kyle2314

[kyle2314]

2023 End of the Year List

This year was full of surprises. In my opinion, it was one of the best years for music in a while. We got new music from artists I thought we'd never hear from again, and I got to see three of my favorite records performed live in full. As far as movies and TV go, we got arguably the movie event of the century with "Barbenheimer" and multiple series continuing to deliver into their second and third seasons. For the first time in a while, I feel really good about my entire year end list.

Albums: 1. Fiddlehead - Death Is Nothing To Us (Run For Cover) 2. Temple of Angels - Endless Pursuit (Run For Cover) 3. Narrow Head - Moments of Clarity (Run For Cover) 4. Militarie Gun - Life Under the Gun (Loma Vista) 5. boygenius - The Record (Interscope) 6. Fireworks - Higher Lonely Power (Funeral Plant Collective) 7. Code Orange - The Above (Blue Grape Music) 8. Blink-182 - One More Time... (Columbia) 9. Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown (Century Media) 10. Morgan Wade - Psychopath (RCA/Ladylike) Honorable Mentions: The Features - The Mahaffey Sessions 1999 (yk) Margo Price - Strays (Loma Vista)

EPs: 1. Webbed Wing - Right After I Smoke This... (Memory Music) 2. Scowl - Psychic Dance Routine (Flatspot) 3. Balance & Composure - Too Quick To Forgive (Memory Music) 4. In Loving Memory... - A Gentler Sun (self released) 5. One Step Closer - Songs for the Willow (Run For Cover)

Shows: 1. Balance & Composure - Far Out Lounge, Austin, TX - 11/4/23 2. Superheaven - Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL - 10/13/23 3. The Envy Corps - GDP Fest at Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, IA - 4/15/23 4. In Loving Memory..., Black Market Fetus - The Botanical Center, Des Moines, IA - 9/8/23 5. Webbed Wing - Wooly's, Des Moines, IA - 3/5/23

Films: 1. Oppenheimer 2. May December 3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 4. Barbie 5. Infinity Pool

TV: 1. Loki - Season 2 (Disney+) 2. Dave - Season 3 (FXX/Hulu) 3. Reservation Dogs - Season 3 (FX/Hulu) 4. The Last of Us (HBO/Max) 5. The Bear - Season 2 (FX/Hulu)

Check out my favorite songs from this year over on Spotify or YouTube!

[kyle2314]

2022 End of the Year List

This was one of the strangest years for music and media for me. A lot of really pleasant, completely unexpected surprises and a number of unmet expectations. I’m pretty pleased with how this list came out this year, I just would have never guessed it would look like it does. Keeps me on my toes and I suppose that’s what keeps things fresh and exciting.

Albums: 1. Angel Olsen - Big Time (Jagjaguwar) 2. Counterparts - A Eulogy For Those Still Here (Pure Noise) 3. Soul Blind - Feel It All Around (Other People) 4. Tegan & Sara - Crybaby (Mom + Pop) 5. Looming - Anybody’s Baby (No Sleep) 6. No Devotion - No Oblivion (Velocity/Equal Vision) 7. Nikki Lane - Denim & Diamonds (New West) 8. Parker Gispert - Golden Years (Normaltown) 9. Elizabeth Moen - Wherever You Aren’t (self released) 10. Holy Fawn - Dimensional Bleed (Wax Bodega)

EPs: 1. Hazel English - Summer Nights (self released) 2. Tigers Jaw - Old Clothes (Hopeless) 3. Speedway - Paradise (Revelation) 4. Morgan Wade - Acoustic Sessions (Ladylike/Arista) 5. END/Cult Leader - Gather & Mourn split (Closed Casket Activities/Deathwish)

Shows: 1. CHVRCHES - Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln, NE - 6/15/22 2. Code Orange - Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA - 3/28/22 3. Japanese Breakfast - 80/35, Des Moines, IA - 7/8/22 4. Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, MUNA - Hinterland, St. Charles, IA - 8/7/22 5. Stars Hollow - xBk, Des Moines, IA - 3/17/22

Films: 1. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 2. X 3. The Batman 4. Clerks 3 5. Pearl Honorable Mention: Barbarian

TV: 1. Peacemaker (HBO) 2. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+) 3. The Bear (FX/Hulu) 4. The White Lotus - Season 2 (HBO) 5. Reservation Dogs - Season 2 (FX/Hulu) Honorable Mention: The Offer (Paramount+)

Check out a playlist of my favorite songs from the year on Spotify and YouTube!

[kyle2314]

2021 End of the Year List

I don’t know why, but this year I found myself wanting to assemble my year end list super early. The beginning of the year was sort of front loaded with some heavy hitters in the anticipation category and then the year never stopped delivering great music. With every anticipated release I wondered where it fit on the list or if they would make it at all. Just like every year, there are a few surprise makes and misses. It doesn’t feel like this year is as genre diverse, but maybe I’m paying less attention to genre and finding the things that simply appeal to me, regardless of what they may be classified as on the surface. Either way, I feel really good about this year’s list and I’m as excited as ever to share it!

Albums: 1. Fiddlehead - Between the Richness (Run For Cover) 2. Tigers Jaw - I Won’t Care How You Remember Me (Hopeless) 3. CHVRCHES - Screen Violence (Glassnote/EMI) 4. Webbed Wing - What’s So Fucking Funny? (Memory Music) 5. Morgan Wade - Reckless (Thirty Tigers) 6. Turnstile - GLOW ON (Roadrunner) 7. Halsey - If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (Capitol) 8. Julien Baker - Little Oblivions (Matador) 9. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee (Dead Oceans) 10. Foo Fighters - Medicine At Midnight (RCA/Roswell) Honorable Mentions: Luna Shadows - Digital Pacific (+1) One Step Closer - This Place You Know (Run For Cover)

EPs: 1. In Lieu - Edible (self released) 2. Militarie Gun - All Roads Lead To the Gun I & II (Alternatives/Convulse) 3. Potty Mouth - 1% Happier (Get Better) 4. Salt Creek - Our Own World (Tooth & Nail) 5. Soul Blind - Third Chain (Other People)

Shows: 1. Fiddlehead, Militarie Gun - Chi Town Futbol, Chicago, IL - 11/5/21 2. Chris Stapleton, Nikki Lane - Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, IA - 8/19/21 3. Modern Life Is War, Closet Witch - Village Theatre, Davenport, IA - 12/3/21

Films: 1. Eternals 2. Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City 3. Spencer 4. The Suicide Squad 5. Nomadland Honorable Mention: Fear Street Trilogy

TV: 1. WandaVision (Disney+) 2. Dave - Season 2 (FXX) 3. Loki (Disney+) 4. Midnight Mass (Netflix) 5. Joe Pera Talks With You - Season 3 (Adult Swim) Honorable Mention: Mare of Easttown (HBO)

Here are links to playlists of my favorite songs from the year: YouTube. Spotify.

[kyle2314]

2020 End of the Year List

Happy to share my favorite things from everyone’s least favorite year. The list looks a little different this year and I added some of my favorite livestreamed events to fill it out a little.

Albums: 1. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher (Dead Oceans) 2. Code Orange - Underneath (Roadrunner) 3. HUM - Inlet (Earth Analog) 4. Touché Amoré - Lament (Epitaph) 5. Hazel English - Wake UP! (Polyvinyl) 6. Four Year Strong - Brain Pain (Pure Noise) 7. Narrow Head - 12th House Rock (Run For Cover) 8. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia (Warner) 9. Chris Stapleton - Starting Over (Mercury) 10. New Found Glory - Forever + Ever x Infinity (Hopeless) Honorable Mentions: The Strokes - The New Abnormal (RCA/Cult) Snarls - Burst (Take This To Heart)

EPs: 1. Gouge Away - Consider (Deathwish) 2. Linda Susan - Home Recordings Vol. 1 (Criminalized) 3. Holy Fawn - The Black Moon (Triple Crown)

Shows: 1. SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Gabe’s, Iowa City, IA - 3/10/20 2. Elizabeth Moen - The Outer Space, Oskaloosa, IA - 2/29/20 3. Kevin Burt - The Outer Space, Oskaloosa, IA - 2/8/20 4. Good Devils, Hollowtree - The Castle, Ottumwa, IA - 2/15/20

Livestreams: 1. Code Orange - Underneath Record Release Show 2. Touché Amoré - Lament Record Release 3. Parker Gispert - 5 Sundays, 5 The Whigs records 4. Taylor Madison/Webbed Wing - Live from his practice space

Films: 1. 1917 2. Tenet 3. The Hunt 4. Portrait of a Lady on Fire 5. Just Mercy Honorable Mention: The Devil All the Time

TV: 1. High Fidelity (Hulu) 2. Dave (FXX) 3. The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) 4. The Right Stuff (Disney+) 5. The Real Bros of Simi Valley - Season 3 (Facebook Watch) Honorable Mention: Three Busy Debras (Adult Swim)

Here are links to a playlist of my favorite songs from the year: YouTube. Spotify.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #18 // New Found Glory - Radiosurgery

New Found Glory are releasing a new record in June and fans have been counting down to its release by listening to the band’s discography chronologically, one record a week every Friday. This week’s was their 2011 album Radiosurgery, and since I was already thinking of listening to it for this project, I figured why not take care of two birds with one stone. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to Radiosurgery, however a lot of these songs came right back to me as if I had just listened to them last month.

One thing I feel is important to address when discussing this record is that it was the band’s former guitarist Steve Klein’s last record. The things that came to light surrounding Klein a few years later have always made this record feel just a little off to me. Klein was the primary lyricist in the band at the time and some of the songs on Radiosurgery have peculiar lyrics, given the circumstances. Most notably, the songs “I’m Not the One” and “Caught In the Act” feature lyrics that are questionable at best. It’s possible that these are merely coincidence or just a bizarre similarity, but it has probably forever put this record near the bottom of their catalogue for me.

Musically, Radiosurgery finds NFG exploring more of their punk rock roots, citing heavy influences from early Green Day and The Ramones. You can certainly hear those inspirations in the guitars and vocal melodies. Most of the songs feel up-beat and fast, often giving off a fun in the sun vibe. However, there’s still some classic New Found Glory to be found here on “Anthem For the Unwanted”.

As I mentioned earlier, even after not hearing these songs for a significant amount of time, most of them came right back to me. Many of the choruses on this record are especially memorable. The band’s emphasis on songwriting really shines, with hooky, melodic sing-a-longs and poignant in your face lyrics. The chorus on “Drill It In My Brain” is especially memorable, which is also sort of ironic considering the lyric is Drill it in my brain so I won’t forget you.

Call me a hypocrite for my earlier comments, but my favorite song on this record, despite the potentially sketchy lyrics is “Caught In the Act”. Musically, this song is fantastic. It’s catchy, fun and has a ripping guitar solo. Not to mention that the song features guest vocals from Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, which blend extraordinarily well with Jordan Pundik’s voice. Listening to the song sort of feels like forbidden fruit, but maybe that’s also what makes it so appealing.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #17 // Brian Marquis - Blood & Spirits

One of the cooler and, in my opinion, more underrated things the Vans Warped Tour did in its final years was add the Acoustic Basement stage to the lineup. It allowed artists who didn’t really fit in with the loud, aggressive bands playing on all of the other stages a chance to have a  spot on the beloved Summer tour. It also gave a place for some of those loud, aggressive bands to try some of their softer material out, giving their fans a more up-close and personal experience at the same time. The Acoustic Basement was also a covered stage, so it literally allowed you to get out of the blistering sun for a bit and take a break from the noise. The man responsible for the Acoustic Basement’s existence was Brian Marquis, who performed on the stage every year and ran it nearly every day. I was fortunate enough to see him play on the that  stage at the infamous Nashville date of the 2015 Warped Tour. However, I was first introduced to Brian Marquis on one of the club tours inspired by the Acoustic Basement stage, which he also put together.

Blood & Spirits is the first and so far, only full length Brain Marquis has released. It’s a terrific showcase of his abilities and instincts as a songwriter. The record stays mostly in the bluegrass and folk-rock area, similar to Mumford and Sons or Fleet Foxes. Album opener “Drink You Up” provides the best example of this style. The song “Paralysis by Analysis” certainly starts off that way, but moves into a smoother, more indie rock inspired section, a sound which is explored further on album closer “Breathing In Ghosts”. The use of keyboards and mellotron in the background of “Burn the Bridge, Swim the River” provide additional sonic layers that keep things fresh and help avoid repetition.

Brian Marquis is from Boston, which he proudly lets you know in the song “From Boston”, which features a variety of references and silly stereotypes put upon people hailing from the city. However, I feel fairly confident that even if this song weren’t on the album, you’d still be able to tell. There’s something about the city that seems to creep into its artists’ sounds. Songs like “Hem & Haw” and the previously mentioned “Drink You Up” just have a certain ring to them that feel distinctly New England.

The standout on the album is the song “I’m Still Chasing You”. It veers more into country/rock territory and provides some of the catchier moments on the record. Featuring harmonica and lead electric guitar, it wouldn’t feel out of place on a Tom Petty record or even one of Chris Stapleton’s. The only downside is that there aren’t more like it on this record.

Some of the slower, more sentimental songs on this album fail to really land or stick with me. They aren’t bad or poorly written, just not as memorable as some of the other up-beat songs. However, penultimate track “Never Disappear” finally seems to connect and leave a mark. The chorus lyric You never really disappear / Your body is gone but you’re still right here is a touching tribute and carries a comfort with it that lasts all the way through the song.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #16 // Now, Now - Cars

Before Now, Now really burst on to the national scene, they had a longer name and a different lineup. Cars is the first full length from the band and the only one under the Now, Now Every Children moniker. I wasn’t introduced to Now, Now until the Neighbors EP, which bridged the gap between this record and Threads. Cars has always felt a little bit like old news to me. Not to suggest it isn’t good, just that it seemed the band had moved on sonically and there wasn’t much reason to look backwards. Even the first few times I saw them live before Threads came out, they were already playing sets made of about 90% new, unreleased material. However, when I occasionally revisit Cars, it’s almost always a pleasant experience and this time is no exception.

With the recent popularity of bands like Japanese Breakfast, Soccer Mommy and Lala Lala, I can’t help but notice the familiarity between those band’s sounds and Cars. I think if the record were to be released today, it would probably fit right in with that “bedroom pop” sound that’s all over right now. The song “Headlights” especially sticks out as one that would probably be at the top of a lot of people’s playlists if it came out today. The production is clean but simple and the song has a youthfulness to it that gives it a certain charm. I’ve always thought Now, Now were a little ahead of their time, but it never registered how much until now.

I didn’t think I would ever compare Now, Now with Code Orange, however it is funny to think about how both bands dropped youth-oriented terms from their names before tweaking their sound and releasing highly respected albums in their respective scenes. And just like when I listened to Code Orange’s debut full length record earlier this year, I know listen to Now, Now’s and feel similar pleasure in knowing where they took their sound and songwriting on future releases. Songs like “Sleep Through Summer” give you an incredible insight into where they went with Neighbors and ultimately on to Threads. “Everyone You Know” and “In My Chest” also show similar glimpses to the band’s future.

There isn’t a bad song on Cars, however some of the songs don’t immediately jump out at you. There are a couple somewhat deceptive tracks that reveal the dynamics Now, Now is capable of. “Friends With My Sister” is one that starts slow and has an almost story telling style to the vocal delivery. It eventually builds up into a fast paced, guitar frenzy with a pulsing synth line that feels more in line a punk band than and indie pop one.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #15 // White Wives - Happeners

White Wives feels like a band that doesn’t actually exist. They only released one record sandwiched by a couple smaller releases and then that was it. I know there are multiple bands who have similar sized discographies that are well known, but that’s the difference. I don’t think very many people know about White Wives, and with a record as good as Happeners, they should absolutely know about them.

There isn’t a bad song on Happeners and much of the record feels like pure fun punk rock intensity. The song “Hungry Ghosts” is a great example of this with a driving prominent bass line and a loud angsty chorus. Chris Dos from Anti-Flag sings and plays guitar in this band and you can hear the influence that he brings along from that group. “Indian Summer, Indian Summer” and “Grow So Wild and Free” fall into the broader punk category as well, but don’t feel stale.

On “Sky Started Crying”, not only do White Wives maintain the punk rock feel, but they push a piano to the front and step into rock anthem territory. Reminiscent of early 2000s Green Day, but still basement venue ready. Throw in the sing along chorus on “Paper Chaser”, which blurs the line between folk and punk rock with the line We can show you the way / We can get fucking paid / We will, and you have a record that refuses to be pinned down to just one genre or style.

While listening to Happeners this time around, I couldn’t help but feel that it reminded me a little bit of the band Beach Slang, which wasn’t formed until a year or two after this record came out. Both bands feature heart on your sleeve lyrics and fast, dirty guitars. Then I thought “Oh, that means that White Wives is probably influenced by The Replacements” and it started to make a little more sense.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #14 // MGMT - Congratulations

I remember being really excited for this record to come out ten years ago. I, along with just about everyone else who was into indie music, had fallen in love with MGMT’s breakthrough debut album Oracular Spectacular and eagerly anticipated more music. Congratulations came out and I remember listening and feeling a little underwhelmed by it and that’s about it. I honestly can’t tell you the last time I listened to this record before now. I also haven’t listened to any of their following material since. As I listen now, Congratulations feels to me like a band trying to separate themselves from a mainstream pop world they accidentally crashed into by writing weirder songs than they did before.

The record opens up with the song “It’s Working”, which sets the tone much of the record will take. Mixing 60’s surf-rock with dark psychedelic synths makes for a strange sensation and takes the listener on an almost scary journey. On “Siberian Breaks”, the longest track on the record clocking in at over twelve minutes, the journey twists and turns and never really feels totally comfortable. There seems to be a tension all throughout the album that never allows the listener to settle in and enjoy the ride.

Elaborating on the dark tones mentioned above, there are a couple instances on Congratulations where the music sounds like it would belong on the soundtrack of a “scary” Nintendo game. “Song for Dan Treacy” would not feel out of place in Luigi’s Mansion or perhaps Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland. Another song featuring a name, “Brian Eno” also has this video game soundtrack vibe. I have to wonder if these sounds and the cartoon-ish album artwork have anything to do with each other or if that’s purely a coincidence of my making.

The stand-out song on Congratulations is the album closer and title track. Featuring a smooth as hell bass line, pretty synths and some of the only light-hearted lyrics on the record, the song floats by like a dream and ends the album on a peaceful and high note. Once again tossing back to that 60’s surf-rock feel, “Congratulations” feels like a song straight out of a time machine.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #13 // The Features - Wilderness

The Features is one of my favorite bands from Nashville. They are incredibly tight live and have put on impressive, memorable shows every time I’ve seen them. Their recorded output is unique, diverse and underrated in my opinion. Wilderness, The Features’ third album, is no exception, although it is my least visited of their records. So, it felt like the perfect chance to spin it again and dive a little deeper.

Wilderness starts off with kind of a mid-tempo song and moves into a fuzz bass heavy track in “Kids”, however it doesn’t feel like the record really takes off until third song “Another One”. It has the classic Features sound and yet somehow feels like it could be on their self-titled record that followed this one. It has the urgency that drives a lot of The Features’ choruses but is balanced by melodic verses.

The standout on this record and one of The Features’ best songs comes on “How It Starts”. It’s got fuzzed up bass, staccato organ and even some claps. The lyrics are simple but effective. The guitar tone is slightly more aggressive than most of their songs, giving off an almost dark or malevolent feel. The song was used in a Ford Mustang commercial if that tells you anything.

One thing that seems to be a hallmark of The Features’ songwriting is writing songs that follow a story or have some kind of exaggerated storyline. Often the songs seem less serious. Not to suggest that they are joke songs, just more lighthearted. There are two songs here that I feel fit this description: “Big Mama Gonna Whip Us Good” and “Golden Comb”. Musically, these songs would feel right at home on most indie rock records, however lyrically they harken back to folk and blues records of the 50s and 60s.

One A-side closer “Rambo”, your attention is immediately grabbed by the bass and organ. (Add the use of organ as one more unique factor in The Features’ repertoire.) As the song progresses, the guitar and even the vocals get their moments to shine and honestly everything in the song becomes noteworthy. If “How It Starts” is the standout, “Rambo” is the encore.

Unfortunately, it seems that the B-side of this record is a little less memorable. While most of the songs don’t really standout, there are moments that shine. “Fats Domino” is a slower, bluesy take on a break-up song. B-side opener “Offer Up” feels like The Features’ take on a Strokes style pop-rock song. The one song on the B-side that did jump out at me was “Love Is” because it reminded me of Some Kind of Salvation, the second and my personal favorite album by the band.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #12 // Bully - Losing

I haven’t been to a show since near the beginning of March, but I’ve seen a handful of bands and artists perform live via the internet, while I sit comfortably at home. This is our new and hopefully briefly temporary normal while we try to get through this difficult time together. The other night I watched Alicia Bognanno, the frontperson and mastermind behind the Nashville band Bully, perform from the comfort of her home and it made me want to spin their sophomore album Losing. Coming out late in 2017, Losing was one of those records that for me kind of got lost in the mix of that year’s excellent crop of records.

The record opens with two really fast and aggressive songs in ‘Feel the Same” and “Kills To Be Resistant”. The guitar and bass lines are both lightning fast and urgent as hell. They really do a great job of not only grabbing your attention but keeping it too. These two songs in particular feel reminiscent of Bully’s previous releases and serve as a welcome introduction to LP2. Later in the album on the song “Seeing It”, the guitars get heavier than most radio rock bands.

As I mentioned above, the frontperson and mastermind of Bully is Alicia Bognanno and she is more than deserving of that title as she is not only the lead singer and songwriter of the band, but she also records and mixes the music as well. I feel like her production techniques are truly unique and create this mix of throwback and modern sounds that give Bully their sonic appeal. I don’t know if her production skills influence the sound or if it’s the other way around, but it makes for music gold.

Speaking of Bognanno’s recording techniques, I remember reading an interview where she mentioned mixing her vocals lower due to feeling a lack of confidence in her voice on previous releases. On Losing, she seems to have found her confidence as the vocals are definitely higher in the mix and even dominate the song at times. This occurs most noticeably in the song “Running”.

While the record certainly opens strong, it does seem to reach a bit of a plateau on the B-side. Some of these songs feel less memorable and slow down a bit. There are still moments that stick out, but I have to wonder if this is what contributed to it being lost in the mix for me when it came out. The final song on the record however leaves quite an impression and provides a strong closer in “Hate and Control”. The guitars are crunchy, but the melody comes in and makes for a heavy, groovy banger.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #11 // Run Forever - Run Forever

This is probably the strangest time in my life, in your life, in likely anyone you know’s life right now. There’s a lot of anxiety, unease and uncertainty going around. I think we would all love to get back to “normal” and leave this bizarre moment in time in the past. However, we’re all still stuck inside and isolated, which should be the perfect time for a project like this. Last week I listened to Run Forever’s self-titled album and found myself unable to come up with much of anything to say about it at the time. That’s why this post is coming out a few days later than usual. I don’t think it’s the record’s fault. I enjoyed listening to it. But I just didn’t feel any inspiration or motivation, which I believe was a result of this strange time we’re going through. So, here are some late thoughts on the self-titled and so far final album from Run Forever.

Immediately I can’t help but notice how analog this record sounds. A quick look at the liner notes reveals that the album was recorded at Earth Analog Studios with HUM’s Matt Talbot and much is explained. I can’t decide if I think the obvious analog sound is a good or bad thing. At times it feels like a very nice aesthetic and at others it comes off a little too bedroom demo-ish. The overall laid-back vibe of the record certainly fits with the under-production.

I sense some indifference in some of the lyrics throughout the record and have to wonder if that has anything to do with this being their last release. I’m sure it’s probably just coincidence but it is a noticeable trait of the album. On single “Big Vacation” a line like I got a job to save for a big vacation but couldn’t find some place I liked especially stands out. The way it’s delivered makes you wonder if the writer even wanted to go in the first place.

With their sound and guitar work, I’m sure I’m far from the first person to compare Run Forever to Tigers Jaw, but their similarities are more than apparent on the song “Exhale”. It carries that bouncy, not quite a pop song vibe that most Tigers Jaw songs have and features one of the more impressive guitar lines on the record. Another more up-tempo song on the record comes on B-side opener “Grand Marquis”, which picks up the energy after a couple slower songs close out the A-side.

[kyle2314]

Record of the Week #10 // Code Orange - Love is Love//Return to Dust

Code Orange unleashed a new beast into the world this week with their fourth album Underneath. They’ve continued to expand their sound and abilities and exceed any and all expectations their fan base has for them. I had been thinking about revisiting their debut album for this series and after reading an interview where they said that Love is Love//Return to Dust had some minor influence on Underneath, I knew I had to. Back in 2012, I remember reading Alternative Press’ review for this record. They were pretty harsh in their criticism and even gave it something like a 2.5 out of 5. I remember laughing and thinking they don’t even know. Just a couple years later when Code Orange’s second record I Am King was released, they were singing their praises and rightfully so, however they should’ve also been apologizing.

Listening to Love is Love//Return to Dust now and knowing where they’ve gone since is a really incredible experience. You can hear the potential and the talent already there, just waiting to be fully realized. I’m not 100% sure on their ages but I believe most of the members were still teenagers when this record was written and recorded. Knowing this just adds to the astonishment felt when listening to the blistering brand of hardcore they were creating and would eventually trailblaze.

The lyrics on the record are very dark and might be the only thing you could fully attribute to their youth. The words are more on the nose and perhaps less profound than on later releases. That’s not to say there still aren’t moments of note. On “Around My Neck//On My Head” the lyrics veer from physical to emotional pain dealing with loss and grief. On B-side opener “Nothing (The Rat)”, the lyrics touch on anxiety and depression beginning with the line Break me into something worth it / more than the heads of statues / even if the trend reconciles itself I will still wake up wishing I didn’t / so maybe instead I’ll choke on these anti-anxiety pills so I don’t have to swallow the flavor of life floating away.

One thing Code Orange seems to have moved away from, at least when it comes to their full length albums, is collaborations. A notable one happens here on the song “Colors (Into Nothing)”, which features Wicca Phase Springs Eternal’s Adam McIlwee singing the entire song. It’s one of two songs on the record where the pace is slowed and melody is given the spotlight. It’s especially interesting to hear the use of clean vocals like this and to see how they’ve become more incorporated in their sound on future releases.

The standout on this record is the album opener “Flowermouth (The Leech)”. It explodes out right away and feels the most anthemic, again hinting at what they would do on future records. We hear vocalist/guitarist Reba Meyers first, followed by vocalist/drummer Jami Morgan, who delivers the climactic line I can see the flowers growing out of your mouth while the cancer in your brain begs to get out. The bar is set very high very early and luckily, we’re in the hands of a band who, even at this age and stage of their career, is incredibly capable of maintaining that high bar throughout the remainder of the record.

Despite how Code Orange might feel about this record now and the fact that it seems to be overlooked and in some cases (perhaps due to them dropping the “Kids” from Code Orange Kids) even unknown, Love is Love//Return to Dust is a great hardcore record and frankly an incredible debut LP. Like I said above, listening back now with the knowledge of where they steered their sound and how they progressed it is truly inspiring. My only real problem with this record is how it ends. The album title is repeated about 1.75 times, being cutoff before the second time “dust” would be sung. I’ve always felt like it should’ve been repeated a few more times.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #9 // FVNERALS - Wounds

One time a few years back on Record Store Day, I was in line waiting for the East Nashville record store The Groove to open and overheard a conversation among a couple other RSD participants. Their conversation steered toward metal records and one of the guys said “you can’t listen to death metal in the morning. That’s night-time music!” And while I completely disagree with that sentiment, I do think that certain genres fit certain times or moments better than others. The “doom-gaze” record Wounds by the Brussels, Belgium band FVNERALS is a hard one to match with a time. It feels too loud and ominous for the morning but not quite aggressive enough for the night. I wouldn’t want to drive to it and it certainly isn’t party music.

The album opens with an instrumental intro in “Void” and moves almost seamlessly into the title track “Wounds”. It sets the tone for much of the rest of record with a slow burning, methodical pace. The lyrics are simple and delivered deliberately, however feel somewhat buried behind the wall of guitar and bass. As a fan of lyrics, I sometimes struggle with shoegaze records to keep my attention. The heavier parts of this record certainly catch my ear, but the difficulty in following along with the vocals can be trying.

Something I find very intriguing with Wounds is how the drums sound really far away. I don’t know if this was an intentional production choice or just a cool accident, but it really adds to the eeriness of the record. “Shiver” provides the best example of the distant sounding drums. They don’t feel buried like the vocals, just further back. Imagine if you were seeing the band live in a house venue and the drummer was playing in a different room.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching Twin Peaks, but I feel like the song “Teeth” would fit right in on the show. It has this strange slow dance vibe to it and almost feels like it could’ve been composed by Angelo Badalamenti. It feels eerie and beautiful at the same time. Even the lyrics have a Lynchian vibe to them with a line like Each time you’re around / Alone I die. Sounds like something that could’ve come straight out of Laura Palmer’s diary.

There are a couple moments where the vocals are allowed to shine on Wounds. During the album closer “Where”, the vocals are quite beautiful and take center stage. Accompanied by a somber piano, the lyrics are sung with passion and pain. It’s an unexpected and different sounding ending to an otherwise relatively sonically unchanging record.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #8 // Creepoid - Horse Heaven

My introduction to Philadelphia’s Creepoid came in the Fall of 2014 when they were the opening act on Balance & Composure’s full US tour. I was really impressed with their set and after the show, purchased both records they had at their merch table. Creepoid are unfortunately no longer together, however Pat and Anna Troxell, the husband and wife rhythm section of the group, have a new band called Lovelorn that just recently signed to 6131 Records. This news inspired me to give Creepoid’s first record Horse Heaven a revisit.

The record opens with what to me feels like an alt-country outlaw vibe in “Wishing Well”. While this vibe isn’t really present on the rest of the record, it makes for a cool, dark opening. The song, like many of the others on the record, never really builds up to anything. Though unlike other songs, it isn’t drawn out which kind of gives it a pass I suppose.

On Creepoid’s future releases, their sound could be described as stoner-gaze, with guitars whirring and droning and the vocals reverby and melodic. You can certainly find all of that on Horse Heaven, just not as much of it. Acoustic guitar features prominently on the record and though often accompanied by electric lead guitar, it does feel like something is missing. A notable exception to this comes on “Grave Blanket” where the acoustic guitar has an almost Robert Johnson blues type feel. It’s a really cool use of the acoustic and shows Creepoid’s ability to blend and experiment with genre in a really unique and effective way. This is also the first of three songs on the record to eventually wander into the full band sound, abandoning the acoustic halfway through for a massive buildup that just adds to the already coolness of the track.

The vocals on Horse Heaven are split about 80/20. Much of the record features guitarist Sean Miller handling lead vocals. His voice reminds me a little bit of Billy Corgan and it definitely fits their sound well. Bassist Anna Troxell provides backup vocals on most of the songs but takes lead duty on two tracks. Penultimate track “Enabler” gives the best showcase of the two vocalists as they share lead vocals. This is also one of the three full band songs and definitely a highlight of the record. It’s also the strongest indicator of where their sound would go on future records.

Lyrically the album stays fairly simple, with darker themes being explored and fleshed out. The lyrics remain effective and don’t feel forced or pretentious. The song “Emily” is the best example of this with lines such as I feel bad for you girl, really. This is hard / I’m there for you girl, really. This is tough love. Another interesting lyrical moment on the record comes during “Spirit Birds”. Featuring a spoken word vocal delivery from Anna Troxell reminiscent of Patti Smith, the lyrics read like a poem and give a glimpse into the darker side of Creepoid.

There are really two standouts on this record. The first is the song “Dream Out”, which features Anna Troxell on lead vocals, giving a huge performance with a smooth and dreamy delivery. I remember seeing them perform it live and being blown away. The best way to describe it is just a straight up cool song. It also features an incredibly captivating slide guitar riff that seals the deal and brings us to the second standout on the record: the lead guitar work. I mentioned earlier that acoustic guitar is all over this record. Well, the electric lead guitars that often accompany and frequently overshadow are the real stars of the show. Whether it’s the slide lead in “Dream Out” or the ripper in “Grave Blanket”, the lead guitars are what keep your attention throughout Horse Heaven.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #7 // Best Coast - The Only Place

I was introduced to Best Coast via a performance on Conan of the song “Feelin’ OK” from their 2015 album California Nights. A few days later, I went to the record store, purchased that album and proceeded to pretty much fall in love with it. In the next few weeks, I decided I needed to purchase the other two full lengths in Best Coast’s discography, 2010’s Crazy For You and 2012’s The Only Place. I really liked Crazy For You’s lo-fi feel and stark contrast to the pop production of California Nights. The angst and melodrama of the record really resonated with me at the time. However, The Only Place felt more laid-back and fell somewhere in between the other two sonically. It never really grabbed my attention and I have only listened to it a handful of times. Since Best Coast just put out a new record this week, I figured it made perfect sense to give The Only Place another listen.

The album opens with title track and lead single “The Only Place”. It’s a really good song with a very catchy melody and works really well as an opener. This is the most Best Coast sounding song on the record and before this most recent listen, I would have told you was my favorite on it too. It feels Summery and joyful and celebrates the home state of the band, California. It’s also probably the strongest indicator of where they would take their sound on the following records.

A key characteristic of Best Coast is frontwoman and songwriter Bethany Cosentino’s lyrics. They are often simple and almost feel as if ripped from the pages of a diary. At times, they can seem a little cringy or a bit of TMI, however when examined a little closer you see their depth and truth. She’s just writing from an entirely honest and real place. A great example of this comes from the song “Last Year”: And when I go out I don’t feel anything / I just keep on spending my money / One day it will be gone and then I’ll have to write another song. What at first seems so simple, becomes quite complex after analyzing the honesty and self-reflection of a rising star caught in the endless cycle of the ever fickle music industry.

A song that really surprised me on this listen was “No One Like You”. It has this subtle ‘50s or ‘60s “doo wop” vibe but maintains a modern feel and relevance. The lyrics are moving and beautiful and the production rides the line between throwback lo-fi and current pop sheen. It’s followed by A-side closer “How They Want Me to Be”, which is another really beautiful and touching slower song. I was really impressed with these two songs, back to back, holding up the middle of the record.

The Only Place is said to have been an effort by the band to move away from the lo-fi and reverb laden sounds of Crazy For You. The record features significantly more instrumentation than the last, much of it being played by the only other full member of the band, Bobb Bruno. His talents and influences are felt all throughout this record. They definitely succeed in presenting more of a full band sound, however the attempt to transform their sound doesn’t feel fully realized. A few of the songs still feel like they could have been B-sides on Crazy For You. In my opinion, their transformation of sound wasn’t fully realized until California Nights.

The record closes with one more really beautiful slower song titled “Up All Night”. I mentioned above that I previously considered “The Only Place” to be my favorite song on the album, but now I’m not so sure. I don’t know that I could identify a favorite or even pick one song as my standout, so I’ll say the three songs I’m calling “ballads” (“No One Like You”, “How They Want Me to Be” and “Up All Night”) as the standouts on The Only Place. I really love when a record has a strong opener and closer, and this one has both.

[kyle2314]

ROTW #6 // Patti Smith - Horses

It must have been so cool to be in New York City in the early seventies, witnessing the birth of punk and the broadening of rock and roll. I’m so envious of anyone who might have stumbled into a club back then and been introduced to Patti Smith and her band with their simple, yet intense three chord punk and her beat influenced poetry screaming through the speakers. I remember watching one of those VH1 I Love the ‘70s specials with my parents years ago and hearing Patti Smith for the first time. I knew immediately I had to hear more and started searching eBay for copies of Horses. I’m sure I paid too much for the copy I got, but it felt completely worth it.

Horses opens with one of the coolest and most unique versions of the song “Gloria” I’ve ever heard. The intensity is bumped up a level, the lyrics are darker, and the song is given new life. This was the song that I heard on that VH1 special and made me purchase this record. The song opens and closes with the line Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine and it’s honestly one of the most punk rock things I’ve ever heard. All of these elements come together and make this song the standout of the album.

One thing that remains almost a constant throughout this record is Patti Smith’s melodic spoken word delivery that blurs the line between lyricism and full on poetry. On “Birdland”, nearly the entire song is delivered spoken word. At times it’s reminiscent of Jim Morrison from The Doors and yet it’s also totally original. Smith’s voice, mixed with this spoken word style really helps define her individuality and solidifies her place in the birth of punk. Later, on B-side opener “Kimberly”, Smith’s singing and the more traditional pop-rock style of the song show her range and versatility.

You don’t often associate poetry with battle, however on the song “Land”, Smith’s poetry in the opening lines feels like an epic battle chant. Since the repeated word is Horses, I’m not sure what the battle would be about, but the intensity makes you want to charge nonetheless. Similar to “Gloria” earlier on the record, the song then moves into a kind of mash-up cover of ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ and provides a sense of familiarity.

Intensity seems to be the key word when analyzing Horses. Whether you’re talking about the three chord punk songs that ring out and sprint forward or Patti Smith’s vocals, which strain and scream, the most apt description seems to be intensity. Her words are intense and they are delivered intensely. There’s even a subtle intensity to the album cover, like maybe she’s about to fight you.