Yesterday this very website celebrated its sixth anniversary (yay!). Another big milestone is coming up for the duo that make up Air, the 20th anniversary of their debut Premiers Symptômes. They’ve announced a tour (their first US dates in 7 years) and put out a compilation of their best work since they hit the scene. You can hear it on Spotify or order a deluxe version here.
There was a time for a while when I would listen to Air almost every day. I was working in a kitchen making lunch and dinner for frat boys as one of my jobs for the catering company at which I was working. It was thankless to say the least, so I made a “morning mix” playlist to get my head in the game. It was all stuff from their first four records (minus Suicides, which would have the opposite effect to what I was hoping). It worked like a charm.
Air have always been great at creating an atmosphere with their music. Even into their later works, they’ve stood out as a group that’s identifiable-you know who you’re hearing without even thinking about it.
They also have a knack for picking artists to collaborate with that can elevate their songs to the next level. A few guests pop up in my list below, including Jarvis Cocker and Beck.
The live shows are taking place this June. They’ll be hitting Chicago, as well as New York, Boston, DC, San Francisco, LA, and Santa Barbara. Tickets for these shows are on sale now. Click here for more details.
10. “The Duelist”
9. “Sing Sang Sung”
8. “So Light Is Her Footfall”
7. “Mike Mills”
6. “Highschool Lover”
5. “One Hell Of A Party”
4. “The Vagabond”
3. “La Femme d’Argent”
2. “Playground Love”
1. “Kelly Watch The Stars”