Lidge's Official Bring Back Basia Bonkowski Action Faction Thread (III)

[The Other Dean]

20. FATHER JOHN MISTY - I Love You, Honeybear
The hipsters seriously flipped-out over this album by Fleet Foxes drummer Joshua Tillman, but I wasn’t quite so wowed. The best songs are brilliant and good enough to put it on this list, but I think I honestly preferred the guy when he was putting out stuff under the 'J Tillman' moniker.




19. VIET CONG - Viet Cong
Canadian post-punk band’s fantastic debut that kinda reminds me of Pavement covering Joy Divison. Icy and angular with hooks that stick in the brain and just don’t leave.




18. NEW ORDER - Music Complete
An album that proves New Order is still beyond relevant. Outstanding.




17. BEACH SLANG - The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
Excellent debut that brings to mind The Replacements, Sugar, The Hold Steady, Jay Reatard, and Jawbreaker.




16. THE WOMBATS - Glitterbug
Third album from these guys sees them take things in a less guitar/more synth-y direction, and boasts probably their strongest batch of tunes. (And for anyone who’s heard the previous two, that’s saying something.) Reminds me a lot of Phoenix. (The band, that is.)

 

[The Other Dean]

15. HOP ALONG - Painted Shut
Killer album from Philly band that I know sweet f.a. about. Apparently they started out as a freak-folk band, but this rocks like the Saddle Creek label's best (Cursive, Rainer Maria), all anchored by a batch of catchy hooks and Frances Quinlan's incredible vocals.




14. DARREN HANLON - Where Did You Come From?
Another batch of wonderful, folk-tinged songs from a guy who has basically never put a foot wrong once.




13. SLAVES - Are You Satisfied
Scorching debut from UK garage-punk duo knocked me on my arse. (In a good way.) Kinda following on from where McLusky (shouldn’t have) left off.




12. SUFJAN STEVENS - Carrie And Lowell
Yet another soothing, gorgeous, meditative, ‘Nick Drake via Elliott Smith via Conor Oberst’ gem from the bloke with the silly name.




11. DICK DIVER - Melbourne, Florida
Talking of silly names... Another fine album from killer Melbourne jangle-pop band and kindred spirits (and labelmates) of The Twerps. Prolly should have gone top ten.




Refreshment break. Top ten to come....

 

[The Other Dean]

10. DEERHUNTER - Fading Frontier
Seventh album from excellent Atlanta band. They’ve always been a fairly eclectic unit, but Fading Frontier loses some of the ever-present weirdness in the interests of honing in on some truly fine pop songs. Songs that are easy to digest upon first listen, but also grow more appealing with each listen. It’s Deerhunter at their most accessible, but also operating at the top of their game. Superb stuff.






9. BATTLES - La Di Da Di
After the slight disappointment of their previous album (Gloss Drop), which was a bit of noticeable step-down from Battles’ brilliant, all-conquering debut (Mirrored), these awesome NY math-rockers are well and truly back on their game.

 

[The Other Dean]

8. TITUS ANDRONICUS - The Most Lamentable Tragedy
Album number four for these Clash-loving New Jersey lads is a sprawling ‘concept album’ in five acts. But fear not, cos’ the story-telling doesn’t detract from the quality or focus. The album – like the TA albums that came before it – is still a winner full of short, sharp, barnstorming, Buzzcocks-meets-The Replacements mini-anthems. (Other pertinent reference points would be The Hold Steady, Arctic Monkeys, Gaslight Anthem, and a pinch of Dropkick Murphys.) And the quality, or energy, doesn’t lag throughout. Also, ‘Fatal Flaw’ is the best song Joe Strummer never wrote.






7. COURTNEY BARNETT - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
Hometown girl makes good. 2015 was the year that Melbourne’s own Courtney Barnett became a worldwide hit. It’s not hard to see why either. Sometimes... is brimming with excellent tunes and wonderful, matter-of-fact observations from The Lucksmiths school of lyric writing. (She claims to have been inspired by ex-Lucksmither, Darren Hanlon.) Some songs are delivered in a calm and plaintive manner, while others take a swig of the red cordial and get a little rowdy, but across the board, all are engaging. Fabulous debut that delivered on the promise.

 

[The Other Dean]

6. KURT VILE - B'lieve I'm Going Down
Extremely talented US singer/songwriter who is finally getting some long overdue recognition via his last album (Wakin On A Pretty Daze) and now this year’s superb effort, B’lieve I’m Going Down. A winning batch of attractive, largely-acoustic, roots/blues/folk-tinged songs that are done better than 99% of the many artists out there currently plying a similar skill-set. It starts tight (almost like Pinback gone folk or sadly-underappreciated band, Shrimp Boat), ends a little looser, and is thoroughly engrossing throughout.






5. SLEATER KINNEY - No Cities To Love
Awesome comeback album from Sleater Kinney. With every SK release the eclecticism has broadened and with that they have become less and less of a musically polarising proposition over the years. No Cities To Love is clearly the work of a band whose been around the block a few times. But that’s not to suggest their dialling it in at all. On the contrary, they rip through these songs with a renewed passion and vigour, and the expanded sonic palate makes this an album that will have plenty of (new) admirers.

 

[The Other Dean]

4. BEST COAST - California Nights
Making the inevitable step-up in production values from their more lo-fi beginnings, Best Coast needed a batch of strong songs to successfully pull off the transition. And they delivered in spades. That’s the key to California Nights – a batch of hooky, well-crafted tunes that give a large nod in the direction of quality (female-fronted) UK bands from the 90’s like The Primitives, Lush, and The Darling Buds. Fantastic album.






3. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS - Beat The Champ
John Darnielle is an absolute genius, and this is yet another in a very long line of extraordinary albums. Of course, despite his considerable musical talent, the key as always is in his unparalleled abilities as a storyteller/lyricist, and I’m happy to report that on the wrestling-themed Beat The Champ, he’s once again in typically strong form. Brilliant, as always.

 

[The Other Dean]

2. WAXAHATCHEE - Ivy Tripp
I know next to nothing about this band – ostensibly the project of one Katie Crutchfield – and while Ivy Tripp is her/their third album, this is the first I’d heard of her music. And I loved it. Takes songwriting cues from 90’s US indie faves like Belly/Throwing Muses, Liz Phair, Velocity Girl, and Magnapop, and then puts her own loose, humble spin on it to really great effect. Another effortless, low-key winner, but this one has a few more ragged edges and isn’t afraid to rock out when required.






1. TWERPS - Range Anxiety
A bit of hometown and personal bias here, but this is another charming gem of a long-player from my favourite Australian band of the last couple of years. Effortless, jangle-y indie-pop that heavily references both The Go-Betweens and The Lucksmiths, as well as fine US bands like Versus and Beat Happening. Lo-fi and unassuming, what they lack in musical chops they more than make up for in melodic smarts. It's not quite as good as their previous self-titled album but still good enough to top the list. And they're now signed to the hottest indie label in the world, so let's just say I'm not alone in my appreciation of their talents.

 

[The Other Dean]

And just rounding stuff out on the list-making.....

TOP TEN OZ ALBUMS....

1. TWERPS - Range Anxiety
2. COURTNEY BARNETT - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
3. DICK DIVER - Melbourne, Florida
4. DARREN HANLON - Where Did You Come From?
5. SAN CISCO - Gracetown
6. NICK BATTERHAM - Self Inflicted, No Sympathy
7. GANG OF YOUTHS - The Positions
8. CUSTARD - Come Back, All Is Forgiven
9. MIAMI HORROR - All Possible Futures
10. TIM ROGERS & THE BAMBOOS - The Rules Of Attraction


TOP FIVE HIP-HOP ALBUMS....

1. KENDRICK LAMAR - To Pimp A Butterfly
2. BADBADNOTGOOD & GHOSTFACE KILLAH - Sour Soul
3. EARL SWEATSHIRT - I Don't Like s**t, I Don't Go Outside
4. VINCE STAPLES - Summertime '06
5. DR DRE - Compton


TOP ONE ALBUMS THAT THE CRITICS WENT APESHIT OVER THAT I DIDN'T PERSONALLY CARE FOR MUCH....
1. TAME IMPALA - Currents

 

[kelman]

Brilliant work TOD!

I have some music to buy.

 

[blackshadow]

Nice write up TOD.

 

[GarnerSmash]

Cheers Todley for the ear food.

 

[shintemaster]

TOD. I mean this in the nicest possible way. You are an absolute freak. Impressive writeups, I reckon there'd be albums on there I hated that you would have me thinking I'd missed something and going back to them. Great stuff.

 

[Mav]

As usual, very good TOD.

 

[The Other Dean]

TOD. I mean this in the nicest possible way. You are an absolute freak. Impressive writeups, I reckon there'd be albums on there I hated that you would have me thinking I'd missed something and going back to them. Great stuff.

Cheers, shinte. (I think.) I listen to music for about 8 hours every day, and my half-arsed "job" involves me buying and selling hundreds and hundreds of CD's every year, so I guess it all kinda tallies.

But it comes at a cost. That is to say, there's only a finite amount of room in my brain. Over the years, my voracious appetite for music has pretty much left me brain-dead in all other facets of life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dog with a puffy tail to chase.

 

[Istanbul Roo]

Hi Tod, thanks a million for the selection, enjoyed all of them, and thought some were pretty good.
Briefly, Viet Kong reminded me more of Echo and the Bunnyman, and Sufyan is a really fine name in Arabic/Persian and Urdu, meaning nimble or quick.
I love this thread, and listen with intent!
Cheers

 

[toepoker]

Great reference point for the holiday period purchases TOD. Definitely adding "Slaves" to the list

 

[toepoker]

And just rounding stuff out on the list-making.....




TOP ONE ALBUMS THAT THE CRITICS WENT APESHIT OVER THAT I DIDN'T PERSONALLY CARE FOR MUCH....
1. TAME IMPALA - Currents

Quoted for truth. Really liked their first two albums, very disappointed with this one

 

[shintemaster]

Cheers, shinte. (I think.) I listen to music for about 8 hours every day, and my half-arsed "job" involves me buying and selling hundreds and hundreds of CD's every year, so I guess it all kinda tallies.

But it comes at a cost. That is to say, there's only a finite amount of room in my brain. Over the years, my voracious appetite for music has pretty much left me brain-dead in all other facets of life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dog with a puffy tail to chase.

I went through iTunes last night and added most of those recommendations to the list. My wife says I need to listen to more "modern" bands because my son will grow up not knowing the music of his peers.

Personally I take it as a compliment that he walked into my study as a 4 year old almost a year ago and said "I love Adalita".

I know son, we all do.

 

[shintemaster]

P.S. I'm not good at this youtube kajiggery but if anyone is into more modern punk / pop type stuff worth checking out (Urusei) Yatsura. Scottish band, very catchy. A handful of albums with some good solid noise and a few classic songs mixed in between catchy tunes. It's their swansong album "Everybody Loves Urusei Yatsura" that is the pearl though. An absolute gem of an album IMHO and probably the band I like the most that nobody has ever heard of. After that album there was a bit of a case of life getting in the way and a band member split off with the band essentially reforming as a side project called Project A-ko (minus one of the members from memory). Their only CD from a few years ago now called Yoyodyne is also a great record.

They don't have much on Youtube from what I can see (what's there isn't necessarily their best work IMHO) but well worth a lookup if you can find the CD's. They don't appear to be on iTunes music, I don't spotify so can't speak for that.

 

[muttley45]

Have recently "discovered" The Samsara Blues Experiment, probably an acquired taste, but interested to see if any of our brethren here rate them:

 

[The Other Dean]

Hi Tod, thanks a million for the selection, enjoyed all of them, and thought some were pretty good.
Briefly, Viet Kong reminded me more of Echo and the Bunnyman, and Sufyan is a really fine name in Arabic/Persian and Urdu, meaning nimble or quick.
I love this thread, and listen with intent!
Cheers

No worries, IR. And good call on Viet Cong.

I went through iTunes last night and added most of those recommendations to the list. My wife says I need to listen to more "modern" bands because my son will grow up not knowing the music of his peers.

Personally I take it as a compliment that he walked into my study as a 4 year old almost a year ago and said "I love Adalita".

I know son, we all do.

Ha, indeed. Smart kid.

 

[The Other Dean]

P.S. I'm not good at this youtube kajiggery but if anyone is into more modern punk / pop type stuff worth checking out (Urusei) Yatsura. Scottish band, very catchy. A handful of albums with some good solid noise and a few classic songs mixed in between catchy tunes. It's their swansong album "Everybody Loves Urusei Yatsura" that is the pearl though. An absolute gem of an album IMHO and probably the band I like the most that nobody has ever heard of. After that album there was a bit of a case of life getting in the way and a band member split off with the band essentially reforming as a side project called Project A-ko (minus one of the members from memory). Their only CD from a few years ago now called Yoyodyne is also a great record.

Very cool band.

Another in the long line of excellent Scottish indie-pop bands with that vaguely similar, mega-catchy aesthetic (The Pastels, BMX Bandits, Orange Juice, The Vaselines, Shop Assistants, et al). I have all 3 of their albums (as well as the Pulpo! compilation) and like them all for different reasons. (Yet to come across a copy of that All Hail... EP. Or the Project A-ko album.)

Agree that Everybody Lubs... is a gem. It's a little less rambunctious than the other two, a little lighter on the guitar fuzz, but it turns out a slightly more measured approach and a bit of added nuance was a good thing for them. Fine album.

For those not familiar with the band, this is the two lead-off tracks from Everybody Lubs....

 

[shintemaster]

For those not familiar with the band, this is the two lead-off tracks from Everybody Lubs....

I lol'd.

 

[muttley45]

It's true, '69 was good year

A bit of nostalgia, circa 1969, can't believe this was 46 years ago :

 

[ShinbonerBaz]

.....it's the 21st of December now they're ringing the last bell....



Happy Gravy Day...