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Veronica Falls – Waiting for Something to Happen (Slumblerland)
An early contender for my favorite album of 2013 (so far), this not only matches their excellent self-titled debut Lp, but perhaps even betters it. Along with excellent singles “Teenage” and “My Heart Beats”, there is more of a Velvet Underground feel on tracks like opener “Tell Me” and closer “Last Conversation”. In between are dazzling indie-pop like “Broken Toy,” the title track and “Buried Alive”. Superb!
Yo La Tengo with Bat for Lashes – World Cafe Live (Philadelphia) – January 11, 2013
Please see my full review here.
Yo La Tengo – Fade (Matador)
Though I was initially underwhelmed with this long-anticipated album (Yo La Tengo’s thirteenth studio album), it is a grower and a night-time drive with it playing turned my my opinion around. While there are no immediate pop songs like the last album’s “Nothing to Hide”, this set should be taken in as a whole and is a soothing, if melancholy and somber, listen from folks in their forties and fifties who no longer rely on noise and distortion to get their point across.
Scream with Government Issue and Youth Brigade – Black Cat (Washington, DC) – December 29, 2012
Please see my full review here.
Black Market Baby with Dag Nasty and Kingface – Black Cat (Washington, DC) – December 28, 2012
Please see my full review here.
Grass Widow – Internal Logic (HLR)
I’m a bit of a latecomer to this band and I’ve still yet to see them live, as I missed their set to see The Rezillos (who played down the street at a different venue on the same night) back in November. After hearing this, though, I hope I get an opportunity to see them again as this is just fantastic indie-pop that’s actually not too far from what Montreal band Freelover Fenner and others do.
Color Me Obsessed: A Film About the Replacements (Not Rated)
Though no Replacements music or images were used, this is still a compelling documentary that tells their story via those who knew them best back in their heyday. And it also doesn’t hurt that our own Jack Rabid is prominently featured in it as well!
The Blue Nile – High (Sanctuary)
Though I’ve yet to acquire the recent 2 CD reissues of their two seminal ’80s albums A Walk Across the Rooftops and Hats (arguably their best work), the anticipation of these reissues coupled with an excellent article in a recent issue of the UK magazine Uncut (brought to my attention by friend and fellow fan Susan Behrens) have me made revisit their excellent, though not exactly prolific catalog. I’m putting their most recent album on the list because it’s so often overlooked and underrated and plus, it can hold its own with the classics. Just listen to “Soul Boy” and tell me you disagree. This is music for adults that doesn’t suck.
Nina Simone – “Feeling Good”
I heard this remarkable track on the most recent episode of NBC’s Parenthood the other night and that inspired a morning of listening to nothing but Nina Simone the very next day!
Fucked Up – David Comes to Life (Matador)
Although this came out in 2011, I’m really only getting into it now. I don’t know why it didn’t connect with me back then when it made many others’ Top 10 lists and what not as I’ve been a fan of this band since around the time of Hidden World, but now I think that this may be their best work. Their recent appearance on The Layover should also be mentioned here as well!
