Tag: The Hotelier

YEAR END! – Top Records Of 2016

tfnr

2016 was on some bullshit, man. I didn’t dedicate a lot of time to the blog because shit just kept happening. I kept running into car related money problems. My personal life kept finding new and exciting ways to be terrible. And everything really kind of stopped after my dad died back in May.

I’m still trying to figure out how much longer I’m going to keep doing things here. I’m leaning more toward keeping up than I was back in October. I guess we’ll see where it all goes in the coming months. Anyway, here are my top 25 favorite records of 2016 in alphabetical order:

  • Angel Olsen – “My Woman”
  • Colleen Green – “Colleen Green”
  • Computer Magic – “Obscure But Visible”
  • Dowsing – “Okay”
  • Flock Of Dimes – “If You See Me, Say Yes”
  • Fucko – “Dealing With The Weird”
  • Frankie Cosmos – “Next Thing”
  • Haybaby – “Blood Harvest”
  • The Hotelier – “Goodness”
  • Japanese Breakfast – “Psychopomp”
  • Kindling – “Everywhere Else”
  • Kowabunga! Kid – “Wasting My Time”
  • Magik*Magik – “MAGIK*MAGIK”
  • Middle Part – “Middle Part”
  • Miserable – “Uncontrollable”
  • Mitski – “Puberty 2”
  • Museum Mouth – “Popcorn Fish Guinea Pig”
  • Nancy Pants – “Vol. 27 EP”
  • Orations – “Incantation”
  • Psychic Twin – “Strange Diary”
  • Sad Blood – “Legion Of Gloom”
  • Save Ends – “Hug Your Friends”
  • Signals Midwest – “At This Age”
  • Slingshot Dakota – “Break”
  • Slow Bloom – “Slow Bloom”

That’s the list. Yes, I know there are some high profile releases that I didn’t include. Most glaringly, I passed on the American Football record and the Jimmy Eat World record. I know I’m supposed to love those records, but I really didn’t.

In the immortal words of the Wu-Tang Clan: if you want beef, then bring the ruckus.

YEAR END! – Top Twenty Records Of 2014

fulllengthIN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

  • Allison Crutchfield – “Lean Into It”
  • Braid – “No Coast”
  • Cayetana – “Nervous Like Me”
  • Crisis Arm – “Rend”
  • Dikembe – “Mediumship”
  • Divino Niño – “Pool Jealousy”
  • Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) – “You Will Eventually Be Forgotten”
  • Free Throw – “Those Days Are Gone”
  • Grey Zine – “Destitution”
  • The Hotelier – “Home Like Noplace Is There”
  • Kill The Intellectuals – “I Hope You Die Painlessly – With Laugh Lines And Wrinkles Around Your Eyes”
  • Kittyhawk – “Hello, Again”
  • Late Bloomer – “Things Change”
  • Living Room – “Moonchaser”
  • Mother Room – “Scorched”
  • Museum Mouth – “Alex I Am Nothing”
  • My Fictions – “Stranger Songs”
  • Perfect Future – “Manifesto”
  • Sport – “Bon Voyage”
  • Weak Teeth – “So You’ve Ruined Your Life”

REVIEW: The Hotelier – “Home, Like Noplace Is There”

hotelierI don’t like blowing smoke up anyone’s ass. That said, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, I was never stoked on The Hotel Year. Their debut full length, It Never Goes Out, just didn’t do it for me. It was a generally alright record, but it just wasn’t for me. It’s been three years since that record came out. Some time off, a name change, and a new record has done wonders. The Hotel Year is now The Hotelier, and Home, Like Noplace Is There is fucking great. If you ask me what a breakout record looks like, I’ll point you in this direction.

So, what’s different? To my ears, quite a bit. First and foremost is the development of Christian Holden as a vocalist. He comes across stronger, more interested, and more invested. His range is right on the money. Need a more calm, ballad delivery? Check. Need him to just belt it the fuck out? Double check. Another improvement is the that, without getting into the boring old trope of “maturity” or whatever, the lyrics have gotten significantly better. I mean, goddamn, how could anyone not feel the emotion in a song like “Your Deep Rest?”

This is a punk rock record first and foremost. The band is further embracing more “emo” tropes though, especially on songs like “Among The Wildflowers” and “Life In Drag.” The vocals on those tracks are pure fucking catharsis. The band weaves it’s way through tones and time changes, and the vocals reach their most extreme.

Home, Like Noplace Is There is a great example of the more “punk” side of emo music. It’s aggressive and rough, but still melodic and welcoming. If I was tentative about this band on their first record, I’m all in on this one. The Hotel Year is dead, long live The Hotelier.

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