The short version: The Captain has been toiling on a series about his fave recent artists for a while now, and I thought -- hey, let the kid rock 'n' roll. I mean -- a boy needs a hobby, as well I know.
So, today, please enjoy part I of said series.
I should add that future installments will appear here on a semi-regular basis. Or (more honestly) whenever I'm hard up for a subject.
In any case, without further ado -- take it way, you old sea doggie!!!
"WELCOME TO THE 21st CENTURY, CAPTAIN AL!!!"Unlike most of you guys and gals who read this blog, I can’t put together in my head a top 10 best of the year list each year. I just don’t listen to and absorb enough new music in a year to have any sort of comprehensive list. I feel I can’t even create a decade list. So to share and promote my favorite “newish” music I have created a Best of the 21st Century listing.
That being the case, here are the Captain’s favorite new musical artists of the current century. The century I was not born in nor am I quite sure if I belong in.
Also, to make this even more interesting to you and me, I have found myself seriously favoring female music creators. So my favorite new acts are all women! They are a damn fine, talented group!. And we don't even have to bring up that presidential candidate lady.
So -- here's my Best of the 21st Century Part I.
To begin with I am already breaking one of my criteria for this list, as the first musician I'm touting started releasing her music in 1999! And this won’t be the last time I twist things to fit the story I am trying to tell. (To quote Bugs Bunny -- “Ain’t I a stinker?”).
Number 1- FEIST!
The video of “1-2-3-4” was my first exposure to Feist. You can call me a sap but I think it’s a wonderful ear worm of a song and a terrific visual representation of it.
Hell I love the Sesame Street version.
Don’t like it? Fuck You!😎
Really. Perhaps you need to have a child and/or grandchild to help you develop a sense that not every musical creation has to be a major statement, that it can simply give you a lot of joy.
Anyway, the moment that I went all in on Feist was the Metals album. For whatever reason it's my favorite of this century. With so many of my last century musical favorites (the ones still alive) running down, creativitely, as we rolled into the new Millenium, Metals just stands out for its musical creativity without being a ‘mope fest,’ ‘post rock serious pretension’ or totally devoid of a rock-and-roll feeling. Metals is playful, mysterious, and adventurous, but without going off the deep end. Feist has not died for our sins nor sold out her soul to succeed.
Here is one of the many wonderful videos created around the album.
Finally, you should dig around for the many other great tracks on her albums The Reminder, Pleasure and Multitudes. Although those three are a little uneven, their best stuff is, once again, great 21st century music.
Thanks for letting me attempt this!
Well. And who can argue with that?
Seriously, I think Feist is pretty great, too.
Your thoughts?
And thanks a lot for the tirade, Capt. Al! See you next time with your ode to your next favorite modern babe!
3 comments:
Leslie Feist has been a favorite of mine since I first came across Broken Social Scene about 20 years ago. As much as I liked her work in that band, her solo stuff is even better. I listened to The Reminder last night and loved it all over again.
- Paul in DK
Captain Al:
You know I love you, but that first one leaves me cold. No rock+roll at all there. Another genre altogether. One this dinosaur just doesn’t get.
The BlacK Cab however, that I like! Clearly, she’s got talent.
Jai Curu Dave:
Listen to some of Feist's other stuf especially the Metals album. It can be very interesting and challenging. Her music often becomes art rock but unlike most art rock it fall on the right side of the tracks most of the time.
Captain Al
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