Dec. 31, it says here.
And with the imminent arrival of year’s end, I am comfortable with taking a look back at the finest music of 2015. True, as I write this we still have over 14 hours to go (EST) and, therefore, it is arguably irresponsible to call it a year. However, while I am hopeful we will see the arrival of another musical masterpiece before midnight, I will at least leave you with my choice for the year’s best as of 9:30 this morning.
And to do so, please join me as we turn back the calendar 364 days, to the appearance of a very cool little number with accompanying video by Ottawa’s own Jerry Gross Organization. I wasted no time in declaring it the song of the year. I stand by that Jan. 1, 2015, assessment.
And here it is…
If there’s one thing the press have taught us, it’s that it’s never too soon to sum up a year’s worth of events. Logically, it is not possible to even attempt to reflect on the year of our lord 2014 until Jan. 1, 2015. Yet, list after list of the year’s highlights and lowlights began to appear as early as November of last year.
Hence, in keeping with the spirit of the times, I present my summary of the year in music for 2015.
You read it here first.
And while 2015 was a quiet year for music, one release towered above all others. I’m referring of course to I Like the Second Feature Better, the nice and noisy closing track from the debut album by Ottawa’s own trio The Jerry Gross Organization. The album, scheduled to be released after this blog post has gone to press, is called Just Pull it Down, and features a number of vocal tracks plus two instrumentals — of which the I Like the Second Feature Better, a mid-tempo drone and distortion teaser, is one.
The track surfaced Jan. 1 at noon, and is easily the most powerful new music of the year. True, there may be other notable releases yet to come in 2015, but deadlines are deadlines, and if it’s a race to be first in prematurely recapping 12 months’ worth of activity, this blogger is not about to be left behind.
So kudos to you, JGO. Can’t wait to hear the album; though, sadly, it will not qualify for my 2015 year-end retrospective. That detailed summation is now history.
For the record, the full album turned out to be pretty swell. And, well, 2015 has seen other great albums. (Kasami Washington’s epic The Epic comes to mind.) Perhaps when the year is properly in the books, I will look back upon it in full. But the JGO is as good a place to start. Song of the year.
Oh, okay, let’s say the song of the year is either I Like the Second Feature Better, or this one, featuring none other than Joe Jonas…
Call it a draw. But hey, don’t call it a year… just yet.
Wig Bubbles 