2023 :: Favorite Music

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Welcome to the 2023 Holiday at the Sea year-end music list. There was a lot of great music in 2023, but I’ve narrowed it down to my favorite top 50, presented here in alphabetical order. I hope you see some of your favorites and find something new. I’d love to hear your thoughts. What has been your favorite music of 2023?

the 2023 Holiday at the Sea year-end music list:

  • Afro Futuristic Dreams by Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • A Trip To Bolgatanga by African Head Charge // BC // FB // Insta //Amzn //

  • Tony Allen JID018 by Tony Allen, Adrian Younge, & Ali Shaheed Muhammad (Jazz Is Dead) // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • New Blue Sun by André 3000 // site // Amzn //

  • My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross by Anohni & The Johnsons // site // BC // Insta // Amzn //

  • Love In Exile by Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily // site // Amzn //

  • Black Duck by Black Duck // BC // Amzn //

  • Sun Arcs by Blue Lake // BC // Amzn //

  • Sahel by Bombino // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You by Bonnie “Prince” Billy // BC // Amzn //

  • Dimanche à Bamako by Bounaly // BC // Amzn //

  • the Record by boygenius // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) by jaimie branch // site // BC // Amzn //

  • Nocturnal Country by Sammy Brue // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Villagers by Califone // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Chitinous Mandible by Chitinous Mandible // site // BC // Insta // Amzn //

  • Hostile Environment by Creation Rebel // BC // Amzn //

  • Shadow Kingdom by Bob Dylan // site // FB // Amzn //

  • & the Charm by Avalon Emerson // site // BC // Insta // Amzn //

  • Some Kinda Love Performing The Music Of the Velvet Underground by the Feelies // site // BC // Amzn //

  • A River Running To Your Heart by Fruit Bats // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Let the Moon Be a Planet by Steve Gunn & David Moore // BC // Amzn //

  • Philanthropy by Hauschka // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Days In The Desert by High Pulp // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Oh Me Oh My by Lonnie Holley // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • James and the Giants by James and the Giants // BC // Amzn //

  • Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey // site // FB // Amzn //

  • New Future City Radio by Damon Locks & Rob Mazurek // BC // Amzn //

  • No Fixed Point In Space by Modern Nature // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • the Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monae // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Since Time Is Gravity by Natural Information Society // site // BC // Amzn //

  • Travel by the Necks // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Jump On It by Bill Orcutt // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Switched-On by Pachyman // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • After the Magic by 파란노을 (Parannoul) // BC // Insta // Amzn //

  • The Times by Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Drag On Girard by Purling Hiss // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • the Window by Ratboys // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Garden Party by Rose City Band // site // BC // Insta // Amzn //

  • Live at Third Man Records by Rich Ruth // BC // Insta // Amzn //

  • Robed In Rareness by Shabazz Palaces // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Everything Is Alive by Slowdive // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Javelin by Sufjan Stevens // site // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Music Is Victory Over Time by Sunwatchers // BC // FB // Amzn //

  • Secret Stratosphere by William Tyler And The Impossible Truth // BC // FB // Amzn //

20 Songs That Make Me Happy

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Many of you have probably seen the “Name 20 songs that make you happy” thing going around the social medias. Well, I took the time to make a quick playlist of 20 songs that make me happy. Listen/stream/download below.

Hope you enjoy.



  1. Manchester by Kishi Bashi

  2. I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Time) by Jaimie xx

  3. Funky Kingston by Toots and the Maytals

  4. Love, Love, Love 2 (Reprise) by Akron/Family

  5. Mustt Mustt (Extended) by Kiran Ahluwalia

  6. Konkon by Oki Dub Ainu Band

  7. Scenario by A Tribe Called Quest

  8. Baba O’Riley by the Who

  9. Here Comes Sunshine by Grateful Dead

  10. Sweet Jane by the Velvet Underground

  11. Sun Hands by Local Natives

  12. Reality Used to be a Friend by P.M. Dawn

  13. Swerve . . . The reeping . . . by Shabazz Palaces

  14. Bam Bam by Sister Nancy

  15. Lalo Schifrin by Blue Scholars

  16. I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Creedence Clearwater Revival

  17. Baby Baby by the Vibrators

  18. Love of My Life Worldwide by Erykah Badu

  19. Boogie on Reggae Woman by Stevie Wonder

  20. Ooh La La by Faces

  • Download a PDF of some pretty bland CD artwork

2021 Year In Review :: Favorite Albums

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Here’s the dealio, my coolios.

Each year, I keep a running diary of sorts of all of the things I liked each year. If you’re interested (which I doubt you are), you can follow along with my real-time unedited yearly bookkeeping here.

At the end of each year I try to cull down the music section to what really defined my year musically. No ranking. Just great music. Here are 50 of my favorite 2021 albums in alphabetical order.

Albums In Visual Alphabetical Order:

Albums In Alphabetical Alphabetical Order:

  1. Social Music at Troost Vol.1 by 75 Dollar Bill

  2. Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders // Elixor of Life by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders

  3. Khaira Arby in New York (Live in 2010) by Khaira Arby

  4. House Music by Bell Orchestre

  5. Valdez by Birds of Maya

  6. Carnage by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

  7. All These Years by Phil Cook

  8. Home Video by Lucy Dacus

  9. Kanawa by Nahawa Doumbia

  10. The Golden Lag by Elkhorn

  11. Admonitions by Endless Boogie

  12. Drew Gardner by Drew Gardner

  13. Ghost of Vroom 1 by Ghost of Vroom

  14. Leap by Girls in Airports

  15. Couleur by Dobet Gnahoré

  16. G_d's Pee At States End! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

  17. Other You by Steve Gunn

  18. Quietly Blowing It by Hiss Golden Messenger

  19. The Dharma Wheel by Howlin’ Rain

  20. Brian Jackson JID008 by Brian Jackson, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Adrian Younge

  21. Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound by Kasai Allstars

  22. Heavy Sun by Daniel Lanois

  23. Now by Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble

  24. Hey What by Low

  25. Sound Ancestors by Madlib

  26. Hope by Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

  27. Ghost Songs by Bachar Mar-Khalifé

  28. Tezeta by Hailu Mergia

  29. Afrique Victime by Mdou Moctar

  30. Dark In Here by the Mountain Goats

  31. World What World by Mountain Movers

  32. Tropicale Moon by Mouth Painter

  33. Teenage Dreams by Native Soul

  34. descension (Out of Our Constrictions) by Natural Information Society/Evan Parker

  35. Another Side by Leo Nocentelli (1971)

  36. Making and Then Unmaking by Derek Piotr

  37. Earth Trip by Rose City Band

  38. East Pakistan Sky by Ustad Saami

  39. Nine by Sault

  40. The Veiled Sea by Six Organs of Admittance

  41. Black to the Future by Sons of Kemet

  42. Renewal by Billy Strings

  43. Superwolves by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

  44. Deep Fried Grandeur by Ryley Walker And Kikagaku Moyo

  45. Course In Fable by Ryley Walker

  46. Yaral Sa Doom by Wau Wau Collectif

  47. Eau’d To A Fake Boogie Volume 4 by Wet Tuna

  48. Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection by Matthew E. White and Lonnie Holley

  49. Urban Driftwood by Yasmin Williams

  50. Way Down in the Rust Bucket by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

  • Browse my favorite albums of the year

  • Browse my “2021 Yearly Wrap-it-Up” which is really a ramble about seeing Phish

  • Browse my favorite books of 2021

  • Browse my favorite movies of 2021

  • Browse my favorite television of 2021

  • Listen to a nearly 5-hour very low quality mix of one song from each of my favorite albums of 2021 called “Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown”

The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow (04) :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

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I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

  1. “Never Say Never” by the Linda Lindas

  2. “Every Grain of Sand” by Emmylou Harris

  3. “Super Bon Bon” by Mike Doughty

  4. “Apology” by the Posies

  5. “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye

  6. “Down There By The Train” by Tom Waits

  7. “So Much Things To Say” by Bob Marley & the Wailers

  8. “One Twenty One” by Aaron Strumpel

  9. “Nuthin’ But A G Thang by Dr. Dre

  10. “Isis” by Bob Dylan

  11. “Twisty Bass” by Neil Finn

  12. “The Gospel According to Water” by Joe Henry

  13. “Black Coffee In Bed” by Squeeze

  14. “How Long?” by the Boggs

  15. “Baby Blue” by Mount Moriah

  16. “Moonlight Mile” by the Rolling Stones

  17. “Rockin’ In The Free World” by Neil Young

  18. “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

  19. “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift

  20. “So Good So Far” by O.A.R.

  • Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists

The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow (03) :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

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I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

  1. “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver

  2. “Pump It Up” by Elvis Costello

  3. “Swing Wide The Glimmering Gates” by Andrew Osenga

  4. “When It Don’t Come Easy” by Patty Griffin

  5. “This Tornado Loves You” by Neko Case

  6. “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes

  7. “The Last Of The Famous International Playboys” by Morrissey

  8. “Carry Me Ohio” by Sun Kil Moon

  9. “Brimful of Asha” by Cornershop

  10. “Silence Kit” by Pavement

  11. “Welcome to Struggleville” by Vigilantes of Love

  12. “Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold” by Townes Van Zandt

  13. “Blanket of Ghosts” by Dustin Kenstrue

  14. “Distress Signal” by Jeremy Casella

  15. “Lincoln Town” by John Hiatt

  16. “This Empty Northern Hemisphere” by Gregory Alan Isakov

  17. “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” by John Prine

  18. “Narcissus Soaking Wet” by Chris Robinson Brotherhood

  19. “Be Thankful” by Jackie Mittoo

  20. “Funeral Singers” by Califone

  21. “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” by Jeff Tweedy

  • Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists

The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow (02) :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

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I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

  1. “Livin’ Was Easy” by the Glands

  2. “Sisters and Brothers” by the Vespers

  3. “G’Dang Diggy” by Common Market

  4. “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” by XTC

  5. “Second Hand News” by Fleetwood Mac

  6. “Black-Throated Wind” by Bob Weir

  7. “Mr. Tambourine Man” by Brothers And Sisters Of Los Angeles

  8. “Anxious” by the Housemartins

  9. “Grace” by Star & Micey

  10. “Acid Boys” by Susto

  11. “I Believe (In Everything)” by JJ Grey and Mofro

  12. “Wichita Lineman” by Johnny Cash

  13. “Raw Power” by Iggy and the Stooges

  14. “Two Little Feet” by Greg Brown

  15. “Chickens on the Lamb” by Ramsay Midwood

  16. “Bed Jammin” by Lee “Scratch Perry

  17. “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye

  18. “Scarred But Smarter” by Model Engine

  19. “I Could Be Wrong (But I Don’t Think I Am)” by Vigilantes of Love

  20. “Madness” by Madness

  21. “Country Girls in City Dresses” by Doug Burr

  • Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists

The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow (01) :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

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The Freeform Family Dinner Radioshow.jpg

I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

  1. “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” by Jerry Garcia

  2. “Aquarius” by Boards of Canada

  3. “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” by Neil Young

  4. “Afrikaner Barista” by Beauty Pill

  5. “Rastaman Chant (live)” by Bob Marley and the Wailers

  6. “Praise God I’m Satisfied” by Blind Willie Johnson

  7. “China” by Greg Brown

  8. “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest

  9. “Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin

  10. “‘Ol ‘55 (live)” by Tom Waits

  11. “Homestead” by Northern Hustle

  12. “Love, Love, Love (Everyone” by Akron/Fmily

  13. “Oppenheimer” by Old 97’s

  14. “The King Is Half-Undressed” by Jellyfish

  15. “Kinky Afro” by Happy Mondays

  16. “Penny Lane” by the Beatles

  17. “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers

  18. “Unfortunately, Anna” by Justin Townes Earle

  19. “Laughter (live)” by Josh Rouse

  20. “Self Care” by Mac Miller

  21. “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” by Lee Hazlewood

  22. “Precita” by Mount Moriah

  • Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists

The Way Out Where Is In :: A Holiday At The Sea Playlist

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Here’s a fun little playlist to celebrate Serendipity.

Let me explain: My name is Brent and I love the Grateful Dead. So it makes perfect sense to lead off this mix with the Dead rehearsing with Brent in April 1979 right before his first tour with them.

And, not only is my name Brent and I love the Grateful Dead, I love the music of Miles Davis. So much so that Miles Davis is one of the reasons we named our oldest son Miles. So it makes perfect sense to include Miles Davis playing at the Fillmore West; a bill shared with none other than the Grateful Dead. You can watch video here.

OH, and if all that wasn’t enough, I was born in 1973! Not in Summer, but still, the Dead jamming with Brent for a song named after my birth year, how could I not include it here?!

So we have two tracks from the Dead and Brent rehearsing, two tracks of wild Miles opening for the Dead. Then, we wrap things up with the drums/space segment (except I reversed them here) from Dead and Co. in Phoenix, AZ, 2017. Because, guess what: WE WERE THERE!

So here’s a mix of out there stuff with inward significance. This playlist is not for everyone. But if you know, you know. Ya dig?

Setlist:

  1. “Booji Boy's Bad Trip (Drums, Space, Feedback)” by the Grateful Dead

  2. “Miles Runs The Voodoo Down” by Miles Davis

  3. “Summer of ‘73” by the Grateful Dead

  4. “It’s About That Time” by Miles Davis

  5. “Space/Drums” by Dead and Co.

  • Visit the Grateful Dead’s official website.

  • Follow the Grateful Dead on Facebook.

  • Follow Grateful Dead on Twitter.

  • Purchase Grateful Dead music on Amazon.

  • Visit the official Miles Davis website.

  • Follow the Miles Davis page at Facebook.

  • Purchase Miles Davis music at Amazon.

  • Visit the official Dead and Co. website

  • Browse all Holiday at the Sea playlists