Choose Your Own 2019 Year In Lipshultz Adventure



Deep thoughts: If I made this year's music/family wrap up interactive, would you be impressed? Ok, it's not Bandersnatch and I did have my son Pete help me with the html anchors but please act impressed after you experience..




Start

You are reading on your phone while sitting in a small room that is adorned with strange markings on the wall. Your seat is made of white porcelain and there is an opening in the center of the chair. Inside it looks like brackish water. You try not to think about the water and focus on your phone where you open a browser to what you were hoping was going to be a short blog year recap and music playlists from a friend. You try to read but your mind starts to wander.

"Does that word ‘friend’ have air quotes," you ask yourself?

This year’s blog looks like too much effort. You just wanted to hear the music.

Did anyone hear that sound you may or may not have just made? Em-bar-assing


A muffled voice on the other side of the door says something inaudible but not necessarily too friendly. Your business deal in the room has concluded anyway. What do you do next?

OPTION 1




















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"Hold your horses I’ll be out in a minute. Damn,” you mutter to yourself as you skim the rest of the letter. What you can make out about your buddy Andy is this....



  • Now has TWO after hours side gigs to go with his real job at Centene....












      He went overboard and made 3 playlists for his favorite music of the 2019, albums of the decade and singles from albums that weren’t on his decade list. They are here



 



      He made a ‘thump, thuMP, thUMP, tHUMP, THUMP’ – oh that wasn’t him, that was the person knocking to get you out of there – hurry up

      Kids: Zack is having a great time at JMU, Becca is the midst of auditions to study musical theater at college and Pete is enjoying HS and debate team

      Wendy is having a blast but super busy with teaching and getting her PHD

That was easy. You open the door and an 8-year-old waiting outside the door barrels past you. He wrinkles his nose and looks at you sideways. “Enjoy the gifts of 2020” you say as you head out into the afternoon light.

















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"Sorry, man. Stomach bug," you tell your impatient stalker. “No worries, take your time,” they reply. You feel guilty for a split second but then get lost in the the Lipshultz blog vortex. You stop zoning out as you read on…

….There have been some amazing advancements in Lipshultz-es-es this year


  • After the bittersweet event of dropping Zack off at JMU this year, we are relishing the time we have left with Pete and Becca before they leave too....

  • ….as well as preparing for life when they're gone.  Wendy’s busy getting her doctorate while teaching at Georgetown and I now have not one but TWO non-work-hour side gigs in addition to my ‘real’ job at Centene.

    • Side Hustle Uno - Voiceovers. In 2019 I got going for real and took on clients. Check out andysaysit.com




    • Side Hustle Dos - Volunteer marketing/programming at the Washington West Film Festival. 2020 will be the 10th annual. 100% of box office to charity every year


    • Side Hustle Crédito Adicional - We are gearing up for musical theater program college auditions for almost all of the 26 colleges Becca applied to

  • In March this year I had jury duty on a $1 million federal case replete with a drug bust, undercover informants, air surveillance, a botched interrogation, a full courthouse. PLUS, I pulled a “12-Angry-Men” holdout. Don't ask me about it unless you want 20 minutes of play by play
This is not related to anything, I just want a shirt with this on it

  • 50 states by 50 is getting closer! Family trip to 5 states this past summer and now only 4 left! Will knock off 2 more of them with Becca this year through her college audition
This is why we have to go to all states

  • Pete’s debate team experience continues. He already qualified for Metro Finals. I love hearing him practice speeches in his room and when he tests out his contentions on us.

Now What?

OPTION 1
OPTION 2

“Where’s the politics? I don’t get enough of them” you think to yourself and click here











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Hey are you ever getting out of there?,” you hear accompanied with what sounds like hopping outside of the door. You get up, put on your headphones and start listening to some tunes so you don’t have to confront the person you just tormented as you leave the stall.

To stop reading and just start listening, click on the playlists below












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Here are the 19 best musical things I found in 2019 (and here is the playlist in case you missed it)



19) I Doubt It (song) - Aquakulture

18) Please Don't Ruin This For Me (Audiotree version) (song) - Tennis

17) No Hope Generation (song) - Mura Masa

16) Sociopath (song) - Pusha T

15) Lamplight (album) - Paris Monster

14) Breakup Season (album) Future Teens

13) i,i (album) - Bon Iver

12) (If) the Book Doesn't Sell (song) - Ritt Momeny

11) Basking in the Glow (album) - Oso Oso

10) SANTA MONICA (song) – ARIES Unique blend of Guitars. Vocals. Beats.

9) Routine Maintenance (album) and Divorce in the American South (song) - Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties Reminds me how much I miss old Counting Crows

8) How I'm Feeling (album) – Lauv The singles are amazing. Rest of album…. Well…

7) Cuz I Love You (album) – Lizzo Deserves every bit of the hype

6) Boots N Cats (song) - Micheal Cera Palin They just announced they are getting back together so even though this isn’t from 2019, they are. Can’t wait for new music!

5) Tiny Changes - A Celebration of Frightened Rabbit's 'The Midnight Organ Fight'
This album of covers made me appreciate them even more than I had before and saddens me that the world was too much for their lead singer. 

4) Lemonade (album) – Beyoncé The downside of only really listening to what’s on Spotify is that I basically missed this album when it came out so it’s new to me!

3) A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (album) - The 1975 This band continues to take chances. From synth dance, to alt pop, to robotic soliloquies I am super sold.

2) (tie) ARIZONA BABY and GINGER (album) - Kevin Abstract / Brockhampton Groundbreaking music which will hopefully continue to gain acceptance and exposure for the LGBTQ community

2) (tie) Firefly Music Festival Went with the fam (minus Pete but plus cousin Mike and his daughter Eve. Is that my 2nd cousin or first cousin once removed? Can never remember) Some highlights included Snail Mail, Little Simz, Vampire Weekend, Ripe, Hop Along, Teskey Brothers, Lawrence, Kid Quill and Panic at the Disco

1) Pinegrove – Skylight (album) and (show) Seeing them live was like a religious experience and my musical highlight of the year







MMMbop guilty pleasure of 2019 - I Don't Care (song) and Beautiful People (song) - Ed Sheeran

Really tops them all but my kids produced a song together. Becca sang, wrote the music and Zack created/produced it. Check it out here













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I am feeling nostalgic-ish," you think to youself. Let me ponder the best music of the decade. ......welll.....ok that's too much work you decide and just read about Andy’s favorite albums of the decade instead and play his Spotify playlist while you do it.

1) Skylight (2019) - Pinegrove

2) My Big Dark Beautiful Fantasy (2010) - Kanye West

3) Best Buds (2016) - Mom Jeans

4) A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (2019) and I like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (2016) - The 1975

5) Pure Herine (2013) - Lorde

6) OK Go's Videos from Hungry Ghosts (2014) and Of the Blue Color of the Sky (2010)

7) and my “MmBop” guilty pleasure of the Decade Purpose – Justin Bieber

8) This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

9) Weathervanes (2010) - Freelance Whales

10) Somewhat Literate (2018) and Strictly Speaking (2017) - Retirement Party

11) DAYTONA (2018) - Pusha T

12) Mechanical Bull (2013) - Kings of Leon

13) Scott Pilgrim v The World (2010) - Original Soundtrack

14) "I Don't Know How to Explain It" (2018) and "Growing Pains" (2016) - Micheal Cera Palin

15) My Best Friend is You (2010) - Kate Nash

16) The 20/20 Experience (2013) - Justin Timberlake

17) Lemonade- Beyonce

18)….and the Anonymous Nobody – De La Soul

19) Sometimes I sit and think, sometimes I just sit – Courtney Barnett

20) Sorry to Bother You – The Coup



Andy also made a playlist “Favorite songs of the decade that weren’t on my best of the decade albums” and made a recap of 2019 that you may go back to later. 

For now, you put away your phone and prepare to not make eye contact with the person outside the door as you open the stall and head out to face what’s next in 2020.


















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2019 Honorable Mention


  • Pristine (song) and Heat Wave (song) - Snail Mail
  • Berenstein (song) - The Band CAMINO
  • Puff Daddy (song) - JPEGMAFIA
  • Flashing pictures (song) - The Ghost is Dancing
  • FLUSH (song) - Abhi the Nomad
  • Help Us Stranger (album) - The Raconteurs (about 3 songs of it)
  • Rose of Shannon (song) - Mumford and Sons
  • Pretty (song) - Terror Jr.
  • Demons Enjoy (song) - Wyclef Jean
  • Jessica WJ (song) - Cayucas
  • Elm (song) - Clever Girl
  • Traffic (song) and Silent Fighting (demo - song) - Nada Surf
  • Wounds (song) and Pressure (song) - Little Simz
  • Alrighty Aphrodite (song) - Peach Pit
  • Me and My Friends (song) - James Vincent McMorrow
  • Welcome to the Family (song) - Watsky
  • Post Script East Forrest Remix (song) - Typhoon
  • NY Money (song) and Performance (song) - White Denim
  • Two weeks (song) - FKA Twigs
  • Kick Jump Twist (song) and Funeral Singers (song) - Sylvan Esso
  • This Life (song) - Vampire Weekend
  • Love and Mathematics (song) - Broken Social Scene
  • Dylan Thomas (song) and Sleepwalkin (song) - Better Oblivion Community Center
  • No New Friends (song) and Angel in Your Eyes (song) - LSD
  • Adult Swim (Spotify Singles - song) - Jon Bellion
  • Remember (song) - Jodi
  • Relatable (song) and Microfiche (song) - Open Mike Eagle
  • the year I became a mutherfuckin G (song) - Busdriver
  • Gossamer (song) - Fashion Jackson
  • Rendevous (song) - Saves the Day
  • At the Turf Filed Behind My Parents' House - Giraffes? Giraffes!
  • Bark Your Head Off, Dog (album) - Hop Along
  • Homicide (song) - Logic
  • Gold and Green (song) and 104 degrees (song) - Slaughter Beach, Dog
  • Many Moods (song) - Delicate Steve
  • Love is Everywhere (song) - Wilco
  • Your New Apartment (song) - Signals Midwest
  • Trash Stains (song) - Microwave
  • Talk to the Moon (song) - Ripe
  • Screw Up (song) - Sincere Engineer
  • 28 J's L8r (song) - Great Granpa
  • The Teskey Brothers
  • Lawrence
  • Kid Quill
  • Typical Story (song) and Subaru Crosstrek XV (song) - Hobo Johnson
  • Just How it Is (song) - Young Thug
  • Upperdrugs (song) - Highly Suspect
  • Never Meant (song) - American Football
  • Buy Me Flowers (song) - That Dog
  • Ecstatic Baby (song) - Yeasayer
  • July 4, 2004 (song) - Jason Anderson
  • Nobody (song) - Hozier
  • Memphis (song) - Kitten
  • Take Me to the Light (song) - Francis and the Lights
  • Instead of My Room (song) - Charlie Burg
  • Makin' a Move (song) - Lady Bri
  • Middle Earth (song) - Ceschi
  • Fly Like an Eagle (alt version - song) - Steve Miller Band
  • Make Art Not Friends (song) - Sturgill Simpson
  • Aaron (song) - Palehound
  • Ego Check (song) - Wynne
  • Exiles Among You (song) and Left and Leaning (song) - Weakerthans
  • no word for wack (song) - Ruby Yacht
  • drip bounce_7_24_18 (song) - Toro y Moi
  • She Plays Bass (song) - beabadoobee
  • Door (song) - Caroline Poachek
  • Alewife (song) - Clairo
  • Death and the Maiden - Surfer Blood
  • ANIMA - Thom Yorke. Video was like old Radiohead
  • Slow Burn (song) - Kacey Muscgraves. A late discovery for me


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