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Royal Headache – Royal Headache (What’s Your Rupture)
I resisted this one for a while but eventually this all-out Aussie soul-punk attack just took me over and I keep playing it over and over again. Forgiving the misguided Otis Redding comparisons, singer Shogun is a soul punk shouter of the highest order and the music rages like The Saints circa their first two albums or one of their numerous ’80s Australian descendants. Amazing.
The Babies – Our House on the Hill (Woodsist)
If David Bowie had the midas touch in 1972, reviving the careers of both Iggy and The Stooges as well as Mott the Hoople by producing amazing, career-defining albums for them, then perhaps it can be stated (albeit on a smaller scale, of course) that Rob Barbato (this album’s producer) has had the same effect this year via both La Sera‘s fantastic second album Sees the Light and this album. It’s a huge improvement over their self-titled debut and the production is only part of it. The songwriting is hugely improved, too. I still wish Cassie Ramone sang more, but that’s honestly my only (minor) complaint about this very strong release.
Kam Kama – “Passer-By/Joseph Stride” EP (Sister Cylinder)
Though I really enjoyed this Bloomington, IN post-punk band’s last EP, The Tiled House, this one marks a huge improvement in both songwriting and execution. Perhaps the change is due in some part to the addition of new drummer Clarke Joyner). In “Joseph Stride”, singer/bassist Scott Ferguson has written a song that could be mistaken for a Chameleons outtake (specifically it reminds me of “Nostalgia”; it’s fitting that Nigel Palmer, who worked with The Chameleons on remastering their 1st 2 albums, mixed this EP) and it will have fans of this style swooning with its breathtaking majesty and how the chords drop out at a specific moment. The other song on here is great, too. Check it out here.
Graham Parker and the Rumour – Three Chords Good (Primary Wave)
I wasn’t sure what to expect here with this, Graham Parker‘s first album with legendary backing band The Rumour since 1980’s The Up Escalator. Not sounding anything like the five albums they made together between 1976 and 1980, rather this sounds like a strong, recent Parker release. Yet he sounds just a bit more inspired this time around than usual and it’s always fun hearing The Rumour’s great backing vocals on tracks like the closing, poignant “Last Bookstore in Town”.
Concrete Blonde – The Essential Concrete Blonde (Capitol)
For whatever reason, I have been revisiting this 2005 best of compilation that contains tracks from their first four albums and some odds and ends. I think they were an underrated band and time has been kind to songs like “Still in Hollywood,” “God is a Bullet,” “Joey” and their haunting, intense version of Andy Prieboy‘s “Tomorrow Wendy”.
Forgetters – Forgetters (Too Small to Fail)
Judging by their four-song EP from a few years ago, one would expect this Lp (3 years in the works) to be more of the same, a throwback to 24 Hour Revenge Therapy-era Jawbreaker. One would be wrong. A much more ambitious effort, this one much more strongly evokes the first two albums by singer/guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach‘s post-Jawbreaker band Jets to Brazil. Since I love those albums, this is fine with me. I will be playing this a lot.
Screaming Females – Castle Talk (Don Giovanni)
This is their second-to-last album and next to their most recent album Ugly, their best overall. I’m only including it here this week because I found a vinyl copy recently and rediscovered it. Marissa Paternoster‘s guitar playing will melt the face off of anyone who has never heard her play before (and even those who have; jaws drop everywhere), but songs like “I Don’t Mind It” and “A New Kid” stand out nonetheless.
The Jam – Snap (Polydor)
Another recent vinyl find, this legendary collection needs no further explanation or review other than to say that putting it on will (at least if you’re like me) make you want to rediscover this fantastic band all over again and put on all of their records, etc.
The Pointed Sticks – “My Japanese Fan” EP (Sudden Death)
After finding out recently that they are breaking up again, I pulled this one out. Based on its two songs and their last full-length, 2009’s Three Lefts Make a Right, they are just as great as they were in 1980 and so it’s a shame!
Half String Maps for Sleep (Captured Tracks)
This one should be purchased for the amazing packaging alone. Bruce Licher of Indpendent Projects has really outdone himself this time. This is a cardboard stock cover with both Lps slipped in and the liner notes (written by our own Jack Rabid) and download code slipped into an exquisite-looking envelope. It’s not that the music isn’t great, too, though. Just check out songs like “Oval” or “Sun Less Sea” for some of the best American shoegaze to come out in the early ’90s. It’s great that this material has gotten reissued again.
