Faves of 2022 (vol. 1)

When it comes to losing one's idols, this has been a rough first quarter to the year. Bad enough that Pat Fish (aka the Jazz Butcher) shuffled off his mortal coil far too soon, but the recent death of Chris Bailey on top of that was a total gut punch. I fell in love with that first Saints album on its initial release. The combination of Ed Kuepper's assaultive guitar and Bailey's charismatic rasp (which was somehow both flat AND tuneful) hit me right between the eyes. I remember sneaking side one on at a house party in small town British Columbia in 1977 and even though my fellow revelers were a million times more into Steve Miller and Fleetwood Mac that didn't stop the entire party from literally pounding the walls for all five minutes of "Messin' With The Kid." Definitely one of those moments that rivals anything referenced in Roy Batty's dramatic "tears in the rain" speech at the climax of Blade Runner. 

RIP Chris Bailey, Pat Fish, Mark Lanegan, Ronnie Spector, King Louie Bankston (Exploding Hearts), Rachel Nagy (Detroit Cobras), Betty Davis

 

Don't Need No Weatherman To Know Who Doesn't Give A Damn

 

1. Simon L0ve You and Me

2. Mattie1 Subterranean Shut-In Blues

3. Wet Leg Wet Dream

4. Swami J0hn Reis I Ain't Your Pawn

5. H00doo Gurus Carry On

6. Sp00n The Hardest Cut

7. Pink M0untaintops Nervous Breakdown

8. D0pe Lemon Rose Pink Cadillac

9. King Hanna All Being Fine

10. Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard Break Right In

11. Y0ung Guv Lo Lo Lonely

12. He11acopters Tin Foil Soldier
13. Faz Wa1tz Shame On You

14. Diam0nd Dogs Alright Brutus, I'm On

15. Urge 0verki11 Freedom!

16. Cheap Star Holding On

17. F0xy Shazam Love Rush Ecstacy

18. Beechw00d Front Page News

19. The Linda Lindas Growing Up

20. J0n Spencer & the HITmakers My Hit Parade

21. The Dip Paddle to the Stars

22. Beachheads Break Right In

23. Ex-V0id (Angry At You) Baby

24. Gaso1ine Who's Gonna Stop Me?

25. Ceramic Anima1s Tangled

26. The Jazz Butcher Goodnight Sweetheart

Orphans 2021

 

Well dern, that was a loooong search. It's a little frustrating too, because I know there's a ton of bands out there trying to get noticed and simply disappearing in the glut of overwhelming everything that is the internet. But what can ya do? That's not going to change - and we'd all probably complain loudly if it did.

So big thanks to all the bands out there still trying. You're appreciated. And while I'm handing out thank-yous, I should also tip my cap to those who've stuck around, especially those who have ever posted in the comment section. Some days that's all that keeps me going. Appreesh!

A Computer That's Been Programmed to Dream

1. Edis0n Lights Josephine (in Quarantine)

2. The Jr. League Library Bar

3. Hurry It's Dangerous

4. The Reyt0ns Kids Off the Estate

5. S1othrust Once More for the Ocean

6. S0uthern Avenue Fences

7. Dec1an We1sh & the Decadent West Talking to Myself

8. Sami Yaffa Down At St. Joe's

9. Lucer0 Back in Ohio

10. Need1es//Pins Winnipeg '03

11. The 0n and 0ns Vanishing Act

12. Sister Suzie  (Are You Gonna) Give Me a Kiss

13. The Linda Lindas Oh

14. Ind0nesian Junk Policeman

15. Ryan Hami1ton Do the Damage

16. S1ick Just Meat

17. Mad Ro11ers Black Days

18. The Ho1d Steady Riptown

19. Beatrice Deer Cannibal

20. P0inted Sticks Pessimist's Son

21. De1 Amitri Happiness Is it

22. The F0rty Nineteens The Worst Thing I Could Do

23. Spearmint Rock n' Roll Never Was

24. Cowbe11 Garage Flowers

25. Deaf Schoo1 Where Do We Go From Here?

Best of 2021

 

The Un-Herd Music Top 50 of 2021

1. Art Bergmann Late Stage Empire Dementia

He's been a hard luck legend of the Canadian underground for 40 years now, and while it's something of a surprise this album exists at all I can't say it's any surprise that it's so effin' excellent. 

 

 

 

2. The Courettes Back in Mono

The echoed drums, baritone sax deep in the mix & girl group melodies wed Spector's Wall of Sound with the raggedy looseness of 60s garage punk. A triumph all around.

 

 

 

3. Hayley Mary The Drip  

There's a layer of melancholy lying just underneath the driving guitar buzz that lends these highly melodic tunes an impressive staying power. Technically only an EP, but match it with the previous year's "The Piss, The Perfume" and you've got an album for the ages.

 

 

4. Steve Conte Bronx Cheer

An album that not only screams New York, but also offers - in its barrage of hard rock hooks - testament to the reasons why Conte was first choice as Johnny Thunders' fill-in in the reformed New York Dolls.
 

 

 

5. Jelani Aryeh I've Got Some Living To Do

Precociously talented at such a young age, Jelani Aryeh grabs pieces from pop, soul, R&B, and indie and puts them together in refreshingly original ways.

 

 

 

6. We Are The Union Ordinary Life

There are layers of social, political, and lyrical reasons to appreciate this album, but none of that would matter much if the music (a quantum leap forward for both ska-punk and pop-punk) didn't pack such a punch. 

   

 

7. Amyl and the Sniffers Comfort To Me

While Amy Taylor still doesn't exactly sing, she chants and rants with a charisma that sits perfectly amid the band's ACDC-meets-Radio Birdman attack. And while it's understandable she gets tagged as a female Iggy Pop, it's also evident that she's powered by a more righteous anger than any male counterpart might muster.

 

 

8. Made Violent Wannabe

Every now and then I'll find a small miracle - in this case, garage punk with an infectious 50s sock hop sensibility in its melodic construction - that forces me to champion the band as an underdog. Will we ever hear from them again? Who knows. In the meantime, we've got "Wannabe."

 

 

9. Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs Real One

A declarative reminder this kind of music is far too scarce. Not metal, not punk, not indie or alternative - no need for a hyphenate at all - just melodic, aggressive, proudly electric rock that refuses to leave my player. 

 

 

 

10. Reigning Sound A Little More Time With Reigning Sound

Reaches back to their first 2 albums (the pedal steel of "Break Up Break Down" and the garage punk R&B of "Time Bomb High School") and creates what might be their crowning achievement. 

 

 

 

11. L.A. Exes Get Some

12. Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders There's Pretty Things in Palookaville

13. Ike Reilly Because the Angels

14. The Blips The Blips

15. EUT Party Time

16. Brothers Steve Dose

17. Peppermint Kicks Peppermint Kicks

18. Daniel Romano Cobra Poems

19. Ryan Hamilton 1221

20. You Am I The Lives of Others 

 

21. Sour Ops X

22. Shannon & the Clams Year of the Spider

23. Mad Rollers Get Mad

24. Ryan Allen What a Rip

25. Real Sickies Love is for Lovers

26. Tommy Womack I Thought I Was Fine

27. The Wildhearts 21st Century Love Songs

28. Kiss the Tiger Vicious Kid

29. Aimee Mann Queens of the Summer Hotel

30. Curtis Harding If Words Were Flowers

 

31. Radio Days Rave On

32. Split Squad Another Cinderella

33. Blunt Bangs Proper Smoker

34. Geoff Palmer Charts and Graphs

35. Too Much Joy Mistakes Were Made

36. Hurry Fake Ideas

37. Cocktail Slippers Shout It Out Loud

38. Ellen Foley Fighting Words

39. The Forty Nineteens The New Roaring Twenties

40. Suzi Quatro The Devil in Me 

 

41. Boy Golden Church of Better Daze

42. Watts Shady Rock 'n' Rollers

43. Needles//Pins Needles//Pins

44. Yola Stand For Myself

45. The Fleshtones Face of the Screaming Werewolf

46. Beatrice Deer Shifting

47. Emperor Penguin Corporation Pop!

48. Parquet Courts Sympathy For Life

49. Elise LeGrow Grateful

50. Nick Waterhouse Promenade Blue 

 

Will You Let Me In Your Hard Heart?

 

1. Art Bergmann Entropy

2. C0urettes Misfits and Freaks 

3. Steve Conte Recovery Doll

4. Hay1ey Mary Would You Throw a Diamond?

5. Rea1 Sickies Give and Take

6. LA Exes Temporary Goodbye

7. Je1ani Aryeh Stella Brown

8. Y0u Am I The Waterboy

9. Sour 0ps Inside the Mind

10. Radi0 Days When I'm With You

11. We R The Union Broken Brain

12. Sam C0ffey & the Iron Lungs Lately

13. Amy1 & the Sniffers Security

14. Sp1it Squad Hey DJ

15. EUT Party Time

16. Peppermint Kicks Hey Fanzine!

17. Geoff Pa1mer This Monkey

18. Pat T0dd Cheap Nostalgia

19. Made Vio1ent You Had It Easy

20. Reigning S0und Oh Christine

21. Bros Steve Next Aquarius

22. Shannon & the C1ams Year of the Spider

23. The B1ips Wild Thing II

24. Danie1 Romano Nocturne Child

Unherd Christmess 2021

 

 

Wishing everyone a happy holidays!

And maybe, just maybe, a bit of normalcy in the New Year!

Kick Rudolph In The Nuts

1. UK Subs Hey Santa Claus!

2. Do11yrots One More Sleep

3. The C0urettes Xmas I Can't Wait

4. Lisa Mycho1s Xmas Wake Up!

5. Empty Hearts It's Xmas Time

6. S1oan Merry Xmas Everybody

7. C1assic Ruins Scrooge's Body Shop

8. He1en Love Merry Xmas (I Don't Wanna Fight)

9. God1db1ade City of Xmas Ghosts

10. David W00dard Around the Power Pop Tree

11. Quiet C0mpany Alone on Xmas

12. Beatrice Dear Xmas

13. Dude Y0rk Long Distance Xmas

14. Heatwaves Xmas Mom

15. Shake S0me Action Xmas in the Sun

16. Green Day Xmas Time of Year

17. Nick Piunti Xmas Morning

18. Nico1e Atkins Every Single Xmas

19. Pau1 Ke11y Xmas Train

20. Smithereens Run Rudoph Run

21. JD McPhers0n Hey Skinny Santa!

22. Rich Ragany December in my Heart

23. LA X's My Favorite Time of Year

24. Punch1ine Xmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Faves of 2021 (Vol. 3)

This marks the last of the faves mixes for 2021, and I'm still fairly optimistic that there'll be enough late finds to constitute an orphans mix not too long into next year. Now, I'll admit that optimism stems from nothing other than the tingling of my spidey senses telling me I missed some gems... but these days I'll take optimism from anywhere I can get it.

Additionally, this mix contains what might be my song of the year. I'm not going to contaminate the listening experience by identifying it, but I'm curious if the UHM regulars out there share the same fave. Let me know your choice in the comment section.

Don't We All Need Some Time To Unwind

1. Br0s Steve Get On Up

2. Boy Go1den KD and Lunch Meat

3. LA Exes Baby Let's Pretend

4. The C0urettes Want You! Like a Cigarette

5. The Shivas Rock Me Baby

6. E11en Fo1ey I'll Be True 

7. The Sanitizers Kiss Me I'm Vaccinated

8. Shannon & the C1ams Mary, Don't Go

9. Brad Sux How to Not Kill Yourself

10. The RTs We Didn't Know

11. Sam Evien Freezee Pops

12. FUR Wild Heart

13. B1unt Bangs She's Gone

14. Kiss the Tiger Motel Room

15. Cocktai1 S1ippers She Devil (Shout It Out Loud)

16. Bat Fangs Action

17. The Daydream Doin' What You're Doin' Anyway

18. Brins1ey Schwartz You Can't Take It Back

19. Je1ani Aryeh From These Heights

20. Ve11a & Macy Grey Blue

21. E1ise LeGrow Feel Alright

22. Jesse Ma1in State of the Art

23. Eden James Bad Girl

24. The Wi1dhearts Sort Your Fucking Shit Out

 

Covers Project Vol. 20

Don't know why, but it feels like forever since I've posted a new mix, even though it's only been slightly longer than a month. Just hope there's still people out there interested in listening. And by people I mean, y'know, sentient bipedal beings as opposed to the bots and spammers that have been showing up in the comments section. 

Anyway, it's time for another covers mix. And, as usual, there's no need for any further explanation. Just a selection of great songs from beginning to end.  No ironic detachment necessary.

I'm Sick To Death Of Hearin' Things

1. Checkered Hearts My Best Friend's Girl (The Cars)

2.  M0m When You Were Mine (Prince)

3.  Pete Y0rn Here Comes Your  Man (Pixies)

4. G0spelbeacH Lovin' You Ain't Easy (Pagliaro)

5. The Regrettes Don't Stop Me Now (Queen)

6. Sp00n Breakdown (Tom Petty)

7. Lucinda Wi11iams Sway (Rolling Stones)

8. Crocodi1es Burning Up (Madonna)

9. Cocktai1 S1ippers Hush (Joe South via Deep Purple)

10. E1ectric Six Strutter (Kiss)

11. Cheep Trick Rebel Rebel (David Bowie)

12. Prima1 Scream Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon)

13. Real Sickies Jeepster (T.Rex)

14. Die T0ten Hosen Shake Sherry (The Contours)

15. E11en Fo1ey I Found A Love (Wilson Pickett via the Falcons)

16. Starcraw1er I Need To Know (Tom Petty)

17. Skids Violence (Mott the Hoople)

18. A1ice C00per Sister Anne (MC5)

19. K7s Touring (Ramones)

20. The L0ngshot Southern Girls (Cheap Trick)

21. Garbage Starman (David Bowie)

22. Whiteh0rse Fade Into You (Mazzy Star)

Faves of 2021 (Vol. 2)

At the risk of stating the obvious, holy fug I'm tired of this pandemic. And even more tired of the people who seem to want to extend it into an undefined future. Can we just act like sentient beings for a few weeks and quash this shit, please? Pretend. You have. A brain.

 

And, on the other side of the ledger, a big cheers n' thank-you to all the artists out there who continue to kick ass while revenue and live gigs get scarcer. Your resiliency and creativity have been inspirational.

As far as this mix goes, these are the songs that have lit up my world during the last quarter. There's a couple that are debatable as 2021 releases, but I'll let that slip if you will.

Lost In Pig Heaven Now Let Me Check The Map 

1. We Are The Uni0n Make It Easy

2. Rea1 Sickies Hold On Baby

3. Hay1ee Mary The Drip

4. F1aming Sideburns Soulshaking

5. The Nuc1ears Steer You Wrong

6. TUNS I'll Only Love You More

7. Yo1a Whatever You Want

8. Pat T0dd & the Rank0utsiders Turn Back the Hands of Time

9. Y0u Am 1 We All Went Deaf Overnight

10. Ike Rei11y Trick of the Light

11. Hay1ey & the Crushers Kiss Me So I Can

12. The Adam Br0wn Get Up

13. Inha1er It Won't Always Be Like This

14. David Shaw Disrepair

15. Heatwaves I Do, I Do

16. Hearts Apart I'm So Blue

17. Tragica11y Hip Just As Well

18. Amp1ifier Heads Jaw Teaser

19. Nata1ie Sweet Video Phone

20. Geoff Pa1mer Many More Drugs

21. T0mmy Ray No No No No

22. Mannequin Pussy To Lose You

23. Art Bergmann Christo-Fascists

24. Peppermint Kicks When Rock & Roll Met Your Dad