Best of 2023

 

 

 

The Un-Herd Music Top 50 of 2023

1. Sparklehorse Bird Machine
Thirteen years posthumous, a final statement curated and patched together with obvious love and respect for the quirky genius of Mark Linkous. Miraculous it exists at all; wholly miraculous it's so good.

2. Art Bergmann ShadowWalk

Where previous album took a macro view of the end of life, this one goes micro & personal. Harrowing, unflinching, courageous, honest. Nudges itself in same continuum that includes lodestar masterworks like Sister Lovers and Plastic Ono Band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Low Cut Connie Art Dealers

Adam Weiner's adherence to traditional rock values (in this case, the same early R&B/Rock&Roll forces that forged the likes of Springsteen and Graham Parker) may repel trend-chasers, but that doesn't mean Low Cut Connie can't be the rest-of-us's favorite band.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. The Delta Riggs The Real Electric

Grafts standard indie rock influences to an appreciation for disco bass lines (& occasional employment of hip hop rhythms) and somehow discovers something immensely satisfying and sincere.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Geese 3D Country

A modern rock album that fits in exactly nowhere (and not even close to the genre suggested in the title). Eclectic, expert, indescribable, genre-less. And all the better for it. Companion EP "4D Country" delivers similar quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Lydia Loveless Nothing's Gonna Stand In My Way Again

This'll get filed under alt.country, which is fair enough, but the way Loveless wittily and mercilessly lacerates herself like a female Paul Westerberg is all rock 'n' roll.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Ten Tonnes Dancing, Alone

Pop wunderkind Ethan Barnett flirts with ancient verities like classic songcraft, undeniable hooks, and earnest reflection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Meyerman Happy To See You

Last release was a 2011 UHM top ten, and this unexpected re-emergence hits the same heights. Lyrical concerns now lean into sincerity as much as smartassery, but their power-poppin' rock-out w/ hooks-out gameplan gloriously remains.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Pat Todd & the RankOutsiders Sons of the City Ditch

A Saints-like horn section on one track and a cover of David Johansen's elegy for the Dolls "Donna" make this typically bangin' collision of Johnnies Cash & Thunders stand out from previous discs.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Barrence Whitfield & the Savages Glory

This band's blistering garage rock approach to soul, blues, & rock has been coming up aces for 4 decades and they're still ready to take on all comers. And, lo, how that sax doth honk.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Autogramm  Music That Humans Can Play

12. Belleville  Before I Go

13. The Blips  The Blips Again

14. Lion Island  Pilot Termination Kiosk

15. Odd Robot  Deathmates

16. Black Pumas  Chronicles of a Diamond

17. Foxy Shazam  Dark Blue Night

18. The Church  The Hypnogogue

19. Diamond Dogs  About the Hardest Nut to Crack

20. The Midnight Callers  Rattled Humming Heart

21.  The Hangmen  Stories to Tell

22.  The Jim Jones All-Stars  Ain't No Peril

23.  Bar Italia  Tracey Denim

24.  Spacey Jane  Here Comes Everybody

25.  Mason Lowe  Morning People

26.  Trench Dogs Stockholmiana

27.  Island of Love Island of Love

28.  Olivia Jean  Raving Ghost

29.  The Men New York City

30.  Crocodiles  Upside Down In Heaven

 

31.  Uni Boys  Buy This Now!

32.  Sunny War  Anarchist Gospel

33.  Dwarves  Concept Album

34.  Bass Drum of Death  Say I Won't

35.  The Whiffs  Scratch 'n' Sniff 

36.  Kurt Baker  Rock 'n' Roll Club

37.  The 1981  Move On

38.  Alex Lahey The Answer is Always Yes

39.  EUT  Be My Reactor

40.  Miss Chain & the Broken Heels Storms

41.  Durand Jones  Wait Til I Get Over

42.  The Pearl Harts  Love, Chaos

43.  Worriers  Trust Your Gut

44.  Twin Temple  God is Dead

45.  Baba Ali  Laugh Like A Bomb

46.  Somerdale  Let's Get Started

47.  Nude Party  Rides On

48.  Backstreet Girls  In Lust We Trust

49.  Class  If You've Got Nothing

50.  Rich Ragany & the Digressions  What We Do (To Not Let Go)

Best of 2022

 

 The Un-Herd Music Top 50 of 2022

 

1. The Jazz Butcher The Highest In The Land

Like Bowie's "Blackstar" this is an intimate last release by an artist ruminating on his impending mortality. The main difference being that Pat Fish makes you sing along as he breaks your heart.

 

2. Fuzzbubble Cult Stars From Mars 

As far as I can tell, it took 20 years for the band to follow their debut and, incredibly, this infectious collection of Lennon-esque vocals & Cheap Trickian power chords may have been worth the wait.

3. Sweet Things Brown Leather

Opening up their Stonesy sound with ballads, slide guitar, and a hint of country/southern rock only makes it more Stonesy - but this is the mean cold-blooded late 60s Stones, so just know that any stray yayas in yer system are about to get out.

4. Blackbirds FC Magiclands

 

It's hard to imagine anyone improving on the mellow melodic heights of the Go-Betweens, but this Melbourne band may have done just that. Impossible to resist.

5. The Rubs (dust)

 

One man band Joey Rubbish delivers so many hooks in these 11 songs you'd be excused for assuming it's a best-of collection. Hints of 80s synth pop, 00s garage, Kinks, Beatles, Thin Lizzy without ever sounding like anything other than the Rubs.

6. Gold Star Headlights U.S.A. (pts I & II)

 

Low key indie pop perfection with a deep & lasting atmosphere of melancholy. Somehow immediately pleasing while also a grower.

7. Spoon Lucifer On The Sofa

 

At this point it's doubtful a new Spoon album will take anyone by surprise, unless the surprise lies in the recognition that Britt Daniel & co. somehow just keep getting better.

8. Starcrawler She Said

 

Part of what's been so fun through this band's first 3 albums is the impending sense of a monstrous wave about to break. You can feel they're gonna be deservedly huge, you just don't know when. The time should be right about now. 

9. Simon Love Love, Sex & Death Etc

Melodic, witty, and a little foul-mouthed, Simon Love is single-handedly saving power pop from the wimpy jangle hordes. If there was any justice in the world (there isn't) he'd already be some kinda star.

10. Ceramic Animal Sweet Unknown

 

Dan Auerbach produced Pennsylvania band has a knack for matching vocal melody with an ear worm guitar hook. Nothing overly flashy, but satisfying in the extreme.

 

 

 

 

11. The Lings The Lings

12. Extra Arms What Is Even Happening Right Now?

13. The Sparklers Miss Philadelphia

14. Dot Dash Madman in the Rain

15. Young Guv III

16. Gyasi Pronounced Jah-See

17. Uni Boys Do It All Next Week

18. Foxy Shazam The Heart Behead You

19. The Hoodoo Gurus Chariot of the Gods

20. The 1990s Nude Restaurant

21. Diamond Dogs Slap Bang Blue Rendezvous

22. Popular Creeps All of This Will End In Tears

23. Interrupters In The Wild

24. 2nd Grade Easy Listening

25. Surf Curse Magic Hour

26. Faz Waltz On The Ball

27. The Handcuffs Burn The Rails

28. Diane Coffee With People

29. Sour Ops Deep Fake

30. Gasoline The Orange Album

31. Fantastic Negrito White Jesus Black Problems

32. Kevin Stevenson Reality Alley

33. The Dip Sticking With It

34. Emperor Penguin Sunday Carvery

35. Too Much Joy All These Fucking Feelings

36. Banditos Right On

37. Cheap Star Wish I Could See

38. Tuk Smith & the Restless Hearts Ballad of a Misspent Youth

39. Mattiel Georgia Gothic

40. House of Love A State of Grace

41. Sino Hearts Lightening the Darkness

42. Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club Please Stand By

43. Cheap Cassettes Ever Since Ever Since

44. Pink Mountaintops Peacock Pools

45. Nicky Egan This Life

46. Gladie Don't Know What You're In Until You're Out

47. The Chelsea Curve All The Things

48. No. 2 First Love

49. Triptides So Many Days

50. The Speedways Talk of the Town

Best of 2021

 

 

 The Un-Herd Music Top 50 of 2021

 

1. Art Bergmann Late Stage Empire Dementia

He's been a hard luck legend of the Canadian underground for 40 years now, and while it's something of a surprise this album exists at all I can't say it's any surprise that it's so effin' excellent. 

 

 

 

2. The Courettes Back in Mono

The echoed drums, baritone sax deep in the mix & girl group melodies wed Spector's Wall of Sound with the raggedy looseness of 60s garage punk. A triumph all around.

 

 

 

3. Hayley Mary The Drip  

There's a layer of melancholy lying just underneath the driving guitar buzz that lends these highly melodic tunes an impressive staying power. Technically only an EP, but match it with the previous year's "The Piss, The Perfume" and you've got an album for the ages.

 

 

4. Steve Conte Bronx Cheer

An album that not only screams New York, but also offers - in its barrage of hard rock hooks - testament to the reasons why Conte was first choice as Johnny Thunders' fill-in in the reformed New York Dolls.
 

 

 

5. Jelani Aryeh I've Got Some Living To Do

Precociously talented at such a young age, Jelani Aryeh grabs pieces from pop, soul, R&B, and indie and puts them together in refreshingly original ways.

 

 

 

6. We Are The Union Ordinary Life

There are layers of social, political, and lyrical reasons to appreciate this album, but none of that would matter much if the music (a quantum leap forward for both ska-punk and pop-punk) didn't pack such a punch. 

   

 

7. Amyl and the Sniffers Comfort To Me

While Amy Taylor still doesn't exactly sing, she chants and rants with a charisma that sits perfectly amid the band's ACDC-meets-Radio Birdman attack. And while it's understandable she gets tagged as a female Iggy Pop, it's also evident that she's powered by a more righteous anger than any male counterpart might muster.

 

 

8. Made Violent Wannabe

Every now and then I'll find a small miracle - in this case, garage punk with an infectious 50s sock hop sensibility in its melodic construction - that forces me to champion the band as an underdog. Will we ever hear from them again? Who knows. In the meantime, we've got "Wannabe."

 

 

9. Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs Real One

A declarative reminder this kind of music is far too scarce. Not metal, not punk, not indie or alternative - no need for a hyphenate at all - just melodic, aggressive, proudly electric rock that refuses to leave my player. 

 

 

 

10. Reigning Sound A Little More Time With Reigning Sound

Reaches back to their first 2 albums (the pedal steel of "Break Up Break Down" and the garage punk R&B of "Time Bomb High School") and creates what might be their crowning achievement. 

 

 

 

 

11. L.A. Exes Get Some

12. Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders There's Pretty Things in Palookaville

13. Ike Reilly Because the Angels

14. The Blips The Blips

15. EUT Party Time

16. Brothers Steve Dose

17. Peppermint Kicks Peppermint Kicks

18. Daniel Romano Cobra Poems

19. Ryan Hamilton 1221

20. You Am I The Lives of Others 

 

21. Sour Ops X

22. Shannon & the Clams Year of the Spider

23. Mad Rollers Get Mad

24. Ryan Allen What a Rip

25. Real Sickies Love is for Lovers

26. Tommy Womack I Thought I Was Fine

27. The Wildhearts 21st Century Love Songs

28. Kiss the Tiger Vicious Kid

29. Aimee Mann Queens of the Summer Hotel

30. Curtis Harding If Words Were Flowers

 

31. Radio Days Rave On

32. Split Squad Another Cinderella

33. Blunt Bangs Proper Smoker

34. Geoff Palmer Charts and Graphs

35. Too Much Joy Mistakes Were Made

36. Hurry Fake Ideas

37. Cocktail Slippers Shout It Out Loud

38. Ellen Foley Fighting Words

39. The Forty Nineteens The New Roaring Twenties

40. Suzi Quatro The Devil in Me 

 

41. Boy Golden Church of Better Daze

42. Watts Shady Rock 'n' Rollers

43. Needles//Pins Needles//Pins

44. Yola Stand For Myself

45. The Fleshtones Face of the Screaming Werewolf

46. Beatrice Deer Shifting

47. Emperor Penguin Corporation Pop!

48. Parquet Courts Sympathy For Life

49. Elise LeGrow Grateful

50. Nick Waterhouse Promenade Blue

Best of 2020

 

The Un-Herd Music Top 50 of 2020

1. Low Cut Connie Private Lives

Adam Weiner's hook-heavy mix of soul, R&B, rock & roll, & basically everything else under the sun is exactly the empathetic, good vibin' music the world needs right now - just hope we're not all too far gone to hear.

2. Dangereens Tough Luck

Montreal band with reckless disregard for speed limits, a pronounced fondness for old 'Mats reckids, and a batch of hook-ridden tunes w/ pounding piano + sax riding shotgun.  

3. Cornershop England Is A Garden

One of the most original bands from the 90s indie boom returns with their inimitable mix of 60s pop, garage rock, sitars, flutes, electronics and, I can only imagine, something borrowed from a far better future.

 

 

 

4. The Yum Yums For Those About To Pop!

If the Ramones had the harmonies of the Beach Boys or the Beach Boys had the drive of the Ramones... Such perfect summer music that it'll make you forget it isn't summer.

 

 

 

 

5. Mondo Cozmo New Medicine

Backed by members of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Josh Ostrander hooks into snatches of Lou Reed, hip hop, Jesus and Mary Chain, and singer/songwriter pop and still manages to knit it all into a cohesive whole.
 

 

 

 

6. Rookie Rookie

While so much modern power pop rests in the hands of those who view "The Long and Winding Road" as the epitome of rock & roll, Rookie allows a stomping beat and a few power chords to ride shotgun with the expected Beatles-esque hooks.
 

 

 

 

7. Nicole Atkins Italian Ice

Recorded at Muscle Shoals and backed by members of that same hallowed session band, this album sprawls comfortably into a relaxed soul groove. Also boasts help from Britt Daniel, My Morning Jacket, and some Bad Seeds... none of who come close to eclipsing Atkins' powerful voice.

 

 

8. Foxy Shazam Burn

The return of Foxy Shazam was one of the few "good news" stories of this disastrous year, and even if it might not match the heights of The Church of Rock & Roll, it definitely gets them back on track to world domination. Give 'em time.
 

 

 

 

 

9. Daniel Romano How Ill Thy World Is Ordered

Romano released 10 albums in the year 2020, ranging in sound from his more typical country to indie rock to hardcore punk to a welcome re-imagining of an entire Dylan album, and what makes his feat of ambition somewhat miraculous is the sheer quality of songwriting. This one (and Dandelion) are perhaps the most eclectic of the bunch.

10. Bette Smith The Good, The Bad, and the Bette

With some help from Luther Dickinson and the Drive-by Truckers, Bette Smith dives into southern soul and traditional R&B while embracing the distortion and power of punk.

 

 

11. Wyldlife Year of the Snake

12. Algiers There Is No Year

13. Bad Moves Untenable

14. Faz Waltz Rebel Kicks

15. The Struts Strange Days

16. Thelonious Monster Oh That Monster

17. Dramarama Color TV

18. Richard Davies & the Dissidents Human Traffic

19. Suitesixteen Mine Would Be The Sun

20. Ice Cream Hands No Weapon But Love

21. Ryan Hamilton Nowhere To Go But Everywhere

22. Hinds The Prettiest Curse

23. Kurt Baker Combo After Party

24. Chuck Prophet The Land That Time Forgot

25. Billie Joe Armstrong No Fun Mondays

26. Lucinda Williams Good Souls Better Angels

27. The Devonns The Devonns

28. Jaded Hearts Club You've Always Been Here

29. Fantastic Negrito Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?

30. Lydia Loveless Daughter

31. Candy Opera The Patron Saint of Heartache

32. Mom Pleasure Island

33. Anti-Flag 20/20 Division

34. Exbats Kicks, Hits and Fits

35. Steve Kilbey Eleven Women

36. Ginger Wildheart Headzapoppin'

37. Brad Marino False Alarm

38. Green Day The Father of All Motherfuckers

39. Mike Viola Godmuffin

40. The Speedways Radio Sounds

 

41. Close Lobsters Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera in the Forest of Symbols

42. Ryan Allen Song Snacks Vol. 1

43. Advertisement American Advertisement

44. The Vapors Together

45. Supercrush SODO Pop

46. X Alphabetland

47. Sino Hearts Mandarin a Go-Go

48. Cocktails Catastrophic Entertainment

49. Psychotic Youth Forever and Never

50. Silver Sun Switzerland

Run And Tell It To Everybody Underground

1. Dangereens Microwave Boogie

2. Low Cut Connie Help Me

3. Rookie Hold On Tight

4. The Yum Yums Let's Worry About Tomorrow

5. Bad Moves Party With the Kids Who Wanna Party With You

6. Wyldlife Keeping Up With C.T.

7. Thelonious Monster Teenage Wasteland

8. Algiers Dispossession

9. Mondo Cozmo Black Cadillac

10. Bette Smith Song For a Friend

11. Foxy Shazam In My Mind

12. Anti-Flag 20/20 Vision

13. Suitesixteen The List

14. Mom I Want You To Feel What I Feel

15. Faz Waltz Got Me Goin'

16. Advertisement Pretty Money

17. Daniel Romano First Yoke

18. Ryan Hamilton & the Harlequin Ghosts Oh No

19. Nicole Atkins St. Dymphna

20. Dramarama Everyday

21. The Speedways Number 7

22. Candy Opera Crash

23. Hinds Riding Solo

24. Chuck Prophet Get Off The Stage

 

Best of 2019

The Un-Herd Music Top 50 of 2019

1. White Reaper You Deserve Love

Early fans may complain about the added sheen, space, and (gasp) maturity in the mix, but any initial resistance will be steamrollered by the boatloads of hooks. Prepare to fall in love immediately.

 2. The Sweet Things In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time

I was recently lamenting the dearth of bona fide sleazoid Exile-On-Main-Street worship in modern music, and then this album shows up to kick my ass around the block and teach us all how it's done.





 

 3. The Delta Riggs Modern Pressure

An album difficult to adequately describe, using elements of classic rock in its melody and disco in its bottom end, some punk here and indie there, all of which is topped by Elliot Hammond's oddly charismatic (or charismatically odd) drawl.



 

 4. Imani Coppola The Protagonist

A seemingly personal statement that ties together some of the various strands of Mr. Coppola's immense talent, ranging from R&B cool to indie rock to a cuttingly sardonic folk complaint. 





 

 5. Twin Peaks Lookout Low

At this point existing perfectly out-of-time, Twin Peaks continue to follow their own obscure muse, making a loosely structured version of (uh, let's call it) classic rock that requires some patience and - most importantly - richly rewards that patience.




 

 6. Natalie Sweet Oh By The Way... It's Natalie Sweet

Bouncy, hook-filled rock 'n' roll that splits the difference between the most bubblegum Ramones tunes and most bubblegum of the 60s girl groups, with welcome help from the estimable Morten Henriksen of the Yum Yums.

 7. Jordan Jones Jordan Jones

The song "Rumors Girls" might be the best pure power pop song of the year, and the rest don't land too far off that lofty target.

 8. Attic Lights Love in the Time of Shark Attacks

Scottish group reappears after a 6 year lay-off with their absolute mastery of hooks, harmonies, and crunchy melancholy wholly intact.

 9. Pat Todd & the RankOutsiders The Past Came Callin'

From his days with the Lazy Cowgirls to the present, Pat Todd has married Johnny Cash to Johnny Thunders in ways that'll either have you crying in your beer or moshing in a frenzy.

 10. Starcrawler Devour You

While still trafficking in big riffs and chaos, the band has opened the door to honest-to-god hooks and (swear to god) subtlety, as evidenced most notably on the Stonesy "No More Pennies."







11. Sheer Mag A Distant Call
12. Ryan Hamilton & the Harlequin Ghosts This Is The Sound
13. The Brothers Steve #1
14. Ulysses On Safari
15. Charlie Faye & the Fayettes The Whole Shebang
16. The Dip The Dip Delivers
17. Josie Cotton Everything Is Oh Yeah
18. Terry and Louie ...A Thousand Guitars
19. Olivia Jean Night Owl
20. Velveteen Rabbit Velveteen Rabbit

21. More Kicks More Kicks
22. Ten Tonnes Ten Tonnes
23. Nick Waterhouse Nick Waterhouse
24. The Successful Failures Saratoga
25. Diamond Dogs Recall Rock 'n' Roll and the Magic Soul
26. Alex Lahey The Best of Luck Club
27. Pale Lips After Dark
28. The Whiffs Another Whiff
29. Asa Lucid
30. Ex Hex It's Real

31. Amyl & the Sniffers Amyl & the Sniffers
32. Reese McHenry No Dados
33. The Regrettes How Do You Love?
34. Extra Arms Up To Here
35. Rusty Dogs of Canada
36. Pernice Bros. Spread the Feeling
37. Geoff Palmer Pulling Out All The Stops
38. The Rallies Upside Down
39. Råttanson I'd Much Rather Be With the Noise
40. Hollerado Retaliation Vacation

41. Brad Marino Extra Credit
42. New Swears Night Mirror
43. Papernut Cambridge Outstairs Instairs
44. Long Ryders Psychedelic Country Soul
45. Rheostatics Here Come The Wolves
46. Lisa Prank Perfect Love Song
47. Foxygen Seeing Other People
48. Bloodboy Punk Adjacent
49. Redd Kross Beyond the Door
50. Baby Shakes Cause a Scene

Man, This Is What I Call An Epidemic

1. Imani Coppo1a Blackteria
2. The Br0thers Steve We Got The Hits
3. New Swears Concrete Cowboy
4. The Sweet Things Drained
5. Terry & Louie (I'm) Looking For A Heart
6. Attic Lights Ruby's Song
7. The De1ta Riggs Fake That 
8. O1ivia Jean The Hunt
9. Ryan Hami1ton & the Har1equin Ghosts Mamacita
10. Pat T0dd If Only I Could Fly Backwards in Time
11. Jordan J0nes No Makeup
12. White Reeper Might Be Right 
13. The Whiffs My Vision of Love
14. Diamond D0gs Somebody Have Mercy
15. M0re Kicks What a Mess You Make
16. Successfu1 Fai1ures Love You So
17. Pa1e Lips Some Sort of Rock 'n' Roll
18. U1ysses Piper's Chest
19. Nata1ie Sweet Pizza Man
20. Asa Good Thing
21. Twin Peaks Better Than Stoned
22. Nick Waterh0use Undedicated
23. Ve1veteen Rabbit Mind-Numbing Entertainment
24. Sheer Mag Blood from a Stone
25. Starcraw1er Hollywood Ending