I hoped to make a loop between Tennessee and Mississippi in four days—some time with family, then back. (I’ll tell you about that—including the free haircut I got at the fabled Eagle’s Nest in Dayton, Tenn.—when I’ve had a little more coffee). Over those thousand miles I listened and re-listened to the music I met this year.
Steele, Alabama, Polaroid 600 (all photos December 2022)
BEST REIMAGINING OF SOMETHING THAT WAS ALREADY BEAUTIFUL
Madi Diaz, “Resentment” (with Waxahatchee), a new duet based on a track from her stunning History of a Feeling.
WEST MEMPHIS IS (STILL) ON FIRE AWARD
At the very beginning of the year I got to see Waxhatchee play her home turf at the Saturn, with Madi Diaz opening. There was just such a joy and serenity in hearing the great Saint Cloud live. I say “got to see” because it was a treasure, a gift. I wrote about that trip to Bama, and my pants falling down, in “Top of Seam.”
OMG THAT SOLO, pt. II
Lamp of Murmuur, “Nocturnal Vengeance,” from its split with Ebony Pendant, Plenilunar Requiems. Who says black metal can’t rip??
THE OLD GODS WILL NEVER DIE
Darkthrone, Astral Fortress, which features the song for which this newsletter is named. Purveyors of self-proclaimed “old metal” that is aimed straight at my heart.
SEWED THE PATCH ON MY JACKET
Seeing Rob Halford and a gang of handpicked gunslingers rip through a two hour set in North Mississippi. When the legend rode onstage on a Harley I went absolutely insane, pumping my fists and screaming. My friend Wes declared that it was life-affirming, and he was right—from the spontaneous pre-show audience singalong to “Iron Man” (which was playing on the arena soundsystem) to seeing the great t-shirts and patches sported by people of all ages.
At the end of the show, as the band took an extended bow, the screen behind flashed “JUDAS PRIEST WILL RETURN.” Rob Halford is 71 and the first Priest record debuted in 1974, the year before I was born. May he ride eternal.
Collinsville, Alabama, Polaroid SX-70
40,000 MINUTES
The time period Spotify says I spent listening to music, which equals, and you can’t make this up, 666 hours. My top artists on the service were HAIM (whose “Lost Track” was my most spun single of the year, I suspect propelled by Alana Haim’s star turn in Licorice Pizza), Madi Diaz, MUNA’s new one, Waxhatchee, and Taylor Swift (goosed by “Bejeweled” from Midnights). It preserved me as listening to 6,378 different songs by 1,632 artists, which frankly sounds insane. At least a chunk of that 666 hours was just listening to “Hounds of Love” by Kate Bush on repeat.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WHY DO I FEEL THIS WAY
The unknowable depths of Wormrot’s Hiss, which people keep calling a grindcore record, but feels like something new.
POWER TRIP WILL NEVER DIE
Fugitive, Maniac EP
SHOULD I TAKE A BOAT TO CANADA AND SEE THE ZOMBIES PLAY IN A CHURCH I MEAN HOW MANY MORE SEASONS OF BAKE-OFF CAN I WATCH IN BED ON MY PHONE
On finding unexpected joy when challenging yourself to see what there is to see.
The Read House, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Polaroid SX-70
MOST I WANNA MOVE TO THE DESERT AND LISTEN TO THIS ON REPEAT ALBUM COVER
Plains, I Walked with You A Ways. “Problem with It” and “Hurricane” immediately entered the lexicon, and what a great album title! But the luminous desert photography by Molly Matalon is what sealed it—making the remote seem lush and mysterious, restoring meaning to “Way out West.”
FOLLOW THE TROUBADOUR FOR HE KNOWS THE TRUTH
Seeing Bob Dylan, and how “he had done good by improving life through discovering art.”
DON’T! OPEN!! THAT DOOR!!!!!
Worm, Bluenothing
THIS IS A TRUE STORY BUT I CAN’T REMEMBER IF I TOLD YOU OR NOT
I almost saw a fistfight break out during a concert by The National (who were great!) because some people were talking too loud during a quiet song. Until this moment (a.k.a. checking the Notes app on my phone), I had forgotten I had even seen The National! A band I actually really like a ton and have never seen before! Here’s a photo from that trip to Milwaukee, where Gerry is still behind the bar after four decades. Maybe I’ve been pretty blessed with travel this year, if I forgot about a whole concert, what is wrong with me.
I think this is SX-70, but can’t quiet tell. Note, there’s a tiny neon Blatz sign at center bottom.
“WE GOT MAJOR BLUES”
Orville Peck’s cinematic, dramatic, bombastic, and utterly perfect “Daytona Sand.” I liked the feel of the song immediately, but when I heard these lyrics—
So hit the road, big blonde
Take me home to Mississippi
Yeah, that’s what carved it up on the mountain.
JOIN ME IN THE COSMOS, OMEGANAUT
Below is a list of music I purchased (older records, like the pristine copy of Veedon Fleece I recently picked up at my home store in Fondren, End of All Music, aren’t recorded). Unless noted, these are all digital purchases via Bandcamp, the best way I’ve found to directly support an artist. Many were made on the essential Bandcamp Fridays.
Madi Diaz, Same History, New Feelings
Madi Diaz, History of a Feeling
Lamp of Murmuur, Plenilunar Requiems split with …
Ebony Pendant, Plenilunar Requiems
Poisoned Chalice, s/t
Marthe, “Victimized”
Maȟpíya Lúta, Wóohitike
Ritual Fog, Visions of Blasphemy
Joni Mitchell, Blue 50 (demos and outtakes) (LP)
Lou Reed, I’m So Free: The 1971 RCA Demos (LP) (pretty overworked title)
Bruce Springsteen, The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concert (2 x LP) (too much of a title)
The Velvet Underground: A Documentary Film by Todd Haynes (Music from the Motion Picture) (OH COME ON)
Wormrot, Hiss
Plains, I Walked with You A Ways
Fugitive, Maniac EP
Ripped to Shreds, 劇變 (Jubian) Cassette
Windbreakers, live in Philly 1989
Moonlight Sword, Elven Blood
Weyes Blood, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (cassette)
Putrescine / Adzes split
Broken Social Scene, Live at the Phoenix Concert Theatre 2003
Eternal Sword, The Cursed Land
Worm, Bluenothing
Cloud Rat, Threshold
Hammers of Misfortune, Overtaker
Vicky Chow, Philip Glass, Piano Etudes, Book 1
Darkthrone, Astral Fortress
Winter Lantern, Umbrae Obscurae a Luna Allatae
Weeping Coffin, F.B.I.
And here’s a Spotify playlist of songs on the pop/rock spectrum I jammed all year! It’s chock full of Cat Power, Dehd, Sharon Van Etten, MUNA, Weyes Blood, ALL THE ROYALTY. Mash play!!
BUT BUT WHAT DID YOU JAM IN 2021??
You can find out at A Diabolic Thirst!, last year’s music round-up!
“THE SEA BENEATH THE SEAS OF THE SEA” is this week’s installment of GORJUS, a newsletter devoted to art and life in the South on instant film. If you like it, consider sending it to a pal. Just like anything, some weeks are better than others. I’m gorjusjxn on Instagram, and you can see more Polaroids at McCartyPolaroids.