What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago I was bellyachin' about having a difficult time coming up with even SEVEN records to be passionate about. Well, 2014 doubled-down and served up a damned bonanza of musical ecstasy. I'll get out of the way and let the music do the talking...hang on, because this one goes to 11!
1. Sugar Stems – Only Come Out At Night
This year’s album of the year came from nowhere and rode a wave of
buzzsaw guitars, melodic organ and powerful female vocals directly into sugar-pop
nirvana. Straight outta Wisconsin, Sugar Stems’ latest is a veritable feast of
melodic goodness and singer Betsy Heibler’s gale-force voice, like a stronger
and brasher Belinda Carlisle, is a goddamned thing of beauty. The whole thing
is a sweetly tart treat, and if the title track isn’t used to soundtrack a “rebellious
teens driving around LA at night” scene, Hollywood has failed. Hands down, my most played album this year,
and I cannot wait to see what the group does next!
2. Matthew Ryan – Boxers
It’s inspiring to see a rock lifer put out the finest album of his career
17 years in, and “Boxers” is a helluva record!
Ryan forgoes the acoustic-based treatments of his last several albums, cranks
up the guitars and makes a glorious noise. Producer and secret-weapon
guitarrorist Keven Salem allows this passionate set of songs to breathe and roar,
highlighting the beautiful universality of Ryan’s personal, detailed
narratives. If your heart doesn’t race at the emotional and sonic rush of “An
Anthem For the Broken”, I pity you and hope your soul finds solace in whatever
Maroon 5 record you play to cry yourself to sleep.
3. Bob Mould – Beauty & Ruin
Uncle Bob is clearly hitting his stride and follows-up 2012’s excellent
“Silver Age” with a collection that is as sonically bracing and far more
emotional. Sounding like the 4th
album Sugar never made, “Beauty & Ruin” finds Mould working through loss
the only way he knows how…via the sharp bite of his Fender strat and the
rockfuckingsolid backing of bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster. Rockers “Kid With Crooked Face” and “Hey Mr.
Grey” show the kids just how much howl a 50-something can bring to the table. Another stunner in a career lousy with them.
4. Lydia Loveless – Somewhere Else
It takes a lot of life lived for a 24 year old to sing with this type of
conviction. Lydia Loveless’ latest is
the alt country album that Fleetwood Mac never made, coked-up drunk dials and
reminders that sometimes the sex has to be good to keep a relationship in line.
Loveless owns her sexuality and heartbreak, and while purists and longtime fans
may bemoan the smoother textures, the dusky and downright sexy production and
songs match Loveless’ voice like a glove…the kind that just might slap you if
you are naughty (or beg for it well enough!)
5. Swans – To Be Kind
It takes cojones to follow up a beloved double-album with another
two-disk set, but Swans has never been shy in the balls department. The fact that “To Be Kind” is EVEN BETTER
than the masterful dark thrum of 2012’s “The Seer” is a testament to the genius
and songcraft of Michael Gira. Realizing
that the only way forward is to give the music hips, Gira and co (and a coterie
of guest vocalists) add groove to their sonic assault and finally capture on
wax the violent beauty of their legendary live shows.
6. Sweet Apple – The Golden Age of
Glitter
There is a temptation to view any band that numbers J Mascis among its
members as “Dinosaur Jr., Jr.” but Sweet Apple’s second record is clearly John
Petkovic’s baby. Ten songs packed with
power-pop deliciousness and shot through with the most gorgeous vocals of
Petkovic’s career, “The Golden Age of Glitter” plays like a fab radio station
that you catch while passing through some godforsaken part of the country on a
long, solitary ride. You may not
recognize all of the songs, but it just FEELS right. Perfectly under-thought and joyously
beautiful.
7. Split Single – Fragmented World
Jason Narducy has been holding down the low end for so many indie rock
luminaries (Bob Mould, Superchunk, Bob Pollard) for so long that it’s almost
shameful to have forgotten what a damn fine songwriter he is! Backed by Jon Wurster and Spoon’s Britt
Daniel, Narducy’s Split Single released the debut record we didn’t realize we
needed: melodic, urgent, unassuming, and filled with fully-formed paeans to
everyday life. A nice reminder of his
estimable abilities and hopefully a first step back into the spotlight for one
of the 90s’ most underappreciated songwriters.
8. FREEMAN – FREEMAN
Ween is dead, long live Aaron Freeman!
After falling into the throes of addiction and out of step with the band
(and best friend) he had since he was a teen, it was easy to think that Freeman
(the person) would be yet another casualty of the rock n roll lifestyle and
that perhaps his finest days were behind him (a Rod McKuen tribute record? REALLY?!?). FREEMAN the band firmly
establishes that this is the second act that he deserves. Full of the wit and charm that imbued the
finest Ween songs, this is a “recovery” record in the finest sense of the
word. It’s heartening to see that a talent
as robust as Freeman’s can reclaim his spark and create something as
deliciously weird in sobriety as this record.
9. Afghan Whigs – Do To The Beast
Reunion records stink. Reunion
records with only a couple of original members are usually downright awful. So, how in the hell did Greg Dulli and John
Curley (the only two members left standing from the Afghan Whigs 90’s heyday)
create an album that is not only NOT an embarrassment but that stands
shoulder-to-shoulder with their other records?!? Make no mistake, Rick McCollum’s hinky,
sideways leads are missed throughout, but these songs exhibit that unmistakable,
swinging wallop that is embedded in the DNA of their finest material. Dulli’s dirtysexycool
croon has aged into quite a nuanced instrument, wrapping seductively around
gems like the brilliant “Can Rova” and the frighteningly powerful “These
Sticks”.
10. Eyelids – 854
A psych-pop mini-masterpiece from guys with enough talent and time logged
in the ranks of indie’s finest to spin gold.
Chris Slusarenko, John Moen, and their comrades have created an album
that is the equal of the 60s albums they take as an influence. Lead track “Seagulls Into Submission” is the
most gorgeous single released this year and is indicative of the massive wealth
of melody and wit contained in these 37 minutes of pop bliss!
11. J Mascis – Tied To A Star
I’ll be honest, as long as Mascis has a six-string in his hands, I am
probably going to listen obsessively and wax rhapsodic. Far more robust and immediate than his initial
solo foray (and better than Dino Jr’s lackluster “I Bet On Sky”), Mascis weaves
gorgeous melodies across these largely acoustic songs. The difference here is
that he also allows himself to spew out a couple of his trademark solos, and
the sudden, violent interruption of his Jazzmaster is arresting. He’s also created the single most beautiful
track of his 30 year career with “Wide Awake”, an absolutely gutting duet with
Chan Marshall. For someone whose
demeanor can charitably be dubbed “laconic”, he puts a whole lot of heart and
effort into this…viva J Mascis!
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