WHO: Jon Spencer WHAT: Songs of Personal Loss and Protest WHY: With his new backing band, Jon Spencer has injected some youth and vigor into his already-explosive musical style. His first full album with this lineup has the energy and humor of the old Blues Explosion but brought up to date. Spencer sticks to the garage while giving a callback to the style of old blues and R&B singers with a cheeky commentary on the issues of today. You won’t...
WHO: Brook Pridemore WHAT: Only I Can Prevent Forest Fires WHY: We’ve been singing Brook Pridemore’s praises for years because he’s, in our minds, the most underrated solo musician currently in the biz. His music is a pleasant mix of folk, deeply inspired by punk ethos, and with a healthy dose of introspective witty lyrics. It’s not just that he’s a great musician, he’s also a wordsmith. He should be packing the halls, but instead he’s out there jammin’ econo,...
WHO: Steve Gunn WHAT: Daylight Daylight WHY: I try to steer far away from overly-delicate and too-previous-sounding music. Maybe it’s because I wanna rock and I don’t have time for that sad, sappy shit. But Steve Gunn always has a way of making me rethink my choices. Daylight Daylight is such a beautiful, solemn, and rich collection of songs that it gives the genre hope. Why am I listening to, let alone enjoying, a song about a loon so much?...
WHO: Radioactivity WHAT: Time Won’t Bring Me Down WHY: Because, it’s Jeff Burke and the name Burke is synonymous with quality. Time Won’t Bring Me Down is a sentimental pop punk album, in spite of its name. If you’re a fan of the Marked Men, then you already know about this band, and if you don’t, now’s your chance to get on the bandwagon. This album shows that pop punk can still feel relevant, edgy and beautiful, and the trio...
WHO: Sharp Pins WHAT: Radio DDR WHY: It’s hard to describe this one. Radio DDR is sugary sweet and tender at times and bubble gum pop otherwise. It’s lo-fi like a 60s record with some very heavy guitars. I keep trying to convince myself I don’t like it, but I can’t. I’m a sucker for pop songs and these are some of the best I’ve heard this year. It’s undeniable. Where did this band even come from and how DARE...
WHO: Die Spitz WHAT: Something to Consume WHY: Die Spitz blew up and are growing the way a good band would, by honing their skills, playing shows non-stop, and letting the buzz happen naturally. It doesn’t hurt that they put out an awesome record Teeth and that their live shows, indeed, rip. So, all eyes are on them with their first studio album on their new label Third Man (See? They’re doing it right!). Something to Consume is bewildering because...
WHO: Civic WHAT: Chrome Dipped WHY: It was a grower, for sure, but Chrome Dipped is superior to Taken by Force in catchiness, pounding melodies, clever lyrics yet still retains so much of that surfer rock that made them popular (?). THIS is what I thought I was signing up for. It’s just high quality rock and roll with garage undertones. Of course it wounds a little like the Saints. A straight forward, great, rock record that you can’t help...
WHO: Alex G WHAT: Headlights WHY: No one does lo-fi moody like Alex G. It would be easy-listening, but Headlights is just weird enough and subversive enough to give it an edge. But then there’s a consistent sweetness in all these songs, and nowhere more evident than on Afterlife. His style becomes more singular with each album and Headlights is the obvious progression for him. We should all be excited about what’s coming next. Listen to it...
WHO: Pulp WHAT: More WHY: I should have known my love for Pulp runs too deep for this album not be one of my highlights of the year. I thought it was just OK at first, but the more I listen to it (and I mean REALLY listen), the more I started appreciating what Jarvis was cooking. More sounds distinctly Brit-Pop, which now is just rock with pop tendencies. This is a more grown-up Pulp: interested in appreciating and loving...
WHO: The Darkness WHAT: Dreams on Toast WHY: It doesn’t have the kind of bangers you get from their first two albums, but Dreams On Toast grows on you the more you listen to it. Full of clever lyrics and outstandingly catchy choruses, this album pivots slightly to country but is still strongest when it sticks to what the Darkness does best: rock ‘n’ roll. Skip the “members” version which adds several skippable tracks and opt for the standard version...