My Heart Dissected: Music Which Resided In My Atrial Chambers (2010)
Note: This entry is full to the brim of streaming audio but should create a pretty picture of my atrium. The second half of 2010 will always be remembered as the time I began “Unholy Rhythms”. For the first half of the year, I mainly just listened and explored. Due to my bout of unemployment, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands. What better way to spend the day than searching and logging everything I liked.
I decided to not create a Top Albums/Songs of 2010. Besides the fact that narrowing them down is too difficult for me, it just isn’t how I think. I’ve decided to compose a list of artists that really defined the year for me. It isn’t too comprehensive, but here are just a few artists that really stood out. They all resonated deep within - I danced like crazy, sang along at the top of my lungs, or just grinned helplessly - creating rich and wonderful associations with music that will last a lifetime.
*▼† Oh, my soul: The Year of Witch House/Grave Wave/Drag †▼
► The first time I heard †‡† (rrritualzzz) I was floored. I literally felt as if my heart stopped - the world could have ended, for that matter. There was nothing else around me except for the pulsating, throbbing sounds that clapped almost sinisterly repeatedly in my ears. It lead me to uncover a world I felt captivated by and became completely immersed in. Over the months, I couldn’t get enough of oOoOO, Salem, and then ✝ DE△D VIRGIN ✝. ✝ DE△D VIRGIN ✝ brought a new element to the game - taking cues from classical movements and stirring things up ever so slightly. It was exactly what I had been waiting for and I couldn’t get enough.
I’m excited to see if the genre evolves over the next coming year. My hope is that it grows and morphs into something unexpected.
* ~♥ Oh, my loves: These Artists Made My Heart Soar ♥~
♫ Tobacco - Unholy Demon Rhythms
♫ How To Dress Well - You Won’t Need Me Where I’m Going
► From Jònsi to Twin Shadow to Zola Jesus, all these artists made me either cry, laugh, or just feel alive. I was lucky enough to see most of these acts live this year and some I will see in 2011. I even shed a few tears during some of these performances (Jònsi during “Sinking Friendships” and Zola Jesus during my anthem “Sea Talk”). Despite all of that, my favorite artist of the year, hands down, was Gobble Gobble.
When I first heard Gobble Gobble, I didn’t know whether to scream (happily) or break out in a fit of giggly joy (giddy). I cannot even remember how I found them, but nevertheless, they found their way to my heart. For the remainder of the year, whenever I felt down Gobble Gobble was my remedy. I had the honor of seeing them perform in August and that completely spoiled me. No other show I would see for the remainder of the year would come close to what I witnessed that night. Those sweaty, dayglo, neon electric shamans worked the crowd into a frenzy and I was transformed. That night will always remain in my memory as one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in SF and my life. For this and for many other amazing reasons, Gobble Gobble is my number one artist of 2010.
* ♥ Oh, my heart: Artists To Watch ♥
► Despite listening to a lot of dark electronic music, I still had room in my heart for psychedelic, folk-pop, or quiet music with softer elements. While I may not have listened exclusively to these bands at any point, I still *loved* them immensely.
♫ We Are Trees - Sunrise Sunset ~ Holy Spirits - Bridges
♫ Wintercoats - The Overture ~ Nightlands - 300 Clouds
We Are Trees, Holy Spirits, Wintercoats, and Nightlands, all created some deeply profound and memorable music of 2010. This was music to get lost in, music to fall in love to, or just music to watch the fog roll in. It was music that moved me and for that, I am eternally grateful.
There were many, many great artists this year: Piresian Beach, Martha! Mother, Mutual Benefit, Unououmedude, Clive Tanaka, Teen Daze, and Ra Cailum to name a few. Know that each of you are loved in my heart and I look forward to your growth and continuing musical output.
♥ Before I close out this post, I want to thank the following people for making 2010 truly memorable: Leaving Scene, DTS, Yvynyl, Cactus Mouth, Headunderwater, Gobble Gobble, Libelle, Ricky Eat Acid, Thinkorsmile, Smokedontsmoke, Morgan, and everyone involved in my mixes. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Happy holidays, everyone. I can’t wait to see what next year brings.
WERE you but lying cold and dead,
And lights were paling out of the West,
You would come hither, and bend your head,
And I would lay my head on your breast;
And you would murmur tender words,
Forgiving me, because you were dead:
Nor would you rise and hasten away,
Though you have the will of the wild birds,
But know your hair was bound and wound
About the stars and moon and sun:
O would, beloved, that you lay
Under the dock-leaves in the ground,
While lights were paling one by one
William Butler Yeats - “He Wishes His Beloved Were Dead”
▲ zone out. ▲