August was a wild month here in Southern California.
We had six nights of Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour at SoFi Stadium1, we had a Hurricane and Tropical Storm, we had an Earthquake in the middle of that Hurricane2, we had and still have ongoing labor strikes across almost every sector, from the dual entertainment strikes to hotel & restaurant workers and we had a meteor shower that sent hundreds of people (including yours truly) flocking to the desert. All that plus new music from The Killers, Black Pumas, and Girl Ray. Oh yeah, plus on the final night of her Era’s show, TSwift announced the Taylors Version of 1989.
Phew.
Let’s get right to the music, shall we?
“Give Me Your Love,” Girl Ray - The closing track off of their debut album, and one that kicks off this mix something fierce. This song is a marathon of pop awesomeness, a banger and a bop. Girl Ray are playing in LA in November, and you all better be there!
“Loveher,” Romy - “Can you turn it up a bit more?” Romy of the XX whispers as she opens this killer track. “Some things are for us…”
“Miss Me Blind,” Culture Club - Madeleine Brand’s Press Play had their annual summer mixtape week in August, and one of their episodes had an extremely great interview with Boy George followed by a playlist curated by DJ Valida. Highly recommend taking a listen.
“Rasputin,” Boney M - You know when you keep hearing a song in different places with different people at different times? In August this was that song. I heard it one evening when I rode to Disneyland with a friend, and again on the aforementioned Joshua Tree meteor shower trip, and then was pleasantly surprised to hear it on KCRW one morning. At that point, how could I not include it here? The universe told me over and over to include the song about those crazy Russians…
“Keep The Fire Burning - Joey Negro Feed The Flame Mix,” Gwen McCrae - Ideally, you’ve put this mix on and have been up and moving to the tunes and not reading this dribble. Because this is a dance party, not a pity party.
“Undone,” ODEZSA feat. Yellow House - We’re still moving over here.
“Your Side Of Town,” The Killers - new Killers song sounding like ‘Day & Age’ Killers is fine by me.
“Ready For You,” Cherry Glazerr - “Wish I was ready for you…”
“More Than A Love Song,” Black Pumas - I absolutely loved Black Pumas last album, and their cover of “Fast Car” remains intrinsically tied to the first year or two of the Pandemic for me. I love this song, and can’t wait to hear more of their forthcoming follow-up album.
“One Big Holiday,” My Morning Jacket - Caught MMJ at the Bowl in August, along with Fleet Foxes. It was, I think, my eighth or ninth time seeing Jim James (three with Monsters of Folk, twice solo, and this would’ve bene the third or fourth MMJ show…) and he and the band never disappoint.
“Too Much Enough,” Nation of Language - Nation of Language’s new album drops this week! If you haven’t been listening to them, now’s the time to start.
“True Love,” Girl Ray - Like I said, super excited for this album and upcoming show.
“No California,” Ilsey - If there was ever a song that perfectly encapsulates how I feel whenever I go through a break up, it’s this one. I feel like I can’t live here anymore, that I have to run away and start a new life away from everything I know in order to somehow find happiness again. I came so close this past winter to pulling that trigger and moving as far away from here as possible; instead I stayed, and then moved for entirely different reasons.
It's cold in your shadow
All that remains, ghosts in the desert
Should I run away or pray for strength to come?
I'll run awayGotta get outta here, start a whole new life
Gotta go somewhere where the sun don't shine so bright
Everything around here
Everything 'bout this place just brings me down
'Cause there ain't no California without you“Feels Like Rain,” John Hiatt - Chris Douridas played this on KCRW the morning that Hurricane Hillary touched down here, though by that time it was just a Tropical Storm, but, still.
“Texas Sun feat. Leon Bridges,” Khruangbin - Can never go wrong with a little Leon Bridges on a mix.
“Take It To The Limit,” Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings - I’m not going to say this is one of the greatest covers of all time, but gat damn son, it is up there.3 Willie and Waylon (and the boys) deliver a cover so great that it almost dethrones the Eagles original. I mean it gets so close. As is, it somehow makes the song even sadder and more desolate. It also fully invokes so much more the west, and country, that the Eagles version flirts with.4 I heart it so much.
All alone at the end of the evening
And the bright lights have faded to blue
I was thinking 'bout a woman
Who might have loved me
I never knewAnd then Waylon kicks in and you guys… when Willie and Waylon duet the lyrics?
When there's nothing to believe in
Still you're coming back
You're running back
You're coming back for more...“Helplessness Blues,” Fleet Foxes - Okay, so, this is almost cheating as way back when5 I included this song on the initial CD versions of these things. But A) that was from the single and not the album and b) who cares?6 As I mentioned, I caught Fleet Foxes opening for MMJ at the Hollywood Bowl. It was my first time seeing FF, and they ended up being a way better show than I expected. I wanted to include this song, so, I did. Get over it.
If I know only one thing, it's that everything that I see
Of the world outside is so inconceivable often I barely can speak
Yeah I'm tongue-tied and dizzy and I can't keep it to myself
What good is it to sing helplessness blues, why should I wait for anyone else?And I know, I know you will keep me on the shelf
I'll come back to you someday soon myself“Death By A Thousand Cuts - Live From Paris,” Taylor Swift - “I get drunk but it’s not enough cause you’re not my baby.” The first night I saw Taylor Swift in August, she performed this song as part of her two song surprise acoustic set, and boy howdy did I not expect it or the crowds reaction. By that point in the show, she’d already cemented herself as the greatest living act of our time and arguably the greatest singer-songwriter of all time7, but by bringing out ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ she absolutely slayed it.
My time, my wine, my spirit, my trust
Trying to find a part of me you didn't take up
Gave you too much but it wasn't enough
But I'll be all right, it's just a thousand cutsFor the longest time, I thought RED was my favorite TSwift album, for all the obvious reasons.8 But then 1989 came out and that’s a whole different ballgame…. and THEN she released LOVER, an album that deserved way more critical acclaim and awards than it received.9 Anyways, this is from her ‘Live From Paris’ collection from a LOVER tour we never got.
“TAKE ON ME w/ NOÉ,” Ta-ku- I always like a great cover of this A-ha classic. “You’re all the things I’ve got to remember.”
“The Logical Song,” Amber Rubarth - Speaking of great covers, here’s one of Supertramp’s classic that also rules.
“What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish- From Barbie, a movie I’ve seen a few times now, and this song should probably win some awards for all involved. I also love hearing this song pouring from theaters as I wander around AMC waiting for a movie to start.
Think I forgot how to be happy
Something I'm not, but something I can be
Something I wait for
Something I'm made for
I only went to three of the six nights. “Only,” I know.
My first earthquake in my new home! Cross that off the “move in” list!
This is one of those “get stoned and listen to this song in the dark every night for weeks” songs. It just takes you away, it takes you there.
I don’t think I would ever call The Eagles a country band, but they are very much desert and western music.
“Way back when” = 2011. Specifically “Mix Tape 38: Shout It Out, Shout It Out (February 2011)” Proof positive I used the single version and not the album version so my “don’t use a song you previously used” rule I made up for myself holds true!
Nobody cares, Cody.
I found it telling how many people said “All due respect to Taylor Swift, but Beyonce’s SoFi shows were better” or whatever they said, as if we have to tear down one artist to lift up another, something Taylor is very much vocally about not doing. (See: “You Need To Calm Down”) That said, Taylor has no equal. I was trying to think who comes close. Elvis? He didn’t write his own songs, never toured internationally, and she’s already outpaced his oeuvre. Springsteen? He writes his own songs but a large part of Bruce is the E Street Band, and Taylor is a solo act. (Though he’s maybe the only one who can go song to song and album to album with her, three hour sets and all.) McCartney had the Beatles and Wings. Prince? Bowie? Both are dead. Madonna? Bey? Both have teams of songwriters, and Bey also had Destiny’s Child. I don’t know. I think it’s Taylor, especially as she shows no sign of slowing down either her musical output or global domination.
It’s her best.
I maintain to this day that the reason why is because of the track order on the album. For real. Also, ME! doesn’t belong on the album.