Guest List: MomVee's Top 15 Musical Experiences of 2013

Final Year-End Guest List (Probably)

Have I mentioned that I've known MomVee since kindergarten? Honestly, outside of my immediate family, she's probably the person I've known the longest with whom I actually keep in touch. Whenever I stop to think about that, I just find it so cool.

Anyway, I had to ask her for a list, and -- lucky for us -- she agreed to give us one. A lover of tradition and holidays, MomVee made a seasonally appropriate list that I saved for today. Her tastes are very different from mine in a lot of ways, which is why these guest lists have been so great.

That brings me to one final point about the lists here at CoolDad Music. These aren't awards. I've tried to use "Favorite" or "My Top" every time -- if I ever used "Best," then it was a slip -- to convey the idea that these are the things that moved me or a particular person this year. Don't worry too much about what doesn't make one list or another. Nobody can or wants to see or hear every possible thing. Instead, go investigate some of the things you've never heard or that fall outside of your comfort zone. You may find something you love.

And in 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

My Top 15 Musical Experiences of 2013, in the style of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

by MomVee

Five Gold Rings: (Albums Of Note): 

I Will Never Be Alone in This Land -- Alex McMurray

I know Alex McMurray personally, but even if I didn't this would be one of my favorite albums of the year, arguably the favorite. Alex has lyrical genius; he can write a hummable tune; and his music is fun. In this album he really came into his own, and you'll hear word and music magic akin to that of Tom Waits, Randy Newman, and John Hiatt, often with a nice funky NOLA flavor á la Dr. John. Standouts: the title track, "Diamonds In Your Hand," "As Long as You Let Me."

The Stand-In -- Caitlin Rose

Caitlin Rose's second LP doesn't have a single-song-repeat ballad as seductive as "Own Side," from her debut; but it does boast 12 solid cuts, some of which rock quite a bit and all of which twang. It's full of pedal steel sound, which regular readers know is the way to my heart. My favorite is "Golden Boy," which boasts the lovely lyric "I'm reaching up if you're still reaching down."

The Lion's Roar -- First Aid Kit

Just in case you think my selections lack diversity, here's an album by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit...oh, oops. Here's the chorus of my favorite song, "Emmylou" -- "I'll be your Emmylou and I'll be your June / If you'll be my Gram and my Johnny too..." Guess my mother really imprinted me when we listened to WHN on the way to the beach. Not every song on the album has that much country flavor, but they are all good, especially the title cut.

Sing Me The Songs -- Various Artists

The older I get, the more I realize how much influence my parents had on my musical taste. In addition to that early influx of pedal steel via my mother, I heard a lot of Linda Ronstadt and Maria Muldaur spun by my dad. Not only is Caitlin Rose their direct musical descendant, but Ronstadt's version of "Heart Like A Wheel" led my father to the McGarrigle sisters. Sing Me The Songs is a double album recording of the concert tribute to Kate McGarrigle, who died in January 2010. I saw the documentary at Film Forum in August, and I highly recommend it. Standout numbers are "Saratoga Summer Song" by Teddy Thompson (only ever demo'd by Kate and gorgeous), "I Cried For Us" by Rufus Wainwright and Antony, "I Don't Know" by Krystle Warren, and "Proserpina," which starts with a rough recording found on Kate's laptop and ends up with the whole familiy singing. I could easily pick a dozen more.

Out Of The Game -- Rufus Wainwright

Related, Rufus Wainwright is the princely offspring of Kate McGarrigle and fellow folk royal Loudon Wainwright III. Sadly, I fear Rufus can never again approach the greatness of his 2003 album Want One, but this one comes pretty close. The title track is a lot of fun, and the closer, "Candles," is a beautiful tribute to his mother.

Four Calling Birds (Pop Hits Worth Commenting On):

"Cups" -- Anna Kendrick

So, as an a cappella veteran I loved Pitch Perfect but I was a little puzzled at the appearance of "Cups" as a hit single so long after the movie came out. And I'm not the only one. I heard a radio interview with Anna Kendrick in which she expressed surprise -- and a little guilt, I think unfeigned -- at the success of this one-off recorded by a singing actress, not a dues-paying pop star. I have a theory, though. I think the popularity of "Cups" expresses the country's yearning for roots music -- it's a very singable melody and lyric with an obvious mountain music origin, and I think it stands out from the overproduced robot music that crowds the airways. Either that, or it's the cup routine. Little girls love stuff like that.

"True Love" -- Pink

I should probably check out a couple of Pink albums, because I really like a lot of her singles. In the world of Christina Perri (who makes even happiness sound sad), Sara Bareilles (who makes anger sound happy, which is better but still a little off), and Katy Perry (whose persona I think Rob Delaney best encapsulated as "goofy slut") Pink is strikingly honest and oddly wholesome while still being very entertaining and transgressive. She had me at "At the same time, I wanna hug you / I wanna wrap my hands around your neck."

"Mirrors" -- Justin Timberlake

It's the kind of song that makes you wish you could dance, and wish you knew the lyrics so you could sing it better (at least the second part can be remedied). The video is outstanding, in the old tradition of videos encompassing both story and performance. Justin can dance, yo. News to no one but me.

 

"I Love It" -- Icona Pop

I guess this was the year of the Swedish female duo? The first time this came on my car radio I was convinced the Waitresses had a song I had never heard before. Sounded like the 80s to me. But it's new, and tailor-made for tween girls to sing in the back seat.

Three French Hens  (Live Music Events):

Shock Mommies Reunion at the Brighton Bar, West End

Originally scheduled for April, this long-awaited event finally took place in July. I had a complicated relationship with punk music and the New Jersey Hardcore scene in the 80s. That is to say, I enjoyed wearing all black and hanging out in Marine Park in Red Bank, and I had some close friends who brought me fewer than six degrees separate from the legendary greats. I even spent considerable time in a basement in Rumson listening to the rehearsals of a band variously called The Underachievers and Pigs In Space (PIS, get it?). In the end, though, I was an honors student and a drama geek who didn't get out much. So while I was familiar with the Shock Mommies -- their lineup, their shtick, their oeuvre -- and band member Gentleman Jim Norton is a friend to this day, I had *clears throat* never seen them perform before. I'd never been to the Brighton, in fact.

It was awesome. CoolDad's coverage here.

Glenn Tillbrook at The Wonder Bar

I know every word of every song on Squeeze: Singles 45's and Under, and Glenn Tillbrook very kindly sang nearly all of those songs in his gig in October. I had been warned that he didn't do very much Squeeze stuff, and I was fine with that, because I own and love his solo efforts The Incomparable Glenn Tillbrook and Pandemonium Ensues. He did not do my favorite cut from the latter, "Black Sheep," but did write an apology of sorts for that on my autographed CD of the evening's performance.

And CoolDad was there.

Wesley Stace at The Saint

My husband and I love Wesley Stace, but we kind of hate him, too. We want to be Cambridge-educated folk-rock singer/songwriters who are also novelists and variety show hosts. Until we manage that, though, we enjoy living vicariously through him and being entertained by him. We got the chance to chat him up afterwards, and he also turns out to be "supremely intelligent and utterly charming," as the New Yorker observed late in October (link no longer available). Of course.

You may be surprised to learn that CoolDad was present.

Two Turtle Doves (Musicals):

Frozen

Run, don't walk to the multiplex to see Disney's latest. The score isn't the strongest part -- that would be the story, which does for feminist princesses what Brave thought it was doing and totally wasn't. It does, though, feature several strong voices -- including the standout Idina Menzel on the intended-for-the-pop-charts showstopper "Let It Go" -- and a couple of other good tunes. I wasn't humming them as I walked out of the theater, but now my daughters and I can often be found singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and "Love Is An Open Door." My son is partial to the tribal-sounding choral number "Vuelie," which plays during the opening credits.

Big Fish

I picked this musical almost at random for a family trip to the city in November. My family was profoundly skeptical about every aspect of the weekend I had planned, and while NYC Marathon cheering probably wins as "most surprisingly enjoyable," I think they were all pleasantly surprised by Big Fish, too. Which is why I was surprised to learn that it will close at the end of this month. It's not the best musical I've ever seen, but it's head and shoulders above the Radio City Christmas Spectacular that I suffered through last year; and it's a family-appropriate stagecraft showcase that makes Mommy cry. Isn't that what Broadway is for?

A Partridge in a Pear Tree (One New-to-Me Artist):

Iris DeMent

New York Magazine published a list of 60 Great Albums You Probably Haven't Heard. I owned two of them (well, I did own one on cassette--grrr, cassettes) which seemed respectable. When I posted the link on Facebook more than one person mentioned Iris Dement as an obvious standout, so I checked her out on Spotify. I had definitely heard her version of "Our Town," and "Let The Mystery Be" rang a faint bell as well, but what I really fell in love with was her 2012 album Sing The Delta. "Go On Ahead and Go Home" is one of the most moving songs about death I've ever heard -- certainly the most moving song about death with a Fats-Waller style rolling bass -- and I played it a LOT for a few days. "The Night I Learned How Not To Pray" is also especially good. I look forward to diving deeper into her catalog.