I drove in my car alone a lot this year, doing various things, and when I wasn’t listening to audiobooks while I hepped my merry way forward from task to task I listened to these records, among others, but truly, mostly these. The first three on the “archival” side of the list, aka, the first part, are the ones I feel actually carried me along. The rest just made everything grow and glow, differently. There is always more listening to do, in the car, but preferably at a quiet, warm, midwinter dinner party with friends who also like challenging music and elaborate herbal teas.

1. 1. White Bread Black Beer – Scritti Politti – 2006

1. 1. Old Rottenhat – Robert Wyatt – 1985
   2. Omni Sight Seeing – Haroumi Hosono – 1989
   3. Service – Yellow Magic Orchestra – 1983
   4. Envy – Ambitious Lovers – 1984
   5. Kichigai – Septic Death – 1988
   6. Royal Scam – Steely Dan – 1976
   7. Labyrinths (1987), The Kitchen Concert (trio w/marc and gerry, 1989) – Marilyn Crispell
   8. Outcome (w/Steve Lacy, 1983), Songs (w/Keiji Haino, 2000) – Derek Bailey
   9. …sings of birds and racism – Brown Sugar – 2011

2018 releases

1. 1. Spirit of America – Meat Dreams

1. 1. Fiddle Music, vols. 1- 3 + Broad is the Road that Leads to Death – Tongue Depressor
   2. Ion – Portal
   3. The Wake – Voivod
   4. Kevin Wynd is Secret Rodger – Kevin Wynd
   5. Blatant – Landowner
   6. Ggggg- Charmaine Lee
   7. Brace Up! – Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt
   8. async – Ryuichi Sakamoto + Alva Noto
   9. Accepting the Path to Love – Andrea Pensado

Herbs for tea blends for the dinner party, and potentially for other group-listening situations

1. Skullcap
2. Tulsi
3. Lemon Balm
4. Hibiscus
5. Rose Hips
6. Damiana 😉
7. Mugwort
8. Nettle
9. Wood Betony
10. Gotu Kola

Ok that about settles it, now you know what non-alcoholic things to drink and what to listen to assume my current form and to experience Wendy Eisenberg’s 2018. Don’t forget to forget that you have a body while listening, except for certain records that make you hyperaware that you have a body and you need to feel like you do to remember that you’re alive.

LISTEN TO MORE OF WENDY’S MUSIC HERE or head over to Tzadik.com to check out the record they put of th trio of her, Trevor Dunn and Ches Smith.