THE LOUDER STUFF
COLD GAWD – God Get Me The Fuck Out Of Here
Shoegaze metal but not in the Deafheaven style, more like a heavier My Bloody Valentine. (7)
FUCKED UP – One Day
Written and recorded in just one day (!), this is an excellent album by a band that no longer qualifies as strictly hardcore punk but is still punk as fuck. The Sugar-y (as in Bob Mould) “Cicada” is the best song I’ve heard in months. (9)
KATATONIA – Sky Void Of Stars
Another solid effort from the sad Swede metallers, this is a bit more reminiscent of classic “Peaceville Three” releases from the late 90’s (think “Alternative 4” or “One Second”), big choruses and all. (8)
IGGY POP – Every Loser
With Ozzy’s producer Andrew Watt at the helm and an all-star backing band featuring Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, and the late Taylor Hawkins, Iggy put together his hardest-rocking, stoopidest, and most fun record in decades. (8)
RONNIE ROMERO – Raised On Heavy Radio
Mercenary heavy rock vocalist revisits metal’s glory days with a covers album featuring classics by Manowar, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept, Ozzy, Yngwie, Metallica etc. It’s basically karaoke well done. (7)
THE OTHER STUFF
THE ARCS – Electrophonic Chronic
Black Key Dan Auerbach’s side project explores soul, R&B, and overall sounds mellower than his main gig. (7)
THE BAD ENDS – The Power And The Glory
Marking the return of REM’s Bill Berry 25 years after his retirement due to health reasons, this Athens, GA-based indie rock supergroup of sorts excels in the kind of intelligent, hook-laden Southern sound championed by the likes of Drive-By Truckers. (8)
MEG BAIRD – Furling
Haunting psych-folk that will appeal to fans of everyone from Joanna Newsom to Mazzy Star to Joni Mitchell. (8)
JOHN CALE – Mercy
His passion to create and experiment at age 80+ is admirable and his totemic status cannot be disputed. But as someone who didn’t invest emotionally in Velvet Underground when young and impressionable and is not the biggest fan of 21st century weird electronica/art pop either, I appreciate “Mercy” but fail to get much pleasure out of it. (7)
JOE HENRY – All The Eye Can See
The kind of record that makes me want to curl up in a fetal position on the floor crying, and I mean that in the best possible way. (9)
KEVN KINNEY – Think About It
Another Athens, GA album released in December, this one’s by Drivin N Cryin’s frontman and features a couple of REMs (Berry and Peter Buck) plus a Drive-By Trucker or two. Kinney’s in full weird singer-songwriter mode, like a strange Tom Waits/Bob Dylan/Kinky Friedman Venn diagram, and it’s fantastic, if I’d heard it in time it could’ve made The List. (9)
HC McENTIRE – Every Acre
Singer-songwriter gently moves her Appalachian folk-country towards psychedelia. (7)
BILLY NOMATES – Cacti
Somewhere between 00’s electro-rock (think low-budget LCD Soundsystem) and 00’s pop-punk you’ll find 2023 Billy Nomates leaving her mark and impressing music critics. (8)
MARGO PRICE – Strays
Written on magic mushrooms, featuring high-profile guests, and leaving country behind for a clear classic rock direction, Price’s great psychedelic roots rock record is an early candidate for year-end-best-of lists. (8)
NEMANJA RADULOVIC – Roots
Serbian rock star-type classical violinist on his most fun album yet, incorporating elements of Balkan, Celtic, and tango music into his style and adding the occasional vocalist. (8)
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