|
All year I was able to give plenty of attention to the following records, but ostensibly little time to put a list together. Any one of the first 15 or so could've been Numero Uno on any given day.
01 the silver seas | alaska
The Silver Seas isn't the kind of music that goes for the jugular. In fact, I had the advance for months before it even began to take hold. It's full of Major 7ths and certainly qualifies as "A.M. easy listening." At its worst it's not that exciting; at its best, melody-heavy & quite elegant.
02 the sadies | internal sounds
Garage rock, twang and early 70's-era psychedelic cowboy.
03 son volt | honky tonk
I've been listening to Jay since Trace and he continues to not let me down. If early George Jones during his 'Hardcore Honky Tonk' days“ is your thing, there's plenty of twin-fiddle & pedal steel to scratch that itch. As for the songs, I'll concentrate on (3) ~
~ Angel Of the Blues is one of Jay's best in his already lengthy oeuvre of greatness. The arrangement, tempo & pedal steel are key in this dusty ode to the American heartland.
~ Bakersfield sounds exactly as you would expect, and is the most rockin song on the record. Mark Spencer's 4-bar steel solo swings harder than a Count Basie record.
~ Down The Highway is another highlight.....it has that "switching it over to a.m." feel of finding something better, far away – down the highway.
Another good road record.
04 john moreland | in the throes
His past 'rock efforts' (which I like considerably) are left in the dust with a record full of depth and good songwriting. Some of the best lyrics on any release in 2013.
05 the grapes of wrath | the high road
I want to thank Radcliffe for pimping the single Good To See You earlier in the year. If you want a lesson in how to write a song with solid hooks, not forgetting the all-important bridge, look no further. Good pop record with a few surprises.
06 bamboo kids | safe city blues
Guitars, horns and banging keys propel these catchy as shit songs from this NYC trio that keep the old school rock alive by failing gloriously.
07 robert pollard | honey locust honky tonk
My EOY list would not be the same without 'something' from Uncle Bob.
I've come to the conclusion that most musicians (at least that I know) love him, while the rest go "meh."
08 the resonars | crummy desert sound
The Hollies / 60's Garage/pop-psych / Keith Moon / Nugget Comps
09 neko case | the worse things get.....
Best voice in the business goes real life, raw and tender. Not as complete as previous efforts but good nonetheless.
10 junip | junip
Driven by José González's distinct voice & nylon string guitar, these songs lay back in a wash of organ/synth, distorted drums, whilest waving their freak folk flag high.
11 tim easton | not cool
Taking full advantage of local session players' legendary skills, Tim turns out an old-fashioned rock record, reminding me how good this music could be. Good shit
12 mikal cronin | mcii
Neo-garage rock with a broad range of styles and plenty of touches to make it intangible.
13 james younger | feelin' american
RIYL : The Strokes, Tom Petty, radio-ready (is there such a thing anymore?) without all the conventional bullshit.
14 the connection | let it rock
While less predictable than 'The Mergers' (see below) it still has that 'British Invasion' thing going on with all the right influence and execution. F ' n exciting R n R record.
15 sallie ford & the sound outside | untamed beast
In the wheelhouse of gritty surf-billy & badass Sallie on vocal. She needs her mouth washed out with soap. Love it.
16 eels | wonderful glorious
Mark continues to write good songs that no one ever talks about. He's also one hell of a nice guy to boot.
17 unknown mortal orchestra | II
Murky, lo-fi bedroom goodness with a psychedelic/soul bent. This one was a bit unexpected.
18 the mergers | monkey see, monkey do
Beat Music, Rock n Roll, Harmony, early 60's, Little Steven's Underground Garage, Fitting title.
19 hayden | us alone
After a long break to have his first child, Hayden is back with another low-key, story-telling affair. This record was a good fit after a long day and needing to decompress. Other than the lyrics, what I like most are the clutter free arrangements with every part serving a purpose.
20 mark kozelek & desertshore | s/t
The hilarious 'Livingstone Bramble' alone, is worth the price of admission. It's also the record's best moment. Loose & raw, this record is nothing like his more recent, "nylon-stringed" offerings.
Honorable Mention
scud mountain boys | do you love the sun
mike stinson | hell & half of georgia
heirlooms of august | down at the 5-star
slaid cleaves | still fighting the war
hiss golden messenger | haw
local natives | hummingbird
spinto band - cool cocoon
smith westerns | soft will
phil angotti | life in rhymes
jacco gardner | cabinet of curiosities
harper simon | division street
nick cave | push the night away
the olms - the olms
the len price 3 | nobody knows
josh ritter | the beast in its tracks
the phoenix foundation | fandango
jason isbell | southeastern
daniel romano | come cry with me
mother hips | bend beyond
kurt vile | walkin in a pretty daze
foxygen | we are the 21st century ambassadors
_________________
"I would shoot a man if he put me through autotune"
- Charlie Louvin
|
