Top 40 of 2013 - #40 to #36

2013 has been a strange year.  The first half of the year had passed before I truly felt much of a spark from the music that I draw so much from.  There were January disappointing announcements of two promising young bands calling it quits (Nature Set and Standard Fare).  There were exciting returns from legendary bands, such as My Bloody Valentine – something that seemed like it would never happen – but in the end, their newest self-released album left me feeling empty and unmoved.  It sounded like so-so B-sides that wouldn’t have made the cut on their amazing late 80s Creation EPs.  It’s nice to have them back and maybe baby steps are what they needed to make, since following up their groundbreaking 1991 loveless is next to impossible.   

Similarly, we saw another surprising reappearance from the Pixies after 22 years.  Sure, they've been touring relentlessly for the better part of a decade, but it's been all the old stuff.  So, the odd news that Kim Deal had left the band coincided with news of new material.  Whatever the case, the initial free download offering of "Bagboy" was promising.  It contained many of the elements that made them groundbreaking and now legendary, but had a new twist.  However, their proper re-debut with EP-1 is simply a collection of four disappointing generic songs.


Then there was the re-appearance of my more recent favorites Editors, releasing their fourth LP, but this time without founding guitarist Chris Urbanowicz.  His input and creative style of playing was clearly a huge part of what made Editors so good, because the resultant The Weight of Love is an okay collection of Kings of Leon sounding love ballads and big U2 style anthems.  It does not contain the magic that originally drew me to the band in the first place.  Too bad.

 

Yet, as the year reached the end of summer, music started to click into full force again – into an embarrassment of riches, making me wish I had riches to afford it all.  Every year is an excellent one for music; it’s just a matter of tracking it down.  Sometimes it takes more time and energy than others, but it is out there and 2013 turned out to be pretty special.  

40.

Summer of Blood

Summer of Blood EP

(self-released)

Well, this is quite interesting.  A menacingly titled debut EP limited to only 50 copies.  This five songer is lovingly pieced together with lots of little inserts in the sleeve and an old school photocopied cut and paste style information page.  I don’t know much about this fledgling Sheffield band, except that it formed out of the ashes of the tragically short-lived Nature Set – a band who weren’t around long enough to release an album, but whose two EPs managed their way into my heart with their pleasing pop immediacy (2011 #14 here & 2012 #19 here).  The EP opens with a mellow walk through the park with “Mainstream Rituals,” but then things get going with the dirtier sounding “Blood Curl,” a bitter ode to a broken relationship.  “Mi Sagrado Corazon” brings back the heavy organ layers from the first track and kind of goes nowhere.  But the proceedings are saved by another gritty song in “Straw Dogs.”  This buzzing pop number reminds the most of the former Nature Set, but with heavy guitar work burgeoning underneath the organ lead.  Its simple mid-tempo beat and repeated refrain “you never felt this way before” is instantly a winner.  The proceedings close with an unlisted short instrumental ‘Summer Rituals II,” which is pretty and makes me curious what direction this band will go with their next release and if they’ll stick it out long enough to grow.  If they do, I’ll be listening!

(facebook.com/pages/Summer-of-Blood/552276668136890)

39.

Standard Fare

“Rumours” 7”

(Kingfisher Bluez)

My love affair with Standard Fare was abruptly cut short in January of this year, when they announced that they were splitting after only two albums and a handful of singles (see here for 2010 #3 pick, here for 2011 #13, and here for 2012 #8).  It’s so sad, because I fell so hard for their fun, energetic sound and especially Emma Kupa’s unique vocal style.  Luckily, they left us with great music to listen to going forward and to remind us to wonder ‘what could have been.’  This limited edition 7” (only 300 copies!!) is their farewell to us fans.  They give us what are clearly songs that didn’t make the second LP cut (Out of Sight, Out of Town), but they are still quality songs.  The A-side, “Rumours” is a breezy, light on its feet strummer, with excellent guitar flourishes by the underrated Danny How.  This should’ve made the last album or at least should be more widely heard.  The lyrics, as always, have a natural feel, as if ripped from a diary and they tell a story that seems to allude to either a failed or unrequited past affair and the rumors and fallout that have kept these people apart for so long.  Meanwhile, the quick two minutes that make up the B-Side, “Out of Sight” is clearly B material, but still a catchy little song of escape - a fitting closure for a great young band.

(standardfare.co.uk  /  kingfisherbluez.com)

38.

The Joy Formidable

Wolf’s Law

(Canvasback Music/Atlantic)

Over the last three plus years my fire and love for The Joy Formidable has been substantial.  Their 2009/2010 mini LP A Balloon Called Moaning and the debt full length, 2011’s The Big Roar, both became my #1 picks for those respective years (seen here & here), and the few times I’ve been lucky enough to see them perform live have been exhilarating and thrilling to say the least.  This is a band that brings it and brings it consistently; maybe more than any band I’ve ever seen.  Their emergence made me feel like a teenager again, when I was discovering music on my own and seeing live music for the first time.  This second full length appears just after they have toured the western world multiple times gathering a substantial fan base the old fashioned way – one audience at a time – with an album full of hope.  They have added diversity with a beautiful batch of slower songs (the acoustic ballad “Silent Treatment” and the timeless sounding “The Turnaround”), several orchestral touches (“This Ladder is Ours,” “Forest Serenade”) and of course a bunch of massive sounding showstoppers (“Little Blimp,” “The Leopard and the Lung”).  Lyrically, they seem to be finding an amazing amount of hope, wonder and redemption with humanity, even after we continue to burn, rape and pillage the Earth and each other and their enthusiasm feels authentic and believable.  Yet, for some reason, this one has not quite settled with me.  I love it and have listened to it over and over, but it hasn’t captured me in the same manner.  It could be that it needs a simple tweak in production or mix (maybe Andy Wallace’s metallic sheen has sucked some of the life out of their performances?), because when sprinkled into the live setting these songs fit in spectacularly with the older favorites – especially the astounding unlisted title track that closes this album now that it has been paired with the set closing blitzkrieg that is “Whirring.”  Or maybe it is that the epic centerpiece “Maw Maw Song” is the first song of theirs that I don’t particularly like.  Whatever the case, this is all nitpicking, because this Welsh trio is still about the most exciting band out there today.

(thejoyformidable.com)

37. 

The Black Watch

The End of When 2xCD

(Pop Culture Press)

I first encountered the black watch way back in 1993 when I happened across their 7” single “Whatever You Need” b/w “Come Inside.”  I purchased it solely because it was $3 and the cover featured a nice picture of my first ever crush: Natalie Wood.  Such a frivolous music fan I am, but wow – what a record!  Both of those songs are among this veteran band’s best.  Anyway, this started me on the current journey following them and enjoying their unbelievable consistency.  This new release made me especially curious, since their 2010/11 11^th album Led Zeppelin V was their best in several years (my 2011 #33 pick seen here).  Bandleader John Andrew Fredrick seems revitalized ever since ex-Chills guitarist Steven Schayer has joined the group a few years back.  The songs are more vibrant and memorable again, like in the 90s, when they strung together a ton of great singles and some really solid albums.  The first few songs here have their skittering layered guitars bleeding with extra urgency and fire.  The opening “I Don’t Feel the Same” sounds like one of their classic songs and would sound perfect on any of their albums.  Meanwhile, “Meg” is their best single in eons.  The cascading drums and that scratchy repetitive guitar riff build up a compelling case that Meg is pretty special (I especially like the line: “You know I go all ice cream inside”).  The album loses a bit of that energetic momentum as it progresses, but the softer songs start to reveal their intricacies with repeated listens.  The jaunty sounding “The Spare Side” adds a new element with a horn section, but the sound, as is often the case, belies the downer message of the words.  But who cares?  The bridge and song tempo shift about halfway through and it’s absolutely stunning.  The Steven Schayer led closer shows, once again, that he is a really good songwriter in his own right, as “Unlistening” evokes a very powerful load of emotions atop a simple guitar line and some backwards effects.  Another good album from this band and there seems to be a little more notice of their efforts this time around.  Here’s hoping for 25 more years!!

This album is also packaged with essentially a free best of CD.  There is a sixteen song collection that compiles songs from their 1991 sophomore LP Flowering up to the aforementioned Led Zep V.  There is a lot to take in, but it proves the point: they’ve been really good for a really long time.  And which songs show up?  Those two from the Natalie Wood single?  Why yes, they sure do.  Also, while you’re busy taking in their history, pick up and read Fredrick’s recently reissued or finally issued novel The King of Good Intentions!

(facebook.com/theblackwatchmusic)

  

36.

Swervedriver

“Deep Wound” (download single)

(Tym)

New material from Swervedriver?!  Huh?  They’ve been touring consistently for several years now and astounding audiences by somehow being even better than they were as an active recording band in the 90s.  Meanwhile, leader Adam Franklin has been consistently releasing his own really good albums (with Bolts of Melody) over the last several years.  It didn’t seem like the actual Swervedriver would be new again.  Yet, December has come and this previously tour only and obscure Australian import 7” (I tried to order, but it was ungodly expensive) has finally been made available via download with news of an upcoming new album.  Perhaps all of the recent signs of their massive influence on so many of today’s bands have them wanting to reclaim their turf.  “Deep Wound” shows no sign of rust either and seems like an ode to one of their influences by naming the song after the pre-Dinosaur Jr. hardcore band Deep Wound.  Obviously, the constant touring has kept them sharp, because this song has the same white hot edge that they always had, along with Franklin’s great voice and amazing ability to write intricate guitar hooks that can be simultaneously dreamy and shredding.  The b-side is a reworked version of the a-side, labeled as “Dub Wound.”  It really isn’t very dubby, but definitely has a more spacious sound.  It’s pretty fantastic in its own right.   Cheers to a new album in 2014!

(swervedriver.com)

  

see more here:

#35 to #31 
#30 to #26 
#25 to #21
#20 to #16
#15 to #11  
#10 to #6
 #5 to #1

Top 40 of 2012 Part III

20.

Veronica Falls
“My Heart Beats” 7”
(Slumberland)

Veronica Falls’ debut album (my 2011 #9 pick seen here) was quite an eye opener. If the year had just lasted a bit longer, I would hazard a guess that it would’ve risen higher than my random and arbitrary #9 ranking. Their spell-binding vocal harmonies and precisely strummed dry guitars adorn some incredibly timeless pop songs on top of some very dark lyrics. That is definitely the place to begin, if you’re unfamiliar, but for those of us needing a fresh fix this post tour single is quite an appetizer. “My Heart Beats” is easily as good as anything from that album. The low end rumbles and shakes its way through a very simple but powerful tune. It may be because the vocals are more upfront in this one, or how the guitars jangle and howl alternately, but this is a great sign that they are here for the long haul. The quiet reflective organ driven “Killing Time” is a request to spend time with someone who may or may not concur. It’s simple, but eerily heartbreaking. They have recently released a preview to their early 2013 album named “Teenage,” and it is worth a look too. Bring on the new album!
(veronicafalls.com)

Veronica Falls-My Heart Beats

19.

Nature Set
If I Crawl, You Crawl EP
(Dufflecoat)

I was hoping for a full album from these gals and guy after their fun and exhilarating 7” EP on Elefant Records last year (my 2011 #14 pick seen here), but I will have to make due with this 5 songer for the time being. Three of these songs appeared late last year on a split cassette release (with Former Lover – a project started by former Long Blondes’ guitarist songwriter Dorian Cox. The Long Blondes’ former bassist Reenie Hollis is now in Nature Set.), but I am glad they have been rescued from that horrible format. I know cassettes are kind of hip these days, but for those of us who were around when that was the biggest selling music format – believe me when I say that there is a good reason they are now mostly gone. Anyway, this EP opens right where last year’s single left off with the super 60s garage rock inspired organ infused “Avalanche” and it is superb! “If You Lived Here You’d Be home By Now” continues the organ fueled sound, but increases the pace and throws in some nice handclaps and their oddly high pitched background harmonies (luckily they keep those things low in the mix – they are a bit worrisome). “Hands” feels more like the bulk of the 7” from last year, as it would fit right in on an old Go-Go’s album, while “Albatross” brings back that organ (is that a farfisa? I don’t know these things) and a commanding vocal. “I Am a Planet” finishes this off with a punky burst of fun. Another excellent EP! Will there be an album in store for 2013?
(natureset.info)

Nature Set-Avalanche

18.

Rose Elinor Dougall
The Distractions EP
(download only)

Where might you have heard of Rose prior to this? She began her career as “Rosay,” one of the founders of the fantastic pop trio The Pipettes, 6 or 7 years ago. She was the bratty brunette with the rich voice. Now she’s out on her own and creating something very different from her old group. Early this year, Rose let slip a little three song download only EP titled The Distractions and it is definitely a step forward from her solid debut solo album – 2010’s Without Why. This set opens with the spectacular builder “The Night,” which opens with a twangy guitar line atop echoing layers of reverb and a slow groove from the rhythm section. It would fit right in with the best work on her debut – reminding a bit of the standout track “Find Me Out.” However, “The Night” is really a pairing of two different interpretations of the same set of lyrics, as about halfway through, the slow burn transitions into an upbeat head bobbing rocker crammed with stratospheric layers upon layers of high end guitars and a throbbing low end. The second song, “I’ve Always Known,” is the true single of the EP, as it’s bouncing beat and chiming guitars set the stage for a classic two timing lover story, where the narrator is simply resigned to let the cheater go. Finally, the final song is the choppy “Hanging Around” – my least favorite of the group, but one that has grown on me over time. The strong-handed electric strum drives this song right into a very strong chorus. Word has it that these songs were recorded shortly after Rose’s solo debut and is a stop gap release before her next album – but not a sign of things to come. I’m not sure what to make of this news, since the first two songs here would’ve been my favorites if they had made it onto Without Why and I so want to hear more like this! No matter the case, she has made a strong argument in favor of keeping an ear out for her future work. This is amazing.
(roseelinordougall.bandcamp.com/album/the-distractions-ep)

Rose Elinor Dougall-The Night

17.

Drakes Hotel
Logic Adopts Senses
(DH Music)

Okay, so this is the fourth album from the nomadic (I believe they are currently in Omaha, NE these days) married duo Drakes Hotel, but really this is their third offering, since their unknown debut is only a piece of ancient lore that is a closely guarded secret. Ever since their 2007 (sort of debut), Tell Me Everything (my #5 album of 2007), I have been hooked on their unique sound, which is somehow both a wall of noise and stripped down (I know – that makes no sense, but buy their music and do better, please!). Nothing on this reaches the urgent call to re-connect with reality as Tell Me Everything’s highpoint “Broadcast to the Addicted,” but “Kids R Chrome” is a close second as Amy Drake shouts at us to wake up to life over an electrifying guitar line before explaining the she thinks “the kids are sleeping” in the chorus – fantastic! The album is frontloaded with most of my favorites on the first half. The beautiful and mysterious sounding “Cillian” is a simmering song of full love, or is it obsession? You decide, as you soak in Chris Y’s creeping guitar work that reminds me of the experimental and otherworldly recordings from fellow Nebraskan’s For Against as found on their In the Marshes recordings. “From Over” and “Game Show Heart” should both be hit singles, as they are incredibly catchy and Drake’s vocals are, as always, intoxicating. Chris Y takes over the lead vocals on a pair of tough sounding songs “All My Days” (“Didn’t expect to kiss the bricks”) and “Told A Tale,” which adds to the incredible variety that these two conjure up with fairly simple recordings. That makes three great albums in a row.
(drakeshotelmusic.com)

Drakes Hotel-From Over

16.

The Twilight Sad
No One Can Ever Know
(Fatcat)

What can one say about the Twilight Sad? They are pretty much one of those acquired taste bands. They are so dark, claustrophobic and sinister that it’s difficult to sell the idea of them to anyone, unless they are already bought in on that style of music. All three of their albums are steeped in singer James Graham’s vague but tragic via innuendo words. There always seems to be some undercurrent of something that has happened that is so dark and unforgivable in his stories that it’s incredibly intriguing and allows the listener’s mind to fill in the blanks and most likely make it even darker. Until this third album, Andy MacFarlane’s huge waves of guitars have always added to their overwhelming edge by punctuating the unnerving words with blasts of noise and crescendos at just the right moment. It makes for something that can be incredibly cathartic and almost primal when listened to at deafening volumes, but it is definitely mood music. It takes a rare bird who can listen to this kind of thing at any old time. With No One Can Ever Know, the Twilight Sad has brought in noted remixer Andrew Weatherall to produce (or “anti-produce”) this work. What that has done is change the sound by bringing in layers of keyboards and placing those up front. Normally such a statement sounds like the death knell for a band looking to change things up a bit, but in this case it opens the door for more opportunity for growth. The sounds explored on the first two albums seemed to have the potential of closing in on itself. Now they have retained their heart and soul and expanded their horizons. It doesn’t hurt that they’ve written some of their best songs here either. The opener “Alphabet” is an intense pounder with howls of off-putting strange sounding keyboards that sweep back and forth, as Graham’s powerful chorus gives us a glimpse that things are still confused and messed up (“So sick to death of the sight of you now / Safe to say I never wanted you more”). It is definitely one of the songs of the year for me. It’s clear from the get-go that Weatherall’s guidance hasn’t effected the band’s intense focus of guiding their fans through some serious shit, as they do on the epic “Dead City,” the post OK Computer Radiohead-ish “Sick” and the amazing closer “Kill it in the Morning.” This all could fit in with best post-punk of the early 80s, like the Cure’s similarly oppressive and chilling Pornography. Again, one probably has to buy into this to begin with to appreciate it, but if you do, it is spectacular and their best work yet.
(thetwilightsad.com)

The Twilight Sad-Dead City

15.

Maximo Park
The National Health (2 CD)
(V2)

When this came out, I kept reading about how this was a comeback album for Maximo Park, which makes no sense to me. Maybe there was near break up news that I missed out on. I know there was a solo album or two floated about since 2009’s Quicken the Heart, but it was only three years between albums. Maybe that comeback reference had to do with a creative comeback. Again, a little confused, since they only have a small selection of four albums in seven years, and none of the prior three were weak. Sure, they have not achieved the full on frantic spectacular energy and captivating tunes of their amazing 2005 debut, A Certain Trigger, but each record has some very good songs. It could’ve been a reference to the breakneck preview single and title track “The National Health,” which rivals their early drive and passion and tosses in some timely words about today’s uncertain economy and a society that seems to be sinking into near total apathy and/or distraction. However, this album isn’t far removed from the more keyboard heavy third offering; Quicken the Heart, than anything from the first two. There’s nothing wrong with this though, because their nice guy heart on sleeve words suit the more lovelorn romanticisms and milder tempos of their more current material. In fact, a few of these songs delve into the realm of the gushing and breathy perfection of OMD’s 80’s classic “If You Leave.” “The Undercurrents” is so full of airy atmospherics, lush background vocals and Paul Smith’s striving melodramatic yearnings that it achieves the windswept heartbreak it wants. This is a compliment, by the way. They find other highs with similar songs on “Reluctant Love,” the regretful “This is What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” (“The biggest mistake of all / I didn’t return your call / the biggest mistake of all / my explanation stall”), and the low bass murmuring acoustic ballad “Unfamiliar Places.” Instead of a comeback, this feels much more like a continuing slow evolution of a solid band.

The second CD is comprised of four acoustic versions of album tracks. It’s nice to hear especially, “Hips and Lips” in this setting, because it is quite different from the odd passive aggressive slow roar of the album version (“the way you stick out your lips / and keep your hands on your hips / and I’m supposed to know...what that means”). Not essential, but a nice addition.
(maximopark.com)

Maximo Park-The Undercurrents

14.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
“Jeremy” 7”
(Slumberland)

This is such a great treat! The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have been a favorite around here for the last few years (their 2011 album Belong was my #16 pick seen here), but I think their strength is as a singles band. Their songs of youthful energy are ideal in short bursts of rejuvenation that beg to be listened to over and over, as opposed to stuck in the long playing format. This time this young and fun band shines their sunshine onto two songs from two of my old favorites from 20 years ago. “Jeremy” is a forgotten gem from the Magnetic Fields’ second album (Distant Plastic Trees from 1992) and where on Stephin Merritt’s version it has a toy like orchestral sound; here the Pains bring on their rush of fresh air and rock the shit out of it! This, not only reminded me of how much I love that old Magnetic Fields album, but gave me a new version to love! The B-side is not to be missed either. It’s from the lesser known F.M. Cornog’s East River Pipe and his 1992 single rare sort of upbeat (for him) a-side “My Life is Wrong.” Again the Pains instill this old classic with chiming and buzzing fire and turn it into a power pop burner! Maybe if I send them requests they can revive a bunch of other lost classics from my old collection! Well done kids!
(thepainsofbeingpureatheart.com)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart-Jeremy

13.

The Wedding Present
Valentina
(Scopitones)

This is the third album (8th overall) for the Wedding Present, since David Gedge’s hiatus with Cinerama for 8 or 9 years, around the turn of the century. Gedge, the band’s leader and only original member, has not changed his tune that much over the years. He still sings about love and lust and awkwardness over the top of dry and cleanly strummed guitars. Yet, somehow it can always find a way to sound fresh, despite their old tag-line “every song sounds the same.” However, sometimes it sounds fresher than others. I welcomed their return with 2005’s Take Fountain and ‘08’s El Rey, but both of those albums had a short shelf life with me. Neither one urged repeated plays over time, but Valentina sounds revitalized and is my favorite of theirs since 1996’s Saturnalia. Maybe it’s because both of these albums share a little bit of experimentalism and messing about with the tried and true formula. While Saturnalia introduced some old fashioned keyboard layers into the mix (a retro vision of the future kind of sound), Valentina adds an odd minute long burst of noise at the end of the frantic “Back a Bit…Stop,” and then throws us some dual drums on “End Credits.” The focus and unity of this album is what strikes me, as well as the welcome addition of more female vocals (thanks to now former member Terry De Castro and newcomer bassist Pepe Le Moko) to fill out his little love adventures. The album makes complete sense from start to finish – giving it an added vibrancy. But who can deny the joy of hearing Gedge’s consistent and never ending run of short stories about running into his next crush and the trials and tribulations that stem from there on out? It could get old if he weren’t so good at making it so damn relatable and human and filled with self deprecation (“You’re really way out of my league” from the stomping “Meet Cute”). After nearly 30 years of doing this, Gedge has been taking his band out on tour and revisiting high points from the past by performing favorite albums as whole sets, which is both excellent (as a fan of the old material) and a shame, because this new material is one of those high points and shouldn’t get the short shrift. Just check out the uplifting happy ending in “Mystery Date” – “No one could’ve been more surprised than me/ when you wrote your number down and said ‘call me at the first opportunity’/ because this does not happen to me/ things like this do not happen to me.” So good.
(scopitones.co.uk)

The Wedding Present-You Jane

12.

Young Galaxy
“Shoreless Kid” 7”
(Paper Bag)

Oh, this single is exactly what I needed to hear from Young Galaxy - a double A-sided good old fashioned vinyl single with two excellent brand new songs. Young Galaxy has released three albums beginning with 2007’s beautiful sweeping epic majesty of their self-titled debut (that year’s #12 pick for me) and, personally, as they’ve become more electronic with each successive release, my interest has dwindled. 2011’s almost entirely electronic Shapeshifting has a handful of excellent songs, but nothing as captivating as their first album, or the transition album Invisible Republic (2010’s #12 pick seen here). However, when YG get things right, they are so amazing that they will always find a loyalty well up inside of me. So, when this single emerged, I knew had to give them another chance. So glad I did, because the mostly electronic “Shoreless Kid” is a nice little 80s-ish dance number with a set of fantastic lyrics sung in unison by both lead vocalists - Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless - telling the story of an empty life that is so identifiable, it’s a little eerie (“headed to your bedroom / to hear your favorite songs / and dream of the day / when you finally slip away”). I love this song now and I would’ve loved it in 1985/86 when I was a huge Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys fan. This is smart and touching. The other a-side, finds YG giving us another catchy song that holds truer to their earlier work, but more upbeat. “Youth is Wasted on the Young” is another ode to losing oneself (a lonely and angsty self) in music. It drives and grinds like an early Cure single and the chorus gives us an amazing line – one that I so wish I had come up with: “I wouldn’t mind dying at all / if it weren’t for the songs I’d miss.” Maybe now that they’ve solidified a new rhythm section, this is a sign of a promising balanced direction of things to come. They are supposed to be working on that fourth album now and I am really excited for this one, based on this sampling.
(younggalaxy.com)

Young Galaxy-Shoreless Kid

11.

The Raveonettes
Into the Night EP
Observator
(The Orchard/Vice)

Normally I feature full albums in my reviews when reviewing an artist’s output for a year – not singles and EPs. In this case, The Raveonettes Into the Night four song EP is the reason why it is where it is in this silly countdown, why I purchased Observator the day it was released, and the reason I went to see them play live late this Summer. I’m not 100% sure why I purchased this EP in the first place. I liked the little bit of the Raveonettes that I’d heard, especially songs like “Last Dance” and their faithful cover of old favorite “My Boyfriend’s Back” originally by girl group the Angels in 1963. Maybe it’s because songwriter Sune Rose Wagner and “My Boyfriend’s Back” co-writer Richard Gottehrer have done such wonders producing the last few Dum Dum Girls records that I’m so gung ho for, or because the EP was only $3 new in the local shop, or maybe I bought it unheard because Sharin Foo sits on the cover near a window with what seems to be the longest pair of arms in the world reaching down to touch her shoulders. Whatever the case may be, when I played this, I could not stop playing it. The 60s girl group heartbreak songs drenched in a huge wall of Specter-ish sound is always a winner with me, especially when that sound is draped in 80s post-punk band fuzz and dissonance. All of these songs are so such full of magic and spine-tingling moments and massive exaggerated drums solidifying the experience with a deep low heartbeat thud. “Into the Night” leads in with a harshly struck dry guitar notes before exploding into euphoric breathy vocals and inside that full on wall of noise. The lyrics are a simple framework of heartbreak and a need to be taken “into the night,” but it is the effect of the music that drives the message home and makes it so damn powerful. Similarly, the grinding “Night Comes Out” craves the facelessness of the night life and during the stellar buzzing chorus we learn that “when the sun goes down we have fun.” The up tempo “Too Close to Heartbreak” pounds through its 3 minutes in much the same way and will have you happily singing along with the chorus “do you care if I die?” Lastly, is the somewhat throwaway “Bad Ghosts.” It sounds amazing, until we reach the chorus, which is repetitive in all the wrong ways, but the guitar solo bridges and the two verses save the song. The whole experience of this EP is only a little over twelve minutes and it is so freaking perfect sounding! It cannot be cranked enough.

Meanwhile the album is my favorite so far of what I’ve heard from them, but it lacks the wallop and immediacy of the timeless sounding EP released five months prior. The ghostly piano strains throughout give this album cohesiveness that some of their prior work seems to lack for me. Plus it’s to the point. None of these songs over stay their welcome. Naturally two of my favorites are “Downtown” and “You Hit Me (I’m Down),” the two that come closest to the massive sounds of the EP that I am so in love with. But the acoustic country inflected starter “Young and Cold” sets a nice mood that continues in a reflective and simple Velvet Underground manner that continues throughout. This is really good work and after seeing them live, I think I need to take a closer listen to their prior material.
(theraveonettes.com)

The Raveonettes-Into the Night

The remainder of 2012's Top 40 can be found via these links:

#40-31

#30-21

#10-1





Top 40 of 2011 Part III

Here are the listings from #'s 20-11of my favorites of 2011:

20. Buffalo Tom
Skins
(Scrawny)
Getting older sucks. More and more, I’m finding I’m writing about bands in their 30-somethingth year of existence and in some cases wondering what happened to their initial fire and power. Buffalo Tom is a prime example. Their first three albums were Dinosaur Jr.-tinged, true American, college rock feasts of blasting guitars, tumultuous drums and achingly powerful songs that peaked with the stellar rollercoaster ride that is 1992’s Let Me Come Over. In 2007, they reunited after their initial 10 year run, with a so-so album (Three Easy Pieces) that made the purchase of Skins a bit of a risk, and much like the direction of their post 1992 career arc, the songs have mostly lost their edge and spunk. It’s not bad though. In 1995 I might’ve shelved this CD after one listen and written it off as old man rock – much like I did with 1993’s horribly produced Big Red Letter Day. Now that I am an old man, I see some value here. The opening “Arise, Watch” is a stunning piece of vocal interplay that traces new ground without losing attention. ‘Down” recalls some of their older work, as does the spunky “Guilty Girls.” Other standouts include the momentous “Here I Come,” “Lost Weekend,” and the closing “Out of the Dark.” Yet, when I hear the mandolin and acoustic plucks of the glossy duet with Tanya Donelly (ex-Throwing Muses, Breeders & Belly), I get sleepy and bored. There’s a bit too much of that here, but they are on an improving arc, and that is a good thing!
(buffalotom.com)

19. Ringo Deathstarr
Colour Trip
Sparkler
(Sonic Unyon)
Colour Trip is this Austin, Texas trio’s first official album and it is a welcome one. For those out there who love shoegaze with some bite, there is something of quality to be found here. Their sound goes back to the Jesus and Mary Chain – like many of the original shoegaze bands of the late-80s/early 90s – taking cues from the deep breathy vocals and machine-like pop precision of JAMC’s Honey’s Dead. Then, they infuse their sound with massive doses of My Bloody Valentine waves of guitar disorientation. In other words, this is pretty cool. I also appreciate the focus, as most of these songs clock in at fewer than 3 minutes. There isn’t a lot of groundbreaking here, but they have found a sound and they have breathed some life and passion into it and it shines through. Feel their force on the MBV ode “Imagine Hearts,” the Lush-like explosion of “So High,” and “Tambourine Girl.” The ultimate song – one of the best of the year – is the two minute “Kaleidoscope,” whose brevity and humming feedback atmosphere makes me want to hear it over and over again and yet again.

Sparkler, a compilation of their early EP and singles, was originally released in 2009, but I had not yet discovered these guys. Luckily, Sonic Unyon has made these songs readily available again. Here Ringo’s influences are even more clearly stated, but one can see their talent and ability in such songs as “Some Kind of Sad,” “Down on You,” and “Sweet Girl in Love.” Colour Trip is their better and more original work, but both are worth the price of admission.
(facebook.com/ringodeathstarr)

18. For Against
Black Soap EP
(Words-on-Music)
Nebraska’s rock legends For Against have been creating amazing music for over 25 years and this EP collects three songs from their earliest recordings together in 1984 and allows them to see the light of day for the first time. It proves that they had a lot of talent to burn from the get go. “Black Soap,” their first ever recording, is a short and speedy post-punk landmark chock full of early Cure reverbed bass lines (think “Play for Today”), scratchy guitars and busy drumming and, of course, monotone dark lyrics (“your black soap won’t get me clean”). An amazing start! “Dark Good Friday” sounds a bit more like the direction For Against headed with their first two 80s albums with Harry Dingman’s stratospheric guitars chiming atop Jeffrey Runnings’ mid-range bass fills. Lastly, we find a different mix of their now famous (in my dream world that is) club epic “Amen Yves (White Circles),” which originally appeared on their unbelievably creative In the Marshes 10”, as part of Independent Project Records’ “Archive Series” in 1990 (my favorite of all their records). Crucial for fans.
(myspace.com/foragainst)

17. Should
Like a Fire Without Sound
(Words-on-Music)
It’s been since 1998 since Should released Feed Like Fishes and to be honest I had kind of forgotten about them. In some ways, this doesn’t sound like the same band, since the fuzz and noise of their early records has been completely stripped away. What we’re left with without this added coating is a much more memorable bunch of songs. The nine songs here are very downbeat and precise and perfect for a nice lazy afternoon of daydreaming. Each little nuance and subtle addition to these fairly sparse songs conjure up very pleasing hummable moments. The delicate melodies that Marc Ostermeier and Tanya Maus create here on such standouts as “Turned Tables,” “Slumberland,” and “Just Not Today” all feel so familiar and comfortable that I cannot shake them from my consciousness. Plus, I cannot overlook the cool factor of their cover of Disco Inferno’s “Broken” (from their 1991 In Debt compilation LP!). Please check this out!
(myspace.com/shouldmusic)

16. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Belong
(Collective Sounds/ Slumberland)
This is a very nice second album. The Pains’ first had a decidedly small indie pop sound, which mirrored the early Slumberland artists from 89-92 in sound and vibe, has been transformed into a much bigger one with the addition of mega producer Flood (U2, Depeche Mode, etc) and a superb mix job by the remarkable Alan Moulder (Swervedriver, Ride, Lush, Curve, etc). These kids are clearly making a step forward and searching for a wider audience. Hot on the heels of last year’s two shining 7” singles, this album starts off with the heavy buzz and danceable jangle of the title track followed by the super poptastic classic “Heaven’s Gonna Happen Now” and “Heart in Your Heartbreak (second of the 2010 singles – last year’s # 23 pick). These three songs show the promise that the Pains have! The remainder of the album is full of solid little songs, though it levels off a bit. Some other good high points include the teen anthem of “Even in Dreams,” the very Jesus and Mary Chain-ish “Girl of 1,000 Dreams” and the trance inducing closer “Strange.” I look forward to their next progression.
(thepainsofbeingpureatheart.com)

15. The Lonely Forest
Arrows
(Trans/Atlantic)
Every once in a while, an album comes along where nothing really astounds me, yet I find myself listening to it all the time. This year’s candidate is from the, apparently third album by Anacortes, WA natives, The Lonely Forest. I say apparently, because I had never heard of them and am a bit saddened that I have let them slip through my fingers this long. Luckily, Death Cab’s Chris Walla snapped them out of obscurity and signed them to his own fledgling label imprint with Atlantic and produced them as well. In addition, they played some dates with the Joy Formidable around the time Arrows was released and I was able to see them play last spring. They are a straightforward good old fashioned college rock band that has a knack for writing some pretty catchy anthems. Most of these songs feel like they should be played at outdoor festivals. Their lyrics are very relatable and down to earth. In fact, they really should be much better known than they are! Maybe vocalist John Van Deusen’s mildly nasally voice may turn some people off, but it doesn’t bother me. Maybe I simply relate to their clear love of the Pacific Northwest’s access to oceans, harbors, rivers, lakes, lush forests and mountains that shines through their music (check out their love song to the NW: “I Don’t Want to Live There”) that I relate to. At any rate, the highlight here is “Turn Off This Song and Go Outside,” and very catchy pop tune that is telling us to do exactly what it says. The album is bookended by a couple of quiet ballads, but for the most part this collection rocks and finds some good hooks in songs like “Two Notes and a Beat,” “Coyote,” and the twin songs that examine the inside and outside of love “(I Am) The Love Skeptic” (“and the bullshit never ends”) and “(I Am) The Love Addict.” This is very entertaining.
(thelonelyforest.com)

14. Nature Set
Enough is Enough 7” EP
(Elefant)
Oh boy! This is fantastic! “Enough is Enough” comes on fast and is as addictive as crack! I love it! This UK four-piece had me dancing around like the moron I am in seconds with "Enough is Enough," and the best part is that the other three songs herein are just as strong. I make it no secret, I am a sucker for catchy, energetic pop songs and it’s a bonus when they come packaged with female vocals with lots of background harmonies! “You or Nobody” slows things down a bit and at times sounds a bit like label-mates The School. Then they get their early Go-Go’s on with the B-side opener, “At Least Not Today,” while finally catching a psychedelic tinge with their darker closing track “The Engineer,” which reminds me of a song I know so well, but I cannot place it. Whatever the case, this is excellent and I am an instant convert. I cannot wait to hear more. They have just released a split cassette with the newly formed Former Lover, who is led by ex Long Blonde (a favorite in this house), Dorian Cox. I am filled with anticipation.
(natureset.info)

13. Standard Fare
“Suitcase” 7”
“Darth Vader” mp3
Standard Fare/One Happy Island
Split 7” EP
(Melodic/Thee Sheffield Phonographic Co)
Last year’s debut album from Standard Fare, The Noyelle Beat (#3 pick), was a refreshing and surprising blast of fun and lively songs that have continued to linger in my head for nearly two years now. I’m so glad that they’ve released a bit of new music this year while waiting with great anticipation for the January 2012 release of their sophomore effort, Out of Sight, Out of Town. The split single with Boston’s One Happy Island finds both bands covering each other’s songs, along with one original each. Standard Fare takes a crack at what turns out to be an incredible OHI song: “Kudzu Girlfriend.” The title alone tells us where this one is going, but Standard Fare turn this into their own with their brand of C86 jangly buzz and duel vocals. Their original contribution is another tight 2 minutes. One Happy Island takes on Standard Fare’s “Night with a Friend,” and similarly, they make this their own. One Happy Island reminds of a modern version of the low-fi Beat Happening sound, but with much better playing. Their music is charming with unusual instrumentation and it works perfectly with this great duet. Their original “China Fair” is another revelation and a good reason to seek this music out.

“Suitcase” is an incredible song that shows us that Standard Fare is ready to grow and expand, though they are also ready to abandon all of us for a bunker prepared for nuclear fallout. The B-side here, “Nine Days,” also shows another side of the band with a much more reserved feel.

This quieter sound continues on Standard Fare’s newest mp3 single “Darth Vader,” which finds them switching perspective from the exuberance and frailty of young love to a level of maturity mixed with resignation. The non-LP track that comes with the single download, “Argument,” is another short two minute worth the .99 cents, but clearly a B-side.
(standardfare.co.uk)

12. Wire
Red Barked Tree
(Pink Flag)
It’s hard to believe that the third version of Wire (second reformation – now as a trio) has lasted longer than either of the previous two. The most amazing part is that Red Barked Tree is their most live-sounding, and spontaneous album since maybe 1977’s Pink Flag! The best part for me is that this album seems to accumulate the sounds and styles that they have experimented with off and on for the last 35 years and smash them all together in a surprisingly cohesive 40 or so minute whole. Speaking of smashing, “Smash” here is one of their best true rock songs ever! But who cannot love the straight ahead punk burst of “Two Minutes” or the oddball (a word I used twice in a description for their 2008 # 7 pick Object 47) Graham Lewis sung “Bad Worn Thing”? And who would’ve ever thought we’d hear layers of acoustic guitars strumming along on the closing statement “Red Barked Trees”? This band continues to progress in unexpected, and more importantly, refreshing ways. Amazing.
(pinkflag.com)

11. Drugstore Anatomy
“Sweet Chili Girl” CDsingle
“Standing Still” CDsingle
(Rocket Girl)
Yet another band that we had lost in time has returned. This was once surprising, but nowadays, it has become commonplace and welcome. I don’t care what anyone says about selling out and all that. These artists deserve a second chance at attention. I hope they make it! At any rate, during the mid-to-late 90s Drugstore was a perennial favorite of mine. Their brand of catchy acoustic based tunes crooned by the Brazilian born bandleader Isabel Monteiro really found a home in my heart. This trio had an energetic spark, despite some fairly quiet numbers, which revealed itself on their fiery second album White Magic for Lovers (1998). However, ten years after their so-so third offering found them splintering and disappearing, Monteiro has come back with a new lineup and with renewed enthusiasm. These ten songs are subdued and quiet and really quite depressing (sample lyric: “I want salt in the wound/I want blood in the rain/everytime that I move/I want nothing but pain”), but also full of life and verve. Instead of coming off as woe is me, these songs of heartbreak feel more like an understanding old friend who has come to help us nurse our wounds. There are many references to things coming to an end: lights going out, falling rocks, etc, but it feels natural, like the end of a chapter and the start of something new. The tracks here are sparser than ever, with mostly a solo acoustic album feel, but are warmed by light touches of subtle instrumentation throughout. Most welcome is the heart-tugging strings of the closer “Clouds,” and the Spanish inflected duet “Aquamarine,” which reminds me of some of those beautiful cinematic songs by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra from the late 60s. This album seems to improve with each listen!

The singles are not essential here, especially, the “Sweet Chili Girl” 2 tracker, both songs bookend the album. The standout album track “Standing Still” offers two new songs, which are okay (“Don’t Throw Me In” and “Bring Me His Head”) in the same vein as the album, but not as revealing and exciting as some of the band’s past b-side material.
(rocketgirl.co.uk)




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