#the 22

[fuckyeahmusicblog]

The 22: Hounds of Love

In the midst of Prince’s return to Spotify last week, I happened to discover that one of the best albums of the 1980s had also, finally, mercifully, blessedly been added to the streaming service - Kate Bush’s opus, ‘Hounds of Love’. Released in 1985, and featuring some of the biggest tracks of her illustrious career, Hounds is a master class in the type of bombastic, emotive, and blatantly quirky music that Kate (and by association, the 80s in general) became synonymous with. It’s proven to be a defining work, especially in the past decade, as younger generations have looked to it as a goalpost. If you’ve never blasted ‘Running Up That Hill’ in your apartment while feverishly singing along, then you haven’t lived authentically. 

We’ve wanted to use songs from this album in a vast majority of the 22′s we’ve made, and now that the moment has arrived, I’d like to present my list. No, not every track is a blatant mirror to Kate’s work (and no, there is no Tori Amos on this list - it’s just too easy) but if you listen closely, you can hear where her influence shows itself. I hope you enjoy this, folks, it’s a good one.

[fuckyeahmusicblog]

The 22: OOooh

This week’s (month’s sorry!) The 22 is all about LE SIGH. Things that make you sigh for good and bad. Feeling loved, sigh. Feeling doubtful about America, sigh. Feeling broke, sigh. Feeling that first breeze of autumn, sigh. My favorite audible emotion. 

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The 22. Every week, we’ll be sharing a new set of 22 tracks, spanning different genres and decades. Some will be themed, some won’t. In addition, we’re launching the FuckYeahMusicBlog Spotify profile, so you can easily follow us and get your new list every week. Oh, and just a couple listening suggestions. We arrange these lists to listen to straight through, but if you have to shuffle we won’t judge. Also, we have our Spotify set to a crossfade (this one was made with an 8-second crossfade) which we think gives the list a really fluid feel. Change your settings if you are so inclined.

[fuckyeahmusicblog]

The 22: The Bang Bang Bar

This summer has been dominated by dragons. We’re fucking dragon-crazed as a society right now. We’re here today, though, to talk about the other big show on right now that is not Game of Thrones. David Lynch’s revival of Twin Peaks has been an astonishing feat of filmmaking, and though it is at times a vast departure from the camp of the original series, it’s still undeniably, unflinchingly Lynch. 

One of the best things about the Twin Peaks canon, and this new series specifically, is the way that a very specific cross-section of musical genres defines the tone of the work. Lynch is not only the writer and director of the series, but he’s also the sound designer, and he plays a big role in exactly what music is used and when. While some of the bigger components have always been heavy, lingering synths, heavily reverbed guitar plucks, and a nice croon, this new incarnation is stretching those boundaries...somewhat.

The Mecca of music in the world of Twin Peaks is the Bang Bang Bar - the epitome of small town dive bars, but with, like, an insane performance calendar. Seriously, its almost laughable to see bands like Nine Inch Nails casually playing a gig in a town of a few thousand. But that’s Lynch - he doesn’t give a fuck about your expectations or your desires, because the world at large doesn’t give a fuck about them. 

In that spirit, and in keeping with the shifting guideposts of the musical tone of the show, I’ve created a list that puts you right there in a booth at the Bang Bang Bar, slowly drinking a beer with some random psychopath, looking around for James to walk in, because James has always been cool.

Enjoy! And go watch Twin Peaks!

[fuckyeahmusicblog]

The 22: Grab Bag

Consider this week’s list a cool summer cocktail of new music. It’s got a lot of funk, some dulcet tones, and some mellow grooves that will get you through the work week. Enjoy!

[fuckyeahmusicblog]

The 22: Road Trip

Here’s the scenario:

Pack up the car.

Bring a friend or two.

Take the scenic route.

At that point in the trip just when the buildings become sparse and the air feels calm, turn this on.

Bliss out.

Happy Summer Solstice everyone! Enjoy this supersized list for a scenic road trip (coincidentally, most of the songs are about traveling). 

[fuckyeahmusicblog]

The 22: Truth

A couple weeks ago, I saw the clip of Bon Iver covering Don Henley’s 1989 hit ‘The End of the Innocence’ with Bruce Hornsby and Jenny Lewis. The next day, I saw Kamasi Washington’s piece at the Whitney Museum’s Biennial exhibit. The piece was his 13-minute track (with accompanying video) titled ‘Truth’. 

These songs are haunting, urgent, resigned, and beautiful. They’re also achingly apropos to the events of the day, and it got me started on a list that amplifies that sentiment. Not everything here is political in nature, but those traits I listed earlier are fully on display here. Take a listen, and enjoy!

[fuckyeahmusicblog]

The 22: antiHISTAMINE

if you’re like me this week, you’ve spent it hopped up on allergy meds enough to tranquilize a shetland pony. This week’s The 22 will guide you out of the pollen induced haze with enough #bangerz and #grooves to shake out even the headiest nasal congestion. It might be the sneezing season, but you woke up to new LCD Soundsystem in the world and that, my friends, is enough reason to keep living even if you have to buy Kleenex in bulk for a few more weeks.