Album of the Week: Black Keys, “Let’s Rock”
The Black Keys’ latest release (their first in five years) ought to win the “Truth in Advertising” award. (If there isn’t such an award, there should be.) ”Let’s Rock” captures […]
Album of the Week: Mannequin Pussy, Patience
If you’ve going to call your band Mannequin Pussy, you’d better be good. Damn good. Otherwise, you’re just a band with a name that conjures an oddly disturbing image. (Unless […]
Album of the Week: Bruce Springsteen, Western Stars
After over 50 years as a working musician (an entire lifetime: “I’ve never held an honest job in my entire life!,” he told us during his Broadway show), you’d think […]
My 13 “Go-To” Albums
What are the albums you come back to time and time again? The ones you listen to not because they’re classics (although they may well be) but for comfort, for that long car ride, for that specific memory, or because they move you in some profound way? I got thinking […]
Top 100 Albums of 2018: #25-1
#25: Natalie Prass, The Future and the Past The Future and the Past starts off with “Oh My,” a slinky slice of ‘70s dance pop. “Short Court Style” and “Sisters” […]
Top 100 Albums of 2018: #50-26
#50: Gulfer, Dog Bless Canadian indie rock group that plays in odd time signatures, which often change (sometimes multiply) within the same track. Tempos shift, the music starts and stops […]
Top 100 Albums of 2018: #75-51
#75: Preoccupations, New Material Goth electronica, like an angrier, less dance-friendly New Order with pounding percussion. “Decompose” is driven by an urgent triplet bass figure and augmented by a downward […]
Top 100 Albums of 2018: #100-76
#100: Kyle Craft, Full Circle Nightmare If Kyle Craft’s voice and music doesn’t give it away, his hairdo (see the album cover) will: ’70s glam rock. You’ll hear lots of […]
Top 100 Albums of 2018: Honorable Mention
This year I decided to list some honorable mentions to cover albums that didn’t fit into my top 100 but which are worthy of mentioning. Some of these are a tad tongue in cheek! Best Instrumentals Given the importance I place on melody and lyrics, I’ve always struggled with how to […]
Top 100 Albums of 2018: Who I Listened to in 2018 – The Complete List
I am, as I write this, finishing my top 100 albums for 2018. It was a record year for me as I listened to 324 new albums! It remains to be determined which of these will make the final cut, but just to tease my top 100, here is the complete […]