Shanies: Rookie of the Year

I'm about to spend the next week telling you all about how you're incredibly wrong, I'm incredibly right, the music you listen to is terrible, and that my music is infinitely better... but know that I feel terrible about it. I feel this way, because while I inherently know that I'm right in my stance, I've done a terrible job this year of keeping the world informed of my superior ears and opinion and as such, this week and these posts will truly come as a shock to you.

But bear with with me... Evil Shananigans is not dead... just bloodied in a gutter somewhere.

Still, that's never stopped me from dusting off the 'ol keyboard and proclaiming my auditory superiority over all of you. In short, happy holidays, and enjoy the tunes.

As is tradition, the first Shanie of 2015 goes to our Rookie of the year. While there were a ton of great albums that came out this year, the rookie was a no-brainer. Normally, while I love to give this award to some up and coming band to highlight them, 2015 will be the year of the juggernaut.

Dan Auerbach's latest side project The Arcs put forth the kind of album that I've been missing from the Keys since Brothers, but also went in a very different direction. While The Black Keys are typically a riff on the blues, Yours, Dreamily was essentially a soul album. It had some unquestionably trademark Auerbach feels to it, however, showed the kind of songwriting and recording progression of a seasoned vet. You could just as easily take Dan's signature, sweet vocals off this record and give these backs to the likes of Leon Bridges or Aloe Blacc and it would fit like a glove.

A few of the tracks definitely pull out more of the rocker feel that we know and love the Keys for, however, others like Put a Flower in Your Pocket or the album's first single Stay in my Corner are beautiful, slow burns that feature weighty bass lines that pull your ears in and snuggle you close. It's an album that got saw a ridiculous amount of play this fall and that was fitting for countless different moods and moments.



-Try to keep my lies of the whitest white, rolling words I write off this surrenderer's tongue

April Shananigans: Hunting Trouble

Heavy, heavy trouble... but sometimes too hard to avoid.



-Hunting for a home that we've no longer got

Dirty Rascal

I felt like writing early this morning, however, I could also tell that it was going to be poorly-written, illogical, dirty, mashes of aimless words. As such, I couldn't think of a better outlet than my trusty blog; no one expects quality here!

Much in-line with my mood, today I wanted to talk about sloppy, dirty, sneering, grind-you-up-the-side music. As such, it fit perfectly that I had just stumbled across Hanni El Khatib, a Palestinian/Filipino skateboarder/dirty blues musician. He describes his music as being for "being for anyone who has ever been shot or hit by a train."  Can't say I've done either, but right now, that about encapsulates my mood.

He was picked up by Stones Throw records and his first album, Will the Guns Come Out, was released last fall. He's now working towards his second full length that I just learned will be produced by Dan Auerbach - suddenly makes a lot of sense why I like this guy so much.

That's all I want to say... check out this awesome, grimy, dirty blues rock.
-I need a martyr to kill

Paging Dr. John

I let sneak a little teaser back in April when I heard that the legendary Dr. John was surfacing for yet another album. You know you've had a long career when you're losing track of the number of albums you've put out, but you know this one is up there around #30.

I'll admit, even though the good doctor is one of those N'Orleans funk/soul staples that has been doing his thing since the 50s... I didn't really know what was what until that dashingly wonderful gentleman, Dan Auerbach, shone some light my way. I took a listen to some of DrJ's discography and while all of it shows a twinkling of musical genius, the effects of Auerbach in the producer seat make Locked Down a formidable contender in the realm of today's, or any day's, music.

Long and long of it... you know the drill... why read my garbage when the goods are sitting just below?

-This is the last time I'll hold you; this is the last time I'll say goodbye.

April Shananigans: Day off

Nothing is better than a little day off.  Except maybe this song.


-Take my outreaching hand, lend me the other

Crossover the Keys

Nothing is better on a Friday than finding out that one of your favorite artists (that would be Mr. Dan Auerbach of Black Keys fame) has done a crossover projects with one of your favorite new artists (of course, Mr. Michael Kiwanuka).

The takeaway: this song is freaking beautiful and you need to go listen to it now.

Seriously... right now.  Drop everything.  This is far more important.


http://www.abeano.com/michael-kiwanuka-lasan/10937