Jeff's Best of 2022 - #9: Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway - Crooked Tree

I feel like we've been watching Molly Tuttle since her first release back in 2017, and seeing her grow and improve as a performer is always a joy. With a backing band and some beautiful, pure roots songs, Crooked Tree feels like the sort of album you've been waiting for.

It's easy, in theory, to see this album more for its collaborations than its heart and soul, but even if she has A-list roots musicians guesting throughout (whether it be Billy Strings on "Dooley's Farm," or Gillian Welch on a favorite song of the year in "Side Saddle") the parts don't overshadow the whole. It's a cool, confident record that deserves any and all praise it gets and more.

Worth it if you love bluegrass, worth it if you don't. Either way, it's one of the best of the year.

Songs of note: "Side Saddle," "Crooked Tree," "She'll Change," "Dooley's Farm"

Jeff's Best of 2022 - #10: Viagra Boys - Cave World

It's somewhat fitting that 2022 was the year that featured an album with a song from the perspective of every conspiracy nut you've encountered on Facebook, and it's both the most punk rock thing since Taylor Swift rerecording her old material to stick it to Scooter Braun and can't be quoted here without putting the blog in danger of being blacklisted. But here we are, "Creepy Crawlers" and all with the latest from Viagra Boys.

It was easy for me to sort of write off Viagra Boys as a mclusky-style post-punk act with a better sense of melody after 2019's Welfare Jazz, which was legitimately great but not trying to change the universe. Cave World, in comparison, has a lot to say and isn't trying to play nice while saying it. Whether ranting like Alex Jones in "Creepy Crawlers," describing insurrectionist types in "Troglodyte," or entertaining scientific hypotheses about the origin of man in "The Cognitive Trade-Off Hypothesis," it's music with a message that expertly balances the line between awareness and absurdity.

I didn't expect to go back to this album as much as I did this year, but listening again recently as I finalized my best-of this year, it reminded me of how great this was.

Songs of note: "The Cognitive Trade-Off Hypothesis," "Creepy Crawlers," "Baby Criminal," "Troglodyte"

Toeheads - "Told You Twice"

Detroit garage rock is some of the finest in the genre, and Toeheads are the latest garage rock band from that city you're going to need to know. Their latest single, "Told You Twice," is a completely unhinged version of garage rock that leaps into the territory of punk. This is a rough and fast song that reminds me of Minutemen meets The Stooges with maybe a little Lightning Bolt thrown in? This is loud and abrasive rock and roll that certainly won't be for everyone, but if it sounds like your kind of thing, buckle up and get ready to enjoy.

You can listen to "Told You Twice" below. A Cruel Winner's World is due out April 1 on Big Neck Records. The album can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp. For more on Toeheads, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.

Doom Flower - "Candle Habit"

Photo by Collin Bunting

According to the press release for Doom Flower's latest single, their music is described as "indie rock, dream pop, anti-folk, slowcore, trip hop." That might seem impossible until you listen to "Candle Habit." The Chicago based band has crafted this chilled out song that still has an odd intensity. It has the groove and chill of trip hop, the noise of indie rock, the warmth and fuzziness of dream pop, the unique folk but not edge of anti-folk, and the darkness of slowcore. It's a sound unlike most of what you know while being made up of familiar elements.

You can listen to "Candle Habit" below. Limestone Ritual is due out January 6 on record label. The album can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp. For more on Doom Flower, check out the band's website.

Blondshell - "Veronica Mars"

Photo by Daniel Topete

Blondshell is going to be one of those artists that surprise you. Her new single, "Veronica Mars," starts off as a laid back song that could pass for folky if that guitar didn't have a bit too much crunch to it. It's more of an alt-singer/songwriter type of song, and even when it kicks in it's still standard, although on the high end of standard. And then it really kicks in with this fiery guitar explosion and you're going to end up completely enamored with this one. The only complaint is that just when you're starting to get completely into it, Blondshell abruptly end the song just past the two minute mark. But I guess the saying is "always leave them wanting more..."

Blondshell says of her new single:

"I was obsessed with the [US teen drama] show ‘Veronica Mars’ as a kid and I was revisiting it around the time I wrote this song. I wanted to sing about that childhood era when I was being exposed to a lot more than I was comfortable with. ‘Gimme shelter’ refers to the song but I’m also saying please give me shelter from graphic TV and film, from New York City, overwhelming lyrics, etc. I think the song is just about having my boundaries crossed and the effects of those transgressions (for example, growing up to think men are hot if they’re assholes)."  

You can watch the video for "Veronica Mars" below. The song is available as a single via Partisan Records. For more on Blondshell, check out the artist's website.

Ken's Best of 2022 - #10: Oceanator - Nothing's Ever Fine

I first stumbled onto Oceanator through a TikTok video, which is the least cool way possible. It was a video about black punk artists you need to know, and Oceanator was my favorite discovery from that video. Elise Okusami's project had just released a new album, and Nothing's Ever Fine had me hooked from "Nightmare Machine" on. Oceanator is not your traditional punk sound. It's more on the pop punk (or even the pop side at times) of the genre without actually being punk. The songs on Nothing's Ever Fine are beyond catchy, with just enough of an edge to be considered punk. Plus, there are some of the best 90's mixed with garage rock style guitar on this album, which is always a bonus for those of us still into that sound. Despite how poppy Oceanator can be, there are also some truly heavy guitar rock songs that do the loud/quiet/loud thing perfectly. It's the kind of album that you really need to make it to the end of. It may not hit at first, but it will by the end and make you want to go back and give the whole thing a fresh chance.

Songs of note: "Nightmare Machine," "The Last Summer," "Stuck," and "Bad Brain Daze"

Fantastic Negito - "Oh Betty" (Acoustic)

I absolutely loved Fantastic Negrito's 2022 album White Jesus Black Problems, and especially the song "Oh Betty." It had this great hyped up blues/rock/funk combination that works for me. I'm not usually all in on acoustic reworkings of beloved songs, but most artists aren't Fantastic Negrito. He's just released an acoustic version of "Oh Betty" that changes the original up without losing any of what makes it a great song. It's a little more mellow and toned down, but all of the emotion is still here. This would be the MTV Unplugged version of Fantastic Negrito, if that's still a thing. (I think it might be?) If you loved the original as much as we did, or even if you're new to the joy that is Fantastic Negrito's music, you're gonna love this version.

You can listen to the acoustic version of "Oh Betty" below. The song is available as a free download if you sign up for Fantastic Negrito's email list. For more on Fantastic Negrito, check out the artist's website.

First Listen: New Releases for 2 December 2022

Artist: Sophie Jamieson
Album: Choosing
Quick Thoughts: A gorgeous, cozy folk record perfect for the season without being seasonal. I liked this quite a bit, and it was one I randomly tripped up on and ended up very glad that I did. Even in a busy week this is worth the time.
Songs of Note: "Addition," "Runner," "Boundary," "Who Will I Be"

Artist: Twin Oaks
Album: Strangers
Quick Thoughts: Twin Oaks does dreamy, floaty indie music that just works very well. This is one of those albums that you can feel was meticulously put together, and the results are just song after song after song that impresses. Don't miss out on this one this week.
Songs of Note: "Magnolia," "Salt Flats," "Stranger," "Soft Lights"

Artist: FEEP
Album: FEEP has landed
Quick Thoughts: I wanted to highlight this listen, as FEEP, on the surface, doesn't seem like something of interest, but it turns out that this is a really smart and really catchy indie rock effort out of Boston with a number of really great moments. I kept getting surprised by it to the point that I was very happy this landed on our radar. Check it out.
Songs of Note: "Acid Reflex," "Salt Flats," "Stranger," "Soft Lights"

Of note:

* Pleasure Venom - Rebirth/Return
* Donzii - Fishbowl
* Mira Lu Kovacs and Clemens Wegner - Sad Songs to Cry To
* Municipality - Sunroom
* Momus - Issyvoo
* Imogen Heap and Dan O'Neill - Chordata Bytes II
* TOBACCO - Skids and Angels
* Brendan Benson - Low Key
* gupi - paper eater
* Burn the Louvre - Silhouettes
* White Lung - Premonition
* NOFX - Double Album

EPs:

* black balloons - escape FM
* Rachel Maria Cox - The Day You Left
* Jillette Johnson - Bon Adventure
* Chloe George - Penny
* 100 gecs - Snake Eyes
* Snotty Nose Rez Kids - I'm Good, HBU?
* Work Wife - Quitting Season
* Johanna Samuels - Scam Likely
* Gemma Cullingford - It's Christmas.
* Arc Iris - We Found Home

Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:

* Southeast of Saturn, Vol. 2

Also out:

* Rural Internet - SAINT ANGER
* brakence - hypochondriac

Hallelujah the Hills - "Get Free"

While Hallelujah the Hills have been working on their upcoming DECKS project, their latest single is a bit of a detour. "Get Free" was written and recorded for Podsongs, which sees musicians interviewing someone working to make a positive difference in the world and the writing and recording a song based on that interview. Ryan Walsh of Hallelujah the Hills interviewed Rick Doblin of M.A.P.S. about using psychedelics to help with PTSD. "Get Free" sounds like it's going to be a Walsh solo track, both in its simplicity and recording style. It's a quiet, melancholy opening to a song that fits into Hallelujah the Hills' catalog, but seems more like an outlier. By the end of the song, the rest of the band kicks in and it becomes a joyful celebratory song in that folk meets punk meets psychedelic rock that we've come to adore about the band. 

You can listen to "Get Free" below. For more on Hallelujah the Hills, check out the band's website.

The Prefab Messiahs - "Prefab Holiday"

The Prefab Messiahs have been covering some fairly serious issues in their music lately, so it's kind of nice to see Worcester, MA's favorite garage psych rockers cut loose with a fun holiday song. "Prefab Holiday" is a trippy garage rocker that's just a holiday song. It sounds like something straight out of the 1960's, with maybe a slightly more modern flair. It's filled with surf rock guitars and "woo-ooo-ooo"s to make The Beach Boys proud. This one is perfect for holiday playlists, and just about having a great holiday to avoid getting into a winter rut.

You can watch the video for "Prefab Holiday" below. The song is available via Bandcamp. For more on The Prefab Messiahs, check out the band's Facebook.