Twin Shadow - "Is There Any Love"

Twin Shadow, aka George Lewis, Jr., was poised to hit the heights that The Weeknd has experienced, but after two brilliant independent records, his major-label release fell flat and his following releases didn't do much to make up for it. If you have seen Twin Shadow live though, you know the man is a born entertainer, who knows how to whip an audience into a Prince-ian frenzy. His latest, self-titled record shows that spark, and on tracks like the funky "Is There Is Any Love" you can see that promise coming through. 

 

Jam of the Day: Twin Shadow - "Truly"

Twin Shadow previews his new record with this lush, Middle Eastern-tinged track that is one of his best singles in years.

2015 Albums of the Year (Numbers 50-41)

It was a much better year for singles this year for me than albums. With that said, the albums that I liked this year, I really liked a lot. Here are my Top 50 albums for 2015:

50. The Chemical Brothers - Born in the Echoes

The Chemical Brothers have hit their new renaissance phase. Continuing where Further left off, Born in the Echoes is the sound of the Chems bursting forward with more fresh, new ideas.

49. Lower Dens - Escape From Evil

This is the album where Lower Dens make the decision to embrace melody and more pop-oriented elements. Their lyrics are still dark and foreboding, but there is less of wall going up, at least sonically speaking.

48. Ciara - Jackie

While she will never be as huge as Beyonce or Rihanna, Ciara puts out as good if not better music, in my opinion. Jackie is a welcome return for her, full of catchy jams and elegant ballads.

47. Viet Cong - Viet Cong

The band formerly known as Viet Cong (external pressures caused them to change their name, which at the moment they have not made) put out the most viscerally intense record this year. Regardless of what they change their name to, it will be exciting to see what they come up with next.

46. Metric - Pagans in Vegas

For me, Emily Haines and Co. have always been more of a singles band than an album band. Pagans in Vegas is their first release that actually sounds like a fully cohesive record. The singles and the deep album cuts are all on the same footing.

45. Kate Boy - One

More brilliant Swedish synthpop. There must be something in the water over there.

44. Neon Indian - VEGA INTL. Night School

Ridiculously clever, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink record from Neon Indian that astonishes with its creative breadth.

43. Twin Shadow - Eclipse

Eclipse is Twin Shadow's attempt at a big "POP RECORD!!!!" from an 80s mold. What could have come across as stunted or as pastiche, Twin Shadow wears his heart on his sleeve throughout and, even better, throws down some killer melodies to boot.

42. Zedd - True Colors

Pretty much the perfect marriage of pop and EDM.

41. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense?

I have never "gotten" Hot Chip. Their records always feeling very flat to me. Live they are brilliant, but they have never put together a cohesive album that made me really take notice. Why Make Sense? finally changes that.

Non-Sequiturs

Damn.

Yes, please.

Massive chest.

Cigar Daddy.

Love my beefy boys.

SBJ.

Grrrrr.

Sweaty bear drummer.

Thick.

Bitch, get off my pole.  Wait, forget that.

Gorgeous.  And I want hair like that!

Hot.

Damn.

Beautiful belly.

UNF.

I wouldn't mind waking up to that.

Or cuddling with him.

Fur and tatts.

Sexy.

Drool.

Dapper.  Love the sleeve.

Tatted hotness.

Ditto.

That's a hot belly.

Yes.

Hell yes.

Swoon.

Amazing arms and tatts.

Adorable.

Beefy triad.

Damn damn damn.

Adorkabear.

I want to look like that.

Stretch.

Love the shock of silver chest hair.

D'awwww.

Those eyes.

Smooth, but sexy.

Gorgeous and tight body.

Redneck heaven.

Love the beard.

These so called "religious freedom" bills are making me retch. Thankfully, the Georgia legislature came to its senses. I love how the Governor of Indiana is now puzzled why there is so much backlash, even after over 30 constitutional law professors told him and the Indiana legislature that it the law was a bad idea.

I have definitely enjoyed seeing all the fall out from these bills. Social media has become the great leveler.

Dear "Christians," you are only being persecuted when your right to practice your religion is being infringed. Preventing you from discriminating against customers in your business that is open to the public for commerce is not infringing that right. Learn the difference.

There is a fine line between stocky and fat.

Scruff is starting to look like Grindr.

Exactly.

Yes, Twin Shadow's album Eclipse is an overblown mess, but damn, I can't stop playing it.

"A library is a hospital for the mind."

I think everyone on my floor takes Friday off.

Blur's album Think Tank is woefully underrated.

I hate having a panic attack for no reason.

LOL.

When did it get the point where it costs $25-30 for a simple meal out?

I would hate to have my birthday on April Fool's Day.

I don't care for wearing a tie with a button down shirt; you aren't in high school any more.

I watched Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel Inherent Vice last weekend. Once I stopped trying to figure out the plot (it is so convoluted there is no real through way for it) and just went with the across the board excellent and intriguing acting, it was a freak out pleasure of the best kind.

Workdays without meetings are awesome.

The new album from The Prodigy is surprisingly good. Dumb. But good.

I've lived in Atlanta almost 22 years and I have never been to the Easter Drag Races. This Sunday will be my first time.

Trust.

My ex Will is in Italy on his honeymoon, and seeing him post pics and stories from the trip reminds me of our journey there back in 2002 after I took the Bar exam.

I am so excited Mad Men starts this weekend, but also sad because these are the final episodes.

A partner on my floor always uses the empty associate office next to me. I couldn't figure out why, until I looked into his office and there are so many papers on his desk, there is absolutely no way he can get anything done on it.

My office is around the corner from an open stairwell that leads up to the attorney dining room, and every day at 11:30 AM the smells of what is on the menu come down and visit me. Today smells particularly good.

I'm getting quite tired of my gym. It never seems to be clean enough, the owners post rude/passive aggressive signs up everywhere, they hardly ever run the air conditioning so that it is always hot and humid when you work out, and they generally make the members feel like they are burdens.

Your cute for the day.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"We've posed these questions to our children
That calls them all to stray
And live in tiny houses
Of the same mistakes we've made

Cause there are too many of us
In tiny houses here and there
Passing out somewhere
But you won't care

There are too many of us
That's plain to see
We all believe in praying
For our immortality

For a moment I was dislocated
My terror on the loop, elsewhere
Flashing lights advocate it
On the big screens everywhere

Cause there are too many of us
In tiny houses here and there
Passing out somewhere
But you won't care

There are too many of us
In tiny houses, here and there
All looking through the windows
On everything we share

We pose these questions to our children
It leads them all to stray
And live in tiny houses
Of the same mistakes we make

There are too many of us
Oh, that's plain to see
All living in tiny houses
About our immortality."

Blur
"There Are Too Many of Us"

"Flashing lights, the sirens again
You've been all night high
And now you're coming down, ha ha
We sail our ships, sometimes they collide
You just hold on tight
Hold on tight to me, ha ha

You can be as broke as you want
You can be as drunk as you like
It can be the darkest night
I'll never let you out of sight
Even if there's no way home
Even if there's nowhere to go
Even when you know it's all your fault

Let my love shine
Into the darkness of your mind
You're lost in a forest
And it feels like no way out
I shine so bright
Let my love shine."

Karin Park
"Shine"

Appealing Things

Karin Park's Apocalypse Pop
Georgia's proposed RFRA bill being shot down
Stuffed bell peppers
Watching all the Buffy episodes at once and really seeing when the show found its voice
Ready Player One
Easter weekend; not for any religious reason, just because it is usually a fun, beautiful weekend
Having only 4 more car payments
Working out in an almost empty gym

Annoying Things

Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana; asshat
GA State Sen. Josh McKoon; asshat
Gov. Hutchinson of Arkansas; asshat
People who ask me to Skype on Scruff after it says in my profile I don't Skype
Attorneys trying to be funny
Getting all vowels or all consonants in Scrabble