Tag: music

21 Best Songs of the 2010s

Without fail, every January I’m still listening and compiling my favourite songs and albums of the past year. There’s always so much music to hear and I’m forever, joyfully playing catch up. This year, I have struggled to identify 10 list-worthy tracks. I heard LOTS of amazing music in 2019 but it was more album-oriented – plus I explored lots of new genres – so it was harder to highlight individual tracks. By far my favourite album of 2019 – and my best music discovery in years – was Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery by The Comet is Coming (see previous post). Go check them out if you like aggressive, psychedelic jazz!

Instead, in keeping with my love of list-making and inspired by my musical godfather (and cousin) Dann, here are the 21 best songs of the 2010s, in a somewhat particular order:

1. “Shake It Out” – Florence + The Machine
2. “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” – Arcade Fire
3. “Hunger Of The Pine” – alt-J
4. “Dance Yrself Clean” – LCD Soundsystem
5. “Oblivion” – Grimes
6. “Odessa” – Caribou
7. “Midnight” – Coldplay
8. “Man of War” – Radiohead
9. “The House That Heaven Built” – Japandroids
10. “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele
11. “Wait” – M83
12. “Everlasting Light” – The Black Keys
13. “The Mother We Share” – CHVRCHES
14. “Terrible Love (Alternate Version)” – The National
15. “bad guy” – Billie Eilish
16. “Can’t Get It Out” – Brand New
17. “Take Me To Church” – Hozier
18. “Sweetest Kill” – Broken Social Scene
19. “Feet Don’t Fail Me” – Queens of the Stone Age
20. “Art Of Almost” – Wilco
21. “On My Way Home” – Songs: Ohia

Because The End is Really The Beginning

I used to never ever ever close my eyes at a gig. I have attended tens of thousands of concerts – and I am positive that the live music experience is equal parts hearing and seeing. Why would I choose to limit my experience and shut my eyes?

(I am certain that regardless of advancements in technology and connectivity, people will continue to seek out in-the-flesh performances; momentary, unreplicatable, multi-sensory experiences. It’s not the same as listening to an album on vinyl or watching a performance on Youtube. But I digress.)

My greatest music discovery of 2019, The Comet is Coming, played one of my favourite London venues, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, in early December. I closed my eyes many times to their intense, bombastic music, played with passion and precision masquerading as improvisation. When my eyes were open, they were often misty. The music was evocative, definitely, but I was reacting emotionally because my best friend Desmond was with me and the gig felt like the culmination of an unpredictable, unprecedented and emotional year together. I’ve had to lean on my friends for support more than any previous year and Des has been my #1 supporter.

As weird as 2019 has been, I’m 100% better for all of it. Bring on 2020 with more and better weirdness and emotions. The best Josh is coming. My eyes may be closed at points yet I’m more open than ever.

For a while I’ve been making a mental list of “Robot Detection Songs”; songs you could play for a suspected robot and, if they didn’t have an emotional response, you’d know that they were impersonating a human. Spirit of the West’s “If Venice is Sinking” is on that list. I don’t remotely agree with the religious nature of the lyrics but John Mann’s vocals are so beautiful and the arrangement is so joyous, even a robot might react.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Open Again: My Fave Songs of 2018

I listened to lots of new music in 2018. I was pleasantly surprised by new/ refreshed directions by some of my all-time favourite artists (Thom Yorke, The Decemberists, Death Cab) and my good friend Dom Fricot. It was lovely to discover Pinegrove, Dizzy and Sunflowers. Probably my favourite album of the year was Deafheaven’s Ordinary Corrupt Human Love but, as

with every year, there are loads of albums I still need to digest.

Here are my favourite songs of the year, in a purposeful but not preferential order:

My Favourite Songs of 2017

2017 was a significantly better year for music than 2015 or 2016… or perhaps I was just paying more attention. Below are my favourite songs released in the past year – special props to one of my favourite Radiohead songs, “Man of War” (fka “Big Boots”) finally seeing the light of day. What an incredible song. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Gord Downie twice. The first
and most memorable time was on November 3, 2006, after the first of The Tragically
Hip’s four consecutive shows at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. I worked
for their booking agency at the time and was lucky to be given a pass for their
after-show party. I was keen to meet Gord, one of my lyricist-heroes. I knew
where the door from the backstage area to the venue was, so once the audience cleared out, I waited there. I was first in line.

One-by-one, the members of the band came out and assembled
around the bar. I waited about an hour for Gord and eventually he emerged. I was
immediately struck by how calm and soft-spoken he was. Just an hour prior, Gord
had been a typhoon of energy and charisma on-stage, shadow-boxing with his microphone
stand, using his handkerchief as a matador’s cape, and many more absurd antics
(plus, you know, singing). Now, away
from the stage, the lights and hundreds of adoring fans, Gord was… mellow. “Lover’s
Spit” by Broken Social Scene was playing on the venue’s PA and after
introducing himself, Gord mentioned how much he loved the song. For a little while no one else noticed him, so we chatted privately,
probably about music, I don’t remember. I stood
by Gord’s side for the next hour as people came over to chat to him. (I have a funny anecdote
about two female fans questioning Gord about his pre-show rituals but that one
is better told in-person).

Gord introduced me to everyone who came over as “my friend Josh”
which was

thrilling for me and gracious of him (and completely bonkers!). Not
wanting to overstay my welcome, I asked for a photo before leaving Gord’s side.
In my 10+ years of working in the entertainment industry, this is something I’ve
only done on this one occasion. I very rarely choose to meet my heroes and, even when I have,
the most I would ever desire is a pleasant conversation.

I suppose it’s easy to aggrandise the moment now but I like
to believe that in that brief hour, Gord and I connected. According to him we were
friends, however fleeting, and I’ll never forget his kindness and humility. I’m
so glad that our meeting was captured.

I could write many more paragraphs about the impact of The Hip’s music on my life and the dozen times
that I’ve seen them live, firstly at age 13 in Detroit – the concert
that was recorded and released as Live
Between Us – and most recently in my hometown of Windsor, Ontario in July 2015.
One of proudest moments as an event producer and as a Canadian was being a part
of the small team that brought The Hip to London for a free Canada Day concert
in Trafalgar Square in 2013. I met Gord briefly after that show, and he was
just as kind and calm as I remembered. He will be missed by millions of people
today and forevermore. We are so lucky to have his music and our own memories.

To quote one of my favourite Hip songs, you were a “physical
impossibility” Gord. Thank you.

Love,

Josh

P.S. I’m compelled to mention that The Hip’s
management and production teams are some of the nicest people I have ever met in my career. My heart goes out to them as well as Gord’s family and band members.