Island in the Sun

For Christmas, my mother gave me a DVD version of an old home movie. Filmed over the course of two weeks when I was an ultra-exuberant four year old, it's a fascinating familial time capsule, mostly for reasons that aren't applicable here. However, there are two segments that contain my father filming me as I writhe/dance around the room. The first is Michael Jackson's  "The Way You Make Me Feel" and the second Dire Straits' "Walk of Life". It's a slice of late 80s life, showing what he was listening to in 1988 (thank Odin it wasn't Ratt), how he influenced me (both artists are still huge for me), and how important music/his music room was in his life (he has a reel-to-reel (!!) prominently displayed in his music set up). For the next 25 or so years we shared music in that same way, me foolishly bumbling about, him steadily guiding my tastes back to what was right.

He always shared with me from the minute music could make it's way into my ears. I can pinpoint at least twenty songs that I remember hearing with him first time as a young boy, always on his  killer system. Playing it in the wrong setting or on the wrong system was a waste of time. He would bring me down into his crazy music room, turn down the lights and blast my prepubescent ears off with whatever thrilled him. I'm not sure I always got it, and I just assumed that everyone's dad wanted them to hear the Spin Doctors "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" at neighbor-rattling levels,  but it was cool. All I knew was, I wanted to return the favor.

There was rarely a prouder moment for me than when I could bring something home to share with HIM. Due to the basic restrictions of youth, I didn't really have the chance to do this until I struck out on my own, went to college and started coming home with burned CDs. Sharing and getting the nod of approval from my friends was a big deal, but bringing something to him was akin to Indy picking the correct Holy Grail. I found a few of said CDs recently and well, those first few times were pretty rough. Thankfully, I got better at it. Whether it was the refinement of my taste, me being more attuned to what he was going to like or a combination of many things, it got to the point where I knew immediately if it was going to pass the test.

Looking back, what amazes me the most is that he never, ever, not even once, criticized anything I brought him (and I brought him some real rubbish). Over time, I learned to decipher his code though. The more artists he cited as derivational influences, the more he was just placating me, patiently waiting for the next song on my queue. However, the more specifics he mentioned about the musicianship/vocals, the more he dug it. Every now and again, I'll be damned if I don't find myself doing the same thing now when I listen to newly recommended music.

That brings us around to Bahamas is Afie. It was one of those albums (like countless others) where my first thought was to send it to him. In fact, I was a mere three tracks in, driving to the store with my wife when I went to Amazon on my phone, immediately shipping him a copy. Upon it's arrival, my sister was serving the role of his DJ at this point in his life and she cued it up. I didn't have the pleasure of experiencing it with him that first time, but I already knew. The man who taught me how to love music had already molded me and my tastes in a way where there was no way he could be let down. Though he had lost the ability to communicate verbally, my suspicions were none the less solidified when I got a text from my sister saying he wanted to hear it again. This was the ultimate level of acceptance. Play it again.

Normally these entries are more focused on the music itself, and this album brings that in spades. It's bathed in gorgeous melodies, soothing strings and subtle guitar flourishes. It has all the harmonies, flawless production and easygoing Canadian demeanor that any album could want. But the lyrical content is what really stands out. Figuring out the complexities of time, loss and balancing all the world throws at you are fairly common ground for musicians. But this collection of ruminations struck a chord that I know resonates throughout my bloodline.  My sleeping son awoke just now, literally bobbing his head fresh out of slumber, the minute "All the Time" came on. Eating a rice puff concoction a few moments later he relentlessly shuffled his feet to "Little Record Girl". This will forever be that album.

 The way life goes meant this was the last album we ever "shared". It will resonate with me the same way those aforementioned songs did long ago when my dad played them for me the first time. It's worth listening to for a variety of reasons, a few of which were mentioned above. But in the end, the gift it gives me is the same gift my father was able to imbue in me; a love and appreciation for an art form rivaled by no other.  It goes without saying how deeply I will miss my dad. Thankfully he will forever live on in music like this. Play it again.

Shaffer: 2014 Trimmed Down

Merry Christmas to all! A quick note on my thinking: 

            I agree with MuZack and HoboKeith that The Basement Tapes was the best overall release but I'm leaving that out. I chose to only stick with new albums for my list in the interest of highlighting newly written and recorded music.  That Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack was awesome, too.  I enjoyed the Cloud Nothings, Woods and The Men albums and had a hard time deciding between those three and Real Estate for tenth. Ultimately, I went Real Estate although if I wrote this list another day I may have picked a different one.  They were all pretty good but I can't see myself listening to any of the four I just mentioned on any sort of a regular basis in the future.  The other nine, however, were all pretty awesome and I fully enjoyed getting into each of them at various times of the year.  Ok, enough of that and on to my list:

10. Real Estate - Atlas

Since I get to listen to music for around 75% of my work day, I get to listen to anything I'm even remotely interested in so that's basically the only reason I grabbed this and gave it a whirl.  It grew on me after a few listens.  I liked it enough at work to give it a shot at home on my own time and if you're in the right mood it works nicely.  Pretty mellow, chill, jangly vibe throughout that eventually made a lot of the album blend together.  "Had to Hear", "Past Lives" and "Primitive" were highlights for me.

9. Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End

Go ahead and laugh but I honestly enjoyed this album.  The lyrics are pretty atrocious for most of it but the music is great and the songs are well written.  Most of it is pretty catchy, faux-vintage sounding Weezer.  I like these guys quite a bit and it's nice to hear they can still put out a good album.  After Raditude and Hurley I gave up hope and almost didn't bother downloading this but thankfully I did and it ended up being one of the better surprises this year for me (unlike the extreme disappointment that was the Julian Casablancas/Voids release).

8. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams

It's good to see Ryan Adams is back with another good album.  I tend to like most of what this guy puts out so if you like Ryan Adams generally, I'd say you'd probably like this album.  This one has more of a late 70's/80's Tom Petty radio vibe in general, which I'm totally digging.  "I Just Might" just might be one of the best songs he's written in quite a while.  I love how he channels that dark, Bruce Springsteen feeling of helpless desperation in the (kinda) laughable lyrics.  The lyrics are kinda laughable in the same way that they usually are, in the same way that the album cover is laughable.  I mean, come on dude, do we need that extreme, brooding close up with your messy hair covering your face up?

7. Black Lips - Underneath The Rainbow

This one was good, not as good as I was hoping for but few albums usually are.  More of what I like from these guys, sloppy 60's garage rock.  As the Hobo mentioned, horrible lyrics here and there. One thing worth mentioning, if you're going to get this album, make sure to seek out the alternate version of "Funny".  Not only is the alternate better than the album cut but it's better than any of the songs on the album...in my opinion, that is.

6. The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream

I only REALLY liked the first song when I first listened to the album and thought the rest was a bit dull.  But then again, I was listening at work.  When I got around to throwing this on in the car, or at home, I got a chance to absorb these songs and realized they're fucking awesome.  "Burning" ended up being probably one of my favorite songs of the whole year.  It sounds like it could have been on the radio right next to anything on "Born in the USA" back in the 80's in the best possible way.  The production on the album, and overall sound, is a bit similar to the Ryan Adams album.  The songs are typically pretty long (5+ minutes for most) but don't feel that long when you're in them.  I'd recommend this one to most people.  I am almost ashamed of myself for pretty much refusing to listen to it because of how much Pitchfork was blowing it.  They just happen to have a habit of hyping up bad shit but sometimes they DO manage to give a good album due credit.

5. Brian Jonestown Massacre - Revelation

Good one by these guys.  If you're into what they do, go for it.  If not, don't worry about it.  This is better than the last few they put out and sounds like Anton has found a way to blend what he was doing in the 90's to the last few albums he's been writing.

4. Foxygen - ...And Star Power

Meh...if I took away points for bad songs this album would be off the list but thankfully I like a full album's worth of material out of the 2 1/2 album length.  I whittled this down to a 12 song play list that runs around 40 minutes and it comes out sounding like a good Foxygen album.  I still like the first two better, with Take the Kids Off Broadway being my favorite but this one is still awesome at times.  That Star Power medley is just great and "How Can You Really" was so awesome it got me into Todd Rundgren.

3. Ty Segall - Manipulator

Thanks IronFishballs! I saw a review of this album that intrigued me and then saw something about how he "killed" on a late night show.  Watched the late night performance and was NOT impressed.  Checked out his discography and saw 3 albums a year over the last 6 years...fuck this guy.  Then El Fishlantern randomly recommended it to me a few months later so I figured I'd give it a whirl.  It's hard to describe why I like this album so much so I'll just say the songs are well written (mostly), there are only like 4 songs I'm not a huge fan of, out of 17 and it's very guitar heavy.  Not heavy guitars but guitar all over.  Crazy fast strumming, solos and such added with a glam vibe that reminds me of Bowie at times and really works for me.

2. Spoon - They Want My Soul

Great album, one of my favorites by these guys.  Right up there with Kill The Moonlight and Gagagagagagagagagagaga in my book.  I could see a bunch of these songs ending up on the radio. Maybe they are on the radio but I don't know because I'm too busy trying to listen to the 10 new albums I download a day while I'm driving around.  There's not a single song on here that I don't like.  If I had to pick a song that is a bit weaker than the others, I'd go with "Inside Out"or "Rent I Pay", which just happen to be the first two songs on the album.  The title track, "Do You" and "Rainy Taxi" are my favorites here.  Did want to add that I'm a bit surprised TheLantern snubbed this one, considering you're a Spoon fan and all, dude.  Not even an honorable mention, what the fuck? (Fishlantern/Editors note: This has been remedied in my updated list. You were absolutely right. I done messed up...)

1. Liars - Mess

I didn't mention this one to most of you guys because I highly doubted it would be your cup of tea.  These guys seem to get better with each album they put out.  Worth noting is that they change their style a bit on each album. I grabbed this one and when a song off it came up on shuffle I couldn't imagine what the fuck my phone was playing but it couldn't have been something I had put on there to listen to.  After I got over the initial shock of what direction these guys had gone (from guitars on the last album I heard by them from 2010 to this electronic, industrial madness), I realized this was some of the best music they've written yet.  I was only into the first half of the album until I caught them live earlier this year.  After that it was all over for the other albums in contention for my top spot.

MuZack from the Future (2014)

The work of MuZack is quick and to the point. But, the man knows how to deliver everything you need to know in that short time. Strap in and here we go...

10 – Thom Yorke – Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes

It was a pleasant surprise to see this album drop with no announcement. Listening straight through was a pleasure the first time, but only 1 or 2 tracks warrant repeat listens. “The Mother Lode” is amazing.

9 – The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger – Midnight Sun

Was not aware of this band until I saw they were opening for Beck. This is Sean Lennon’s band and I was surprised by how this album sounded and curious to how it would sound live. Was not disappointed seeing them live.

8 – Black Keys – Turn Blue

This was a rough year to make a list for me. I found 10 albums, but it was a struggle. I liked this when it first came out, but haven’t listened in a while. Is it my 8^th favorite album this year? Probably not. But, I believe I can put it on my list with minimal regret.

7 – Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots

The Blur frontman puts out a solo album that is nothing like he has ever released before. Not in love with it, but I don’t hate it either.

6 – Beck – Morning Phase

Basically “Sea Change: Volume 2” this album is nothing groundbreaking for Beck. Some very good songs on here and some very boring, unnecessary ones. “Wave” is amazing.

5 – The Horrors – Luminous

I’ve liked this band since 2009’s “Primary Colors” and then they dramatically shifted their sound. This album is soaked in synths and has a goth feel to it. Very well done in my opinion, will be interesting to see where they go next.

4 – Brian Jonestown Massacre – Revelation

This is where it gets hard. The top 4 albums for me were the ones I recall listening to the most. It’s very refreshing to be able to download any Jonestown record they put out and not have the slightest bit of regret. So much good stuff on here and it goes everywhere. Love this band.

3 – Foxygen - …and Star Power

Didn’t know what to make of it on first couple of listens. I loved some tracks, while others could be immediately skipped. Then, upon repeat listens, I needed all of it. Their intention was to break down this double album into 4 different sections. Something very unique, and somewhat unheard of from current bands. Seeing them live was a treat, until I was thrown out of the building for smoking some pot.

2 – Liars – Mess

Awesome. I love this shit. If you’re not into it by the end of track 2, turn it off. There is nothing here for you.

1 - Bob Dylan's The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11

This is it. Complete. In its entirety. No doubt the best release of the year.

Dick's Annual Post (2014 Edition)

Long time, no blog. I feel like the last time I wrote on here, I was apologizing for not posting in a while... so... my bad. Life has a way of accelerating as you grow older. I found that I barely had time to keep up with new releases of artists I'm interested in, much less write coherent thoughts about them.

Obviously, that's not 100% true, as I found time to jerk off 380 times and beat GTA V. More accurately, I did listen to a lot of music this year. Often times, I would get home from work and sit on my couch with music blaring. I'd listen as I drank, smoked, looked at my phone, watched TV on mute, or stared off into space (decompressing or festering like Travis Bickle?). The trouble was, not all of the music I listened to in 2014 was released in 2014. Some of it was, as you'll see below. But, even if you manage to catch everything (I didn't), you can't rush the process of digesting a work of music. Sometimes you can't force yourself to have a strong opinion about something, one way or the other. Sometimes music is just another fleeting distraction to help you make it through work and relax at the end of the day. That sounds really depressing, but I don't want to edit this paragraph any more to alleviate it. The point is, despite our efforts to compartmentalize and package music into easily consumable gelcaps, it will infect you at its own pace and in its own way. These ten albums were able to rise out of the white noise and pollute my brain this year.

10. Ty Segall - Manipulator

I first became familiar with Ty's brand of modern day garage rock on 2012's Slaughterhouse and Twins. I didn't get into this album until late in the year, despite IronFish's persistent recommendations. Once I finally gave in, I was pleasantly surprised that Segall was able to consistently deliver satisfying fuzzy pop tunes with psychedelic guitar. I hope he keeps up his prolific output. Suggested tracks: Tall Man, Skinny Lady; Feel; It's Over.

9. Warpaint - Warpaint

Pretty girls with intertwining guitar lines, hypnotic drums, and ethereal vocals. Produced by Flood and mixed by Nigel Godrich, their self-titled release has more keyboards than their previous albums, but maintains their signature post-rock siren's call. In some ways, reminiscent of the way OK Computer bubbles out of the speakers. Suggested tracks: Keep It Healthy, Love Is To Die, Feeling Right

8. Spoon - They Want My Soul

It's kind of amazing how Spoon keeps semi-quietly, consistently creating flawless indie pop. TWMS is a great embodiment of this, at it's 10 track/37 minute length. Every song works and there are no filler tracks. It's crazy to think that they might just be hitting their stride. Suggested tracks: Rent I Pay, Rainy Taxi, Do You

7. Phantogram - Voices

I've been a big Phantogram fan since getting into Nightlife (2011) and Eyelid Movies (2009). I almost would call them a guilty pleasure, but I legitimately enjoy them too much for that. A more accurate way to put it is they are an artist I can listen to with my girlfriend without feeling like I'm compromising anything. Their collaboration with Big Boi really put them over the top for me. They're able to effortlessly walk the lines between dance, hip hop, and indie pop. Their impeccable influences are evident in almost every track. Sarah Barthel being a goddess also helps some. Suggested tracks: Black Out Days, Never Going Home, Bill Murray

6. Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes

Though I might like his previous solo effort The Eraser better as a whole, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes successfully launched me back into a massive Thom York/Radiohead/Atoms For Peace kick shortly after it came out. In that more general way, this album had a big impact on my musical year. If you don't like his previous solo stuff, there's probably not much for you here. But, if you're like me and strangely drawn to his eerie voice floating over erratic yet dancey electronic tracks, this is a good one. Suggested tracks: A Brain In A Bottle, Interference, The Mother Lode

5. Future Islands - Singles

A couple of weeks ago this album wouldn't have touched my top ten. It came on really late for me, but I really got hooked by the moody instrumentation and Samuel T. Herring's voice. He can go from a cheesy 80s soft rock croon to a raw throaty howl and back again in the same song. Likely influenced by my recent affection for it, this album is probably a good example of how fluid top ten lists like this can be. It's position could easily change again once I go over these albums again and catch up on some obvious ones that I missed this year. Suggested Tracks: Seasons (Waiting On You), Spirit, A Song For Our Grandfathers, Fall From Grace

4. St. Vincent - St. Vincent

Another album I nearly overlooked. Which is pretty stupid considering I liked Annie Clark's previous stuff. Like the fine women of Warpaint, Clark combines weird beauty with unmatched guitar virtuosity. She really comes into her own here, filling each song with a psychotic mix of frenzy and fun. Her glam-ish stream of consciousness lyrical delivery evoke David Bowie for me and her guitar talents are on full display, as can be expected. Suggested tracks: Rattlesnake, Birth In Reverse, Digital Witness, I Prefer Your Love

3. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

This could have been my #1 of the year. My only minor gripe is it's not immediately as tight as their previous albums. It somehow clocks in at over an hour despite containing only 10 songs. Once you relax and let the album grow on you, it seeps into your veins the way the sound of Adam Graduciel's sonic obsessions pour out of the speakers and fill the room. Few bands have such a characteristic quality to their music as The War on Drugs. Even fewer could weather the departure of Kurt Vile and continue creating signature sounds. I think my appreciation for this album will only grow with time. Mark Kozelek is a grumpy old meandering fuddy duddy. Suggested tracks: Under the Pressure, Suffering, An Ocean Between the Waves

2. Aphex Twin - Syro

Despite his prolific output and somewhat legendary reputation, I've been ignorant of Aphex Twin's music, outside of the late-90s video for "Come to Daddy" and maybe some remix work. Depending on what releases you count, Syro is his first release in about 12 years. And it may not sound like it at first, but it is his most mainstream. Working away in a Frankenstein's lab of vintage and rare analog synthesizers, Richard D. James seemingly created music for extra-dimensional aliens to breakdance to. He works outside the boundaries of traditional Western music theory, crafting his own tunings and keys on the fly. This, along with the ledger-esque album art and byzantine track names, can make it challenging to listen to at first. I had to listen a few times before I had a breakthrough, after which all of the songs began to take on new life. His songs constantly modulate and evolve as they go on, retaining parts that sound familiar but changing others, until everything is different. Researching Aphex Twin and diving into his music has given me a newfound appreciation for electronic music, in general. Something I used to write off without really listening to. Just listen to this song and picture a middle aged ponytailed ginger Englishman rocking out on a keytar, gonzoed out of his mind on LSD. Suggested tracks: minipops 67, XMAS_EVET10, CIRCLONT14, PAPAT4

1. Jenny Lewis - The Voyager

Jenny Lewis continues her evolution into the female Tom Petty. She has the rare ability to tell stories through song, while retaining her pop sensibility and classic rock roots. This album almost ended up suffering unfairly due to how much I actually listened to it. I got the album shortly after it came out and have been playing it regularly. I can easily listen to it straight through without batting an eye. For some reason, I started talking myself out of it being my #1, but common sense prevailed at the final hour. I admit, I'm a fan of almost anything this woman does. But, The Voyager is the perfect mixture of catchy hooks with lyrical depth lurking just below the surface, if you care to look for it. Like Petty, these songs are exquisitely complemented by little surges of organ and economical guitar solos. Suggested tracks: Just One Of The Guys, Late Bloomer, The Voyager, Slippery Slopes

TENderoni: 2014 Edition

Believe Everything: Trust No One

I feel like I’m dying from Christmas.  

As I write this, it’s December 26th, the day after Christmas and my internal organs are all functioning at approximately 60% running speed.  Too much traveling.  Too much booze.  Too much food.   I’m exhausted.  I’m broken, metaphorically, spiritually, existentially, etc., but it seems as though I have somehow survived the American Gladiators-esque ‘Eliminator’ run that we all know as “the Holiday Season.”  Hearing a bogus/garbage version of “It Must Be Santa” from what sounded like the 50’s lead me to a little interweb digging.  As it turns out, the rawkus Bob Dylan Christmas polka sing-a-long also had a version performed by Raffi (the banana phone troubadour himself) as well. It’s pretty tough to hate on Raffi, but my Polish blood still prefers Mr. Zimmerman’s take for really embracing the polka.  As I contemplated how I could open a dialogue on power ranking who sang/performed the all-time greatest version of a handful of, if not EVERY Christmas song in the history of mankind's existence, I was serendipitously contacted by [Pb]fish himself to share my insanity, and here we are, so here goes...

Tenderoni Ultimate Album Choice

We can consider this my introduction - If I were to pick an “ultimate album” for which to scrutinize everything else against in merciless subjectivity, it would be Trust by Elvis Costello and the Attractions… so just keep that in mind I suppose.  There is actually an incredibly complicated mathematical formula for how I’ve decided that these 10 albums were the cream of 2014s crop; a small sample of the formula is as follows:

1. The average degree to which an album either consistency builds on its own glorious weirdness from beginning to end or with sharp contrasts throughout
2. How easy it is to run listening to the album multiplied by 0.6 of the overall ability to just ignore the album completely while I shovel my way through mountainous tasks of busywork/minutia.
3. My horrible, inconsistent, flip-flopping and at times contradicting taste in music. *see HouseofSausage’s 2014 Spotify year in review graphic below

4. The album’s cover art because fuck you thats why.
5. The fact that this album was not covertly slipped into my iTunes account without my consent like some top secret government Trojan virus
6. And finally, most importantly, whether or not I’d recommend someone else listen to it.

*

Honorable Mentions:  

Jack White - Lazaretto

Hot and cold.  When it’s good, it’s White at his best but when it’s not, I feel like I’ll wear out the “skip one track ahead” button on the cd player in my ‘96 Tercel.

[Just a taste: Lazaretto, That Black Bat Licorice]

Rancid - ...Honor is All We Know

Rancid is a band that seems to have been around as long as I’ve known music was a thing.  The album they put out in 2014 makes you feel like you’re in a grimy bar sluggin’ PBRs with a crowd you don’t usually hang in and at some point there’s going to be a fight, which I’m assuming means it’s doing it’s job swimmingly.  

[Just a taste: Back Where I Belong, Malfunction]

Mike Doughty - Stellar Motel

“City bus/Ketamine. Lucy Lawless/Magazine. Bad Pace/Lucky Charm. Outer Space/Smoke Alarm.”  The world needs more batshit poetry lyrics.  If Stellar Motel is a 200 level course, then 2008s intro to Mike Doughty class “Golden Delicious” (not his debut, just him at his best) is almost a prerequisite before you can enjoy any of the nuance here.  None of which is subtle, but pairing rappers with Doughty needs SOME context.

[Just a taste: Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future, Oh My God Yeah Fuck It]

Prince - Art Official Age

This album, although not great, and probably not even in a top ten list of his own discography gets the nod here because Prince basically put out the “prince album” I was hoping to get out of Beck.  “Lets funk” says the chorus, but that’s not how anybody in their right goddamn mind hears it. (P.S. Sea Change already happened Mr. Hanson, get back to the electric boogaloo please and thank you.)

[Just a taste: FUNKNROLL, THE GOLD STANDARD]

Opeth - Pale Communion

If you’re still reading this, it’s about to get weird.  I’m willing to bet there is a slim chance you knew Opeth put out an album this year.  They actually put out two.  One, The Candlelight Years, is a massive journey through their history as epic death-metal speed-freak-guitar leviathans.  I’m also willing to bet you might be thinking, “I don’t think death metal is very good.”  Well first off, stop being such a pussy, Opeth is huge in Scandinavia bro. Second, you’re in luck because  Pale Communion is an album whose sound appears to come from a band that sleeps each night in their own soundproof Rip Van Winkle chamber that must have been built it in the 70s when prog rock was an unstoppable force.  This is the only feasible way to explain Pale Communion’s existence in our mortal coil.  It’s a fantastic J.R.R. Tolkien companion piece, so dust off your polyhedral dice set.

[Just a taste: Eternal Rains Will Come]

So with that all being said, here are my top TEN for 2014

10/9 TIE) Guided By Voices - Motivational Jumpsuit & Guided By Voices - Cool Planet

“A lifetime of lifetimes in the publishers clearing house.  I can’t get it out.  Last recording nearly killed me. Writers block.  Psycho all the time. It’s taking me too long”  These are the lyrics you end up writing when you’ve been at it as long as these guys.  Are they trying to be ironic? Must not have much writer’s block if you’re dropping your next album THE SAME FREAKING YEAR. These guys are from another planet.  It turns out the ridiculous -20F degree polar vortex is to thank for locking Pollard in his Ohio residence long enough to start piecing together GBV’s second album of the year.  

If you’ve seen them live, you know they live by a set of rules different than those established by physics and space-time that the rest of us are forced to live with.  Plentiful 1-3 minute songs with almost zero banter between time, while all the smoking breaks take place during the songs themselves results in every Guided by Voices set feeling like you're watching the world’s greatest tribute band absolutely nail the 30-45 minute mash-up that was put together to span a band’s history. Only, thats just how these guys roll.  So, clearly, they tie themselves here.  

Motivational Jumpsuit was the earlier release, and it’s a soundtrack for a night out that gave you a pretty solid brown-out and a mouth that tastes like an ashtray.  Whose jacket are you wearing? Whose couch is this you're on?  Of course this is the night GBV provided the soundtrack for; they’re not overly aggressive nor subtle enough that you ever had a chance to realize you just had your 8th whiskey double.  How did this dart get in your leg?  Bonus on the back end of the album, you can hear all sorts of things if you're crazy enough. You can hear some Neil Youngish guitar, some Roger Watersish vocals, The Who, Nirvana… its like they all got stuck in a super blender and you’re just drinking the bitter extract.

So what’s to make of Cool Planet say you?  Some songs sound rushed….hmmm ya think? It didn’t hit me the same, but I just can’t pass up a chance to have the band tie itself in this top ten list.  It’s the small things in life that make it worth living.

[Just a taste: Writer’s Bloc (Psycho All the Time), Vote For Me Dummy]

8.)  Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues

You might think that Thanksgiving dinner just got a little awkward now that Against Me!’s frontman Tom James Gabel has completed his surgery to become the band’s frontwoman Laura Jane Grace, but I have a strong suspicion that anyone she’s close to was aware of the singer’s gender reality all along.  The album Transgender Dysphoria Blues fits the Against Me! canon well with hard guitars, dirty licks, and driving tempos, getting the 8 spot here for doing to the song “Thrash Unreal” what George Michael's very public arrest for trying to pick up a cop in a bathroom did to the song “Father Figure.”  Different perspectives people, different perspectives.

[Just a taste: Transgender Dysphoria Blues, True Trans Soul Rebel]

7.) Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso

My hope, and I refuse to do any research to discredit this theory, is that this band was formed because a handful of people were disappointed with the direction Feist went on her sophomore album Metals.  Just because an artist you enjoyed didn’t take the turn you expected or hoped for doesn’t mean someone else can’t.  If dubstep had to happen, at least we got bands back into producing music so stereo-dependent that you get a completely different experience with and without headphones.  I’ll admit the second track, "Dreamy Bruises", is tough to get through, and I can’t force you to listen to anything here, but this album is catchy and sneaky.  In reality this spot had a hard run from both the New Pronographers’ Bill Bruisers and Ariel Pinks’ Pom Pom, but in the end I just didn’t listen to enough electro-bubble pop to warrant three separate spots.

[Just a taste: Hey Mami, Coffee]

6.) Royal Blood - Royal Blood

Quick story: I saw this band live and they melted my face off and the drummer killed the skins so hard I forfeited my own will to live.  

It’s two dudes like the Black Keys used to be. By their own hand, it seems as if their balls have been snipped by whoever produces the album.  This self titled-debut should hit harder than it does, and it really is a shame.  Tell somebody to turn those god damn drums up to 11 already.  I met them, they have thick British accents and the drummer has to wear NFL grade wide receiver gloves for performances so that the skin doesn’t rip off his palms during shows, like literally.

[Just a taste: Out of the Black, Figure it Out]  

5.) Death From Above 1979 - The Physical World

So it turns out, the magic number is 2.  I’m consistently amazed when two people can pull off a rock show better than your standard 4some, and DFA1979 is no exception.  For me, this album was a rare anticipated release.  I’ve given up on hoping bands I already like prolonging the magic (yes I’m talking to you CAKE) but news of a DFA1979 reunion kind of had me a little stoked.  It’s a little softer then 2004s ‘You’re a Woman, I am a Machine’ which is to be expected.  A decade is a long time, and I’m sure a lot of the aggression and angst worked itself out instead of manifesting into good ol’ ‘Merican indie rock and or roll.

[Just a taste: Right On Frankenstein!, Trainwreck 1979]

4.) Alt J - This is All Yours

I thought I was over Fleet Foxes, but the second half of Alt J’s This is All Yours, starting with the track “Choice Kingdom,” has proven me wrong.  Smack dab in the middle of all the sweeping futuristic beeping soundscapes all of a sudden we’re back in the winter woods again. But this time we’re not lost, instead just sort of hanging out there, possibly listening to an old Moby cassette.  The only thing better than how the album ends on the quiet and calm track “Leaving Nara” is….***spoiler alert***…. that it’s not the end!  Yes! Secret songs are still a thing, and for the love of crap it’s a BILL WITHERS cover!  Well done.

[Just a taste: Left Hand Free, Hunger On The Pine]

3.) Sam Roberts Band - Lo-Fantasy

At some point in 2014 it was summer here in the northeast.  It was warm, and people felt like enjoying themselves.  Some music really compliments warm weather well, and kind of depresses the shit out of you during colder parts of winter.  I’m surprised Sam Roberts isn’t bigger (both figuratively and literally - he’s a short dude) but the Montreal based band put out an album that pairs perfectly with your shorts and warm overpriced Molson draft you just got from the beer tent.  I live close to Canada, and damnit it affects me in ways I don’t understand.  For as long as I can remember, the Tragically Hip and Our Lady Peace have been my musical meat and potatoes that everything else seemed to sort of fit around and as a result Sam Roberts Band always had a place in my head waiting for them.

[Just a taste: Too Far, Metal Skin]

2.) Spoon - They Want my Soul

I loved the Tick cartoon so much that I thought I would would have to like everything put out by a band whose name is his eternal cry for justice, regardless of anything.  Then Transference came out and I was beyond underwhelmed.  Win some, lose some I suppose, and it seemed to fit a pattern of bands disappointing me with a piece that followed one I loved.  Had my guard down long enough for Spoon to sonically rope-a-dope me then blast my jaw with They Want My Soul.  It fits well toe to toe with GaGaGaGa, and dare I say, it’s actually better, like way better.  Sounds like they finally figured out the perfect amount of ghosts to add an album, and I don’t mind it, if they like to party - those ghosts are cool with me.  

[Just a taste: Rent I Pay, Inside Out]

1.) St. Vincent - St. Vincent

Saw a promo for SNL at some point in 2014 with Andy Sandberg doing his bizarro Andy Sandberg thing, and he mentioned his musical guest was St. Vincent.  Next to him only stood Annie Clark, and I thought to myself, “That’s odd, isn’t St. Vincent a band?”  Well, it is, but it’s not really because Annie Clark has her fingerprints on everything here, and St. Vincent’s SNL performances were weird enough to get me to an unhealthy level of interest.  It was jarring and choreographed to look like the performers were rock and roll sex robots.  A newer, shinier updated 2014 fembot if you will, but that’s just because I can’t suppress my dirty old man genetic code 24/7.  I like the Talking Heads, and this is basically a master class on David Byrne appreciation from front to back.  Listen to “Digital Witness” and try not to bop your heads to the horn section, I dare you.

[Just a taste: Digital Witness, Birth in Reverse]