Hudkins and Segedy have again combined their forces to craft the sequel to Dreamboats, to which they’ve given the appropriate name of Dreamboats 2. Right off the first few chugging bass notes and vocal oohs in “Absolutely,” Dreamboats 2 announces itself as a celebration of friendship, of collaborative artistry, and of honing a craft.
Old Table can sometimes be reminiscent of the music of Daniel Johnston or Guided by Voices in that the pop brilliance seems completely uncalculated- Will’s craft could better be described as song-channeling than songwriting. Where Old Table differs from the aforementioned acts, though, is the lyrical content.
The sub-30 excursion is colorful and bustling. Fusing hip-hop and salsa with elements of pop and bachata, Pero is teeming with Pedazo De Carne’s originality and uninhibited creativity. The artist keeps the music of his youth in mind, combining traditional Dominican styles with the contemporary sensibilities of footwork, rap and R&B.
The band put out a handful of well-loved albums and EPs throughout the late-90s before calling it quits in 2000. Since then, their lo-fi, fuzzed-out songs have gained them a legendary status amongst fans in the know. Duster sounds like no time has passed, delivering twelve new songs that feel nostalgic yet fresh.
Compare and Despair is the first album under the name of Youbet, the alias of NY musician Nick Llobet and introduces the audience to an aural playland that carries so much within it. This musical world is one that lives in a unique space that balances a sort of playful naivety with an unsettledness in all it undertakes.
Control Top have made a vital, impressive punk record, dripping with social, political and personal commentary. Despite its brevity, Covert Contracts also does present a lot of variety, and the musicianship on display is impressive and eclectic. The most striking thing about this record is its directness.
Before releasing Gardening, Lal was best-known as a guitarist for one of the best post-hardcore bands of recent memory, Big Ups. You never would have guessed it based on the music of Gardening. He recently moved and went through his exceptionally varied logs of field recordings and mixed audio, to be codified into what would become this album.
Much anticipation preceded The Cypher when Xetas first announced it last year. With its release, the band has proven itself as one ready to emerge further in the new decade. The Cypher is at once cynical and hopeful, self-aware and glaring, hungry to make listeners understand the downward spiral of our world and the possibility of working to lift it up.
Blacker Face may be one of the punkest bands active in the US right now. This is apparent not only from the brash way they blend styles into a recondite arch of rock and rebellion, but also from the deliberately confrontational approach they bring to music, and the conversations it generates. Their most recent album Distinctive Juju is likely the fullest realization of their message and sound to date.
The wobbly pop leanings of Various Fads And Technological Achievements has been darkened by a heavier sound this time round and this is no bad thing. Where that release channeled those other solo sonic adventurers R. Stevie Moore and Syd Barrett, the noise and thrash has been turned up significantly.
Ceremony is their second album and was released back in December while everyone was busy making lists. The album finds the band building upon their first album Shadows. The stark black and white cover sets you up for exactly the kind of album you’re going to hear, along with the name of the album noting the debt paid to the past.
Every moving piece on this album serves to complement and elevate the lyrics. In that way, A Private Picture takes on the surprising life as a blues record – granted, it doesn’t have the same sound of a blues record, but it certainly feels like one, with its tasteful instrumentation and intimate portrait of its narrator.
For a band with a name like Buildings, they sure sound like they relish destruction. Like a rusted wrecking ball, the Minneapolis trio comes crashing into the end of the year with gusto and force. Fourth album Negative Sound updates the iron-flecked noise-punk they’ve been honing over the past decade.
