Welcome to the tradition listing off some favorite records of the year, an annual walk through a score of rock, jazz and then some that served as a favorite soundtrack of the last 12 months.
This is classic Scream, the same lineup on their latest as the band’s 1983 debut with the same recording crew in Don Zientara and Ian Mackaye behind the console. The title track is a bouncy singalong, and “Bored to Life” is an old-school charger; this is new D.C. punk done the old-school way.
Cordova’s latest is Doug Sahm-inspired country-groove. While they are a staple of modern-day cosmic country, this band is throwing a curveball by adding in a touch of roots-inspired yacht rock that’s solid and catchy fun.
Country cool out of Athens, Georgia, the Howdies dip into all of the styles of country without being “new.” There’s a charge in the opener of “Hello Jukebox,” “Quitting Time” is crying in your beer sad and “To Love and Forget” is country-lounge that’s laid-back and twang-groovy.
Alabama remains great ground for American rock ’n’ roll. The Blips’ latest finds the band ripping through garage-pop in “Stay Up,” dreamy, Laurel Canyon-inspired psych in “Laika” and power-pop-punk in “Are You Paying Attention.” This is textbook American music of all varieties.
Steve Selvidge (Big Ass Truck, The Hold Steady), Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All-Stars) and Paul Taylor (New Memphis Colorways) dropped an instrumental record that nods to Memphis groove. “Feathers on a House Cat” and “Cootie Party” are cool funk, while “Sonoma Smashup” keeps the vibe via a dash of electronica.
DeMarco recorded this release on tour, titling the tracks by the name of whatever town he was in when he hit “record.” This instrumental release is DeMarco’s take on laid-back cocktail jazz and ambient electronic music, that’s also testament to DeMarco’s efficiency and a make music anywhere ability.
Wednesday’s latest is a fuzzed-up, indie-rock grinder with hints of aggressive pop. Vocalist Karly Hartzman’s deadpan delivery is perfect on weepy cuts like “Formula One” or “What’s So Funny,” but the band nails the walls of sound via “Hot Rotten Grass Smell.” They also drop the stuck in your head cut of the year in “Chosen to Deserve.”
This double LP is a score for the West. Record One is desert-noir folk, where minimal instrumentation and Dean Owens’ whistle commands a lonely setting. On Record Two, that whistle scores a dark Western, loaded with a lonely, reverb-drenched guitar. Both settings shine on Owens’ ability to command a folk crowd and set a timeless scene of six-shooters and tumbleweeds.
The love child of Funkadelic and 1968-1970 lineup of King Crimson, this is a chaotic combination of pushy garage-punk and psychedelic groove. Cuts like “Electricide” are full-blown thrash, while “Doom Boom” is experimental R&B; this record is a full-blown mind and ear bending trip.
Bella White has a voice that will break your heart. It’s soft, sad and loaded with loneliness – the perfect vehicle along with the perfect country band of fiddles and thick pedal steel to deliver her sad songs. From the lonesome “The Way I Oughta Go,” the mid-tempo mover of “Break My Heart” and the weeper of “Marilyn,” (the latter a story you’ll want to crawl into). You’ll be quick to know she’s dropped a record worthy of the eternal, country music canon. Is it 1973, or 2023? It’s hard to tell, as White is an artist who banged out a timeless record that’s thick with the classic country vibe.
Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager. Reach him at liggett_b@fortlewis.edu.
