As always, I actually wait until the previous year has ended to put out my list of my top albums (and live performances, which will be listed in other posts), because albums are released all the time. Many excellent albums have been released in many Decembers and gone forgotten or ignored by music critics and bloggers.
So, without further ado, let’s get started. I reviewed sixty-five albums last year, so I cut the list in half to cover the top of the bunch.
This is a wild punk rock record from a band with a goofy name and serious chops. I mean, you have to be good with a name like “Shred Flintstone.” Unlimited Power is appropriately titled, because the whole thing is bursting with energy.
This is a wild double EP of post-punk and krautrock from Berlin. It ranges from dance beats to rock riffs and was one of the best releases fro Dedstrange all year.
This four-song EP is solid alternative rock with catchy hooks, great double vocals, and heavy riffs that bode well for a full-length album in the future.
The Reverb Appreciation Society has been issuing “Live at Levitation” albums for a little while now, so it was no surprise that The Black Angels, who started the RAS and also started and still help curate the annual Levitation Music Festivals in Austin, Texas and Angers, France, should get their own release in the series. It covers some of the bands’ earliest performances at the festival and is a treat for fans of the band, the festival, and psychedelic rock.
Who cracked the top 25? Come back tomorrow to find out!
Constructed from a lot of improvised jam sessions, Parquet Courts‘ new album, Sympathy for Life, continues to embrace the band’s love of dance music and club rock.
Starting out with the groovy, bad-ass “Walking at a Downtown Pace,” the band makes you want to dress up, throw on some sunglasses at night, and strut your stuff on the way, at, and back from the club. The bass line is killer, the guitars a bit frantic, and the drums downright wicked. The song, like all the others on the record, was written before the pandemic, but now takes on an altered meaning post-pandemic. The lyrics are brutal truths: “I’m making plans for the day all of this is through…Food that I’ll taste and all the drinks that I’ll consume, return the smile on an unmasked friend…” / “Walk at a downtown pace and treasure the crowds that once made me act so annoyed.” / “Planning the future as if time is yours to choose.”
“Black Widow Spider” is a rocker about intense grief and trying to move beyond it. Believe me, I get it. “Marathon of Anger” brings in more synthesizers and electronic beats to create a dub-like banger about all of us getting back to the work of supporting each other after being separated for so long. “Just Shadows” is a tale of becoming addicted to routine, and how that gives you the false impression that you’re happy and everything is go well.
The beats on “Plant Life” would fit right in on a Talking Heads record. “Application Apparatus” is a song about the benefits and creepiness of GPS mapping – told with post-punk electro dance beats and guitar. “Homo Sapien” cranks the distortion for a song about how we’ve evolved from ancestors who beat stones into tools to people who crave “the sensual touch of glass, so smooth on the fingertips, the erotic quality of not feeling meaningless.” The title track seems to have been recorded with the ghost of Curtis Mayfield in the studio – it’s that groovy.
“Zoom Out” encourages us to look at the bigger picture (“When you zoom out, tomorrow is now. When you zoom out, together is now.”) – and to dance. “Trullo” is a weird, funky, skronky tale about cabin fever. The closer, “Pulcinella,” is a tale about being hesitant to embrace love again, especially after a long time away from it (“…the mind wanders home like a cat does when it knows it’s time to feed again.”). Again, I can relate.
The album is a clever mix of excellent lyrics, funky beats, and the promise of more epic things to come. Two of the tracks, “Marathon of Anger” and “Plant Life” were edited down from forty-minute jam sessions. I hope they kept recordings of them, because I’d love to hear those. How about releasing them to start afresh in 2022, PQ?
In 2017 Midnight Oil returned from a long hiatus with a sweat drenched pub gig at the legendary Sydney venue, Selina’s. In the middle of that special set, frontman Peter Garrett borrowed some famous lines, exhorting “rage, rage, against the dying of the light”. And that’s exactly what they’ve done ever since. They sold out 77 shows in 16 countries on their epic “Great Circle” tour. They toured Europe again, did a memorable gig in the outback, then returned to the studio for the first time in over 18 years and recorded 20 new songs. The first batch of that material, The Makarrata Project, debuted at #1 on the same weekend that longtime bass player Bones Hillman sadly died. Despite that profound blow, and a global pandemic, the band and their First Nations Collaborators still mounted their acclaimed “Makarrata Live” shows early this year – championing the Uluru Statement and highlighting ongoing injustices suffered by First Nations people.
Today Midnight Oil announced that this chapter of their career will come to a memorable close next year with the release of the other 12 new songs they recorded with Bones and a series of big gigs. Both are aptly titled Resist.
The band also announced that this will be their final concert tour while making it clear that this does not mean the end of the Oils. Each of the members will continue their own projects over the years ahead. They remain very open to recording new music together in future and supporting causes in which they believe but this will be their last tour.
Meanwhile Resist will be a fitting, forward looking, statement for a band whose clarion call has always been “it’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees”. The tour will see them performing classic Midnight Oil songs from across their repertoire while also showcasing some urgent new works. As the title makes abundantly clear, Resist engages with the issues of today and tomorrow – like the lead single “Rising Seas” which tackles the climate crisis in typically uncompromising fashion.
The album pre-order and Australasian tickets will go on-sale from next Tuesday 30 November. Dates, venues and all other info is listed at midnightoil.com/tour. A handful of international concerts is also being considered (subject to Covid restrictions).
Rob Hirst says: “If I look back, I see a blur of familiar names and faces: Jim, Pete, Martin, Bear and me, slamming loud prog-pop in a Chatswood garage; Giffo, magnificent, rocking back and forth at his first Royal Antler gig; Bonesy, headphones on, singing, lounging on the deck learning our catalogue.
I see our managers in their offices – Gary, Zev and John; our tour managers in their cars and buses – Constance, Neil, and Willie Mac; our producers in their studios, Keith, Lez, Glyn, Nick and Warne; and our crew on countless stages, Michael, Oysters, Ozzy, Doc, Nick, Jock, Gerry – and so many more.
I see our folks-in-the-engine-room that the outside world has never seen: Stephanie, Wayne, Diana, Arlene, Jonesy, Craig, Geoff H, Chris P, Peter T, and Mel C.
I see our wives and trusted friends, and the tiny faces of the ‘Baby Oils’, watching us from side of stage, from Sydney to Sao Paulo to Saskatoon.
But mostly, blinded by stage lights, I see the first two rows of a thousand gigs: Midnight Oil fans, pumping, jumping, singing louder than the band.
But I don’t look back.”
Peter Garrett says: “We all know time refuses to stand still for anyone but after many years together the band’s spirit is deep, the music and words are strong, and our ideas and actions as bold as we can make them. We’ve reached people in ways we never could have imagined. Our desire to create and speak out is undimmed. We hope everyone who hears this album and gets to one of the shows will come away charged up about the planet’s future, saying ‘why stop now?’. Having always tackled every tour like it’s the last – this time it actually will be.”
Jim Moginie says “We’ve played intensely physical gigs since our humble beginnings back in 1977 and we never want to take even the slightest risk of compromising that. A lot has happened over the last five years. Much has been achieved and with the passing of Bones much has been lost, so it now feels like we’re at the end of a cycle.
These will be sad and beautiful gigs but luckily we’re still capable of blowing the roof off any stage and that’s what we intend to do. You could call this a farewell tour, but Midnight Oil will still continue in some form or other as we’re brothers, family. We stand as one, dependent on each other and grateful in all the important ways that make great bands great.”
Martin Rotsey says: “A huge thank you to all our fans around the world. We’ve shared so much together from the swelter of Sydney pubs to magical nights under starry skies. Your energy took us further than we could ever have dreamed.
To those down the front in the maelstrom, those at the back of the room singing their hearts out, and all of those onstage, backstage, and back home who helped make everything possible, we send our thanks.”
From the northern beaches of Sydney to the streets of Manhattan, they have stopped traffic, inflamed passions, inspired fans, challenged the concepts of “business as usual” and broken much new ground. Seeing Midnight Oil in full flight is to experience the kinetic power of live rock’n’roll. They leave you inspired to live life more passionately and to Resist.
Midnight Oil calls for governments to urgently take serious actions that reduce carbon pollution. This tour will embrace best practices for emission reductions and offsetting. A portion of proceeds will be set aside for organizations seeking to elevate the existential threat posed by the climate crisis.
Members of Midnight Oil’s mailing list will have exclusive first access to Australian tickets. Anyone who signs up by 5pm Monday November 29, will receive a dedicated email later that evening, containing the presale ticketing link and password which can be used to purchase up to 8 tickets per show. Presales are expected to sell out quickly so fans are strongly advised to make sure they are logged into the ticketing agency website prior to the onsale times. Members of the General Public, including anyone who missed out on the presale, will then have access to tickets from Wednesday December 1. See below for ticketing information, and visit midnightoil.com/tour for specific show dates and information.
In addition to these shows, the band has already announced special appearances in Tasmania for Mona Foma 2022 and at Byron Bay Bluesfest next Easter. Details about those festival events at monafoma.net.au and bluesfest.com.au
Chicago’s Horsegirl, the trio of 17-19 year olds Penelope Lowenstein (she/her), Nora Cheng (she/her), and Gigi Reece (they/them), present “Billy,” their debut single/video via their new label, Matador. In conjunction, they announce a North American tour, during which they’ll make their SXSW debut and play their first show ever in many of these cities. Having only formed in 2019, Horsegirl’s first three singles captured the ears and attention of fans and critics worldwide, garnering early acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, NPR, Stereogum, Sirius XMU, NME, BBC Music, and more. Following their appearance at the Pitchfork Music Festival this fall, where the trio performed for their biggest crowd yet, NYLONremarked “Horsegirl were welcome reminders of how rock music is better and more fun than it’s been in years.” Their new single “Billy” continues the band’s exciting early run and expands their already swelling wall of sound with three-part harmonies, overdriven guitars and unexpected tempo changes. Recorded at Chicago’s Electrical Audio and co-produced by the band and legendary producer John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile), “Billy” marks a significant evolution for the young band. The “Billy” 7”, out March 25 and available for pre-order today, features a cover of the Minutemen’s “History Lesson Part 2” on the b-side (available only on the 7”). Horsegirl discuss creating the song and video:
“There was a period of last year where the three of us spent every day together writing and recording. It was during this time, when we practically lived in Penelope’s basement, that ‘Billy’ was written. Penelope had recently read about Nick Drake’s alternate tunings prompting her to detune her guitar, while Nora overlaid a rhythmic vocal line detailing the life of a fictional character, Billy. At the time, we had been listening to a lot of New Zealand underground bands (80’s/90’s Flying Nun). With that scrappiness in mind, we worked the rest of the song out through improvising together, and ‘Billy’ quickly fell into place.
“‘Billy’ is our first release with a label, and it feels particularly special that it is with Matador, whom we have admired since we were young. After a year of hard work, we are very happy to finally share music, especially with those who have uplifted Horsegirl in the last year. We feel so thankful to have been able to record this song with John Agnello, whose work we adore, at Electrical Audio, a Chicago institution. Recording this song was a dream experience for us, and John has become a very trusted mentor.
“We shot the ‘Billy’ music video with our friends on a rainy Chicago day and feel particularly thankful for everyone who danced the twist with us, and those who gave us their apartment, camera equipment, film expertise, and feedback. This video is a love letter to our city and friends. The song is a love letter to past music scenes we wish we could have witnessed. Please listen to ‘Billy’ in your kitchen with a group of good friends and dance along– we can’t wait to share it with you.”
2022 will see much more from Horsegirl. Their tour will take place in the midst of Cheng and Reece wrapping up their freshmen years in college in New York City and Lowenstein nearing high school graduation in Chicago. Watch Horsegirl’s Video for “Billy”
Pre-order “Billy” 7”1. Billy2. History Lesson Pt. 2 (Minutemen cover, available only on 7”) Horsegirl Tour Dates Wed. March 16 – Austin, TX @ SXSW Thu. March 17 – Austin, TX @ SXSW Sat. March 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Sun. March 20 – Washington, DC @ DC9 Tue. March 22 – New York, NY @ Market Hotel
Keep your mind open.
[Head over to the subscription box before you leave.]
Los Angeles quintet Piel today released their single “Custodian,” the opening track from their upcoming debut release A.K.A. Ma out December 10 via Birs Recordings. The song was debuted live for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert where hosts praised Piel as “a very talented band” (Bob Boilen), remarking that “the lead singer’s voice is great and there’s something about the guitar that I just loved right away” (Raina Douris) and was included in NPR Music’s “Best Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Saw” list.
A.K.A. Ma is a six-song album and is largely dedicated to Thelma Lewis, the mother of lead singer and Piel co-founder, Tiki Lewis. The elder Lewis passed away in 2019, hence “Ma.”
The making of what would become A.K.A. Ma was not a conventionally produced album, but resulted in a formidable final piece of work. Jonathan Burkes, who initially recorded the songs before Birs was in the picture, handed over the tracks to producer, Cisco DeLuna. DeLuna (who championed the group and sought the green light from label owner, Scott Anderson, to get the record made), took what Burkes had and added additional instruments to the recordings. DeLuna’s production gave the songs a commercial radio glow, but without drowning out the band’s sound in the mix. This resulted in an indie-style/modern rock record that can capture the imagination of mainstream listeners, yet appease those in indie rock circles.
Piel lists nature, turbulence, resilience, injustice, mantras, light and dark and beyond among its influences (alongside artists like Joy Division, Sade and Pink Floyd). Piel matches it with a danceable rock sound, grounded by singer Tiki Lewis’ smooth delivery. According to Lewis: “while the bulk of A.K.A. Ma was completed pre-pandemic, divine sources are what guided us through the process, as well as through the dark aftermath of 2020.”
Bubbling up from NYC’s underground music scene, Weak Signal‘s new album, Bianca, roars with dark post-punk energy mixed with early 1990s alt-rock riffs.
“I’m the enemy of the world. Nothing ever really dies,” they sing on the album’s opener, “I’m a Fire,” putting down loud guitar riffs alongside their lyrics. The chugging bass on “Voice Inside My Head” is infectious.
“I don’t wanna go to work. Me and my friends were out all night…” opens the heavy, sludgy “Drugs in My System” – a song about dealing with party aftermaths. “Barely a Trace” sounds like a somewhat dusty, slightly warped record you’d hear playing on a jukebox at the back of a diner in a David Lynch film. “Come Back” is a simple, yet haunting track about regret and loss accentuated by rising synths and mantra-like guitar riffs.
“Zones” has this same kind of mantra sound before the bolder, faster “Don’t Turn Around,” which wouldn’t be out of place on a record from A Place to Bury Strangers. “Borderzone” is probably the mellowest track on the album, drifting in and out like smoke. “Devotion” brings back sharp-edged riffs that come into the track, rattle you a bit, and then meld back into the shadows.
“I’ll go where I want to go, and I’ll love who I want to love,” Mike Bones sings on “I’ll Stay,” a beautiful track about finding freedom through self-realization. “Sorry” is a nice companion to it. It’s still mellow, but a bit upbeat, and it’s a nice warm-up before the loud, weird finish of “Too Strong.”
It’s cool record, and perfect for certain moods (gray days, late nights).
Keep your mind open.
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Matching with an accompanying concert film, The Beths‘ Auckland, New Zealand, 2020captures the band’s performance at Auckland Town Hall during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in one of the few countries that took the pandemic seriously at the time and was still able to hold live music events. The band’s joy at performing in front of a home crowd, and after so long of not being able to do so, is heard in every note – as is the bliss of the crowd.
The cheers before the opener of “I’m Not Getting Excited” are infectious, as is the opening guitar riff from Jonathan Pearce as Elizabeth Stokes actually encourages the audience to get so excited that their heads might explode. “Great No One” rocks and rolls straight into “Whatever” – with the whole crowd yelling / singing the title (and pretty much everything else) along with the band. “It’s not just the dawn that breaks,” Stokes sings on the sizzling “Mars (The God of War)” – a song about wishing she could move beyond a bad break-up.
The live version of “Future Me Hates Me” is as bouncy and loud as you’d hope it would be. “Jump Rope Gazers” is just as lovely live as on the album of the same name, if not more so. “Uptown Girl” blasts by you with some of Tristan Deck‘s fiercest drumming. His beats on “Happy Unhappy” get you dancing.
“Out of Sight” makes the turn toward the final act of the show, with Stokes thanking everyone behind the scenes at the show afterwards. You can hear the emotion in Stokes’ voice as she thanks the crowd before the band launches into “Don’t Go Away.” Benjamin Sinclair‘s bass line on “Little Death” is like a hummingbird zipping around the room. “Dying to Believe” closes the show, with the entire crowd singing along, before the band comes back for an encore of “River Run” that fades into a blissful state.
Not only is this a joyful recording, it’s also a good-sounding one. Stokes points out at one point that the sound crew has to work in a large, echoing chamber – and they do it quite well.
Last month, Ovlov emerged from a long layoff following their beloved 2018 LP TRU to announce their 3rd full length Buds, with a track called “Land of Steve-O.” Described by NPR as a “track that transcends into an unhinged, euphoric catharsis before fading and forcing us back into reality,” the single was warmly received by outlets like Stereogum, FADER, Uproxx, Paste, MTV and BrooklynVegan, and set the stage for the Connecticut band to release one of the more anticipated full lengths of the fall on November 19th via longtime label home Exploding In Sound. Today, Ovlov are sharing their second single from the LP, a track called “The Wishing Well,” alongside a Stereogum feature that dives into the band’s history, and speaks to some of their peers about their enduring influence.
LISTEN to Ovlov’s “Wising Well” on YouTube & READ: Ovlov’s interview w/ Stereogum
Combining the band’s signature squall with singer/guitarist Steve Hartlett’s engaging sense of melody and backing vocals provided by Erin McGrath of Exploding In Sound label mates Dig Nitty, the track explores the way society treats people who are experiencing mental health issues.
“‘The Wishing Well’ is about how much I dislike and disagree with certain ways cops and some people of the DIY indie rock scene respond to a situation involving a person with mental health issues,” explains Hartlett. “”Ideally, only people who are well educated in mental health should be dealing with these situations, with methods that attempt to avoid harm on anyone involed, rather than these blanket procedures that are only designed to punish and seem emotionless.”
Cuffed Up‘s new EP, Asymmetry, is a powerhouse packed into just four songs about shame, regrets, bad health, rough relationships, and, yes, even a bit of hope and forward progress.
Opening track “Bonnie” puts a modern spin on the tale of infamous gangsters Bonnie and Clyde, framing it in the idea that Bonnie gets tired of Clyde’s crap and decides to stand up for herself. The back and forth vocals from guitarists / vocalists Sapphire Jewell and Ralph Torrefranca are almost as fiery as their guitar work. Meanwhile, drummer Joe Liptock instantly throws down the gauntlet for his bandmates (and himself for the rest of the record) with his powerful beats.
“Terminal,” a song about Torrefranca facing his own mortality, (“Every moment’s my last. The future’s got a plan for me.”) has a cool, hard swing to it. The guitars on “Canaries,” as well as Vic Ordonez‘s bass, sound like a wild, angry brawler who only pauses to wipe blood from his or her mouth and take another swig of beer before approaching the next foe. Closing track “One By One” has wild rhythms from Ordonez and Liptock and seems destined to fill a stadium one day.
Asymmetry is solid, and it definitely makes you wonder how much power Cuffed Up will put into a full album if they already jam this much into an EP.
Keep your mind open.
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It’s always good to see Clutch. They never disappoint and always sound great live, so seeing them at a small venue just over an hour’s drive from my house was an easy decision. They’re on their thirtieth year as a band, which is quite impressive.
Opening for them were two other bands I was keen on catching, and the first was King Buffalo, who opened the night with a fine set of space / psych doom rock that was just what I needed after a weird day at work. There weren’t many in the crowd who’d heard of them before, but their merch table was packed immediately after their set. They won over a lot of fans. It would be great to see them on their own.
King Buffalo wowing the crowd.
Up next were desert / stoner rock power trio Stöner, who were equally impressive with heavy bass, garage-psych drums, and cosmic fuzz guitar work. My wife was happy to hear them and understand their lyrics (topics ranging from ghosts to Evel Knievel). They also won over many fans in Ft. Wayne.
Stöner pummeling the crowd with heavy rock.
Clutch came out to a crowd that was, by now, fired up from seeing two bands that were alone worth the price of admission. They launched into a wild set, showing no rust at thirty years of age as a band. Among the highlights of the set were them playing “Far Country” from their first 7″ single back in 1991 and “Passive Restraints” (another early track). Another treat was a new single, the name of which I still can’t find, that has lyrics involving witchcraft, the Mayflower, and Nosferatu.
Clutch hitting it hard after almost two years off.
We overheard a guy on the way out telling his friend that he’d seen Clutch “twenty times” and “that’s probably in the top five” of shows he’d seen. It was a good one. All three bands were hungry for the stage and the energy gained from a live crowd. I certainly needed it, and I got it in spades.
