I put out the call to some friends for a simple list of five favorites
from the year...anything: events, concerts, recordings, personal
moments, whatever. The title is in honor of the first responder, Andrew
Loog Oldham, being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A big
congratulations to him! This is the third of three installments. HUGE Stupefied thanks to everyone who contributed, and to everyone who takes the time to have a look at Stupefaction...Happy holidays all!
Gillian McCain - semi-off the top of my head:
1. Alice Munro receiving Nobel Prize
2. Matte magazine
3. And Every Day Was Overcast by Paul Kwiatkowski (Black Balloon Publishing)
4. Megan Cump's photography
5. Ann, a one-woman show written and performed by Holland Taylor about former Texan Governor Ann Richards
Liz Maher - 2013 - not such a great year. I nominate sleep as the best thing of the year:
Arctic Monkeys - AM - Good Pop-thump, thump, thump…
My Bloody Valentine - MBV
Black Angels - Indigo Meadow - Maybe 3 very good songs, several other ok songs
Queens of the Stone Age -...Like Clockwork
Beyonce - Beyonce over Sadat X "We In New York" because I'm going mall over street
British Sea Power - Machineries of Joy
Prince - "Screwdriver", "Breakfast Can Wait" and "Da Bourgeoisie"
Daft Punk Random - Access Memories
London Grammar - If You Wait
Lorde - Pure Heroine - I admire Lorde's contempt
The Wytches - Beehive Queen & "Digsaw"
2. Leaving
Europe after 20 years. When I moved to France in 2008 after 15 years in
Germany, I was happy to be there. At the same time, Amy Rigby and Eric
Goulding were pulling up and moving back to the U.S. I didn't understand
this, but five years later, I do: it was evident that the people who
run France do not want Americans living there, despite what other French
people think. So I'm not.
3. Mick Farren dies a
very rock and roll death. Never met him, never really had any
back-and-forth with him. Introduced to his blog through Stupefaction,
though, and he felt like part of the family. Shocking he went so young,
but coming off-stage at a gig? Coulda been lots worse.
4. Dan Penn: The Fame Demos. Lotta wisdom in these three-minute pieces.
5.
The tamale lady: A couple of weeks after I moved into my place here in
Texas, the doorbell rang on a cold day and a little woman with an
insulated bag offered me a dozen chicken tamales for ten dollars. She's
come back several times since. The tamales are stupendous, and she's
made me feel like I'm tied in, some way, to my neighbors here. It's a
start.
Andy Schwartz -
1. My guitars and playing them with The Planets
Andy Schwartz -
1.
SPRING BREAKERS [movie written & directed by
Harmony Korine]
2.
THE DOUBLE [novel by George Pelecanos]
3.
FRUITVALE STATION [movie written & directed
by Ryan Coogler]
4.
THE GEATOR PRESENTS “THE DIVAS OF ALL TIME”
[concert hosted by Jerry Blavat a/k/a “The Geator With The Heater” – Kimmel Center,
Philadelphia PA. With Darlene
Love, Freda Payne, Candi Staton, The Tymes, Baby Washington, Blue Magic, and
The Soul Survivors]
5.
A.K.A. DOC POMUS [documentary directed by William
Hechter & Peter Miller]
1. My guitars and playing them with The Planets
2. My new tiny thug cat, Monte Rock IV
3. Women with bare feet
4. NASCAR/The Who (an apropos pairing, no?)
5. Abusing Reefer
I left off my wife and daughter because they are ALL of it put together.
