Well, if anyone cares, here is a list of my favorite albums of 2025. I don’t like the “best of” terminology because I acknowledge I’ve missed a lot of great stuff. Also, I didn’t stick to a “top 10” — there are actually 14 entries below. But these are the releases I enjoyed the most during the past 12 months.

*I am going to start off with two honorable mentions because one came out in late 2024 and the other is actually an EP

Chaos Into Poetry – Polaroid Fade

I am a huge fan of 1990s jangle/dream-pop band, The Sundays, who were one of the hottest alternative acts around before suddenly calling it quits in 1997. Well, during the first half of 2025, WXPN in Philadelphia began playing a song called “Bliss” by Polaroid Fade. And, man, did that song fill The Sundays-sized hole in my music-loving heart. For about three years, Polaroid Fade, it seems, has been a rotating cast of musicians backing Vineland, N.J., teen vocalist Nicoletta Giuliani. Their full-length debut, Chaos Into Poetry, was actually released in November 2024, but I had to put it on this list because a) I didn’t get to it until 2025, and b) it consumed much of my music-listening time throughout May and June, especially. Here are “Bliss” and “Cotton Candy Skies” from Chaos Into Poetry by Polaroid Fade.

Audio Vertigo ECHO – Elbow (EP)

OK, Elbow’s Audio Vertigo ECHO isn’t an album…it’s an EP. But it’s a GREAT EP! Building on the groove/vibe-heavy sound of 2024’s Audio Vertigo album, Elbow released these five additional songs that are a really fun listen. The fifth track, “Sober,” was my favorite song of 2025 so ECHO definitely deserves a spot here, in my opinion. And my opinion is all that counts for this list. Also, I FINALLY was able to see Elbow live for the first time ever back in September, and it exceeded even my lofty expectations. They are amazing.

The Great Western Road – Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue is a band I keep forgetting about, but always get drawn into a rabbit hole of great music when I remember them. I first became familiar with the band in 1993 when the much-missed WHTG in Eatontown, N.J., played their song “Your Town” quite a bit. That track had an interesting folk-rock vibe with an industrial edge that really ticked a lot of boxes with me. But the Scottish band started out in the 1980s as more of a straight-up pop band with some folk touches. In fact, Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, the album that spawned “Your Town,” was an experiment into a more alternative sound that wasn’t well-received. The band had a successful UK tour the following year, but broke up later in 1994. Five years later, Deacon Blue staged a reunion show that led to a continuation of the band. Fast forward to June 2025 and I, again, have forgotten about the band Deacon Blue. However, I see news come across my feed that Deacon Blue founding member and keyboardist James Prime has died from cancer. In reading the news, I learn that before he passed, Prime recorded parts for a Deacon Blue album released earlier in the year called The Great Western Road. I check it out and it is phenomenal! It is such a throwback to great 80s pop. Nostalgia oozes throughout the album’s lead single, “Late ’88,” and throughout most of the album.

Minor Birds – Negative Players

When fascist billionaire con artist Elon Musk bought and ruined Twitter in 2022, I started a Mastodon account and joined the fediverse. From 2022-2024, there was an online radio station that played only independent artists with a presence in the fediverse called Radio Free Fedi. RFF played my music a lot and the title track of my 2021 album, Looking for the Light, caught the attention of the fediverse-focused online publication We Distribute, which included it on its “canned nostalgia” mixtape of RFF artists. Anyway, I discovered so many independent artists in the fediverse thanks to RFF. Michigan-based Negative Players is one such act. The band describes itself as “a theoretically fantastic two-piece indie/alternative rock band from Southwest Michigan combining melody and noisy aggression to spin some tasty tunes of sadness and nostalgia.” Here is “I’m a Creep, Not a Monster” from Minor Birds.

Play Both Sides – Fragile Creatures

Fragile Creatures is a UK-based band that I discovered in the final days of Radio Free Fedi. I heard “Don’t Know What to Do” on RFF and it immediately caught my attention, so I went to their Bandcamp page to hear more. Yeah, this is a band that ticks a lot of boxes for me. Here is the song that turned me into a fan.

The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift

So…we go from two indie artists in the fediverse…to the biggest pop star in the universe, Taylor Swift, and her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl. Yes, this is a drop-off from Folklore, Evermore and Midnights, but I enjoy this album more than The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD was OK, but even the standard release was too much…and then Swift released additional songs hours after the initial release…ugh). TLOAS is a just fun, tight pop album. That’s what Swift wanted to create and that’s what she gave us. And even in doing that, she threw some curveballs like the lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia.” Most, if not all, pop songs are based on sections of four-bar patterns. But this song, especially the verses, is built mostly on the use of a five-bar pattern. It catches the ear’s attention and its somewhat unsettling nature draws you deeper into the song.

Face Down in the Garden – Tennis

I discovered Tennis — a duo consisting of married couple, Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley — through SiriusXM around 2011 and became a huge fan of theirs. Sadly, I never had the chance to see them live, and upon releasing their 2025 album, Face Down in the Garden, they also announced it would be their last as Tennis. The grind just became too much, punctuated by a series of mishaps during and after their 2023 tour that included “an attempted robbery at sea.” They did go on tour in 2025, but I wasn’t able to make it to their Philly show. Alaina and Patrick are still together as a couple and say they will pursue other creative opportunities. It sounds like the door isn’t completely closed to a return to music, but it won’t be as Tennis. Face Down in the Garden serves as a fantastic musical farewell from the duo, and their swan song was one of my favorite albums of 2025.

Young Love – Boo Boos

Boo Boos are a side project of EELS frontman Mark “E” Everett and Kate Mattison of 79.5, a Brooklyn-based band I saw open for Young Gun Silver Fox in February 2024 and instantly liked a lot. E and Kate even developed a backstory and new pseudonyms for the project — Bronco Boo and Katie Boo. The album has a fantastic retro vibe and you can tell both E and Mattison had fun doing something so different from their respective regular music projects. “Total Thunder” is a great introduction to Young Love.

Hard Headed Woman – Margo Price

I have been a big Margo Price fan since “Hands of Time” from her 2016 album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, started getting a ton of airplay on WXPN in Philadelphia. Since then, she has become a favorite of WXPN and of mine. She is the biggest badass in country music right now and when she performed “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down” on what, at one point, appeared to be the final episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 16, Price fittingly replaced the lyric “Keep the haters underground” to “Keep all them fascists underground.” Don’t let the bastards — and the fascists — get you down, indeed!

A Still Life Revisited – The Tisburys

The Tisburys became my favorite Philly band going right now in 2025. Saw them twice live this year, and I have been following and interacting with frontman Tyler Asay on social media for a couple of years now. The band is just super-fun and their 2025 album, A Still Life Revisited, is fantastic. And the obsession with Margate, N.J.’s Lucy the Elephant does not hurt! Here is “Forever” from A Still Life Revisited.

Humanhood – The Weather Station

Toronto-based Tamara Lindeman, a former child actor, has been releasing indie folk/rock-pop music as The Weather Station since 2006. But, in late 2020, TWS released the single “Robber” from their upcoming album, Ignorance, released in February 2021. WXPN began playing “Robber” right away and I immediately picked up the Talk Talk/Mark Hollis vibes of the track. Lindeman said in multiple articles about the album that she was indeed channeling Hollis during the making of the record, which was a stark departure from earlier TWS releases (which I also wound up enjoying). But “Robber” became my favorite song for 2021, with Ignorance being my favorite album that year. I’ve seen The Weather Station live twice since then, and Tamara and Co. are amazing in person. Their latest album, Humanhood, is another stellar effort punctuated by great tracks like “Neon Signs” below.

A Bridge To Far – Midlake

Yes, the “to” in the title of Midlake’s latest masterpiece is spelled like that. They say there is a reason for it. I don’t get it, but the album — as usual — is amazing. I’ve been a huge fan of Midlake since their epic The Trials of Van Occupanther was released in 2006. A Bridge To Far kind of came as a surprise. It was either late 2024 or maybe even earlier this year, when the band started teasing new music with photos and short videos shot in the studio. I figured a new album wouldn’t come until 2026. But the fantastic A Bridge To Far wound up being released in early November, with three singles preceding it, including “Days Gone By” below. If you watched Ted Lasso and caught the sixth episode of the third season (“Sunflowers”) when the team goes to Amsterdam and has a series of adventures and misadventures, there is that scene where the team sings “Three Little Birds” on the bus at the end of the episode. The camera pans up the aisle toward the front of the bus and the character Trent Crimm (played by James Lance) is wearing a Midlake shirt. Turns out, Lance is a big Midlake fan and is featured in this beautiful video for “Days Gone By” shot in the early morning in a still-waking-up New York City.

Pleasure – Young Gun Silver Fox

I have been a fan of the duo of Andy Platts and Shawn Lee — Young Gun Silver Fox — for over a decade now, ever since WXPN in Philadelphia gave their debut single, “You Can Feel It,” a ton of airplay. They wear their 1970s “yacht rock” influences on their sleeves and they really bring “the smooth.” But they can also rock and groove, as they do on Pleasure‘s lead single and standout track, “Stevie & Sly,” one of my favorite tracks of 2025.

The Art of Loving – Olivia Dean

By far, my favorite album of 2025 was by an artist I wasn’t really familiar with until late September, Olivia Dean. Dean’s fantastic The Art of Loving is an exquisite collection of well-crafted and soulful pop songs, with some interesting musical adventures along the way. A clip of Dean’s appearance on Later…With Jools Holland wound up in one of my feeds, and it was so good I had to find out more. I was obsessed with this album for most of October and I still find myself revisiting it. Here are videos of Dean’s performances of two singles from the album, “Man I Need” and “Nice to Each Other.”

Coming in just under the wire, here is a list of my top 10 favorite albums of 2024. I don’t like the “best of” terminology because I acknowledge I’ve missed a lot of great stuff. But these are my top favorites among the albums I did consume during the past 12 months.

Songs of a Lost World – The Cure

Songs of a Lost World is at or near the top of a lot of people’s “best of” lists this year, and it’s definitely a great album. And it was so awesome to finally get new music from The Cure. The problem is, because of its November 1 release, I haven’t had enough time with it to place it too high on my list of favorites of 2024. And that’s why my list starts with SOALW.

We Need New Eyes – Liz Corney

I am a big fan of the band Field Music, whose 2024 album Limits of Language just missed appearing on this list. It is through Field Music that I became familiar with Liz Corney, who has played keyboards and provided backing vocals in that band for years. She is also a member of The Cornshed Sisters. Liz released her debut solo album, We Need New Eyes, in 2024 and it is fantastic — good enough to bump Field Music from my list, in fact. To me, We Need New Eyes has the vibe of Field Music’s 2016 album Commontime, which was my gateway to that band. It’s full of delightfully quirky pop songs that tick so many of my boxes. And with Field Music’s David Brewis co-producing and playing guitar, bass and drums on the album, it’s no wonder it shares so much Field Music DNA. This album definitely deserved more attention than it received.

Audio Vertigo – Elbow

Not a chance that Elbow wouldn’t make this list. Whatever album they release will be in my year-end list, and that goes for 2024’s Audio Vertigo, which is their grooviest album in years. While it was critically acclaimed and performed well internationally, I was disappointed that this album didn’t return Elbow to the U.S. Billboard 200 chart for the first time since 2017’s Little Fictions. Audio Vertigo definitely deserved American appreciation. Looking forward to the EP Elbow has announced for 2025 that sounds like it will be a continuation of the sound of Audio Vertigo.

Garden State Vampire – Joe P

I have been aware of Joe P for a number of years thanks to airplay he has received from BlowUpRadio.com and WXPN. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I realized I have been aware of him much longer than that since he was the lead vocalist and a guitarist in the popular New Jersey-based band, Deal Casino. The pandemic dealt a final blow to the band in 2020, so Joe Parella has gone solo since then as Joe P. He released his amazing debut solo album, Garden State Vampire, in 2024. Joe P also puts on a great live show, even when it’s lunchtime…and he breaks a guitar string…and pulls out his guitar’s wireless system at the worst possible time, as I experienced during his Free At Noon show for WXPN in late December.

Underdressed at the Symphony – Faye Webster

To be honest, I still don’t know much about Faye Webster, but I know that — until 2024 — the 27-year-old singer-songwriter had escaped my attention despite releasing five studio albums since 2013.

And I probably would have continued to ignore Faye Webster if my preferred music streaming service had not served up her song “But Not Kiss” from her latest album, Underdressed at the Symphony, as a suggested listen. The piano is hypnotizing and the use of dynamics and staccato is jarring in a way that I found musically pleasing, so I started paying attention. And then I noticed WXPN was playing “Lego Ring (feat. Lil Yachty)” from the album so I dove into Underdressed at the Symphony and absolutely loved it. Had it on repeat for a couple of weeks at one point.

What’s for Breakfast? – Dent May

Dent May has been a favorite of mine for over a decade, ever since I stumbled upon hearing “Eastover Wives” on SiriusXM. His quirky brand of pop music ticks so many of boxes. His March 2024 release, What’s for Breakfast?, immediately became one of my favorite albums of 2024. And I was so happy to finally see him live in Philly this year — thanks to my son’s school concert needing to be rescheduled at the last minute due to the music teacher’s wife going into labor!

New Age Rage – Eric Slick

I’ve been aware of Eric Slick for years as the drummer for Philadelphia-based stalwarts, Dr. Dog. But then, maybe about five or six years ago, I somehow began interacting with Eric’s mom, Robin, on Twitter back when that platform was still called that and it was still marginally decent — and Robin (an author who has a new book coming out) and I still follow each other on Threads and Bluesky. Anyway, Eric has been releasing music as a solo artist for quite a few years now and he even has recorded a drum track for Taylor Swift (do I really need to link to her?), although he didn’t know that at the time. I have enjoyed Slick’s solo work, but New Age Rage is a whole ‘nother level with me. When I listen to it, sometimes I wonder if I’ve drifted into a Dent May song, or an Alan Palomo (f/k/a Neon Indian) track…or even a Daði Freyr song — and, yes, those are all good things, as far as I’m concerned. And while the Philly native resides in Nashville these days (with his spouse, the amazing Natalie Prass), he will always be drawn to those “Philadelphia Lights”…

The Big Decider – The Zutons

Even though The Cure got all the hype, there was another UK-based band that released a critically acclaimed album that was also their first in 16 years…The Zutons with The Big Decider! I was eagerly anticipating this album ever since it was revealed in late 2021 that the legendary Nile Rodgers was in the studio with the band as a co-producer of the album (with Ian Broudie and Zutons drummer Sean Payne). What a freakin’ comeback album…absolutely no skips. And there was no better way to kick off the album than with the Rodgers-produced lead single, “Creeping on the Dancefloor”…

Ooh La La – Guster

Guster is a band I have always enjoyed and I have even seen them live, but they have never had staying power in my brain. But that changed this year. My dad passed away in February and one of the last times I remember helping him track down a song he heard in a store (he worked in retail) was Guster’s “Satellite.” I was listening to it a lot while driving out to visit my dad in his final days (even recorded a weird Beach House-influenced cover of “Satellite” after my father died…and while I was dealing with COVID). A few weeks after my dad’s passing, Guster released “Keep Going” and “All Day” as the first tracks from their then-upcoming album, Ooh La La. I immediately was drawn to the new songs and eagerly awaited the album, which was released on May 17 — when I saw them play an excellent WXPN Free At Noon show. “Keep Going” actually inspired the vibe of a song I wrote for my little DIY Ferocious Designs music project, “Beyond Forever,” which appears on my Open Your Eyes EP (there’s even a reference to Guster’s song “Keep It Together”). So, yeah, I was really into Guster this year and Ooh La La came at just the right time for me.

I Wish You Way More Than Luck – Lo Moon

Well, Lo Moon released an album this year so it was a pretty good bet it would be at or near the top of a list of my favorite albums. I love this band and would love to consistently create music like they do, so it should be no surprise that I Wish You May More Than Luck was my favorite album released in 2024. I was fortunate enough to attend an intimate Lo Moon show at Pianos in NYC in October 2023, during which the band previewed a bunch of songs from the album months before its release. I was blown away by the new material, especially “Water” (the live version they do with the added intro is amazing). I was so upset their Fall 2024 tour brought them to Philly the night of the Philadelphia Marathon in November…I had a tough race and there was no way I could get to the show that night. I hope to see them again soon. Until then, I have my favorite album of 2024 to hold me over.

When I posted the 2022 version of this list, I promised to share more on this blog in 2023. Well, that obviously didn’t happen. This is my first time back here since then. But I do have an idea for a podcast that I would like to produce in 2024, so hopefully you will see more of me in the coming year. Anyway, this list represents a very small portion of the “best of 2023” personal playlist I’ve curated over the past 12 months. Not really a fan of the “best of” terminology. I admit that, in many cases, there are much better songs than these out there, but the tracks listed below are the ones I gravitated to the most this year…my favorites, if you will.

Click here to see my favorite albums of 2023.

OK. Let’s get started…

“Flowers” – Miley Cyrus

OK…people who know me might be surprised to see this song on my list, but — seriously — “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus is an absolute banger.

“Nothing Left to Lose” – Everything But The Girl

It was so awesome to have Everything But The Girl return to the music scene in 2023, and “Nothing Left to Lose” was a fantastic way to usher in their return.

“Moonshine” – Young Gun Silver Fox

I am a sucker for “yacht rock” and Young Gun Silver Fox do it as well as anybody. Their Ticket to Shangri-La was one of my favorite albums of 2022, but “Moonshine” was a standalone single they released in early 2023. Not sure if any new music is coming from them in 2024, but they are coming back to the United States in January and February, and I got tickets for Christmas to see them in Brooklyn, N.Y., in early February. Can’t wait to see them live. Just hope a blizzard doesn’t mess up our plans.

“Ghosts Again” – Depeche Mode

I just couldn’t connect with a lot of Memento Mori, Depeche Mode‘s 2023 release. It was an OK album, but most of the tracks didn’t land with me. That said, “Ghosts Again” was more in line with classic DM and was a fitting tribute to fallen bandmate Andy Fletcher, so I am a big fan of that track.

“Kristine from the 7th Grade” – Ben Folds

“Kristine from the 7th Grade” from Ben Folds‘ What Matters Most is a humorous take on the political polarization in this country, with Ben questioning how a former classmate he remembered as fun-loving and happy could grow up to be someone who would send unsolicited emails filled with hate, anger and conspiracy theories. The song is bittersweet for me because I’ve cut so many ties with my former high school and college classmates because of this very issue. My best man from my 2010 wedding (and I was his best man in 2005) hasn’t spoken to me since early 2019 because he decided his support of a certain president/rapist/fascist was more important than our friendship.

“Good Morning” – Bad News for Birds

Bad News for Birds is an act from my town (the bar in the video is literally right down the street from me), but one of the members has been in a couple of prog-leaning projects I’ve followed over the years (one of which is coming back with new music in 2024) so that’s how I knew about them. It appears to be a one-off thing, or maybe they’ll just release a single every now and then? I don’t know. What I do know is that “Good Morning” immediately became a favorite with me. It just ticks so many of my boxes. I am a sucker for well-done dream pop like this. I hope there is more at some point, because this is damn near perfect.

“ballad of a homeschooled girl” – Olivia Rodrigo

GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo is one of my favorite albums of 2023, and “ballad of a homeschooled girl” was the track I kept on repeating to hear over and over again. And, as a bonus, Lo Moon‘s Sam Stewart (electric guitar) and Sterling Laws (drums) play on this track and some others (they also engineered a few tracks).

“Salad” – Blondshell

Blondshell got a lot of hype in 2023, and for good reason. “Salad” is a powerful, emotional song that stays with you. And, coincidentally, Sam Stewart of Lo Moon also plays guitar on Blondshell’s album, too.

“Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight” – Tennis

It’s hard to pick a favorite song from a Tennis album because they’re usually all really good. But I’m going to go with “Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight” from their Pollen LP.

“Call It Like It Is” – BAILEN

I’m a big fan of NYC sibling trio BAILEN, and “Call It Like It Is,” the first single from 2023’s Tired Hearts, was a great way to introduce the world to a brilliant album.

“Road to Joy” – Peter Gabriel

OK, “Road to Joy” sounds like a rehashed version of “Kiss That Frog” from Peter Gabriel‘s Us album (1992). But you know what? That song should have been a hit, so I’m glad that “Road to Joy” from 2023’s i/o wound up getting decent airplay on non-comm radio stations like WXPN. I consider it a do-over.

“Evidence” – Lo Moon

There have already been references to Lo Moon in this list, but here they are in full with the first single off their upcoming third studio album. Released in late October 2023, “Evidence” is an exploration of young love and the journey of self-improvement. The song is 6 minutes, 47 seconds of “epicness” and it sounds even better live — which I had the chance to experience during an intimate show at Pianos in NYC just days after the single’s release. Lo Moon played a bunch of new songs that night and they are some of the best I have heard from them. The new album is going to be spectacular. “Evidence” is the perfect appetizer.

“Begin Again” – Jessie Ware

Jessie Ware released my favorite album of 2023, That! Feels Good, and it includes what would have been my favorite song of the year in “Begin Again.” The Latin-inspired, horn-filled anthem of renewal is a true ass-shaker and Ware’s vocals are top notch. There was no better musical moment for me in 2023 then the ending of this song, starting with that build with her soaring voice and horns leading the way at 4:26. But the only reason “Begin Again” doesn’t top this list is that Jessie Ware is not the Beatles.

“Now and Then” – The Beatles

Is “Now and Then” a masterpiece? No. John Lennon recorded the original demo on a cassette in a noisy environment and the lyrics weren’t finished. Like the earlier “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” — also built on top of Lennon’s unfinished demos — the remaining Beatles did the best they could with what they had. That said, what Giles Martin, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Ben Foster and Peter Jackson’s MAL technology produced in 2023 — on top of the work done in 1995 by Giles’ father, George, and Jeff Lynne — is more than good enough to top this list. In my mind, there is no universe where a song by the Beatles — especially the last song ever released by the band — gets topped by any other. And, in the end, “Now and Then” also sounds pretty damn good.

This list represents my favorite albums of 2023. I don’t like the “best of” terminology because I acknowledge I’ve missed a lot of great stuff. But these are my favorites among the albums I did consume during the past 12 months.

Click here to see my favorite songs of 2023.

Good to Me – Shannon Curtis

The past 12 months marked my first calendar year in the fediverse as a Mastodon user. However, I also have a music persona, Ferocious Designs, that also has a presence there. I participated in Fedivision 2023 and my music is regularly played on RadioFreeFedi.net, alongside the amazingly talented Shannon Curtis. Shannon and I have interacted a bit, especially ahead of her September 9 show at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pa. I really tried to get there, but a family event popped up on the calendar the next morning and both would have involved long drives to Pennsylvania and back to New Jersey. Her very 80s-influenced album, Good to Me, checks so many of my boxes.

Love You Anyway – Devon Gilfillian

I have been a huge fan of Philly area-native Devon Gilfillian since seeing him at the 2018 XPoNential Music Festival in Camden, N.J. I didn’t know much about him or his music at the time, but I was captivated by his live performance and immediately became a fan. Love You Anyway is both soulful and experimental, at times, and it works beautifully.

the record – boygenius

The debut full-length album from supergroup boygenius, consisting of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, is on everyone’s “best of 2023” list, so of course it shows up here. Have to admit, I haven’t listened to it much in the past few months because WXPN has played so much of it, I haven’t felt the need to. But I did listen to it a lot when it first came out at the end of March 2023, and it still resonates.

World of Hassle – Alan Palomo

Alan Palomo shed his Neon Indian moniker and returned with his first studio album since 2015’s Vega Int’l Night School. While still retaining the electronic quirkiness of his Neon Indian days, World of Hassle has a bit more of a mainstream funk/pop sound. It is an absolute banger. And how could I not like an album that features a song like “Stay-At-Home DJ,” which name-drops both Prefab Sprout AND Talk Talk?   

Tired Hearts – BAILEN

NYC sibling trio BAILEN has been one of my favorite music acts for a few years now. WXPN was playing them a lot in 2019, when they released their debut album, Thrilled to Be Here, featuring “I Was Wrong”, “Your Love is All I Know” and “Something Tells Me.” They were slated to play the 2020 XPoNential Music Festival and going into that year, BAILEN was THE band I really wanted to see in 2020. And, of course, instead I saw zero bands in 2020 (thanks, COVID!). But they played an outdoor venue in South Jersey in June 2021, so they were the first band I saw live in the pandemic era. Anyway, they released the exquisite Tired Hearts earlier this year, and it has a pretty epic title track.

What Matters Most – Ben Folds

Ben Folds is one of my top-5 favorite artists of all time. I’ve seen him live — solo with just a piano, with Ben Folds Five, with his own bands, with an orchestra and even with a chamber ensemble — nearly 30 times since December 2001. His 2023 album, What Matters Most, has been oddly overlooked by many, even though it was his first studio album release since 2015’s collaboration with the yMusic ensemble, So There. Maybe people were turned off by the pandemic themes of some of the songs (“But Wait, There’s More”; “Winslow Gardens”; “Back to Anonymous”)? The hilarious “Exhausting Lover” managed to attract non-comm radio play after the first single “Winslow Gardens” failed to gain traction. Whatever…(and ever, amen)…I can’t imagine not enjoying a Ben Folds album, and What Matters Most is no different.

Pollen – Tennis

I am so glad I discovered Tennis a little over a decade ago. Their music is just such a mood, and their 2023 release, Pollen, is no different. Every track is outstanding, but I’ll go with “One Night with the Valet” here. Still haven’t seen them live and I need to correct that at some point.

Rio – Trevor Rabin

Trevor Rabin was part of the Yes lineup that gave the world “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and the albums 90125, Big Generator, and Talk. He was also part of the ultra-Yes lineup that toured to support the patchwork Union album that combined the might of Yes at the time (Rabin, Chris Squire, Alan White and Tony Kaye) with wayward Yes members Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe (who had formed ABWH). For nearly 30 years, Rabin turned his focus on composing music for several major films, especially those produced by Jerry Bruckenheimer. Rabin released a solo album in 1989, called Can’t Look Away, which is one of my all-time favorites. But his next solo album came 23 years later with the mostly instrumental Jacaranda In 2012 (Liz Constantine sang on the song “Rescue,” while Rabin contributed “a little vocal”). In 2023, Rabin released Rio, his first solo studio effort with vocals since Can’t Look Away in 1989 — a 34-year gap! And, honestly, it sounds like the best Yes album in years. The first single and lead track, “Big Mistakes,” seems straight off of the 1994 Yes album, Talk, the last one to feature Rabin. The sprawling, cinematic “Oklahoma” is stunning. The entire album is a brilliant return for Mr. Rabin.

Invisible Ink – Charlie Hall

Charlie Hall wasn’t born in Philadelphia, but he has become a fixture in the Philly music scene over the last decade and a half. He is the drummer for the Grammy-winning band The War on Drugs, who called Philly home for years. He has also collaborated with my favorite current band, Lo Moon, and is the producer for both Christmas albums released by The Philly Specials, a group headed up by Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Hall’s mostly instrumental debut solo album, Invisible Ink, is fantastic and freakin’ great driving music. While a lot of the atmospherics of The War on Drugs’ sound is present, sometimes the album drifts into late 80s, early 90s new age. Honestly, there are times when I think the album has taken me to a lost Patrick O’Hearn recording…and that is fine by me. Would love to hear some of this on The Weather Channel’s Local on the 8s forecast!

Blondshell – Blondshell

Blondshell is the self-titled debut album by the current music project of Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum, and it is absolutely brilliant from start to finish. I mean, right off the bat, it starts off with the song, “Veronica Mars,” named after a show that my wife, Alison, loved. Back when we first started dating, I often used to come over and watch it with her. When I did, I would sometimes ask why someone as smart and resourceful as Veronica would be attracted to a manipulative, selfish jerk like Logan, Alison would reply: “Because he’s hot.” And, sure enough, one of the lyrics from the song “Veronica Mars” is literally “Logan’s a dick/I’m learning that’s hot.” Anyway, that song drew me in and the rest just brings you deeper and deeper into it. Oh, and Lo Moon‘s Sam Stewart plays guitar on the album.

Guts – Olivia Rodrigo

I normally don’t listen to mainstream music acts. It takes a special talent to crossover from that world into mine…and Olivia Rodrigo has made that crossing. GUTS is just awesome. I actually checked out the first single and lead track, “vampire,” after Lo Moon‘s Matt Lowell mentioned that their drummer Sterling Laws played on it. Not only that, but Lo Moon guitarist Sam Stewart also plays on it! Sam and Sterling played on multiple tracks on GUTS and served as engineer on some others. (Yep, three albums in a row with a Lo Moon connection!) Well, of course, the song is amazing so I made sure to check out the entire album when it was released. And every freaking track is a killer. “ballad of a homeschooled girl” is my favorite song on the album, but I’ll share the video for “vampire” here to represent GUTS.

Strays – Margo Price

It wasn’t until recently that I was reminded that Strays by Margo Price actually came out in 2023. It was released in mid-January, so it goes way back to the beginning of the year. Strays is another brilliant scorcher from the ultimate badass, Miss Margo Price. There is actually a second album released by Price in 2023, Strays II, which is an expanded version of the first album and included the title track.

i/o – Peter Gabriel

Of course, Peter Gabriel, my favorite music artist of all time would be high on my list of favorite albums of the year. I mean, it has been 21 years since his last studio album of new material (2002’s Up) so you might be surprised to learn it’s not my VERY favorite album of 2023. Don’t get me wrong, I love the album, but the best thing about Gabriel’s discography is that most of his releases are explorations of sounds and genres. This one is just a bit weak in that department. It’s kind of funny that I’ve read reviews of Gabriel’s work in the past that use “lack of cohesion” as a negative aspect, but I have always found that quality to be a plus. So, with i/o, my criticism is that the album is maybe too cohesive. Yes, there are some genre shifts, but they are more subtle than what I’m used to from PG. I like to be taken all over the place, to some extent. This one falls just short of being my favorite album of 2023. That honor goes to…

That! Feels Good – Jessie Ware

I was only vaguely aware of Jessie Ware because of my consumption of media from the UK. After she released her latest album, That! Feels Good, last spring, I started seeing a decent amount of praise for it so I decided to check it out. And, damn, if it didn’t immediately become a favorite. It is loaded with 70s and 80s disco influences, as well as a fair share of 90s house music touches. And Ware’s vocal performances are spectacular. For this post, I’m using the lyric video for the title track to represent the album. But on my list of my favorite songs of 2023, you will find what I think is the best track on the album, “Begin Again.”

I’ve already published my Favorite Songs of 2022. Now, it’s time for my favorite albums of the year.

An Hour Before It’s Dark – Marillion

I have been a fan of UK prog rock legends Marillion since the mid-80s and still remember the thrill of seeing them live at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, in 1990. In fact, I took the name of my fledgling, DIY music project, Ferocious Designs, from a song lyric of theirs. As much as they tried to avoid addressing the pandemic while working on their brilliant 2022 studio album, An Hour Before It’s Dark, they instead wound up creating a compelling commentary on the state of the world. I feel it’s their best album in ages.

Lucifer on the Sofa – Spoon

As I mentioned in my previous Favorite Songs of 2022 post, Spoon is a band that consistently produces fantastic songs that I enjoy when they are played on my favorite terrestrial radio station, WXPN in Philadelphia. But I never really considered myself a fan. But Lucifer on the Sofa changed that. Not a bad song in the bunch.

Crybaby – Tegan and Sara

I think Crybaby is the most recent release to make my 2022 list, but it’s so good, it grew on me quickly enough to earn its spot. I’m a sucker for well-crafted, quirky pop songs…and Tegan and Sara have excelled at that for two decades.

For the Sake of Bethel Woods – Midlake

2022 marked the long-awaited return of Midlake, something many – including the members of Midlake – didn’t think would happen. And, in my opinion, they delivered another great album, albeit overshadowed a bit by a number of great releases around the same time. It’s very odd that it didn’t get even as much love as 2013’s Antiphon, because I think it’s a much better album than that. The usual reviews are decidedly favorable, but the common theme is that something was missing. I do not share that sentiment.

Ticket to Shangri-La – Young Gun Silver Fox

I have been a huge fan of modern yacht rock torchbearers Young Gun Silver Fox since WXPN featured their 2015 song “You Can Feel It” in heavy rotation. Yacht rock, AM gold…whatever you want to call it…I’m a sucker for it. Reminds me of what was mostly on the car radio during our yearly summer drives down to Wildwood Crest, N.J., for family vacation back when I was a kid. These guys do it better than anyone right now.

my battery is low and it’s getting dark – Modern Chemistry

I actually just discovered Modern Chemistry last year when their amazing track “All The Things I Do To Get To You” was played before a song of mine on Internet radio station BlowUpRadio.com. I’ve remained a fan and their 2022 album, my battery is low and it’s getting dark, gives me every reason to continue paying attention to these fellow New Jersey artists.

Direct and Free (EP) – Christian Beach

Full disclosure…I am good friends with Christian Beach. Actually, I play organ and accordion in his live band when he needs one. I’ve also assisted him with PR and marketing. Am I carrying water for him here? Yes, and I don’t care. He’s released material that I feel is fantastic each of the previous two years and I kept him off my 2021 list because of some ethical code. Well, this year, I’m giving in, because his four-track EP, Direct and Free, includes four of the best songs I’ve heard from Christian in the 35 years or so I’ve known him. And he has written A LOT of great songs over the decades, so that is saying something.

Calendar – Christina Ward

Calendar is Bucks County, Pa.-based Christina Ward’s first full-length release and it is stunning — an atmospheric and haunting tale of love, heartbreak and starting over told over seven songs. After following her on Instagram for a few years, it was very cool to finally see her perform live at Asbury Park PorchFest last summer.

Oh To Be That Free – Michaela Anne

I’ve become a big fan of Michaela Anne’s since hearing “By Our Design” on WXPN all the time in 2019. Like most of us, her post-pandemic life has had some twists and turns, with many highs and lows. That all comes through in her fantastic 2022 release, Oh To Be That Free.

Farm to Table – Bartees Strange

As I mentioned in my Favorite Songs of 2022 post, it took me a long time to get into Bartees Strange because WXPN and other non-comm stations were hyping him up big time. And my natural reaction is to not buy the hype. But in this case, Strange’s artistry easily took down my resistance in quick order. Farm to Table is a freakin’ great album and deserves all the praise it has received. I’m looking forward to a collaboration between Strange and Lo Moon on that band’s next album, which they have already teased.

The Tipping Point – Tears For Fears

As I wrote in my Favorite Songs of 2022 post, the triumphant return of Tears For Fears was on of THE stories of 2022. The Tipping Point, their first new studio album in 17 years, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Album Sales chart and at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album chart — their highest U.S. debuts ever and their first appearance in the top 10 in over 30 years. And it wasn’t just a commercial success. It was received with near-universal praise from all corners. And having seen them quite a few times live over the past 17 years, I have to say the response totally energized Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, because they were at their absolute best in that time. Honestly, this album could have been a disaster. Roland and Curt were being advised to work with “hitmakers” to make an album of “classic-sounding” modern Tears For Fears hits. It almost drove Curt away from the band for a second time (referenced in the song “Stay”). In the end, Roland and Curt walked away from that “master plan” and they went back to basics, writing songs together on acoustic guitar. Turns out the best people to write “classic-sounding” modern Tears For Fears songs are, in fact, Tears For Fears.

Midnights – Taylor Swift

I’m in my third year of processing the fact that I am now apparently a Taylor Swift fan. 2020’s folklore was a game-changer for me when it comes to Swift as an artist. It forced me to pay attention. Midnights sees Swift return to pop form, but it just hits different now for me. Before folklore, I could never hear the song over the production. Now, I can. But Midnights also serves up a more refined version of Swiftian pop. It’s more minimalistic, more atmospheric. It allows the songs to breathe and they take full advantage of it.

A Modern Life – Lo Moon

The band Lo Moon became a favorite of mine back in 2017 when “Loveless” seemingly took over the airwaves at WXPN. It didn’t hurt that XPN Morning Show host Kristen Kurtis actually referenced me in her first interview with Lo Moon’s Matt Lowell because I had tweeted her earlier in the week to ask him if Talk Talk/Mark Hollis was an influence. When Lo Moon finally returned with the release of the single “Dream Never Dies” in late 2021, it was the first new music from the band since a standalone single, “For Me It’s You,” came out in late 2018. Finally, in February 2022, Lo Moon released their second album, the amazing A Modern Life. It was destined to be high on this list, and I really thought it would be my absolute favorite album of 2022. But that went to an album that came out of nowhere…if you consider an 18-track album being released in four chapter installments over a period of four months, out of nowhere…

Once Twice Melody – Beach House

I never paid much attention to Baltimore’s Beach House. Even when the stunning title track to their epic 2022 album was released as a single in late 2021 and getting played a ton on WXPN throughout the first month and a half of the year, it took me until the full-album release day in February for me to realize “Once Twice Melody” was absolutely mind-blowing. So then I listened to the entire 18-song album and every freakin’ track was so damn good. I’m not usually a fan of really long albums, but this is an exception. So much so, that it is my favorite album of 2022.

Welcome back to this way-too dormant blog. I am really hoping to write here more often in 2023. For now, though, here are some of my favorite songs released in 2022. I listen to a lot of music and this list represents a very small portion of the “best of 2022” personal playlist I’ve curated over the past 12 months. Not really a fan of the “best of” terminology. I admit that, in many cases, there are much better songs than these out there, but the tracks listed below are the ones I gravitated to the most this year.

OK. Let’s get started…

“Murder Machines” – Marillion

Marillion is a longtime favorite of mine. In fact, their 1991 song “Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven)” includes the lyric I borrowed to name my fledgling DIY Ferocious Designs music project. Their 2022 album, An Hour Before It’s Dark, is one of their best in years, and “Murder Machines” is a very interesting and dark take on love, jealousy and heartbreak in the pandemic era.

“Bethel Woods” – Midlake

I’ve been a fan of Midlake since they released The Trials of Van Occupanther in 2006. They went on a hiatus that appeared to be permanent before they reconvened to record For the Sake of Bethel Woods,” which was released earlier this year. They don’t usually rock out like they do on “Bethel Woods,” but when they do, it is usually great.

“Mystery of Love” – Christian Beach

My friend and frequent collaborator Christian Beach has been a fixture of the New Jersey music scene since the early 1990s. After fronting a couple of industrial bands in the 90s and the modern rock outfit Ton of Bricks in the early 2000s, he emerged as a traditional singer-songwriter and released his acclaimed solo eponymous album in 2009. But he went 11 years until his next release, 2020’s DoubleLife EP. Since then, he has released a collection of unreleased demos called Basement Noise in early 2021 and this year’s somewhat experimental Direct and Free EP, featuring “Mystery of Love.” I love the entire EP, but something about this track resonates with me, probably because it seamlessly blends many of his influences into a beautiful electro-folk-prog-pop creation.

“Calendar” – Christina Ward

I discovered Bucks County, PA-based Christina Ward via Instagram a few years ago, and soon after started hearing her on WXPN, which also featured her on its website. Calendar is her first full-length release and it is a damn fine album. In addition to the title track here, another favorite of mine is “Alone.”

“In a Way” – Modern Chemistry

I’ve become a big fan of New Jersey’s Modern Chemistry over the past year and a half. “In a Way” is a standout track from 2022’s fascinating my battery is low and it’s getting dark album.

“The Hardest Cut” – Spoon

Spoon is a weird band for me. I seem to like everything I always hear from them that’s played on WXPN, but have never really become a fan. But something about this song from their fantastic Lucifer on the Sofa album kept sticking with me this year.

“I Can’t Grow Up” – Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara rarely disappoint. Still remember seeing them play an acoustic set while opening for Ben Folds at The College of New Jersey in early 2003 (actually heard “Walking with a Ghost” for the first time at that show — over a year before their breakthrough album So Jealous was released). Their latest, Crybaby, is full of pop goodness and I really love “I Can’t Grow Up.”

“West Side Jet” – Young Gun Silver Fox

As is the case with many bands and artists, I first heard Young Gun Silver Fox on WXPN, when the modern yacht rock duo’s “You Can Feel It” was getting a lot of play on the station in 2015. They keep putting out great albums and this year’s Ticket To Shangri-La is no exception. “West Side Jet” is my favorite track on the record.

“I’m Only Human” – Michaela Anne

WXPN played Michaela Anne’s “By Our Design” a lot back in 2019 so I checked out her Desert Dove album and instantly became a big fan. She’s been through quite a bit since then and it comes out in 2022’s Oh To Be That Free. “I’m Only Human” is my favorite track from the album, but it’s all great.

“Wretched” – Bartees Strange

Bartees Strange received a lot of hype in 2022, and sometimes — with me — that’s a bad thing, because I try to ignore it. If the artist is good enough, though, my resistance to their work is usually eroded. That’s the case with Bartees Strange, who is the real deal. Going with “Wretched” from his brilliant Farm To Table album here.

“Long, Long, Long Time” – Tears For Fears

One of the big music stories of the year was Tears For Fears releasing their first album in 17 years, The Tipping Point, back in February and for that album to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Album Sales chart and at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album chart — their highest U.S. debuts ever and their first appearance in the top 10 in over 30 years. The album is brilliant and deserves all of it. “Long, Long, Long Time” is a personal favorite because a) it features frequent TFF guest artist Carina Round on vocals and b) I’m a sucker for time-signature changes in pop songs (verses in 7/4, choruses in 4/4).

“Modern Life” – Lo Moon

I love Lo Moon and their 2022 album A Modern Life is one of my favorite albums of the year. The lead single, “Dream Never Dies,” was released late in 2021 so it made my list last year. “Modern Life” is the first of two Lo Moon appearances here.

“Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift

Yeah, it seems I’m a Taylor Swift fan now. Midnights is fantastic and I love the fun she has with the lyrics of “Anti-Hero.” We’ll be hearing from Taylor again in a few.

“Expectations” – Lo Moon

We’ve already heard from Lo Moon. After “Dream Never Dies,” which made last year’s list since it was released as a single in late 2021, my second-favorite track on A Modern Life is “Expectations.” It’s a great driving song and pretty awesome to hear them play live.

“Mastermind” – Taylor Swift

All of Midnights is fantastic, but “Mastermind” is my favorite track on the album. I’m a sucker for percolating synth lines and meta commentary.

“Once Twice Melody” – Beach House

I had never really paid attention to Baltimore’s Beach House until this year, but WXPN played “Once Twice Melody” a lot early in 2022 and eventually my brain realized it was a freakin’ amazing song. And the 18-song album of the same name from which this track comes is also my favorite album of 2022.

What?! New content on this website?! Yep…a lot of great music was released in 2021 so I decided to spotlight my top 10 favorite songs released in 2021.

10. “Fire In Your House (feat. Johnny Clegg and Jesse Clegg)” – Walk The Moon

On its own, “Fire In Your House” is an absolute banger of a track. But even more importantly, Walk The Moon’s Nicholas Petricca wrote this song with the legendary South African activist-musician Johnny Clegg—one of my all-time heroes—and his son Jesse Clegg shortly before Johnny’s passing in 2019. I did not expect to hear Johnny’s words and voice on a pop track released by an American band two years after his death, so that alone earns it a spot on this list. Also, Jesse Clegg is an amazing artist in his own right and it’s a damn shame his music gets little to no airplay in the U.S.

9. “Orion from the Street” – Field Music

Field Music is such a fun band, especially for someone like me who loves prog AND quirky, smart pop. A little bit of XTC, a little bit of Talking Heads, a little bit of Peter Gabriel and dash of Prince…that’s Field Music. And “Orion from the Street” is a good example of that.

8. “The Exchange” – The Anchoress (feat. James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers)

Staying with prog-pop for a moment, the much-praised The Art of Losing by The Anchoress (Catherine Anne Davies) is one of my favorite albums of the year — and PROG magazine named it the BEST album of 2021. “The Exchange” is a powerful song augmented further by the presence of Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield.

7. “Orwellian” – Manic Street Preachers

Speaking of Manic Street Preachers…they released a great album this year, The Ultra Vivid Lament. I don’t know how I never got into MSP until this year because they’re right in my musical wheelhouse. Thank goodness Philadelphia Eagles beat writer Reuben Frank played a track from the album during a guest DJ spot on WXPN a few months ago, or I may have missed out on it. “Orwellian” is sadly a perfect song for these times.

6. “Victim” – The War on Drugs

Honestly, most of this list could have been tracks from The War on Drugs’ brilliant 2021 release, I Don’t Live Here Anymore. But I’m sticking to one song per artist for this list. “Victim” is tonally similar to the 2018 track “Thorns” by Lo Moon, which actually features TWOD’s Adam Granduciel and Charlie Hall. Bringing things full circle, Lo Moon’s Matt Lowell sings backing vocals on “Victim.”

5. “Paprika” – Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast’s amazing Jubilee album is another that could have filled up this list on its own, but I’m going with “Paprika” since it is such a fantastical album-opening track. It really sets the stage for the greatness that follows.

4. “All The Things I Do To Get To You” – Modern Chemistry

Strangely, I discovered this New Jersey band that’s been around for a few years just this past summer when they were played on BlowUpRadio.com‘s New NJ Music show right after a song of mine (yeah, I released music this year under the name Ferocious Designs). “All The Things…” ticks so many boxes for me and I blast it in the car every chance I get, which is often.

3. “The Tipping Point” – Tears For Fears

Zero chance that the first single and title track of the first new Tears For Fears studio album since 2004 wouldn’t make this list. “The Tipping Point” somehow sounds fresh and new with a vintage TFF feel. Can’t wait for the album, due out Feb. 25, 2022.

2. “Dream Never Dies” – Lo Moon

I have been waiting for new music from Lo Moon since late 2018, when they released the standalone single “For Me, It’s You” a few months after releasing their incredible debut album. I am a huge fan of this band and frequently interact with its ringleader/frontman Matt Lowell on Twitter. “Dream Never Dies” is an achingly beautiful song dripping in nostalgia that really ticks all the boxes for me. No word yet on when their sophomore album is coming out, but I would expect it to be released some time in the first half of 2022.

1. “Robber” – The Weather Station

The Weather Station is the music project of Toronto-based singer-songwriter/actor Tamara Lindeman. After several folk-influenced albums, Lindeman wrote 2021’s Ignorance as a comment on climate change drawing a lot of musical inspiration from Talk Talk/Mark Hollis — and, as you may know, Hollis was and continues to be a source of musical inspiration for me. Ignorance is my album of the year and the intricately danceable and intelligent lead track/first single, “Robber,” is my top song of 2021.

I became a fan of Johnny Clegg and Savuka when MTV actually gave the video for “Cruel, Crazy Beautiful World”—the title track of their 1989 album—a decent amount of airplay (oddly enough, it was not from hearing it in the 1990 Dana Carvey film Opportunity Knocks or the following year’s Career Opportunities with Jennifer Connelly). I bought the cassette and played it constantly. Eventually, I dove deeper into his vast catalog and developed a stronger respect and admiration for Clegg and his work, both musically and as an activist.

Since 2014, I was fortunate enough to see him perform three times—including his final Philly-area show in 2017 during his “Final Journey” tour (which I was able to share with my wife, Alison).

Now, there are a lot of older music acts doing “farewell” or “final” tours these days, but they seem to keep adding legs to them years after they started. But in Clegg’s case, the finality was brought on by a long battle with pancreatic cancer. The end was likely near, and he wanted one more chance to say goodbye to his fans before spending whatever time he had left with his family and his causes.

That end came earlier this week. Johnny Clegg died Tuesday, July 16, at the age of 66.

I heard the news on WXPN Tuesday afternoon and it absolutely gutted me even though I knew it was coming sooner rather than later. I just thought he would have a little more time. Clegg was one of my musical heroes and the world needs voices like his right now. The universe is a much poorer place without him.

But to put it in perspective, he didn’t just gain a couple of extra years from his cancer treatments. He was living on borrowed time since the late 1980s.

As a white anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, Clegg’s life was always at risk. As Savuka were working on the Cruel, Crazy Beautiful World album in early 1989, a number of anti-apartheid activists, including Clegg’s friend and fellow anthropologist* David Webster, were assassinated.

(*Yes, Johnny Clegg was a professor of anthropology in South Africa before he left academia behind to be a trailblazing musician. But the great thing about the shows I saw was that the between-song banter were mini history and anthropology lectures. Johnny Clegg’s concerts were among the best I have ever seen.)

So while I had been enjoying the upbeat “Cruel, Crazy World” since first hearing it in 1989, it wasn’t until around seven years ago that I finally realized the heartbreakingly sad truth of the song. Clegg’s first son Jesse was born in 1988. A year later, people like Clegg were getting murdered and he felt he was next. The song was written as a farewell gift to his young son in case something happened. Fortunately, it didn’t. But as it turns out, I discovered this right after I had become a father for the first time so it became very difficult, emotionally, for me to listen to the song for some time.

Here is Johnny Clegg and his band with an amazing performance of “Cruel, Crazy Beautiful World” at the 46664 Arctic concert in 2005. It was part of a series of AIDS benefit concerts in honor of Nelson Mandela.

Flash-forward to 2017 and Jesse Clegg, now a successful singer-songwriter in South Africa with a more traditional pop-rock vibe, writes a song to record as a duet with his father on his final album, King of Time.

“I’ve Been Looking” – Johnny Clegg featuring Jesse Clegg

Jesse opened for his dad when I saw him in 2014 and again on the “Final Journey” tour in 2017. Seeing them perform “I’ve Been Looking” together brought my Johnny Clegg fandom around full circle, as the song that introduced me to him was written specifically for Jesse.

I’ve always loved Johnny Clegg and Savuka’s “The Crossing (Osiyeza)” from the 1993 album Heat, Dust and Dreams. The song is dedicated to assassinated Savuka bandmate and Zulu dance partner Dudu Zulu, and the original studio version features The Hooters’ Eric Bazilian on mandolin so there is even a Philly connection. It’s a beautiful song and I’ve always thought about recording a cover of it, but I wasn’t really confident in singing the Zulu lyrics in the choruses. But I wanted to do something as a tribute and to address the loss personally, so I recorded it anyway. Hopefully, any flubs and/or mispronunciations will be forgiven.

For comparison, here is the original video for the studio version. I took some liberties with the bridge because I went with a slower tempo and something closer to the original just wasn’t working so I went a slightly different way with it.

“The Crossing (Osiyeza)” – Johnny Clegg and Savuka

And here is a cover recorded last year by a group called Friends of Johnny Clegg as both a tribute and a fundraiser for literacy and education programs in South Africa, a cause championed by Johnny Clegg. The ensemble features Jesse Clegg and a number of South African all-star musicians. But Americans will recognize appearances by Dave Matthews (at 2:38) in the second verse, and Mike Rutherford (guitar solo at 3:41) and Peter Gabriel (first heard at 3:55 and seen at 3:59) in the bridge.

“The Crossing” – Friends of Johnny Clegg 

Speaking of Peter Gabriel, he issued a statement upon the passing of Johnny Clegg that read, in part:

His love of all things Zulu was obvious and his beautiful Mandela tribute, ‘Asimbonanga’, along with his regular high-kicking Zulu war dance won him millions of new fans both black and white. Even in his last few months, despite his illness, he was still devoting himself to raising money and supporting kids literacy programs with his own foundation. He will be remembered for all his soulful music and a very big heart.

– Peter Gabriel

I hope a better version of this becomes available at some point, but below is a video retrospective that was shown before Johnny Clegg and his band took the stage during his “Final Journey” tour. It is a fitting way to end this brief tribute to an extraordinary human being.

RIP, Johnny Clegg. You will be missed and remembered for a long, long time.

(Featured image via Friends of Johnny Clegg.)

I’m surprised as you to see activity here, but here I am writing this post on the site of my way-too-long-on-hiatus podcast.

Why? Well, it’s because I’m extremely excited about a band I’ve recently discovered — Los Angeles-based Lo Moon, featuring Matt Lowell (lead vocals, guitars, keys), Crisanta Baker (bass, keys, vocals) and Samuel Stewart (guitars, keys, vocals). When 88.5 WXPN out of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia recently started playing Lo Moon’s only available track — the epic, undulating “Loveless” — I was immediately hooked.

What drew me in so quickly, you ask? Well, I’m a pretty big fan of Talk Talk and that band’s founder/frontman Mark Hollis, who greatly influenced another band I admire, Elbow. Well, Lowell does an amazing job of channeling Hollis while not sounding like an imitation (it’s all in the lyrical content, cadence and delivery). And with Hollis being mostly retired from the music industry for many years, it is so damn cool to hear someone picking up that torch.

Anyway, Lowell recently did a guest DJ spot for an hour on WXPN and, when it had been announced a few days earlier, I tweeted to the morning show host Kristen Kurtis that I was looking forward to hearing Lowell play some of his influences because I was convinced they included Talk Talk/Mark Hollis. What I did not expect was for her to bring up my tweet while she was talking to Lowell. After playing “Red Rain” by my all-time favorite artist, Peter Gabriel, who Lowell said was his favorite singer, Kurtis asked him who some of his other favorite vocalists were.

The next name he mentioned?

MARK HOLLIS!!!

And then he said a Talk Talk song was next on his playlist.

At that point, Kurtis said to him, “I’m so glad you have a Talk Talk song on your playlist because one of our members, Brian, tweeted…that he was looking forward to your guest DJ spot because “Loveless” reminds him of late-era Talk Talk.”

Lowell responded with something to the effect of “Really? Oh wow!” (Matt…if you somehow see this, I don’t remember exactly what you said because I was a) driving at the time, and b) still laughing to myself that Kristen brought up that tweet.)

Later that night, Lo Moon played a set at the WXPN/World Cafe Live-hosted NonCOMMvention that was live-streamed by VuHaus.com so I was able to hear a few more of their songs (spoiler: they are also awesome) as well as the amazing “Loveless.” You can read about this particular performance here and watch a live performance of “Loveless” at Fordham University’s WFUV in the embedded video below.

I’ve been listening to “Loveless” practically non-stop for the past couple of weeks…it’s actually been therapeutic for me during what has been a very stressful time for me.

Lo Moon has been very deliberate about releasing new music. “Loveless” has been the only track officially out there for a number of months now, although the band says new music will be released soon. Lowell has said he wanted to give “Loveless” time to get discovered and digested before putting more music out there. Now, this could be a risky approach for many bands, but a song as brilliant as “Loveless” can be listened to repeatedly for months and still surprise you with something upon each listen.

More importantly, it leaves you wanting more.

And I, for one, cannot wait to hear more from Lo Moon.