My Music of 2024

To round off the year, I'm taking a moment to account for the music that I treasured this year. In a year of quite terrible news, the music that sustained me wasn't political per se but I would still maintain that making art is an act of resistance itself. Here are those records: 1. Waxahatchee - "Tiger's Blood:" Katie Crutchfield is leading a new wave of Southern indie rock these days. I’ve been enjoying her stuff for several years now, but “Tiger’s Blood’ was my favorite this year. Like the boygenius album last year, it had a run of six or seven tracks back to back that were killer. The collaboration with guitarist MJ Lenderman anchors the album. Lenderman was originally hired to add the guitar solo that ends the single "Right Back to It," but his harmonies so added to the Waxahatchee sound that he ended up singing on most of the album. 2. Khruangbin - "A La Sala:" I discovered this Houston-based trio this year through an article in The New York Times Magazine. They make mostly instrumental music that draws from an eclectic mix of classic soul, dub, jazz fusion. "May Ninth" was constantly in my chill-out rotation this year. 3. Maggie Rogers - "Don't Forget Me:" Maggie Rogers' third album was another of my favorites this year, bringing up memories of Rilo Kiley’s work with Jenny Lewis back in the 2000s or even the peak of Fleetwood Mac’s work back in the 1970s. The title track and "So Sick of Dreaming" are the key tracks. 4. Noah Kahan - "Stick Season:" Vermont-based beardy folk singer-songwriter Kahan takes a bit of a beating in the music press for his earnest music, but I’m drawn to it in the same way that I’m drawn to Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver. His 2023 album “Stick Season” was re-released this year as an ambitious 24 song cycle that included versions recorded with a variety of music luminaries including Brandi Carlile, Hozier and Kacey Musgraves). 5. Remi Wolf - "Big Ideas:" Alt-R’n’B singer/songwriter Remi Wolf has an interesting ethnic background (Sicilian mother and Russian/Persian father) that informs her unique blend of music. "Cinderella," her hit from from her second album had the twins bouncing all year long. 6. Future Islands - "People Who Aren't there Anymore:" I first came across this Baltimore-based synth pop band this opening single watching them performing on Colbert. I have a real soft spot for old guys who can still get funky. I’ve enjoyed Sam Herring’s smoky vocal work for a variety of different artists (e.g., Bad Bad Not Good, The Snails) for a number of years. "The Tower" was the key track on this disc for me. 7. Hurray for the Riff Raff - "The Past is Still Alive:" New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Allynda Segarra took a turn toward Americana this year. I first came across them through their 2017 album “The Navigator,” which included the raucous political rocker “’Rican Beach.” The opening track "Alibi" burns with righteous rage. 8. Clairo - "Charm:" Boston-based singer/songwriter Clairo (born Claire Cotterill) has burst on the scene in the last three years with her unique brand of alternative pop. I first came across her music on the Amazon Prime Brand New Music playlist a couple of years ago and have been following her ever since. Her first single from this album "Sexy to Someone" was undeniable. 9. Phosphorescent - "Revelator:" “Phosphorescent” is the stage moniker of songwriter Matthew Houck. I came across this tune late one night on the campus NPR station while driving home from campus. I ended up driving around while I listened to it again and again on Amazon, just mesmerized by the sound. 10. Jessica Pratt - "Here in the Pitch:" LA-based folkie Jessica Pratt has been a leading voice on the “freak folk” scene since her 2012 debut. Her last album “Quiet Signs” was my album of that year. “Here in the Pitch,” which saw a more expanded sound, wasn’t quite at that level, but I did love this standout track. Notable Others: * Arooj Aftab - "Night Reign" * The Cure - "Songs of a Lost World:" * Diana Demuth - "The Covers Album" * Madi Diaz - "Weird Faith: * Hannah Ellis - "That Girl" * Ruston Kelly - "Weakness, Etc." * Ray LaMontagne - "Long Way Home" * Maya Hawke - "Chaos Angel" * Iron and Wine - "Light Verse" * Sarah Jarosz - "Polaroid Lovers" * MJ Lenderman - "Manning Fireworks" * Adrianne Lenker - "Bright Future" * Laura Marling - "Patterns in Repeat" * Father John Misty - "I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All" * Kacey Musgraves - "Deeper Well" * Meshell Nedegeocello - No More Water" * Willie Nelson - "The Border" * Carly Pearce - "hummingbird" * The Smile - "Cutouts" * Soccer Mommy - "Evergreen" * Allen Stone - "Mystery" * Kali Uchis - "Oquideas" * Faye Webster - "Underdressed at the Symphony" Favorite Songs: * Arooj Aftabi - Raat Ki Rani" * Bea and Her Business - "Wow" * Charli xcx - "360" * Clairo - "Sexy to Someone" * Madi Diaz - "Don't Do Me No Good" * Hannah Ellis - "Plans" * Future Island - "The Tower" * Hurray for the Riff Raff - "Alibi" * Iron and Wine - "All in Good Time" * Noah Kahan (feat. Brandi Carlile) - "You're Gonna Go Far" * Ruston Kelly - "The Watcher" * Khruangbin - "May Ninth" * Adrianne Lenker - "Sadness as a Gift" * Meshell Nedegeocello - "Trouble" * Danny Ocean - "Si No No" * Carly Pearce - "My Place" * Phosphorescent - "Revelator" * Jessica Pratt - "Better Hate" * Maggie Rogers - "Don't Forget * Shaboozy - "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" * Shenseea - "Flava" * Simi - "Men are Crazy" * Tyla - "Water" * Kali Uchis - "Igual Que Un Angel" * Waxahatchee - "Right Back to It" * Faye Webster - "But Not Kiss" * Remi Wolf - "Cinderella" Biggest Disappointment: Vampire Weekend - "Only God Was Above Us:" “Capricorn:” Vampire Weekend have been making some of the most interesting rock music for the past fifteen years. Sadly, the band that made their first three albums has mainly gone their own separate ways at this point, leaving front man Ezra Koenig to hire the cream of the crop of sidemen to fill out his own quirky vision. "Capricorn" had a really cool, dreamy psychedelic vibe that I really enjoyed this year, but the rest of the album fell short for me.

My Books of 2024

As we round out 2024, it's time again for me to take stock of the cultural artifacts that have kept me sane during these challenging months. For obvious reasons, I've had less time for reading actual hard copy books, so my list is about evenly divided between those that I read while holding them and those that I consumed as audiobooks. So, here's what I've been reading and enjoying: 1. Naomi Klein - Doppelganger: Imagine a situation in which your public persona is confused with that of a lunatic conspiracy theorist, merely due to the similarities between your names. That's that mesmerizing premise of Naomi Klein's latest book. Using everything from political punditry to Freudian psychotherapy and film theory, Klein weaves a compelling portrait of our contemporary society in which reality is elusive and information is up for grabs. 2. R.F. Kuang - Yellowface: Rebecca Kuang's biting satire about the publishing industry hooked me right from the opening sequence. Kuang's protagonist June Hayward is a frustrated young writer who plagiarizes the unpublished work of a friend whose tragic death she witnesses. That her friend is a Korean-American writer who has become famous and June is white and assumes an ethnically ambiguous monoker (Juniper Song) just adds spice to a beautifully crafted thriller. 3. Joe Boyd - And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music: Joe Boyd has been a musical hero of mine for decades now, a Zelig-like figure who produced some of the seminal works of 1960s British folk and rock music, including some of my favorite Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and Pink Floyd records. His book "White Bicycles" chronicles that period. His latest is a massive tome of almost 1,000 pages, detailing the fusion of Western pop and rock music with world musics, beginning with the story of the making of Paul Simon's "Graceland" album. 4. Barbara Kingsolver - Demon Copperhead: Barbara Kingsolver's reimagining of "David Copperfield" in 21st century Appalachia was so absorbing that I had to return to the Dickensian source material to compare notes while I was reading. I couldn't believe that there could be parallels between the worlds of Damon, Kingsolver's football hero and recovering opioid addict and Dickens' David, but it was all there. 5. Ta-Nehisi Coates - The Message: In taking on the political orthodoxy regarding Israel's assault on Gaza, Ta-Nehisi Coates' book was the bravest of the year. Coates has, for years, been feted in elite punditry circles but he had to suffer a crushing push-back on his book tour. Beneath all of that drama, however, was a compelling argument for the direct line from slavery to Jim Crow to apartheid to Gaza. It's high time that our political leaders took heed. 6. Miranda July - All Fours: I've been fascinated by Miranda July's films and writing since her 2005 film "Me and You and Everyone We Knew." There is always an element (or two) in her narratives that is unsettling and disturbing, which is probably a good thing. In her latest novel, which won all kinds of accolades this year, July presents us with the dilemma of what to do in the aftermath of a traumatic pregnancy to rediscover the magic that brought a couple together in the first place. The answers that she offers aren't pretty but they demand to be considered. 7. Phil Hay - And It Was Beautiful: Leeds United in the Era of Marcelo Bielsa: Back in the fall of 2020, when my beloved Leeds United were in the midst of their first season back in the Premier League in sixteen years, I said to my brother Steve, "I don't think I'm ever going to see a Leeds team like this again, so I'm just going to enjoy it." That turned out to be true, as eighteen months later, the genius who had created that magic team, Marcelo Bielsa, was out, a decision that began a spiral that has us in the second tier. But I enjoyed every minute of the Bielsa era and of Phil Hay's recounting of it. It was indeed beautiful. 8. Ian McEwan - Lessons: McEwan has long been one of my favorite novelists. His books tend to revolve around one traumatic incident from which the main characters have to recover. In his latest, McEwan pictures a young English schoolboy Roland who is physically assaulted by a music teacher during a lesson. The narrative spools out over 70 years of Roland's life as he tries to reckon with this event. 9. Rob Sheffield - Heartbreak is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music: As with many of my favorite writers, I would read Rob Sheffield's shopping lists. So, if Taylor Swift is his particular muse this year, then I'll read his thoughts about the Swift universe, whether it's my cup of tea or not. And to be fair, Rob's treatment did give me an enhanced appreciation of Taylor's oeuvre. "All Too Well" is a well-crafted pop song and "folklore" is a quite decent indie folk album. But let's have a book about Tom Waits or Radiohead or Public Enemy next year, eh Rob? 10. Juan Villoro - God is Round: Tackling the Giants, Villains and Scandals of the World's Favorite Game: What was the greatest goal of all time? Why do the Hungarians have a more philosophical sense of defeat than the Mexicans? Do the dead play football? In this fascinating collection of essays, Villoro, one of the greatest writers about world soccer, provides answers to these and other small and large questions surrounding The Beautiful Game. I'd love to hear what you've been reading this year.

The First Saturday of the Season

Morning, chaps! Hey ho - it's the first Saturday of the season. And we start with a real bang. My beloved Leeds United have had a turbulent week, dropping points on the opening weekend and then collapsing in the League Cup against Boro in midweek and then losing our talisman Georginio Rutter to Brighton at the end of the week. What on earth will we look like this morning as we travel to meet up with old friend Carlos Corberan at the Hawthorns. At the same time, Liverpool kick off their season against newly-promoted side Ipswich in a match that should really have featured us. Three years ago, we returned to the Premiership in glory with a superb performance in a losing 4-3 effort at Anfield. Now we're languishing in the Championship while Ipswich are enjoying a Premier League debut. Join me to see what the day bring, eh?

Let's Get it Started!

The Premier League begins here! I may be depressed about my beloved Leeds United's prospects after a disastrous summer, but I'm always excited to see the beginning of a Premier League season. It kicks off this afternoon with ManYoo taking on Fulham, just the kind of opening day challenge that suits the occasion. So, settle in and let me know how you're feeling about your club this season as we get started. Cheers!

Up for the Cup!

I'm settling in with the twins to follow the start of my beloved Leeds United's League Cup campaign, hosting Middlesbrough at the sacred Elland Road ground. We'll be hoping to bounce back from the disappointment of the opening weekend's draw against Portsmouth. Come on, you Whites! #MOT!

It All Starts Here!

Morning, boys! I'm up early with a real sense of excitement and trepidation to watch my beloved Leeds United open our Championship campaign against Portsmouth this morning. If I'm being honest, I haven't been happy with the summer business, as we've only added three players and have sold 15, including Cry Summerville and Archie Gray. But every season begins with a sense of hope. So, come on, you Whites! MOT!

Congratulations, Blue Devil!

Evening, all. I'm wrapping up our Euro 2024 Predictions Game doings tonight. It's a bittersweet moment for me as I'm still feeling the disappointment of the England loss, which is only slightly tempered by my win in this summer's game. As I mentioned in the last update, what put me over the top was guessing right on both of the finalists as well as Harry Kane as one of the Golden Boots. In last night's ceremony, France's keeper Mike Maignan was announced as the Golden Glove and Spain's midfield supremo Rodri was given the MVP award. Several of us picked Maignan but no one guessed Rodri. Also, none of the managers has been sacked to date, although several of them, including Gareth Southgate appear to be heading for the door. Here are the final standings: 1. Blue Devil - 72 points 2. United We Stand - 65 pts 3. Gooner71 - 60 pts 4. West Ham - 57 pts 5. Teddy Goalesevelt - 56 pts 6. Man Utd Rules - 55 pts 7. Red Dragon - 51 pts 8. Bee’s Knees - 50 pts 9. oticoN - 48 pts 10. Red Devil 1FCK - 45 pts Believe it or not, we're mere weeks away from the start of the next season, so I'll be back at the end of my vacation in Virginia to get that process started.