In With the Old, Out With the New: An Eau Clairian’s Take on the Musical Year in Review

"From the desk of..."

Let’s face it folks. 2012 held, in its grasping and rough-hewn hands, many ups and  downs for most of us. The times are (perpetually) changing, but it seems like 2012 swung the scales to both extremes and back again numerous times both nationally and locally. Due to this exaggerated sway, this writer found himself falling back on some of his favorite albums for the times behind as well as the times ahead. They say an optimist looks to the young year ahead at the clang of midnight, while the pessimist is ready to sweep that old, bitter chrono-dust under the rug, but I think it’s important to remember the experiences that have made us who we are: the people who have come and gone, the places we have been and left behind, the words we have had etched on the backs of our eyelids or forgotten forever. It’s important, in these reflective times, to remind ourselves of a question family friend Steve Betchkal taught me: What are we but the history of our love? 

The music we love is perpetuated by the people we enjoy it with, the times we had while  cranking the volume dial to ten, and the emotions we experienced, both joyous and despairing, all along while trying to paddle our proverbial flippers through the choppy river confluences of our microcosmic lives. Sometimes, just like the old Chippewa and Eau Claire, the waters run high enough to threaten bridge abutments or low enough to cause it all to run dry. Subtly and suddenly, music becomes a constant in the background to even things out. With that, I give you some old standbys and new finds that have gotten me through it all, the end of the world and beyond. Keep yourself going on with these, my picks for 2012.

Etta James At Last

When Etta James passed on January 20th of this last year, I dove into her music to find out why she became so important to music history. Though the first part of her career was lackluster, she hit it big with the song and corresponding album she will forever be known for, the title track off this staple of soul and R&B music. Every song on this album, as with many quintessential works, deals with love and loss and the in-between. From impossible situations to the purest form of mutual endearment, from rocky tempestuousness to the serenity of feeling whole again, Ms. James’ growl is a constant, calming presence throughout. Every track is great for an early morning cup of coffee on the way to work, but deep-cut gems include “All I Could Do Was Cry,” a track about a love not acted on soon enough, and “Spoonful,” a reworking of Howlin’ Wolf’s classic about the effect love can have on us. I’ve appreciated this one while enduring below-freezing weekend mornings as a reprieve from window-scraping. 

Kalispell Westbound

I wrote an unpublished review of this album this past summer, so I thought I’d use this opportunity to turn you all out there in Radioland on to this one. Kalispell’s had a banner year—both locally and nationally—always doing it in their own way. I’ll let this excerpt from the article speak for itself: “One of the songs that stands out on the album is 'Lucky a Hundred Times.' It is a song that creates the perfect balance between feelings of sadness and optimism. The lonesome traveler and the hopeful searcher alike will appreciate the tale spun by the song, which follows a man who appreciates the life he has lead but who is also looking for a love-filled horizon. 'Staring down a cold street light/ Darling won’t you tell me when it’s in the right?/ Your goodbyes had me./ I’ve been lucky a hundred times.’ In this writer’s humble opinion, the lyrics speak to a howl etched by coyotes in the cold moonlight, the heavy rope burn of unrequited love, and the sun inching up over the horizon, painting the workingman’s fields an indescribable red-orange hue. 

It is this beauty, combined with Shane’s guitar picking and attention to genre-appropriate details, that makes Westbound perk the ears of old-time aficionados and pop-bent listeners alike.”

The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The F-Lips have always been a staple in my musical collection, but the album that got me a (albeit late) start to the band was Yoshimi. A friend of mine played the album at a summer camp just before my senior year of high school, and my musical life has been changed ever since. I was able to return the favor when the album was repressed on vinyl fairly recently. Though not truly a concept album, it turned me on to the idea that an artist could sing about cartoon karate femme fatales versus robots, and them systematically dispatch the surreal at the same time with lyrics like “And instead of saying all of your goodbyes/Let them know you realize tat time moves fast/ It’s hard to make the good things last/You realize the sun doesn’t go down/It’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning ‘round.” This is a great listen for letting go of regrettable moments and moving forward. Also, it’s a blaster for the summer sun.

Amateur Love It’s All Aquatic

These guys were all the rage as I was growing up in EC. I remember the iconic synthesizer tee floating up and down the halls of Memorial High School almost as much as the school colors a few years back. It’s funny that they have since returned to the high schools for a new generation thanks to Chigliak Records. And, with the rumors that Josh Scott is getting his chops back, this would be the album to revisit. It’s also been great music as an energy boost for when the going gets tough. I think 2013 will see this album as a staple for learning new things. 

Wilco Sky Blue Sky

I wasn’t exactly a latecomer to this album, but something about the music appealed to me this year. I read an article on Jeff Tweedy that painted him as a regular guy with a lot of inner turmoil, and this album shows off the lyrical ability of Tweedy along with a throwback rock-western sound. A great number of songs deal with the reality of life and love and show off the guitar stylings of one Nels Kline, known for a raucously-controlled  guitar solo or two. Great for walks over one of the many snowy bridges we seem to be having this year. 

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett’s Greatest Hits

Last but most certainly not, in terms of the cosmic, planet-aligning R&B continuum, least comes this throwback giant-of-an-artist. I’ve been on Wilson Pickett ever since a friend of mine turned me on to The Commitments, an overseas soul band film starring a young, pre-Once Glen Hansard (whose 2012 album Rhythm and Repose is also worth checking out). Since then, I’ve grown accustomed to his sweet horn lines and sweeter background harmonies. “If You Need Me” (25-24 on the jukebox at the Joynt) is a great way to roll yourself back a few years while drinking a glass of your favorite beverage. It’s also a great way to keep your heart warm and yearning during the winter months.