15 FROM '15

I wrote more than I expected to this year. Here are 15 of my favorite pieces.

Napalm Death Albums From Worst To Best, Stereogum (big factual error in this one, but I own it in comments)

Yes Albums From Worst To Best, Stereogum

Motörhead Albums From Worst To Best, Stereogum

How Five Finger Death Punch Got Huge By Writing Songs For Soldiers, Stereogum

The Short, Strange Music Career Of Leonard Nimoy, Stereogum

Machine Head Bring A Massive, Anthemic Roar To New York 'Homecoming' Show At Irving Plaza, Village Voice

Jandek Affiliate Heather Leigh Brings Appalachian Soul And Pedal Steel Guitar To Improvised Noise, Noisey

All of the following are from Burning Ambulance:

An interview with the members of the new John Zorn-created organ trio, Simulacrum

A review of two albums of music by composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir

An interview with Jacob Garchik and Oscar Noriega of Banda de los Muertos

An interview with percussionist Andre Martinez about his time playing with Cecil Taylor in the 1980s

A review of the Sonny Rollins Complete Live at the Village Gate 1962 box

A review of Aleksei German's Hard to Be a God, George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, and William Friedkin's Sorcerer

An interview with Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O., ex-Accept)

An interview with Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy, ex-Sepultura)

HEAR ME TALK

I made what I think was my sixth appearance on the WNYC radio show Soundcheck today, participating in their every-Tuesday "Soundcheck Smackdown," where two critics debate the merits of something or other. I've previously been on to discuss the merits of Metallica when Death Magnetic came out, take the anti-Bruce Springsteen position when his last studio album was released, take the anti-White Stripes position upon their breakup, and defend Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." I was also there once in a non-Smackdown context, when my book Marooned came out.

Today I was there to defend Pearl Jam in a deathmatch with Nirvana (defended by the awesome writer Jeanne Fury), since Ten and Nevermind are both turning 20 this year. I have never liked Nirvana, not ever; when they first got big, I was deep into Napalm Death, Slayer and the Rollins Band, and Nirvana just seemed like whiny bitches compared to any one of those three acts. I was never a big Pearl Jam booster, but they at least had good songs (and guitar solos), and when I dug deep into their catalog in preparation for this debate, I discovered a whole bunch of really solid material. I also came to the conclusion that "Black" is their "Free Bird," and that's a good thing.

Anyway, here's a link to the audio. Somewhere around the 15-minute mark, Vernon Reid(!) calls in to castigate us for not discussing Soundgarden instead. I can't say he's wrong, even if ultimately my favorite Seattle band will always be Tad.