bedsitter23 | Entries tagged with youre on my list

For fun, I took

defrog 's list of Bad Albums by Good bands and made my own list.

His list is fantastic and made me enthusiastic to listen to bad music. That's how good he was!

Anyway, I had to throw in my opinion.

I wanted to do something similar so I decided I would make a list of albums that were listed with 3 stars or less on Allmusic, so it's kind of the same idea.

So here goes, albums I like that no one else does.

Chumbawamba Readymades - You know that i think this band is sorely underrated, so I had to put in a good word for them. Allmusic has been fair to them though. This album got low marks and it does suffer from the songs sounding 'same'y. That said, it is an odd album (even by this band's terms) though a nice listen. The concept of taking samples ("ready made") from classic folk artists and running with it to make new songs. Hated by Christgau and Rolling Stone - that likely means they're overthinking it.

Havana 3AM Havana 3AM Joe Strummer eventually made it back to making good music, but the Clash was sadly missed in the 90s. I don't know what Paul Simonon's role in Havana 3AM was (He did got top billing) and I suspect Gary Myrick and the rest of the band were just as responsible for making an album that does StrummerMusic better than Strummer was at the time -rockabilly, Latin, Spaghetti Western. A great lost gem.

Morrissey Kill Uncle- Morrissey had a bit of adjustment going from the Smiths to eventually finding his longtime band featuring guitarists Boorer & Whyte. He worked with a variety of collaborators (including ex-Smiths who were at the time suing him). So Mark E Nevin's contribution is often overlooked. Critics hated it, but I like the mood of the album. There are clunkers but when it's good, it's very good. When Boorer and Whyte came along, they turned these songs into great rockabilly tunes, which should go as commendation to Nevin, not criticism.

Pixies Head Carrier - Frank Black's solo career is sadly overlooked, but I have to pick an album. Most of the recent Pixies albums have been savaged, and even among fans, I don't think anyone is defending this effort. Still, I like this one quite abit, even more than the more acclaimed follow up. Produced by a guy best known for his work with Ghost (of all people), the addition of Paz Lenchantin seems to make things gel. In any case, the rockers finally hit the mark and the slower "All I think about now" could be the Ballad of the Pixies.

Prince and 3rdEyeGirl Plectrumelectrum - Almost all of Prince's releases from 95 on were considered "comebacks" and they rarely hit their mark. In 2014, he released two albums- Art Official Age and this one co-credited with the band. It was exciting as he had been in years. This album got largely dismissed, but it' my favorite of Prince's last albums. I think he was helped considerably by collaborating and working with a band. The songs were awesome live too showing the guitar wizardy of the Prince and Donna Grantis. Plus, Prince had Lizzo on this album (in 2014!)

The Ramones Animal Boy - Allmusic dumps on the Ramones's 80s albums. Like their buddies Motorhead, who needs more than one album by the band really? But fans know, and albums like Animal Boy and Brain Drain found the band in an environment where the record company thought they might sell them as Metal- teaming them up with producers like Jean Beauvior of the Plasmastics and Bill Laswell. A case of 'it doesn't make sense if you weren't there', but once in a while start-to-finish listens. I don't see why not.

REM Reveal - It looks like I have a choice of REM albums. Even with Monster (3 years) being given some reappraisal over the years, 2.5 star ratings on Up and Out of Time seem especially critical, if not just ridiculous. So I am going with Reveal, an album no one loves. It is sort of a Beach album which is not one expects for this band, and I just like it. I won't pretend to make a case that it is their greatest work, but so many songs on here are enjoyable and I can listen to end to end.

The Stooges The Weirdness- This is definitely candidate for bad albums. No one loves the Stooges reunion material, and even if you can find fans of the Mk 2 band with James Williamson (Ready to Die), the Mk1 album is largely unloved. Iggy is someone who has been up and down and hard to appraise. Like the Ramones above, he got the Metal Laswell album treatment (the 2 star Instinct might make my list as well).I suppose this is one you can overthink, but as an Iggy album, it holds up better than some of his recent work in my eyes.

U2 October - I am a big fan of the band still and would have no problem putting the band's recent work here, which is truly unloved (and while not essential, I still enjoy) or Pop which has a stigma to it. I am going to go with the band's second album, though ,sandwhiched between the classics Boy and October. Famously, blamed on Bono losing the lyrics midway through recording. I would suggest it stands with a Boy, except this time contemplative and not rebellious. Perhaps since none of the songs (but Gloria) sound like "singles", it gets shunned.

Neil Young Americana - I figured Neil was a no-brainer. I know that I love some of his recent (last 20 years) albums more than other people do. I expected discrepancies. Allmusic gives him a pretty fair shake. They are fairly harsh on Americana- which is a weird album (which Neil album isnt)- it's Crazy Horse ripping through American standards. I actually consider this a highlight in the Young 21st Century discography. Neil and Crazy Horse doing what they do, and if it sounds basic, well, it's because it is.

Current Music: The Ramones- Animal Boy
Crossposts: https://bedsitter23.livejournal.com/1222040.html

Johnny Marr Call the Comet (New Voodoo/Sire) – It’s weird that Marr’s solo career didn’t realty take off until the 201xs. Even weirder, he seems to get better every record. Call the Comet is his best solo album yet, and in a world where 120 Minutes still mattered, “Hi Hello” would be in every house. Perhaps, little surprise that this is also the record that has most embraced the Smiths and New Order (and Joy Division) sound that has marked Marr’s career. I catch direct reference to Patti Smith, too. Smiths fans who may have not paid attention to Marr should check this out. This one shows what a real talent Marr was and he could have held it down on his own (though, add some unique voice and better lyrics, and well, I promised I wouldn’t do this…)

Mitski Be the Cowboy (Dead Oceans Records)- 2016's Puberty 2 was such a masterful indie record. It's hard to even classify Mitski's music. On one hand, it's lyrical folk, drawing comparisons to Jenny Lewis and Angel Olson, and the other hand it's totally lo-fi with the occasional Pixies-ish noise. It drew comparison to lo-fi bands like Car Seat Headrest. There really hadn't been an artist that broke those kind of boundaries since Julie Doiron and Eric's Trip. Mitski would be forgiven for taking a step back on this follow-up. Instead, she takes it to another level, adding elements of dance and electronic music. Moments of the record reveal a mixture of 80s influences like The Smiths and Kate Bush. It all adds together to make one of the most completely realized albums of 2018.

Parquet Courts Wide Awake! (Rough Trade) -2016's Human Performance was a revelation. It imagined the feel of the Velvet Underground wrap around shades and European son cool. Last year's Daniele Luppi collaboration Milano doubled down on that. Hard to say which album is better, but Wide Awake is just as good. This time, with another amazing collaborater Danger Mouse. This sounds like a great unheard of new wave album- nods to The Fall, Fear of Music, Gang of Four, Wire, even some Minutemen and classic 1970s NYC- Ramones, Television, and of course, Lou Reed. They seem to maintain a certain chameleon-like quality, but come off as their own.

Nathaniel Ratcliff & the Night Sweats Tearing at the Seams (Fantasy)- For all of the talk about rock being dead, there are quite a few good rock bands that fall in the genre that used to be called Adult Alternative.The Revivalists, Milky Chance, Alabama Shakes, the Avett Brothers and maybe best of all, Nathaniel Ratliff and the Night Sweats. This mini-explosion owes much to Jack White and the Black Keys though their concurrent influences of the Post-Mumford explosion and to a certain extent, jam bands which via The Lumineers, The Hand and the Heart, Of Monsters and Men, and even Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings bring us here. “SOB” was a huge hit that got these guys played on stations that normally play The Crue and White Zombie. There’s nothing quite that catchy here (a couple of songs come close) but it’s a much more realized record than their self-titled breakthrough disc. Impossible not to mention Van Morrison but like their tourmates Kings of Leon, I suppose the band owns a few CCR and The Band records too.

Rolling Blackouts C.F. Hope Downs (SubPop)- It is hard to think of a debut album that has come out recently that had so many expectations, and it was one of my most anticipated albums of the year as well. They had released 2 EPs that showed what a unique talent they are. So I am happy to report that they delivered. It's hard to classify RBCF. They are like all the good bits of music- C86 and some of the sophisticated pop of those days like Orange Juice and the Go-Betweens, with some Flying Nun pop, a touch of Parquet Courts style punk influences, and a lot of classic American college rock like REM, the Feelies, maybe even the Replacements. "An Airconditioned Man" might be the best kick off to an album all year.

Richard Thompson 13 Rivers (New West) I have put together "20 Best Albums of the Year" lists for 15 years, and this will be the first to feature Richard Thompson. I have followed his career and looking back, I may have been wrong a time or two (Sweet Warrior), but I think his legacy towers over everything he has done. So it isn't that he made bad albums, he has just already done it all. Then again, there is something about 13 Rivers that feels different. I would say it is a stronger set of songs, for one. I do think that is part of it; but it is also a throwback to the classic sound. Thompson produces and Clay Blair (The War on Drugs) catches a sound that is immediately arresting, much like Thompson's classic material.

Tracyanne & Danny Tracyanne & Danny (Merge) From a selfish point of view, I am saddened by the death of Camera Obscura pianist/vocalist Carey Lander. Lander was am integral part of the band, and they broke up. Looking back, the band's four records are incredible. They were often overshadowed by the similar Belle & Sebastian, but looking back now, were they just as good or even better. This album relaunches Traceyanne Campbell's career by pairing her with Crybaby's Danny Coughlan, and it's such a great listen. Campbell is always inspired, but when needed, Coughlan proves a worthy foil. Much in line with Camera Obscura, subsequent listens show the strong backing music that goes from Bachrach-ian pop to Velvet Underground cool.

Crossposts: https://bedsitter23.livejournal.com/1143476.html

Brian Fallon Sleepwalkers (Island)- When it looked like the Gaslight Anthem had done everything it could, but become an arena rock band, Fallon has continued to reinvent himself through his solo records. This album falls short of his debut disc Painkillers, but it is to Fallon’s credit that he didn’t try to mimic that record. That likely would have failed, and instead, we get a very worthwhile set of songs here. There’s a strong influence of 60’s soul and R&B here that differentiates it from the previous disc. It is in the mold of classic Who and the Jam, even occasionally going to far into those Weller influences. Still, like most of Fallon’s work, it’s Springsteen who looms the largest in the background. Still, with Fallon’s current position, he gets away with some things in 2018 that the Boss couldn’t, and that ultimately, works to his favor. A fine record.

Bryan Ferry Bitter-Sweet (BMG) – Although I have probably followed Ferry’s career more than almost anyone, I almost skipped over 2012’s The Jazz Age. That particular album reimagined a collection of songs from Ferry(and Roxy)’s deep history as 1920’s era jazz recordings. Re-recording old songs? It seemed like a Rod Stewart-style cash-grab to me. I am glad I didn’t though, as those songs were so refreshed creatively that they felt like something new. 2018 finds Ferry on Netflix playing a 1930’s Berlin cabaret singer, so a sequel of sorts seems logical. Though like Dylan’s Sinatra records, there is no longer the thrill of hearing something for the first time, this album is well worth it. The bonus of this record is Ferry adding vocals to some of the newly reworked songs. It is also certainly more Weimar Republic than Duke Ellington this time, but it’s still pretty great. It helps that some of my most favorite Roxy Music tunes show up here. It’s quite possible that there aren’t two better albums in the last few years that are going largely unheard than The Jazz Age and this one.

Franz Ferdinand Always Ascending (Domino)- Despite generally positive reviews, let’s face it, critics have given up on this band. The first three albums are held in a certain regard, but no one but the most diehard of fans seem to really take note. Which is a shame as the band is still putting out good music. There’s no great single here, but there some great songs. It continues down the road the band has continued to travel (more groove, more dance) while Alex Kapranos veers into Jarvis Cocker territory more often than not. I am still happy to see the band making records, and will continue to spread the word as much as I can, as long as they put out records like this.

Ezra Furman Transangelic Exodus (Bella Union)- I was disappointed that outside of the AV Club (and despite positive reviews), this disc was left of year-end “Best Ofs”. I knew Furman was talented, but this really blew me away. Ambitious as all heck, Furman’s self described “queer outlaw saga” wants to meld together Born to Run and Nebraska Bruce Springsteen with Berlin and Street Hassle Lou Reed; (something I would probably advise not to attempt) but he pulls it off. It all gets thrown in – country road songs, glam rock, dance/ambient and even soul, all with Furman trying to tell his On the Road or Thelma and Louise. It would be interesting even if it only half-worked, but it succeeds.

Mick Harvey and Christopher Richard Barker – The Fall and Rise of Edgar Bourchier and the Horrors of War (Mute)- I have weird records all over my “Best of”, but this is probably the weirdest. Longtime Bad Seed Harvey and Author/Poet Barker present an album that ostensibly is made of poems written by a long-dead WW1 soldier named Edgar Bourchier. You have to do some deep digging, but if you look far enough, you will discover Bourchier isn’t real. This album, though attempts to invoke the horrors of War. It does that in various random styles- often harkening back to previous times. In fact, it’s hard to even compare this record. I would probably compare it to Julian Cope or Chumbawamba’s music hall ballads. It’s hard to even find much similarity in the Birthday Party lineage (perhaps Harvey’s Serge Gainsbourg covers) or songs about War (Motorhead’s “1916” perhaps) . Non-rock arrangements, repetitive lyrics- even many, many listens, it’s hard to know what to make of this. Still, Harvey is such a deft arranger that it is almost impossible not to like this. It sounds like a bit of a ridiculous concept, but it ultimately succeeds (to the point, record reviewers are carrying the Bourchier ‘long lost poet’ story.

The Interrupters Fight the Good Fight (Hellcat)- This band follows the Rancid template (and actually have a long history with Tim Armstrong) so it’s hard to judge them. Clearly, there is a lot of Specials, Selector, Clash and Agnostic Front on their streaming devices. When I first heard “Kerosene”, I could smell a hit, though it felt like the band arrived 20 years too late. “Kerosene” did end up a hit, but the band evokes a memory of when bands like Dance Hall Crashers were the rage. There’s (*ahem*) no doubt that they will be compared to other female fronted ska bands. Fight is more realized than anything the band has done previously, and at the end of the day, Aimee Interrupter is such a strong frontperson, that the world should take notice. The rest of the album lacks “Kerosene”’s power, but it still maintains a better-than-average pop-punk-ska set of songs.

Cody Jinks Lifers (Rounder)- I can’t place what makes Cody Jinks so good, but he is. There is little here (the odd Jackson Browne reference notwithstanding) to differentiate this from other country artists. His voice has a huge Toby Keith bellow and his songs aren’t a million miles away from Tim McGraw. Still, there is something special about him. Probably unsurprising, Jinks started out in hardcore punk and thrash metal. He carries that booming voice and sense of melody. In a lot of senses, it reminds me of Steve Earle’s first record, which is also a ‘pure country’ record, but you can tell that there is a lot more than meets the eye.

Crossposts: https://bedsitter23.livejournal.com/1142505.html

Please stay tuned for parts 2 and 3.

It was a great year for music. So many records could have made the cut, but I had to keep it to 20. Here goes...

Arctic Monkeys Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino(Domino)- In a weird twist of fate, the Arctic Monkeys were supposed to be a fad, but by 2013s AM, in a post-rock world, they became one of the rock bands that matter. So what did they do? Alex Turner made himself a too-cool-for-school crooner in the mold of Jarvis Cocker. Bowie is of course, the obvious touchpoint, but this album may be more closer to Bolan, or frankly, the Rocky Horror Show and might be more “Bowie in Space” (Flight of the Conchords) than Bowie in Space. That said, strangely, this concept holds up. You know, space has always been important in all genres of rock- Rush, Floyd, Parliament, Voidoid, and Klaatu, to name a few. Still, in a world of Yelp, Netflix and Uber; of Trump, Kardashians and Elon Musk, it’s possible that no one has been more accurate with their vision of the future than the A-Monkeys. Critics like Pitchfork wrote 1000 word essays on the opening line of “I just wanted to be one of the Strokes”, but they were wrong. Turner’s reinvention here is something deeper to appreciate.

Chris Carter Chemistry Lessons Vol 1 (Mute)- I spent the 90s collecting the Chris and Cosey albums. The post-Throbbing Gristle duo always took a back seat to Psychic TV and Coil. (With reason, I enjoyed their music, but it was hardly essential. The stalwart Allmusic only gives two of their albums four stars or more). This record is rather enjoyable and though it can be used for background music; it really grabs the ears. Not too much unlike Martin Rev’s album last year, here is one of the classic innovators of the genre doing some really interesting work with sounds- 25 “songs” most averaging about two minutes each. This one is unique enough and hard to describe, more ambient and less dance than Chris and Cosey, more like a modern dat Kraftwerk than industrial, it certainly falls in lines of music that imagines the future in the way we thought of it in the past. I was pleasantly surprised to see this fall on Mojo’s “Best of 2018” list.

Current 93 The Light is Leaving Us All (The Spheres)- Current 93 makes Neofolk easy, but it’s not. Just type “neofolk” into a music aggregator and see. Indeed, the band’s latter era masterpiece (2006’s Black Ships Ate the Sky) makes it look real easy, though a listen through many of the band’s records since, show how hard it can be. David Tibet makes his best music when he sounds possessed, and he sounds a bit possessed here. The album is very much in line with an apocalyptic folk vision of Black Ships and 1997’s All the Pretty Little Horses- a world beyond time straight out of Fantasy. It doesn’t quite live up to those two records, but that it comes close is a testament to Tibet’s amazing talent.

The Damned Evil Spirits(Spinefarm)- Anyone who has seen the Damned live in the last couple of decades (or one of their many live records) know that there is still a lot of fire there. Unfortunately, the last couple of attempts at studio recordings have been terrible. This album finally gets it right- what we all knew, that there must still be fire in the tank. The band at this point feels like The Damned with Vanian, Sensible, the return of Paul Gray, and two newer members who have 20+ years in. Tony Visconti is an inspired choice to capture the sound, most masterfully in the sonic opener “Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow” and the closer “I Don’t Care”. It’s unfair to compare this to the band’s first three records or even 1985’s Phantasmagoria. It just doesn’t hold up to repeat listens after that first listen “They’re back” rush. Still, it’s a very enjoyable album and captures the grab bag of the band’s styles. Indeed, any track here would fit seamlessly on the band’s Light at the End of the Tunnel retrospective. Like the Stranglers, it’s great to see these so important punksters prove that they still have it.

David Davis & the Warrior River Boys Didn’t He Ramble: Songs of Charlie Poole (Rounder)- David Davis's uncle played in Bill Monroe’s band, but by now, David has plenty of bluegrass bonafides on his own. While the band has made some wonderful traditional bluegrass records in the last two-plus decades, this one is really special. By covering Charlie Poole, he’s unearthed some really great tunes. Now, Poole has a lot of rock fans (Dylan, Mellencamp, Baez, Wainwright III, the Dead, Hot Tuna, the Holy Modal Rounders), but the WRBs really do a great job of presenting the songs of Poole, which should be of interest to anyone who likes 1920’s music, country and blues, bluegrass, and maybe haven’t sampled bluegrass since the days of O Brother Where Art Thou. If you are interested in any of the above or the artists influenced by the sound, it really is worth checking out.

Ed Schrader’s Music Beat Riddles (Carpark Records)- Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice are fixtures on the very cool Baltimore scene (Beach House, Future Islands) and hooked up with another big Baltimore name Dan Deacon who produced this. ESMB was a good find for me. This is a wonderful future-looking album. Many of the songs have a repetitive beat which makes it almost impossible not to compare to another electronic duo, Suicide. It can veer from garage punk and noise to EDM, and “Tom” (Major?) also shows how big an influence Bowie is. A great unheralded album.

(To be continued)

Crossposts: https://bedsitter23.livejournal.com/1142197.html

Brian Fallon Painkillers (Virgin/Island EMI)One of my favorite bands of the last 20 years is the Gaslight Anthem. Born out of a love for the Clash, Live at Folsolm Prison, and the Boss, they came on the scene as an heir to Social Distortion, however after five albums, they have evolved closer to Bon Jovi style stadium rock. I wondered aloud what the fix would be, and here it is. Fallon has released a solo album, that is intimate and unplugged in a metaphorical sense if not an actual one. It his strongest and most consistent work in awhile. If you weren’t a fan before, the lyrical references to Steve McQueen, Marianne Faithful and Leonard Cohen may still annoy you. However, I still think it’s worth checking out. For me, he cements his spot as a vital singer-songwriter here, and maybe nudges a bit closer to his heroes.

Glint Inverter (Votiv) Glint is mainly the brainchild of New York artist Jase Blankfort. This is a genre- electronic-based altrock (I’ve heard it called indietronica) that Big Indie avoids, but generally does well with large audiences (Muse, Killers, MGMT , Hot Chip, etc). Big anthemic songs with synth and big guitars- for me, Muse is the obvious touchpoint. Glint nails that sound perfectly on “Guided”, which as with other tracks here would be perfect on altrock radio. Still, anyone can put together one great single, and the rest of the album is satisfyingly consistent. I don’t know that this album has garnered enough listens to make the big break, but hopefully success is right around the corner.

PJ Harvey The Hope Six Demolition Project (Vagrant)- A challenging record that got mixed reviews. Personally, it blows my mind away. Many in Big Indie had a problem that it was not a traditional record like Stories from the Sea… or even Uh Huh Her or the equally rousing Let England Shake. They criticized her journal entries set to music as not being artistic enough. They were wrong. This album of course is justified as an heir to Patti Smith, but equally, it’s a great noisy shambolic masterpiece that is heir to the greatest of all raw rock bands- The Stooges, the Birthday Party, and an early 90s three piece named PJ Harvey. I think this is an amazing end to end listen, and based on that, easily makes the short list for my favorite album of the year.

Mitski Puberty 2 (Dead Oceans)- This Brooklyn based singer songwriter was one of my biggest finds this year. Fortunately, I found her on my own, and not due to the influence of Big Indie. (Big Indie loves her, which I don’t have a problem with. The probem I have with Big Indie is that as much music as comes through them, they should be pushing Mitski and a dozen artists like her, not just her). It’s interesting to see Big Indie try to classify her- is she anti-folk, the new PJ Harvey or Pixies-influenced noise. Well, she’s all of that. If anything, the short songs and blasts of styles reminds me of mid90s indie heroes Erics Trip. Looking forward to what her future holds.

Moby and the Void Pacific Choir- These Systems are Failing(Little Idiot/Mute) Twenty years ago, Moby made a “hard rock” album that despite some big fans (Axl Rose and Bono, to name two) became a punchline. That album Animal Rights was considered a career destroyer. It didn’t of course. Moby not only was critically acclaimed, he finally reached Top 40 success. The lackluster Hotel ended the ride, though age and trends eventually get us all. No longer the darling of Big Indie (indeed virtually ignored by them), Moby is free to do what he wants. This freedom has been beneficial insomuch as I think he has made some of the most interesting music in the last decade of anyone. This is a return to a harder sound, but Moby hedges his bets by crediting it to the fictional Choir. Allmusic compares it to the 90s industrial scene (FLA, MLwtTKK, Consolidated), though I think it looks back further (Joy Division, New Order, even OMD) and nearer (the electroclash bands of Y2K3-6), with a certain bit of early-techno Moby for good measure.

Mudcrutch 2 (Reprise) I have always been a Tom Petty fan, and there’s no denying his run of singles, but his 2008 album by his pre-Heartbreakers band was a revelation. Perhaps, its that there Is no expectation commercial and otherwise and Petty and co. get to once again indulge in bar rock drawing heavily from the Byrds (and Buffalo Springfield, The Band, NRBQ, etc). In any case, the first Mudcrutch album was a great start-to-finish listen. What seemed improbable but what happened is the second album is just as good, if not better. It boosts a bonafide FM single “Trailer” (though adult alternative stations capitalized on it, its success was relative). But the album is just as good in its quieter moments as the Tom Leadon-led “Queen of the Go Go Girls”. Hard to explain why (it’s almost the Heartbreakers) but well worth it.

Crossposts: http://bedsitter23.livejournal.com/1074308.html

Allah-Las- Calico Review (Mexican Summer)- While many will say the early part of the 21st century was a high point for garage rock, I am partial to recent years. There are a lot of great bands out there that are authentic heirs to the Nuggets crown- The Golden Boys, The Growlers, Mystic Braves, and many more- not to mention reunions by the Sonics, Zombies, and Fleshtones, and near mainstream success of Ty Stegall and King Tuff. Like 2014’s Worship the Sun, this album is a bit uneven, but it’s still pretty great. Where the previous worked was definitely in line with the 1965 crowd, like the Mystic braves, these guys have transitioned to ’67, as if they heard Sgt Pepper’s, Forever Changes and the Velvet Underground for the first time. At times, they nail the Velvets sound, while “Famous Phone Figure” would make Colin Moulding jealous he didn’t write it first.

Banks and Steelz Anything but Words (Warner Bros)– 2016 was a good year for some odd pairings. While I never enjoyed the Wu Tang Clan to the extent most indie fans did, I did appreciate few could make a soundscape like RZA. Here RZA aka Bobby Digital aka Bobby Steelz teams with the often underappreciated Interpol frontman Paul Banks. Debut single “Love and War” slammed like Run the Jewels. The question of course was the rest of the album as good and would it bear repeated listenings. The answers to both questions are yes. ABW is a strong album of the year contender. There’s an all-star guest list of rappers who lay rhymes over Banks’ plaintive sound; which means even with all of its differences, it’s hard not to compare to the Gorillaz. Still, top of the class.

David Bowie Blackstar (ISO)- Given the circumstances of the release, it’s hard to offer any criticism. Indeed, this is one of the most well-loved albums of the year. I will probably make no friends by offering a word of dissent, but I don’t think it is a five star album. Of course, my problem lies more with Big Indie (Pitchfork, AV Club, DiS, CoS, Spin, Quietus, etc). Upon Bowie’s death, it was immediately proclaimed that this was his masterpiece, and The Next Day wasn’t so good after all. Which is what I have a problem with. Bowie has had a solid record the last 20 years, and even though he has had some missteps in his career, there are only really a few. To me, this album reminds me of what Bowie was doing in the mid-90s. I will say it certainly is more consistent than those releases, but I don’t think it towers over his recent output. Which isn’t saying this isn’t wonderful (It is), but that his other recent albums have been quite good.

Tracy Bryant Subterranean(Burger Records)- Again, my problem is with Big Indie is that they spend time promoting Beyonce and Taylor Swift when they should really be finding artists like this. Bryant is the lead singer of Corners, a band I was not familiar with, but deals in this kind of garage and psychedelic music. This record is fantastic- more modern (a la Ty Segall) than Allah Las- style nostalgic. Allmusic compares him to the Cramps which wasn’t the first band I thought of, but does drive the point hime that if you love reverb, you should check out this great record.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree (Bad Seeds Ltd) – Like Bowie’s record, this one is hard to separate from the tragedy (the death of his 15 year old son) , still I will try to stick to reviewing the record. Cave has been so consistently great over the years that it’s hard to compare this album to the discography and recent work. I would say better than his last, but less good than the prior to. It’s almost hard to say when this would be a defining work in anyone else’s catalogue. Cave, Warren Ellis and longtime producer Nick Launay have made an album that is sounds so intimate, it’s almost disturbingly so. For me, I prefer Cave with the traditional rock fourpiece sound of the Blixa Bargeld/Mick Harvey days to the Ellis soundscapes, but no doubt this is a good album.

Colvin and Earle s/t (Fantasy) –Maybe not an obvious pairing, but what a great duo. I always wonder what Steve Earle is going to do next, and he always keeps you guessing. The two advertise this project as more Crosby Stills and Nash than Conway & Loretta, and it indeed is a fine folk album. Everything about the record is so well done that it almost sounds like it is all covers. (It is mostly originals, though the expanded edition includes a necessary cover of the Beatles “Baby in Black” as well as one standard from both artists career). This is one of those albums that Big Indie would never deem ‘important’, and it really isn’t much more than two friends playing songs they love, but what a great end to end listen, that I am sure I will still be listening to(in parts if not full) ten years from now.

Dinosaur Jr Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not (Jagjaguwar)- What’s more improbable- that J, Lou and Murph have stuck together a decade since reuniting or that four albums in, they seem to make it all so effortless. It’s as if they have never stopped, and as much as I doted on their last album, it’s possible that this is even better. The gut reaction might be that it should be obvious that any time this band plugs in, a near classic will be made, but if that’s true, then why can’t the Pixies (and others) do it. It’s a Dinosaur Jr record, so I don’t know what else I can add, but they’re still going strong. It would seem ludicrous to consider that they are better now than they were in their heyday, but it’s also quite possible.

Crossposts: http://bedsitter23.livejournal.com/1074059.html

and wrapping up ...

Neon Piss – s/t (Deranged Records)- I always like to pass along the best new bands, but I never promised you would be able to google them at work. The self titled 8 song is debut from the San Francisco punk band is strong. For a brief moment in my life did I really care about the world of Maximum Rock N Roll and worry about what they thought. This is one of those bands that make you want to play it loud and for lack of a better comparison, updates the Wipers sound. I think this band has good things ahead, though maybe under a different name.

Public Image Ltd. – This is PiL (PiL Official)-Probably my favorite album of the year, and in some ways, highly improbable- Their last album That What Was Not was twenty years ago and was terrible. Also, the band isn’t the original respected group of Jah Wobble and Keith Levene, but latter day PiLers and Spice Girls guitarist Scott Firth. Still, an album that starts with “I’m John and I’m from London” in the proclamation of the title track. There’s also a lot of experimentation, but generally it all falls on the “yeah, it works” side. It ends up with work that is as good as some of Lydon’s best career moments.

Hugo Race Fatalists- We Never Had Control (Gusstaff)- It was a good year for Nick Cave fans- there was the Lawless soundtrack (which probably would have been on this list, if it felt, I don’t know, more complete). There was the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions project which included a lot of Cave friends and disciples, Barry Adamson’s solo album and this. Race’s 2010 Fatalists album put him on a lot of best-Ofs, and I wasn’t going to let this one get past me. It is a strong album that explores similar territory as Cave (Race was a Bad Seed, but left to pursue his own muse)- could be risky, but he pulls it off.

Titus Andronicus- Local Business (XL) – This band’s second album The Monitor put this band in the indie spotlight. Any band ambitious enough to write a concept album around the Civil War and named after a Shakespeare play sets the bar high. The band is at their best when they mimic circa-1978 Clash, which they do perfectly thanks to lead singer Patrick Stickles, but there are classic rock sensibilities here too (Springsteen of course, but Rolling Stone compares to “the Replacements and Thin Lizzy” which might not be off).

Tribes- Baby (Island) – Of course, I would make room for the ‘next big thing’ in Britpop. I haven’t been too impressed with the current crop of big things. Tribes put together all the right elements of a band that make music that is Young, Loud, and Artsy. Tribes get Pixies comparisons because of the shouting and Frank Black championing, but there are dozens of bands that come to mind first. None more similar than Baby Shambles. Essentially, it’s the same blueprint, but until Mr. Doherty gets back to form, Tribes will fill that void.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse- Americana (Reprise) – I didn’t expect this one. These are songs that have since become grade school standards and lead single “Oh Susannah” didn’t do much for me. However, you can never doubt Neil. Reading Young’s reasons for doing this album and hearing it all at once (putting ‘Susannah’ in a better context) was all I needed to be convinced. Yeah, these are all songs I have heard a million times, but Crazy Horse, the world’s greatest garage band ripping through “Tom Dula” and “Jesus Chariot (She’ll be coming round the Mountain) is essential listening.

Crossposts: http://bedsitter23.livejournal.com/907589.html

The next bunch...

Foxygen – Take the Kids Off Broadway (Jagjaguwar) – Ok, it’s a terrible name and you might want to skip this one if you think they might be a Sweet cover band. The California- based duo put together what is a strong debut. The band’s sound is inspired by the Velvet Underground at Lou Reed’s most Dylanest with some Bowie/Bolan glam, late 60s Kinks/Stones pop and classic garage. Mimicking Reed ( a la the Alias Records roster circa early 90s) isn’t something I would suggest any band attempt, but Foxygen indeed do pull it off. Going to see a lot more from these guys.

The Golden Boys- Dirty Fingernails (12XU) – I have had the band’s frontman John Wesley Coleman III and his prolific (2 solo albums and a duet album in 2012 besides the group’s LP) and his quirky psychedelic garage rock on my radar for a little while now. On Dirty Fingernails, Coleman and band deliver an album that is in line with the best of a lineage of similar Austin bands like the 13^th Floor Elevators, There are plenty of bands that follow this blueprint, and when it’s good, it can be great (when it’s not, there’s no helping it). This one is a keeper.

The Heavy – The Glorious Dead (Counter)- The Heavy has made a career (and buckets of cash) from writing songs that appear in films and tv, and sound tailored made for shows like The Sopranos and True Blood. What people might not know is that those aren’t one-off singles. The Heavy makes solid albums of this kind of music- classic R&B and blues, garage rock and Tom Waits drawn together. Kelvin Swaby’s vocals obviously make the whole thing happen, but this band has a lot more going on than some might think.

Holograms- Holograms (Captured Tracks) –This young Swedish band really knocked it out of the park on their debut. This is music that would feel comfortable cataloged along with the Factory Records discs of the late 70s and early 80s. It would also stand in well in comparison with the great Swedish post-punk bands that were the rage circa 2003. The band takes all that plus Stooges Raw Power and Synths to make a solid album that fits well in 2012, with a ridiculous amount of self-confidence that works because they can pull it off.

Magnetic Fields – Love at the Bottom of the Sea (Domino) – this album brought Stephin Meritt back to his classic sound after three albums of experimentation. It didn’t set the world afire like everyone expected. It did make this Merritt fan very happy, though. Perhaps, it is more of a collection of great songs (like “Andrew in Drag”) than a great album, but no complaints from me.

The Men- Open Your Heart- (Secret Bones) –The Men’s debut Leave Home made my Best Of last year. That album was the New York noisy indie band paying homage to the heroes of 1980s and early 90s indie rock – Sonic Youth, Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, the Jesus Lizard and Black Flag. With album #2, one feels that the men listened to Go Home and said “We forgot the Replacements!” Open Your Heart has plenty of the noisy rock that made Leave Home great , but it’s greatest moment may be “Candy”, a song that would make Paul Westerberg proud.

Rhett Miller – The Dreamer (Maximum Sunshine)- I am a huge fan of the Old 97s (who made my best-of list the last two years for Live at the Grand Theatre Vols. 1 and 2), but I never was a huge fan of his solo stuff. On previous Miller albums, he seems to want to indulge his pop side. The Dreamer instead feels like what a solo album from the Old 97s frontman might be expected to do. The songs are stripped down and slowed down. This album probably won’t be a life-changer for anyone, but it’s a collection of really good songs (the best being duets with Rachel Yamagata and Roseanne Cash).

Crossposts: http://bedsitter23.livejournal.com/907424.html

It's a tradition and here it is. My favorite albums of the previous year.

2012 was clearly the year of the Elders of Rock - Dylan, Cohen, Neil Young, Iggy, John Cale, Patti Smith, Scott Walker, John Lydon, and Jimmy Cliff to name a few.

There were a lot of good albums, and a lot of good albums early in the year. I have no complaints about 2013. Maybe, there wasn't that defining album. The closest I come is This is PiL, but there is no OK Computer, no The Suburbs.

So, without further ado, some surprises from the veterans, with an appreciation of Bandcamp to find the ones that are just starting on their path, and a couple of Bad Seeds along the way.

Barry Adamson – I Will Set You Free (Central Control)- I know Adamson as an original Bad Seed and 1996’s Oedipus Schmoedipus. That was an interesting album of the type of jazz and guitar noir that featured some amazing guest vocals from Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker which overshadowed the rest. Adamson does what he does here (without anyone stealing his spotlight) just dripping in European Cool and cinematic drama.

Buck Satan & the 666 Shooters- Bikers Welcome Ladies Drink Free (13^th Planet)- This Al Jorgenson project has been a rumor for two decades. Now released, expectations were surely low. An industry/country project seemed novel during Ministry’s heyday, but there’s nothing on here that Hank Williams the 3rd hasn’t covered already during his career. The hybrid also means it resembles one-hit wonder Rednex (“Cotton Eyed Joe”) more than it does any other artist. That said, this album delivers on the promise of a silly, fun time. An instant cult classic.

Chumbawamba & Red Ladder- Present the Original Cast Recording of “Big Society” (No Masters)– A musical hall production written by band guitarist Boff Whalley and starring Phil Jupitus and the agit-prop group Red Letter might have caught some people off guard. The band always appreciated music hall and it gives them a perfect vehicle for their message. In this case, using the 1920s – a time full of robber barons, over-exuberant generals, and racist/sexist masses. Nothing like now, of course, and certainly not a metaphor for the 1%. The music is pretty good, too. A nice swansong from Pop's favorite anarchists.

Jimmy Cliff- Rebirth (Universal) – Cliff always seems to take a backseat to Bob Marley in how America views reggae artists (despite Cliff’s The Harder They Come movie and classic soundtrack). Rebirth does an excellent job at helping Cliff’s profile. Teaming with producer Tim Armstrong of Rancid was inspired (Truly, it was Joe Strummer’s idea), and this should appeal to ears that primarily focus on rock. The album features some classic ska sounds with anthemic choruses and driving rhythms, and nowhere does it come together better than what may be the best song of the year “One More” .

Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory (Carpark Records)- the Steve Albini-produced third album was where I picked up on Dylan Baldi and his Cleveland-based band. The band appeals to the part of me that loves lo-fi with screaming (Think The Thermals) and should also appeal to all my indie friends (who spent the 90s listening to DC bands and Emo bands of the day like Braid and Sunny day Real Estate). Pitchfork loves them, which gives me pause, but they remind me of all the bands I mentioned above with a strong pop sensibility. Think of a modern-day Jawbreaker.

The Cult – Choice Of Weapon (Cooking Vinyl) – Improbably I heard a lot of buzz about this being one of the best albums of the year, but once I checked it out, I was convinced. The Cult had one bonafide classic album, maybe more (Love, Electric, Sonic Temple), but no one would have expected a reunited Cult to put out something this good. The lyrics are a bit silly (of course) but as long as they are delivered confidently by Ian Astbury and backed by some of Billy Duffy’s best work (and produced masterfully by Bob Rock) , it is some great Doors-inspired blues rock.

Foe- Bad Dream Hotline (Mercury/Vertigo)- Artists like Foe were popular 10 or 15 years ago, but I am not sure if that audience is still around for this British 21-year old. I can't be sure- the sound- electro-rock (multimedia rock?) with strong female feminist vocals- never quite escapes the shadow of Garbage (Shirley Manson was an early supporter) , but it succeeds on its own. Catchy pop lyrics and unique sounds. A promising debut and probably would have been a certain chartbuster if released a decade earlier.