Another year has flown by us. Once again, radio had a lot of fodder to play. Luckily, worthwhile music can be found beneath the slop coming through the airwaves.
The one album I kept within arm's reach throughout the year is Unpersons by Pack a.d. Here, this female duo delivers rock with blues, garage and punk leanings. "Sirens" and "Positronic" remain among my favorites with their driving drumming and dirty guitar licks. How I regret missing Pack a.d.'s Chicago concert in October.
Other songs I could not stop playing include Will Young's "Jealousy;" Leona Lewis and Avicii's "Collide;" and "Titanium" by David Guetta, with Sia on vocals.
This year, Friend Slash Lover released two exceptional videos from its debut EP, As American As Ones and Zeroes.
"Breakin' Up" shows frontman Josh Mintz aimless in Los Angeles. Walls and pavement crack around him, ultimately crumbling during the clip's climax. There is one scene where the footage is spliced among three different shots as if Mintz is walking through each shot. It is absolutely fantastic and a nice nod to Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence."
"Where Have I Been All My Life" is filmed with the '80s camera, Pixelvision (PXL-2000), by fine art photographer Sarah Baley. The final product is grainy, but completely effective. It gave me a flashback to the videos "Miracle of Love" by Eurythmics and Ariel Aparicio's remake of "People Who Died." These clips show the promising future of Friend Slash Lover.
Other outstanding videos this year are Will Young's "Jealousy" and "D.I.S.C.O." by The Young Professionals.
The film Sucker Punch is a 110-minute music video set to killer cover songs. The superb soundtrack's highlights are Allison Mosshart and Carla Azar's epic remake of "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles and Skunk Anansie's fiery version of The Stooges' "Search and Destroy."
The Donnas, Schonen Knife and The Dandy Warhols are just some of the artists who contribute material on Take It or Leave It: A Tribute to the Queens of Noise. This is my favorite compilation of the year. The catalog of The Runaways is given a modern update and it ages well as heard throughout the two-disc set, but especially on "C'mon," "Gotta Get out Tonight" and "Waitin' for the Night."
kd lang is backed with The band Siss Boom Bang on Sing It Loud. The 10-track album includes a stunning interpretation of "Heaven" by The Talking Heads. Just the way lang beautifully delivers the chorus can part clouds to make a portal between mortals and deities.
Another remarkable remake is TimPermanent's reworking of Robyn's "Dancing on My Own." Here, TimPermanent does not rely on the synthesizers and beats that made this track a hit in the bars. Instead, he sings over an acoustic guitar and does not change the lyrics, personalizing it and making it a mournful ballad.
Kylie Minogue has the honors of having the concert of the year. Although her trek did not stop in Chicago, I saw it in New York. Here, her pulsating electronic hits translated well onto stage with actual live vocals. So-called dance-pop divas, take note. Aphrodite les Folies: Live in London is out now on DVD and Blu-ray. Other great live performances this year include Patti Labelle, Sia and The Alt Q Festival.
The year's best comeback belongs to Erasure. The electronic pioneers return with Tomorrow's World, which is produced by Frankmusik. This set is fresh, as heard on "A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot" and "Then I Go Twisting." Erasure's previous outings have been too similar in sound. This is a most welcomed return to fine form.
Sia joins David Guetta on the powerful club anthem "Titanium" for the collaboration of the year. I would love to offer a storyboard for this track's video. The lyrics would suit the It Gets Better theme perfectly. Capitol, contact me and I will hook you up with a compelling clip with an important message.
Although "E.T." by Katy Petty, "Pumped up Kicks" by Foster the People and "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga were overplayed this year, I never got sick of these guilty pleasures.
When I went to see Leave It on the Floor, I thought it was going to be a documentary, similar to the legendary Paris Is Burning. Instead the movie is a musical telling the story of a drag house in California. The cast is delightful, whether singing numbers like "This Is My Lament" and "Justin's Gonna Call," competing in ballrooms or throwing shade. Sure, the dramatic moments are straight from a Lifetime movie, but the characters' personalities carry the film.
The year's best documentary is Hit So Hard: The Life & Near Death Story of Patty Schemel. This moving piece shows the lesbian musician's struggle with drug addiction, her rise to fame as a drummer and her time spent with Courtney Love's band Hole. Also, Love comes across more as a laughable Joker knock-off than a messy, self-glorified rockstar here.
This year saw some pop stars speak openly about their sexuality with little fan fare, as is the case with British soul singer Jessie J. and Brandi Carlile, the singer-songwriter behind "The Story." Other artists are left in compromising positions due to rumors and candid information trying to out them.
The worst albums of the year belong to Beyoncé and Britney Spears. On 4, Beyoncé was hoping to strike gold with material recalling her previous hits. Despite a handful of well-shot videos, there is nothing noteworthy on 4. Spears sounds bored while singing her latest single, "Criminal." The material on Femme Fatale could have been sung by any up-and-coming starlet with limited vocal capabilities.
