#25: Protomartyr – Consolation – This EP from these garage punks is solid and intriguing. Sporting two tracks with the Breeders’ Kim Deal as well, the record hits hard but knows when to be soft.
#24: Steve Hauschildt – Dissolvi – I hadn’t heard of Steve Hauschildt until this album somewhat fell into my lap. It’s intriguing electro that reveals more layers with each listen.
#23: Bev Rage and the Drinks – Cockeyed – Besides having the naughtiest album name on this list, Cockeyed is also one of the best punk records I’ve heard in a long while. Queercore punk is back in business, bitches!
#22: Public Practice – Distance Is a Mirror – This post-punk EP from prior members of WALL was a welcome addition to my collection of post-punk records. It’s full of razor sharp lyrics and equally sharp guitars, bass, and beats.
#21: All Them Witches – ATW – These Nashville psychedelic blues rockers upped the volume and fuzz and became a three-piece to get back to basics and melt faces.
Here’s the list you’ve all been waiting for. As always, there are so many good albums out every year that it’s impossible to keep track of them all. Here are my top thirty.
#30: The Dunes (self-titled) – A great return for the Dunes, this album of Australian psychedelic rock is full of reverb, fuzz, and even surf touches.
#29: Underworld and Iggy Pop – Teatime Dub Encounters – This EP was made during lunch meetings at a hotel and blends great stories from Pop with Underworld’s masterful beats.
#28: Avis: Sova – Shampoo You – This Chicago’s three-piece’s newest garage rock-psych record gets better with each listen.
#27: Windhand – Eternal Return – This doom metal album became one of my favorites of the year as soon as I heard it. I immediately began recommending them to anyone and even bought it as a birthday gift for a pal.
#26: Makeness – Loud Patterns – This electro album wasn’t on my radar until Makeness’ label sent it to me for review. It turned out to be a solid record with interesting structures to it.
We’re into the top 25 tomorrow. Come back for more!
Keep your mind open.
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#5: “Limp Wrist” by Bev Rage and the Drinks – This queercore punk delivers a wallop in under two minutes. This song floored me when I heard it, and I started telling everyone I knew about Ms. Rage and her band.
#4: “How Did This Happen!? by BODEGA – The return of post-punk continues with this great NYC band and this single that trashes hipsters. I couldn’t stop listening to this once I heard it.
#3: “Blinded by the LEDs” by Lindstrom – If you need an amazing EDM track, floor-filler, workout playlist topper, or just something to be stunned by, look no further.
#2: “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monae – Easily the sexiest song of the year. I can’t describe it any better than that.
#1: “Always Elsewhere” by Ron Gallo – This Zen-punk jam became my mantra after hearing it. It was a much-needed crack with a Zen master’s stick during months of chaos both local and domestic. Gallo‘s suggestion that we embrace presence instead of the willful scattering of our attention is a battle call.
Thanks for reading. Up next, the top 30 live acts I saw in 2018.
#10: “Never Coming Back” by A Place to Bury Strangers – I was excited to learn that Lea Braswell was the new drummer for APTBS. I thought she’d match the powerhouse duo of Oliver Ackermann and Dion Lunadon well, and this single not only proved me right, but it also heralded a new sound for the band that was outstanding.
#9: “Asia (Adrenaline)” by Hprizm – This single, and really the whole album, reveals more and more with each listen. Plus, the beats on it are great (That referee’s whistle used for timing!). It’s a song that makes you want to explore more of Hprizm‘s catalogue (as you should).
#8: “Fighting” by Here Lies Man – I was sent this by HLM‘s label, Riding Easy Records, in a clever scheme to make me fascinated with HLM’s heavy Afrobeat jams. The scheme worked, because this single was not only all over my earbuds, I even heard it on BBC 6 Music.
#7: “Great Job” by CHAI – These post-punks from Japan are fully committed to the DIY life and have serious musical chops. You can’t help but love them, especially when they make music as good as this single from their new record due later this year.
#6: “Curse of the I-5 Corridor” by Neko Case – Stunningly beautiful, this song is a prime example of Case‘s vocal wonders and songwriting skill. Few artists nowadays can write and sing a song like her, and even fewer could write and sing something like this.
Who made the top 5? That will be revealed tomorrow!
#15: “Christmas Time Is Here” by Khruangbin – Seriously, their cover of the Vince Guaraldi Trio classic is a pure delight and a lovely oasis during the crazy Christmas season.
#14: “I Came Back to Bitch” by L7 – The exact opposite of the above track, this tune is a kick in the junk from these punk legends who have been simmering with aggression and fire for a few years now. It was a welcome comeback for them and a great example of what to expect on their upcoming album this year.
#13: “Black Habit” by MIEN – Possibly the creepiest track on my top 20 list. This song was the first single release by this psychedelic supergroup, and it instantly got under your skin and crawled around in there.
#12: “Fresh” by D-Tension – Full disclosure, D-Tension and I knew each other in middle school. He grew up to be a major player in the Boston hip-hop scene and on Boston radio and this year he put out one of the best hip-hop singles of 2018. My jaw dropped when I heard this.
#11: “The Hype” by Shopping – I knew this song by these British post-punks was going to be in my top singles list as soon as I heard it. The bass groove is wicked and the track feels and sounds like a good time.
Who makes the top 10? Come back tomorrow to find out, amigos.
Keep your mind open.
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2018 was the first year I started keeping track of my favorite singles of the year. It’s probably because there were so many good ones, including some that were just released as singles and others that stuck in my head for days. Who made the top 20? Read on and find out.
#20: “Sleepers” by Exploded View – This dreamy psych / synth track is a trippy mix of Velvet Underground and 80’s synthwave. It’s the kind of track that makes you wonder, “Who is this?” as soon as you hear it.
#19: “Nocturnal” by Magic Wands – Easily one of the best synthwave tracks of the year, this lush song is great for make-out sessions and has just enough of a dark edge to keep it dangerous.
#18: “You Are Dinner” by Constant Lovers – Good grief, does this thing have power. It’s a wild rock track with punk guitars and spat lyrics that the lead singer almost screws up but uses the moment to push his vocals even further.
#17: “Wheel of Fortune” by Protomartyr – The video of this shows one of the band members punching himself in the face. That’s apt, because this songs hits you just like that (especially when the chorus kicks in).
#16: “Singularity” by Jon Hopkins – The build of this electronic track is stunning to behold. It almost takes you by surprise like a big wave you didn’t see coming while standing hip-deep in the ocean. It’s over far too soon.
Who made the top 15? Come back tomorrow to find out.
Chicago shoegazers Diagonal were already high on my list of favorite new bands for 2018 with their LP Tomorrow released back in July. Apparently bursting with energy, they released a new EP of material, You Are Free, just a couple weeks ago. It’s five tracks of mind-bending riffs mixed with fuzz, psychedelic touches, and enough reverb to power an eighteen-wheeler.
The LP opens with the bass-heavy “Spending Time,” which blends psychedelic riffs with buzzsaw guitars that remind me of early RIDE tracks. “Wise Mary” has a great fade-in that is like a swarm of bees glide toward you across a field. It then swirls and buzzes around you like those same bees, but it keeps a comfortable distance without overwhelming you. “Sines” is a mesmerizing track of instrumental shoegaze rock that is perfect for escaping gravity. I love when bands are brave or carefree enough to include instrumental tracks on records, and this one is top notch.
The opening guitars on “Can’t Be Real” sound not unlike a warning klaxon, heeding you to the massive bass and drums coming your way in just a few seconds. Those later give the floor to a shredding guitar solo that almost turns singer Andy Ryan’s vocals into backing vocals. The EP closes with “Send for Me,” which contains the clearest vocals on the record and sounds like an Oasis track if Oasis fully embraced their shoegaze love and stayed away from petty squabbles.
It’s another solid record from Diagonal. You need to get on their bandwagon now. They’ll become Riot Fest headliners in no time (which would be great).
I am severely late to the Khruangbin party. I’d heard snippets of their gorgeous album, Con Todo El Mundo, but the full album somehow escaped me nearly the entire year. I’m glad to have caught up, however, because their third record is a lovely mix of jazz, psychedelia, and Iranian / Middle Eastern funk grooves.
Starting with the soulful “Como Me Quieres” (“How Much Do You Love Me”), guitarist Mark Speer produces such clear, beautiful tones that the general vibe around you instantly changes upon hearing them. It slows down everything and gets your mind to notice how fast everyone else is whizzing by you. “Lady and Man” is just as nice, with Speer’s love of Middle Eastern guitar riffs coming to the fore, and drummer Donald Johnson puts on a clinic in solid backing grooves (and does so through the whole record). “Maria Tambien” sizzles from the first chord and doesn’t let up for the next three minutes. You’ll swear you’re riding in a taxi through Marrakesh while you’re listening to it.
“August 10” is a blissful, laid-back track with a bass groove so subtle by Laura Lee that it’s almost like a lover’s whisper across your pillow. “Como Te Quiero” brings in psychedelic reverb on Lee’s vocal sounds to nice effect. You could set your watch to Johnson’s beats on “Shades of Man.” They’re so precise that they almost sound like they were created in the Matrix, but he’s just that good.
Lee keeps repeating “Yes” on “Evan Finds the Third Room,” a funky cut that gets you dancing and features one of her phattest bass grooves. She and Speer just cut loose while Johnson keeps them rooted enough to not go over the cliff. “A Hymn” is suitably mellow and meditative. By the time “Rules” arrives, you realize that Con Todo El Mundo is possibly the best make-out album of 2018. In fact, “Friday Morning” is a perfect song to play while fixing breakfast for your lover after a great Thursday night.
This album is one of the prettiest I’ve heard all year, and a better cure for a hectic day than Netflix and chill.
British punk duo Slaves‘ third album, Acts of Fear and Love, is one of those albums that assures you guitar-driven records aren’t dead.
Getting right in your face from the outset, drummer / lead vocalist Isaac Holman asks, “What are you doing?” and claims, “Nobody is the shit.” on “The Lives They Wish They Had” – a sizzling diatribe against selfie culture, Facebook profiles, and “a desperate need for acceptance.” The second half of it might be the most punk thing you’ve heard this year. “Cut and Run” is one of Slaves’ catchiest tunes with guitarist Laurie Vincent putting down distorting, squealing riffs and Holman almost getting funky with his stand-up kit.
The punk fuzz is back with full force on “Bugs” (a song about two-faced politicians causing “another letdown generation”), as Vincent’s guitar chords crawl all over you and Holman’s beats are liable to induce a mosh pit wherever you may be while listening to it. “Magnolia” is about the gleam and sheen put on British suburbia while the country struggles with Brexit, xenophobia, and an uncertain economic future. “It’s gotta be perfect,” Holman sings again and again.
“Daddy” is a little, clever tune about men and their mid-life crises. “Chokehold,” a song about a break-up, has Vincent putting down angular post-punk riffs as Holman sings about drowning his sorrows and noticing the smell of his girlfriend’s hairspray on his pillow after she’s gone.
“Photo Opportunity” is a clever track about being famous as Holman tries to tell a fan that he means no disrespect for turning down a request for a photo with him, but he’s a busy guy…although he later has second thoughts as he goes out with his mates and realizes not much has changed in his life. The opening guitar roar on “Artificial Intelligence” will snap you awake better than a mug of coffee. Vincent’s guitar is fierce throughout the whole track, almost relentless in fact.
The title track closes the record. The title could be a reflection of the reasons behind Brexit, the day-to-day workings of any relationship, or how we make everyday decisions…or none of the above. Holman mentions a teacher who taught him hate doesn’t exist, just “acts of fear and love,” and a friend who would “do anything for anyone” whose decisions / acts of fear and love eventually led him to an eight-year prison sentence.
Acts of Fear and Love is a solid record. Guitar rock is not dead. Punk is not dead. Slaves, three records in, are just getting started.
I was 14 when Chicago punk legends Naked Raygun released their classic album All Rise. It would be another two years before I was able to drive a beat-up station wagon that formerly belonged to my Uncle Tony to a punk rock club about 45 minutes from my house and there become aware of Naked Raygun and their cult status.
It’s easy to figure out how they rose so fast in the mid-1980’s punk scene. All Rise‘s opener, “Home of the Brave,” is an instant anthem for the Reagan era. Pierre Kezdy‘s bass on “Dog at Large” is heavy enough for a metal band. “Knock Me Down” begins with a subtle start, but soon roars to life with frantic drums by Eric Spicer and Jeff Pezzati‘s snotty lyrics about a girl he can’t shake after she’s dumped him for good. One can’t help but wonder if “Mr. Gridlock” refers to President Regan, Chicago mayor Harold Washington, or someone else. The song has a deadly swagger to it, as if it’s looking for a fight. John Haggerty‘s guitar sounds like a tuned chainsaw on it. “The Strip” moves back and forth between chugging punks riffs and Husker Du-like jams as Naked Raygun pay homage to a seedy hotel-bar. “I Remember” has some of Spicer’s wildest drumming on the album.
Pezzati’s vocals on “Those Who Move” (about speaking truth to power and freedom of information, among other things) are urgent and still relevant in 2018. Kezdy’s bass on “The Envelope” certainly pushes the envelope of the studio amps because it nearly knocks you to the floor right out of the gate. Not to be outdone, Haggerty shreds on “Backlash Jack.” As soon as “Peacemaker” starts, you get the feeling that it’s not going to be all that peaceful. It isn’t. It’s heavy, squealing, and even a bit terrifying. The album ends with “New Dreams,” a punk anthem that sounds as fresh, raw, and vital today as it did in 1985.
All Rise is classic working class punk rock by four lads who deserve to be in the same conversations that bring up Fugazi, Bad Religion, DRI, the Dead Kennedys, and other legendary punk groups.
