As 2013 comes to an end, we are taking a look back at some of our favorite posts of the year by our guest editors.
Over the last 30 years, Sam Phillips has had one of the more unusual and varied careers in what can broadly be called pop music. Her first success came in the early ’80s via contemporary Christian music, under the name Leslie Phillips; she was, regrettably, marketed as “the Christian Cyndi Lauper.” Flash forward to 2013, and the alternative Lauper-less sounding artist is self-issuing Push Any Button, her first physical release of new material in seven years. It’s not a radical change in style, but it’s livelier and more fun than anything she’s done since her Virgin era. Many of the 10 songs contain hints of that intersection of rockabilly and country that the other Sam Phillips made his name with, and some include almost countrypolitan string arrangements. Phillips will be guest editing on magnetmagazine.com all this week. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that her prose and reflections are just as interesting and evocative as her songwriting. Read our bran new feature on her.
Phillips: In 2008, I found Baggu‘s reusable bags and decided to sell them through my website. Now they make all kinds of different bags—just in time for the Los Angeles plastic-bag ban. Some people are grumpy about the bag ban, but after attending some beach cleanups and picking up many pieces of plastic bags that have washed ashore, I think banning the stuff is a good idea. I hope some of the cool, reusable bags will make it easier to adapt to this change. Now all I need is to remember to put the cool bags in my car before I go to the store …
Video after the jump.
