Honorable Mentions - A whisker away from making the cut, with one fatal flaw
Beach Slang - The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
When you get a text from a friend that insinuates that there is a band you should be listening to that sounds like a post-punk Replacements, there is not much you can do other than go out and immediately acquire it. And after a couple listens it turns out Mr. Shaffer was onto something. A bunch of songs about partying too much, losing out on late night loves and feeling miserable the next day presented in the format of charging punk and raucous vocals could catch my ear but not surprise me much. Sprinkle in that the guys singing them in are in their 40s (?!?!) though and suddenly your ears have a new twist. Looking back, I think this didn't make this list because of where I am in life. Given my own early 20s and I think I could have connected with this much more. As for now, it shall have to reside here until my wife decides to leave me for listening to too much power punk.
Key Tracks: "Throwaways", "I Break Guitars"
Key Tracks: "Throwaways", "I Break Guitars"
Gary Clark Jr. - The Story of Sonny Boy Slim
A prodigious guitarist and just a downright cool looking man, Mr. Clarkasaur Jr. rose to prominence in the Austin scene with his dirty blues and the acclaim was well deserved. Sadly, outside of a couple tracks, his first album true came across like an unfortunate combination of a bluesman and the modern radio schlock of overproduced rap and R&B. It wasn't all bad, but it was disappointing. As a result, I didn't go into this album expecting much and I waited a long while to even listen to it. After a sparkling Austin City Limits performance though, I had to give him another whirl and I came away quite pleased. It still has twinges of the hip-hop sound but on a whole it's a grimy ass blues album and it's excellent. More than likely, the main reason it's up here in HonMen world is due to the fact that I only really gave it a chance about two weeks ago. Time to remedy that.
Key Tracks: "The Healing", "Can't Sleep"
Key Tracks: "The Healing", "Can't Sleep"
Kurt Vile - b’lieve i’m going down
Now here is a case of going in the opposite direction of GCJr. I became infatuated with the previous release by Mr. Vile, Wakin on a Pretty Daze, listening to the title track enough to get my son to enter said daze phase whenever it came on. After hearing the first single off the new one, I was as expectant as a shotgun wedding bride. And then I heard the rest. This is the blessing and the curse of expectations. I went in so hell-bent on wanting more of the same that a perfectly excellent, rambling collection of deep thoughts and armchair self analysis didn't hit me in the same sweet spot. Give me the right mood or throw it on in the background and I always find myself extremely pleased. Bring it to the forefront though and allow me to focus a little more and I drift off into constant wonder. I'm an unabashed guitar lover and when I know what a man can do with it only to have him slide it off to the side, it's always going to be hard for me to love it as much as I should. Hoping to go see him in person soon to allow the live setting to breathe new life into this already underappreciated (by me, that is) collection of tracks.
Key Tracks: "Pretty Pimpin", "Dust Bunnies"
Key Tracks: "Pretty Pimpin", "Dust Bunnies"
Perusing through the racks at the local record store with my wife one afternoon, we wandered over to each other and realized we both were really feeling the tunes emanating from the speakers. With both of us not knowing what we were hearing, we asked the store clerk who informed us it was a local troupe from the Raleigh area that had a sort of cult status after opening for Wilco (having got their name from "I am Trying to Break Your Heart), the Drive by Truckers and other relatively big names. Attempting to buy the album on the spot proved fruitless as we were listening to a promo copy but we soon picked the vinyl and have been spinning it on occasion ever since. They've put out seven albums in six years and crowdsourced funds for this most recent one to allow them to record it in the famous Muscle Shoals studios. It does a fantastic job of encapsulating a lot of the alt-country style that I've grown to appreciate all the while adding in a NC specific touch with both the lyrics and the sensibilities. If you dig on Tupelo, country Blitzen Trapper or Son Volt this is well worth your time and efforts to track down.
Key Tracks: "Southern Sadness", "Losing Side of 25"
Honestly, this was my hardest omission. This didn't make my top 10 list ONLY for the fact that I couldn't pick any of the 10 below to remove. An artist I would have never listened to previously (or since for that matter...what the heck was that mixtape?) Chazwick Bundick decided to make a funky power pop album, shifting away from his typical chillwave sound to please my aural cavities in an absolutely wondrous way. For a solid two week stretch, after stumbling onto this on NPRs "First Listen", I didn't listen to much else. However, it was more than that. I didn't listen to much else OTHER than 3 songs off this album. Those three were infectious and brilliant (see Key Tracks below) but the album as a whole didn't quite have enough meat to keep me coming back. I wanted to sneak you in Chaz and you will always have a joyous place in my dance-y power pop world, but you didn't quite have enough substance to make the cut. Sorry.
Key Tracks: "Buffalo", "Spell it Out", "Empty Nesters"
The Real Deal - A countdown of 10 albums that hit that sweet spot in my brain
10. Happyness - Weird Little Birthday
It all started one run of four consecutive snow day in North Carolina. That sentence is odd enough but throw in the fact that it was for a grand total of three inches of snow and things start to get weird. That should nicely wrap up the mindset of where I was at when I went in search of new music only to come across the first single of what some were calling "Britain's answer to Pavement". Having my interest piqued, I dove in and came away pleasantly surprised. While the musical comparison was only somewhat apt, it was the ethos that seemed to truly connect with Malkmus and Co. There were catchy, fantastic pop songs buried within the odd chord structures, weird change ups or atonal plinks and plunks that came to define Pavement that I heard as the true connective thread. It's not for everyone but if you're willing to invest the time, you'll come away with a masterclass in appreciation for what lies beneath. There are two minute catchy as hell little ditties, long piano ballads and everything in between. With song titles that are weird references to zombie snacks, lyrics lamenting one being born on Christmas day and a clearly non-edited 17 tracks, this scrappy young crew has given me hope of many excellent albums to come.
Key Tracks: "It's On You", "Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste the Same"
It all started one run of four consecutive snow day in North Carolina. That sentence is odd enough but throw in the fact that it was for a grand total of three inches of snow and things start to get weird. That should nicely wrap up the mindset of where I was at when I went in search of new music only to come across the first single of what some were calling "Britain's answer to Pavement". Having my interest piqued, I dove in and came away pleasantly surprised. While the musical comparison was only somewhat apt, it was the ethos that seemed to truly connect with Malkmus and Co. There were catchy, fantastic pop songs buried within the odd chord structures, weird change ups or atonal plinks and plunks that came to define Pavement that I heard as the true connective thread. It's not for everyone but if you're willing to invest the time, you'll come away with a masterclass in appreciation for what lies beneath. There are two minute catchy as hell little ditties, long piano ballads and everything in between. With song titles that are weird references to zombie snacks, lyrics lamenting one being born on Christmas day and a clearly non-edited 17 tracks, this scrappy young crew has given me hope of many excellent albums to come.
Key Tracks: "It's On You", "Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste the Same"
There isn't much that can surprise me in the musical world of constant leaks, incessant updates and never ending press releases. So, to be told that a former all time band of mine was going to be releasing a previously unannounced album that you could download for free immediately, I was naturally flabbergasted. With my enthusiasm tempered somewhat by the fact that their last two albums had been rather mundane, I nonetheless dove in. Perhaps they had lowered my expectations. Maybe my excitement was just renewed thanks to having them restore all of my faith when I saw them live this past May. Whatever the case, I was fully in after one listen. It wasn't a return to form on the level of A Ghost is Born or Sky Blue Sky but it was back to being a little weird, discordant and unique, a former trademark. I found myself going back over and over, listening through to the entire album instead of just one track here and there. It felt like getting back together with a jilted lover and I embraced every second of it. Thanks Wilco, I always knew we could work things out.
Key Tracks: "Taste the Ceiling", "Magnetized"
This band is the epitome of modern soul. Brittany Howard's voice does things to me. It reaches into the depth of my being and pulls out every single scrap of my love of authenticity. It's a perfect pairing with the production work done by Blake Mills, whom serves to enhance everything they do. Listening to this album makes me want to dig back through the annals of history and acquire everything that led them to their sound of today. The music manages to pull off the wondrous feat of being lushly textured without being even remotely busy. The band can chill, rock, swing and groove. It's versatility at it's finest. The whole band is tight as could be but it's Howard that truly shines with her masterful vocals and killer guitar playing. It's the kind of music that I feel like I could play for any type of music fan, throwing it on at a party regardless of the attendees. I hope that when musical historians stumble across the radio pop of today they also manage to find this album too, letting it be a bastion of sanity in an insane musical world.
Key Tracks: "Don't Wanna Fight", "Over My Head"
7. Built to Spill - Untethered Moon
The more I look back at their career, the more I realize these guys may be one of the only bands out there that has never put out an album that remotely let me down. There will always be all the elements that pique my interest and keep me geeked. Beautiful warbling Neil Y style vocals? Check. Enough guitars to take down a brick house? Strong check. Rambling songs that go in four directions only to end in a swirl of guitar madness? Emphatic check. From the moment I heard the lead single, I knew the new rhythm section was going to fit in just fine with Douglas and Co. It seemed to enliven BtS in a way that brought them to a newer, at times funkier, sound. Returning to the original idea of constantly switching the lineup, a new drummer and bass player were brought in to be a spark for Dougie Fresh as he painted all over the canvas they laid down with his Fender Strat Plus. From the get-go, the first song is both a commentary on how comfortable/familiar their old songs can be whilst catapulting the band into a completely new stratosphere for aggressive/rocking tunes all the while. The lyrics are on point (investigate C.R.E.B. when you get a chance and then let that song do things to you) and allow me to learn, ruminate and contemplate life differently every time, something few artists have the capacity to do. There is always a long time between albums for these guys, something that has proven difficult for such a big fan. But knowing how often I can be let down by other bands that are still going at this point in their career, perhaps they just might know what they're doing.
Key Tracks: "All Our Songs", "Living Zoo"
I barely planned on giving this album the time of day. Though I'd always been a fan of Matt Berninger with his other band, The National, I knew he didn't write music and felt like there may not be too many other styles that were suited to his unique baritone. Bringing in another musician who would incorporate funky keyboards, guitar solos and everything else The National was not seemed like a recipe for disappointment (and shockingly if you're Pitchfork, that's exactly what you thought), but for me it became the pleasant surprise of the year. Looking back through the pieces and descriptors that make this band up, there really isn't any reason I should or would like the end result. But hot damn I can't get enough. It's stilted and weird and funky and fun. Fun? Berninger? That doesn't seem possible but one time through the cocksure strut of the lead single and I was hooked. As I listen through and analyze my list, I feel this might be the one that will be the least accepted by the general populus (read: the 6 friends who will read this), and I understand that sentiment. This could end up being a one off for these two fellas but knowing that the National's sound has the potential of getting a little stale, this might serve the dual purpose of giving them a fresh angle and enticing me in the process.
Key Tracks: "Happiness, Missouri", "I'm the Man To Be"
Ever since his first album helped me get through a boring, rough and somewhat lonely extra semester at college to finish grad school, I've had a soft spot for the spawn of Albert Hammond. Seeing him reunite with his main band, The Strokes, this past May was exhilarating, not to mention an excellent reminder how much ass the Strokes kick when they put their mind to it. In terms of his solo work though, it hasn't been anything one can pin down. The first album was dreamy Beatles pop apparitions. The second was more angular, comparatively harder straightforward pop rock tunes. And that brings us to this one, his first fully sober effort. It's tight, compact, and a glorious look at the talent that he possesses. His singing sounds upbeat and effortless. His band is tight and the songs, while Strokesian, offer a true glimpse as to what he brings to the band while also showing his own abilities quite nicely. Momentary Masters comes in at a taught 36 minutes with one exceedingly catchy song after another. In an age where it's all too easy to skip around, this album slides very nicely into the category of "just let it play from start to end".
Key Tracks: "Caught by My Shadow", "Losing Touch"
In my opinion, the career arc for these guys followed a somewhat similar parabola to Gary Clark Jr. An extremely promising start, tons of buzz and then national recognition that led to a flop of a debut major label album where they ended up sounding nothing like who they are or should be. This was going to be a tipping point for me. If they once again attempted to recreate the watered down Black Keys sound (thanks in no small part to Patrick Carney producing their first one), I might have to just take their early work and go home. At least we'd always have Learn and Burn fellas. Thankfully all my worries were for naught as they vaulted back onto my radar with a return to form in Future Nostalgia. Outside of being an excellent title, it's as bloated and awesome as every 70s rock cliche ever should be. Checking in with 18 tracks, a glorious 4 song medley, a dab of mellotron, a pinch of trombone, some doubled Skynardian guitars and Ewan Curie's sexy Saskatchewanian pipes, it's had me in the palm of its hand. If you love that 70s sound, drop whatever you are doing and track this baby down. You shan't be disappointed.
Key Tracks: "Nothing All of the Time", "Bad Lieutenant"
3. Blitzen Trapper - All Across this Land
Speaking of bands that can do no wrong... these guys are on point yet again. It's another stylistic hard left, turning from the hick-hop backwoods funk gospel of VII and heading back to the comforting sounds of the rootsy Americana of American Goldwing. It's been on my mind and in my ears since the moment it came out. It's also been a band that I've been able to form a true cadre of friends around. A few months ago, a collection of five friends and I went to see them live. I can probably name fewer than two bands that all 6 of those fellas could agree on to go see but hot damn if they didn't have us all grooving along to old standards, enjoying the heck out of hearing the new ones and marvelling at their never ending versatility in their cover choices (The Beatles "You Never Give Me Your Money", Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" not to mention three more??). I'll admit that I am a little bias here too. The band members have always taken the time to have a personal touch with their fanbase and I've been no exception. They reply to tweets, thank you for positive reviews, reply with video messages to questions and before the show even took a request for their live set from me. It's the kind of thing that may seem small but it lays down roots that will establish and ensure my bonded connection to them for years to come, regardless of if they keep putting out awesome albums or not (which as an added bonus, they do). Call me easy but hot damn if you're willing to do that, you're going to have a fan for life.
Key Tracks: "All Across this Land", "Across the River"
Key Tracks: "All Across this Land", "Across the River"
2. Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands
Here I sat with another band that had me a smidge nervous. There aren't many artists period that captivated me the way Dawes did on their first two records. They were stunning pieces of art that captured me as a whole, on record and in person. But by their third album, they were getting a little philosophical and just... slow for me. It wasn't bad music, but there was no energy, not nearly as much soul and certainly no guitar. It felt beautiful but sterile, like a gorgeous surgeon. So when I started to read about this album and saw quotes about "a return to their live sound" and "plentiful guitar", my expectations were sky high. Then the first single, "Things Happen" came along and though it was enjoyable, it didn't strike me as anything too incredible. I was worried. Thankfully, all those worries were assuaged the minute I gave the rest of the album a spin. This is a band that has honed it's talents playing live, jamming lots and being a backing band for many other big names artists (Conor Oberst and Jackson Browne to name a few). This has allowed them to hone their taught sound into something amazing. You can't stifle that and this new one set them free. It's loose, first take live sound is exactly the kind of thing you get when you see them in person. The songs sprawl and stretch, the stories are as good as ever, the guitar solos are more prominent than ever before and I had myself an album I was looking to share with anyone I could. There's a timelessness about their sound that allows me to share it with almost anyone too. Whether it was my mother, older sister, wife, younger friends, colleagues or son, most everyone had the same reaction I did. Welcome back Dawes.
Key Tracks: "I Can't Think About it Now", "Right on Time"
1. Father John Misty - I Love You, HoneybearEasily the most divisive choice on my list, you're either going to be all in on this one, or remarkably out. Let's return to that same set of snow days mentioned before in number choice 10 though. That same "cabin fever with a one year old" mindset led me in search of some odd new music and though I'd enjoyed his first album, after two listens through this one I couldn't figure out what in the hell was happening, nor could I contend I even... liked it per se. In fact, I don't know what in the world compelled me to keep listening to it at all. But that's exactly what I did. Returning over and over to the baroque chamber pop metacritical soul that is the work of one Josh Tillman, I couldn't get enough. Seven or eight times in I was positively hooked and trying to think of ways to convince my friends to have the same patience I did in order to allow them to experience it the same way I had. I snagged a few hook, line and sinker but couldn't blame at all the others that couldn't seem to find that same connection. It's freaking weird music. I don't even know how in the world it's my favorite album. For one though, the production and instrumentation of the previously mentioned in other year end lists Jonathan Wilson was a downright perfect fit. Still, I look around and see it on other lists and start to wonder if I was influenced by the chic choice of the year. In all honesty though, that's not it. I was on board 2 days after it's release and basically thought I might be the only one. I had to think of creative prefaces to give to all I suggested it to, qualifying my likes with various other explanations until I was finally comfortable enough to just admit that the music was gorgeous and the lyrics were pretty damn profound. Is the guy a smarmy, pompous jerk? Does he say some of the most pretentious shit ever put down on record? Is he actively trying to be counter to everything "normal"? The answer to each of these is yes. But yes is also the answer to did he put on the best live performance I've seen all year (no small task) and do his lyrics make me truly think about the world around me in a new and different way? He's unique as could be and there is no way everyone is going to be on board. I know he certainly doesn't care about that and it seems like I have finally gotten to the point where I don't either.
Key Tracks: "When You're Smiling and Astride Me", "Strange Encounter"
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