Tom Haugen – The Daily Vault

12 Dec

2022: Tom’s Top Ten

Tom HaugenBest Of

A great year for new music in my opinion, and a return to seeing live music for myself, i.e Jawbreaker/Smoking Popes/Dillinger 4, and Hanson/Allen, Mack, Myers & Moore (the latter being an evening for my wife), trimming it down to 10 for 2022 was no easy task, but here they are, in no particular order.despAIR Jordan – Before Your Wings Gave OutI'll forever be a sucker for modern bands who don't hide their influences from ’80s post-punk and shoegaze, and this Denver outfit are doing it better than just about anyone. They don't shy away from post-rock and psychedelic moments,…

18 Jan

Peter And The Wolves

Tom HaugenFeature

You won't have to look very far to find books and documentaries about the early days of the New York or Los Angeles punk scene. Cleveland, on other hand, despite being a hotbed of punk activity in the late '70s and early '80s, hasn't seen even a fraction of the attention of the aforementioned cities. Adele Bertei fills some of that void here with a brief memoir of her time in the underground rock circles of Cleveland, where Peter Laughner (Rocket From The Tombs, Pere Ubu) took her under his wing in an abstract mentor sort of way. The two…

13 Dec

2021: Tom’s Top Ten

Tom HaugenBest Of

I found 2021 to be a fantastic year for music. Perhaps a silver lining due to the pandemic, plenty of musicians spent considerable time crafting new records – many of which were artists or bands who were dormant for many years. Sadly, there was no new music from The Weakerthans or Banner Pilot, though. Here are my 10 favorites from the year, in no particular order, although I could have easily found 20 great albums from 2021 to blather on about...Too Much Joy – Mistakes Were MadeThe New York alt-rockers end their 25 year hiatus with a post-punk, New Wave,…

12 Dec

2020: Tom’s Top Ten

Tom HaugenBest Of

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of great music that came out in 2020. I was also able to spend much more time listening to music this year than in previous years. Of course, when your work closes down for four months, that helps quite a bit. Here's my most visited albums from the year in no particular order, except Bob Mould; I played that one the most by far and consider it the best record of the year.Bob Mould – Blue HeartsToday's political climate has given Mould plenty of fodder for his bristling guitar-fueled anthems, where the intensity…

16 Dec

2019: Tom’s Top Ten

Tom HaugenBest Of

I have to say, I was fairly underwhelmed with most new music being made in 2019. Not that there weren't great records released this year, of course, but I had to wade through so much mediocrity to find something truly exceptional. Here are the 10 best releases I tracked down, in no particular order: Bad Luck – Drug Phase A fairly obscure outfit who blend punk, indie-rock, alt-rock, and rock 'n' roll in ways that would have the 25 year old me dedicating my undying adoration for, the 43 year old me is still quite impressed. The Cranberries – In…

15 Dec

2018: Tom’s Top Ten

Tom HaugenBest Of

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…

13 Dec

2017: Tom’s Top 10

Tom HaugenBest Of

10. Bill Scorzari - Through These WavesRugged, soulful Americana with distinct gravelly vocals that make you want to build a cabin in the mountains and learn how to play the banjo. 9. The Jerry Cans - Inuusiq/LifeFeaturing throat singing mixed with indie rock and country, this is one of the most unusual and interesting albums of the year from a band who live somewhere most people have never heard of (Nunavut).8. Baby In Vain - More Nothing Baby In Vain is a t trio of females from Denmark with a penchant for noisy alt-rock. On this album, they align themselves…

16 Dec

2016: Tom’s Best Of

Tom HaugenBest Of

Hudson Bell – Yerba BuenaA San Francisco band and person, Bell's crunchy college rock is on a level of greatness running parallel with Built To Spill or Matthew Sweet. Though their inception was as a bedroom pop outfit recording onto a 4-track, this one's a giant alt-rock masterpiece. Haley Bonar – Impossible DreamProof that Minnesota is still home to plenty of essential rock, Bonar's lengthy career reaches a high point here with soft, indie folk as well as fuzzed out alt-rock anthems. Truly one of the perfect albums of 2016. Echo Bloom – RedSelf-described as “country/shoegaze,” the plucked banjos meets orchestral,…

03 Oct

Trouble Boys Charts the Replacements’ Rise and Fall

Tom HaugenFeature

This is the book about The Replacements we've all been waiting for. While multiple documentaries, biographies, and endless speculation exist and will probably continue to multiply as the band's legacy becomes even more prominent, Bob Mehr goes right to the source here with information from all the members, as well as managers, roadies, ex-girlfriends, family members and those handling their day to day duties since day one. It's all spelled out in a way that's easy to absorb and matter-of-fact, often presenting different versions of the past since The Replacements can’t always agree on exactly how some events unfolded. Mehr…

18 Dec

2015: Tom’s End Of Year Review

Tom HaugenBest Of

Divers – Hello Hello An incredible mix of punk, garage and classic rock. If The Clash never broke up and keep their roots intact, it might resemble this. Louise Distras – Dreams From The Factory Floor Gritty and raw punk rock that takes influences from Billy Bragg and Patti Smith as well as current stars like Frank Turner, Distras might be the new voice of rebellion, but she's got some great campfire songs in her as well. Though this album came out digitally in 2013, the physical release was in 2015, so I'm counting it. Chris Riffle –…