Cheating
In a land where I reign omnipotent, it seems weird to feel constrained by rules. But here we are with three releases that I can't, being the good and benevolent overlord that I am, allow into my actual list. While the reasons may vary, the issue remains the same; it wasn't a real and proper new album.
Listening to a podcast a few days ago, Neil mentioned that the pandemic allowed him to not only record new music but also to go back to the copious unreleased material from his career (and with it being Neil, that's an absolute crap ton). To paraphrase my dear sweet werewolf of an Uncle, he claimed "I'm going to die sometime and someone is going to release this music. They are going to F it up and not do it the way I would have, so I might as well beat them to the punch". What a glorious windfall for us! Archives II is a 10 disc collection from his absolute prime, about half of which are entirely new in one way or another. It's hard to quantify how incredible this all is, so I won't bother to try. Just know he announced Archives III is on the way in 2022.
After deciding to make the excellent Wildflowers a single album instead of a double, Petty had so much leftover material that he was able to contribute a lot of it to the 1996 soundtrack for She's the One. This year, in an effort to make it an official Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers release instead of just a movie album, they reimagined it, tweaked some tracks, gave it new cover art, and redid the order to create what became Angel Dream. Remastered to sound as beautiful as it should, it's yet another example of a time where an artist was able to create some of their unquestionably best work during a time when their personal life was in absolute shambles.
c) Sheepdogs - No Simple Thing EP
EPs can't count, right? I mean there just isn't enough music to be had. What this 6-song collection can do is assert itself as another reminder that the Sheepdogs are currently on a run of putting out absolutely fantastic throwback, 70s southern rock songs. And more importantly, they've rocketed their way up to the top of my favorite current bands' list. After hearing the blistering first single "Rock and Roll (Ain't No Simple Thing)", the only thing that managed to disappoint me at all was when they announced it was going to be part of an EP as opposed to a full-length LP. (Thankfully they made up for it with a sweet Bros release!). Ewan's voice is just a warm blanket at this point, wrapping around me blissfully in between the searing leads and stellar solos. However, it's cheers for now fellas until you can put out something that fits my completely made-up, self-imposed, criteria. Playing by the Rules
Unlike the three previous albums, these fellas and ladies did things the right way, ensuring their chance at the coveted top spot on the Ironfish list. With at least half of these artists having never appeared on any previous list, it was a year filled with help from plenty of musical muses. In the spirit of the holidays, let's give out some credit when credit is due for their efforts in finding all the tunes that appear below. Onwards!
Who: Jake
How: Sending me a text mentioning Neil Young-esque solos and knowing exactly what it'll cause me to do
What: Neil Young guitar tones! More than that though, it's sparse arrangements that allow hauntingly beautiful vocals to soar above the plaintive march by the David Nance Group that's backing her. Her voice can remind me of Joni at times but it's truly the melancholy combination of its tenor and the perfect plod of those supporting her that kept me coming back. While the Uncle Neil solos are without question my entry point (see "Bones"), the rest of the music does more than its fair share to keep me there (see "Mouth").
20. Tuns - Duty Noted
Who: IronFish
How: Scanning through online reviews and reading one that piqued my interest
What: This collection of upbeat, catchy tunes managed to JUST sound enough like other artists that I wasn't able to put my finger on who or how. That's a perfect place to be for a band; evoking others that came before you without apeing them enough that you've got people constantly referring to you as a facsimile of your influences. At a time when it was especially easy to be morose and create music to match, it was nice to have something that could lift your spirits and keep your head boppin'.
19. Francis Lung - Miracle
Who: Jake
How: Not giving up and making sure that I didn't skip over this up-and-coming artist
What: While the content is heavy, the lyrical delivery is light and airy. Pushed hard by Jake, this became an album I'd throw on while playing in the backyard with my son during the lockdown. It was a record I could just toss on and let the tracks blend together into one Elliot Smith meets ELO style rock opera. Playing six different instruments and using his impressive ability to layer it all together in the studio, Miracle is the perfect album to return to in an effort to work through one's own issues.
18. My Morning Jacket - My Morning Jacket
Who: My music GroupMe chat
How: The persistence of their love of "The Waterfall" caused me to not give up on it and subsequently be stoked for this release
What: As cited in previous reviews, this was always a band I WANTED to like more than I actually did. Thankfully, The Waterfall came along to help flip that dynamic on its head (and then The Waterfall II only solidified my newfound appreciation). That allowed this release to be the first time I was looking forward to an MMJ album. After spending plenty of time with their back catalouge, I was prepared for anything; ten-minute jams, heavy industrial stomp, slow-burning laments, and everything in between. This album feels like a nice trip through all their previous sounds, cherry-picking one or two from each to combine it into a delicious new Jacket stew.
17. Isreal Nash - Topaz
Who: Jake
How: Knowing my love of soaring solos and the slow-burning ballads that reach their tendrils toward them
What: Searing and flying high. This dude can really sing and his songs do an incredible job of simmering at a low boil until reaching the perfect time to crest. I'm never disappointed when I crank this sucker up and just let it ride. The groove is real in this one. Sprinkled with distorted vocal effects, harmonica, synths, and horns there's something in every song that catches you by surprise and keeps you from losing focus. The ease with which one settles into these songs lends an air of authenticity to them, almost as if they were written 40 years ago and you've been hearing them in the background ever since.
16. Bull - Discover Effortless Living
Who: Melse
How: Dropping the album casually into our Music Chat with a mention of PowerPop
What: A beautiful debut that's a mosaic of everything I love from the 90s jangle/slacker rock scene, this modern-day version of it instantly hooked me. The deoxyribonucleic acid of Stephen Malkmus is all over this so it was no surprise to see that the album was recorded with Pavements' sound engineer. It's easily the most breezy, happy collection of tunes to appear on this list with just enough whimsy to remind me of the time in my life when this music was first being released. This will be a band that is 100% going to be on my radar for years to come.
15. Courtney Barnett - things that take time, take time
Who: Jake
How: Badgering me to listen to more female artists by claiming (correctly) that she had that special songwriting something
What: There's just something about her voice, or her phrasing or her accent, or maybe all three, but whatever it is - I absolutely adore her singing. Maybe it sounds so stellar to me because it feels attainable? She's not soaring, hitting any crazy notes, or anything that would make a typical singer famous, but I'm infatuated with it. Every single release of hers just draws me in more and more. What started as a love affair with her guitar sound has become me humming/singing her melodies for days on end. Even with a little less guitar than on previous releases, she has me hooked and coming back for more, an incredible testament to my feelings for her songwriting for anyone who knows me. Bonus points for this being the first release on this list that caught my son's ear as well.
14. Goose - Shenanigans Nite Club
Who: Dawes
How: Playing their festival in VA, extolling their virtues, and causing me to see jam bands in a new light
What: ::Looks in both directions cautiously and then whispers:: This is what I always wanted Phish to be. I don't mean to say that as a way to hurt anyone's feelings (looking at you Rich, you get your shout-out next album!), but this jam band from CT does a really nice job of finding a way to have a little more melody mixed into their jams. It can get a little cheesy at times, but when it hits, the grooves are as good as anything that was released this year. An infections mixtures of funk, stretched-out jams, extended solos, and tight musicianship is anchored with songs that still focus on melody and a little more traditional song structure. This isn't as much a slight of Phish as it is an uplifting of a band that, in my opinion, has found the best way to be a jam band that doesn't lose me in a jam.
13. Susto - Time in the Sun
Who: Rich
How: By going to the right bar a few years back and then sharing his wisdom with me
What: I was nervous. It had almost reached the point where I was going to have to move on from the band and leave them in the "loved their early work but then they lost me" pile. Thankfully, redemption arrived in the form of Time in the Sun and it's great to have them back. After working his way through what seemed to be a rough period (possibly involving substances?) Justin Osborne righted the ship with a smattering of great songs mixed amongst a solid collection of good ones. "God of Death", "Double Rainbow" and "Life is Suffering" could easily slot into an album that contains all his best work. While this may not quite be up to the standards set by self-titled and & I'm Fine Today, this is a welcome return to everything that made me infatuated in the first place.
12. Hiss Golden Messenger - Quietly Blowing It
Who: Local NC Musicians
How: Supporting each other by repping good music that's done by homegrown people when they choose openers, songs to play between sets, and names to mention on social media
What: MC Taylor creates a mood of comfort and home for me on this album that's hard to quantify. This local (30 mins from me) multi-instrumentalist doesn't sound LIKE North Carolina in any specific way but I can't help but associate every bit of what I've come to love about this place with him when I hear his tunes. "Way Back in the Way Back" is an absolutely killer opener, perfectly encapsulating everything that's drawn me to the Messenger throughout the years. The rest of the album feels like a well-worn pair of your favorite pants, comfortable in a way that's hard to replicate. In the classic sense, this is a "put it on and let it play" collection; it's not an album I'm going to be skipping around on searching for something in particular. It's a cohesive work that doesn't have a single letdown amongst its 11-tracks. Pop it on, sit back and let it wrap its musical arms around you.
11. Kiwi jr. - Cooler Returns
Who: IronFish
How: Stumbling onto them a few years ago and hearing promise, a decision that was rewarded mightily this year
What: There are plenty of reasons to love this album and boiling it down to one song is a complete disservice to the sprinkling of really good songs that remain. When it comes down to it though, I'd be lying if I said that "Cooler Returns" wasn't one of my top five favorite songs of the year. It's currently the one with the most plays in 2021 and also the driving force behind getting this album up so high on the list. The build-up to the solo alone gets me so amped and that's before the serpentine, layered masterpiece even begins. I cannot get enough of the slightly out-of-tune, multi-tracked siren wail solo that closes out the last minute and a half. The only reason Cooler Returns as an album isn't higher is inconsistency. While there are a handful of great tracks and another handful of good ones, there just aren't quite enough to consider it a great full length. However, combined with the (now delivered upon) promise shown by Football Money, they are sure to be a band that will continue to appear on future lists.
10. Strand of Oaks - In Heaven
Who: Rick/J Mascis
How: Letting "Goshen 97" introduce me to a guy who hadn't found his way at the time but eventually grew into what has become a killer songwriter
What: When Timothy Showalter released the first single "Galacticana" for this new Strand of Oaks album, I knew immediately that my love for 2019s Eraserland was no fluke. In Heaven takes everything I loved about the previous release and continues to deliver in the same exact way. Showalter has an uncanny ability to emote pure distress and agony in his voice without it sounding strained. He spends a lot of time sounding morose, but finding this outlet as a musician has allowed the writing down and expression of those emotions as a cathartic way for him to work his way through the issues that seem to plague his life. Along the way, he writes catchy, soulful, beautiful rock songs that keep me coming back for more.
9. Sam Evian - Time to Melt
Who: Jake/Jarett
How: Having two separate trusted music friends recommend the same artist and with good reason
What: It's hard to quantify how high my expectations were after hearing the three singles released in the lead-up to Time to Melt. "Knock, Knock", "Time to Melt" and "Easy to Love" were all brilliant psychedelic funk tracks that were as infectious as anything I heard all year. Basslines that could shake the dead dance throughout while sweeping strings soar from above as Mr. Evian croons on top of it all. This brilliant recipe has moments where it's replicated on the rest of what came out on Time to Melt, and I don't want to say that I don't enjoy it all, but if the album itself was on par with those first three, it would be a contender for album of the year. Singles can end up being singles for a reason though and I've been consistently pleased with everything Sam has released in his nascent career.
8. Bros - Volume 2
Who: The Sheepdogs
How: Being an offshoot of the 'Dogs with Ewan and Seamus doing everything they can to replicate the AM 70s gold of their youth
What: They came out of the gate as strong as humanly possible with the first single, "Never Gonna Stop" which may very well be my favorite song of the year. It tightrope walks the line between incredible and cheesy with a level of brilliance that puts it in rare company. This Sheepdogs offshoot band has now put out back-to-back albums that deliver the most fun music imaginable. Every song is held down by sparkling and diverse musicianship combined with what might have become my favorite voice in music these days; Ewan Currie. It's syrupy soulful and he's not afraid to let it rip in a way that many other artists might be self-conscious about. They sound like driving around in the 70s and 80s and changing the dial on the radio after every song. It may not be for everyone but it's 100% for me.
7. The Roomsounds - Good Company
Who: Apple Music
How: Allowing the random playlist feature to take over and deliver me a song that lead me down a rabbit hole
What: Stumbling onto an old(ish) single from 2016 got me curious enough to see what their most recent album sounded like. Lo and behold, these long hairs from Texas had a 2021 release. Countless repeated listens later, I'm unsurprisingly hooked on this modern version of 70s country rock. Filled with barroom piano, long winding solos, and rocking grooves, it's an album that really benefits from multiple listens. Having little success with their previous releases they brought in two new members, the guitarist Nick Snyder (who shines throughout) and Matthew Vasquez on keys. Now, immediately, that left me wondering if it's the same Matthew Vasquez I've grown to know and love from Delta Spirit and Middle Brother. Though a look through the interwebs didn't allow me to confirm it officially, he too hails from Texas so it certainly seems possible, especially since it would make all the more sense that I would be drawn to the band's sound.
6. The Berries - Throne of Ivory (Singles and B-Sides)
Who: Jake
How: By knowing me well enough to deliver this band to me with the utmost confidence it would remain on my radar for years to come
What: 2021 has brought with it a willingness for artists to continue to release music in unique ways. Matt Berry dropped the first five of these songs as singles and then anointed the rest as b-sides, even though I've yet to see them actually appear anywhere else. I was SO high on his previous two albums and each single had been released on its own over the course of the previous six months, giving me plenty of time to digest it. Therefore going into this being dropped as a full collection, I was intimately familiar with almost half the album. This finalized Voltron of pieces never seemed to be intentionally made for one album, but yet again it's only held back from being higher on the list by the incredible quality of what's ahead of it. Filled with heavy riffs, great solos, and solid songwriting, it fits in beautifully alongside everything else he's done and will be a stalwart in my musical listening for years to come.
Who: IronFish/Rick
How: Having a friend in college who shared the love of having our faces melted off by a Jazzmaster
What: How is this real? Bands break up all the time, for all kinds of reasons. Bands try to soldier on with new members after breaking up all the time too (with varied results and that might be generous). Bands also often try to reform their original lineup (usually as a cash grab/to play festivals). But when has there ever been a band like THIS? The original lineup released three albums together in the late 80s/early 90s. After the inevitable breakup, the revised version with Mascis at the helm released four more LPs throughout the 90s. But here's the kicker; they then took a 10-year break before reforming the original crew, which has now released FIVE more records in the last 14 years! Almost as shocking as the fact that they were able to work things out enough to forge ahead is the fact that they've done consistently great to brilliant work ever since. Sweep it Into Space is exactly like everything they've put out since 2007; absolutely killer. Mascis continues to be a selectively mute, mystical wizard of the Jazzmaster, while Murph lays down heavy beats and Lou continues to serve the dual role of bassist/pseudo-rhythm guitarist (while, as always, contributing two excellent songs of his own as well). It's no secret to anyone out there how much I love these guys; the only real shock is that I keep getting the chance to do so.
4. War on Drugs - I Don’t Live Here Anymore
Who: Adam Granduciel
How: Painstakingly crafted music that reminds me in every way of being a kid
What: I can only imagine how agonizingly long this dude spends on his songs. I picture him hunkered down in his basement, tweaking a solitary snare sound for days. Maybe he loves it but it sure doesn't seem like it would lead to the most desirable living situation. When it comes down to it though, what he creates in the end, is special. Evoking all the driving rhythms of my youth, he crafts songs that stretch their fingers into the recesses of my brain, pulling out thread after thread of ghost memories. A wisp of a harmonica from Sting here, a specter of a Dire Straits keyboard sound there; it's almost as if my dad attempted to dub a tape back in the day in a way that had it overlap with a modern release. It's an incredible phantom line to my past and however he does it, Granduciel continues to put out stellar releases one after the other. They reward you immediately and only manage to give you more the more time you spend with it. Every single listen of I Don't Live Here Anymore shoots it further and further up this list.
3. John Mayer - Sob Rock
Who: My Dad
How: By still caring about finding new music 22 years ago and taking me to see a yet-to-be-famous Mayer in NYC
What: I wish people didn't know who John was. He's made so many regrettable comments over the years and loves the sound of his voice so much that he has made as much of a career out of "stepping in it" as being a musician. I hope that in the future, people can look back at what he's created while hopefully allowing the stupid things he's said to fade away. Because on the musical side, he continues to nail it. Sob Rock is his attempt to release an 80s yacht rock style lament of lost loves and he blows it out of the fricking water. "Wild Blue" is the best song Dire Straits never wrote, "Guess I Just Feel Like" has an absolutely incredible solo that makes me all the more devastated he's never done a John Mayer Trio album #2 and "Shouldn't Matter But It Does" is a song I catch my son singing absentmindedly all the time. The only hiccup is the unforgivable grammar of "Why You No Love Me", which no explanations or cajoling from music chat members will ever allow me to not hate. I skip it every time and I always will. However, as if he knew he needed to make up for the one small rip in the canvas of this masterpiece, he released a second version of the lead track "Last Train Home" that's a slowed-down, bluesier, ballad that ends with a second absolutely ripping solo. It's OK, I forgive you, John.
2. Aaron Frazer - Introducing
Who: Murn
How: Casually dropping this sexy retro-soul into a Saturday night music Zoom like it wasn't going to start blowing up lists
What: There was this weird phenomenon that happened in the last couple of years; you'd see someone for a huge period of time with their mask on and create an image in your head of what their face "looked like". Then, one random day they would take their mask off and to your shock, their face would look NOTHING like what it did in your mind's eye. This would be the exact thing that happens to you if you see Aaron Frazer and then hear his voice/the kind of music he creates. A former drummer in a retro-soul band, this crooner blew me away as much as any vocalist since I started doing these lists. His falsetto dances across the groove, meanders around the beat, and without question is the standout instrument of 2021 for me. He delivers just as swimmingly on the upbeat funky soul of "Bad News" as he does on the serpentine bedroom ooze of "You Don't Wanna Be My Baby". This is great late-night music that automatically dims your lights and gets everybody feeling the way you're hoping they would feel. I was absolutely blown away by this the first time I heard it and I've only grown to love and appreciate it even more in the time since. Kudos to you Mr. Frazer; keep at it.
1. Silver Synthetic - Silver Synthetic
Who: Third Man Records
How: Pumping a new artist that managed to blow away every bit of my expectations for what a new artist could be in 2021
What: You're not supposed to sound this good on your debut. It almost feels like cheating. This sounds like it should be the third or fourth release in their catalog, something that they've built towards after honing their craft with countless hours in the studio and on stage. I could easily hand this over to someone and claim to them that I found it buried in a record crate of old 70s psych-pop/jangle rock lost gems. It manages to combine everything that I love about music into one album; great hooks, layered and beautiful harmonies, jangly rhythms, fuzzed-out solos, and driving beats that keep my head nodding all while. This New Orleans collective came out of nowhere to rocket their way to the top of this list and rightfully remind me that this is why we search. This is why we scour, this is why we read reviews, talk with friends and continue to pursue new sounds from musical muses. Because in the end, when you find one that hits it out of the park, there almost isn't anything better in this world. Music this good and this out of nowhere is why I can't stop. It's also why I don't want to stop and why I never will. Cheers to you Silver Synthetic and cheers to any of you out there who helped to contribute to (or had that persistence to make your way through) this list. Hopefully, it allows you to find something new in a way that brings about some of the joy that all of these brought me. Onto to 2022!
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