The Tops
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1. Pinegrove – Skylight I will leave the history alone. Google it for an interesting read. Emo is still alive and well on this official sophomore release. At times introspective, it’s a slow grind that builds to something big. I expect this record to stand the test of time. Best live show of the year – all due to the energy in the room.
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2. White Denim – Performance Where have these guys been all my life? A non-stop assault of pure power-pop. Infectious grooves throughout – second best live show of the year as well.
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3. Superchunk – What A Time To Be Alive I could not agree more. Crunchy guitars, big power chords, all the things we’ve come to expect from Superchunk is there in all its glory.
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4. Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog Melodic right from the first track. In a world full of singles, I find myself humming along to every song on this record. The strings add a really nice touch.
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5. Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs Atmospheric, moody and hypnotic, it hooks you in right from the start. Their boldest album to date, Jenn Wasner’s ethereal voice is as haunting as ever.
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6. Dirty Projectors – Lamp Lit Prose Way more upbeat and groovier than anything else they have done previously.
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7. Lucy Dacus – Historian She is definitely on to something big – I can feel it. At times a whisper, other times orchestral, all done with her voice.
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8. Jeff Tweedy – Warm A very apt title; you could call it a stripped-down Wilco. Very intimate, never straying far from center.
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9. St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Young Sick Camellia Funky and upbeat, this is modern R&B at its best.
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10. Kamasi Washington – Heaven And Earth Another powerful statement from this modern jazzman. Filled with energy, it just keeps moving forward. Elements of fusion and Latin keep the beats coming.
11. The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl Heavy on the synths yet remains close to their signature sound.
12. Yo La Tengo – There’s A Riot Going On Another solid release, although missing the big hooks and sense of urgency many previous Yo La Tengo records had.
13. Sloan – 12 Can you believe these guys have been around for 25 years? And still making the same, infectious power-pop.
14. The Sea & Cake – Any Day A nice return to form from one of my favorite Chicago indie rockers. Rinse and repeat pop – they really have it down to a science.
15. Parquet Courts – Wide Awake! Classic garage rock – it has a big bite, head bobbing grooves and hypnotic keyboards.
16. Ryley Walker – Deafman Glance I love the genre of “progressive folk”. It’s a slow grind that finds the payoff at the end.
17. Death Cab For Cutie – Thank You For Today Maybe not their best, but enough to keep me coming back. “Gold Rush” is a DCFC classic.
18. Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers Classic Richard Thompson work here. His band is as tight as ever, as is his stellar guitar work.
19. Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us Solid Collection of new Calexico tracks with their signature sound.
20. Low – Double Negative Soundscapes, voice as an instrument, simple and complicated at the same time… Yup, sounds like a new Low record.
Reissues
1. Neil Young – Roxy: Tonight’s The Night Live & Songs for Judy 2 amazing releases showcasing both sides of Neil.
2. The Beatles – White Album Wow. Where do I begin. Tons of never heard before versions of some of my favorite Beatles songs.
3. Joe Strummer – Joe Strummer 001 A nice collection of his non-Clash records. Often overlooked.
4. Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland Deluxe Edition 50th Anniversary 50 years! And as fresh as ever.
5. Jerry Garcia – Before The Dead 4 disc set packed with blue grass and great finger picking.
6. Bob Dylan – More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 So satisfying to hear different versions of my favorite Dylan record.
7. John Coltrane – Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album Still accessible, yet out there enough to keep you on the edge of what’s to come next.
8. Miles Davis / John Coltrane – The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 In a year of great reissues, this one might stand out as my favorite.
9. Badfinger – Wish You Were Here One of the most underrated bands of all-time (in my opinion). This release holds its own against any of their more radio friendly records.
10. Big Star – Live on WLIR Not the first time this has been released, but this is a cleaned-up version. Long Island represent (ugh – did I just say that?)
Peace and love. Peace. And. Love.
Eric Fine NYC