Re-Ups

Since the attack on the fine folks at MegaUpload there's been quite a few of my old links that led nowhere. I'm trying to re-up all of them, but it's just gonna take some time. It doesn't help that iTunes won't recognize the tracklist of any of the old mixes I burned to CD using iTunes - I mean, in a just world that sort of willful retardation should be the cause of a company going out of business and its chief executives getting nailed inside a burning outhouse. If Jobs was still alive I swear I'd punch him square in the meatpods for that.

Anyway, here's a batch of 'em:

Don't Call Me Honey - a mix of grrl group-ish groovology
History Lesson Pt. 1  - a mix of bands that went on to greater fame after a name change or personnel change
Shade and Honey - a mix of mellow tuneage for warm summer nights or, in a pinch, Sunday mornings
Faves of 2011 (vol. 3) - a seriously awesome mix of awesomely serious Un-Herd serious awesomeness
Wet Winter Holiday - a mix of melancholy power pop and punkamacallit

Best of 2011

I have no idea what magical confluence of social vectors and trends managed to cause so many bands to arrive at the front door of this blog's wheelhouse, but 2011 displayed a renewed interest out there in the hook-laden power pop glam punk rock 'n' roll that I feared had been euthanized and buried around the time Bob Stinson got kicked out of the Replacements. There were other trends, of course, and most of them reached a far greater audience than this particular one, but any band with the chops and balls to tap in to the primal source of rock 'n' roll is also gonna be committed to an established tradition of corporate incomprehension and mainstream disinterest (and the two go hand in hand). That, after all, is what makes them un-herd in the first place.

The Un-Herd Music Top 30 of 2011

1. The Breakdowns - The Kids Don't Wanna Bop Anymore

One of those albums that just gets better with each successive listen. Concise, hook-filled songs, trimmed of all fat, that effortlessly seem to channel all the right touchstones since the '50s and still sound totally fresh.  Full review here.

2. The Booze - At Maximum Volume  

Atlanta band that's already broken up, but not before releasing this perfect distillation of classic Stones and Faces. Occasionally the analytical part of my brain argues that it's too derivative of its sources, but then I realize I'm enjoying it too much to care.

3. Biters - It's All Chewed Up, OK?

Another Atlanta band. This is a vinyl-only compilation of their two EPs from earlier in the year (It's OK to Like Biters and All Chewed Up). Either of those EPs could've placed on this list, so if you don't buy vinyl just grab the EPs and stick 'em together.

4. The Meows - All You Can Eat

Paint-blistering, pure rock 'n' roll from Spain. Crazed geetar riffs, pounding pianos, call-and-response backing vocals. These guys touch the godhead itself. 

 

5. Yep - Once

Almost a covers album, this collaboration between Belleville's Mark Caputo and the Rubinoos' Al Chan isn't surprising because it's filled with hooks - you expect that from these guys - but because it uses its vocal harmonies to dig so deep into the source material. Full review here.

  

6. The Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams

To be honest, the first listen didn't do much for me - and then Kristen Gundred's voice and melodies starting sinking in until I just couldn't stop playing it. This is a major label band so a) there won't be a track on the mix, and b) steal it. Full review here.

7. Meyerman - Who Do You Think You Are?

Literate, tuneful, and unafraid to turn the amps up, Meyerman are manna from heaven for any fan of power pop. Full review here.

8. Oh Mercy - Great Barrier Grief

It's fitting that this was produced by Mitchell Froom, who mined a similar vein of acoustic pop perfection with Crowded House. Leader/wunderkind Alexander Gow might just be the Roddy Frame of the '10s, but might even be something more.

9. Van Buren Boys - Up All Night

Like an amphetamine version of the Exploding Hearts, with all the similar influences and record collections on display. Not much more than fun, but fun with a capital F. Full review here.

10. Watts - On The Dial

Tough power pop that seems to admire AC/DC as much as Big Star, but prefers the Replacements over Husker Du. All's fine then. Full review here.

11. Barreracudas - Nocturnal Missions (full review here)

12. The Kills - Blood Pressures

13. Redondo Beat - Meet Redondo Beat

14. Marvelous Darlings - Single Life (full review here)

15. Apex Manor - The Year of Magical Drinking

16. Locksley - Locksley

17. Daniel Tashian - Arthur (full review here)

18. The Weight - Nowhere Now

19. Ryan Allen - Ryan Allen and His Extra Arms (full review here)

20. The Postelles - The Postelles

21. Butch Walker & the Black Widows - The Spade

22. Black Rabbits - Hypno Switch

23. Warren Zanes - I Want To Move Into The Daylight

24. Giuda - Racey Roller

25. The CRY! - The CRY!

26. Sun Wizard - Positively 4th Avenue

27. Bare Wires - Cheap Perfume

28. King Louie's Missing Monuments - Paint It White

29. The ACBs - Stona Rosa

30. Tommy Keene - Behind the Parade

This year also saw a number of great EPs released (besides the ones by the Biters), which may be a result of the longplayer album becoming less important as the internet becomes something like ye olde global record shoppe. Here's a quickie top 5:

Gustav Nilsson Make-up On, Letdown Off
Boulevard Beat 8 Track Breakdown
The Adjusters Trouble 'n' Love
Kurt Baker Rockin' For a Living
Reigning Sound Abdication

And finally... here's a sampler for the year. It's not the top 30 - all major label bands have been omitted - so it's more like my usual quantum top 20s (ie: more than 20). All of the above albums are available on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, and a multitude of other places, so if you hear something you like then give the bands a little monetary love.

Get Up, Get Down

1. Meyerman Intro Tonight
2. The Meows Tired of Being Alone
3. Biters Ain't So Easy
4. Van Buren Boys Crazy
5. Redondo Beat Do You Wanna Have This Dance?
6. Giuda Roll On
7. Locksley All of the Time
8. Black Rabbits My Baby Don't
9. Ryan Allen and His Extra Arms Heart String Soul
10. Marvelous Darlings I Want My Brand
11. The Kills Future Starts Slow
12. Apex Manor I Know These Waters Well
13. Tommy Keene Deep Six Saturday
14. Oh Mercy Stay, Please Stay
15. The Weight Grand Street
16. Daniel Tashian When You're Gone
17. Yep Crestfallen
18. The Booze Wild One
19. Watts Chaperone
20. Barreracudas Feet
21. The Cry! Down in the City
22. The Postelles Sleep on the Dance Floor
23. Warren Zanes That Sounds Good To Me
24. The Breakdowns The Kids Don't Wanna Bop Anymore

Faves of 2011 (vol. 2)

Wait, how is this Vol. 2 and why is Vol. 2 appearing after Vol. 3? Whelp, suffice to say I put up this volume two times previously and each time it got zapped by the powers-that-be. This time, I've pulled every major label-affiliated band from the mix, and replaced them with much more deserving tunes.

The three volumes of faves from 2011 really put into focus how difficult it's going to be to narrow the year into a top 20. My last count for that list exceeded 30, which means there's some tough decisions ahead. In the meantime, however, all we have to do is enjoy. And hope the link stays alive.

Here We Go Magic

1. Cirrone Here Is My Song
2. Redondo Beat The Sweetest Sound
3. The Dahlmanns Candy Pants
4. An American Underdog Nothing I Can Do
5. The Biters Hold On
6. The Barreracudas Baby Baby Baby
7. The Kills Damned If She Do
8. The Booze Rachel
9. The CRY! Forget It
10. Sun Wizard Golden Girl
11. Warren Zanes Nothing To Do Now
12. The Hot Toddies Hey Hey
13. The Viatones Isn't It So True
14. Sloan Unkind
15. Ralph Covert & the Bad Examples No Message in Your Bottle
16. The Sick Rose Take It All Back
17. The ABCs Italian Girls
18. The Eulogies Better Than Nothing
19. The Love Me Nots I'm Gonna Be Your Girl
20. The Greatest Liar You Deserve Better
21. Marvelous Darlings Teenage Targets
22. The Shivers Used To Be
23. The Diamond Dogs Be Here Tonight
24. Dirty Wings Scott Walker, Motherfucker

Faves of 2011 (Vol. 3)

Okay, trying this again. I've removed all bands that are affiliated with major labels.At least, I think I have; it's quite hard to find out if an "independent" label is really independent or simply a vile subsidiary of the evil empire. Apparently such an admission is bad for business. I wonder why, huh?

I've Got Permission

1. The Van Buren Boys Turn It Up Loud
2. Meyerman  Permission to Rock You
3. The Adjusters You Gotta Say
4. Butch Walker & the Black Widows Every Single Body Else
5. Locksley Oh, Wisconsin!
6. Everybody Else First Class
7. The Black Rabbits Hypno Switch
8. The Handcuffs Come On Venus
9. The Breakdowns If Only You Knew
10. The Boulevard Beat 8 Track Breakdown
11. Wiretree Dakota
12. Chewy Patriarch Boogie
13. The Dead Trees World Gone Global
14. Phoebe Killdeer & the Short Straws Scholar
15. Mother's Children (Baby You Ain't) Tough Enough
16. The Cute Lepers Tribute To Charlie
17. Spazzys Makin' Trash
18. Bare Wires Television Girls
19. Giuda Number 10
20. Sally Crewe & the Sudden Moves Punk Rock Kid
21. King Louie's Missing Monuments Dance All Nite
22. The Krayolas Gonna Walk Downtown
23. Reigning Sound Can't Hold On
24. Howler You Like White Women I Like Cigarettes

Faves of '11 (Vol. I)

And it's already that time of the new year, wherein I offer up a mix of sparkling new tunes that have made my daily toil just a little bit more bearable.

Now, these mixes aren't necessarily meant as ringing endorsements of the albums the songs come from - they're really just a collection of single tracks that I like - but I can already promise that the records by Oh Mercy, Watts, Yep, Apex Manor, and Skybombers will be showing up in my quantum Best-of-the-Year list. As for the others, all I can say is that they all guarantee at least one outstanding track, as is evidenced here.

And, as always, this blog remains a Radiohead-free zone.

Faves of 2011 A

1. Oh Mercy Keith St.
2. Apex Manor The Party Line
3. Skybombers Love Me Like You Used To Do
4. Only Son The Same Two Places
5. Miles Kane Come Closer
6. Beady Eye The Roller
7. Nicole Atkins Cry, Cry, Cry
8. The Dozen Dimes Mean Little Girl
9. New York Dolls Talk To Me Baby
10. Watts The Times
11. The Insomniacs Yeah Yeah Yeah
12. Five O'Clock Heroes I Need You Around
13. Smith Westerns End of the Night
14. Ponderosa Pistolier
15. Ringside Should've Known
16. Lucinda Williams Buttercup
17. Yep Crestfallen
18. The World/Inferno Friendship Society The Politics of Passing Out
19. Frankie & the Heartstrings Hunger
20. David Lowery All Those Girls Meant Nothing To Me
21. The Baseball Project (w/ Craig Finn) Don't Call Them Twinkies
22. Telekinesis Gotta Get It Right Now

Review - Watts "On the Dial" (2011)

Whenever I start to lament the demise of modern music, a band like this will show up and kick my ass. Watts somehow wedge their tough rock 'n' roll in the same space between punk and power pop that once made the Replacements seem so necessary. Each song on On The Dial comes armed with at least a couple barbed hooks, and the band backs them up with the cool swagger of a 50s street gang. Singer Dan Kopko's rasp holds a similarity to Social Distortion's Mike Ness (but with a more advanced sense of both melody and humor), while guitarist John Blout's muscular, dramatic leads are concise and tuneful, and underneath it all the rhythm section of Craig Lapointe and John Lynch pushes every bar forward with a lurching, inevitable momentum. The band may be named after Rolling Stones drummer Charlie, but I'm going out on a limb and claiming they're paying similar homage to Mott the Hoople bassist Overend, because as much as these songs chug along with the Chuck Berryisms of a punked-up Stones they also revel in the hard-bitten romantic fatalism of the best moments of Mott (and now that I think of it, I may have to start a campaign to get these guys to cover either "Jerkin' Crocus" or "One of the Boys" - it might be a perfect fit). Smart enough to title a song "Sweetheart of the Radio", cool enough to cover Angel City (aka the Angels), and, godbless'em, brave enough to even try at all - Watts is a band after my own heart.

Watts on Facebook

Watts on Amazon