My friend R. acquired a copy Public Image Ltd.’s Metal Box in 1979. Inspecting the unique packaging while listening to the correspondingly strange music it housed in the basement of R.’s home was an otherworldly experience. Forty-five years later, I was transported by live renderings of Metal Box songs by Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart at Mississippi Studios on Friday, July 19. The interpretations of once-unintelligible songs like "Poptones" on the Metal Box: Rebuilt in Dub Tour were perfect distillations of my coinciding passions for punk, jazz and reggae. Either Wobble’s extensive career helped shape my taste or he and I simply share similar inclinations.
January 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency
Top Ten Albums of January
1. Sebastian Rochford- A Short Diary
Sad-sack Satie? Sold!
2. Elle King- Come Get Your Wife
Sounds like home.
3. The Art Ensemble of Chicago- The Sixth Decade: From Paris to Paris
Roscoe Mitchell and Moor Mother are my favorite dynamic duo.
4. Daniel Pioro- Saint Boy
5. Mette Henriette- Drifting
ECM-core.
6. Fred Hersch and esperanza spalding- Alive at the Village Vanguard
7. Obituary- Dying of Everything
Don’t I know it.
8. Kali Malone- Does Spring Hide Its Joy
9. Lil Yachty- Let’s Start Here.
Surprise, surprise, surprise!
10. Véronique Gens and Orchestre National De Lille- Poulenc: La voix humain
Allô!
Top Ten Songs of January
1. Måneskin- "Kool Kids"
Rock and roll hilarity.
2. Bizzy Banks- "Ok Ok Ok"
Notarized.
3. Gloss Up featuring Icewear Vezzo- "From Cross the Way"
“Bouncin’ like them checks!”
4. Ice Spice- “In Ha Mood”
She’s no one-hit wonder.
5. Yahritza y su Esencia- “Cambiaste”
Change is the only constant.
6. Public Image Ltd- "Hawaii"
A beautiful sunset.
7. Belle and Sebastian- “Juliet Naked”
My favorite Nick Hornby novel.
8. Jill Barber- "Homemaker"
Tammy lives.
9. SleazyWorld Go- “Robbers and Villains”
Grimy side.
10. Boygenius- "$20"
Three is a magic number.
Top Ten Performances of January
1. Pretty Yende- Folly Theater
2. Mike Dillon and Brian Haas- The Brick
3. Miguel Zenón Quartet- Folly Theater
4. Oran Etkin- Polsky Theatre
5. Kinnor Philharmonic- White Theatre
6. No Treble- InterUrban ArtHouse
7. OJT- Green Lady Lounge
8. Scott Looney, Kevin Cheli, Krista Kopper, Seth Davis and Evan Verploegh- Westport Coffee House
9. Venetophilia- Kansas City Public Library
10. Charles Williams, DeAndre Manning and Mike Warren- Eddie V’s
The previous monthly survey is here.