Bill O Writes

Best CDs of the decade: 

Any of the the top 3 could have been #1. Kind of didn’t want Kanye to be on top because he’s such a jerk, but in the end I felt that while all three performers were enormously creative, his CD was the most entertaining.
1. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – Kanye West (2010)
2. “To Pimp a Butterfly” – Kendrick Lamar (2015)
3. “Lemonade” – Beyonce (2016)
4. “Beyonce” – Beyonce (2013)
5. “Somewhere Else” – Lydia Loveless (2014)
6. “Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit” – Courtney Barnett (2015)
7. “Songs of Innocence” – U2 (2014)
8. “Stone Rollin’” – Raphael Saadiq (2011)
9. “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” – Billie Eilish (2019)
10. “Pushin’ Against a Stone” – Valerie June (2013)

Honorable mention:
“Channel Orange” – Frank Ocean (2012)
“good kid, m.A.A.d City” – Kendrick Lamar (2012)
“No Cities” – Sleater-Kinney
“CTRL” – SZA
“Lost in the Dream” – the War on Drugs (2014)
“Landing on a Hundred” – Cody Chesnutt (2012)

Best songs of the decade (not on a Top 10 CD):
1. “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele (2011)
2. “How I Got Over” – the Roots (2010)
3. “Emmylou” – First Aid Kit (2012)
4. “Consideration” – Rihanna and SZA (2016)
5. “All the Stars” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA (2018)
6. “Fuck You” by Cee-Lo Green (2010)
7. “Get Lucky” – Daft Punk (2013)
8. “Art of Almost” – Wilco (2011)
9. “The Joke” – Brandi Carlile (2018)
10.“Convex” – St. Paul & the Broken Bones (2018)

Best CDs of 2019:

“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” – Billie Eilish
“Twelve Nudes” – Ezra Furman
“The Angels in Heaven Done Signed My Name” – Leo “Bud” Welch
“No Saint” – Lauren Jenkins
“Painted Image” – Liz Brasher
“Ilana (The Creator)” – Mdou Moctar
“Legacy! Legacy!” – Jamila Woods
“Cuz I Love You” – Lizzo

Favorite TV shows of the decade: 
“Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”
“Louis”
“Justified”
“Fleabag”
“Better Things”
“Killing Eve”
“Catastrophe”
“True Detective” (season one only)
“The Big Bang Theory”
“Survivor”

Favorite movies of the decade:
“A Separation”
“About Time”
“The Social Network”
“BlackKkKlansman”
“Rocketman”
“Birdman”
“The Martian”
“Moonlight”
“Hell or High Water”
“Bridesmaids”

Bring on the 2020s!

“Town Burned Down” by Adam’s House Cat
“Everything Is Love” by the Carters
“Hell-On” by Neko Case
“Obsessed” series (especially Radiohead, Nirvana and Peter Gabriel) by Lena Hall
“Remain in Light” by Angelique Kidjo
“Black Panther: The Album” by Kendrick Lamar & various artists
“Dirty Computer” by Janelle Monae
“Young Sick Camellia” by St. Paul & the Broken Bones
“Particle War” by Sunny War & Particle Kid and “With the Sun” by Sunny War
“Stranger Fruit” by Zeal & Ardor

“CTRL,” SZA
“DAMN,” Kendrick Lamar
“Elwan,” Tinariwen
“If All I Was Was Black,” Mavis Staples
“Little French Songs,” Carla Bruni
“Lotta Sea Lice,” Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile
“The Nashville Sound,” Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
“The Order of Time,” Valerie June
“Sidelong,” Sarah Shook & the Disarmers
“Terrible Human Beings,” the Orwells

“Lemonade” by Beyonce

(not enough good stuff to make a Top 10 list)

1. “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Kendrick Lamar

2. “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit,” Courtney Barnett

3. “The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12: 1965-’66 – The Cutting Edge,” Bob Dylan

4. “No Cities to Love,” Sleater-Kinney

5. “Art Angels,” Grimes

7. “Wildheart,” Miguel

7. “Lowland Hum,” Lowland Hum

8. “Divers,” Joanna Newsom

9. “St Germain,” St Germain

10. “All Fours,” Bosse-de-Nage

1. “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele (2011)

2. “Fuck You” by Cee-Lo Green (2010)

3. “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk (2013)

4. “Head” by Lydia Loveless (2014)

5. “Art of Almost” by Wilco (2011)

6. “No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West, featuring Frank Ocean (2011)

7. “Emmylou” by First Aid Kit (2012)

8. “Airplanes” by B.o.B., featuring Hayley Williams (2010)

9. “Monster” by Kanye West, featuring Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z and Bon Iver (2010)

10. “The Other Side” by Bruno Mars, featuring Cee-Lo Green and B.o.B. (2010)

Honorable mention:

“All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor (2014)

“Q.U.E.E.N.” by Janelle Monae with Erykah Badu (2013)

“Pretty Saro” by Bob Dylan (2013)

“Drunk In Love” by Beyonce (2013)

“Salt” by Lori McKenna (2013)

“Wasted Days” by Cloud Nothings (2012)

“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen (2012)

“Black Doll” by Siobhan Magnus (2011)

“Copenhagen” by Lucinda Willams (2011)

“Tik Tok” by Ke$ha (2010)

“Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem, featuring Rihanna (2010)

The Beyonce/Kanye/Beck hullaballoo at the Grammys got me thinking. With much respect to Beck (more so for his early work than his recent work), I think “Beyonce” was far and away the best of the nominees for “Best Album.” And, sure, Kanye’s a knucklehead, but he makes great albums. Halfway through the 2010s, here’s how I rank the best of pop music.

1. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by Kanye West (2010)

2. “Beyonce” by Beyonce (2013)

3. “Songs of Innocence” by U2 (2014)

4. “Somewhere Else” by Lydia Loveless (2014)

5. “Stone Rollin’ “ by Raphael Saadiq (2011)

6. “Pushin’ Against a Stone” by Valerie June (2013)

7. “Fossils” by Aoife O’Donovan (2013)

8. “The Civil Wars” by the Civil Wars (2013)

9. “Landing on a Hundred” by Cody Chesnutt (2012)

10. “Channel Orange” by Frank Ocean (2012)

HM: “The King of In Between” by Garland Jeffreys (2011), “The Whole Love” by Wilco (2011), “Sun Midnight Sun” by Sara Watkins (2012) and “Archandroid” by Janelle Monae (2010)

2014 offered no knock-out CD like Wilco’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” or Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” As I began to narrow my favorites down to a top 20, I was interested to see some other lists. I was surprised when Rolling Stone put the new ones by U2 and Bruce Springsteen at No. 1 and 2. When they came out, I thought the U2 was pretty good (better than their last few by a long shot) but not worthy of the top pick. The Springsteen album didn’t seem worthy of consideration; the only work of his from the last 25 years I can listen to is his Pete Seeger tribute.

I listened and relistened to the contenders. Some moved up the list and some moved down. Some years have a disc that feels transformative (Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” for example). But most years, my No. 1 pick ends up being the one that I keep listening to again and again, one that’s sturdy from start to finish. As good as it is, “Lost in the Dream” by the War on Drugs didn’t pass that test. “Somewhere Else” by Lydia Loveless came close.

Kind of to my surprise, U2’s “Songs of Innocence” was the one that passed the test.

Now, consider this for a moment. U2’s first album was released in 1980. How many bands that have been around for 30 years have put out something this good? Not the Stones. Not the Who. Not Pink Floyd.

The Top Ten:

1. “Songs of Innocence” by U2 – Not iconic, like “The Joshua Tree,” or a major makeover, like “Achtung Baby,” just solid U2. There’s plenty of Edge-y guitar and Bono shows some restraint. The songs sound like they were meant to be heard with headphones and not in a huge arena (although some will translate just fine).

2. “Somewhere Else” by Lydia Loveless – An alt-country singer whose catchy songs have enough stylistic variety

3. “Food” by Kelis – Producer Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio helps the R&B singer up the oddness level on the “Milkshake” singer’s latest.

4. “Lost in the Dream” by the War on Drugs – Here’s what you’d get if Wilco tried to sound like Tom Petty.

5. “The Hum” by Hookworms – Here’s what you’d get if Sonic Youth tried to sound like the Velvet Underground.

6. “Blank Project” by Neneh Cherry – She had a dance club hit in 1989 with “Buffalo Stance” and a college radio hit in 1992 when she teamed up with Michael Stipe on “Trout.” This disc of tense, jagged R&B sounds nothing like either of those songs.

7. “Black Messiah” by D’Angelo and the Vanguard – Producer Questlove of the Roots can’t restrain the oddness level on the “Voodoo” man’s latest.

8. “Cosmos” by Yellow Ostrich — Here’s what you’d get if Radiohead tried to sound like a top 40 band.

9. “Manipulator” by Ty Segall – The garage rock album of the year (and there were a bunch of contenders).

10. “Loom” by Fear of Men – Kind of like the Cranberries but in a good way.

Honorable mention:

“LP1” by FKA Twigs, “Give My Love to London” by Marianne Faithfull, “English Oceans” by Drive-By Truckers, “Black Rat” by DZ Deathrays, “Lift Your Spirit” by Aloe Blacc, “Sun Structures” by Temples and “Hardcore Traxx: Dance Mania Records: 1986-1997” – by various artists.

The best songs:

“Head” by Lydia Loveless – Because this is an irresistible mix of lust and fury.

The rest of the top 10 (alphabetically):

“All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor – Because I ought to be sick of this one by now, but I’m not.

“Archie, Marry Me” by Alvvays – Because this is a lovely little love song.

“Bury Our Friends” by Sleater-Kinney – Because this fierce blast from the past is an intriguing preview of a new CD (coming in January) by the reunited S-K.

“Gina Works at Hearts” by DZ Deathrays – Because we need a good thrashy punk song now and then.

“Little Maggie” by Robert Plant – Because Led Zep’s singer keeps finding ways to reinvent himself.

“Made Up English Oceans” by Drive-By Truckers – Because this band is incapable of putting out a CD that doesn’t have at least a song or two I love.

“The River” by Son Little – Because this is one funky bit of blues.

“Turn Down for What” by DJ Snake and Lil Jon – Because it’s kind of fun to shout along.

“Yes Yes Yes” -by Boyz II Men – Because who doesn’t hunger for an ode to pretzel buns.

1. “Beyonce” by Beyonce (Columbia) – Some years I have months to absorb my favorite CD of the year. Not this year. Released on Dec. 13 with no advance publicity, Beyonce’s latest is filled with songs that will be hits in 2014. The music is sexy and the lyrics are frank enough to make Barry White blush.

2. “Pushin’ Against a Stone” by Valerie June (Concord) – My favorite CD of the year, until Dec. 13, and maybe it will hold up better than Beyonce’s disc in the long run. Memphis-based June sounds like an Appalachian Macy Gray on one song, a ’60s girls group on another and Allison Kruass on another. Rock-solid stuff.

3. “Fossils” by Aoife O’Donovan (Yep Roc) – A former member of the neo-bluegrass band Crooked Still, O’Donovan sings a bit like Shawn Colvin, but has a much broader stylistic reach.

4. “The Civil Wars” by The Civil Wars (Sensibility Recordings/Columbia Records) – The second CD by the alt-folk duo might be its last. Months before this gem was released, singer-songwriters Joy Williams and John Paul White announced the act was going on hiatus, citing “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition.”

5. “El Valiente” by Pinata Protest (Saustex Media) – This San Antonio quartet is a Tex-Mex version of the Pogues.

6. “Massachusetts” by Lori McKenna (Hoodie Songs / Liz Rose Music) – One of the strongest works yet, which is saying something, by this Stoughton, Mass., singer-songwriter, who mixes some country twang into her contemporary folk songs.

7. “Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics” by the Delfonics and Adrian Younge (Wax Poetics) – You probably haven’t heard anything from the Delfonics since their 1970 Top 10 hit, “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time).” Composer-producer Adrian Younge worked with original Delfonic William Hart to create a retro-soul classic.

8. “American Love” by Bad Rabbits (Bad Records) – Retro-funk from a Boston band whose lyrics could make Beyonce blush.

9. “An Appointment With Mr. Yeats” by the Waterboys (Proper American) – Setting the poetry of William Butler Yeats to Celtic-folk/rock could be a recipe for disaster. Instead it’s the best album by Mike Scott since the Waterboys’ “Fisherman’s Blues” was released in 1988.

10. “Among the Grey” by Cheyenne Mize (Yep Roc) – Rounding out the Top 10 with a little Siouxsie Sioux here, a little Bat for Lashes there and a whole lot of spacy folk-rock.

Honorable mention: “AM” by Arctic Monkeys; “Nomad” by Bombino; “Old”by Danny Brown; “The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You” by Neko Case; “Monomania” by Deerhunter; “Slow Focus” by the Fuck Buttons; “Same Trailer, Different Park” by Kacey Musgraves; “Silence Yourself” by Savages; “Doris” by Earl Sweatshirt; “Cerulean Salt” by Waxahatchee; “Dig Thy Savage Soul” by Barrence Whitfield and the Savages; and “Yeezus” by Kanye West

Favorite songs: “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk; “Q.U.E.E.N.” by Janelle Monae (w/ Erykah Badu); “Pretty Saro” by Bob Dylan; “Drunk In Love” by Beyonce; “Salt” by Lori McKenna; “Brainfreeze” by the Fuck Buttons; “Hudson” by Vampire Weekend; “Mercy” by TV on the Radio; “Invisible” by Steve Earle; and “Man” by Neko Case

1. “Landing on a Hundred” by Cody Chesnutt – If Marvin Gaye was still around, his latest CD might sound a lot like this. Chesnutt shows why early ’70s R&B is timeless.

2. “Channel Orange” by Frank Ocean – A sprawling and sensational R&B debut from a member of the Odd Future hip-hop crew.

3. “Sun Midnight Sun” by Sara Watkins – Former Nickel Creek fiddler Watkins made the Americana disc of the year.

4. “Sorry to Bother You” by the Coup – An entertaining mix of hip-hop, funk and politics.

5. “Stranger” by Balmorhea – This collection of minimalist but spacey instrumentals puts Balmorhea up with Spoon, Explosions in the Sky and Okkervil River as one of Austin’s finest bands.

6. “Kaleidoscope Dream” by Miguel – In a strong year for R&B, Miguel offered a “Sexual Healing” alternative to Cody Chesnutt’s grittier Marvin Gaye vibe.

7. “Voyageur” by Kathleen Edwards – Not her best work, but Edwards has a knack for combining hooks and storytelling.

8. “The Idler Wheel …” by Fiona Apple – Not her best work, but Apple’s stripped-down approach works at conveying her romantic angst.

9. “Psychedelic Pill” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Not their best work, but Young & Crazy Horse roll out some trippy, extended jams that make great highway music.

10. “Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan” by various artists – Plenty of filler on this four-CD set, but plenty of great tracks, too, by Flogging Molly, Mariachi el Bronx, Miley Cyrus and others.

Honorable mention: “The Seer” by Swans; “Country. God or the Girl” by K’Naan; “Lawless” soundtrack by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis and various artists; “Next Time Around” by Darryl Purpose; “King Tuff” by King Tuff; “Searching for Sugar Man” by Rodriguez; “Little Spark” by Jesse Baylin; “The Truth About Love” by P!nk; “Signs & Signifiers” by J.D. McPherson; and “These United States” by These United States