What a great year in Indie Music. Not only did a lot of great music show up and make these decisions agonizing but I have to say it was so great that a lot of my friends who I know make music chose to put stuff out there. So let's hop right into the Honorable Mentions then....
HONORABLE MENTIONS
A lot of the best music I heard was from friends who put themselves out there and deserve to be mentioned like...
SEQUOIA RISING and their debut album "Of All the Things I Ever Said, I Mean This The Most". Tracks like Amy and Ask The Whiskey are among some of my favorite and most played on my playlists, especially when the mood strikes for some good ole fashioned Americana music. For a debut album this is worth a listen everybody, especially if you are an Americana genre fan. You can watch our Spotlight interview with Shane Wilson, the brains behind the band we did earlier in the year here
I also have to mention another great album from the filk-folk duo The Faithful Sidekicks and their 4th album Sales of Interest. I did a full review of this album on the blog already, which you can read here. A Band that didn't need this album to find itself, because really they already knew who they were long ago, but moreover they found a stronger recording style that just made this album so fucking good. I think this discovery too, will lend itself to more incredible offerings in the future.
Then there is MERLIN and her first EP, DARK MATTER. This is a small sample of what is to come for an artist who is going to be a star. Really she has all the right intangibles and her lyrical content really is so relatable, so strong. When she puts out a longer form record it would not surprise me to see it chart and get talked about. For now go get this EP and you can read my full blog review here.
You can get the album here and look for the more comprehensive review in a week's time or so.
Okay, so let's get to my Top 10 list, a couple of these you have already heard me talk about in various videos but here they are in print, all of which have reviews up on the blog too and the links will lead you to those comprehensive reviews.
10. DELTA SLEEP - SPRING ISLAND
You have heard me mention how much going out on their own made such a huge difference for me in experiencing this album but in thinking about it beyond my review what makes this album so great is it catchy in a way that is not commercial but still amazingly unforgettable. That's a hard trick to pull off and they do it so well. Even more so the songs get better with multiple listens for me and that is an even rarer feat. You heard and read all about the musicianship that is on display here and if you haven't clicked on the link to do so but the cohesiveness of the entire album and each song has a care to it that I think a lot of bands miss when trying to put an album together. I think it has been the missing piece to this band especially in the past and this is what I have been waiting for from them. So give it several listens and you just might feel as I do about it.
MY REVIEW IS HERE
9. DRY CLEANING - NEW LONG LEG
Cool factor of 100 on this incredibly unique experience of an album, Dry Cleaning and this album really has become my background meditation when I want to really dig into my feelings and find something to write about. It is in fact the very thing I played before tackling this blog post. Of all the albums on this list, I can only say that about this one. I am not cool enough to get it but I don't care they make me feel like I am and that is more than enough for them to make this list. Well that and how fucking great they are at making cool music.
MY REVIEW IS HERE
8. BLACK SITES - UNTRUE
This album has restored my faith in New Metal carrying the torch for what has come before it. As a big metal guy, it is also super refreshing to have new songs sprinkled into the rotation that let's face it speaks more true of bygone era than it does of a future. So when I hear something as well done like this album Untrue and this band Black Sites I really am excited to have metal back in the fold.
MY REVIEW IS HERE
7. LIQUIDS - LIFE IS PAIN IDIOT
Punk rock, hardcore is also another restored genre and Bandcamp has really been a godsend for me in finding bands out there like Liquids. This is a band that if you like and miss the days of a D. R. I., M. D. C., and Minor Threat you got to get on your playlists' rotation. They are one of those bands that sound like they are LIVE all the time. So you get that right amount of production, with the right amount of energy. They are breath of fresh air and you throw in smart lyrics, strong hooks, and couple it with the sonic boom that if you have a pulse will get you up and out of your seat faster than a hot poke in the ass will. Great energy for those needing that.
MY REVIEW IS HERE
6. SNAIL MAIL - VALENTINE
Maybe my favorite find among the masses this year. Snail Mail and Lindsey Jordan might be the disenfranchised, fierce fist of fury we all have been missing in our Alt-Rock. To call this band Alt-rock is far-fetched even still, Ass Kicking, Fire Breathing, Megaminds might be a better genre category for them actually. Best written material on my list here and I would even dare to say among my entire Top 10. When this band hits everything I need, they really hit out of the park. The entire album's efforts are strong and the lyrics to every song are powerful but songs like Glory and Ben Franklin are why this album and thi sband has to be on this list.
MY REVIEW IS HERE.
So there's the top half, you can hear the bottom half of the list starting THIS SUNDAY DEC. 26TH here, premiering NOON EST along with special guest JD Estrada's Top 5 and Shane Wilson gives us some of his favorites as well.
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