It was a wild year where I felt like I had to keep running to keep up because I had some big changes going on personally that were very exciting, but kept me quite occupied.
Number one on that list was I bought a house and spent several months completely immersed in the arduous, and quite frankly scary, process that comes along with that, as well as all the fixing-up, settling in, and so forth. So lots of work there that was an exceptional change in life.
Hex Records had some amazing opportunities this year too- I had the great pleasure of releasing the debut LP from Facet. It’s a ridiculously great-sounding record from an exciting new (ish) band and I had the pleasure of seeing them a couple times this year as well.
It was a dream come true to release the new record from Mums, a band that I have been mildly obsessed with for years now, and their gargantuan fuzzy riffs and playful songs. Not only does the new LP rule, but it’s a total bonus that they’re just fantastic people to boot.
I got to reacquaint myself with long time pals Kevin and Brenton and their new band Day Job. I worked with both those guys about 5 years back with their other band Null, so it was a pleasure to release another worthy effort from their creative minds in the form of sludgy sledgehammer tracks.
There was a summer I wish didn’t end filled with activity, tons of bike rides (many of which were themed from the Talking Heads ride, the vegan donut ride, a Pee-Wee Herman memorial ride, a Devo-inspired ride, and the World Naked Bike Ride just to name a few), lots of swimming in rivers, and beautiful weather. Honestly, the first summer in years where the heat didn’t eventually just make me wish it got cold.
But there was part sadness as well. The world lost Rick Froberg of Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Obits, Pitchfork, and artist extraordinaire. I know much of the music I love, the kinds of bands I promote through my label, the art I find exciting- a lot of that has a connection to the art and music Rick was a part of making and his influence is nothing short of legendary. I feel lucky to have been able to see three of his bands over the years on multiple occasions. And a little more personal, my old pal Steve Muczynski passed suddenly- a very kind soul from Michigan/San Diego who always shared his music with me, would randomly touch base on and off, and for some reason was always buying CDs from me. Small acts of kindness ya know? I know his loss runs deep to many. RIP Steve.
FAVORITE ALBUMS (in no order)
This year there wasn’t anything life changing; nothing that made me completely re-evaluate my interest in music. There were just a lot of records that were really solid efforts, plainly said, a lot that just kicked ass. So there’s a bit more than a ‘top 10’, and no ‘number 1’ because all this stuff was just swirling around my ears a lot.
FACS, “Still Life In Decay”
At first I didn’t like this band- too slow, too artsy, too minimalist. Then I saw them and it was brilliant. I also slapped myself for being a shmuck. They have several albums. This is just the newest. The rest are great too. And yeah, it’s exactly like I said- slow, artsy, minimalist on the surface- yet with a serial killer precision in execution and emotional wrangling through crazy guitar effects and awesome use of space. (Trouble In Mind)
STRESS PALACE, s/t
Just came in at the start of the year. Did you forget about it yet? you shouldn’t. It’s an awesome debut from this rather mysterious Houston (I think?) band. They have an awesome way of creating the kind of noisy post-hardcore that I like with all these interesting layers of mood and texture with some tastefully added synths. It’s rare to see a new band start that already feels fully formed. (The Ghost Is Clear)
OBITUARY, “Dying Of Everything”
It’s been years since I listened to Obituary and nothing has changed. They’re just as good as ever. I know I can be a bit nose-in-the-air highbrow about my music tastes, I’m aware. But sometimes you just need some caveman shit with riffs that will pile drive you through a brick wall. Obituary have always been able to hit that groove while splitting yr skull. Fuckin’ heavy. (Relapse)
GREAT FALLS, “Objects Without Pain”
It’s crazy to think Great Falls have been a band for well over 10 years, highly prolific with numerous releases, and they’re just hitting their stride now. This is their most realized record and their most emotionally exhausting. They write violent and bleak music that’s complicated and savage and pour their entire being into it all and you can hear it on here. “Thrown Against the Waves” is kind of a perfect title that encapsulates what they do and happens to be one of the best songs on the album as well. (Neurot)
TRUTH CULT, “Walk the Wheel”
This was one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year and it shows the Baltimore punks delving deeper into melody and songcraft to pair up with their awesome DC-influenced Rev Summer/Swiz worship. They also put on a heck of a live show swirling with non-stop energy. (Pop Wig)
HIRS COLLECTIVE, “We’re Still Here”
Whenever bands or artists talk about ‘collabs’ none of them have a goddamn thing on HIRS Collective, where essentially every song is a collab with various people in punk/hardcore/indie/hip-hop/whatever. And they do this awesome thing where you get their distinct style of pummeling hardcore/grind/powerviolence while still giving their collaborators equal voice. Who else would have Melt-Banana, Geoff Rickley, members of Thou, Fucked Up, Converge, and Full Of Hell all sharing space on the same record? It’s fuckin’ nuts. HIRS brings people together and that’s beautiful. (Get Better)
MIRAKLER, “How I Became the Devil”
What a killer debut. I mean they really pack it in, no one can say they feel shortchanged by this because they cram like 17 tracks onto this record. Some might say it’s a bit too long. But with all the awesome riffage and chunky, gooey, noisy hooks stuffed in I’m going to say it’s a deal. This Pittsburgh trio is one to keep an eye on because they’re streamrolling right on through with this record. (Reptilian)
STUCK, “Freak Frequency”
I feel lie Stuck are THE post-punk band for this era. Their sound is clean, quirky, super catchy, and still a bit weird. In a subgenre that can often get mired in boring snobs talking about nonsense guitarist/vocalist Greg Obis writes clever lyrics about real issues and modern day concerns in a way that evokes a slight panic, but also a refreshing take. The couple tracks on here that feature backups by Melkbelly’s Miranda Winters are just stellar and a couple of the bands best tracks to date. (Born Yesterday)
BIG GARDEN, “To the Rind”
I try to be careful about nostalgia because it can be easy, alluring, and a distraction from cool shit happening now. That’s not to say it’s not worth re-visiting, that’s fine. Just don’t let it dominate. Well, this debut by Thou project band Big Garden threatens to full-on teleport me back to the 90’s with it’s complete worship of stuff like Hum, old Smashing Pumpkins, and big, heavy grunge straight out of 1992. You know how those Thou dudes write riffs. Echoes of that are all over this, just more mid-tempo, less screaming, and piggybacking off of every episode of “120 Minutes” into one chunky glob. (Gilead Media)
FIDDLEHEAD, “Death Is Nothing To Us”
I used to be skeptical of this band because I thought maybe they were just big right from the get-go based off their previous band associations and were just cosplaying whatever it is they do. But I was so wrong. They really do write wonderful songs and Pat Flynn’s lyrics evoke real musings on life and death and the beauty in-between it all. “The Woes”, “15 To Infinity” and “Going To Die” are all amazing tearjerkers of songs that are all stated fantastically while still managing to shoehorn in 108 and Bad Brains references. Yes, there is Rites of Spring and Embrace worship, but it’s also just energetic and engaging music. (Run For Cover)
OPEN CITY, “Hands In the Honey Jar”
I wasn’t sure if we would ever hear from Open City again. It seemed like a fun project band at first, but it seems like an ongoing real thing, despite rarely playing shows and 5 years between their last album and this one. Still, this hardcore group of seasoned musicians has made another tribute to DC-inspired hardcore and Sarah Kirsch worship and if you know me, I really love hardcore when it comes from those sorts of reference points. This is another fun one, in a similar vein as bands like Truth Cult. (Get Better)
FILTH IS ETERNAL, “Find Out”
I’ve been a fan of this group since seeing them under their previous moniker Fucked and Bound and their vicious live show. They’ve only gotten better and maintained a similar sound despite some lineup changes. But their mish-mash of grungy metallic hardcore mixed with lots of d-beat and thrash pacing is just solid ass-kicking audio terrorism at it’s finest. Short songs, tons of energy, and still loud as fuck live. (MNRK Heavy)
PAINT IT BLACK, “Famine”
So it just occurred to me that Dan Yemin is on this list three times- a guest spot on the new HIRS Collective, the Open City record, and now the new release from the long-running Paint It Black, who strike back just as agitated and ferocious as ever. This short burst possibly qualifies as a full length, but it’s more of a longer EP? Whatever. This recalls the best of the short-fast hardcore of their early material with some of the curveballs they’ve thrown in on later records, all of which are awesome and creative. Lyrically, some of their most on-point and striking of their long run as a band. (Revelation)
Late Entry:
VULTURE FEATHER, “Liminal Fields”
I only stumbled upon this a few weeks ago, though it was released over the summer. Total Lungfish worship, but with some extra turns and textures and I absolutely love it. It’s chill but epic, beautiful and strange, and it’s their first record. They’re seasoned players from bands I’ve never heard but that’s inconsequential. Just check this out for pure bliss. (Felte Label)
SHOWS
I’m not going to lie, this year was a reunions wet dream. I really hate to resort to that as I’d much rather concentrate on current and new bands. But I saw Unwound twice and I never got to see them when they were around and they were magical. I also caught Botch twice (who I was able to see many, many times over the years) and they’re one of my favorite bands ever. And finally, while hardly a reunion at this point (more like a fully operational band in their second- well, third sort of- go around), I got to see Quicksand do a special set where they played “Slip”, pretty much my favorite record of all time, in it’s entirety from start to finish. And that was pretty special I must say. So while that certainly gives a big nod to the past there’s also some fantastic current stuff that I was stoked to experience live this year.
The Caterwaul Fest in Minneapolis was an exhausting long weekend, but an exhilarating event filled with a lot of people I was happy to see and hang around with, as well as a virtual boatload of bands that all kicked ass. Seeing the USA Nails guys again, Cherubs, Rid Of Me, Facet, Multicult, Traindodge, Grizzlor, Chat Pile, Child Bite, Still/Form, Naw, and Kal Marks between a beautiful outdoor stage in great weather, and a packed indoor venue was really life-affirming and to know so many people are into this loud and ugly music felt quite nice.
In February I saw Sumac for the first time. I know they’ve been a band a pretty long time at this point, and they all live in the Northwest. What can I say? I just hadn’t gotten around to it. At this particular show I guess they were playing pretty much just older stuff and the venue they played was this relatively smaller hall with a very low stage and Thrones opened (and I’d never seen Thrones live either!). But I gotta say, Sumac absolutely destroyed. They sounded massive and had a ton of energy. Really impressive.
In October I went down to Eugene for the day/evening to see a bill with an assortment of awesome current bands all completely rip it up in the perfect-sized venue. Deaf Club, Entry, Help, and Filth Is Eternal all played together in what was easily a dream bill of fast and exciting hardcore/something-heavier-and-crazier-than-that at times and I can’t think of a better cross-section of how aggressive music can all be different in sound, yet still come across so forceful and engaging. Truly awesome.
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