YEAR END! Top Records of 2022

So, anyway. I didn’t technically close up shop here until until June. I had already listened to so many records by then. It would be a shame not to drop (at least) one more year end list. The funny thing is that I have listened to more records this year than I have in recent years. All told, I ended up listening to around 125 new releases this year. I kept pretty detailed notes about most of them. I could have easily turned that into reviews or content. I would have stopped listening to new records had I done that though. Turing my enjoyment of music into a thing was a mistake. Anyway. Here is the list. It’s 40 records. A good amount of these are jazz. Just be aware. If you’re looking for dope punk rock records, this probably won’t be the list for you.

In alphabetical(ish) order:

Alice Sandahl – “Bright & Blue”
Alison Shearer – “View From Above”
Alvvays – “Blue Rev”
Angel Olsen – “Big Time”
Anthony Coleman & Brian Chase – “Arcades”
Barrie – “Barbara”
The Beths – “Expert In A Dying Field”
The Bogie Band & Joe Russo – “The Prophets In The City”
Camilla George – “Ibio-Ibio”
Chicago Soul Jazz Collective – “On The Way To Be Free”
Dave Gisler Trio – “See You Out There”
David Hillyard & The Rocksteady 7 – “Plague Doctor”
Georgia Harmer – “Stay In Touch
High Alpine Hut Network – “727 / 16 EP”
Jeanines – “Don’t Wait For A Sign”
Jobber – “Hell In A Cell EP”
Julieta Eugenio – “Jump”
Kate Bollinger – “Look At It In The Light”
Kit Downes, Petter Eldh, James Maddren – “Vermillion”
Kristine Leschper – “The Opening, Or Closing Of A Door”
Lisa Ullén, Elsa Bergman, & Anna Lund – “Space”
Little Low – “Reasons To Grow”
Lupe Fiasco – “Drill Music In Zion”
Marta Sanchez – “SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum)”
Mary Halvorson – “Amaryllis” / “Belladonna”
Melissa Aldana – “12 Stars”
Nectar – “No Shadow”
The New York Second – “Music At Night”
ORD – “Hemligheter På Vägen”
Otoboke Beaver – “Super Champon”
Perennial – “In The Midnight Hours”
Potsa Lotsa XL & Youjin Sung – “Gaya”
Quelle Chris – “Deathfame”
R.A.P. Ferreira – “5 To The Eye With Stars”
Renata Zeiguer – “Picnic In The Dark”
Tender Slit – “Tender Slit”
Tomberlin – “I Don’t Know Who Needs To Hear This…”
Walking Cliché Sextet – “Micro-Nap”
Westbound Train – “Dedication”
Widowspeak – “The Jacket”

And, as always, here is a Spotify playlist:

Maybe I’ll throw something up in 2023? Who knows. It’s what it’s

REVIEW: Perennial – “In The Midnight Hour”

Perennial is an interesting band to me. I don’t have any particular nostalgia for all the bands they get compared to. I never listened to that post-hardcore dance punk stuff. It was a scene that missed me. I know bits and pieces. This band was fresh to my ears. I’m happy about that because I don’t have to fuck around with scene baggage or name drops.

In The Midnight Hour has been on heavy rotation since mid-January. It’s a record I have to be careful with though. I’m not getting anything done until it’s done playing. In The Midnight Hour isn’t there to sit and listen to passively. It’s not a record to throw on in the background. It’s meant to make you move. Perennial hit me in a way that most punk hasn’t in years. These songs would kill in a live setting, but you might wreck you living room too. It’s angular post-hardcore. It’s sound collage. It’s jazz. It’s pop. It’s art.

To that point, Perennial is a band that has their art and image on point. The album cover borrows from classic jazz. The experimental nature of the music is right out of post-bop and avant-garde jazz. It’s all there in the mixing of sound and texture. The band isn’t afraid to let things go for a measure to long. They’re all in on throwing some oddball shit into the mix. The band throws a million things at the wall to see what sticks, and most things do. It’s engaging as hell. Even the record cover reminds me of those classic Blue Note Records covers. I’m a little out of my element trying to talk jazz. I can’t do it with any confidence, so let’s move on.

Perennial are a breath of fresh air in a world where the musical landscape is a bit bleak. The streaming era has killed a lot of the spontaneity in music. Things are being made to fit the algorithm. Genre blending has become common, but it’s always done in the most basic way. We need more bands that aren’t content to paint by number. We need to celebrate bands who push into new and interesting territory.

Does this mean I want more literary art punks borrowing from Ornette Coleman? Yes. Absolutely.

Perennial
Bandcamp

From The Inbox: Overo / Punch On! / Zochor / Coma Regalia – “Another Year In Hell” (Split)

From the inbox:

“‘Another Year in Hell’ is a commentary on the crushing realities of the pandemic as well as a testament to the global, fragile, and deeply personal ties that keep a scene alive. Opening with Overo’s searing feedback and anthemic vocals, the record next threatens to break speakers with Punch On!’s chaotic heaviness. On Side B, Zochor teases bouncy Revolution Summer energy before Coma Regalia closes out with desperate, explosive emoviolence. The result is a cathartic journey that leaves one both nostalgic for the past (after all, nothing says “DIY screamo” quite like a 4-way 12” released by 8 labels) and surprisingly hopeful for the future.”

My relationship with hardcore is varied at best. I mention this because hardcore split records are always hard for me to analyze critically. It mostly comes down to either liking it or not. This record is a solid slab of “I like it.” I like hardcore that still has melodic elements. I like a sound that isn’t just variations of the chugging guitars and RAHRAHRAH vocals. If a band leans into that style, then I like it to be a little weird. All those bases are covered. All four bands are engaging as fuck.

Overo / Punch On! / Zochor / Coma Regalia

YEAR END! Top Records of 2021

As another year closes, so does a year end list get posted into the void that is online music discourse. This list is not a fair depiction of what I really listened to this year. Being weird and isolated in the frozen wasteland of Minnesota had me listening to a lot of old jazz records. I have no recommendations based on that. This isn’t that kind of a blog. No one wants to hear my opinions on jazz fusion (I mostly don’t like it) or smooth jazz (actually pretty cool if you can get over the Weather Channel of it all).

In an attempt to feel less street team, I am focused on actually posting stuff in 2022. I got stuck in a cycle of posting about the same three things. To that point, I’ll post a thing about that new Overo / Zochor / Punch On! / Coma Regalia split next week. That would have probably made the list had it come out earlier. Beyond that, I hope to at least get something out on a regular basis. Just not sure what “regular” means in that regard.

Blah blah blah. The list. Let’s fucking go. Top whatever of whatever. In alphabetical order:

Beach Bunny – “Blame Game”
Bnny – “Everything”
Bruce Lee Band – “Division In The Heartland”
Catbite – “Nice One”
The Copyrights – “Alone In A Dome”
Dan Vapid and The Cheats – “Escape Velocity”
Danz CM – “The Absurdity of Human Existence”
Drug Church – “Tawny”
Faye Webster – “I Know I’m Funny haha”
Floatie – “Voyage Out”
Girl K – “Girl K Is For The People”
Hospital Bracelet – “South Loop Summer”
Japanese Breakfast – “Jubilee”
King Woman – “Celestial Blues”
La Luz – “La Luz”
Laura Stevenson – “Laura Stevenson”
Marissa Nadler – “The Path Of The Clouds”
Mia Joy – “Spirit Tamer”
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – “When God Was Great”
Moontype – “Bodies Of Water”
Neighborhood Brats – “Confines Of Life”
Parting – “Unmake Me”
Pet Symmetry – “Future Suits”
PONY – “TV Baby”
Real Sickies – “Love Is For Lovers”
Regional Justice Center – “Crime and Punishment”
Scowl – “How Flowers Grow”
Steady Holiday – “Take The Corners Gently”
Tashaki Miyaki – “Castaway”
Tigers Jaw – “I Won’t Care How You Remember Me”
VIAL – “Loudmouth”

This list would probably look different had I listened to everything I was keeping track of. There’s still one shit-million records I need to work through. It’s what it’s, I guess. Anyway. Go pre-order that new Perennial record. That band fucking goes.

Obligatory playlist:

From The Inbox (09/17/21) // Black Adidas – “Strawberry Kisses”

FROM THE INBOX:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Black Adidas’ “Strawberry Kisses” Is Latest Single Before Planned New Album Next Year
Rocket Scientist by Day, Lifelong Punk-Rocker Courtney Ranshaw’s Latest Marks His Love Affair with Music

LOS ANGELES, August xx, 2021 – Black Adidas, the nom de punk for Courtney Ranshaw, haven’t just been hibernating during the lockdown, releasing a pair of singles, including the latest, “Strawberry Kisses,” an unabashed valentine to the music he loves and continues to pursue, available on all streaming services Sept. 17. Produced by former Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist Dave Newton [the Little Ones, the Blood Arm and Aberdeen], “Strawberry Kisses” (like “My Favourite Song” before it) showcases Ranshaw’s patented raw, soulful, low-register vocals, which evoke the likes of shouters like Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten, Black Flag’s Henry Rollins, the Descendents’ Milo and Iggy Pop.

The singles offer a preview of the follow-up to Black Adidas’ self-titled 2018 debut, which produced such anthems as “Free Shit,” “Old Fashioned Rock and Roll” and “Play What We Know.” 

A true believer in punk’s DIY ethos, Courtney studied physics at Humboldt State University graduating to become an aerospace engineer, the same job he’s held for the past 20 years. That’s right, Black Adidas’ Ranshaw is a rocket scientist who also happens to be a punk rocker, with a degree in physics and a proficiency in math and science which goes well beyond Dee Dee Ramone’s “1-2-3-4” battle cry.

Ranshaw does everything himself, from overseeing the design of the artwork for the album covers to getting them streamed. By personally making radio calls, he’s managed to secure airplay on weekend specialty shows at such influential stations as KROQ/Los Angeles (Kat Corbit’s Locals Only), KXSF/San Francisco (Carolyn Keddy), KEXP (Brian Foss’ Sonic Reducer) and SiriusXM’s Underground Garage (where it was showcased by Dollyrots lead singer Kelly Ogden).

“I’ve been in bands for most of my life, and it’s just something I have to do,” says Ranshaw. “I can’t imagine ever not playing and making music.”

I think music has been one of the most important things during the pandemic era. Even as live music is starting to happen again, it’s important to remember why it matters. There are records you love, and there are bands that define you. I got into punk rock about 20-ish years ago. That’s why I like the music Black Adidas puts out. I can see the same love and affection for music that I have.

Also, I don’t usually copy/paste entire press releases. It tends to make the post look a bit unwieldy. But this one was really interesting. Because, goddamn, it’s nice to see someone putting so much effort into music when they also put a lot of effort into academics. Fucking rocket science. Who knew?

Black Adidas
Bandcamp

REVIEW: Girl K – “Girl K Is For The People”

Ok. This one might be a bit of a ramble.

I went to a show at The Hideout on October 5, 2019. The line up was Girl K, Slow Pulp, and Deeper. This turned out to be a memorable show for me, but I’d only see that in hindsight. It turned out to be the last show I saw pre-pandemic. It was also the last show I’d see in Chicago before heading to the godless north that is Minnesota. I’ve been wanting to talk about Girl K for a minute, and I’m happy to finally have the chance. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say they are one of my favorite bands going in Chicago.

My introduction to Girl K was in 2019 when the Reader did a quick write-up sometime before the release of For Now. Originally a solo project for Kathy Patino, Girl K was already a full band by this time. I was first able to catch them at Empty Bottle in June 2019. It was a Divino Niño record release show. And, for as great as Divino Niño and Bnny are, it was Girl K who really reignited my interest in the music coming out of Chicago. I was solidly old and suburban by that point, so I wasn’t keeping tabs on much of what was “local” at the time. Aurora was a million miles away from Chicago when it comes to music.

Anyway, no one is here for storytime. Let’s get down to brass tacks. Girl K stood out to me because of how unabashedly pop they were. Chicago music has always bent towards experimental sounds. There is a lot of fuzzed out psychedelia influence in that city. There is a lot of post-punk. Girl K wasn’t making that kind of music, but they never seemed out of place in that context. Girl K Is For The People only cements that.

The first thing about the new EP that jumps out to me is the influence of New Wave. You could put “Hah” or “Departures” on any 80s themed playlist, and no one would flinch. The way Patino’s voice plays off the keyboard on the former is a thing of beauty. The other is how many great hooks they can fit in a song. This was true in 2019 when the chorus from “Speed Racer” embedded itself in my head, and it’s still true in 2021. Like, that “give me love, give me proof, show me trust, speak truth” line in the titular song is gonna fucking stick forever. And that guitar on “Real Mad” is such a killer.

Girl K Is For The People feels like a game changer for this band. Sunflower Court and For Now are both great, and I’ll love them forever. But this new record sounds like a band on the cusp of something big. There are a handful of bands from Chicago that will always sound like home to me. Girl K is one of them.

Girl K
Take This To Heart Records
Bandcamp
Buy it

REVIEW: Parting – “Unmake Me”

I’m trying to find a way to start this that doesn’t include listing off bands and records from the “emo revival” (ugh). So, to yada-yada the intro, Parting is Keith Latinen from Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate), Ben Hendricks from Annabel, Gooey Fame from Dowsing, and John Guynn from Hawn & Son. The record is released by Count Your Lucky Stars. Ok, are we good?

Let’s get super up our own asses for a minute. Where did we land on the emo revival? Like, what is the “in summation…” statement? I know what it means to me, but what is the consensus? It’s been over a decade. There has to be something. I don’t bring this up because I’m a miserable bastard trapped in nostalgia. It’s a fair description, but it’s not the whole reason. Parting is an interesting bookend kind of a band. The members of this band helped codify the “revival” sound. They have released all-time genre classics. It only seems fair that they would put out a record to kind of tie everything together.

Unmake Me is the kind of music I made this website to talk about about. It’s reductive to say the record is genre “greatest hits” type gimmick. It’s not not that, but there is more to it. There are small touches throughout that give the record legs. Everything just works. From the electronics pulsing in “He’s Obviously Beekeeping Age” to the gang vocals closing off the record on “Living Proof.” Unmake Me speaks for itself better than most records can. It would be easy to float by on bona fides. It would be easy to shit out a record that’s just a sum of it’s parts. This isn’t that. This is a band who knows what they’re doing, and they’re doing it well.

It’s almost impossible to talk about Parting without addressing the Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) elephant in the room. The songs were written by Keith Latinen, it was put out on his label, and it has a similar vibe in a lot of places. The songs have more of a pop edge that his previous catalog did. The songs on Unmake Me also have a very frank delivery. It feels very adult. I don’t know if 20-something me would connect to a song like “Ratt Michards” or “He’s Obviously Beekeeping Age” the way 36 year old me does. Those songs are both an examination of fleeting moments. One is the realization that you’re pissing your time away. The other is the desire to have something last just a bit longer. These are songs that speak to an angst, but not necessarily the kind this genre is known for.

Parting have a debut that doesn’t sound like a debut. It’s a record made by people with years in the game. It’s a must have for people who love this genre. Grab the 10″ if you can.

Here’s to hoping I never have to use the phrase “emo revival” ever again. Let’s leave the wave designation to the ska kids.

Parting
Count Your Lucky Stars
strictly no capital letters
Bandcamp

YEAR END! – Top Records Of 2020

Ok. It’s 7am on New Year’s Eve as I’m writing this. I barely slept last night. I guess it’s year end list time. 2020 was a whole goddamn thing. In the broader sense, the pandemic and politics of the year were a fucking disaster. On a personal level, I had to leave Illinois at the end of the summer. I got transferred at work. I’m now up in Minnesota. It’s…ehhh. I can’t wait for live music to be back. I want to see how the Minneapolis music scene compares to Chicago’s. That will be a tough challenge. Chicago is the best.

Anyway. These are my favorite records of the year. In alphabetical order, because that just makes sense. Ok?

Anna Burch – “If You’re Dreaming”
The Chinkees – “K.A. Music”
Dehd – “Flower Of Devotion”
Frances Quinlan – “Likewise”
Gia Margaret – “Mia Gargaret”
Gladie – “Safe Sins”
Joan Of Arc – “Tim Melina Theo Bobby”
Melkbelly – “PITH”
Nana Grizol – “South Somewhere Else”
NNAMDÏ- “Brat”
Ohmme – “Fantasize Your Ghost”
Open Mike Eagle – “Anime, Trauma And Divorce”
Overo / Asthenia – “Split”
Ratboys – “Printer’s Devil”
Slow Pulp – “Moveys”
Sugar High – “Love Addict”
Surf Rock Is Dead – “Existential Playboy”
Tenci – “My Heart Is An Open Field”
Thank You, I’m Sorry – “I’m Glad We’re Friends”
V.V. Lightbody – “Make A Shrine Or Burn It”

It’s worth noting that Gladie and NNAMDÏ both put out a bunch of great music this year. Consider everything they put out as being on this list.

Also, did anyone have a better year than Kris Esfandiari? Absolutely everything she put out this year was great. She released music as Sugar High, Miserable, Dalmatian, NGHTCRWLR, and KRIS this year. Everything sounded different, and everything is worth a listen. Excited to see what the new King Woman stuff will sound like.

Fuck it. That’s it. Spotify playlist included below.

From the Inbox (10/30/20) // Black Adidas – “My Favourite Song”

FROM THE INBOX:

Tune your radio to the left of the dial, and discover your new favourite song.

LA based indie punk artist Black Adidas returns to release his latest powerful, raw, and cheeky single “My Favourite Song”. Produced by The Mighty Lemondrops’ Dave Newton, “My Favourite Song” features crunching riffs, eclectic arrangement, and the sort of infectious melody that will inject a musical ardor into any listener. “My Favourite Song” once again explores Black Adidas’ creative range, with the sort of intricate production and unique instrumentation that sets him apart from most punk these days. In a troubling year to say the least, Black Adidas delivers a bit of escapism. Make sure to add this release to your daily rotation as it will brighten any bad day.

I’m a huge fan of the musical direction that Black Adidas has been going in with the last couple singles. The synth made the previous single, “Be Cool,” really stand out to me. It’s inclusion here is a huge part of why I like “My Favourite Song” so much too.

Punk music is still subculture, but barely. Everyone has an idea of what “punk” sounds like. It’s refreshing to see an artist playing around with the genre. It’s still a guitar riff type song, but having the sound of a Roland Juno 60 adds a great layer to the song. It would have worked as a purely guitar song, but I think it works much better like this.

Black Adidas
Bandcamp