Wednesday, March 20, 2013

SLICE TONES: Sly Stone & His Infinite Influence!


...with 5 Music Players!


SLY STONE has turned 70!

To celebrate, here are Music Players with 4 decades of his disciples!

A music critic once said Soul should be divided into Before Sly and After Sly. In truth, all modern music since 1970 has been influenced by his group.

Here's a music player of The Family Stone's greatest works, followed by 4 Music Players* of 500 artists from all over the spectrum. All are in chronological order.

Music Player Shortcut links:
• 𝟭 SLY & THE FAMILY STONE: 1965-Today
• 𝟮 Sly Stone's influence: 1967-1979
• 𝟯 Sly Stone's influence: 1980-1989
• 𝟰 Sly Stone's influence: 1990-1999
• 𝟱 Sly Stone's influence: 2000-Today

*These are Spotify players. Join up for free here.




𝟭

S L Y
A N D
T H E
F A M I L Y
S T O N E




SLY & THE FAMILY STONE,
The Music: 1965-Today
by Tym Stevens


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


Sly Stone produced the first records of upcoming garage and psychedelic bands in San Francisco, before joining his peers with the spectacular success of his group, Sly & The Family Stone.

The two architects of Funk are James Brown and Sly Stone. While they shared a tight propulsive rhythm, they were different in every other way.


• James kept a tight groove with Jazz touches, centered on rhythm and horns. Sly brought a freewheeling looseness that included wild Rock and avant Jazz.

• James was perfect process, sharp suits, and lock precision. Sly was power afro, brash bohemia, and happy chaos.

• James was backed by soul brothers. The Family Stone was male and female, maple and peach.

• James had national hits but was strongest within the circuit of black radio and clubs. Sly had international success while playing big festivals, including his legendary triumph at Woodstock.

• James was about the community. Sly was about a family of humanity.

Most Funk bands that followed assimilated James' tight groove with Sly's flair and philosophy.


The Family Stone has two phases: STAND and RIOT. All the music from 1967 leading into 1969's STAND album is sunny, fast, optimistic, inclusive. From 1971's THERE'S A RIOT GOIN' ON onward, the sound turns bluesy, staggered, critical, insular.

They are the two first and most essential Funk albums ever made.




★ Special spotlight should shine on Larry Graham. His invention of 'pluck-n-thump' bass-playing transformed modern music.

First heard on "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" (1970), it turned funky Soul into The Funk, and influenced Yes, Fela, Jaco Pastorius, Bootsy Collins, Gang Of Four, Bill Laswell, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Living Colour, Primus, Antibalas, the "Seinfeld" theme song, and scores more.




S L Y
S T O N E
' S
I N F L U E N C E




Sly & The Family Stone opened up a world of possibilities that everyone explored.

Whenever you enjoy thump-ass bass, drum machines, vocoders and pitch shifters, funkadelic guitar, stabbing brass, strutting dance, political soul, empowerment anthems, and diversity bands...
say "Thank You" to The Family Stone!

Listen to the following acts and enjoy their influence in rhythm, sounds, philosophy, and fashion.






𝟮

S L I C E T O N E S /
SLY STONE's
I N F L U E N C E :
1 9 6 7 - 1 9 7 9



Stevie Wonder; Betty Davis;
David Bowie; Parliament


SLY STONE-esque:
1967-'79
by Tym Stevens

This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

*(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)


Guests include:

Tony Joe White, James Brown, James Gang, Yes, Funkadelic, Chicago, Traffic, Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, Rita Lee, Deep Purple, Miles Davis, Betty Davis, Frank Zappa, War, Roxy Music, Fat Albert, KC & The Sunshine Band, Mother's Finest, Steely Dan!




𝟯

S L I C E T O N E S /
SLY STONE's
I N F L U E N C E :
1 9 8 0 - 1 9 8 9




Grace Jones; Tom Tom Club;
Prince; Red Hot Chili Peppers


SLY STONE-esque:
1980-'89
by Tym Stevens


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


Guests include:

Magazine, Gang of Four, Zapp, Material, David Bowie, Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, Prince, INXS, Trouble Funk, fireHOSE, Sly & Robbie, R.E.M., Tackhead, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Lenny Kravitz!




𝟰

S L I C E T O N E S /
SLY STONE's
I N F L U E N C E :
1 9 9 0 - 1 9 9 9



Lenny Kravitz; Beastie Boys;
Public Enemy; Meshell Ndegeocello


SLY STONE-esque:
1990-'99
by Tym Stevens


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


Guests include:

Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Family Stand, Jane's Addiction, Living Colour, Arrested Development, Primal Scream, Joi, Primus, D'Angelo, Mercury Rev, Dag, Meshell Ndegeocello, Los Lobos, Fatboy Slim, OutKast, Ozomatli, Macy Gray, Beck!




𝟱

S L I C E T O N E S /
SLY STONE's
I N F L U E N C E :
2 0 0 0 - T o d a y



Nikka Costa; Fatboy Slim;
Alice Smith; Cody ChesnuTT


SLY STONE-esque:
2000-Today
by Tym Stevens


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


Guests include:

Nikka Costa, Gorillaz, Barry Adamson, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Gnarls Barkley, The Budos Band, Rhythm King & Her Friends, John Legend, The Roots, Susan Tedeschi, Jill Scott, Jurassic 5, Alice Smith, Cody ChesnuTT, Galactic, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings!




"Everybody is a star
One big circle going round and round!"



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

• FUNK, The True History: The 1960s, with 3 Music Players!

• FUNK, The True History: 1970-1974, with 3 Music Players!


• Sly Stone's "I Want To Take You Higher" And Its Unending Influence!, with Music Player!

• "Everyday People" - Sly Stone > Joan Jett > Arrested Development

• "Sing A Simple Song" - Sly Stone > Jimi Hendrix > James Gang > P-Funk > Chili Peppers > Public Enemy

• "If You Want Me To Stay" - Sly Stone > Bootsy Collins > Red Hot Chili Peppers > Prince > Nikka Costa

• "Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego!" - Funkadelic > Sly Stone > Beastie Boys

• ROCK Orgy: "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)!"

• "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" - Bill Withers > Diana Ross > Sly Stone > Zapp

• Sly Stone > Prince, with Music Player!


• The Real History of ROCK AND SOUL!: The Music Player Checklist



Monday, January 28, 2013

BEST COMICS: 2012


S A G A,
by Vaughan and Staples



Shortcut links:
• Best Graphic Novel
• Best Comics
•• Worst Comics
• Graphic Novels
• Best Collections/ Reissues
• Movies And TV
•• "V For Vindication"
• Best Media Sites

• Rest In Power






B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L :
2 0 1 2




• STARSTRUCK Deluxe Edition, by Elaine Lee, Michael Wm. Kaluta, and Lee Moyer ⇧
(softcover)



"I was, and am, a huge fan of STARSTRUCK, which I think was one of the most brave and elegant experiments in comic book story-telling."
-CLIVE BARKER

"Favorite comic of all time: STARSTRUCK, by Lee and Kaluta."
-MIKE CAREY

"Pick up this book, because not having read it is sort of like not having read POGO, or listened to "Trout Mask Replica", or seen a Hayao Miyazaki film."
-John Hilgart, THE COMICS JOURNAL

"STARSTRUCK could be both silly and smart, was progressive but unpretentious, and clever but not so impressed with itself that it ever forgot to entertain. IDW’s reprint of the series is a service to fans of science fiction, aficionados of comics as an art form, and anyone who loves a good story."
-W. Andrew Shephard, THE NEW INQUIRY


Buy from IDW

➤ STARSTRUCK Strikes Back!
➤ The Roots And Branches Of STARSTRUCK






B E S T
C O M I C S :
2 0 1 2



- - - - I N D I E S - - - -



• LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: 2009,
by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (Top Shelf)

It was always about the extraordinary woman.



• SAGA,
by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Space Fantasy gets a challenging and adult rethink.
Excellent.



• FASHION BEAST,
by Alan Moore and Malcolm McClaren with Antony Johnston (Avatar)

In the late-'80s, Alan Moore wrote a script for a Malcolm McLaren film that didn't get made. Now the screenplay has been adapted into a 12-issue maxi-series by Antony Johnston.



• BLACK KISS II,
by Howard Chaykin (Image)

In the late-'80s Chaykin's gothic noir was so raunchy that it was sold sealed in black plastic bags. This new sequel was too much for European distributers, who refused to import it.>



• FRANKENSTEIN ALIVE, ALIVE,
by Steve Niles and Bernie Wrightson (IDW)

Wrightson. Frankenstein.


• STAR TREK,
by Mike Johnson, with Stephen Molnar, etc. (IDW)

J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK films rebooted the original series in a different timeline. Johnson's underrated follow-up comic fills out their 5-year-mission by taking classic episode stories into new directions.


• FATALE,
by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)

Like a jam session between Chandler and Lovecraft.






W O R S T
C O M I C S




- - - - - D C - - - - -

The modern comics landscape was recreated by Alan Moore.

When corporations betray> great creators>> for a buck>, they don't get my money or support.


- - - - - M A R V E L - - - - -

The vast marvel landscape was blueprinted by Jack Kirby.

When corporations betray> great creators> for a buck>>, they don't get my money or support.

Support creators over corporations.






B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :
2 0 1 2





• ARE YOU MY MOTHER?,
by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books) _______
The companion to the phenomenal FUN HOME (2006), which was TIME's Best Book of the Year.

• THE HIVE,
by Charles Burns (Pantheon) _______
The second book in Burn's trilogy about a postpunk Tintin.

• THE COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF COMICS: Birth Of A Medium,
by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey (IDW)
Why not tell the history of comics in its own unique style?

• Harvey Pekar's CLEVELAND,
by Harvey Pekar and Joseph Remnant (Z2 Comics)
Harvey Pekar turned Underground Comix into Indie Comics with his real-life confessionals.

• BABY'S IN BLACK: Astrid Kirchherr, Stuart Sutcliffe, and The Beatles in Hamburg,
by Arne Bellstorf (First Second)
Photographer Astrid Kirchherr and bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, artists and lovers, were a crucial catalyst for the early Beatles.• >






B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S
+ R E I S S U E S :
2 0 1 2






• Walt Disney’s DONALD DUCK: A Christmas For Shacktown, by Carl Barks (Fantagraphics)
Another master class from the maestro Barks.

• The Complete POGO, volume 2, by Walt Kelly (Fantagraphics)
Kelly's sly slapstick brought critical acclaim and literary validation from the mainstream media for the comic strip medium.

• CRIME DOES NOT PAY, by Various (Dark Horse)
A collection of the notorious anti-Crime comics that right wing zealots misused to maim the comics industry.>

• JACK DAVIS: Drawing American Pop Culture - A Career Retrospective, by Jack Davis (Fantagraphics)
Davis catapulted out of Mad Magazine to become the premiere cartoonist for magazine and album covers.



• OUT OF THE SHADOWS (retrospective of Mort Meskin), by Mort Meskin (Fantagraphics)
The underrated artist's use of light and shadow influenced many of the best creators in comics history.

• SPACEHAWK, by Basil Wolverton (Fantagraphics)
Actual stories by the most belovedly grotesque artist of all.

• CORTO MALTESE: The Ballad of the Salt Sea, by Hugo Pratt (Universe)
Mature adventure tales with cinematic eye and literary tongue.

• MATT BAKER: The Art of Glamour, by Matt Baker (TwoMorrows)
Matt Baker was one of the pioneer African-American artists, who deserves all the spotlight he can get.



• OBSERVED WHILE FALLING: Bill Burroughs, Ah Pook, and Me, by Malcolm McNeill (Fantagraphics)
The story of how author William S. Burroughs and artist Malcolm McNeill attempted to create an avant-garde precursor to graphic novels.

• ALIEN: The Illustrated Story, by Archie Goodwin, Walter Simonson (Titan)
The classic comics adaptation of the 1979 film, at last re-released.

• MICHAEL WM KALUTA Sketchbook, Vol.1, 2, and 3, by Michael Wm Kaluta (IDW)
Collections of the concept sketches of one of the finest and most versatile illustrators.

• ANGEL CLAWS, by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius (Humanoids)
The filmmaker (El Topo, Santa Sangre) and the illustrator (Arzach, Airtight Garage) collude in a portfolio of erotic surrealism.



• The Adventures of ADELE BLANC-SEC: Vol. 2, by Jaques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
The continuing misadventures of the grumpy investigator of the fantastic.

• FLEX MENTALLO: Man of Muscle Mystery, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (Vertigo)
The mini-series of The Doom Patrol's most unexpected character, remastered.

• SCOTT PILGRIM Color Edition Vol. 1 & 2, by Bryan Lee O'Malley, with Nathan Fairbairn (Oni)
1-2-3-4 BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTT!

• OCCUPY COMICS,
by various creators>
People are citizens, corporations are plagues.






B E S T
M O V I E S
+ T V :
2 0 1 2



I write and illustrate reviews of all comics-sourced films at the
Four Color Films site.




• THE AVENGERS
> Four Color Films review

• THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
> Four Color Films review

• THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
> Four Color Films review


• JOHN CARTER

• SKYFALL

• ALTER EGOS


• CHRONICLE

• COMIC-CON Episode 4: A Fan's Hope

• ARGO
(For the Jack Kirby connection.)



• MISFITS, fourth season


• Better Things: The Life and Decisions of Jeffrey Catherine Jones
A fine documentary about the excellent unsung artist, featuring Gaiman, Moebius, Kaluta, Wrightson, McKean, Pope, Mignola, and Sienkiewicz.

• Sex In The Comix: The History of Erotic Content in Sequential Art
A fun documentary overview of international erotic graphix.

See also:
➤ BEST MOVIES & TV: 2012






V For Vindication, Dept.:


or, "Alan Moore knows the score."



Who cares about Hollywood adaptions when you can make your own films?

Alan Moore has teamed with filmmaker Mitch Jenkins to create a unified continuity of short films about a cabaret purgatory.

UPDATE: The short chapters were collected into a total film under the title SHOW PIECES.
Available here.






BEST MEDIA SITES






• io9
Under the mentorship of famed authors and founders Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz, this site has continually presented the best genre media analysis around.

• The Mary Sue

• The Afro Futurist Affair






R E S T
I N
P O W E R




M O E B I U S
Our father, whose art is heaven...


• Jean Giraud, a.k.a. Moebius
• John Severin
• Sheldon Moldoff
• Joe Kubert

From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.




Nuff said, pilgrim. Excelsior!


© Tym Stevens



See also:


• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2025
• BEST MUSIC: 2025
• BEST COMICS: 2025

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2024
• BEST MUSIC: 2024
• BEST COMICS: 2024

· BEST MOVIES + TV: 2023
• BEST MUSIC: 2023
• BEST COMICS: 2023

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2022
• BEST MUSIC: 2022
• BEST COMICS: 2022

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2021
• BEST MUSIC: 2021
• BEST COMICS: 2021

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2020
• BEST MUSIC: 2020
• BEST COMICS: 2020

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2019
• BEST MUSIC: 2019
• BEST COMICS: 2019

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2018
• BEST MUSIC: 2018
• BEST COMICS: 2018

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2017
• BEST MUSIC: 2017
• BEST COMICS: 2017

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2016
• BEST MUSIC: 2016
• BEST COMICS: 2016

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2015
• BEST MUSIC: 2015
• BEST COMICS: 2015

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2014
• BEST MUSIC: 2014
• BEST COMICS: 2014

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2013
• BEST MUSIC: 2013
• BEST COMICS: 2013

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2012
• BEST MUSIC: 2012

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2011
• BEST MUSIC: 2011
• BEST COMICS: 2011

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2000-2010
• BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010
• BEST COMICS: 2000-2010


_______________


• How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!

• 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Its Transcendent Influence on all Pop Culture, with Music Player!

• How SPAGHETTI WESTERNS Revolutionized Rock Music!, with 3 Music Players!

• TWIN PEAKS: Its Influence on 30 Years of Film, TV, and Music!, with 5 Music Players!


• The Real History of ROCK AND SOUL!: The Music Player Checklist


_______________


• THE CANON 1: 50 Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player

• THE CANON 2: 50 More Books That Created Modern Pop Culture, with Music Player

• THE CANON 3: 50 Recent Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player



Tuesday, January 22, 2013

BEST MUSIC: 2012, With Music Players!


With 3 Music Players!


S A N T I G O L D






ALL THE
REAL MUSIC!


Nevermind those suburban-angst
'Best Music' lists that taste like paste!


These tunes will slink your slant
and everywhere your derriere!


Shortcut to Music Players:
• BEST ALBUMS: 2012
• COOL SONGS: 2012
• BEST RE-ISSUES: 2012






B E S T
N E W
A L B U M S :
2 0 1 2





BEST ALBUMS 2012
by Tym Stevens


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


This music player has songs from the following albums, in the same order.



• Moon Duo, "Circles"
Space Rock New Wave.
Like Hawkwind jamming with Devo.

(See also: Air, Wooden Shjips, L'Epee)

• Santigold, "Master of My Make-Believe"
Electro Pop.
Brash expansions in electronic dance music.

(See also: Romeo Void, M.I.A., Janelle Monae)

• Tame Impala, "Lonerism"
Electrodelic.
Like The Beatles' "Come Together" meets Pink Floyd's "Money".

(See also: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Temples, GUM)

• Pepe Deluxe, "Queen of the Wave"
Pop Opera.
An epic album of prog ambition, psyche chorals, and theatric melodies.

(See also: B-52's, Queen, La Femme, The Avalanches)




• Soundtrack, "DJANGO UNCHAINED"
Spaghetti Western redux.
A compilation featuring classic score cues from Morricone, Bacalov, and Ortolani.
>
(See also: Ennio Morricone, Luis Bacalov, Bruno Nicolai)

• Jesca Hoop, "The House That Jack Built"
Mercurial melodicism.
Folk with more twists than algebra.

(See also: Tom Waits, Joanna Newsome, St. Vincent)

• Dr. John, "Locked Down"
New Orleans Funk.
The Doctor returns to his classic mid-'70s Funk glory.

(See also: Prof. Longhair, The Meters, Little Feat)

• THEEsatisfaction, "awE naturalE"
Hiphop psalms.
The duo branches from fluid rap into soaring chorals.

(See also: A Tribe Called Quest, Meshell Ndegeocello, Georgia Anne Muldrow)




• Gary Clark, Jr., "Blak and Blu"
Blues phoenix.
Clark's feiry guitar bridges the roots of Blues to a wildfire future.

(See also: Freddie King, The Black Keys, Alabama Shakes)

• Rocket Juice And The Moon, "Rocket Juice And The Moon"
Afrobeat futurism.
Damon Albarn (Blur), Flea (Chili Peppers), and Tony Allen (Fela). Nuff said.

(See also: Fela, Gorillaz, Antibalas)

• Lucky Jim, "The Lovers"
Dylan and Cohen's love-child.
The best singer/songwriter that not enough people know. Soulful confessions, majestic productions.

(See also: "Blood On The Tracks", "I'm Your Man", "Time (The Revelator)")

• Nona Hendryx, "Mutatis Mutandis"
Political Soul.
Always a rocker at heart, Nona raises her fist to resist.

(See also: Labelle, Betty Davis, Material, Tamar-Keli)




• Hannah Williams And the Tastemakers, "A Hill of Feathers"
Big-lunged Soul.
By turns groovy, tender, funky, and magnific.

(See also: Stone The Crows, Elkie Brooks, Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings)

• Father John Misty, "Fear Fun"
Folkadelic.
Formerly the drummer for Fleet Foxes, John Tillman's piano confessionals astonish with gossamer vocals and a corrosive wit.

(See also: Glen Campbell, John Lennon, Randy Newman, Elton John)

• The Bamboos, "Medicine Man"
Groovy Funk.
A soulful party throwdown, with guests like Kylie Auldist, Aloe Blacc, and Ella Thompson.

(See also: Medeski Martin Wood, Cookin' on 3 Burners, Orgone)

• La Sera, "Sees the Light"
Power Pop.
Catchy guitar tunes with sunshine vocals.

(See also: Peach Kelli Pop, Colleen Green, Dum Dum Girls)




• Antibalas, "Antibalas"
AfroBeat renaissance.
The Brooklyn band is so on-the-one that they provided the music for the theatre musical, "Fela!".

(See also: Fela, Ikebe Shakedown, El Michaels Affair)

• Soundgarden, "King Animal"
Grunge rebound, unbound.
Still alive with the best qualities of Zeppelin, Sabbath, Black Flag, and Green River.

(See also: Jane's Addiction, Jeff Buckley, Blackwater Holylight)

• Tom Tom Club, "Downtown Rockers"
Rubber Funk.
Still bumpin' the grooves to make your rumpus move.

(See also: Parliament/Funkadelic, Talking Heads, Luscious Jackson)

• Garbage, "Not Your Kind of People"
TripHop Indieclash.
Back and pissed, like a ronin ninja.

(See also: Blondie, Tricky, Sleigh Bells, Florence And The Machine)




• Ruby Velle And The Soulphonics, "It's About Time"
Party Soul.
Let's turn this juke joint inside out.

(See also: Motown, Cold Blood, Marta Ren And The Groovelvets)

• The Hives, "Lex Hives"
Garage Redux.
Some growing pains, but still fierce.

(See also: The Sonics, The White Stripes, Sahara Hotnights)

• Georgia Anne Muldrow, "Seeds"
Jazzy Soul.
Moody grooves with an activist fist.

(See also: Nina Simone, Gil Scott-Heron, Jimetta Rose)

• thenewno2, "thefearofmissingout"
Organic pop for the new now.
Dhani Harrison, second to none.

(See also: Hari Georgeson, Jeff Lynne, Fistful Of Mercy, Smith Westerns)




• Galactic, "Carnivale Electricos"
Nawlins Fonk.
Turbocharged by a jubilee of special guests.

(See also: The Meters, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Wild Tchoupitoulas)

• Led Zeppelin, "Celebration Day"
Rock Of Ageless.
Their triumphant 2007 reunion concert, now released.

(See also: Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Lez Zeppelin, Rival Sons)

• Public Enemy, "Most Of My Heroes Still Don't Appear On No Stamp"
The only comeback is a rebuttal.
Two new albums from the greatest, smartest, most rebellious Rap group of all time.

(See also: The Last Poets, The Clash, Consolidated, The Coup)

• Public Enemy, "The Evil Empire Of Everything"
The only comeback is victory.
Two new albums from the greatest, smartest, most rebellious Rap group of all time.

(See also: Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, KRS-One, Rakim)




• Django Django, "Django Django"
Lush Electro Pop.
Somewhere between Depeche Mode and The Beach Boys. Hooky, upbeat, shimmering, and catchy.

(See also: Split Enz, Telekinesis, Liam Finn)

• Ty Segall Band, "Slaughterhouse"
Fuzz Rawk.
Brutal fuzzadelic, as nature intended.

(See also: The Stooges, Mikal Cronin, Tim Presley)

• The Delfonics, "Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics"
Vocal Soul.
A stunning revival, in craft, sound, and feel.

(See also: Ennio Morricone, Thom Bell, Norman Whitfield, Philly Soul)

• Gemma Ray, "Island Fire"
Indie chameleon.
A liquid songwriter freewheeling between noir cinema, art pop, and torch folk.

(See also: Dusty Springfield, Lykke Li, A.C. Newman, Kandle)




• Cody Chesnutt, "Landing On A Hundred"
Conscious Soul.
Early-'70s Soul for today's street.

(See also: Marvin Gaye, Lenny Kravitz, Curtis Harding)

• Boonaraaas, "More Knick-A-Knacks For Your Bric-A-Brac Shelf"
Garage Rock hullabaloo.
Turbo this Go-Go till it's gone gone.

(See also: Thee Headcoatees, Curlee Wurlee!, The Coathangers)

• Gossip, "A Joyful Noise"
Punky Dance.
Opera diva kicks your butt into sway.

(See also: Brides Of Funkenstein, Le Tigre, Von Iva, Joan As Police Woman)

• Lee Fields And The Expressions, "Faithful Man"
Timeless Soul.
Lee channels everything great and evergreen about late-'60s and early-'70s Soul.

(See also: Dave Porter, Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley)




• Bush Tetras, "Happy"
PostPunk funkiness.
Pioneers in the early-'80s NYC scene return periodically to school you.

(See also: Defunkt, Maximum Joy, Delta 5)

• David Byrne + St. Vincent, "Love This Giant"
Multiform Pop.
Skewed to the rescue.

(See also: David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Mitski)

• The Honorable South, "I Love My Tribe"
Rock'n'Soul.
Because it only really rocks when it can really roll.

(See also: Ike And Tina Turner, The Bellrays, Vintage Trouble)

• J.D. McPherson, "Signs And Signifiers"
Rockabilly and Soul.
Everything great about Sun Records rock and Atlantic Records soul.

(See also: Johnny Burnette Trio, Sam Cook, Rev. Horton Heat)





C O O L
S O N G S :
2 0 1 2




All the REAL MUSIC
beyond the box!


Nevermind Gloss Pop, Stepford Idols, Karaoke Choruses ("woh-oo-oh"), Ego Brats, Emo Prats, Plinky Folk, Brittle Bombast, Vegas Country, Smug Thug, Mope Noodling, De-mixed Throb, and Robot-o-Tune schlock! >

Here's the
D R E A M
J U K E B O X !

Twist around and rebound
and shake your body down to the ground!


COOL SONGS 2012
by Tym Stevens


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


This jukebox is sequenced into groups of sound, instead of randomly.
All the songs elasticize their genres.
Get your groove on in this sonic order.:

Rockabilly! Surf! Garage! Psyche!

Glam! Blues! Soul! Funk!

Folk! World! Riot Grrrl! Alt-Rock!

Electro! Alt-Rap! Cinematic! Cover Versions!



Jesca Hoop; La Sera;
Lucky Jim; Lianne La Havas

10 hours of brain-flaming, booty-scootin' music, featuring the following fine folks in this exact order!:

• Rockabilly! •
Heart Attack Alley, and Jack Ladder.

• Surf! •
The Sunmakers, That's a NO NO!, Grass Widow, Peach Kelli Pop, Habibi, and Django Django.

• Beat / Garage! •
The Jikens, The Fondas, The Younger Lovers, Sitcom Neighbor, The Fresh And Onlys, Lips of Salome, Boonaraaas, CONNY with Goggle-A, White Fence, and Jack Of Heart.

• Psychedelic / Beatlesque! •
Nick Capaldi, La Sera, Neil Young, The Bootles, Kaiser Chiefs , Jim Noir, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mystical, Weapons, Thee Oh Cees, Crash Normal, Stealing Sheep, Capsula, Pepe Deluxe, Deep Cotton, and Cat Power.

• Classic Rock / Glam! •
Led Zeppelin, Eric Burdon And the Greenhornes, The Heavy, Spacin', The Dynamite Pussy Club, The Dandy Warhols, Ty Segall Band, Moon Duo, Tame Impala, The Sheepdogs, Foxy Shazam, The Mynabirds, The Hives, Redd Kross, The Peach Kings, Jack White, Band Of Skulls, and ZZ Top.

• Blues! •
Gary Clark Jr., Danielia Cotton, Kid Koala, and The Savage Rose.

• Soul / Funk! •
Hannah Williams, Cody Chesnutt, Pimps of Joytime, Tom Tom Club, The Bamboos, Alabama Shakes, Nicole Willis And the Soul Investigators, Dr. John, Galactic, The Honorable South, Rhett Frazier Inc., Ruby Velle And The Soulphonics, The Jezebel Sextet, Quantic, Georgia Anne Muldrow, The New Mastersounds, Mark Lanegan.

• Folk / Alt Songwriter! •
Lauren O'Connell, Meshell Ndegeocello + Toshi Reagon, Father John Misty, Angel Olsen, Marissa Nadler, Sharon Van Etten, Jesca Hoop, Lucky Jim, Lianne La Havas, Gemma Ray, and Logistics.

• World-arama! •
Beachwood Sparks, Antibalas, Karriem Riggins, Sinkane, Rocket Juice And The Moon, Here We Go Magic, and Hollie Cook.

• Riot Grrrl! •
Cougars, Sleigh Bells, Brig Feltus, The Hussy Becky Lee and Drunkfoot, Nona Hendryx, Bush Tetras, and Garbage.

• Alt-Rock! •
thenewno2, A.C. Newman, Killing Joke, David Byrne + St. Vincent, Dirty Projectors, Deerhoof, and Fiona Apple.

• Electro! •
Air, La Femme, Geoff Barrow, Gossip, Santigold iamamiwhoami, Ava Luna, and Spektrum.

• Alt Rap! •
Spoek Mathambo, Speech Debelle, The Ting Tings, K’NAAN, and THEESatisfaction.

• Cinematic! •
Mount Eerie, Lava Children, JD McPherson, Silencio, David Holmes, The Surphonics, Durango14l Adele, Kandle, Serena Ryder, Hooverphonic, Luis Bacalov, Adrian Younge, Soulsavers, Calexico, Menahan Street Band, and Lana Del Rey.

• Cover Versions! •

List = Original By / Cover Artist
Songs are sequenced in the chronological order of the Originals.


Jackie Brenston / Tim Timebomb • Jerry Lee Lewis / Freddie Fano And Los Marijuana Trio • Roy Orbison / Molly Sue Gonzalez And The Mean, Mean Men • Sam Cooke / Meklit • Traditional / Le Chefs • Gloria Jones / Imelda May • Jackie DeShannon / The Sugarman 3 • Los Nivram / The Ugly Beats • John Mayall / Joan Osbourne • Jimi Hendrix Experience / Inga Rumpf + NDR Bigband • Nancy Sinatra / Jessica Fichot • Traffic Sound / DC Fontana • MC5 / The Fuzztones • Led Zeppelin / Dee Hemingway • War / Lettuce • The O'Jays / The Dynamics • Roxy Music / The Bryan Ferry Orchestra • Marvin Gaye / Martha High • Paul McCartney And Wings / Melvins • The Rolling Stones / Lee Fields And The Expressions • Bob Dylan / Lucia Micarelli + Steve Earle • Neil Young / Chromatics • Prince / Ishan Cooper • Bob Dylan / Tom Morello • Jane's Addiction / Fanesha Fabre • Terry Evans / Wtm Blues Band • Nirvana / Robert Glasper • Portishead / The Civil Wars • Bob Dylan / Adele • Lucinda Williams / Shemekia Copeland • The Black Keys / Kylie Auldist • Martina Topley-Bird / Neneh Cherry And The Thing • Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Macy Gray.






B E S T
R E I S S U E S :
2 0 1 2



Quality is timeless.



BEST REISSUES 2012
by Tym Stevens


This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


This music player has songs from the following albums, in the same order.


• 1920s •


• Woody Guthrie, "Woody At 100" box set (1930s-40s)
Folk troubadoure. This guitar kills fascists.


• 1950s •


• Howlin' Wolf, "Smokestack Lightning" Chess box set (1950-60s)
Blues patriarch. 300 pounds of heavenly joy.


• 1960s •


• The Winstons, "Color Him Father" vinyl (1969)
The Rock'n'Soul album that the infinitely influential "Amen Break" sample came from.

➤ "Amen Break" - How 6 Seconds From 1969 Propel All Modern Music

• Daughters of Albion, "Daughters of Albion" (1968)
Like "The White Album" deconstructed by The Mamas And Papas.


• 1970s •


• Quincy Jones, "The Adventurers" soundtrack (1970)
Quincy Jones arranged and produced many great film and TV soundtracks, such as "In Cold Blood", "Mannix", "In The Heat Of The Night", "Ironside", and "The Color Purple".

• Rodriguez, "Searching For Sugar Man" soundtrack (1971-73)
A forgotten folk-rock figure, Rodriquez's cult following in Australia led to this acclaimed documentary and his return.

• Paul And Linda McCartney, "Ram" (1971)
Paul crafted a homespun "Abbey Road", and time has borne this underrated record out for the required classic that it is.

• Marvin Gaye, "Trouble Man" soundtrack (1972)
Underprized at the time, Marvin's jazzy score stretches out his game with sophistication and soulfulness.

• T. Rex, "The Slider" (1972)
Glam Rock's throne. Get it on.


• David Bowie, "Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars" (1972)
Rock opera. Jamming good with Weird and Gilly.

• Various Artists, "Ancestors of Rap" (1970s)
Proto-rappers from the '60s and '70s.

• Black Sabbath, "Iron Man: The Best of..." (1970s)
Hard Rock tough enough to grind stone down.

• Various Artists, "Dancing Time: The Best of Eastern Nigeria's Afro-Rock Exponents 1973-1977"
For a brief period in the mid-'70s, various African nations had Rock scenes, until coup tyrannies wiped them out. Never mind oppression, here's the record.


• Roxy Music, Catalog Remasters (1972-82)
The first two and the last two are essential, and the journey arcs from edgy to groovy.

• Sex Pistols, "Never Mind the Bollocks" (1977)
THE Punk band, THE Punk record.

• The Avengers, "The Avengers" (1979)
Essential record from the San Francisco punk band.

• Francis Bebey, "African Electronic Music 1975-1982"
New frontiers in motherland futurism.


• 23 Skidoo, "Seven Songs" (1979)
PunkFunk for your badonkadonk.

• Electric Light Orchestra, "Mr. Blue Sky: The Best of..." (1970s)
If The Beatles had made really smart Disco Pop...


• 1980s •


• Feedtime, "The Aberrant Years" (1980s)
Ferocious roar that hinges Hardcore Punk into Grunge.

• Tom Tom Club, "Tom Tom Club" / "Close To the Bone" (1981/1983)
The first two albums, essential and finally remastered and rereleased.

• Talk Talk, "Spirit of Eden" (1989)
At first New Wave, then Psyche Soul, the band evolved into epic Floyd-ian moodscapes with this neglected gem.

• Pixies, catalog box set (1987-92)
The crucial guitar-driven band that drug Indie Rock into the light, igniting Janes Addiction and Nirvana to take the torch next.


• 1990s •


• Bikini Kill, "Bikini Kill" (1992)
Revolution Girl Style Now and forever.

• My Bloody Valentine, Catalog Remasters (1990s)
Moody Shoegaze trances for the ages, anticipating cinematic TripHop just around the corner.

• Massive Attack, "Blue Lines" (1992)
TripHop, and you don't stop.

• Soundgarden, Vinyl Catalog (1989-96)
Grunge was the perfect merger of Punk rage and Classic Rock mejesty.


• 2000s •


• Goldfrapp, "The Singles" (2000s)
Electro-Glam for your foxy orgy.


© Tym Stevens






"A splendid time is guaranteed for all!"






See also:


• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2025
• BEST MUSIC: 2025
• BEST COMICS: 2025

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2024
• BEST MUSIC: 2024
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· BEST MOVIES + TV: 2023
• BEST MUSIC: 2023
• BEST COMICS: 2023

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2022
• BEST MUSIC: 2022
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• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2021
• BEST MUSIC: 2021
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• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2020
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• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2019
• BEST MUSIC: 2019
• BEST COMICS: 2019

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2018
• BEST MUSIC: 2018
• BEST COMICS: 2018

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2017
• BEST MUSIC: 2017
• BEST COMICS: 2017

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2016
• BEST MUSIC: 2016
• BEST COMICS: 2016

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2015
• BEST MUSIC: 2015
• BEST COMICS: 2015

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2014
• BEST MUSIC: 2014
• BEST COMICS: 2014

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2013
• BEST MUSIC: 2013
• BEST COMICS: 2013

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2012
• BEST COMICS: 2012

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2011
• BEST MUSIC: 2011
• BEST COMICS: 2011

• BEST MOVIES + TV: 2000-2010
• BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010
• BEST COMICS: 2000-2010


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