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The Fresh and Onlys – Long Slow Dance (Mexican Summer)
This is my favorite record of the moment and as I’ve stated before, “Fire Alarm” is one of my favorite songs of the year. I can’t wait to hear them play it (hopefully) tomorrow night!
Swearin’ – Swearin’ (Salinas)
I finally got a physical copy of this record today (vinyl is a good price, but alas it has no download code). When I initially reviewed it, I heard a combination of The Muffs and Superchunk, somewhere where indie met punk in the ’90s and back again now. I still hear those influences, but the more I listen, the more I hear more modern takes on this stuff like Seattle’s great, much-missed Visqueen in addition to early ’90s Lookout! stuff. A few songs even remind me of a more lo-fi Lookout! era Green Day. I’m hooked.
A.C. Newman – Shut Down the Streets (Matador)
The New Pornographers leader’s more reflective side is showcased here to often dazzling results. Just take a listen to “There’s Money in New Wave” or “They Should Have Shut Down All the Streets” and tell me I’m wrong.
Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse (In the Red)
Opening with a song called “Death” and ending with a 10-minute noise/drone freakout called “Fuzz War”, Segall brandishes fine garage-pop in between. I’ve still yet to get his most recent Twins (though I have heard it and it is quite good), but I keep returning to this one. Good stuff.
Bob Mould – Silver Age (Merge)
After not listening to this one for about a month or so, I put it on in the gym and it sounded just as fresh as the very first time I heard it. It’s just a great effort from start to finish, never letting up in intensity and is Bob’s finest solo album to date.
Shades Apart – Shades Apart (Wishing Well)
Back in 1988, this New Jersey power trio put out this amazing, but under-appreciated slab of melodic post-hardcore which owed more than a little to Agent Orange and Hüsker Dü, but looked forward to early ’90s bands like Jawbox as well. As much as I like some of their later stuff, they never bettered this one.
Shonen Knife – Pretty Little Baka Guy (Rockville)
This is like early Vivian Girls (when they were a ramshackle punk band playing basements and other DIY style venues), but in Japan and about 25 years earlier. Ramones influence? Check. Lo-fi production? Check. Songs about bison, public baths and choco bars? Check. Amazing!
Lightships – “Fear and Doubt” EP (Domino)
This four-song follow-up to Lightships’ Electric Cables Lp reprises “Silver and Gold” from that aforementioned album alongside three new ones. This is mellow, lovely music from Gerard Love of Teenage Fanclub, one of Scotland’s finest exports over the last two and a half decades.
Wool – Budspawn EP (External)
After Scream disbanded in 1990, Pete Stahl and his brother Franz Stahl formed a band with Al Bloch (Concrete Blonde) on bass and Peter Moffett (the last lineup of Government Issue) on drums. The results were terrific, sounding much like where Scream ended up on last year’s fantastic Complete Control Sessions 10”. In other words, this is more of a rock record than hardcore, but mostly without the cheesiness of Scream’s No More Censorship.
White Walls White Walls (Poison City)
If you’re looking for the Australian answer to more recent Title Fight, try this here. Intense!
