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December 27, 2020 By Phillip Retuta

My Year in Lists: My Favorite Albums of 2020.

With the end of the year approaching, I might as well list some of my favorite albums of 2020. Sure, I don’t have the clout of Pitchfork, AllMusic, or Rolling Stone, and some people will find my musical tastes questionable, but I like what I like. Who are you to judge? This year has easily put everyone in a mood, and music is one way I’m able to cope with everything and everyone — it’s personal.

It’s a shame that I’ve hardly commuted for the majority of the year, since my subway trip to and from work is my optimal time to listen to music. Still, even though I’ve been stuck inside for the last 10 months or so in a nearly empty apartment building, it’s nice to not have neighbors; I can blast music at any hour of the day without a care in the world.

Here are my top 10 favorite albums, in no particular order (the socialist in me hates ranking things):

Gorillaz – Song Machine
For an animated band, it’s fun to see Gorillaz mature and literally age. Their newest album is catchy as hell, with collaborations with Elton John, Beck, Schoolboy Q, Peter Hook of New Order, St. Vincent, and Robert Smith of The Cure.

Gorillaz – “Momentary Bliss”

Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension
A spiritual successor to The Age of Adz, Sufjan Stevens’ latest album combines the loneliness and retrospection of Carrie & Lowell and “Mystery of Love” with Radiohead-esque electronic beats.

Sufjan Stevens – “The Ascension”

The Strokes – The New Abnormal
Well, The Strokes are back. A lot of their newest tracks feel very meta/breaking the fourth wall, and their lyrics feel full-grown and ring of post-2000’s and NYC jadedness.

The Strokes – “Ode To The Mets”

Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Speaking of comebacks, Fiona Apple’s newest album has a sense of self-awareness and each lyric contains such unbridled rawness and emotion — especially for these times. I’m not surprised that Fetch The Bolt Cutters is #1 on so many end-of-the-year charts.

Fiona Apple – “Fetch The Bolt Cutters”

Dan Deacon – Mystic Familiar
If you want to feel meditative but dance-y, you can always rely on Dan Deacon. Unlike previous albums, he’s relying on his own vocal talents overlaid onto his quirky electronic beats.

Dan Deacon – “Sat By A Tree”

The Weeknd – After Hours
For a pop album, it’s naturally catchy as fuck. “Blinding Lights” has been played all over, and as an aging hipster averse to all things popular, I still love listening to it.

The Weeknd – “After Hours”

Beyoncé – Black is King
Okay, I know this is a visual album, and my only gripe was the remake Lion King quotes scattered throughout each track. Regardless, I love the art direction for each segment and I enjoy the catchy beats.

Beyoncé – “My Power”

Moses Sumney – græ
A frequent collaborator with Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens, Moses Sumney’s sophomore album is so soulful and so personal — it definitely reflects my feelings towards this year.

Moses Sumney – “Virile”

Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
An indie darling, Phoebe Bridgers’ newest album definitely lives up to the hype. From her collaboration with Conor Oberst and lyrics about her toxic relationship with Ryan Adams, Punisher is also very deserving to be on a lot of end-of-the-year lists (as well as her Grammy nods).

Phoebe Bridgers – “Kyoto”

Grimes – Miss Anthropocene
Yeah, I love Grimes, and yeah her relationship with Elon Musk is kind of disgusting (just because of who he is), but her fantasy-inspired, video game-loving, dark electronic album is pretty damned good.

Grimes – “IDORU”

And for good measure, here’s a nice laugh of The Pudding’s AI telling me how bad my Spotify is. I loved the analysis:

Filed Under: Music, Videography

May 7, 2020 By Phillip Retuta

Throwback Thursday: Music That Inspired Me To Move To New York.

This is a photo from June 2008, when I wanted to move to NYC. The caption reads, “Ate three fortune cookies leftover from a Chinese restaurant. Considering my search for a job and my desire to eventually move to New York, these fortunes are awfully succinct. They’re cryptic, yes, but we’ll see…”

I couldn’t sleep a few days ago. I was lying on my bed, sifting through my personal thoughts, and I fell into a rabbit hole of music that inspired me to move to New York City.

I remember, back before I graduated and was living in Urbana-Champaign, of the new music I’d listened to. I remember going into Postal Service, a record shop on Green Street, and buying particular CDs of indie artists I’d discover on MTV2. I remember, after graduating and returning home, of all the bands I’d blog about on my old (and fairly popular) music blog. I remember going to Chicago to see all the bands that were finally getting the spotlight they deserve. Most of all, I remember how all this music made me dream to move to New York.

I wanted to live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (I did). I wanted to experience the hip and cool culture of artists and musicians (I did — before that lifestyle got phased out/priced out by everyone else wanting the same thing). I wanted to meet some of these bands and buy them a beer (I did, for some). Many years later, I now reflect that I achieved that foolish, Bohemian dream of being cool and artistic and binging on Parliament cigarettes and cheap-ass beer.

Here are some of the native New York bands that, in my youth as an undergrad and a recent grad in Illinois, would want me to make a life-altering decision to move to one of the greatest cities in the world, to shape my future as a creative and moderately successful adult:

The Strokes
I recall watching this video when it premiered on MTV2. They were careless, carefree, and cool — like a bunch of drunks. They epitomized the NYC indie scene and were constant fodder for my music blog that made fun of hipsters. I loved (and still love) them.

Interpol
Another essential NYC indie band. I’ve seen them at several festivals in Chicago, and their first album (an encapsulation of New York) was always played when my old friend Jeff (who I created a comic character and subsequent blog about) and me would hang out in Urbana-Champaign.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I saw this “Buzzworthy” video late one night in undergrad. I loved the song, and I love the video — so much so, that I made a still of Karen O crying as my computer background. Everything about “Maps” was so raw and beautiful, and I became a fan of theirs for years to come. I even remember buying Fever to Tell at Postal Service and when I moved back home, going to several of their shows at Chicago’s Metro and Vic Theater. When I eventually moved to NYC, I’d still catch some of their shows — of course, they got even bigger, and I had to pay a little bit more to see them.

TV on the Radio
TVOTR have always been so cool and had a sound I never heard before. They were definitely Williamsburg mainstays, and I recall meeting lead singer Tunde Adebimpe at a bar when I first moved to New York.

The Walkmen
When I heard their song “We’ve Been Had” in a car commercial, I had to find out who these guys were. Plus, their refined sense of collared shirts and sweaters inspired my own style back in the day: a preppy hipster who enjoys a glass of whiskey (and I admit, I still am).

The French Kicks
In a similar vein to The Walkmen. I remember seeing this video late one night in undergrad, when I should have been writing an English paper. After graduation, I saw them perform at Schuba’s Tavern in Chicago.

Asobi Seksu
They introduced me to the shoegaze sound. The video for “Thursday” inspired some stop-motion work from me, and each time I hear this song, I get nostalgic — as if running through the city. I saw them live at the Highland in Urbana-Champaign with The Appleseed Cast, and after their set I gave lead singer Yuki Chikudate a cigarette.

stellastarr*
When they debuted this video, I went to Postal Service to pick up their album. Their New Wave-y sound introduced me to actual New Wave. As far as I can tell they never amounted to much after their first album, but “My Coco” and “Jenny” were on repeat while walking on campus.

Elefant
Another garage rock band from NYC. It was such an underrated album in comparison to The Strokes or The Bravery. Even today, when I hear “Misfit” or “Now That I Miss Her,” I’m reminded of those dumb aspirations to become a famous artist/designer in NYC.

The Secret Machines
Their music always pumped me up before going out in Urbana-Champaign or Chicago. “First Wave Intact” had an energy, the kind that prepared me for something — something ambitious.

School of Seven Bells
Another project by the late Benjamin Curtis of Secret Machine fame, their dreamy music always made me feel good. After watching this video as a kid in Chicago, there was this magical yearning of riding in a cab throughout New York City. And now I’ve ridden in a cab throughout NYC; it’s not as magical anymore.

The Rapture
I remember seeing this video on MTV2 and absolutely loving it. The post-punk visuals and catchy sounds were what made me think what it’s like to live in Brooklyn. And it’s true, circa 2009.

LCD Soundsystem
Like The Strokes, Interpol, TVOTR, and the YYYs, LCD Soundsystem is the definition of the New York music scene in the mid to late 2000’s. His song, “All My Friends,” was my anthem as a young adult, and the music video for “Someone Great” is what I envisioned living in Brooklyn was like: bodegas, comfortable squalor, and rooftop parties (and yeah, I threw my share of rooftop parties when I first moved to New York). His album, Sound of Silver, is everything I had hoped for and had lived through when I came to NYC. If anything, listening to James Murphy definitely prepared me to live in this city and molded my love of electronic and electroclash music.

Filed Under: Chicago, Memories, Music, New York City, Ramblings

April 21, 2020 By Phillip Retuta

April Music Roundup.

Day 35 of self-isolation.

I might as well share what music I’ve been listening to during this lockdown. A lot the artists I’m sharing are some I haven’t listened to in years.

Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters.
Her latest album has been widely regarded as a hit, and I think the current social and political climate resonates with a lot of listeners. Several of my own unspoken and unwritten feelings, for instance, are easily reflected in her lyrics — lyrics of feeling trapped, breaking out norms, finding a voice, and a fiery passion and anger towards an unjust world.

The Strokes – The New Abnormal.
Their first album and Room on Fire were part of my indie-hipster anthem of my undergraduate days, but I gradually stopped listening to them as I got older. Their newest album has a sense of nostalgia from their original sound, and I’m loving their new music videos.

Grimes – Miss Anthropocene.
It’s a given; I’m a huge Grimes fan, and I was excited when she released a new album. It’s just as moody and dark as her earliest work, but her voice and her range is just as crystalline as ever. I’ll admit, I listened to the above track a lot (especially when it was Nico’s anniversary of her passing). The lyrics “We can play a beautiful game. You can chase me down in the name of love. We can play a beautiful game, even though we’re going to lose” just made me realize how fucking lonely I am. Oh well.

Dan Deacon – Mystic Familiar.
What I love about Dan Deacon’s music is how grand and symphonic it often sounds. His stuff is always fun and catchy and weird, and it always elevates my mood to something monumental — something bigger than I am.

And here’s a throwback:

Sufjan Stevens.
I think I heard the above track in a Sonic Drive-Thru commercial, and it reignited my love for his music. From the nostalgia of living in Illinois in Illinoise, to the feelings of loneliness and loss in Carrie & Lowell, to the yearning of the Oscar-nominated “Mystery of Love,” Sufjan Stevens’ music is an appropriate companion to these times.

Filed Under: Music

February 16, 2020 By Phillip Retuta

Happy Birthday, Nico.

I’ve lived in New York for over a decade, and that entire time my dog Nico has been with me. She would have been 14 today.

Here’s my tribute to her and the city I love. After she had her tumor removed and was declared cancer-free, I knew we were still together on borrowed time. Throughout the course of her remaining year, I wanted to take Nico to some of her favorite spots: Williamsburg, Prospect Park, and all the old places she used to know for the 10 years we’ve been in New York. I also wanted to take her to places she’s never been before: Coney Island, Washington Square Park, etc. I’d bring my camera with me, and so this video was made.

The polaroid scenes were obviously taken post her passing; I truly wished we had more time to visit these places.

The significance of the white bandana is important: I gave it to her when she was first adopted in Urbana-Champaign, and she wore a white bandana when I let her go in arms, in the confines of my apartment in Brooklyn. A white bandana was Nico’s signature look (well, aside from the husky aspects or the heterochromatic eyes). I carried a spare each time we went out to shoot, just to swap whatever fashionable bandana I initially put on her with a white one. Consistency, folks!

This video also serves as my eventual love letter to New York. When I leave, I want to remember this city with the dog I loved so much. Being with Nico definitely helped shape who I am today.

Happy Birthday, Nico. Always and forever.

Filed Under: Art, Family, Memories, Music, New York City, Nico Doggerton, Personal Projects, Videography

June 6, 2017 By Phillip Retuta

Broken Social Scene’s “Hug of Thunder.”

“All along we’re going to feel some numbness. Oxymoron of our lives. Getting fed up by that hunger; supersize we’ve found inside. He won’t know what’s real or numbness. Catching up and climbing high. Speaking like a hug of thunder, lit up by the lights of dusk outside.”

Filed Under: Music

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    Welcome


Born 1983. Art Director, UX/UI and Digital Designer. Illustrator. Dog Owner. Coffee Enthusiast. Pizza Lover.

I love over-thinking the simplest of things and making stuff at every waking moment: comics, food, videos, photos... you name it. This blog is a record of my work, my exploits, and my philosophical, political, and psychological ideologies. So enjoy reading my dumb ideas and inane rants that I'd otherwise be ashamed to verbally speak out in public.

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