Best Of 2022: Rock, Folk, Etc.

I won't claim that any of the artists below are saviors of rock & roll as that would imply a genre on life-support. Only people who confuse music with the music business might make such a claim. As long as one person is listening, a genre is alive and the ripples outward from that individual's experience are unknowably vast. That's not to say, however, that everything I cover here (or in my Top 25) is obscure. Artists like Wet Leg, Wilco, Arctic Monkeys, Björk, and Father John Misty all have millions of listeners, after all. As for the ones that count their fans in the hundreds or thousands, perhaps they're meant to be more of a boutique or niche experience - and who doesn't love being part of an exclusive club? So, push past the velvet rope and find your own V.I.P. listening room among the releases below, starting with ones previously covered. Press play on this playlist or below to hear a track from most of them.

Record Roundup: 22 For 22 (Part Two)
Laney Jones - Stories Up High
Father John Misty - Chloe And The Next 20th Century Katie Dey - Forever Music (See also The Kraken EP, featuring songs based on Tennyson, etc.)
Dexy - Sleeping Through Summer
The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention (See also Live At Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022)
Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa (See also Lucifer On The Moon, Adrian Sherwood's dub remix of the whole album)

The Best Of 2022 (So Far)
Soccer Mommy - Sometimes, Forever

Record Roundup: Evocative Voices
Ethan Woods - Burnout
Billie Eilish - Guitar Songs

Record Roundup: Songcraft
Björk - Fossora
The Soft Hills - Viva Che Vede
Tchotchke - s/t

Record Roundup: Autumn Flood, Pt. 2
Rachael Dadd - Kaleidoscope
Bonny Light Horseman - Rolling Golden Holy
Frankie Cosmos - Inner World Peace
Winter - What Kind Of Blue Are You?

Record Roundup: Autumn Flood, Pt. 3
The Stargazer Lilies - Cosmic Tidal Wave
Pale Dian - Feral Birth 

NOISIER

Starcrawler - She Said On their first two albums, the trajectory of this L.A. band, from the "sloppy, grinding" filth of the 2018 debut to the "intoxicating" blend of primal urges with a bit more sophistication of 2019's Devour You, was a total thrill ride. On album three, we find a leveling off, with much the same variety they gave us on Devour You, delivered with plenty of conviction but without the sense of discovery. Still, there plenty of the short, sharp shocks we expect, like Roadkill, which opens the album in blistering form, and True (original title: Deranged), which blasts past like a roaring train. Midnight and Better Place are both more reflective, with guitarist Henri Cash showing off his skills at layering acoustic and electric textures. The anthemic Stranded and bouncy Thursday come closest to pointing in new directions, for an album that satisfies but never quite hits the transgressive heights singer Arrow de Wilde shows off on stage. Once they figure out how to inject more of that back into their studio material, watch out!

Lifeguard - Crowd Can Talk Like their Chicago compatriots Horsegirl, this trio of high schoolers seems to have heard all the best indie/art rock records and have the skill to combine noise, melody, and a rhythmic drive into something that feels fresh. These four songs definitely have me eager for more, which is why I hope to catch them opening for Horsegirl at House Of Independents in Asbury Park, NJ on July 22nd. Look for a date near you.

Bodega - Broken Equipment and Xtra Equipment While I found it "kind of thrilling when they flex their pop muscles" on their 2019 EP, Shiny New Model, had it been an album I think I would have missed their sharper edges. I'm delighted to report that they've figured out how to salt the high energy, angular sound of their classic debut with the clever and catchy tunefulness of the EP. Lyrically, they're still pursuing their critique of modern society from an ironic distance that can be witty and inspiring ("This city’s made for the doers. The movers shakers. Not connoisseurs./This city’s made for the doers. The movers shakers. Health food reviewers." - from Doers) but can also be so obvious that it feels almost condescending ("Craven is the island that we all come from. New York was founded by a corporation." - from NYC (Disambiguation)). In fact, if not for that quality, this likely would have been in my Top 25 like the first one. Once they remember that their audience is likely as smart as they are, classic status will be once again in their grasp. Xtra Equipment, a collection of B-sides, leftover tracks, alternate takes, and covers, finds them expanding their palette yet again, with the sweetly reflective doo wop of Memorize w/ yr Heart and the electro of Post yr Kilimanjaro (Doers 2.0) pointing to an exciting future. 

No Knuckle - S/T On their second self-titled record, this Portland, OR post-punk trio has their take on the sound down to a science, all taut bass lines, jagged guitars, driving drums, and quirky vocals. But the sheer adrenaline and canny songwriting keep it fun instead of rote. Also, at nine songs in 20 minutes, there's no chance they'll overstay their welcome.

2nd Grade - Easy Listening While far more straightforward than Palm or Empath, this vehicle for the songs of Peter Gill is another fine example of how vital the Philadelphia scene is these days. With ringing guitars, bittersweet melodies, and lyrics to match ("You’re one step ahead of me/And I’m one hundred steps behind/Where I oughta be/But I’ll go there some other time," as Gill sings in Strung Out On You), 2nd Grade will slot nicely into your collection near Big Star and The Replacements. Guitarist/vocalist Catherine Dwyer, whose voice adds a nice counterpoint to Gill, is one secret weapon that sets them apart, but the songs are strong enough to do that on their own.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Endless Rooms After the new heights of 2020's Sideways To New Italy, it would be greedy to expect another leap from this Melbourne band, but I'm happy to report that their songwriting, employment of dynamics, and guitar layering all continue to advance. The inclusion of  field recordings is an original touch, too, lending a true sense of place - and time, i.e. the late pandemic. Making this record helped get them through Australia's many lockdowns, now its here to help you with whatever challenge you need to power through.

LESS NOISY

Princess Chelsea - Everything Is Going To Be Alright If you, like me, are not one of the millions of people who streamed or watched Chelsea Nikkel's 2011 song Cigarette Duet, this latest album, her fifth, might actually be a better place to start. While the title track keeps her twee cred intact, The Forest embraces power and repetition in a heavy yet controlled way that makes the building apotheosis truly cathartic. As a second track, it's slightly oddly placed as where do you go after catharsis? But her charming, well-constructed songs just win you over each time, whether the baroque pop of Time or the draggy lysergia of Dream Warrior. Score another win for New Zealand!

King Hannah - I'm Not Sorry, I'm Just Being Me I had already spent some time with this Liverpool Band's sepulchral folk-blues before seeing them at Indieplaza. That performance cemented my impression that Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle were on to something, with Merrick's moody, haunted vocals perfectly complimented by Whittle's spare, rattling guitar. A few songs feature Whittle singing and his voice is less distinctive than Merrick's, but the mood is sustained throughout. Don't be surprised if you hear a song like The Moods That I Get In or Foolius Caesar in David Lynch's next project - they'll work a treat.

S.G. Goodman - Teeth Marks While most of my knowledge of rural Kentucky comes from binging episodes of the classic series Justified, this second album rings out with the same absolute authenticity as her first. Perhaps even more confident than on 2020's marvelous Old Time Feeling, her range is powerfully on display between the searing a cappella of You Were Someone I loved and the working-class blues of Work Until I Die. The latter makes a great pair with Food For Thought by Mattiel, another artist incapable of singing a false note. 

Charlie Reed - Eddy Not a person, but a six (or seven?) piece band led by cosmic Americana dreamer Luke Trimble. There's a touch of late Beatles here, too - like, really late, think Real Love or Free As A Bird. Assured and very sweet, let yourself get pulled in by their sunny melodies and wide-ranging sound, with pedal-steel coexisting with mellotron, all yoked to some truly fine expressions of the bittersweet nature of existence. 

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Dear Scott The last album by this near-legendary Liverpudlian songwriter, Adiós Señor Pussycat, was one of 2017's most delightful surprises. A five-year wait dampened some of the momentum and may be the main reason I struggled to connect with this one. But it really is nearly as good, with songs either breezy and sparkling or dreamy and reflective creating jewel-like settings for Head's hard-won, yet still optimistic, wisdom. Never one to pontificate, his philosophy might be best encapsulated in the refrain from Gino And Rico: "Life is for living and living is for life/It's all in a day's work, tonight." Words to live by and tunes to match is what you can expect from this latest gem from the magical world of Michael Head.

Gabriel's Dawn - s/t Like The Clientele, this English band wears their influences on their (striped) sleeves, with a deep love for jangly, harmony-drenched, Laurel Canyon folk pop coming through loud and clear on this debut. But it's not just their enthusiasm that vaults this above mere revivalism, it's the songs, which breeze by in a rush of emotions like first love, first disillusionment, first sorrow. Fresh, is what this is, with ingeniously layered guitars and keyboards, swinging rhythms, and blissful harmonies. Kudos to guitarist Leon Jones for his production, which shaped these lockdown sessions, with band members often recording separately, into something warm and cohesive. 

Thus Love - Memorial This band from Brattleboro, VT, are not shy about presenting themselves as "self-identifying trans artists," but even more germane to the listener is their absolute adoration of 80s post-punk and dream pop. Bizarrely enough, I might prefer their take on the sound, with its heavily chorused guitars, atmospheric synths, melodic bass, and splashy, driving drums, to some of the original. Call me a philistine...but blazing enthusiasm like that shown by Echo Mars (guitar, vocals, cello), Lu Racine (drums), Sophia DiMatteo (bass), and Nathaniel van Osdol (synth) is a rare thing indeed - and completely contagious on this beautifully recorded album.

Miro Shot - Loot Box Their debut album, Content, slotted into 2020's Electronic list quite nicely, with its focus on forward-thinking sonics created with an eye on their eventual realization in VR-enhanced performances. This immaculately-recorded acoustic EP, however, puts the focus on what I called Roman Rappak's "trademark vocals, alternately wry and bruised" while also pointing up the sturdy song structures and emphasizing the melancholy core of Miro Shot's concerns. 

The Orielles - Tableau Jumping into a band's career on their third album, especially one as accomplished as this, can feel a little like cheating. After all, not being there to support them through their growing pains do you deserve to reap the rewards of their current mastery? Sure. Life's too short to deny yourself the pleasure of a richly immersive and flowing series of songs like this one. Intriguingly, this Manchester-based band calls Tableau their first "truly contemporary album," which makes me curious about their first two, and also detail the myriad processes used throughout its creation, from Leo Wadada Smith's graphic scores to Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies. Additionally, they expanded their sound with strings and electronics, although even a new listener can tell that the trio of vocalist and bassist Esmé Hand-Halford, drummer Sidonie Hand-Halford, and guitarist Henry Carlyle-Wade remains the core of what they do. The results take you on a journey, from driving songs like Chromo II and Television to abstractions like The Improvisation 001 and Some Day Later, to others, like The Room and Transmission, which combine both impulses. I'm glad I discovered the Orielles, albeit belatedly, but if you miss this opportunity to start becoming a fan, that's on you.

Turnover - Myself In The Way The striking, die-cut cover, painted by bassist Dan Dempsey, caught my daughter's eye at Rough Trade, leading us to investigate further. We were pleasantly surprised to find a an album of sweetly melancholy pop songs, often disco-inflected and occasionally psychedelic. Mountains Made Of Clouds is a perfect example of the latter impulse, with watery strumming, birdsong, and a shuffling beat adding up to a transporting result. Bre Morell of Crushed, whose Extra Life EP just came out, duets with singer Austin Getz on Ain't Love Heavy, which cranks up the string synth, hands the hi hat to Isaac Hayes, and lets the dance floor fill with couples on their way to breaking up. Judging this consistently great album by its cover turned out to be entirely appropriate. We would have been even more surprised by how good it is had we been aware of the band's beginnings over a decade ago, when they were on some kind of emo tip. But we won't hold that against them!

Historian - Light Goes Out Ten albums in and Chris Karman keeps refining his dreamy chamber pop template. While this one has the now requisite strings and other orchestral touches, he also adds James Paul Mitchel's pedal steel, adding even more starlit grace than we've come to expect. Recorded at the same time as 2021's Out Of Season, this shares all the virtues of that earlier release. Since Shelf Life in 2013, Karman has been a supremely reliable source of decorous and resonant song craft. Let him decorate and resonate in whatever space you listen.

Living Hour - Someday Is Today It took three albums for this Winnipeg-based band to reach my ears. Maybe that's because they're from Winnipeg or it could be that they just hooked up with the excellent folks at Riot Act Media, who dropped this expansive indie-rock gem in my inbox. Although, working with such worthies as Melina Duterte (AKA Jay Som) and Jonathan Schenke, who has collaborated with indie gems like Parquet Courts, Snail Mail, and The Drums, and released on Kanine Records, from whence came the perpetually underrated Coasting by Honey Cutt, I think I would have got here somehow. But all those bona fides would count for nothing if the songs weren't so good and delivered with such assurance. Hump is just one example from late in the album, a slow-burner that gains force without ever gaining volume or tempo, guitar, bass, and drums in an inexorable but airy lockstep, while the vocals grow ever more hypnotic. Come under the power of Living Hour, not someday but today.

SYNTH-BASED

Grace Ives - Janky Star There is nothing janky about the solid melodic architecture Ives employs on song after song on this short, sweet, and tart project. Take Angel Of Business, with a verse that moves up by half steps, seemingly leading you to some kind of nirvana that never quite arrives, a stairway to...a few flights below heaven. But that kind of tease just makes the repeat button command to be struck. Then there's Lazy Day, as blissful and swinging as an early Madonna song, yet without the hard sell baked into every gesture. The musical underpinnings she builds are also sturdy, little engines of programmed drums, synth bass, and electronic keyboards, with occasional guitar or piano. She sings all these songs in an airy soprano, as natural as breathing, and often as relatable as your best friend: "Wait/I just wanted to relate/It only took me like 300 tries/Just to motivate," as she notes on Angel Of Business. However much effort it took for her to get here - and this is her third album - it all sounds delightfully easy peasy.

Automatic - Excess This electro-pop trio from L.A. was one of many bright discoveries at last year's IndiePlaza Festival and their taut bass lines, motorik drumming, swooping, burbling, and buzzing analog synths, and deadpan vocals are equally diverting on this terrific record. And, in contrast to the title, there's no fat on these carbon-steel bones.

Sofie Royer - Harlequin As a fan of her marvelous curatorial skills, I wasn't quite convinced by Cult Survivor, her 2020 debut as an artist, and I was even less sure after a tentative performance of mostly newer material at IndiePlaza. Fortunately, all of that is dispelled by this far more assured collection, with her 70s-cabaret-disco-decadence approach coming fully into focus. Baker Miller Pink, with its effulgent keyboards, tart rhythm guitar, handclaps, and four-on-the-floor rhythm is a standout, and is sure to reduce any hostilities at your next party as effectively as the "drunk-tank pink" to which the title refers. But any of these clever confections will liven up a playlist while adding a touch of European sophistication.

Mitski - Laurel Hell I'm not a die-hard, so I haven't ridden the rollercoaster with her fans around the announced retirement in 2019 then the (inevitable?) comeback with Working For The Knife in 2021. That song, which seemed to grapple with her career fears ("I used to think I'd be done by twenty/Now at twenty-nine, the road ahead appears the same/Though maybe at thirty, I'll see a way to change/That I'm living for the knife.") over a brick-hard beat, doomy synth, baroque piano, and dramatic guitars, now finds a home on what may be her finest album yet. Or at least the one that appeals to me the most. Tracks like Stay Soft, Heat Lightning, and I Guess show her complete mastery at assembling arresting (mostly) electronic environments for her introspective songwriting. The last track, That's Our Lamp, goes a bit overboard, but it almost sounds like she's having fun, which is refreshing. And since I'm not a die-hard, I'll try not to read too much into lyrics like "I guess, I guess/I guess this is the end/I'll have to learn/To be somebody else." After all, she's already very good at being Mitski.

FOLKISH

Skyway Man & Andy Jenkins - Nothing No. 1 It's been a long wait since Jenkins's sublime Sweet Bunch in 2018, a hiatus that was slightly softened by The Garden Opens, a fine EP from 2019, so just hearing his voice on this collaborative release is a balm to the soul. As a bonus, Molly Sarlé, who got a bit of play around here with her excellent Karaoke Angel album in 2019, also lends her dulcet voice to the project. And Skyway Man? He seems to fit right in with the cosmic, soulful Americana for which Jenkins and other Spacebomb artists are known. Holding onto this like a little life raft until the next Jenkins opus. Let it be soon.

Patrick Watson - Better In The Shade This brief (21-minute) collection is a reminder of what makes Watson so special: the voice like a cloud, the Satie-esque piano, the existential attitude of a chain-smoker of Gauloises. Even better was seeing him in full flight with the Attaca string quartet in Central Park last summer, but this is as lovely a calling card as I could hope for.

Caroline - s/t In this day and age, few bands have the patience to wait five years to put out a debut album. But getting eight players to gel, as they do so beautifully on this album, takes time, as does arriving at a sound that has a familiar warmth but doesn't sound precisely like anything else. There's some of the (mock?) solemnity and fireside minimalism of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra here as well as a touching relationship with a current strain of UK post-rock - think Black Country New Road, yet pursued more profitably. It's arty, it's folky, and, even at its oddest, it creates a palpable sense of friendship while you listen, something ever more valuable in these times.

POPPISH

Girlpuppy - When I'm Alone While Becca Harvey's sound is very different from that of Faye Webster or Mattiel, it's great to hear another sign of life from Atlanta on this richly produced series of songs. Over tunes that sometimes opt for a 90s guitar chug and at other times drift into more dreamy territory, Harvey's sweet voice delivers some bitter pills about the pitfalls of modern relationships. As she sings on Revenant: "i’m waiting for you to leave/now, sick of checking my phone and seeing your name/i wish i knew how to forget everything/that’s ever happened to me." The sound overall is detailed, with layers of guitars, keyboards, and strings adding up to a polished yet personal result. Multi-instrumentalists Samuel Acchione (who also produced) and John Michael Young put in most of the work creating those layers and it was time well spent on these fine songs.

NoSo - Stay Proud Of Me As proven by a quick dive on YouTube, Abby Hwong is a guitar virtuoso who has wisely learned to turn down all the tricky stuff they used to play and let the focus be on the songs. And fine songs they are, dealing with the ups and downs of identity and romance in a tuneful and deceptively breezy fashion. "I'm envious of straight hips/Jangling nerves, simple limbs/Oh, I couldn't swim/fFast enough/But I made it out/Halfway done," Hwong sings in I Feel You, covering a lot of ground in a few words before the song switches to a coda that calls you to the dance floor. With sleek production, a beautiful voice, and wise pop songs, NoSo has put together a remarkably assured debut album that will have you marveling at their craft while never drawing attention to it.

C. Duncan - Alluvium The title refers to a deposit of silt, gravel, etc., left behind by running water, which might be slightly ironic as this fourth album is all running water, flowing gently past my ears and continuing through to the ether. This does mean it took me longer to connect to it than his last, 2019's Health, which featured tunes "as catchy as heck" and hit my Top 25. But there are few hoeing the row of sophisticated, synthetic pop better than Duncan these days, so grasp these diaphanous wisps of optimistic song as tightly as they'll let you. 

Faye Webster - Car Therapy Sessions This orchestral EP of one new and four reimagined songs is pop in the sense that Julie London or Joni James would easily recognize. And with Spacebomb's Trey Pollard behind the arrangements, the surroundings are not only as rich and lush as a room full of whipped cream but also phenomenally tasteful. The older songs, including Kind Of (here called Kind Of (Type Of Way)), a standout from 2021's brilliant I Know I'm Funny HaHa, slot perfectly into this expanded sound world, and the one new song, Car Therapy, takes advantage of them from the start. A gorgeous consolidation of all that makes Webster special, I'm now dreaming of her take on James' version of Little Girl Blue.

Beabadoobee - Beatopia The buzz for Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus's 2020 debut album, Fake It Flowers, was tough to ignore but I found it sounded too...familiar, with pale echoes of 90s bands that had limited appeal in the first place. But at my daughter's urging I tried again with Beatopia and it was totally worth it. The leap between albums is quite extraordinary to my ears, with her intimate, slightly child-like voice now assaying everything from string-laden folk (Ripples) to bossa nova (The Perfect Pair) to some orchestral pop of her own (Lovesong). While I listened, I kept saying to myself, "How did she get so GOOD?" She put in the work, that's how. Now it's up to you to make the effort to listen.

There's more goodness of this sort to be found in this archive playlist - plus, keep up with 2023 here.

You may also enjoy:
Best Of 2021: Rock, Folk, Etc.
Best Of 2020: Rock, Folk, Etc.
Best Of 2019: Rock, Folk, Etc. 
Best Of 2018: Rock, Folk, Etc. 
Best Of 2017: Rock, Folk, Etc.
Best Of 2016: Rock, Folk, Etc.

Best Of 2021: Rock, Folk, Etc.

Of all the genre-based lists, only classical exceeds or comes close to this category, which both accurately reflects my listening and the general ferment among creators in those spaces. I wrote about plenty of rock, folk, etc. albums during the year, 14 of which landed on my top 25. As usual, the other previously covered releases will come first below and new reviews will follow those. Listen to a tracks from all of them here or in the playlist below.

Celebrating 2021: New Year, New Music
Shame - Drunk Tank Pink

Record Roundup: Sonic Environments
Steven van Betten & Andrew Rowan - No Branches Without Trees
Anika Pyle - Wild River

Record Roundup: Americana The Beautiful
Jeffrey Silverstein - Torii Gates 
Corntuth - The Desert Is Paper Thin

Record Roundup: Rock'n'Pop Adjacent
The Muckers - Endeavor
Acid Dad - Take It From The Dead
Bachelor - Doomin' Sun
Lael Neale - Acquainted With Night
UV-TV - Always Something
Palberta - Palberta5000
Ganser - Look At The Sun 
Lucy Dacus - Home Video

Record Roundup: Rooms Of Their Own
Anika - Change 
My Tree - Where The Grace Is
(Eli)zabeth Owens - Knock Knock

Record Roundup: Plugged In
Freak Slug - Slow Down Babe
Scott Hirsch - Windless Day
Matthew E. White - K-Bay
Colin Linden - bLow
Amyl And The Sniffers - Comfort To Me

POST-PUNK TRAJECTORIES

Dummy - Mandatory Enjoyment This doesn't sound like an L.A. band, more like Brooklyn or London, except they are less single-minded in their pursuit of art-rock nirvana than say, Stereolab or UV-TV. Unafraid to go from sleek to noisy - sometimes in the same song - their combination of churning guitars, spacious synths, and driving rhythms is remarkably assured on this debut. 

Spud - Spud Rather than being a couch potato during lockdown, Holly Findlay (bass player of Australian band, Stonefield) cooked up a synth-heavy EP of micro-anthems, each one unexpectedly hooky. If you've got the cash, you can still score it on a limited-edition 10" pressing from stalwart label Greenway Records.

Tamar Aphek - All Bets Are Off If this is an example of what's going on in the Israeli rock underground, I say give me more. Aphek, who can be serene or stentorian, sails over edgy art-punk songs that stick under your skin like needles that hurt so good. She and her band of atmospherically inclined noise-rockers do not put a foot wrong, except for a cover of As Time Goes By, which ends the record on a note of retreat after eight songs of attack. No matter, just hit repeat after Nothing Can Surprise Me and continue to be surprised.

Church Girls - Still Blooms My favorite YouTube discovery last year was Jarrett Wolfson's channel, documenting his obsessive New York City concert-going with very conscientiously shot videos of all the shows I would be going to if I were going to shows - and some I wouldn't have known about, like this band. Hailing from Philly, which must have a scene rivaling Brooklyn's by now, Church Girls platforms the catalytic talent of Mariel Beaumont, a singer/guitarist who wrote or co-wrote all the songs here. On paper, she might not be doing anything entirely new - a blend of pop, punk (without exactly being pop-punk) with a bit of new wave sheen - but it's the passion with which she does it that puts it over the top. Predicting big things for Beaumont, whether with Church Girls or not. 

Geese - Projector The first thing that struck me when I heard Disco, the first single from Brooklyn-based Geese, was style. Singer Cameron Winter has style and swagger to burn, grabbing you by the throat with his range and variety of approaches. I wasn't even sure I liked it right way, but his no-fucks attitude, plus the splashy guitars and dance-punk rhythms, kept me listening as more singles and then the album came out. I'm glad I did, as Projector is an excellent first step for this young band. Their original but historically-informed post-punk update is full of twists and turns, at times white hot, at others contemplatively cool. A bright debut from a band that sounds like they can go the distance.

Sleigh Bells - Texis Of all the twists and turns in 2021, a return to relevance for this electro-clash (or hyper pop? who cares!) duo was certainly among the most unexpected. After hitting my top ten in 2010 (and my Best Of the 2010's list) with their explosive debut, Treats, Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller seemed to gradually run out of steam over the next three albums. How many different ways could they combine Miller's buzzsaw guitars, a drum machine, and Krauss's sugary vocals? Well, somehow they've figured out a new path - or maybe that debut was more about the songs than the sound after all. They seem to have found their spark again, in any case, with adrenalized melodies delivered by Krauss with roller-girl swagger, and more dynamics in the musical backing, even including the occasional acoustic guitar. Highly enjoyable.

Foyer Red - Zigzag Wombat A meeting of messed-up minds, including Mitch Myers, whose 2020 cassette Turn Tail (as "Sreym Hctim") I speculated could be "the end of all music." Apparently not, because he has found a brilliant way forward, with helping hands from Elana Riordan, who sings and plays clarinet and Omnichord, and Marco Ocampo, responsible for drums, bass, and percussion. Myers contributes guitar, bass, vocals, and percussion, and somehow the end result is delightfully intuitive, sounding perfectly natural, as angular and odd as it is. This 19-minute EP has me eager for more.

POP ART

Alice Phoebe Lou - Child's Play Breezy and just a touch hazy, this effortlessly tuneful album showcases Lou's airy voice beautifully. Drawing on 60s pop and 90s bedsit indie, its an intimate visit with a great songwriter. A South-African-born prodigy who has been making music since the age of 14, this is her fourth album since 2016. Her third album, Glow, was also released in 2021, and features a more sophisticated, even sultry, sound, with sparkling keyboards and insistent bass lines. Once I've had my fill of these two albums, I'm looking forward to catching up with those earlier ones, which I unaccountably missed!

Jordana and TV Girl - Summer's Over Brad Petering's gift for catchy tunes, inflected by both hip hop and 60s pop, hasn't deserted him since I discovered TV Girl years ago. Putting his production and songwriting skills in service of Jordana Nye's airy voice is a winning combination, and when they sing together it's even more pure pleasure. Jordana also put out an excellent single with Magdalena Bay last year and has her own album, Face The Wall, due in May. Pre-saving!

FPA - Princess Wiko Released on Justin Vernon's 37d03d label, this second album from Frances Priya Anczarski finds her assaying pop, folk, R&B, and art-song with equal aplomb, earning that regal pose on the cover. Between her enveloping and lovely voice and the cinematic sweep of the songs, you will swear twice the amount of time has passed when its 25 minutes are up.

Laura Wolf - Artifacts Arty and airy synth-pop EP that somehow hits some of the same buttons as Bill Nelson's club singles from the 80s, meaning they are highly melodic, quirky, and follow their own internal logic in how the sounds are assembled. Unexpectedly, it all comes together in delightful ways.

Alice TM - Little Body In Orbit When I saw her perform with Ethan Woods, Alice Tolan-Mee's serene confidence - along with her expert musicianship - made her a captivating presence. Then, the two of them put out an album of sexy, weird electro-pop as Hyperion Drive, which seems to contain some of the seeds of this debut solo album. Hoeing a row that might be termed synth-art-song, Alice TM uses a lot of the shiny textures of pop to present her imaginatively meandering melodies, which gain more inevitability with each listen. 

Lily Konigsburg - The Best Of Lily Konigsburg Right Now and Lily We Need To Talk Now Even if she had just released Palberta5000 (see above) with her bandmates in Palberta, Konigsburg would have had a great year as it was their best album yet. But her songwriting cup runneth over, apparently, as she also put out her first solo album, the sprightly Lily We Need To Talk Now. While some of the songs sound like they could be on a band record (and drummer Nina Ryser makes several appearances), the best material explores more layered pop production to support songs that seem a little more introspective. Sweat Forever and That's The Way I Like It are great arguments that Konigsburg could play in the same arena as Clairo or Lorde - and have more fun doing it. The Best Of..., which collects several singles and EPs going back to at least 2017, is even more terrific, with every song hitting the sweet (or bittersweet) spot in the best indie-pop tradition. The a cappella of Rock and Sin and perky autotune of It's Just Like All The Clouds are earworms you will actually not want to shake! If Konigsburg wanted to be the opening act for her own band, I guarantee you that no one would feel oversaturated with her quirky brilliance by the end of the night. 

Lorde - Solar Power I was maybe one of the few that found Lorde's second album, Melodrama, to be mostly overwrought and overthought, the anxiety of her surprise success with the song Royals and ensuing album Pure Heroine all too apparent in its conception and execution. At the time, I blamed producer Jack Antonoff whose "magic touch" usually makes sounds that turn me off. Four years later, it seems I was only partly right. While she's once again working with him as a co-producer and co-songwriter, she's made clear in interviews that this time around, she's in full control. And thank goodness, as this is the tuneful, sun-struck pop album promised by the title but so unexpected by an artist who usually shades on the darker side of things. Singing in a fluttery higher register than before - and often double-tracked (or shadowed by Clairo) - the focus is firmly on her voice, which has never sounded more natural, surrounding it with acoustic guitars, sinewy bass lines, and sensitive keyboards. There is very little of the hip hop influence shown on her earlier work, but the drums (by the great Matt Chamberlain) give oomph when needed. It's almost like having a whole new artist to listen to - and I like this Lorde a lot!

Clairo - Sling Speaking of Clairo and Antonoff, when I included her in the 2019 edition of this list, I celebrated the fact that she hadn't gone the "full Jack Antonoff route" for her debut, Immunity. Now we know what that sounds like, as Antonoff co-produced Sling and co-wrote half the songs - fortunately, it's not the obnoxious disaster I predicted. But neither is it the bright success of Solar Power. In fact, it leans over a little too far in the opposite direction, with one hushed, drum-less song blending into another. Not unpleasant, but I was hoping for more. Amoeba, however is a massive highlight, perhaps her best song yet, as she digs into a Steely Dan/Boz Scaggs groove circa 1976 and completely commands the sleek ship at it sails into AM radio glory. The lyrics throughout show a maturity and self-empathy that are sure to give comfort to many, I just wish the musical surround was a little more distinctive. If she's looking for her next collaborator, can I suggest Nate Amos, who helped Lily Konigsburg make some of the magic mentioned above.

Dora Jar - Digital Meadow Blending acoustic, electric, and electronic textures to frame her assured songwriting and flowing voice, this 20-minute EP showcases a burgeoning talent. Not surprised Billie Eilish tapped her to open some shows. 

Historian - Out Of Season Chris Karman continues to expand on his chamber-pop approach - working with nearly a full orchestra's worth of musicians to realize his melancholy songs on this, his ninth album as Historian. While he still wears his love of Radiohead on his sleeve, the Historian sound is its own thing, and embraces new tributaries all the time, such as the 1920s ballroom resonances of Transitions, with its woozy sax and upright bass. His singing is more confident than ever, too, stepping away from the reverb-laden approach he often uses. While he wonders if he is "out of season" on the title track, I would say his time is just beginning.

FOLK-INFUSED

Rebecca Tilles - Oh Sister This folk-pop debut from a Swedish-American singer/songwriter has a light touch that gains weight as it goes on. The trilogy of songs that end the album, starting with the wry melancholy of Endless Days, moving through the bittersweet I Don't Even Miss You, and ending with The Beginning, may be the finest here. Sensitive production from Robin Applewood adds just the right touches to the acoustic strumming, whether accordion, mandolin, or organ, and keeps things varied yet consistent. Rebecca was a member of one of my writing groups and it was always a highlight when she contributed - now she's here for the world to hear.

Marissa Nadler - The Path Of The Clouds For her ninth solo album - and first of all-original songs since 2018's stunning For My Crimes - Nadler throws up her folk-infused songs on the widescreen, blowing  them up with rich layers of guitar, droning underscores, starlit keyboards, and Mary Lattimore's harp. This has the effect of lending her dark tales of love, loss, and murder even more gravitas. I expect the movie and TV sync requests are coming in even more fast and furiously now. Nadler also found time to showcase her interpretive gifts on the cover album Instead Of Dreaming, especially on versions of King Crimson's Moonchild and Metallica's Nothing Else Matters.

Le Ren - Leftovers It's a self-effacing title, that, and an understandable defense by an artist who appears very much exposed on this spare, stately, and drop-dead gorgeous album of folk songs. There's a toughness here, however, reminiscent of those bedrock artists from America's past, who would work the fields and then meet Alan Lomax on their front porch to make a field recording. In short, these are sturdy yet delicate songs by someone who sounds fully engaged with the life of the earth and workings of her heart. A stunning debut.

INDIE-ISH

Snail Mail - Valentine I felt there was a coiled ambition contained in the emotionally-connected indie-rock of Lindsay Jordan as presented on her debut, Lush. But then I found myself taken aback by the nearly Kelly Clarkson-esque uplift of the huge chorus on the title track of this second album. I soon got over myself and marveled at the wide range of places she was taking her voice, both as a singer and songwriter. I never would have expected something like Forever (Sailing), which samples an obscure 70s R&B jam (by Madleen Kane) she heard at Starbucks, from Jordan, nor that she would pull it off with such organic ease. Then there's the string-laden Glory (arrangement by Spacebomb's Trey Pollard) that finds new sonics in which to embed her passionate lyrics and delivery. Overall, there's a little more gloss than I would expect from a Brad Cook production, but there's still enough tooth here to grab me along with the thrill of self-discovery that is a through-line from Lush. If she keeps moving this fast, she'll have to change her name to Email.

Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson Distinguished by her literate lyrics and well-developed melodic sense, Stevenson's sixth album is a winner throughout. Adding a little 90s-influenced loud-quiet-loud cannily reflects the mysterious trauma that underscores the storytelling. 

Hand Habits - Fun House For their third album, Meg Duffy has conjured up a richly textured collection of what at one time might have been called "soft rock," with each drum hit and acoustic strum burnished to a warm glow. However, she avoids all the pitfalls of what made that genre artistically bankrupt - the shallow solipsism, mainly - and continues to develop her introspective and complex songwriting. While I wouldn't have minded a little of the straight-forward indie rock of their debut, but the restraint only makes a song like Concrete & Feathers hit harder. Piece by piece, Duffy is assembling an impressive and nourishing discography.

Field Music - Flat White Moon While I might still recommend Tones Of Town (2007), Measure (2010), or Plumb (2012) to any under-rock dweller not yet familiar with the smart and funky art-rock of the Brewis brothers, this is their must unfetteredly joyful release since that latter album. So if it's easiest, feel free to start here and lap up all the jabbing angular guitars, sunny harmonies, catchy choruses, and perfectly pocketed drums on offer. 

Pip Blom - Welcome Break A band from the Netherlands that's ever more expert at channeling the sound of Boston college rock circa 1995, but with their own energy and European spin. Guitars chug, jangle, and soar over propulsive rhythms while the band's namesake lets her sweet-tart vocals tell stories of coming of age and interpersonal thrills and spills. I was even more convinced by their live set (as seen on Jarrett Wolfson's YouTube channel) and it may be that the stage is even more a natural habitat than the studio.

MIND-ALTERING

Triptides - Alter Echoes Lysergic, sun-drenched rock, with sixties echoes in evidence, from garage rock to The Byrds. Like Levitation Room, their light touch injects a fresh taste of the surreal into their sound.

Boogarins - Manchaca Vol. 2 Another compilation of "memories, dreams, outtakes, and demos" from Brazil's finest rock band. Recorded both in Austin, TX and Sao Paulo, the 12 tracks mainly showcase their weirder, more studio-bound side, with plenty of sonic manipulations amidst the melodic invention and guitar fireworks. There are also two songs in English: Basic Lines, an early song they never recorded, and Far And Safe, a rework of Te Quero Longe from 2019's Sombrou Dúvida with Erika Wennerstrom (Heartless Bastards) on vocals. The latter is a heavenly listen and suggests further collaborations, with her or others, could be yet another avenue of exploration for this most exploratory of bands. 

Crumb - Ice Melt Some of the murk has been stripped away and there's a little less of that distinctive wobble to their sound - but Lila Ramani's vocals have grown ever-dreamier and they're only more expert at making the studio their canvas for their sweet and slightly off psych-rock. And I would imagine they're still great on stage!

CLASSIC RAWK

Neal Francis - In Plain Sight On his second album, Francis invites you for a jam back at his place with the ghosts of the Allman Brothers, Leon Russell, and ex-Beatles John and George. And they're all having a blast because he brought a briefcase full of tasty songs, most notably Alameda Apartments, Can't Stop The Rain, and Sentimental Garbage. Rain is an instant classic, slotting in next to similarly named tracks by the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival and others. I'm having fun thinking of how much juicier this could have been if Jonathan Wilson had been behind the boards, but it's early days yet for Francis - more goodness will come.

Israel Nash - Topaz Nash has been living off the land for a while now, ingesting nourishing meals of cosmic country and funky soul, which he has now digested for us in a widescreen collection of heartfelt tales, aided by an array of driving horns, sweeping keyboards, sky-scraping guitars, and a locked-in rhythm section. Don't be concerned that Adrian Queseda of the Black Pumas is on hand to produce and play guitar. Nash never stoops to the crowd-pleasing, award-show clamor of their stuff. 

LIVE AND DIRECT

Jeff Tweedy - Live Is The King As I noted in my review of Love Is The King, the Tweedy album from which these songs are taken, it offers few surprises. However, these live versions do at least add some spark - and occasional fire - mainly thanks to the guitar of James Elkington. There's also a fine cover of Neil Young's The Old Country Waltz, making for a satisfying and heartwarming listen.

Fleet Foxes - A Very Lonely Solstice Recorded alone during 2020's lockdown in St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn, Robin Pecknold does sound a little lonely on this album, except for the first and last songs featuring the Resistance Revival Chorus. But the solo performances also allow us to appreciate the songwriting, not to mention his honeyed voice, with new acuity, while noting the quality he has maintained across four Fleet Foxes releases. A moment in time perhaps, but one we're having difficulty shaking, so I'll be keeping this close to hand.

Killing Joke - Total Invasion (Live In The USA) Relentless, uncompromising, and, at just nine songs, over far too soon. But what other legendary band would be humble enough to go out on the road as an opening act (for Tool) more than 40 years into their career? So what if this is something like their dozenth live album, let them have their victory lap - and enjoy this bracing listen.

MAXIMUM HEAVIOSITY

Big Paul Ferguson - Virtual Control And so it was that as the fifth year passed since Pylon with no new music from Killing Joke and the Gatherers had grown restless. But one arose from the drum set at the back of the stage, conscripted Mark Gemini Thwait (The Mission, Peter Murphy, etc.) to co-write and co-produce, and took on the dusty mantle of tribal rhythms, skirling and grinding guitars, atmospheric keyboards, and doom-scrolling lyrics - and it was good. Not exactly Killing Joke, and not quite as scary good as Pylon, but more than enough to light the torches once again and let the fire dances begin.

PJ Sykes - Fuzz My erstwhile Off Your Radar colleague has been busy during the pandemic! Among other things, he founded a creative agency and put together these 10 punked-out songs, layering fuzzed guitars over slamming rhythms and adding anthemic vocals for a blistering album. While he had a little help from guitarist Jeff Roop, he did everything else himself and perhaps the most impressive thing about his solo proficiency is the fact that it sounds like he's banging these tracks out with his best friends, rather than working alone. Putting Fuzz on will fill your room with an instant crowd and togetherness, even virtually, still feels in short supply these days.

Soen - Imperial My son listens almost exclusively to prog metal so he's become an important filter for a genre in which I like to dip a toe on occasion. This fifth album from a Swedish band was a quick favorite, with melodies that soar, guitars that are heavy yet sleek, and rhythms that aren't afraid to swing a little. The vocals, so often a deal-breaker in this style, are passionate and clear, if not overly distinctive. Some fans find their approach too straightforward here, so I'm looking forward to investigating their potentially knotty past.

Mastodon - Hushed and Grim Over 20 years into their career, by now we know that Mastodon is at their best when they have a concept as big as their sound and ambition to hang an album's worth of songs on. Except that is for The Hunter, their extraordinary 2011 album. While they don't reach those heights on this, their eighth album and first double-disc collection, as an exploration of their strengths as performers, Hushed and Grim is a thrilling ride. Even without a concrete story to tell, they have an emotional core to work off of, paying tribute to their longtime manager, Nick John, who died from cancer in 2018. That loss forms a white-hot magma from which sparks and sorrows shoot off, with echoes of Pink Floyd at their most elegiac or King Crimson at their most aggressive. Incorporating French horn and strings, including the Indian Sarangi, in totally organic fashion, Mastodon are continuing their evolution as a hard rock band that can go anywhere and do anything.

If you think that's everything, you couldn't be more wrong, believe it or not! Find more 2021 albums of note from these genres in this playlist and keep up with what this year has to offer here.

You may also enjoy:
Best Of 2020: Rock, Folk, Etc.
Best Of 2019: Rock, Folk, Etc. 
Best Of 2018: Rock, Folk, Etc. 
Best Of 2017: Rock, Folk, Etc.
Best Of 2016: Rock, Folk, Etc.

Best Of 2019: Rock, Folk, Etc.

As the “rock is dead” or “whatever happened to rock & roll” discussion continues in seeming disregard for the actual health of the genre, it occurs to me that those making those statements and asking those questions might have a very limited definition of the music. That’s a nice way of saying that there are a lot of Kiss, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi fans out there - and if they’re not finding what they need in new records, the fault may lie not in their rock stars but in themselves. I mean, I’m a Zeppelin fan, but I don’t need to listen to pale imitations like the regrettable Greta Van Fleet (remember them?) to get my fix. In any case, I found more than enough to get my pulse up, including albums that were in my Top 25 like Zam by Frankie & The Witch Finger (5/25), Devour You by Starcrawler (11/25), Satis Factory by Mattiel (13/25), Sombrou Duvida by Boogarins, or Commit Yourself Completely, the scorching live set from Car Seat Headrest. 

Then there were swaths of indie rock of a gentler nature throughout the Top 25, whether the world-beating songwriting of Ocean Music, Julia Jacklin, Tiny Ruins, and Hiss Golden Messenger, who held the first four spots, or Molly Sarlé, Angel Olsen, and Jane Church, who could be found further down. This year I even had a massive pop record from Billie Eilish, which had plenty of dark thoughts to fill the needs of goth-rockers looking for a spider bite. 

What you’ll find below is more of the same variety of flavors from these realms, all of it nearly as excellent as what I had on that main list. Believe me when I say that if this is your area of interest, your view of 2019 will not be complete without these records. 

As I did for my Classical list, albums I’ve already covered will be referenced with links to the original posts, while other albums and EP’s will be blurbed below. Press play here or below so you can listen while you read. 

First Quarter Report: The Albums

Michael Chapman - True North

Hand Habits - Placeholder

Cass McCombs - Tip Of The Sphere

Sunwatchers - Illegal Moves (they also put out a cracking live set)

Record Roundup: Poptones

Edwyn Collins - Badbea

Best Of 2019 (So Far)

Baroness - Gold & Gray

Crumb - Jinx

Record Roundup: Rock Formations

Jay Som - Anak Ko 

Tool - Fear Inoculum

Amyl & The Sniffers

Bon Iver - I,I

Ex Hex - It’s Real

Ocean Music - Fan Fiction For Planet Earth

Record Roundup: American Harvest

Tyler Ramsey - For The Morning

Elana Low - Loam

Andy Jenkins - The Garden Opens

Charles Rumback & Ryley Walker - Little Common Twist

John Calvin Abney - Safe Passage 

Courtney Hartman - Ready Reckoner

Jonathan Wilson - ‘69 Corvette

Molly Sarlé - Karaoke Angel

Daughter Of Swords - Dawnbreaker

Tate McClane - Jackpine Savage

Rebecca Turner - The New Wrong Way

Wilco - Ode To Joy

League of Legends

Leonard Cohen - Thanks For The Dance While there is a little of the too-neat phrase-turning that dampened my enthusiasm for some of his late-career albums (Popular Problems, for one), there are also many devastating and surprising lines (“I had a pussy in the kitchen and a panther in the yard”) to make this intimate completion a fitting capstone to Cohen’s career. Son Adam Cohen’s settings for these recitations are appropriately reverent, finding hidden chords in his dad’s speech. Cohen fans should feel a debt of gratitude to him (and guests like Beck) for bringing this to fruition. 

Hunt Sales Memorial - Get Your Shit Together Everyone who has heard Lust For Life or actually listened to Tin Machine knows that Sales is one of the greatest drummers alive. In his amusingly-named solo project he puts his devastating swing beneath some brick-hard rock and then sings over it all in a gruff and strangled voice that is an encyclopedia of hard living. While it may occasionally occur to you to wonder if he should be singing at all, you'll probably be singing along - or laughing too hard to care. 

Patrick Watson - Wave Watson has been flying progressively under my radar since the heights of Wooden Arms (#2 of 10 in 2009) and Adventures In Your Own Backyard (#14 of 20 in 2012), but, then again, this is his first album in four years after the disappointing Love Songs For Robots. He is nearly in full contact with his muse on this gorgeous collection, however, and even throws in a few new tricks of an almost cinematic nature. This is songwriting of great depth, realized by production that combines organic and synthetic sounds to intoxicating effect. Welcome back.

Folk-ish

Mega Bog - Dolphine Erin Birgy gives us more than enough sublime folk-rock (with touches of bossa nova and yé yé) to make it easy to overlook the random weird bits. Save the pieces, as TV Guide used to say - and they are marvelous pieces. 

Rachael Dadd - Flux Offers some of the same incantatory pleasures as This Is The Kit (their singer, Kate Stables, is a collaborator) though Dadd's take on Brit-folk is slightly more oblique. The arrangements, including horns, are often surprising but quickly make perfect sense. Listen and let the pieces come together in your head.

Nev Cottee - River's Edge His last album, Broken Flowers, was one of the delights of 2017, landing at #12 on my Top 25, so expectations were high for this one. While he uses many of the same elements - his gravelly voice, the enervated tempos, a quilt of starlit guitars - somehow the sum total just misses the heights of Broken Flowers. It could come down to the songs, which have less dynamic tension, making the album almost an ambient experience. But, still, Cottee is one of a kind and a presence I value greatly.

Post-Punky

UV-TV - Happy Post-punk power pop worthy of both storied traditions and a mite bit more gloss compared to their 2017 debut has in no way dampened the energy of this trio. Now that they’ve relocated to Brooklyn, I’m looking forward to catching them in concert. 

Bodega - Shiny New Model While their wry critique of late capitalism is still in evidence, this EP adds some sugar to Bodega’s tart no wave blend. Plenty of fun and kind of thrilling when they flex their pop muscles. 

Dry Cleaning - Sweet Princess & Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks Florence Shaw's talk-singing (OK, it's more like talking) slots this UK group into an area alongside Young Marble Giants, The Raincoats, The Slits, and the like, which is one of my favorite areas. And that what she's talking about ("...a mixture of inner monologue, YouTube comments describing memories of songs, and phrases collected from adverts on TV," as Shaw put it in an interview) over the sturdy sturm-und-jangle of the band is so resolutely of this moment only makes these EP's more fun. Catch them at their first U.S. date at Saint Vitus on March 6th.

Stargazer Lilies - Occabot I spotted these masters of monolithic and hazy shoe-gaze on tour dates with  Pale Dian (who I saw open for Cheatahs in Austin and I think my ears are still ringing). Working with Tobacco of Black Moth Super Rainbow has added melodic focus and further studio manipulation to their sound, making the musical visions of Kim Field and John Cep even more lethally compelling. This is their fourth album but feel free to start here if you're unfamiliar. And bring your earplugs to Saint Vitus on April 22 - or a venue near you.

Versing - 10000 This two-guitars-bass-and-drums band from Seattle has only improved since I saw them open for The Courtneys a couple of years ago. Tighter songwriting, more interest in the guitar interplay, and an uptick in the passion quotient means that maybe the next time I see them they'll be headlining and the crowd will leap to their feet like we did when Silver Velvet started up.

W.H. Lung - Incidental Music Opening their debut album with Simpatico People, a 10-minute journey of blissful motorik rhythms, pulsing synth, and guitar arpeggios is a bold statement of purpose for this trio from Manchester (of course they're from Manchester!). But that the rest of the album lives up to that overture makes me think there's a bright future ahead for them.

Historian - Hour Hand and Spiral Again Chris Karman put out two albums as Historian in 2019 and has already followed them up with Distractions, which came out in January. So dive in! There are many ruminative rewards to be found in his atmospheric chamber pop, which has only grown more assured since his first album, Shelf Life, from 2013. Spiral Again is a little stripped down for him (fewer strings), but he still manages to build up clouds of sound with what he has on hand, making either one of these a fine point of entry into his world.

L'Epee - Diabolique I was not aware that Emmanuelle Seigner - actress, wife of Roman Polanski - had a sideline in singing. And if you had told me so, I might have dismissed it out of hand. But this collaboration with Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre) and The Limiñanas is completely convincing. Seigner's dark-hued vocals combine perfectly with the driving, hypnotic rock cooked up by her bandmates and there's a bit of kicky sixties revivalism that never gets slavish. Could be a one-off, but either way it works!

Drone Shots

75 Dollar Bill - I Was Real Call me a curmudgeon, but this is the record I’ve been waiting for from these guys since first reading a description of them in an Other Music email. And you know that was a while ago, so I can be a very patient curmudgeon. By both expanding and deepening their drone jams, Rick Brown (percussion) and Che Chen (guitars) have made the Brooklyn via Sahara soundtrack for the next time I have to hike from Pioneer Works back to civilization - or mass transit, at least! Preferably that will happen after seeing them on stage. 

Earth - Full Upon Her Burning Lips Stripping down to drummer Adrienne Davies and guitarist Dylan Carlson has given Earth a way out of the cul de sac they found themselves in after their last album, which was heavy with guest vocalists. Carlson’s riffs are still monolithic but they’re also more organic, with a prairie wind blowing through the spaces between the notes. Davies has plenty of air and nuance in her drum patterns, too, while still remaining absolutely implacable. One of their best yet. 

Sunn O))) - Life Metal While I don’t think they’ll ever top Soused, their collaboration with the late, great Scott Walker, part of what impresses here is their exquisite control over tone and impact. It’s almost a dictionary of malevolent guitar noises, with a few added bonuses, like the vocals and cello of Oscar-winning Icelandic composer Hildur Guōnadódottir, and supported by bass, synth, and pipe organ.The only thing that would make it better (besides Scott Walker) is a searchable index so you could instantly find the snarl, feedback or power chord you need. 

Psych-Out

Levitation Room - Headspace The difference in this aptly-named L.A. quintet's take on psychedelia lies in their light touch. There's plenty of guitar fireworks, but there's still a crisp elegance to everything they do. Pushing their sound and style into songwriting of a more striking originality is the turn of a key keeping them from greatness. The packaging from Greenway Records is exceptional, even by their usual standards - grab a die-cut copy while you still can!. 

Poptones 

Clairo - Immunity While not nearly as fascinating as Billie Eilish, neither did this bedroom pop singer go the full Jack Antonoff route like Lorde - and thank god! Her simplicity and faux-naive approach maintains most of the charm it had when she was just posting from her iPhone onto YouTube. Not every song is a killer, but enough are to make you think she can go further.

The Drums - Brutalism “I know some good luck/And a good fuck/A nice glass of wine/And some quality time/Is gonna make you mine/(But it's not what I'm trying to find)” - imagine those transparent lines sung in a sunny tenor to an indelible melody over bright electro-pop and you’ll get a good idea of what Jonny Pierce is up to here. The fact that he keeps it up song after song is something of a marvel.

Faye Webster - Atlanta Millionaires Club Ultra-modern countrypolitan stylings from a young woman who could be Natalie Prass's little sister. Then she veers into woozy R&B on Flowers, throwing in a guest verse from Father and reminding you that she really is from the dirty south, not just name-checking it in the album title. If her next album went even further in that direction, you would hear no complaints from me - although Prass might start looking over her shoulder.

100 Gecs - 1000 Gecs Cut up random notification sounds from your phone, loop them, sprinkle with some Raymond Scott fairy dust and beats from hip hop and digital hardcore, then .zip to them your friend. Have her auto-tune the heck out of her voice and sing and rap in ways that ride the line of catchy and annoying. Master for streaming services and ta da, you're Dylan Brady and Laura Les. This is pop, as XTC once declared, and so it is. It remains to be seen, however, if they can remain interesting longer than Sleigh Bells did.

Beck - Hyperspace As a venture into pop territory, this is often much more successful than Colors, his previous album. But it also barely recovers from the Beck-lite of Saw Lightning and the Mellencampian idiocy of Die Waiting. But keep listening, because the last track is one of the best things he's ever done. His vocal performance alone on Everlasting Nothing is astounding, but it's the lyrics that stick the knife in more than once. In honor of that achievement, I'll let him have the last word on 2019: "And I washed up on the shoreline/Everyone was waiting there for me/Like a standing ovation for the funeral of the sun/In the everlasting nothing."

P.S. There's more goodness from 2019 to be found here and to make sure you don't miss the gems of 2020, follow this playlist.

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Best Of 2018: Rock, Folk, Etc.
Best Of 2017: Rock, Folk, Etc.
Best Of 2016: Rock, Folk, Etc.
Best Of 15: Singles & EP's
Best Of The Rest Of 14: Old Favorites, New Sounds