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Adam’s top five rock and indie albums of 2015

Adam’s top five rock and indie albums of 2015

Published by Adam on December 14, 2015

It’s hard to write a great song, and it’s even harder to write a great album. The artist must pull together a collection of solid tunes that work together as one cohesive unit, holding the listener from beginning to end for 30-60 minutes.

Whenever we draw near the end of the year, I like to reflect on my favorite music from the past 12 months. Check out my picks for 2015 and listen to them via Spotify below!

Above photo: Sufjan Stevens by Jules Minus via Flickr

Sufjan Stevens
Carrie & Lowell

Quietly brilliant, this album will hypnotize with acoustics and whispered vocals. Not a good one to play at parties, but if you’re looking for an escape from the hectic and want some reflection time, this is your album of the year. It’s mine, anyway.

Foals
What Went Down

I’ve been following Foals for quite some time–loved some of their songs, felt ambivalent about others. On What Went Down, the band finds their best balance yet of booming arena rock, intricate guitar pieces and sing-along anthems. Beyond the excellent singles, my favorites are “Night Swimmers,” which harks back to the tight guitar interplay from their debut LP, and “London Thunder,” a slow-building anthem that shows off a new power to tugs at the heart.

Wavves
V

And now for something completely different. V is the perfect vitamin when you’re looking for an energy boost. Combining the upbeat shimmer of Blink-182 with the substance and sneering attitude of Green Day, Wavves is producing some of the best pop-punk since those golden 90’s. Turn it on and rock the f*** out!

The Libertines
Anthems for Doomed Youth

The boys in the band are back! After a decade hiatus, I wasn’t sure Pete Doherty and Carl Barât would ever reunite. Doherty is a brilliant artist who seems to effortlessly write hooks but has a tendency to get distracted by drugs. Barât is a master of tight, no-nonsense tunes who brings out his partner’s strengths while reining in his nonsense. On Anthems for Doomed Youth, we see that dynamic working just like it did in the early 2000s, only now with the addition of road-worn maturity.

Happyness
Weird Little Birthday

Fans of Pavement, Yuck and Earlimart, take note–this is your new jam. Happyness effortlessly gets your head nodding with a blend of mellow guitar rock and fast-and-loud alternative. They’ve also really got a knack for singing catchy lyrics about the sad and disturbing. Take “Naked Patients,” which opens with: “There’s something so funny about a sick body and the things that it does that it shouldn’t do.” Yes, it’s nice to see the alt-rock spirit of the 90’s still alive and well.

What are your favorite albums this year? Sound off in the comments below!

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Best music from Australia – Wolf & Cub

Published by Adam on May 15, 2015

Welcome to final edition of Best Music from Australia, highlighting some of the best young musicians from the land down under.

You may have heard that I’m leaving Australia. After spending three amazing years in the land down under, my wife and I are moving back to the United States. While I’ve been here, I’ve tried to check out as much of the local rock scene as I can.

In previous posts, I’ve featured Tame Impala, The Delta Riggs, Seth Sentry, and Cloud Control. Not heavy enough for ya? In that case, I think you’ll really dig this week’s band.

Wolf & Cub

I only found out about Wolf & Cub recently, and regret to say I won’t see them live before we fly back to the US. This band from Adelaide just rocks, period. The closest band in sound I can think of is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, but Wolf & Club doubles down on the psychedelia. And when I say double I mean that quite literally–there are two drummers!

They’ve got three albums. My favorite is their latest, Heavy Weight for its variety but their sophomore release Science and Sorcery is also pretty trippy, and a lot of people like debut Vessels for its balls-out rock.

Here’s how you listen to Wolf & Cub. Start out by closing your eyes and shaking your head slowly to the bass. As the music builds, open your eyes and start jumping. Fist pumping optional.

I mean, dance however you want to. But that’s how I’ll be doing it.

Check out the video for “I Need More” to see what I mean. And yes, you will need more.

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My top rock albums of 2013

Published by Adam on December 31, 2013

Wow, there goes another great year of music! There were some great comeback albums (Saves The Day) and at least one big disappointment (MGMT). Today, the last day of December, I thought I’d highlight my favorite LPs of the year.

Please keep in mind this is not a definitive “Best of 2013” list since there was no way I could have listened to every single album out there. Also, my tastes are mainly within the indie and alternative rock realm. In other words, just take these recommendations!

Saves The Day

This eponymous release was the Saves The Day album I had been waiting for. Combining the bright spunk of early 2000’s hit Stay What You Are with the mature soundscapes of its underrated followup In Reverie, this is 21st Century pop punk at its best. Read my full review here.

Cloud Control – Dream Cave

Cloud Control play sunny harmonies against dark grooves on their mesmerizing second album. That might sound heavy but rock anthem highs like singles “Scar” and “Happy Birthday” prove that this is a band that wants to have fun, too

Snowden – No One In Control

Haunting synths and echoing vocals take the listener on a journey. Hope shines through the gray in the catchy and immediate “The Beat Comes.” While the brilliance fades in the second half, the strength of the first five tracks more than cover the price of admission.

Minor Alps – Get There

Matthew Caws (Nada Surf) and Julianna Hatfield (Blake Babies, Some Girls) join forces to spellbinding effect on this excellent debut. Side projects often disappoint but Get There showcases a pair of rejuvenated musicians performing at the top of their game.

The Dodos – Carrier

While they have always showed talent, The Dodos demonstrate growth through control on their most recent LP. Carrier conveys tragedy and triumph through tight guitar-and-drum rhythms and powerful lyricism.

Top Rock Tunes Mix 2012

Published by Adam on January 1, 2013

Happy New Year! This is the time to think about the people you’re most grateful for. But rather than do that, I’m going to tell you about my favorite rock songs of the year!

I don’t do top 10 lists* so instead I’m going to give you my 2012 mix. What’s the difference, you say? Well, they are ordered by flow rather than rank — the idea being this actually works as a mix!

But enough talk! Click the links to hear the tunes yourself, then let me know what you think in the comments below.

Deep Sea Arcade – Girls
From the first sha-la-la, this throwback to the ’60s/’70s simply rocks.
Divine Fits – Would That Not Be Nice
The guys from Spoon and Wolf Parade create a groove that sticks in your head all day.
Walk the Moon – Shiver Shiver
Hit the dance floor and don’t feel embarrassed singing along: “Shall we get intimate, again?”
Django Django – Default
This song is catchier than is possible to describe. Just click the link above and see.
Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
A bass-heavy, retro jam from possibly Australia’s best young band. Get their whole LP, “Lonerism,” while you’re at it.
Bleeding Knees Club – Lipstick
Add a lot of sarcasm and sneering to ’60s beach tunes and you pretty much get this band. If you like Wavves, you’ll like Bleeding Knees Club.
Green Day – X-Kid
Green Day’s trilogy of albums this year was mixed to say the best, but this one is gold.
Bloc Party – Real Talk
The British band, known for mixing dance-y rhythms with spiky guitars, slows things down a bit. Oh, and there’s a joke about breasts at the end (on the LP).
Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
So this one is technically from 2011, but most of us heard it in 2012. Indie finally broke into pop radio! Even Glee covered it!
Hunting Grounds – In Colour
Straight-ahead rock from Ballarat in the style of The Vines. Try not to bang your head.
The Shins – The Rifle’s Spiral
This track opened the Shins’ latest LP and sends you straight down a hypnotic rabbit’s hole. OK, not sure what I meant by that, but the song is really good.
Snow Patrol – Called Out In The Dark
Snow Patrol can occasionally get a little sappy, but this tune is pure fun; it’s got everything I like about them.
Two Door Cinema Club – The World Is Watching
The Irish outfit, known better for dancy rock, produces epic longing — and it works!
Feeder – Quiet
Just an all-around pretty song by the Welsh/Japanese veterans.
Earlimart – A Goodbye
Heart breaking, but in a good way.
Rhett Miller – Marina
The leader of the Old 97’s has written yet another catchy-but-simple acoustic number. How does he keep doing this?

*I sometimes do top 10 lists.

Space Rock, Grounded

Published by Adam on October 15, 2011

You might expect some serious space rock from a band called The Asteroid Shop. Song titles like “Planetary” seem to confirm the suspicion that you’re in for the kind of shoe-gazing guitar rock that might soundtrack a zero-gravity flight into the great unknown.

But band leader Eric Brendo (interviewed on this blog here) brings an earthy road-weariness to his baritone vocals and guitar work on this Austin, Texas band’s self-titled debut. While the album opens in space with the thundering “Destroyer,” by the second half The Asteroid Shop has landed in the dusty desert of the American West. A lot of bands pick one sound and stick with it, so it’s refreshing to hear this band unplug the guitars and bring in instrumentation more common to the folk and country genres. The result is some real winners like the folksy “Ashes” and lovelorn “Silver Lane.”

Not every song works and the album drags somewhat in the middle. The lyrics are unlikely to stick in one’s head and Brendo’s vocals are a little rough around the edges. The instrumentals are what’s compelling here. Atmosphere may be one the album’s greatest strengths, whether in the thundering bass of opener “Destroyer” or the shimmering guitar and synths of “Dandelion.” They’re also not afraid to surprise with a quick tempo change, as they do to great effect with the groovy ’60s organ jam in the otherwise sleepy “Planetary.” While not all the songs engage the listener, this is a promising album by a band that knows how to set a mood.

Download “Dandelion” for free right here.

Tag: Alt rock