Haunted Jukebox

Last month, I looked over my Spotify library and found hundreds of albums I’ve saved but haven’t listened to. Thus, in an attempt to post more on Bluesky, I’ve begun a version of the Music Writers’ Exercise (#mwe) that I used to participate in on the Social Media Site That Shall Not Be Named, listening to 100 albums and posting a small paragraph about each of them. Here are the first twenty which hopefully give a sense of all kinds of music I’m drawn to. Best discoveries include two albums released this year, one from over 30 years ago and another I’ve been meaning to check out since reading about it in Tim Blanchard’s book Like Magic In The Streets.

1. Malcolm Middleton, “Into The Woods” (2005): From this title & cover, was expecting something more pastoral (suppose “Monday Night Nothing” nearly fits the bill). Has a “better” (if less distinct) voice than his Arab Strap bandmate Aidan Moffat although his brogue’s nearly as robust. 

2. Tony Bennett, “Hometown, My Town” (1956): Just as silent cinema’s artistry peaked near the advent of sound, the Great American Songbook was never more expansive than at Rock’s dawn. Tapers off near the end but begins strongly with the melancholy, searching “The Skyscraper Blues”. 

3. Michael Hurley, et al. “Have Moicy!” (1976): Once acclimated to Stampfel’s vocal style (did he sing the 70s Armour Hot Dog jingle?), I much enjoyed this goofy, sincere, more-than-a-jam session amongst some folk revivalists (and it’s where Yo La Tengo got “Griselda” from to boot.) 

4. Lou Christie, “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” (1969): Title track’s ebullient bubblegum is almost as snappy as the same year’s “Sugar Sugar”; most of the rest is better than filler with “It’ll Take Time” and “She Sold Me Magic” lost gems. RIP to a great American weirdo pop singer. 

5. SPRINTS, “Letter to Self” (2024): Karla Chubb’s vocal resemblance to Pylon’s Vanessa Briscoe Hay got my attention but this Irish band’s more-melodic-than-abrasive punk (rather than Pylon’s post-punk) is winning in drive and dynamic even if they could ease up on the minor-key tunes. 

6. The Pale Fountains, “Pacific Street” (1983): The Clientele of their time? More obscure than The Go-Betweens at any rate. Swelling strings and trumpet fanfares enliven brisk strums and yearning vocals with all of these components arrestingly coalescing in closer “Thank You”. 

7. Nina Simone, “Emergency Ward!” (1972): Eighteen minutes of “My Sweet Lord”, eleven of “Isn’t It A Pity” both are as different as could be from Harrison’s originals and Simone’s genius is to make them effortlessly transcendent with aid of gospel choir and her own piano, respectively. 

8. Si Zentner, “The Swingin’ Eye” (1960): Nothing could possibly live up to that LP cover but it swings harder than Glenn Miller (if not Louis Prima). With muted trumpets, nimble piano solos and occasional brass blasts, it’s pleasant but Esquivel’s more my speed for this kind of thing. 

9. Rachel Chinouriri, “What A Devastating Turn of Events” (2024): Her Gen-Z indie pop’s not dissimilar from beabadoobee’s (or early Corinne Bailey Rae), but indelible hooks (the whistling on “It Is What It Is”) and caustic humor (“Dumb Bitch Juice”) both separate her from the pack. 

10. Luther Vandross, “Never Too Much” (1981): More familiar with his later crossover era, this is an impressive debut even beyond the title track & celebrated Bacharach cover. In one word, effervescent: a major talent with infectious ease to spare like a dream come true (his and ours). 

11. Patrick Wolf, “Crying The Neck” (2025): Another triumphant return in an abundant year for them: sumptuous, intricate but never fussy or labored, a layered, dense canvas inviting one to expend time and effort exploring it, promising discovery and even some instant gratification. 

12. The Beach Boys, “Surf’s Up” (1971): I appreciate their ambitious, eccentric stuff (esp. the title track) for how it slyly anticipates even weirder homages to come (hi, The High Llamas!) Still relatively accessible & presumably not a bad place to dip a toe in for this period. 

13. Dennis Parker, “Like An Eagle” (1979): The suitably soaring, impeccably strung out title song comes from the dudes responsible for the Village People, & it’s far less camp than “YMCA” or even ABBA’s own “Eagle”; sadly, the rest is Broadway-ready disco cheese for diehards only. 

14. Nellie McKay, “Bagatelles” (2019): Finally reconciling her transition from subversive songwriter to expert interpreter, this is an ideal way for her to practice the latter: 17 minutes, 8 standards, stripped down to voice & ukelele, coasting on skill and charm; it’s enough. 

15. The KLF, “Come Down Dawn” (2021): Reissue/revision of 1990’s “Chill Out”, an aural travelogue of found sounds, overheard conversations, stray beats, etc. Removed from its initial cultural impact, it’s pleasant rather than stimulating though repeated plays might reveal otherwise. 

16. Faust, “Faust IV” (1973): No wonder the 11-minute “Krautrock” named a genre: hypnotic without ever becoming inert, with a droning simplicity easy to emulate but more difficult to replicate. The rest I probably could not do justice to after a single listen; it’s all over the place. 

17. Giorgio Moroder, “From Here To Eternity” (1977): I suspect this got tons of airplay in sleazy gay discos, particularly side one’s suite. Benefits from its brevity & deadpan humor though the production often feels like a working draft for Sparks’ “No. 1 In Heaven” two years later. 

18. The High Llamas, “Gideon Gaye” (1994): LP #2 an ideal place to start, at least compared to other, denser efforts of theirs. Actual pop (or “pop”) songs sit aside wistful instrumentals and diversions (14-minute “Track Goes By”), O’Hagan exuding confidence in forging his own world. 

19. Stereolab, “Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements” (1993): After this year’s stunning return, going back to the early albums I missed. Almost shocking hearing so much guitar here, though their bossa-nova diversion agreeably sits aside all of the drone/groove set pieces. 

20. Barbra Streisand, “Guilty” (1980): My folks had the vinyl (all of Babs’ LPs from that era, actually) but I didn’t know anything beyond the hits. 4th single “Promises” might’ve been massive had it come out earlier; ballads are meh but Barry’s guidance & ambition are a good fit.