Tag: Indie rock

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Albums

Best albums of 2024: Greetings & honourable mentions

Well, hello and happy hump day!

It’s been a while. Three months since my last post, to be exact.

I didn’t intend to be away so long and definitely wasn’t expecting the piece on Beck to be my last post. However, life… well… it happened.

Without getting into all the gory details, let’s just say I had some unexpected health issues, some of them quite scary, involving an extended gig in the hospital. I have had to make a number of lifestyle changes, including slowing things down quite a bit. And though not all yet resolved, things have been improving and I am slowly on the mend, hopefully on track to a full recovery. I am grateful for the love of my life and partner in all things, close friends, and professional support, all of which have kept me going.

Of late, I’ve been slowly trying to get back to doing some of the things I used to enjoy and, of course, one of the first things that helped bring some solace was listening to music. Limited reading followed, and I’m just now returning to some writing, intending to slowly get back to this regular blogging fun.

While in the hospital, I had lots of time to think about the greats of 2024. So let’s begin with a sampling of great albums from last year worthy of honourable mention, followed by my next post, the first handful of those ten favourite albums for the year. Enjoy.

Camera Obscura “Look to the east, look to the west”:  The Scottish indie pop band’s sixth studio album and first since the death of keyboardist, Carey Lander in 2015, shows the group in fine form and chock full of that twee magic.
Check out: “Big love”

The Decemberists “As it ever was, so it will be again”:  The Portland-based quintet keeps on doing things in their own particular way – esoteric subject matter dressed up in indie folk, informed by a myriad of world musical styles – on their 9th studio album and we continue to love them for it.
Check out: “Burial ground”

Desperate Journalist “No hero”:  To my ears, these post punk revivalists from London, England have firmly grasped the torch let drop by Canada’s The Organ when that band split after only one great album back in the early 2000s.
Check out: “Unsympathetic parts 1 & 2”

Elephant Stone “Back into the dream”: The sixth album by the Montreal-based psych-rock quartet fronted by bass and sitar player Rishi Dhir, is more Beatlesque, jangle pop that is as equally relevant on a Saturday night, as it is on a Sunday morning.
Check out: “Going underground”

James “Yummy”: One of my favourite all-time bands celebrated their 40th anniversary year in 2023 with a compilation of orchestral reworkings of many of their much-loved classics and followed it up in 2024 with their 18th (!) studio album – future classics that feature the Manchester group’s signature “big”
sound and frontman Tim Booth’s inimitable lyric work and vocal style.
Check out: “Is this love”

Linn Koch-Emmery “Borderline iconic”: Unlike her 2021 debut, “Borderline iconic“, the Sweden born and bred singer-songwriter didn’t quite crack my top ten with her sophomore effort… but it was darned close – just over 30 more minutes of spiky and catchy, power pop attitude.
Check out: “Ebay armour”

The Vaccines “Pick-up full of pink carnations”: London, England’s The Vaccines are sadly one of those bands that I tend to forget about* – until of course, they release a new album, like this, their 6th LP offering, and I am immediately caught back up in the wave of their angular, fun, and anthemic indie-pop.
Check out: “Heartbreak kid”

*Not because they deserve to be forgotten- they just fall victim to my too much music, too little time” syndrome.

I’ll be back very soon with albums #10 through #6 for my Best albums of 2024 list. In the meantime, you can check out my Best Albums page here if you’re interested in my other favourite albums lists.

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Tunes

Best tunes of 2013: #20 Bleached “Dead in your head”

<< #21    |    #19 >>

For the second time in just over a month, I was digging around the internet for content related to a song I was writing about and I came across a reference to a certain club with a particular name. Curious, I dug further this time and ended up down a rabbit hole of articles and videos about said place.

Apparently, The Smell is an all-ages, DIY, punk, arts and culture space, that was instrumental in the launch of a number of L.A.-based musicians throughout this new millennium. Artists that have played there include Warpaint, Ty Segall, Best Coast, and Moaning. Sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin not only often played The Smell with their first band, Mika Miko, but they volunteered there as well.

I haven’t checked out Mika Miko at all but by all accounts, they were a pretty great live act. The garage rock quintet was formed in 2003 and in the seven years before they split, released a pair of full length albums and a half dozen EPs and singles. In 2011, the year after Mika Miko called it quits, Jennifer and Jessica started up Bleached. Under this moniker, there’s been three successful full length records, each charting on the Billboard charts, and though they haven’t officially called it a day, they too seem to be on hiatus.

I came across Bleached with their debut album, “Ride your heart”, back in 2013 and found myself hooked. They mined a similar 60s girl group sound structure as that of Dum Dum Girls, but instead of the wall of sound shoegaze imbued by Dee Dee Penny, the Clavin sisters preferred to hang on to their punk roots. With most of the tracks in the two to three minute range, “Ride your heart” is gunshot raw, and at times is aggressive and discordant, but at its heart, it’s really a pop record rife with ear worm melodies.

“I never wanted to lose the boy I loved the most
I never wanted to hurt the boy I loved the most”

Track four is the longest song on the album, clocking in at just over four minutes, and this is mostly due to a dreamy intro that lulls you into thinking this might be a slow love ballad. Then, the foot stomping on kickpedal wakes you right up and the marching bass line drags you into the fray. The vocals and guitars play a bit of call in response during the verses with flourishes that have the potential to induce whiplash and the choruses are all fist pumping and shouting along wistfully for the one that got away. “Dead in your head” is big, bold, and anthemic and yes, demands replay after replay.

For the rest of the Best tunes of 2013 list, click here.

Categories
Tunes

Best tunes of 2020: #13 Moaning “Ego”

<< #14    |    #12 >>

Moaning is an American indie rock trio that was formed in Los Angeles, California back in 2014. This wasn’t the first rodeo, though, for Sean Solomon (vocals, guitars), Pascal Stevenson (bass, synthesizers), and Andrew MacKelvie (drums, percussion). All three members were veterans of the hometown music scene and in fact were in a previous band together, having met and formed a friendship back in high school. This band seemed fated for more success, though, after some chance encounters led to Alex Newport producing their self-titled debut album and to their signing with iconic indie label Sub Pop for its release.

Moaning quickly drew comparisons Joy Division with their bass-heavy, dark, and angular post punk sound and Sean Solomon’s dour vocal delivery. They could’ve done worse in many people’s eyes and ears, especially since the mention in the same breath was not imbued with any derogatory irony. From album one to album two, the progression left room for the haunting synths to appear, giving the whole party a retro and nostalgic feel. And not forgetting of course, that at their base, all of their songs are dance floor, freak-out ready.

“The highest high, the lowest low
I wanna lose my ego
It’s easier to complain
But there is beauty in the mundane”

Track one opens Moaning’s sophomore album like a scraping footstep in an empty and very likely haunted house just after midnight. “Ego” is a driving and rumbling bass line that Peter Hook might be proud of and the drums just trounce along, adding a thudding heartbeat to this psychological thriller. Wailing synths grace the chorus, only slightly foretold by alien sounding creaks, just below the surface, seething and biding their time to strike. And as dark and sinister as this all sounds, the inspiration for the lyrics are quite the opposite, exploring the idea of thinking of others outside of one self, putting aside your own bs to see that the world is still happening around you.

“I wanna be anybody but myself
I wanna love anybody but myself”

For the rest of the Best tunes of 2020 list, click here.