Frequencies of 2014: Chill
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
End of year “best-of” lists are a funny thing. First off, they’re entirely subjective – unless you rank based upon sales, which we all know is often the least relevant factor when considering a work’s merits. Second, they’re often far too ambitious and broad in scope. “The 50 Best Songs of The Year” looks good on the top of Rolling Stone‘s website, but what the fuck does that actually mean? The editors and content compilers didn’t listen to every single release from January 1 to December 31, and even if they had there’s no way they could sort through the sheer volume of material and pick the definitive top 50. (Side note: Rolling Stone‘s #2 song of the year was “Turn Down For What,” so their grasp on the definition of the word “best” is questionable.)
In my mind, a “best-of” list should mutually benefit the writer and the reader. Rather than futilely attempt to decide which songs or albums or artists were the indisputable winners, these lists should be cross-sections of the year in their respective musical spheres. I’m not here to be the pompous judge over some imagined contest that you signed yourself into appearing in solely by releasing music in the last calendar year. I’m just here – as always – to share the music I enjoyed too much to not talk about with anyone who’d like to hear it.
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New Tune Tuesday (12/16/14)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Soohan – Made In Baltimore
DMV natives in the know are plenty familiar with the multi-genre hijinks of Soohan. He’s played more events in the area than can be counted. As the co-founder of Baltimore-based company Manifest, he’s been responsible for a steady stream of talent – from Ott to Moon Hooch and plenty in between – gracing venues in and around the city in the past few years. And this week he’s given us even more, in the form of his debut album Made In Baltimore. Labeling it is difficult, but if I had to generalize I’d call it intelligent booty bass – it’s a trappy, bouncy romp delivered with a self-aware wink. The eclecticism contained in these 11 tracks is commendable even for a man of as many talents as Soohan, and the sound design and sampling is consistently wonderful – borrowing from Mulan and Ace of Base in the same song is an instant win in my book. It’s free on Soundcloud and pay-what-you-want on Bandcamp; we encourage you to support local music and buy it if you can.
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