Ken BeCK PoOP 2017


Buy Grandaddy – Last Place New or Used via Amazon
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GrandaddyLast Place [Columbia]
However short lived this reunion was it was good to have them back and be able to see them live once more before they receded back to the woods.

Buy Kevin Morby – City Music New or Used via Amazon
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Kevin MorbyCity Music [Dead Oceans]
Love the chill vibe of this whole album and some tasty interwoven guitar work.

Buy Queens of the Stone Age – Villains New or Used via Amazon
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Queens of the Stone AgeVillains [Matador]
The singles spoon-fed out really tingled my brain and fortunately the whole album is another solid delivery from Josh and his cast of hired guns.

Buy The Feelies – In Between New or Used via Amazon
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The FeeliesIn Between [Bar/None]
Out of all the bands from that era, no one (well, perhaps Wire) does it quite as inspired as these cats.

Buy Happyness – Write In New or Used via Amazon
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HappynessWrite In [Bar/None]
Bar/None delivered many solid releases this year and these relative unknowns from the UK put forth a beauty.

Buy The Replacements – For Sale: Live at Maxwell’s 1986 New or Used via Amazon
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The ReplacementsFor Sale: Live at Maxwell’s 1986 [Rhino]
Wish I was old enough to have gotten to Hoboken to see them but this is about as good as one can ask for. RIP Maxwells.

Buy Roger Waters – Is This The Life We Really Want? New or Used via Amazon
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Roger WatersIs This The Life We Really Want? [Columbia]
Mr. Doom and Gloom delivered quite the downer but it was appropriate for the times we find ourselves in.

Buy The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding New or Used via Amazon
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The War On DrugsA Deeper Understanding [Atlantic]
Gotta hand it to Mr. Granduciel for not falling victim to that major label cash grab and dishing out a sub-par album.

Buy Mogwai – Every Country’s Sun New or Used via Amazon
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MogwaiEvery Country’s Sun [Temporary Residence]
Them proggy Scots are back with another groovy moody album peppered in with a couple of unnecessary vocals.

Buy Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice New or Used via Amazon
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Courtney Barnett & Kurt VileLotta Sea Lice [Matador]
Took me a little while to warm up to it but it sure has a lotta charm to it.

Fleet FoxesCrack Up [Nonesuch]
Between FF and Father John Misty, the former is the less pompous and overall more appealing to my ears. Have no idea what they’re singing about but that’s ok.

Black SabbathThe End [Eagle Rock]
You just can’t dispute the greatness of this epitaph to a 40+ year career in the metal business.

Ken Beck
Cranford, NJ