Patatoa

originally published December 16, 2013

As I put the finishing touches on my top 50 list/write up/descent into madness, I wanted to talk about seven albums that aren't making my list this year, but are worth discussion and attention. Like last year, I wanted to limit my honorable mentions to new artists who I hope and expect to improve in the near future. However, this year I included a couple of releases that didn't make my list because of my own shortcomings -- but I'll explain that when I get to them.

A very concise and punchy indie pop, indie folk album. Marika Hackman peppers her debut with interesting sounds and evocative lyrics. The opener “Bath is Black” creeps into a near dance beat and the bouncy “I’ll Borrow Time” is a late album gem. These tracks contrast with the rest of the album which settles into an ethereal, near American gothic feeling.

"Bath is Black"

This was on my top 50 until the last second. Honestly, everything was packed and ready. One thing that can’t be faulted are the songs on this thing. Early Fragments cobbles together Fear of Men’s singles across various labels which are some of the best indie pop, dream pop you will find this year or any year. Fear of Men don’t reinvent the wheel, it’s all very straight and clean and lush in spite of its lo-fi-ness. These are the songs I would want to play on my college radio show, cute catchy songs that can be played again and again until a hole is burned through the disk. I am quite eager to hear a proper full length from this band and hope the wait is not too long.

"Ritual Confession"

This record is about maximum riffage. Weezer pre-Green style melodies and towering riffs with a Robert Pollard attitude makes for a 90’s guitar fiend such as myself foam at the mouth. 12 tracks and the longest of which is a measly 92 seconds! Molina crafts his moment and lets it go. Maybe Molina agrees that that’s all a good rock song is, 30 amazing seconds stretched out and revisited for three to four minutes.

"Walk Away"

Savages may have been the big name in female post-punk, but Priests are hot on their heels. Where Savage singer Jenny Beth is forceful and menacing, Priests’ Daniele Daniele sounds unhinged and broken. Daniele buds as a star of the Karen O cloth (pre-Fever to Tell) as she allows herself to be possessed and holler and shriek with no particular concerns. She apes Lana Del Rey in “Lana” and even shows a crack of vulnerability in the last seconds of opener “Leave me Alone,” even the spoken word protest “USA (Incantations)” is captivating.

"Incantations" and "Leave Me Alone" Bandcamp

I made a concerted effort to get into my own local music scene a little too late this year, just before my big build up for my list. One promising San Antonio artist I found on Bandcamp is Maxine Crump (aka Bear.) On her fleshfruitzszz she crafts immediate and captivating bedroom pop, “Sheepskin Coats” shown flashes of Laura Stevens. Even a sound experiment like “Lost City Dinner” which is an acoustic pop song played over wild noise from a diner plays well and comes across as charming. I find a lot to be excited about in this tape. Don’t give in to the allure of Austin, Maxine. Keep San Antonio Lame.

fleshfruitzszz full album stream

This is my failure. Kayodot churns out a dense, ambitious record where the performances are strong, the arrangements pull from every corner, and the songs never grow tepid. And I just couldn’t wrap my head around it all. Maybe sometime soon I can return and better assess this record, but Hubardo wears me out. Maybe you will have better luck with this record, provided you get past the Cookie Monster vocals that start the record. There’s a lot to love here, but the remainder of this year just wasn’t enough time for me. "And he Built him a Boat"

The Redeemer is a masterpiece and I am a fool. Blunt’s vocals are soulful and se sets out on one of the most ambitious records put out this year full of self-loathing, projection, and mistrust. So why is this not on my list? Sometimes the best type of masterpiece is the flawed masterpiece, and Redeemer has some flaws that are stand out a bit too much up close in December. These flaws are best seen on “Demon,” the electronics feel under researched, the sound effects and awkward “computer voice” sound straight out of the can. It’s just so jarring, especially when the saxophone and Joanne Robertson’s vocals come in. These elements work so well, why doesn’t every element? These are qualms I have throughout the album, not just this track. Maybe there’s some point that’s 3deep5me this year, and it will click with me down the road. Because honestly, for every yucky MIDI moment, there’s two really moving moments.

"The Redeemer"

Top 50 coming up!