Sometimes I Look Into The Sun and Wonder What All My Worrying Was Really For

OK, I know, I know.  I started something that I couldn't finish (to quote Moz).  The Ideological Cuddle Top 10 Albums of the year started well, but never came to a conclusion.  Part of this is due to being busy, part is due to being lazy.  I think it's time to remedy this...

Album #9 - Teenage Fanclub - Shadows
Now, I outlined my new-found love for Teenage Fanclub in the last post, but a few more select thoughts - Shadows continues down the pathway that the band blazed from Grand Prix forward.  It's modern pop that looks backward to the grandiosity of 60s and 70s AM radio.  The first two tracks are stand-outs - "Sometimes I Don't Need To Believe In Anything" and "Baby Lee" - and a heck of a 1-2 punch.  Here's a taste:



Album #8 - Corin Tucker Band - 1,000 Years
Another album that was outlined in its own post just a couple months ago - October, to be exact (found here).  Not Sleater-Kinney, but no less powerful and affecting, Tucker harnesses years of being a mother, a wife, and an adult (there's a concept in modern indie rock!).  It is an album that is reflective ("Riley" and "It's Always Summer"), sensual ("Dragon"), and angry (standout track "Doubt" - the closest to Sleater-Kinney that you'll hear... that is, until Carrie Brownstein's new band Wild Fang hits the ground running).  I really look forward to what Tucker has planned next.




Album #7 - Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away
This one has been a quick riser on the Ideological Cuddle list (if I hadn't finished the list in mid-December, it might have made the top 5).  Ritter's latest LP was released in special vinyl form on Record Store Day and it took quite a while to dig through all of the lyrical depths that Ritter presents.  The full impact of his prose has to be studied to be fully appreciated.  The BFF and I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Ritter in concert in Toronto back in October, and he and his band absolutely tore the Phoenix Concert Hall up. The band is tight and Ritter's renditions of "Folk Bloodbath" (which premiered in fetal form on his March, 2008 tour stop to the same venue) and "Lantern" from SRTWA were fantastic.  I have been waiting months for the right time to share the video for "The Curse".  Be forewarned - this might be the only time that marionettes have ever made me cry :




Album #6 - The New Pornographers - Together
Another band that I have been singing the praises of for years, The New Pornographers stick to their formula (joyous power-pop filtered through the lenses of songwriters Carl Newman and Dan Bejar), yet allow Kathryn Calder to take her place next to Neko Case, rather than in her shadow.  You can't help but feel energized by the band's sound. Here they are performing "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk" live in studio on Q TV in their native Canada (undoubtedly the best lyrical use of the word "Byzantine" ever):




Album #5 - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
Another long time Cuddle favorite who swung through our region in 2010, Leo brought his trademark punk energy to venerable Buffalo dive-bar landmark Mohawk Place in June.  The place was packed wall-to-wall with every age of devotee - aging hipsters, young punks, and whatever group I belong to.  Everyone seemed to vibrate at the same frequency with the sheer frenetic energy of Ted's music, as he showcased the live intensity of the tracks from The Brutalist Bricks.  As if you ever needed another reason to see Ted Leo in concert (if you haven't you're missing out big time), the songs from this record absolutely shine live.  "Where Was My Brain?", "The Mighty Sparrow", and "Gimmie The Wire" shook the room to its foundation, while my favorite track, "Bottled In Cork" (a rumination on the state of the world filtered through a travelouge that stings of regret) was drawn out into a full-scale sing along with the tune's closing couplet" "I told the bartender/I think I'm falling in love".  The official video is downright silly and hilarious (and Paul F. Tompkins rules) :



Album #4 - Spoon - Transference
Somewhat overlooked as the year went on, owing to its release in January, 2010, Spoon continued its streak of amazingly crafted records with Transference.  As with many of the albums on this list, the band didn't really try to reinvent themselves, just merely made a few tweaks to alter their sonic delivery.  "Written In Reverse" follows in the footsteps of other danceable, funky Spoon tunes like "Don't You Evah" and "You Gotta Feel It".  "I Saw The Light" sounds like it would have fit perfectly between "I Turn My Camera On" and "My Mathematical Mind" on Gimme Fiction.  "Goodnight Laura" is contemplative and heart wrenching piano ballad along the lines of, well, nothing else in their catalogue.  Everything this band puts out sounds nothing like anyone else.  The band is truly original and fantastic.




Album #3 - The National - High Violet
Yeah, it's not my #1 record of the year.  Yes, it's fantastic.  No, it's not as good as Boxer, but not much out there is.  I've outlined the grandiosity of the National's live show (at both the Massey Hall and Rockin' at The Knox gigs in 2010) and sung the praises of Matt Berninger and crew over and over again.  This album helped to get me to understand that it was OK to be a thirty-something indie music fan in this day and age; that there were people out there in my age bracket making music and outlining themes that we understand (namely, having kids, struggling with a career, maintaining friendships, finding/losing love, mistaking sex for intimacy, feeling claustrophobic in our day and age, feeling paranoid about the government - you know, your  basic Top 40 radio themes).  And somehow, despite the heaviness of these topics, the band absolutely blew up this year; you could scarcely turn around mid-year without seeing The National on late night TV or being highlighted in print/internet media.  It would have been impossible for the band to have reached this level if the songs weren't fantastic (and they most certainly are).  Here's my favorite, live on The Interface in LA (and yes, I partially grew a beard this past Fall in a feeble attempt to look more like Matt Berninger):



Album #2 - The Black Keys - Brothers
Speaking of bands that absolutely blew up in 2010... After slogging along on the outskirts of fame for years, the Black Keys made their long-deserved breakthrough to the big time this past year, on the heels of their most ambitious (and, to my ear, best) album to date.  Prior to this album hitting the stores, there were plenty of folks who knew and loved the Black Keys, but they weren't exactly household names.  Now, they've played Saturday Night Live, have had their songs soundtrack commercial after commercial, and even came full circle to parody their "commercial" breakthrough on The Colbert Report (which, if you haven't seen, is an absolute riot - much credit to Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend for skewering their robust fame as well.  Check out the clip at Colbert's website here.)  The album should be enjoyed on vinyl (and that goes for all of my top 10) and can be purchased in one of many forms (I must say that I feel that I was punished for being a dedicated little fan and buying the record on its release day on double LP vinyl - it's subsequently been re-released on limited edition 10" records with 45rpm mastering and I would have preferred that version, but whatever).  The addition of bass and Hammond organ/harpsichord/keyboard is key to the album's success, as it pulls the Keys sound out of a blues orbit into more of a 60s Stax/Volt R&B vein (right down to the choice of recording studios - legendary Muscle Shoals).  "Everlasting Light", "10 Cent Pistol", "Black Mud" - these are centerpieces, but for me, the last two tracks are what cinches it for me.  The closing 1-2 punch of soul classic "Never Gonna Give You Up" (made famous by Isaac Hayes) and should be new soul classic "These Days" (imagine the late Sam Cooke or Otis Redding crooning this one) and unparalleled.  It's refreshing to see a band so confident in their songs that they can end a record with such gems.  Absolutely killed it live at Town Ballroom in September as well. 



Finally, The Ideological Cuddle #1 Record of the Year for 2010... Drum Roll, please...
Album #1 - Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
This album turned out the be the feel-good story of the year for me, as this was not only the most catchy, well-written return-to-form album, but also the soundtrack to my running resurrection.  On a personal level, this record gave me the push that I needed to get out there and get healthier.  It has been, almost exclusively, the soundtrack for each of my two and four mile runs since its release.   What Mac, Laura, Jon, and James did with this record is nothing short of amazing.  For a band that seemed to be lost to nostalgia just a few short years ago, to rebound with such a vital, triumphant record is inspiring.  That they've done it while making sure that Merge Records, the label Mac and Laura founded in 1989, continues to flourish as indie rocks' foremost success story is even more impressive.  The songs are great individually, but even more impressive when taken as a whole.  The track order is seamless, with one anthem flowing into another, but never feeling "samey".  As with High Violet, So Runs The World Away, and The Brutalist Bricks, Majesty Shredding finds its authors struggling with adult issues in a changing world.  No track that I heard in 2010 sums this up better than "Fractures In Plaster", a tune that celebrates getting older while recalling the fragility of life as we yearn to be like Christopher Robin "in the woods with your yellow bear", perpetually in childhood.  It was fitting that the band chose to remaster and re-release two of their best loved records, No Pocky For Kitty and On The Mouth, in 2010 as well, since Majesty Shredding sits right next to those two classics in Superchunk's celebrated discography.  You won't find a record that makes you feel better being an adult than this one.  It's about time, in the current musical milieu, that we can say that.



So, there you go. It took a while to get posted, but I hope it was worth the wait. I hope that everyone who reads this post will go out and check out these albums. They're all well worth your time.
Until next time (when I'll likely be drooling over the reissue of Emergency & I by The Dismemberment Plan), take some time to review the wonderful music that 2010 had to offer... and listen...

Two Mirrors Make Infinity, In the Mirror, You and Me

Oh dear friends, this past week was a legendary one in terms of concert-going at The Cuddle. Two trips to Toronto, two of the greatest concerts this writer has ever been to.

Tuesday, June 8 brought a trip to legendary concert venue, Massey Hall. Loaded with history (it would take a post of its own to discuss the famous concerts staged and live albums recorded at the venue - Live at Massey Hall by Neil Young and All The World's A Stage by Rush are paramount among them), The National staked their claim to that long list emphatically, playing a 90 minute set to a sold-out house of rabid fans. Kicking off their set with the somber High Violet stand-out "Runaway" and closing with the beautifully downcast "About Today" during a second encore, the band held the accumulated masses in rapt attention. Matt Berninger seemed to be turning in a typically restrained performance, but surprised everyone by jumping into the audience for a burning "Abel" and a frenzied "Mr. November". The banter between the band and the audience was a surprise to anyone who had been to a National show in the past, as they typically go about their business in workmanlike fashion without much conversation. The Dessner brothers started things off and Berninger jumped right in to the fold. The highlights of the night, beyond those already mentioned, included a surprise appearance by "The Geese of Beverly Road" and Cuddle favorite, "All The Wine". This band will just continue to get bigger, so catch them while you can. Buffalonians are lucky enough to have their chance on this Friday, June 18, when Berninger and the boys hit the annual Rockin' at the Knox concert in front of the Albright-Knox art museum. You'd be crazy to miss it.

For a beautifully eloquent review of the show (including some beautiful pictures - who knew that Canadians didn't care if you took all the pictures at live concerts that you wanted?), head on over to one of our favorite blogs, Chromewaves, for their comprehensive recap HERE.

Having learned our lesson about the photography rules at Canadian concert venues, we were bound and determined to get some great shots at our second show of the week. Yesterday's jaunt to Toronto brought yours truly along with the BFF to The Drake Hotel's Underground to see legendary British singer-songwriter and indie-rock patriarch, Robyn Hitchcock.

I couldn't have been more excited for this show, as Hitchock has been an obsession for the past two plus years. Add this to the volume of Hitchcock's catalogue, making the possibility of dusty deep cuts from some of his older records a distinct possibility, and excitement was at a fever pitch. We arrived in a section of Toronto that we had not previously been in, to find a classic Urban Hipster neighborhood, dotted with small art galleries and vegan eateries (we chose Fresh, wholly the right choice, as the bean burrito with fresh cilantro, Mediterranean plate, and sweet potato fries with spicy Thai peanut dipping sauce proved). We strolled back down Queen Street West to The Drake Hotel, passing through crowds of nattily dressed clubbers and down a steep stairway to the doors of the Underground. After a chunk of time spent waiting in front of closed doors, we were finally allowed entrance, and walked into a cozy, dimly lit room, dotted with a few folding chairs and soft leather furniture to the outsides of the room. We chose a perfect location - a leather couch perpendicular to the stage - with a perfect view, a mere 10 feet away. It was telling that prominent Canadian songwriter Ron Sexsmith was in attendance - I guess he, too, worships at the altar of Hitchcock.
Hitchcock came to the stage wearing a classic Hitchcock shirt, black with white polka dots, sporting only an acoustic guitar and harmonica, and launched into the BFF's two favorite songs as his first two selections - "Cynthia Mask" and "Queen Elvis". He held the audience in his grasp throughout the set (which was, unfortunately, too short at 90 minutes), playing a set that touched on many corners of his career, even if it was a bit heavy on material from Goodnight Oslo (not that there's anything wrong with that). He concluded his set with three songs "from my record collection" - "All la Glory" by The Band, "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix, and "Candyman" by the Grateful Dead. I would have wished that the set went on forever, but alas, the Underground had been booked for a DJ set later that night, making a marathon concert an impossibility. I maintain (as I told Mrs. Cuddle this morning) that everyone should be so lucky to see an artist they love in such an intimate, solo acoustic setting from so close.

As previously mentioned, we weren't going to miss out on an opportunity to take some great photos of this show. What follows are some beautiful shots taken by the BFF, along with superb video of Hitchcock's performance of "I'm Only You" :

Yup, he changed his shirt prior to the encore...

Now for the video I promised. Here's "I'm Only You" with some beautiful guitar work (and just as beautiful camera work by the BFF) :

UPDATE - VIDEO HAVING UPLOAD DIFFICULTIES

In addition to the above media, I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of a new Torontonian, Johnny, who recently moved to the city from Denver with his family. Couldn't have been a nicer guy and he taped last night's show, Friday night's show, and Saturday's in-store appearance at Sonic Boom. Those tracks should be headed to faithful Cuddle readers soon.

Until that time, be well, and get out and see some shows. You just might attend one that changes your life.

Lock Your Bedroom Door and Listen To Your Records...

Yes, Ideological Fans, the drought is over. After two long hiatuses, we are back at it at the Cuddle. And what a hiatus it has been. Since Record Store Day, we have been working hard at keeping up with all of the new vinyl releases out there, while stocking our shelves with old favorites as well.

That beautiful creature you see above is none other than the Ideological Dog, Jack, with two of his favorite new purchases. On the left, you'll note a beautiful 12" single of Billy Bragg's classic, "You Woke Up My Neighborhood", a single more famous for its first B-side - "Ontario, Quebec, and Me", a song that holds an esteemed place in Bragg lore. The sleeve has a couple of blemishes (note the slight peel on the record sleeve's lower right corner) and the vinyl has been well-loved (at least on side A), but it's still a welcome addition to the Cuddle's vinyl museum.

On the right in the picture above is our favorite new release, the record that allows The National to stake its claim as the best, and most important, band of the moment, High Violet. While it's not the highly-sought limited edition version on violet vinyl (no stores in the Buffalo area carried it... closest location would be Lakeshore Record Exchange in Rochester and a trip down the Thruway after a long day at work was NOT in the cards this past Tuesday), it was the only vinyl copy that our esteemed Record Theater had (thanks, BFF!!!!).

Now, those of you who know me know of my extreme love of The National, so anything that I say about how amazing this record is needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Look no further than Metacritic.com's current metascore of 86 to see that almost everyone agrees with me. Pitchfork's review really hits the nail on the head of how I feel about this album. It is a literate, mature, brooding work by a group of upwardly mobile thirtysomethings lamenting the slings and arrows faced by upwardly mobile, literate, educated, thirtysomethings as they face the drudgery of everyday life, the realities of marriage and parenthood, the fears of one's future, the examination of one's past, and insecurities that each of these challenges creates. It is definitely NOT for those who like their music wrapped up into tidy, neat little pop-radio-ready packages, with easily understandable themes. You won't hear "Afraid of Everyone" or "Bloodbuzz Ohio" on Top 40 radio anytime in the near or distant future (waaaaaay too intelligent for the average music fan - and if that's snobbery, so be it). Matt Berninger's voice is in it's usual state of baritone perfection (and sounds even more sonorous on vinyl). "Bloodbuzz Ohio" perfectly deals with coming to terms with one's past and one's hometown with the stellar lines - "I never thought about love when I thought about home" and "I still owe money/to the money/to the money I owe" - words that anyone with higher education school loans can commiserate with. "Runaway" is my runaway favorite, as the singer stands in the face of his issues and boldly declares, "I won't be no runaway, 'cause I won't run", yet admits that he'd prefer to be elsewhere - "What makes you think I enjoy being left to the flood?". Rarely do the songs hit an uptempo, driving pace (no "Mr. November" or "Abel" to be found here), but they don't need to. The dour mood of the album reflects the subject matter. It sucks facing reality in all of our daily lives - whether you're a physician from Buffalo or an indie rock front man from Brooklyn...

The National - "Runaway" - from the 4AD release, High Violet

Adding to a banner three weeks of new releases (which will conclude with Tuesday's releases of The Black Keys latest barn burner, Brothers and an Audiophile 180g 2 LP remaster of The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street) were the newest gems from favorites The New Pornographers and The Hold Steady. Each of these records are gems, but one is more flawed than expected.

Whenever The New Pornographers choose to release a record, it's a time of rejoicing in indie pop circles. Together is, simply put, their strongest album since, their first, 2000's Mass Romantic. Each of the band's songwriters is in strong form throughout the record with Neko Case, Dan Bejar, Kathryn Calder, and Carl Newman trading lead singing duties. The Pornographers finally make use of the combination of Bejar and Case's voices together in the standout "Daughters of Sorrow". In an alternate reality, this band's power pop songs would top the Billboard charts. It's fine with me that they never will.

The Hold Steady have always had substantial buzz preceding their records. Unfortunately, their latest, Heaven is Whenever, had plenty of negative buzz surrounding it. Gone is keyboard and mustache maestro Franz Nicolay, and along with him goes some of the go-for-broke, over the top sound that the band has been famous for. Now, some of the reviews for this record have praised the fact that Craig Finn and company sound a little more in control - more "mature" as some would put it - but this truly works to the band's detriment. I can only get into a couple of songs on the record and album opener "The Sweet Part of The City" can't come close to touching any of the previous three openers - "Hornets! Hornets!" from Separation Sunday, "Stuck Between Stations" from Boys and Girls In America, or "Constructive Summer" from Stay Positive. I want to think that, when played live, these songs will take flight (a recent performance of "Hurricane J" on The Colbert Report seems to back this up), but I'm not holding my breath.

As for vintage vinyl that has come into our clutches lately, we've added some beauties by Miles Davis, including a pretty nice copy of In A Silent Way, each of the two different sleeves of Tribute to Jack Johnson, and a passable copy of At Fillmore. We were also able to snag a nice copy of the Concert for Bangladesh 3 LP set with beautifully intact booklet, a first pressing of Herbie Hancock's jazz-funk masterpiece, Thrust, and an excellently preserved first pressing of Rush's first live album, All The World's A Stage (which sounded AWESOME being blared on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning while Mrs. Cuddle and I puttered about). Mrs. Cuddle has even gotten in on the act, seeking out old pop/rap/dubstep/club records for her new DJing hobby. She even encouraged a trip to check out some record stores in St. Catherine's on this past week's trip to The Great White North (we had a lot of fun digging through dusty crates of LPs and finding her a copy of her favorite Aerosmith record, Draw The Line - lots of sentimental value with that one).

Hopefully there's much more vintage vinyl to be had, as the BFF and I venture to Boston to visit friends, visit The World's Greatest Sporting Venue for Red Sox vs. Royals, and do some shopping. I've already got my vintage record stores planned out for the trip...

Until next time, be well, for heaven's sake, pick up the new National record (vinyl preferred), and listen...

Tired and Wired, We Ruin Too Easy

As I embarked upon the quest to discuss my favorite albums of the past decade, I knew that I would have some tough choices to make. None was more difficult than choosing between the top two. Both choices changed the way I listened to music in the past decade and both bands represented have carved out permanent places at the top of my daily play lists. The lyrics contained in each of the albums have even come to pepper my everyday speech. I can't think of contemporary artists that I love any more than the two that top this list. I have had the fortune of seeing each band multiple times live in concert, and can't wait to see each of them again.

Without further delay, I present the runner-up for Decade's Best album...

NUMBER 2:

The National - Boxer

Easily topping my Best of 2007 list (which really only lived in my head and on a mix CD, since The Ideological Cuddle didn't exist yet), Boxer entered my consciousness a little while after the record's street date. Once it did, though, it didn't leave... it still hasn't. This album stands as a perfect amalgam of everything The National does well as a band - the pinnacle of their collective songwriting, lyrics, and sound. But what exactly is "The National Sound"? This is something somewhat tough to define.

The National is clearly a band that is difficult to pigeonhole. It's hard to tell someone not familiar with the band what they sound like. You can't just say, "Oh yeah, The National... they sound like...". You'll come up empty. Here are the reasons :

1. Matt Berninger's Voice - A baritone unlike any other in indie rock, Berninger's voice reaches peak power when he sings in hushed, lush tones, that one reviewer deemed to have "dark, chocolate richness". Mmmm... I know one Cuddle reader who is drooling already. He can reach moments of absolute screeching power as well - as evidenced by his coda on "Squalor Victoria" during the band's performance at the Phoenix Concert Hall in Toronto in October, 2007 (more on this show later).

2. The Lyrics - Angular and puzzling in the best possible way, the choices for this are almost endless. I could just post the entirety of Boxer's lyrics and comment line by line (as evidenced by how long it took me to choose the perfect lyric for this post's title). The band (particularly Berninger - the main lyricist) knows how to give the listener a visual image from words. The lyrics aren't just straightforward, either. The songs use much allusion and metaphor, being beautifully obtuse in their references. Some choice favorites:

From "Slow Show" :

"You know I dreamed about you/

For twenty-nine years before I saw you"

From "Apartment Story" (my favorite, by the way) :

"Hold ourselves together with our arms around the stereo for hours/

While it sings to itself or whatever it does/

When it sings to itself of its long lost loves/

I'm getting tied, I'm forgetting why"

And:

"We'll stay inside 'til somebody finds us/

Do whatever the TV tells us/

Stay inside our rosy-minded fuzz for days"

From "Start A War" :

"You were always weird, but I never had to hold you by the edges like I do now"

Beautiful, beguiling, mysterious, forlorn, and absolutely breath-taking.

3. The Extra Instrumentation - The brothers Dessner are the driving musical force in the band, fronting the group with bass (Aaron) and guitar (Bryce). There is quite a lot of acoustic playing on the record, and the sounds that lend the album that special quality are strings and gentle brass. The string arrangements (beautifully brought to fruition by the Clogs' Padma Newsome - who accompanied the band on that fateful live date in October, 2007 in Toronto) never overpower the rest of the band, but give an emotional resonance that underscores Berninger's voice perfectly. There are touches of brass instrumentation on songs like "Racing Like A Pro" and "Fake Empire" that seem to lift the artistic level on the songs to new sonic highs.

Many songs on Boxer seem to build to a crest and peak, without giving up all of their power at the start, especially "Fake Empire", which starts with sparse piano and Berninger's voice and is gradually augmented with drums, then guitar, then bass, then backing vocals, then strings and horns. Others, like "Green Gloves" never rise above a whisper, and present their message through a dream-like quality.

The centerpiece of the record is clearly "Apartment Story", a snapshot of a couple coming to the strange realization that the world outside is invading their cocooned lives. The drum beat propels the band forward (just try to tap it out while singing the tune - very deceptively difficult), the band falls in behind it, and Berninger is hypnotic in his delivery, especially in the song's resolution lyric, "We'll be alright, we have our looks and perfume on".

A word must be interjected about The National's live presence. I've caught them twice - both in Toronto. The first date was, as mentioned earlier, in October of 2007 at the Phoenix, a venue that holds about 1000. It was packed to the rafters. The crowd sat mesmerized by Berninger, clad in a gray suit, occasionally sipping from a bottle of wine. By the encore, "Mr. November", Berninger was climbing on the speakers, bellowing out to the crowd - "I WON'T FUCK US OVER, I'M MR. NOVEMBER!!!". There was something essentially intimate about this show that cannot be replicated, the collected masses hooked on The National for life. My second live encounter with the band occurred this past May at the Kool Haus. We were lucky enough to catch the band on their short Spring jaunt prior to hitting the summer festival circuit. The venue was a definite upgrade in terms of numbers (holding about 2200 folks), in order to account for the band's rising star status, but lost something in terms of intimacy (as the Kool Haus amounts to a warehouse with a stage and a bar). The band was phenomenal none-the-less, adding a live 4 piece horn section to augment their sound. They previewed new tunes from their forthcoming album (hopefully to hit stores in the first half of this year), but leaned heavily on songs from their 2007 magnum opus.

Brooding and dark, Boxer is NOT the album to listen to if you're looking to get in the mood for a night of partying, unless it's by yourself with a bottle of scotch, lamenting one's daily troubles. Of course, pity-filled parties for one are what we all need once in a while. Lift a glass to the king of the moody, murky, weird and witty. Enjoy this quintessentially quiet masterpiece with your headphones on and your mind open. Here's where to start:

Boxer - "Fake Empire"

Boxer - "Apartment Story"

Boxer - "Start A War"

With a lump in my throat and a large sigh, I leave you, dear readers, to calculate which modern masterpiece might top the Ideological Cuddle's Decade's Best list.

Until next time, raise a glass in quiet seclusion and listen...