Oscar's Wild Years Retrospective Omnibus

This post, like so many others, begins in Harry's car near the end of some endless suburban night. I remember that we were on the Bypass in the dark, heading towards New Rochelle when he began the necessarily convoluted explanation of the Rogue's Gallery box set. After churning through some really interesting, unusual shit, we hit something ethereal and haunting that took us right out of night-Westchester and into a softer world. Here was some unbelievable vocalist, and then we found out that Mary Margaret O'Hara was the sister of one of our favorite character actors, and acquired her only album. I have been meaning to post a song from Miss America ever since Harry sent it to me, and this one perfectly sums up, well, a year in song. O'Hara's songs are wildly eccentric, veering through beats and themes as her voice stretches and even hiccups.

Joy is the aim:



I mention this because, well, you just form personal connections to this stuff. And now I've got personal connections to this stuff, acusuv you guys. And hugs!

Monday
John Coltrane - Alabama
Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Hot House : Erics is reliable with the jazz,
Eric B. & Rakim - Microphone Fiend : and the classic hip-hop,
Eddie Gale - The Rain : and this insane epic.
Blu - Just Another Day
Madvillian - All Caps : Late nights, Roger gets to talking MF DOOM

Tuesday
Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home to Me (Live at the Harlem Square Club) : I don't always like Aaron's newstuff, but this is one of my favorite songs, hugs.
Blossum Dearie - I'm Hip
Jean Ritchie - Careless Love
McLusky - To Hell With Good Intentions : Just like old times.
Henry Thomas - Bull Doze Blues : Lou's all over the place, I really like his turns as a music historian. Henry Thomas is pure condensed joy.
A. A. Bondy - When The Devil's Loose

Wednesday
Jewel & The Rubies - Kidnapper : Tyles!
James Cotton - There's Something on Your Mind
Bongos Ikwue - Woman Made the Devil : The smoothest, coolest song.
Dennis Brown - Westbound Train : Not just the intro, we've done really well with Songs About Trains.
Gil Scott-Heron - Whitey on the Moon
Ted Hawkins - Sorry You're Sick : "What do you want from the liquor store/ something sour, or something sweet?/ I'll buy you all that your belly can hold/ you can be sure you won't suffer no more"
Betty Wright - Mr. Lucky

Thursday - as for me, the couple I'm really happy to have found this year:
Marion Black - Who Knows
Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons
Rex Griffin - The Last Letter

Friday
Bruce Springsteen - Roulette : I didn't know about this one.
The Pop Group - She is Beyond Good and Evil : This band is crazy and Craigles reminded me to listen to them
The Kinks - Last of the Steam Powered Trains
The Replacements - Date to Church : Lots of fun, and then the special guest shows up.
The Ink Spots - I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire : What a bizarre pairing. In the soundtrack-makers' pantheon with the guys who advised Weeds
Mike Watt - In The Engine Room : Belongs on Rogue's Gallery

Saturday
She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
The Mountain Goats - Woke Up New : I was really glad to hear this one again.
William Shatner - Common People : This one too!

Sunday
Toots & The Maytalls - Love Is Gonna Let Me Down
Mick Harvey - Out of Time Man : ask my old roommates how many times I listened to this.
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes - Home
El Perro Del Mar - God Knows

Next year in Jerusalem..