Month: December 2018

This year was interesting. Not only did I undergo many personal challenges, I found a lack of great and amazing music that really blew my mind. Maybe it’s the lack of anything new and exciting and because rock and roll is no longer what it used to be. Whatever the reason, what follows is an unranked list of the best of what’s around from this year. Mudhoney – Digital GarbageThis was the best album of the year regardless of what others say. The grunge stalwarts came back after five years off the racks and went political, and guess what? They…

Honourable Mentions Grateful Dead – Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Believe It If You Need ItThis is the Grateful Dead at the absolute peak of their powers. If you’re a Dead fan, you need this. If you’re a Dead skeptic, this could be the set that converts you. Sublime performances from start to finish. Albert Hammond Jr. – Francis TroubleA solid album of to-the-point, no-frills rock tunes. He’s best known as the guitar player for The Strokes, but if I’m honest, I think I’ve enjoyed this solo album significantly more than the last few Strokes records. Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – GlampingOne…

 10. Porcupine – What You've Heard Isn't Real (EP)Porcupine have been a great, though overlooked, band for awhile now, but they're even better now that Greg Norton (Husker Du) is on board. And not so surprisingly, they're seeing more visibility. This EP of smart alt-rock and dreamy post-punk is some of the best in recent history. 9. Tres Oui – Poised To FlourishJangly pop and post-punk vibes truly do flourish on this '80s-esque album that's made for fans of The Smiths, The Cure, or even Dinosaur Jr. 8. The Persian Leaps – Pop That Goes CrunchThe second outfit of Twin Cities…

In a year when both losses and gains felt too large to measure at times, I struggled to give my full appreciation to music. Interestingly, the artist whose body of work played the biggest individual role in my musical year didn’t even come out with a new album in 2018, though he and his band did star in my favorite live concert experience of the year (see below). It was a year of ups and downs, advances and retreats, looking forward and looking back. In the end, I found perhaps fewer musical events to celebrate, but a greater intensity of…