FRANK TURNER
Undefeated
Frank is new to me (thank you, Amy Englehardt and Alex Stein!) but wow this album grabs you and holds you passionately from start to finish. How has this guy slipped by me until now? This is sublime songwriting and performing. On the song below, Frank says this is a "conversation with my 15-year-old self." The opening verse is perfect, and it gets deeper from there:
Fifteen-year-old Francis
We need to have a word
I know 'cause I remember
That you cannot stand The Verve
But Richard Ashcroft had a point
Now I'm old enough to see
There's a million different people
You will be before you're me
And when his vocal soars - "Cease FIIIIIRE!" - it blows me to bits. If you only listen to one song on this blog post, make it this one:
KIM DEAL
Nobody Loves You
When Kim Deal left the Pixies, I loved her albums as leader of The Breeders as much as the Pixies. (The album Cannonball is a classic, but my favorite Breeders song is the title track off this EP.) Kim remains weird and wonderful on her first solo album. I didn't know it was arriving, but I'm sure glad it's here.
MAXIMO PARK
Stream Of Life
These Newcastle post-punk revivalists, going strong for almost 20 years now (an amazing feat in this ever-shifting-away-from-rock musical landscape), released another great album of songs with meaningful lyrics. The only other band on my radar doing this kind of music are Franz Ferdinand. "Tell me your favourite songs, and I'll tell you mine, and we'll sing along, and all of our troubles will fade away." (Okay VB?)
RIDE
Interplay
Intrepid pioneers of the shoegaze movement, but dedicated to musical growth, Ride's release was as good as any from their last two decades post-reunion. This song is probably not referring to my Portland (Oregon), more likely the Portland in Dorset County, England, or perhaps a reference to Portland cement, but the lyrics aren't giving it away, so I can choose to believe it is.
PEARL JAM
Dark Matter
I was gonna say that Pearl Jam hasn't rocked this hard since 1993, but Gigaton rocked pretty hard in 2020. I attended an album listening at my favorite local movie theater (Cinema 21), where they showed visualizations while listening to the songs over a good speaker system in an otherwise darkened theater. Subtitles helped too:
KULA SHAKER
Natural Magick
If there's an earworm in this list, this is it. Kula Shaker reached their commercial peak in the late 90's, but after a long hiatus, leader Crispian Mills and company have been making great albums consistently for years now. Keep it cool, uh, Shaker!
FIELD MUSIC
Limits Of Language
These lads from Sunderland continue to release delightful records. This falls in the "rock" category, but there is an artfulness, rhythmic subtlety, and emotion you don't come across very often. I love this music so much. And unlike people I've spoken to from Sunderland, I can really understand the sung lyrics. Hard to believe that this is a two-man band, brothers David and Peter Brewis.
TEARS FOR FEARS
Songs For A Nervous Planet (live + EP)
I saw the tour last year, then I saw the movie of the tour this fall, and now I'm listening to this double album of the tour, recorded in Tennessee. I LOVE IT. Tears For Fears are revitalized and have put together an incredible document of their old hits combined with new songs from their recent full album, The Tipping Point. This isn't just a live album though: It starts off with four new songs which are all great, and tug at the heartstrings. They could've released it as a separate EP, but no problem: Through the magic of old-school iTunes, I split it off and listen to it separately (and added a fifth song, "Landlocked" which appeared on the Japanese-only release). Here's one of my favorites, which performs the classic Fears trick of combining very heavy themes with cheery hooks and melodies:
THE SOUTHERN RIVER BAND
D.I.Y.
Oh sure, you've heard this all before, especially in the mid-1970's, but I have a soft spot for this kind of good-time rockin' with a loud n' proud groove. Note: These guys aren't from the American South, they're from Australia.
TONY LEVIN
Bringing It Down To The Bass
Current King Crimson member, occasional Peter Gabriel side-man, and instigator of many, many other projects, master bass and stick man Tony Levin released his latest, an eclectic collection of original songs. Pretty proggy, and not one I'll listen to that often, but very musical, and often very fun, including this very jazzy a capella ode to all the amazing drummers he's worked with over the years. How many of these names do you know?
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN
Glasgow Eyes
Who would've thought so many years on that these brothers, often spotted fighting (with fists, even), would still be cranking out great skronky rock? Not me. But hey if the Gallagher brothers can do it, why not William and Jim Reid? This is the second video on this list to feature a "seizure warning." Guess it's a trend? Oh, and this song isn't pronounced "Jam Cod." Listen for it...
THE THE
Ensoulment
After a 20-year break, Matt Johnson is back with his smoky and seductive voice, to give us a state of the world in a catchy groove. File under Late Night Driving on Dark Back Roads Music.
THE FEELING
San Vito
Singer Dan Gillespie Sells has one of the sweetest voices, and great range. The music's good too, very tuneful, expansive and emotional, but with a light touch that comforts the soul.
HIFI SEAN AND DAVID MCALMONT
Daylight
Scotsman Sean Dickson, formerly of the much-loved (by me at least) Soup Dragons, finds new footing with heavenly-voiced singer David McAlmont in a modern, feel-good, dancable format. This kind of positivity is a rare find, and is just what I need right now.
GRUFF RHYS
Sadness Sets Me Free
Oh how I miss the Super Furry Animals, but at least if they're not an ongoing prospect anymore, we've been blessed with a large amount of side projects and solo albums from most of its members. Former SFA lead singer Gruff Rhys forges ahead with another tuneful, often country-tinged, beautifully melancholic album. I find his voice so soothing.
X
Smoke And Fiction
Legendary L.A. alt-punk rockabilly band X say this is their last album. If so, they're going out strong. Weatherbeaten but never beaten, these guys have earned their smiles:
THE RAVEONETTES
Sing...
The only rock band from Denmark that I've ever heard. This is a collection of cool cover songs, run through the Raveonettes reverb-saturated filter. Recommendation: Play this on a dark rainy winter night for full efffect (but remove all sharp objects from the room first).
HAWKWIND
Stories From Time And Space
Hawkwind formed in 1969 in London, and haven't stopped yet. Early releases were epic and noisy space-rock affairs. On their 36th(!) studio album, they remain intense, but have settled into sonically rich, hypnotic groove territory. Fifty-five years into it, this is amazing stuff:
THE PARANOID STYLE
The Interrigator
Washington, D.C.'s The Paranoid Style (named after American historian Richard Hofstadter's essay of the same name), led by husband-and-wife duo Elizabeth Nelson and Timothy Bracy, crank out peppy garage rock but with a very literate and often political edge. And often quite fun:
NICK PIUNTI AND THE COMPLICATED MEN
Up And Out Of It
Power Pop of the highest degree, Nick and band power through a delightful set of songs, including this stroll through a record shop in search of the right album:
EX-NORWEGIAN AND FRIENDS
Sing Wistle Tunes: Tribute to John Entwistle
A delightful collection of songs written by the Who's bassman (aka The Ox, aka Thunderfingers). These tunes aren't as recognizable as the Pete Townshend-penned famous Who songs, but these are some of the quirkier, more fun songs in their discography. Best way to find this album is on Bandcamp, where you can just listen, or buy.
COLLECTIVE SOUL
Here To Eternity
Collective Soul appeared on the scene in 1992, channeling the heavy guitars in fashion at the time with irrisistible radio friendly hooks. And they haven't lost the touch. The entire album is very strong:
NATHANIEL RATELIFF AND THE NIGHT SWEATS
South of Here
I was just recently turned on to this artist/band. Great rhymn n' blues rock, parts Springsteen, The Band, and...the Beatles? Check out the opening track below and tell me there isn't a hint of McCartney here. Love this guy's singing voice.
Well, that's it for 2024. Please let me know in the comments, or message me one way or another, to let me know if you found any of these a good listen, or maybe, just maybe you found something you want to explore further. I would be very pleased to know! Here's to 2025, and a new batch of great music. And to quote author Nick Hornby, remember that “Record stores can't save your life. But they can give you a better one.”
