"Fancy" by Amaarae

Song: "Fancy"
Artist: Amaarae
Album: The Angel You Don't Know (2020)
Commentary: Catchy pop music! This album will be on my year-end list for sure.
🎶I like it when you call me Zaddy🎶
Watching this makes me think of how fun it must be to make music videos: dressing as rad as you can imagine and just rocking out to your own music.

Version:

"Judgement (I Demand)" by Andre Antunes

Song: song title is unclear, haha
Artist: Andre Antunes, featuring Kenneth Copeland
Commentary: This one's a little different than my usual, but it is catchy. And to be clear, I am absolutely down with mocking Kenneth Copeland, a White Evangelical charlatan making millions with his perverse religious fraud. Andre Antunes seems to be a pretty talented guitar player.
Song itself starts around 43 sec.

Version:

"Jame Jam" by Carl Stone

Song: Jame Jam
Artist: Carl Stone
Album: Himalaya (2019)
Also try:  Dan Deacon, Steve Reich
Commentary: I think minimalism is pretty interesting, but especially artists that draw on pop & folk musics. Yay.

Version:

"Knuckles" by The Hold Steady

Song: Knuckles
Artist: The Hold Steady
Album: Almost Killed Me (2004)
Commentary: The Hold Steady is catchy music. This is another high school throwback for me, but definitely an earworm that still pops into my brain on occasion: "we got taxmen coming round in their kevlar vests..."

Version:

"Big Beast" by Killer Mike

Song: Big Beast
Artist: Killer Mike with Bun B, TI, & Trouble
Album: R.A.P. Music (2012)
Commentary: I really appreciated this album when it came out. I'm posting it here though because the TI verse... *phew*. So good. I've kept an eye on TI since, without seeing him approximate it (although this year's LIBRA album is not bad). Also seems relevant to note that Killer Mike has been a disappointing public figure since I've known who he is.

Version:

"January 1979" by mewithoutYou

Song: January 1979
Artist: mewithoutYou
Album: Catch For Us The Foxes (2004)
Also try:  La Dispute, other post-emo/post-hardcore stuff?
Commentary: This video seemed gloriously weird when I was a freshman in high school in 2004. Also, I still appreciate them musically. I was also smitten by their tour bus powered by used vegetable oil. haha.

Version:

"Bye Bye Baby" by noname

Song: Bye Bye Baby
Artist: noname
Album: Telefone (2016)
Also try: 
Commentary: There was a time when I was spinning a lot of noname ... I guess I was also not updating my blog at the time. Now that noname is tweeting out that abolition wisdom, back on my mind. This was prolly my fav off a wonderful album.

Version:

"I Look Good" by Chalie Boy

Song: I Look Good
Artist: Chalie Boy
Album: I Look Good (2009)
Lyrics that resound:🎶 On my momma, on my hood. I look fly. I look good. 🎶 Commentary: If the chorus has never gotten stuck in your head ... is it just me? The song, on the whole, is not good though :D

Version:

"He Eh Lalla" by Ifriqiyya Electrique

Song: He Eh Lalla
Artist: Ifriqiyya Electrique
Album: Laylet El Booree (2019)
Commentary: Fun new discovery for me. I just read the musicians' bios and they seem v cool.

Version:

"Wandering Boy" by House and Land

Song: Wandering Boy
Artist: House and Land
Album: self-titled album (2017)
Commentary: Sometimes I get bored with people trying to do traditional folk music, but this is just beautiful. Love love love.

Version:

"pull up" and "SMD" by Pink Siifu

Songs: "pull up" and "SMD"
Artist: Pink Siifu
Albums: im still. (2018) and NEGRO (2020)
Also try:  Death Grips, Ho99o9 (if you like SMD)
Commentary: I thought Pink Siifu was an above average, talented rapper. Then NEGRO came out this year and I was like, "Shoot." Nice mix of experimental, punk ethos. I wanted one from each of those 2 phases here (rap, then the combo). ensley was the first album I heard of Siifu's (a rapping one) -- liked that too.

Versions:

"Indivisible" by Lungfish

Song: Indivisible
Artist: Lungfish
Album: Indivisible (1997)
Commentary: Oops, guess I'm posting more drone-y guitar music. I've already posted Daniel Higgs' solo stuff on here because I like his style, musically speaking. Lungfish is an interesting precursor to the solo stuff.

Version:

"Fransa" by Kel Assouf

Song: Fransa
Artist: Kel Assouf
Album: Black Tenere (2019)
Commentary: If you ever get tired of desert blues, Tuareg Rock, etc. maybe find another blog site. Love this album and its cover.

Version:

"White Oak" by Daniel Bachman

Song: White Oak
Artist: Daniel Bachman
Album: Oh Be Joyful (2012)
Also try:  John Fahey, other American Primitive guitarists
Commentary: I'm a sucker for finger-picked guitar, especially a là American Primitive.

Version:

"Slave" by Duval Timothy

Song: Slave (ft. Twin Shadow)
Artist: Duval Timothy
Album: Help (2020)
Commentary: Think I saw this album on Pitchfork. It's great. Intrigued to encounter more of their multidisicplinary work.

Version:

"Ruff Ryders' Anthem" by DMX

Song: Ruff Ryders' Anthem (prod. by a teenaged Swizz Beatz)
Artist: DMX
Album: It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998)
Commentary: An acquaintance referenced this on Facebook and I'd never heard it or of it. It's dope though. Definitely an earworm. "Stop! Drop! Shut 'em down, open up shop!"

Version:

"The Roving Cowboy / 阿瓦尔古丽" by Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn

Song: The Roving Cowboy / Avarguli (阿瓦尔古丽)
Artist: Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn
Album: self-titled (2020)
Commentary: You know how I try to appreciate various folk music traditions from around the world? Well, this album merges two of them beautifully. They blend "material from the hills of Appalachia to the prairies of Xinjiang region." I wish there were more of this -- so many folk musics, so little time (and collaboration!) There is a weird thing where it seems like Wu Fei is appropriating Uyghur music as a Han woman from Beijing?

Version:

"Carbon 7 (161)" by Jlin

Song: Carbon 7 (161)
Artist: Jlin
Album: Black Origami (2017)
Commentary: Jlin is a very talented and interesting artist. I keep an eye on her work.

Version:

Claude Cormier M'y’s choreography to Kyle Edward's remix of Fun's "We Are Young"

Song: "We Are Young" (Jersey Club remix)
Artist: originally by Fun and featuring Janelle Monáe, remixed by Kyle Edwards & Dj Smallz 732; choreographed by Claude Cormier M'y
Commentary: This is all about the video. I have rewatched this so many times. The choreography is impeccable and the dancers are magnificent (even just watch their faces at the turning point!!). No spoilers, but watch the whole thing.

Version:

"NYC Cops" by Heems

Song: NYC Cops
Artist: Heems (Himanshu of Das Racist)
Album: Stroked: A Tribute to [The Strokes’ 2001 album] Is This It (2011)
Commentary: I've liked this song since it came out in 2011, but it's been in my head and heart a lot lately. A heavy listen, but an important chronicle of New York City's police murders
#BlackLivesMatter

You can also read this weblog commentary on the song.
Version:

"HokayHokayHokay" by Slug Christ

Song: HokayHokayHokay
Artist: Slug † Christ
Album: The Crucifixion of Rapper Extraordinaire, Slug Christ (2015)
Also try: 
Commentary: You don't need to tell me I like too many goofy White rappers. I'm already embarrassed. For whatever reason, I did enjoy the album.

Version:

"Just Like Heaven" [cover] by Dinosaur Jr.

Song: Just Like Heaven [cover of the Cure]
Artist: Dinosaur Jr.
Album: You're Living All Over Me (1987)
Commentary: Love me some grungy, late 20th century rock music. Dino Jr's great; they were trendsetters and I love that they're still rocking. Not a fan of the original version of this song.

Version:

"The Queen Who Stole The Sky" by Sarah Mary Chadwick

Song: The Queen Who Stole The Sky
Artist: Sarah Mary Chadwick
Album: The Queen Who Stole The Sky (2019)
Commentary: Obviously, I love her singing. An album of organ music though? Magnificent.

Version:

"Mallorca" by Pipe Major Forsyth

Song: Mallorca
Artist: Pipe Major Henry Forsyth
Album: Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Musics 1918--1955 (originally 1935, re-released in 2007)
Commentary: I agree that sometimes bagpipes are insufferable. Have you ever heard good pipe music though? (these might be Uillean pipes or something)

Version:

"Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" by DJ Shadow

Song: Building Steam with a Grain of Salt
Artist: DJ Shadow
Album: Endtroducing..... (1996)
Commentary: A watershed. Listen to the whole album.

Version:

"Fetiche" by Arca

Song: Fetiche
Artist: Arca
Single: Fetiche (2018)
Commentary: Arca is an interesting artist. As a producer, she's worked with Kanye on Yeezus, with Björk, with FKA Twigs. And also makes cool, weird electronic music. This is another of those posts where I like the artist, like their albums, but have no idea what track to post. I picked the first one on youtube, which I'd never heard, but is great and has a cool video

Version:

"Rejoice" by Julien Baker

Song: Rejoice
Artist: Julien Baker
Album: Sprained Ankle (2015)
Also try:  Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers
Commentary: Member of boygenius supergroup. Lesbian, socialist, but also Christian. Julien Baker is a pretty cool cat. "I rejoice and complain" is a relatable lyric, even as a theology.

Version:

"Green Eggs & Ham" by Princess Nokia

Song: Green Eggs & Ham
Artist: Princess Nokia
Album: Everything is Beautiful (2020)
Commentary: I've liked Princess Nokia, but this year's double album is good times.

Version:

"The Sakalava Vezo 3"

Song: The Sakalava Vezo 3
Artist: Sakalava & Vezo are both ethnic groups of Madagascar. Not sure which describes the group(s) of people singing and playing here!
Album: Madagascar - Traditional Music From The South-West (1991)
Also try: 
Commentary: This just sounds like a good time. Turn your auto-play on and, if you're lucky, Youtube will give you #4 next.

Version:

"In My View" by Young Fathers

Song: In My View
Artist: Young Fathers
Album: Cocoa Sugar (2018)
Commentary: This song doesn't encapsulate what I like about Young Fathers, because I like that they sound good doing a variety of styles.

Version:

"Ndamutemba nyanga" by Ganizani Nyirenda

Song: Ndamutemba nyanga
Artist: Ganizani Nyirenda
Recorded in: (1950)
Also try: 
Commentary: Ohhhhhh shooot. Just found another ethnomusicological online archive. Feels like college. I just love a lot of folk musical traditions. Let me introduce you all to the South African Music Archive Project. Ganizani Nyirenda is apparently a Chewa man singing and rocking out on the thumb piano here. Looks like he recorded this in Nyanja (language) in what is now Malawi (then Nyasaland). More info here. What a bop.

Version:

"Cue the Machines" by Yonatan Gat

Song: Cue the Machines
Artist: Yonatan Gat
Album: Universalists (2018)
Commentary: Fun tunes, very interesting album. Yonatan Gat was in Monotonix and has collaborated with lots of cool musicians.

Version:

"Hard to Explain" by Run DMT

Song: Hard to Explain (ft. Ruby)
Artist: Run DMT
Album: The Ad Hoc Comp (2012)
Commentary: Don't know who gave me this compilation, probably my brother, but there's a few catchy tracks. Ruby makes this one stand out, although Run DMT's no slouch.

Version:

"Gomni" by Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder

Song: Gomni
Artist: Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder
Album: Talking Timbuktu (1994)
Commentary: Magnificent album. Two giants collaborating on a beautiful jam session.

Version:

"Venom" by Little Simz

Song: Venom
Artist: Little Simz
Album: GREY Area (2019)
Commentary: Little Simz can spit some bars. I don't know how British rappers got overrepresented in my listens in 2019, but I'm not disappointed.

Version:

"Into Eternity" by Farah

Song: Into Eternity
Artist: Farah
Album: After Dark 2 (2013)
Also try:  both After Dark compilations
Commentary: This song stood out on the original mix but it also simmers and just slaps on its own. Both the After Darks are great. I don't listen to 'em enough cuz I like to do each in a solid chunk without interruption.

Version:

"I Got Your Ice Cold Nugrape" by the Nugrape Twins

Song: I Got Your Ice Cold Nugrape
Artist: Nugrape Twins
Album: included on the wonderful American Primitive Vol. II: Pre-War Revenants (1897-1939) (recorded in 1926)
Also try:  you guessed it, the rest of the compilation. It's well curated.
Commentary: Mmmm. The harmonies. Even the humming parts, so good.

Version:

"Down" by Nadia Tehran

Song: Down
Artist: Nadia Tehran
Album: Dozakh: All Lovers Hell (2019)
Commentary: I liked this album the first time I heard it. It was interesting and cool and just good. There's some skillful genre mixing, lots of solid songs. A great debut.

Version:

"Deaths Come in Three" by Tica Douglas

Song: Deaths Come in Three
Artist: Tica Douglas
Album: Our Lady Star of the Sea, Help and Protect Us (2017)
Commentary: A lovely record. You'd've seen it high in my 2017 lists, if I had ever completed and released them :D Love to see a queer enby getting some recognition after many years of toiling in obscurity!

Version:

"Need You, Need Me" by AhMerAhSu

Song: Need You, Need Me
Artist: AhMerAhSu
Album: STAR (2018)
Also try:  Shamir
Commentary: Star Amerasu is cool. A queer trans queen. idk. Listen.

Version:

"I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" by Bascom Lamar Lunsford

Song: I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground
Artist: Bascom Lamar Lunsford, aka the Minstrel of the Appalachians
Album: included on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music (originally recorded in 1928)
Also try:  Other songs from the Anthology
Commentary: Doc Watson also does a fine version. I've been lax on the folk & bluegrass for a while here, but I've liked this song for some time.

Version:

"Juniper Arms" by Adam Torres

Song: Juniper Arms
Artist: Adam Torres
Album: Pearls to Swine (2016)
Commentary: Folk music, weird & beautiful voice. Check and check. Also a fellow Cincinnati-area native.

Version:

"Streatham" by Dave

Song: Streatham
Artist: Dave
Album: Psychodrama (2019)
Commentary: Cool album. Dave's a good rapper.

Version:

"Fuck and Run" by Liz Phair

Song: Fuck and Run
Artist: Liz Phair
Album: Exile in Guyville (1993)
Commentary: Another glaring omission from my blog. I loooooove Liz Phair. Specifically especially Exile in Guyville. It's a masterpiece. Definitely in my top 20 favorite albums ever. Good first-of-the-year post.

Version: