i attempted to come up with a top ten songs of the year list, but the problem with that is that a lot of shit is not postable. now, if you know anything about this site or me, i have rarely cared about the legalities or ramifications of posting questionable material. luckily, knock on wood, other than that one dick taper with the shitty westerberg bootleg i posted a few years back, i have not been asked to take anything down. still, to post ten songs that are off new records, and by bands/artists i know and respect, i just didnt want to go there. so, i am going to post just one song, which is my favorite of the year. i know a lot of you are going to be like “what the fuck is this?”
“what the fuck is this?” is probably a understandable reaction, not only to this song, but the record as a whole. “inventory” is the opening track to richmond fontaine’s the high country, a what the fuck is this kind of record. i, admittedly, am a richmond fontaine fan boy, or whatever that means. the high country is a complicated and challenging listen. its not challenging in the way that listening to a gg allin record may be, but requires the listener to actually pay attention and give a shit. richmond fontaine is a records band, not singles. sure you can pick up any given fontaine record and skip to your favorite song, the high country included, but much like life its all about the ride, not a single experience.
“inventory,” which i deem to be my favorite song of the year, sets up the ride that is the high country perfectly. its not even sung by willy, but deborah kelly who acts as a bit of narrator and gives a little background on the situation happening in this oregon logging community. it is a concept record, btw, in case you didnt know. now, maybe you’ll understand why its a bit of challenge. a record about some of the more fucked up inhabitants of a logging community? yeah, that was my first reaction too.
in regards to my other favorite songs of the year, refer to my top 14 list which pretty much covers em, minus “plane” by mount moriah which may have been my most listened to song of the year.
Great song. Not sure if they are my favorite songs but iTunes indicates my most listened to songs of the year are all on Rural Alberta Advantage’s and Middle Brother’s respective albums. Both great releases.
I liked Inventory too! I didn’t love it as much as you did, but did put it on my top folk songs from 2011 compilation.
“On a Spree” was also good from the LP in my opinion.