2014 Music Moments - Broncho

A successful band from the Midwest is something to behold. Always a hill to climb when you aren't from or living in a ready-made town.  Norman, OK is not a ready-made town...you gotta work.

Broncho is a straight up rock band, with fidgety delivery of lyrics and bells-heavy drums and crunchy yet crisp guitar(s). This guy's singing style is akin to Buddy Holly's voice-as-instrument style. Broncho has some of the best melodies going with casual (think Pavement), stuttery delivery.

The echo on the studio recorded vocals (as is the parlance of our times) can be overcome by even the staunchest of Real Rockers when listening to them live.

This is a top-shelf, intensely fun rock act and while their sophomore effort is a slightly less immediate jolt from the debut album, it is not close to a disappointment by any means and a solid full album spin vs. track by track selected purchase.  It's a full, cohesive record.

I can't get enough of this tight, tight recording; these guys sound like they are friends and earning it.  Small room, in a van, rock.  Midwest. Yes please.

One of the best records in 2014.

2014 Music Moments - Perfume Genius

I like those moments when music takes you off guard, your attention is drawn when least expected.  Letterman had Perfume Genius on in Oct, 2014.  I watched this guy's performance that night and was thinking the whole time that he is not faking it and not mailing in the sudden hit song over and over a la Sam Smith (equally great 2014 artist).

Familiar territory, but nothing derivative.  I couldn't pin it. Pop? Rock? The movements, the performance, the band (real drums ground it), the genuine shy power...like Joey Ramone. Keyboards are a damn mystery, but they sound plausible here, like they can mean something.

Great song, great performance, great record.  This is one weird, off center, great thing that happened in 2014.

Title TK. - First Post

Title TK. is my attempt at a music blog.  The name is a reference to my favorite Breeders record (to date) and also a printing shorthand for more "To come", commonly abbreviated "TK." and used to note that additional material will be added at a later date.

I hope to make lists...I love music lists. 

I'll convert "Greatest Hits" records to "Best Songs" records.  

I'll do reviews of old albums that I overlooked or disliked when they came out, but have come to love later in life (Jesus and Mary Chain catalog).  

I'll make lists of most overrated records of all time (Pet Sounds, Harvest).  

I'll debunk/edit in track changes mode record critics reviews of the past that missed the mark (Rolling Stone on the Zep). 

There will be mid-1970s to early 1980s soft rock head to head death matches (think England Dan and John Ford Coley vs. Bob Welch). 

There will be on-going list of best uses of the F word in songs (I call this my "elegant fuck" series).  

I'll get into the best seconds of a song that I hate (think solos, bass lines, backing vocals of otherwise suspect songs).  

And of course band album rankings from best to worst...you get the idea.

More than anything, I want to log my thoughts on music and how it has impacted my life as a Gen-X listener who lived through the vinyl, 8-track, cassette, cd, mp3 and digital era at the end of convergence of the 20th and 21st Centuries.  The death of K-SHE, MTV and cool radio and the onset of every song ever made available in 3 clicks.  

The internet has a weird connection in music and I hope to document my decisions and outlooks on music/life for my kids and those close to me that love music as much as I do to look back on when they inherit my records, tapes, cd's and iTunes account.  

There's a reason I never got rid of that Monks of Doom and Lounge Lizards record...I'll get that too...albums I can't throw away.

Thanks for reading.