provides an extremely thorough overview of his career with Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker. More importantly, Lowery's grasp of the music business has put him at the forefront of the battle between artists and corporations. His influential work on that subject is available on The Trichordist (Artists For An Ethical and Sustainable Internet). Its pretty common for his posts to make ripples in the music press and beyond.

• I Made More From Selling A T-Shirt Than From 1 Million Plays On Pandora
• How Much Does A Songwriter Earn When Pandora Plays His Song 1.16 Million Times? Hint: It’s Not Much
• The Digital Skeptic: David Lowery Wants the Maoism Out of the Music

If you're curious to find out how Lowery (described as a temperamental and tenacious talent) manages to run two bands and make a living in the music business, check out "Get Off This" | A Film About Music + Perseverance'' and the associated Facebook Page.

Get off this

Get on with it

If you wanna change the world
Shut your mouth and start this minute

Note: I am a Cracker fan. 10CDs worth to date (in my personal collection that ranks them with Hiatt, Costello, and Springsteen) I've even attended a Cracker Campout at Pappy and Harriet's Palace in Pioneertown.  It is one of the best venues in North America to hunker down with your favourite band. There aren't many barriers between the band and the audience out there. I personally love streaming music services for the convenience. However, if bands can't afford to make music, something needs to give.