It’s sad to say goodbye. Goodbye to the Summer, goodbye to carefree days and nights, goodbye to sun and sand. But, life is unavoidable so it’s good to make the best of it. Nothing says RESPONSABILITIES like the Ground Control Back to School Guide. Not because we’re not fun, but because we’re trying to BRING fun to the new school year. You’ll see some old favorites and, luckily, some surprises this year in the guide. We’ve never steered you wrong,...
WHO: Ty Segall WHAT: Possession WHY: After conquering garage rock, Ty Segall has continued on his orchestral glam-rock path. Those noisy roots are evident even on his newest album Possession. There will always be a new album with Segall and you can always expect it to be of good quality. Possession has the more complex sounds of Manipulator, employing organs and strings. It sounds like Segall has grown up but can still push himself and keep his edge. Only he...
WHO: Panda bear WHAT: Sinister Gift WHY: I definitely had an Animal Collective phase. I don’t think I “outgrew” them, because I occasionally revisit them and remember I enjoy that music. I even thought Time Skiffs was a cool album, so there was no harm in giving the new Panda Bear album a shot. Sinister Gift is more rock, pop, and less experimental, but still “weird” by contemporary standards, so sonically it’s in a unique space. It also has those...
WHO: Propagandhi WHAT: At Peace WHY: I could argue that Propagandhi started making their best music once they left Fat Wreck Chords. It might be a hard sell, because of Tomorrow’s Ashes, but their post-Fat releases have been formidable and raging. At Peace continues on the thrash metal path and does what a good album does from a band who wants to keep exploring their style: it sounds different on a first hearing but becomes more and more enjoyable after...
WHO: Personality Cult WHAT: Dilated WHY: It look me a while to figure out why I feel so cozy listening to Personality Cult, and their latest release Dilated was a revelation. I’m listening to a Buzzcocks album, warts and all. It’s been too long since their excellent album New Arrows, but good things are worth the wait. This one has the arms, legs, hooks, and soul of a great buzzpop record. You’re not going to get a new Marked Men...
WHO: Bob Mould WHAT: Here We Go Crazy WHY: Is it dad-rock? Is it power-trio? A little of both? A lot? I fall in the minority where I think Bob Mould’s later output is better than I do Husker Du. Not that I don’t like Husker Du, but his music over the past 10 years is just so hard and catchy, you know? Here We Go Crazy follows the same path of the last two albums: it’s heavy, catchy, sincere...
WHO: Lambrini Girls WHAT: Who Let the Dogs Out? WHY: I’ve heard the Lambrini Girls’ music described in a variety of different ways, but to me they sound like Death From Above 1979 mixed with Crass. That’s a GREAT combo, people! Who Let the Dogs Out is abrasive, catchy, dancy, daring, unapologetic, and ready for a fight. Time will tell if this album was too much too soon, but right now, it’s hitting all the right buttons and kicking the...
WHO: Kim Deal WHAT: Nobody Loves You More WHY: Who could have guessed an album with horns could actually rock? I guess we should know better, because Kim Deal is running the show here. Nobody Loves You More is a deep and fresh sounding rock album that knows how to keep things interesting. That’s reason enough to listen to it. It gets heavy, fragile, and playful over the course of 35 minutes. You just wanna hang out with it. Both...
Did you see those other “best of” lists? Cringe-worthy, right? They either missed the mark entirely, or picked obvious boring choices, or just simply have shit taste. Not here, though. We might not have listened to EVERYTHING this year, but we listened to a lot, and as always we have the cream of the crop here for your enjoyment. So, do yourself a favor, uninstall your Spotify, un-favorite your mainstream music website and check out some true highlights of the...
WHO: Tim Heidecker WHAT: Slipping Away WHY: Sure, you don’t start your album by telling your listener to lower their expectations, and Slipping Away does have some half-cooked ideas at the beginning, but it ends with a rich, compelling and beautiful set of songs that make the rocky start worth it. In the end, this album is a fuzzy and remarkably relatable experience, especially to a dad like me. Yeah, it’s easy listening, but it’s good warm easy listening. Listen...