March 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Dirk Bogarde in the trailer of Cast a Dark Shadow by There Stands the Glass.

Screenshot of Dirk Bogarde in the trailer of Cast a Dark Shadow by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums (released in March)

1. Pino Palladino and Blake Mills- Notes With Attachments

My review.

2. Nik Bärtsch- Entendre

Erik Satie in the NFT era.

3. Lana Del Rey- Chemtrails Over the Country Club

Flying high.

4. Pat Metheny- Road to the Sun

My review.

5. Charles Lloyd & The Marvels- Tone Poem

Urbane hillbilly jazz.

6. Danish String Quartet- Prism III

Beethoven, Bartók and Bach.

7. Camilo- Mis Manos

The soundtrack of my imaginary spring break.

8. Gretchen Parlato- Flor

My review.

9. Arab Strap- As Days Get Dark

Everything’s getting older.

10. DJ Muggs the Black Goat- Dies Occidendum

How I could just kill a man.



Top Ten Songs (released in March)

1. Jorja Smith- “Addicted”

Rehab.

2. Denzel Curry- “Track 07” (Georgia Anne Muldrow remix featuring Arlo Parks)

Third eye open.

3. Show Me the Body- “Rubberband”

Snapped.

4. The Streets- “Who’s Got the Bag (21st June)”

Please recycle.

5. St. Vincent- “Pay Your Way In Pain”

In arrears.

6. Benny the Butcher featuring Fat Joe- “Talkin’ Back”

Lean back.

7. Loretta Lynn- "I Don't Feel at Home Anymore"

I feel like going home.

8. SZA- "Good Days"

A time to be born, and a time to die.

9. Connor Leimer- "Little Rules"

Made to be broken.

10. J Balvin- “Tu Veneno”

Poison.



Top Ten Movies (viewed for the first time in March, in lieu of live music)

1. Wings of Desire/Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)

And to think Berlin once topped my list of dream destinations.

2. Nomadland (2020)

State of the union.

3. Juliet of the Spirits/Giulietta degli spiriti (1965)

Fellini’s psychedelic depiction of middle-aged angst.

4. Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis/Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (1927)

Eerie documentation.

5. Paris, Texas (1984)

Ennui never looked so good.

6. Milford Graves: Full Mantis (2018)

Relevant vibrations.

7. Cast a Dark Shadow (1955)

Murder most noir.

8. Sparkle (1976)

Something I can feel.

9. Judas and the Black Messiah (2020)

Big shoulders.

10. The Exterminating Angel/El ángel exterminador (1962)

Death trap.


February’s recap and links to previous monthly surveys are here.