Best of the Year
Be good to each other,
Nathan
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Unless I am sleeping or watching television, I am more than likely listening to music. Every year, as we make our way through the calendar, I patiently wait for Friday and the release of new albums. As soon as I can, I add new records to my collection and spend hours lost in a world of discovery.
When the dust settles and we draw near the end of another year, I look back at the 10 songs I listened to most. Are these the best 10 songs of the year? Probably not. I am no music critic. I will leave that judgment call for someone else, but these songs perfectly encapsulate the year for me.
To listen to the “Musical Thesis: My 10 Favorite Songs of 2021” playlist, click here.
Willie Nelson “Learnin’ the Blues”
It all started with The Highwaymen. It soon morphed into a deep appreciation for Johnny Cash. Now, it is morphing into a deep dive into Willie Nelson’s catalog. While “Learnin’ the Blues” is a cover, I will always appreciate Willie’s interpretation of any song he chooses.
Lord Huron “(Deep Down Inside Ya)”
I don’t know if Long Lost by Lord Huron classifies as a concept album, but the story they have created around it is enthralling. “(Deep Down Inside Ya)” isn’t technically a song, but it does give you a sense of the concept behind the album.
The Besnard Lakes “The Father of Time Wakes Up”
I’ve been listening to The Besnard Lakes for a while now. They make big, ethereal, and engrossing music. “The Father of Time Wakes Up” is all this and more. From the opening note, this song hooks me and doesn’t let go.
The Besnard Lakes “The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings”
I will always make room in my music-loving heart for songs pushing the boundaries of 5+ minutes. Coming in at 17:54, “The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings” is big and ambitious. It forces the listener to pay attention. Digging through the lyrics when paired with the composition of the song, checks so many boxes for me. Without a doubt, this is a song I would love to hear performed live.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah “Where They Perform Miracles”
I am late to the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah party. Some might say I am ten years too late. Nevertheless, I find this song profoundly moving, hopeful, and lovely. It feels so simple, but the story it tells demands your attention.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah “If I Were More Like Jesus”
“If I Were More Like Jesus” is so introspective. As a simple piano performance moves the song forward, I find myself invited in to explore the space, make sense of what I can, and meditate on what I don’t yet understand.
Foo Fighters “Cloudspotter”
On their album, “Medicine at Midnight,” Foo Fighters attempt to make a rock album that forces you to dance. Not every song on this album works for me, but “Cloudspotter” makes me want to move.
Kings of Leon “The Bandit”
I am from Oklahoma, and so are the Kings of Leon. I am always happy to support quality music created by my fellow Okies. While I haven’t spent a tremendous amount of time with When You See Yourself, I love everything about “The Bandit.” It makes me want to dig deeper and spend some serious quality time with the album.
Lord Huron “Mine Forever”
Of all the bands I have discovered in the last 10 years, Lord Huron may be my favorite. They blend alt-country, folk, and rock together perfectly. Each album offers something new to consider and Long Lost is no different.
Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real “A Few Stars Apart”
Bookending my annual list with Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson seems right. I am only beginning to dig through his work. So far, I am deeply impressed and cannot wait to hear more.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
This website exists because of readers and supporters. If what you just read made you smile, please consider supporting the website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.
These are the songs I returned to most often in 2020. In them, I hear experimentation, hints of religion, a deep focus, a band with a lot left to say, someone leaving it all behind, release, genres bending, coming home, loving deeply, and an end. Without a doubt, these songs got me through 2020. I hope they can provide some relief for you too.
To listen to the entire Musical Thesis: My Ten Favorite Songs of 2020 playlist, click here.
Eternal Summer by The Strokes
Finale by The Lone Bellow
Tecie by Moby
Who Ever Said by Pearl Jam
Quick Escape by Pearl Jam
Ceremony by Phantogram
Determined Outcome by Sufjan Stevens & Lowell Brams
Don’t Go Away by The Beths
Do You Feel Loved by Bombay Bicycle Club
Let You Go by Bombay Bicycle Club
Be good to each other,
Nathan
This website exists because of readers and supporters. If what you just read made you smile, please consider supporting the website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.
In a food-focused city like Los Angeles, selecting a favorite restaurant is nearly impossible. Food trucks, corner stands, strip mall dives, fast-casual options, and upscale dining lingers around every single corner. With so many options, the exercise of finding something to explore can be overwhelming. Then you stumble across a gem like Breva Restaurant and you remember why you love the search for the perfect meal in the first place. Of all the meals I had last year, this was my favorite. For that, they are easily my Top Spot of 2019.
The Stage: Breva Restaurant sits on the first floor of Hotel Figueroa near LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Modern, clean, simple, and sophisticated are the first words that come to mind when trying to describe the space. For us, we took it all in from the comfort of the bar. Arriving well before our reservation time, we sipped cocktails and found relief from the week that was before being invited into the restaurant.
The Food: For a starter, we ordered the Fig Style Spinach Dip with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Artichoke Hearts and Chips. The dip was smooth, creamy, and demanded to be devoured. When there are two people, you’re supposed to evenly split the appetizer. Well, this stuff was so good, I am afraid there might have been a 60-40% split in my favor.
For my main course, I ordered the 18oz Ribeye with Truffle Pomme Puree, Braised Cipollini Onions and Herb Salad. The steak was cooked to absolute perfection. In fact, if it would have agreed to a prenuptial agreement, I would have tried to marry it. The puree, onions, and salad didn’t distract from the flavor of the beef but intensified it. I don’t know about the rest of the menu, but this steak demands to be eaten.
The Service: Being a hip, modern, and cool restaurant meant we were served by hip, modern, and cool servers. Some of these people looked like they were torn straight out of a magazine, coated in tattoos, and trained in excellent service; which was more than fine by me.
The Price: For two people, we paid about $180. A bottle of wine on the expensive side did increase the price of the meal but given the occasion and the company, I didn’t mind.
The Takeaway: Breva Restaurant was built for date night. The venue is modern, sleek, and inviting. The food is plated superbly and inventive. The service was everything you would expect from this sort of venue. The price begs for a special occasion. Now, find yourself a special occasion.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
This website exists because of readers and supporters. If what you just read made you smile, please consider supporting the website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.
“The Last Black Man in San Francisco”
Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco… No major city in the United States can escape the clutches of gentrification. Years before, white people fled to the suburbs. Flying from the inner-city, they took wealth, businesses, and community with them. In their absence, vibrant and multi-cultural communities took hold, put their roots deep in the ground, and began to grow. Soon, white people decided to fly back toward the city center. Costs began to rise, and housing became unaffordable for the people already living there. They found themselves forced further and further away from places they had made their home. “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” attempts to wrestle with this challenge by asking, “Who does a city belong to, if not everyone?”
“The Friend”
Focused on a dying mother, her husband, and their friend who moves in to provide assistance, “The Friend” carries an emotional weight often found missing in modern-day cinema. Perhaps it was the right film, at the right time, but this movie hit me like a ton of bricks. Looking around the theater, I wasn’t alone in this sentiment. It is able to achieve such honest and raw emotional connections thanks to a beautifully written script and performances originating from genuine experiences. In the end, it was a beautiful thing to behold and left most people unable to move from their seats. It has been more than a decade since I have had an experience like this at the cinema.
“1917”
“1917” is more than the sum of its technical achievements. On par with “Saving Private Ryan” and “We Were Soldiers,” this film forces you to experience war. By choosing to focus on two characters, their mission, and by never breaking our attention in the same manner as “Birdman,” we get as close to war as possible without the fear of death. In those prolonged moments, we experience fear, turmoil, loss, exhaustion, triumph, and the pain of it all. Without a doubt, you will leave the theater thinking a simple thought… “I have never experienced anything quite like that!”
“Free Solo”
There has never been a film like “Free Solo.” Sure, there have been documentaries encapsulating human achievement for future generations to watch and understand, but few films have impressed upon their audience the sheer volume of risk and consequence like this one. To truly understand what this film means for filmmaking and the power of human will, you must stand back and dissect it in pieces.
“Clemency”
We can debate endlessly about whether or not a civilized society should be putting its own citizens to death for crimes in which they have been convicted by a jury of their peers. “Clemency,” asks us to do something more than debate. It asks us to fully submerge ourselves into the lives of the characters on Death Row. From the warden who is supposed to see justice through, to the tireless lawyer, to the inmate we believe has been wrongly convicted, and to those left in their wake, this film is an emotional powerhouse deserving of a large audience and a more humane debate around the death penalty.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
This website exists because of readers and supporters. If what you just read made you smile, please consider supporting the website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
This website exists because of readers and supporters. If what you just read made you smile, please consider supporting the website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
This website exists because of readers and supporters. If what you just read made you smile, please consider supporting the website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.
