I just realized your tagline is "On Repeat is like your favorite music magazine but without the Hyundai ads." As a copywriter who does advertising for Hyundai, I am contractually obligated to let your audience know that: "With the Hyundai Holiday Sale, you can lease the 2024 Elantra Limited for as low as $75/week!!"
Now that we got that out of the way, this was a fun project to work on. I would be very down to do a top 50 or 100 albums of each decade from the '60s onward.
Dec 13, 2023Liked by Kevin Alexander, Sam Colt, Songs That Saved Your Life
Upon seeing Jami list Prince's Diamonds & Pearls at #1 I fully expected to see you list The Replacements Tim as your #1. I'm certain it crossed your mind to include in to top 10...
I rolled my eyes at the hype it initially received, but Ed Stasium's remastering really does make it feel like a new album, or at least breathed new life into it. He clearly gets their sound and I hope he remasters more Replacement records.
I listen to music constantly. The two I've returned to most are Tim and Isbell's Weathervanes. Like Sam said, Tim feels "new," and I consistently found things in an album and songs I've heard hundreds (if not thousands) of times. Isbell's album is an example of a songwriter at the top of his game, both lyrically and (more surprising given he produced it) sonically.
Oh, it absolutely crossed my mind! I'd love to claim some high ground here, but the truth is I was thinking about including all remixed/remastered/reissues in their own list, along with maybe box sets and or live records.
I don't know if that'll happen, but you're absolutely correct that it was a highlight of the year for me. Ditto the 'Stop making Sense' and 'Substance' reissuses.
Stop Making Sense was my top film of the year. Seeing the remastered version in IMAX was a highlight close to Tim. Both are timeless pieces of entertainment that have only been improved. (And basically, they’re close to the only things I’d like to remember from the 1980s.)
One more thing re: Isbell. I just finished the TV series “Reservation Dogs,” having waited until it was done so I could binge it. It is a beautiful show in my all-time top 10 (if not 5) and I kept hoping they would find some way to sneak “King of Oklahoma” onto the soundtrack. The song and the show deserve each other.
Nice! I think if Bombay Bicycle Club had come out even just a few weeks earlier, it might be on here. I just haven't had time to really dive into it yet.
So many great picks here! I can't believe how you all nailed #5, though. Anhoni's welcome return, Caroline Polechek with the best pop album of the year (and it ain't close), and wow, the Corey Hanson shout! A note to everyone - don't let that album title dissuade you from listening to that masterpiece. And Kev, you know how I feel about the new Chems. Just unbelievable. Great work, everyone!
Thank you! And I definitely know how you feel about that record. It's a gem. I was looking at my SoundCloud top 50 (I guess that's a thing now too?), and almost every track from the album made the cut. lol.
Dec 14, 2023Liked by Kevin Alexander, Songs That Saved Your Life
Another fantastic collaboration and a very eclectic set of albums! I had some serious listening time with about half the albums on this list, five or six of which only just missed out on my top 50 this year. Spoiler alert: one of the albums on here is my top AOTY this year. But you’ll have to wait until next week to find out which one! And then there’s a batch of artists I’ve never heard of (Corey Hanson, The Arcs, The Clockworks) that I’ll be needing to dig into later this week.
I love that New Pornographers took the top spot. I'm going to be reading and re-reading these write-ups for a week as I decide what gets added to my Liked List.
I just realized your tagline is "On Repeat is like your favorite music magazine but without the Hyundai ads." As a copywriter who does advertising for Hyundai, I am contractually obligated to let your audience know that: "With the Hyundai Holiday Sale, you can lease the 2024 Elantra Limited for as low as $75/week!!"
Now that we got that out of the way, this was a fun project to work on. I would be very down to do a top 50 or 100 albums of each decade from the '60s onward.
Oh now we’ve really entered my wheelhouse- Hyundais and historical music posts.
Spoken from an elevated Hyun dais. That pun was a true Hyundinger.
Steve.
I go by Brad now.
This is my kind of intersection!
And Sam, my brain literally exploded reading your idea for 50 albums per decade.
https://tenor.com/uMmi.gif
Same. But I'm also a glutton for punishm---,er, "fan of music." so it seems like it'd be fun to take on.
Lol. Too late; there's already a Santa Fe in our garage next to my Subaru.
I also would be very down to take that project on!
Upon seeing Jami list Prince's Diamonds & Pearls at #1 I fully expected to see you list The Replacements Tim as your #1. I'm certain it crossed your mind to include in to top 10...
I rolled my eyes at the hype it initially received, but Ed Stasium's remastering really does make it feel like a new album, or at least breathed new life into it. He clearly gets their sound and I hope he remasters more Replacement records.
I have far less willpower than Sam. A remaster is totally cheating but I couldn't help myself.
I listen to music constantly. The two I've returned to most are Tim and Isbell's Weathervanes. Like Sam said, Tim feels "new," and I consistently found things in an album and songs I've heard hundreds (if not thousands) of times. Isbell's album is an example of a songwriter at the top of his game, both lyrically and (more surprising given he produced it) sonically.
+1
Tim drew me in with all of the "new" sounds we'd never heard, while Weathervanes drew me in with the stories it's telling.
We like what we like!
Oh, it absolutely crossed my mind! I'd love to claim some high ground here, but the truth is I was thinking about including all remixed/remastered/reissues in their own list, along with maybe box sets and or live records.
I don't know if that'll happen, but you're absolutely correct that it was a highlight of the year for me. Ditto the 'Stop making Sense' and 'Substance' reissuses.
Stop Making Sense was my top film of the year. Seeing the remastered version in IMAX was a highlight close to Tim. Both are timeless pieces of entertainment that have only been improved. (And basically, they’re close to the only things I’d like to remember from the 1980s.)
One more thing re: Isbell. I just finished the TV series “Reservation Dogs,” having waited until it was done so I could binge it. It is a beautiful show in my all-time top 10 (if not 5) and I kept hoping they would find some way to sneak “King of Oklahoma” onto the soundtrack. The song and the show deserve each other.
Really enjoyed watching Stop Making Sense as it’s the closest I’ll ever get to seeing Talking Heads play live.
I’m going to see Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew (and guests) perform Remain in Light on NYE. Super excited.
That promises to be a ridiculously great show. With special guests X!! Have a fantastic time!
On a side note - Harrison's Casual Gods is a fiendeshly underrated gem. Just giving it some love.
Yes! I forgot about X opening! And yes, Casual Gods is massively underrated. Thanks for the reminder to pull that one out of the archive!
Yes! Happy to see that getting some love here.
Also ran to the theater to see Stop Making Sense on a big screen again. It is, by far, my favorite concert film. ❤️❤️
Seeing it on a big screen with big sound was fantastic!
I totally forgot about the Substance reissue. It was probably for the best as I’ve taken enough liberties with our list.
I know myself well enough to know there's no way I will ever be able to write an objective review of that record.
Good thing reviews aren't really about objectivity. :)
Pitchfork does their own reissue category under their best new music section, so maybe next year, we can carve out a top 10 reissues newsletter.
I'm in!
A lot of '00s indie rock icons made great music this year! My picks?
5. Boygenius - the record
4. Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy
3. Noname - Sundial
2. Bombay Bicycle Club - My Big Day
1. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
Two of yours are my in alternates that will be revealed next week...agreed that it was a strong year for indie stalwarts.
Javelin is just too good.
Nice! I think if Bombay Bicycle Club had come out even just a few weeks earlier, it might be on here. I just haven't had time to really dive into it yet.
Prince 4 evah 🥰
Thank you for validating my controversial (but correct) choice, lol.
So many great picks here! I can't believe how you all nailed #5, though. Anhoni's welcome return, Caroline Polechek with the best pop album of the year (and it ain't close), and wow, the Corey Hanson shout! A note to everyone - don't let that album title dissuade you from listening to that masterpiece. And Kev, you know how I feel about the new Chems. Just unbelievable. Great work, everyone!
Thank you! And I definitely know how you feel about that record. It's a gem. I was looking at my SoundCloud top 50 (I guess that's a thing now too?), and almost every track from the album made the cut. lol.
Another fantastic collaboration and a very eclectic set of albums! I had some serious listening time with about half the albums on this list, five or six of which only just missed out on my top 50 this year. Spoiler alert: one of the albums on here is my top AOTY this year. But you’ll have to wait until next week to find out which one! And then there’s a batch of artists I’ve never heard of (Corey Hanson, The Arcs, The Clockworks) that I’ll be needing to dig into later this week.
I’m looking forward to it!
I love that New Pornographers took the top spot. I'm going to be reading and re-reading these write-ups for a week as I decide what gets added to my Liked List.