Some of my favourites from the passing year. Old and new. Check 'em out.
Kevin Morby | City Music
Another classic record from the young mr. Morby. City Music is the sound of the city. From the brilliant duelling guitars of the title track to the channeling of the Ramones in 1 2 3 4. Probably the album I've listened to the most this year. The John DEE gig in early november was the best thing I've seen in years.
Hiss Golden Messenger | Hallelujah Anyhow
MC Taylor are becoming one of my favourite songwriters. Another set of songs that sounds like they've always been there. An all around music-head that surely is the real deal. Keep it up. "Step back, Jack, from the darkness."
Mount Eerie | A Crow Looked at Me
Phil Elverum's last album is a tough listen. This is not for everyone. It's an important album. An album that I have listened to almost as if it were a novel. It's impossible to listen to this without being hit with all sorts of emotion. A heartbreaking story made universal by Elverum's simple but brilliantly poetic words.
Neil Young | Hitchhiker
And there it was, finally. Uncle Neil put the final touches on this album way back in 1976, but surely something else came up. It often does in mr Young's recording life. A beautiful album that we now can hear in the way it was meant to be heard.
Gold Star | Big Blue
An early favourite this year for me. The tune Sonny's Blues were on heavy rotation the first couple of months this year. Marlon Rabenreither's songwriting reminds me of classic middle of the road, Neil Young, and the early masterpieces of Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown.
Bedouine | Bedouine
This debut sounds like it was recorded in the early seventies by the next big David Geffen discovery. Yes, that was a compliment. Beautiful laid back folk from Azniv Korkejian.
Lal & Mike Waterson - Bright Phoebus
A big thank you to Domino Records for giving this a long overdue reissue. This had been on my wantlist for ages. A folk rock gem from the early seventies. Stunning guitar work from Richard Thompson, as always.
GospelbeacH | Another Summer of Love
In the year that we lost Tom Petty it's good to know that the torch is still burning. This set of songs from my hero Brent Rademaker are catchy as hell. Classic american music as they made them in the seventies. Positivity can take you all around the world. Peace brother!
Offa Rex | The Queen of Hearts
"We'll be your Albion Dance Band". That is supposedly how The Decemberists' Colin Meloy approached british folk singer Olivia Chaney about this project. The result isn't actually that far from that opening chat-up line. A No Roses for the indie-generation. Brilliant.
Father John Misty | Pure Comedy
He may be a smart-ass, but so is/was Randy Newman. I just love it. Leaving L.A. is pretty high on my favourite songs of the year. Or statement, if you will. A lot of words, and less hitsongs but this will be standing as a modern classic.
Mapache | Mapache
The next generation is here. Everly Brothers via Welch/Rawlings via The Byrds via Beachwood Sparks. Harmonies from heaven matched with genius songwriting. These guys are legends in the making.
Motorpsycho | The Tower + California EP
New drummer. Bigger, but smaller. Epic. Loud. Quiet. Another classic from one of my all time favourite bands. The EP-track California (I'm so sold) is a hidden pop gem.
Courtney Barnett + Kurt Vile | Lotta Sea Lice
There's a new Kurt & Courtney in town. The slacker king and queen of the last couple of years. This is my jam. Lovin' it!
Fleet Foxes | Crack-Up
What a way to make a "comeback". Ambitious and uncompromising. A statement for the years to come. With this album on top of the two brilliant early records Fleet Foxes has posistioned themselves as a band that's going to be around for the long haul.
Karl-Henrik Ousbäck | Somewhere And Somewhen
Ousbäck is one talented cat. On this debut outing in his own name he has made a hard-bop classic with the help from Jonas Kullhammar among others. If you dig the Blue Note releases of the early sixties you'll dig this. Don't sleep on it though if you want one of the 300x vinyl records.
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