100. Bennett Wilson Poole – I Saw A Star Behind Your Eyes, Don’t Let It Die Away
With deep roots in English Power Pop, this Oxford band serves up shimmering late era Beach Boys harmonies with a Crosby Stills and Nash Vibe.
099. Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – Radio Daze & Glamping
With his latest solo effort Roger Joseph Manning Jr. takes you on a journey of sonic imagination as one might expect from a founding member of Jellyfish and 1/4 of the Lickerish Quartet. Psychedelic Pop is the order of the day.
098. Suzi Quattro & K.T. Tunstall – Face To Face
Somewhat of a strange pairing, a Glam Rock icon pairing with an artist best known for the hit song “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” but it works. Playing to each others strengths, “Good Kinda Hot” harkens back to classic Suzi days, and “If I Come Home could have been a Tunstall single.
If Lemmy fronted Deep Purple Love Gang would would have been the demon seed. Hard boiled Psych Rock mixed with Blues Rock and a Lynyrd Skynyrd dusting, if The Doobie Brothers rocked a whole lot harder they might have become this band.
The 2023 resurgence of Yacht Rock has not been lost in the hallways of Rock is the New Roll H.Q. CVC, Church Village Collective, has one foot in Laurel Canyon and another on a boat with Gerry Rafferty and CSN on a boat off the Eastern seaboard.
With keen mentorship from Queen’s Brian May, and with opening stints with the likes of Joan Jett, Gregg Allman, and Keith Urban, it is ear-boggling that this guitar wunder-kind is not more well known. On this, her fifth proper record, Arielle combines blues, Pop, and Americana on this ear-popping set that has her skills on full display.
094. The Pink Spiders – Freakazoid
The perfect band for a shindig party at Austin Power’s house. ‘60’s Garage Rock bombast, ‘70s Flamin’ Groovies party vibes, along with a Rolling Stones swagger might elevate this one to party album of the year.
093. Caroline Rose – The Art of Forgetting
An introspective album that brings a tumultuous cycle of personal travails to bear on a production of Gregorian chants of Balkan rhythms.
092. Son Volt – Day of the Doug
You won’t find “She’s About A Mover” or “Mendocino” on this lovingly curated set of Doug Sahm deep dives. The hits are bypassed in favor of deeper cuts the likes of “Beautiful Texas Sunshine” and “Poison Love.”
091. David Ronaldo – Tunes For A Dime
No Bon Jovi didn’t make a country album despite the fact David Ronaldo could front a JBJ tribute band. What have here is a perfectly crafted Americana Country album that is well written, smoothly produced, and highly listenable on repeat mode.
090. SG Lewis – Audio Lust And Higher Love
A groove line worthy blend of disco, ‘80s synth pop and mid-era Genesis, along with a hearty homage to Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,” once the vibe kicks in, the album title makes perfect sense.
With enough street credibility to have Tom Morello lend his chops on “Gossip,” Maneskin should be your new guilty pleasure. Lead singer Damiano David is Freddie Mercury on steroids fronting what might be the greatest Glam-Sleaze band on the Planet.
088. White Reaper – Asking For A Ride
If a band calls themselves The Worlds Best American Band as they did on their 2017 release, one is almost honor bound to check the band out. And, now with their latest effort, Asking For a Ride, the jury is still out on their audacious claim. What we do know, however, is that the new record is loud, rock and roll in all the best of ways with a ramshackle Replacements vibe that takes no prisoners.
087. Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman
086. Midnight Callers – Rattled Humming Heart
Part Cheap Trick, part Raspberry’s with a bit of The Knack and early Greg Kihn thrown in for good measure, this NYC based semi-retro band can go from Bon Jovi to Tom Petty and Night Ranger at the blink of a jangly guitar riff and a gang chorus.
085. The Murlocs – Calm Ya Farm
The side piece band for King Grizzard and the Lizard Wizard, singer and harmonica maestro Ambrose Kenny – Smith cuts through with Southern Rock style, Exile on Main Street grooves and Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance vibes. Think the Black Crowes back when they used to have fun.
084. Deer Tick – Emotional Contracts
The pride of Rhode Island, Deer Tick, is back with another round of rock tinged Americana.With layers of Los Lobos and The Band peppered throughout, and touches of soul most notably on “Once In A Lifetime”’ enhancing an already diverse palate.
083. Pearl & The Oysters – Coast 2 Coast
Psych Pop maestros Pearl & the Oysters will take you on a trip to the Pacific Islands with dolphins and sea turtles frolicking in the ocean. A leisurely, sun soaked trip around the sun in a convertible.
A raw energetic Blues Rock gem, this Irish band takes the stage on a template of Humble Pie and Aerosmith with a touch of Rival Sons to bring things current. Taylor made for the festival circuit, “Oh Cherry” would have been a top rock single in 1973.
081. Govt. Mule – Peace…Like A River
Warren Haynes and his gang are back with a solid set of tight tunes that run the gamut from the Yes evoking opener, “Same As It Ever Was” to Southern Soul on “Dreaming Out Loud” with an assist from Ruthie Foster and Ivan Neville. Come for the main course, but don’t miss the dessert rock grit featuring Billy Gibbons on “Shake Your Way Out.”
080. Everything But The Girl – Fuse
An entirely unexpected return to brilliant form for Tracey Thorn and Benn Watt, aka Everything But The Girl. The record presents dance music readily digested by the masses. A textured listen will suited for lying in the sun.
079. Colter Wall – Little Songs
With the best country baritone this side of Charley Crockett, Colter Wall is back with another traditionalist set of Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt-worthy storytelling. With the vivid imagery and concise arrangements, spending time with Little Songs is like walking along a Canadian prairie with the cactus and the coyote.
078. Elle King – Come And Get Your Wife
Very much leaning into her country mode on her latest, Come Get Your Wife, Elle King may just be making the banjo cool again on the festival stomper “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home.” and “Crawlin’ Mood.” “Blacked Out” would have been a dynamite hit for Stevie Nicks, and the Ballad “Worth a Shot” with Dierks Bentley is a shot worth skipping in an otherwise stellar set.
Blues Rock is back and better than over, case in point, Voices, the latest from Indiana’s own The Cold Stares. Bringing to the minds-ear other back-in-the-day trios The Jimi Hendrix Experience on “Come For Me,” Stevie Ray and Double Trouble on the opener “Nothing But The Blues,” and ZZ Top on “Got No Right.”
076. Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real – Sticks and Stones
Continuing to veer to the hippy side, Lukas Nelson and his band offer a solid set of blues boogies, barroom stompers, and campfire singalongs. Since writing drinking songs is almost the family business, Lukas has composed his own “Whisky River” courtesy of “Every Time I Drink” and The anthemic “Alcohallejula,” and there are not many Americana songs written this year better than “More Than Friends”, a song that features Lainey Wilson.
Proof once again that if you wait long enough, everything will come back into fashion. Sparkling with ‘80s sheen, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Journey, and Night Ranger are all reborn, and it’s like they never left.
074. Jim Jones All Stars – Ain’t No Peril
Recorded in Memphis this one is some seriously greasy Rock and Roll. “It’s Your Voodoo Working” will have you dancing in the graveyard and “Gimme The Grease” is next level sleaze-funk.
Were you to be on an ‘80s rock cruise with Journey, Jefferson Starship, and Toto, these guys would blow them all off the stage.
072. Sam Millar – More Cheese Please
There is nary a miss-step on this record that features more fist-punching choruses than a Def Leppard convention and enough retro rock earworms to fill a bait shop.
071. Duff McKagan – Lighthouse
There is an ever so present whiff of Guns N’ Roses on this third record from the Guns sideman, but don’t be fooled. This is a mature effort that in less Rock, Americana, Blues, along with plenty of Punk ethos. “Longfeather” is a Cormac McCarthy inspired rocker that plays well for adults.
070. The Bones of J.R. Jones – Slow Lightning
A raw and visceral record that digs deep with haunting synthesizers, vintage drum machines and ghostly guitars. Southern Gothic and cinematic-noir is the order of the day on this one.
069. John R. Miller – Heat Comes Down
A songwriter in the mold of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zant, and Ray Wylie Hubbard with a touch of John Prine thrown in for good measure. Raw, honest, and reflective this one can stand up side by side next to Billy Joe Shavers’ best.
With Felix Pastorius, son of Jaco, on bass, this record courtesy of Christpher Mansfield is his most cohesive to date. For this one, the band locked themselves into a room and knocked the album out over a few days ending up with sonic stretches and next level musicianship the order of the day.
067. The National – Laugh Track
A sequel to First Two Pages of Frankenstein, Laugh Track the album stands out most notably for the contributions made by Phoebe Bridgers, Roseanne Cash, and Bon Iver.
066. Michael Catton – Point of No Return
If Steven Tyler and David Coverdale had a love child the devil-spawn would would look and sound a lot like Michael Catton. Co-mastered by Glen Hughes, Point of No Return burns like deep purple, pops like Def Leppard and scorches the earth like Guns ‘N Roses. What’s not to like? Headbangers unite.
065. The Struts – Pretty Vicious
Four records in The Struts have hit their stride and released their best album to date. Strutting his way like a cross between Noddy Holder and Liberace, Luke Spiller doesn’t need to dance like Jagger to be considered one of the best front men on the planet. Case in point, “Too Good at Raising Hell” and “Rockstar.”
Guitarist Shauna Tohiill, aka REWS, grabs your ears with a sonic blast that breaks the sound barrier with an earful noise sounding like Alanis Morisette fronting the Foo Fighters. “Breathe Into Me” grabs the 90’s and throws them into the 00’s while “Psycho Maniac Killer” sounds like Sheryl Crow if she rocked a hell of a lot more. This one is a definite grower.
063. Turnpike Troubadours – A Cat In The Rain
Carrying the outlaw street-cred of Waylon Jennings along with the social consciousness of Woody Guthry, A Cat In The Rain, produced by Shooter Jennings is the latest effort from a band that is not capable of making a bad record. “Lucille” will bring you to your knees and is a song that James McMurtry wishes he’d written, and “East Side Love Song (Bottoms Up)” is one of the better road trip songs of the year.
Carrying the outlaw street-cred of Waylon Jennings along with the social consciousness of Woody Guthry, A Cat In The Rain, produced by Shooter Jennings is the latest effort from a band that is not capable of making a bad record. “Lucille” will bring you to your knees and is a song that James McMurtry wishes he’d written, and “East Side Love Song (Bottoms Up)” is one of the better road trip songs of the year.
061. Bloody Dice – Bloody Dice
Just might be the best rock and roll record of the year, this Danish band rocks like AC/DC and Guns ‘N Roses with a healthy devil slab of Black Sabbath thrown in for good measure. “Live For Tomorrow” is Sabbath meets Humble Pie, and the chunky riffs on “Thorn In Your Side” is Thin Lizzy jamming with ZZ Top at Day on the Green.
060. The Evening Sons – Tracks
Full of ‘90’s power pop hooks, this is what The Beach Boys would have sounded like if they had grown up listening to Green Day. Just spin “I Gotta Gurl” a few times and tell us we’re wrong. Catchy melodies and a crisp warm production take center stage on this one.
059. French Boutik – Ce Je Ne Sais Quoi
Having been around going on about two decades now, French quintet French Boutik barrel down the Champs Elyse playing their distinctly French take on post-powerpop punk. Suitable for a Scene in an Austin Powers movie, come for the ‘60’s mod finger snappers, but stay for the groovy take on “We’re All Crazy Now.”
058. Kevin Morby – More Photographs (A Continuum)
A sequel to 2002’s This Is A Photograph, Kevin Morby delivers another set of immaculately produced reflective soundscapes.
With her fifth solo album and her first on Blue Note records, Jenny Lewis embraces ‘90s R&B, Country, and classic Singer-Songwriter on this Dave Cobb-produced gem.
056. Ruen Brothers – Ten Paces
While it might be difficult to reach the heights of their debut Rick Rubin-produced record, now, three records in, the brothers just might have hit their stride. Bringing their neo-noir song styling to a set of tunes that would provide a perfect series backdrop for your next Netflix binge, the brothers Ruen have officially hit their stride.
055. Steep Canyon Rangers – Morning Shift
With their easily digestible banjo-centric sound, Steep Canyon Rangers brings progressive bluegrass to the mainstream with this eclectic mix of Appalachian folk music and Americana.
054. Gaz Coombes – Turn The Car Around
Releasing his fourth album, Supergrass frontman combines soulful ballads, melancholy melodies, and Baroque—pop anthems and is ready to take in the world with a Supergrass reunion in the works.
053. Sparks – The Little Girl Is Crying In Her Latte
is safe to say that Sparks is on a roll. With the critical success of 2017’s Hippopotamus and 2020’s highly excellent A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, not to mention their 2021 documentary, it seems that a much larger audience is now hip to the melodic majesty of Ron and Russell Marl and their band Sparks.
With Sunset Strip back in the day vibes emitting from every pore of their Rock and Roll soul with with their debut record, Squeeze, courtesy of Earache Records, the Bites are inviting you to a party that you don’t want to miss
051. Starbenders – Take Back The Night
With a glam-stomping sound that sounds like it is coming from the love child of Johnny Thunders and Joan Jett, and with this, their fourth proper record, their presence on the festival circuit and their growing reputation as one of the best live acts in the game today, is on full display.
A raw energetic Blues Rock gem, this Irish band takes the stage on a template of Humble Pie and Aerosmith with a touch of Rival Sons to bring things current. Taylor made for the festival circuit, “Oh Cherry” would have been a top rock single in 1973.
049. The Murlocs – Calm Ya Farm
The side piece band for King Grizzard and the Lizard Wizard, singer and harmonica maestro Ambrose Kenny – Smith cuts through with Southern Rock style Exile on Main Street grooves and Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance vibes. Think the Black Crowes back when they used to have fun.
048. Diamond Dogs – About The Hardest Nut To Crack
About as close as you can come to The Faces without marrying a super model, Diamond Dogs are not shy about putting their Tom Petty by way of The Black Crowes influences on full display on their latest record, About the Hardest Nut To Crack.
047. Teenage Fan Club – Nothing Lasts Forever
Somewhere along the line Teenage Fanclub has shed their Brit Pop vibe from 1991’s Bandwagonesque in favor of the more laid back Laurel Canyon essence as displayed on their new record, Nothing Lasts Forever.
046. Ashley McBride – The Devil I Know
With plenty of tear in your beer ballads to help you through your latest misery including the George Jones shadow of “Whiskey and Country Music” and the hangover lament of “6th of October“ the songwriting presented her is legitimate old school Outlaw Country.
A Psych Rock lovers dream much in the mold of King Grizzard, Rajan, the latest from Night Beats, combines Turkish psych, Morricone Western Noir, and Funk into a blend worthy of a Tarantino soundtrack.
044. The Panhandlers – Tough Country
If you ever wanted to experience what it would be like cruising the Texas backroads going from Honky Tonk to Honky Tonk listening to red dirt music the way it was meant to be played, then The Panhandlers and Tough Country is your perfect hill country jam.
Endlessly energetic and ultra whimsical, 100 gecs is the perfect band to cure what ails you. “Frog On The Floor” might be the ear worm of the year.
042. Lucero – Should’ve Learned By Now
From the cowbell declaration of the opener, “One Last F.U.,” the ears perk up, and the train starts rolling soundtracking a morality tale anthem that would make Tom Waits cringe. Veering away from the Southern-goth imagery, on this, the band’s twelfth record, they return to the barrooms and the bar-rock roots already well-traveled by The Hold Steady, The National, or the Drive-By Tuckers.
041. Matt Andersen – The Big Bottle Of Joy
Rock and Soul is the order of the day on Matt Andersen’s new album, the aptly named The Big Bottle of Joy. From the opening Hammond B-3 riffage of “Let It Slide” the cathartic joyful noise is palpable.
040. En Attende Ana – Principia
With a vibe that flows somewhere between Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kate Bush, and the chanteuse go-go boots era, the Parisian combo En Attende Ana will hot tub time machine you back to a simpler time when your television had rabbit ears.
039. Black Star Riders – The Wrong Side of Paradise
Throwing down an anthemic blend of ferocious guitars and thundering drums, most notably on the Thin Lizzy pitch perfect vibes of “Better Than Saturday Night,” and the 60’s garage rock splendor of “Pay Dirt,” there is nary a miss-step here, unless, of course you choose to throw shade on the questionable choice to include “Crazy Horses,” an Osmond Brothers cover, in the set.
Cut Worms is the singer-songwriter project of Brooklyn-based Max Clarke. With this, his sophomore effort, Max paints on a palate of 60’s dream AM Pop, Spector-produced elegance, and luxurious anthems. And, it’s as glorious as it sounds.
037. Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard
To many ears, this one one-ups Norman Fucking Rockwell, a tall order indeed. Elegant and cinematic, this one is a tender effort ruminating on being a daughter, a cog in the wheel of the music business, and an evolving musician. Sparse where it needs to be, this one is a tour-de-force.
036. Grace Potter – Mother Road
Always a free spirit, Mother Road is the intersection that connects her roots rock band, The Nocturnals, and her present-day more pop-oriented solo projects. Here, she melds together Americana, Rock, and Soul along with her best songwriting to date taking us along for the ride on her own mother road trip to self-discovery.
035. When Rivers Meet – Aces Are High
Combining powerful and heartfelt vocals with thundering guitar riffs, UK-based Rock band When Rivers Meet are the White Stripes of the new millennium. With Grace Bond playing the Jack White role and husband Aaron adding his guitar skills and vocal harmonies, the couple provides a welcomed down-and-dirty sheen to an overly pop-saturated world.
034. DeWolff – Love, Death & In Between
Nothing, if not prolific, Dutch rockers DeWolff, with their fourth record in the last three years, deliver a retro-rific sound that features prominently the mighty Hammond organ. The band lays down a groove of 70’s Rock, Psychedelic Soul, Old-Schoool Funk, and Deep Purple-infused Classic Rock.
Steeped in the punk-adjacent world of Aussie Pub Rock, CIVIC brings to the minds-ear the best of The Saints or Radio Birdman. Every song on this CBGB-worthy, kick out the jams sonic blast of energy is true to form.
032. Whitehorse – I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying
On their latest record I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying, Whitehorse, the husband-and-wife duo named after the Capital of Yukon, Canada, channel the best of the ’60s Country male-female partnerships in the George and Tammy mold to sublime perfection.
Transported quickly to your favorite honkytonk from the opening lap-steel tear in your beer beauty “If The Loneliness Don’t Kill Me” to the mournful “I Might Get Over This (But I Won’t Stop Loving You)” this set puts the classic in classic country.
031. Belle and Sebastian – Late Developers
Indie pop heroes Belle and Sebastian are fresh out of the box with another pristine record of power pop goodness.
Stylistically, few bands blend musical tones and textures better than this band, and here, case in point, “Give A Little Time,” a bouncy up-tempo wonderment that even features a dusting of a Thin Lizzy influence. “Will I Tell You A Secret” would make Donovan blush, and “So In The Moment” is the first great driving tune of 2023.
30. Selwyn Birchwood – Exorcist
Leaving the more traditional Alligator record label, Selwyn Birchwood is firmly planting his blues banner alongside Robert Cray, Robben Ford, and Christine “Kingfish” Ingram as one of the best contemporary blues men in the game today.
With greasy vocals and sweaty horns songs like “Horns Below Her Halo” and “Exorcist,” the title track, deliver the swagger of a life well lived.
These Swedish rockers have gone all in with their 70’s and 80’s rock identity, and it’s glorious. Def Leppard, Kiss, Van Halen all come to mind on this album of your youth.
With a Power Pop punch that is as fresh as it would have been 30 years ago when the band was formed, Ash packs an Elvis Costello punch with a Dwight Twilley sensibility.
027. The Nude Party – Rides On
With their first self-produced affair, The Nude Party rides on with their Classic Rock adjacent retro sound that never fails to put an extra stride in the step and honey-drenched nectar in your ears.
From the opening early Kinks evoking (I First Saw You There) to the highly excellent “Tuesday’s News,” a song that could have been a John Lennon solo demo, there is an early British ‘60s Rock fest served here on a Donovan inspired pu-pu platter.
025. Lydia Loveless – Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way
Americana’s bad girl, the little sister to more established stalwarts Margo Price and Nikki Lane, Lydia Loveless has come out the other end of a failing relationship and sketchy record deals to produce as solid of an Americana record as you will hear all year.
This one makes the list based on the immensely cool version of Lido shuffle alone. Any covers album that can make Jay Ferguson’s Thunder Island listenable is a winner in our book. Come for “Rich Girl,” but stay for “Cover of the Rolling Stone.”
023. Gypsy Pistoleros – Duende a Go Go Loco
Most accurately described as the best Flamenco, Punk, Glam, Rock band on the planet, Gypsy Pistoleros have definitely hit their stride with their sophomore effort, Duende a Go Go Loco. The demon seed of Guns ‘N’ Roses and the New York dolls, the band scorches the earth with a Sunset Strip ferocity and a CBGB sound blast. Come for the Slade evoking Glam of “What It’s Like To Be a Girl” but stay for the best version of “Come On Eileen” your ears will ever bath in.
022. Brian Setzer – The Devil Always Collects
The template hasn’t changed in 40 years, and if you think I’m wrong go back and listen to the Stray Cat’s Built For Speed. And, thankfully Brian Setzer’s latest, The Devil Always Collects, is raging Rockabilly coolness. Jump in the car and crank up “The Girl on The Billboard” to lose yourself in what might be the driving song of the year, and “Rock Boys Rock” is “Rev It Up And Go” on steroids.
021. Mitski – The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We
Ever the shapeshifter, Mitski is back with her second album in two years. Shedding her pop roots that were starting to show on her last record, Laurel Hell in favor of this more acoustically sparse orchestral approach, Mitski is proving that she is her own artist living in her own world.
020. Robert Jon and the Wreck – One of A Kind
It’s no secret that with the recent demise of Gary Rossington that there is a hole in our collective Southern Rock hearts, but fear not, arriving just in time is a new E.P. from Robert Jon & the Wreck, One of a Kind.
Bringing to mind all of the greats from Molly Hatchett and Lynyrd Skynyrd to The Marshall Tucker Tucker Band dusted with a bit of Wet Willie Pop dust along the way. Everything about this band is fantastic.
019. Eyelids – A Colossal Waste of Light
The band, a supergroup of sorts with members of The Decemberists, Camper Van Beethoven, Guided By Voices, and The Eliott Smit Band doing the heavy lifting plays in the Power Pop sandbox along with Big Star, Badfinger, and Jelly Fish. A rare supergroup where the sum brightens the individual parts, there is nary a dud in this pack of firecrackers.
018. Band of Heathens – Simple Things
The Band of Heathens, essentially the musical collective fronted by Gordy Quist and Ed Juri, continues to make solid uplifting music now 15 years into the game. This time out, they deliver a set of tunes that celebrate the simpler things in life, hanging out with friends, soaking up some sun, and being with family.
Eight albums in now, and on the heels of their joyful collaboration of a covers album, Remote Transmissions, Vol. 1 from last year, The Band of Heathens prove once again that they are incapable of producing a bad record.
017. Doug Paisley – Say What You Like
From the opening salvo of the title track to Say What You Like, the latest from Doug Paisley, the laid-back J.J. Cale vibe will hit you between the ears and immediately level set the rest of the day for you with good vibes and peaceful easy feelings.
Opening with the mighty Hammond B-3 organ on “Pleasure In Function,” Jenny O. introduces us to her newest record which is stylistically a bit of a departure with more indie pop than we may be used to from her.
You won’t find yourself passing over any tracks on this record and while Jenny O. might not seem to be as edgy as she was back in her Automechanic Days, this more laid-back introspective version is pretty much perfect for our ears.
015. Wig Wam – Out of the Dark
Widely recognized in the trade as the father of Scandaviavan ’80s Sunset Strip Rock, Wig Wam is back with gusto on this high-voltage set of tunes that will make your hair grow with each subsequent listen.
Come for the Ronnie James Dio splendor of “Uppercut Shazam” and stay for the blast of the Van Halen meets AC/DC of “Bad Luck Chuck” on this fun rollercoaster ride of a record.
014. Baby Cool – Earthling on the Road to Self Love
As debut albums go, Baby Cool’s is as fine an example as we have heard year-to-date. Firmly implanted in the hazy Psych-Pop genre, there is a certain scene setting to this record that will make you go limp in some places, and will give you over to the music in others.
013. Doomsday Outlaw – Damaged Goods
Not quite shedding their Southern Rock past, there are still some heavy doses of Blackberry Smoke wafting in the air around these guys. What they have morphed into is a tightly constructed rock and roll band that can rip off Van Halen Worthy Riffs, and an AC/DC high voltage vocal barrage with equal aplomb.
012. The Shang Hi Los – Aces Eights & Heartbreaks
That rare band with dueling male-female singers, Dan Kopko and Jen Angora, The Shang Hi-Los, create a beautiful noise mixing Phils Spector girl group and Cheap Trick by way of Blondie Power Pop into a mai-tai blender of semi-retro coolness.
Hailing from Boston, filling out the band with maestros from the area music scene, there is nary a dud inherent in this set of firecracker tunes. The opener, “Takes One To Know You” is Cheap trick with a Badfinger sensibility, “Monsieur Valentine” would have gone over well at CB GB’s in the ’80s with Debbie Harry behind the microphone, and “Plymouth Rock” has a bit of a Pretenders scent wafting in the air. And then there’s “Billy” with its over-the-top mariachi horns a song that is perfect Tarantanio-noir fare.
011. The Arcs – Electrophonic Chronic
The Arcs, the side-piece band for the Black Keys singer-songwriter and Easy Eye Sound major-domo Dan Auerbach, are out with one of the more eclictically cool records of the year with Electrophonic Chronic.
With shades of R&B with “Heaven is a Place,” the yacht rock-adjacent Hall and Oates vibe of “Keep On Dreaming,” and the “Crimson and Clover” dusting on the intro to “Eyes” there is a warm familiarity to the proceedings here that makes this one sound vintage and fresh at the same time, a gift that is Auerbach’s superpower.
010. The Subways – Uncertain Joys
For those not in the know, The Subways are a British rock band from Welwyn Garden city that is influenced by Oasis, AC/DC, T Rex, The Ramones, the Beatles, and The Carpenters.
With touches of the Smiths on “Waiting On You,” boy band Brit-pop on the title track, and Black Sabbath by way of Billy Idol all over “Incantation” this record is about as eclectically cool as it can get.
“Black Wax” wears a Depeche Mode mood ring, and the semi-ballad “Amelie” is pure Oasis, love it or loathe it at your own discretions.
This band is definitely a fresh find worthy of your ear-time.
009. Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony
From the opener, “When Winter Comes Around” begins and you are treated to Cat Stevens sing a Gordan Lightfoot song there is a feeling that there is an eclectic listen to be savored here. “In My Head” has an early Beach Boys feel, and “What You Were Doing” has a dusting of Big Star. If there is such a thing as a soft-rock masterpiece this would be it.
008. The Coral – Sea Of Mirrors
A spaghetti western on a platter, this psychedelically tinged record combines brilliant songwriting with a seaside ambiance.
007. Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark – Bauhaus Staircase
The masters of ambient electronic music are still, 45 years in, the masters of the genre. Put the head phones on, and enjoy this Kraut Rock- adjacent record for the ages.
006. Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex
The current major-domo and new face of Progressive Rock, The Harmony Codex is a record of immense beauty. With touches of David Gilmore, Radiohead, and the best of ambient and electronic music, Sten Wison’s powers are on full display. Best enjoyed with a set of primo head phones, this is an accessible journey into a mysterious world.
The combined forces of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus meld their collective voices together the likes we have not seen since Crosby Stills and Nash. With each amplifying the other’s songwriting, this record will stand the test of time.
004. Gaslight Anthem – History Books
A return to form for these New Jersey mavens on this set of bombastic anthems inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s call to arms.
A heavy album with stripped-down arrangements, with this, Zach Bryan has painted his masterpiece. Full of meaty, memorable hooks this trip through the Americana backwoods drinking rotgut whiskey in an ’88 Ford is about as real as it gets.
Not as confessional as you might think it would be, she saves that for her memoir, here she embarks on a set of story songs including “Light Me Up,” with an assist from Heartbreaker Mike Campbell, and “Radio” with Sharon Van Etten that takes the ears for a ride to the glory days of AOR radio on a song that could have been a Fleetwood Mac single back in the day.
Often times, subtle mood-shifts and turns are the sign of a confident artist that is in control of her own art, and that is certainly the case here. The flow from breezy to contemplative to downright fun will have you returning to this record for years to come.
001. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Weathervanes
Continuing to establish himself as one of the best singer-songwriters in the Game, Jason Isbell comes across as a man on the edge as he weaves tales of anger, desperation, bad choices, and ultimate consequences. The spirit of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse band is a poltergeist haunting this entire record.
Rock Is The New Roll 