It's Too Late to Turn Back, Here We Go.....

For the last half of my life, I've had two things in particular on my lengthy bucket list and one seemed unlikely to ever get crossed off. First, I always wanted to take a trip to the Twin Cities and see all of the sights that my favorite band ever, the Replacements, helped make semi-famous. The venues they played, the places/things they sang about, the places they frequented, the Stinson house on the cover of Let It Be, etc.

The second thing on the bucket list was actually seeing the Replacements play live. I got into the band as they were going on hiatus, so I never had a chance to see them live. I've seen Paul Westerberg solo numerous times, but it wasn't quite the same. I understood that if a reunion ever happened it would likely be just Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, and two other non-Replacements (or replacement Replacements?), but to me that was close enough to be the Replacements. And Josh Freese and Dave Minehan were sort of honorary Replacements at this point having played with Paul and Tommy previously, so it was really the perfect reunion lineup.

When the reunion started last year I said if they ever played a non-festival headlining gig in their hometown, I would do whatever I had to do to be there. So when tickets went on sale for the reunited Replacements show at Midway Stadium in St. Paul, I had an opportunity to accomplish both of these things at the same time. I got tickets through the band pre-sale and immediately started planning my trip.

It would also be the first show the Replacements had played in their hometown in 23+ years. Crossing both of these items off the bucket list on the same weekend was actually kind of surreal. If you had told me I'd be standing in the outfield of a minor league baseball stadium watching the Replacements play in front of 14,000 people in 2014 (for a show that sold out in 10 minutes), I'd have asked you what drugs you were on and if you had any extra for me. As the saying goes you marry the first time for love, the second time for money, and the third time for companionship. In the case of the Replacements, they definitely are getting paid big bucks the second time around and they also seem to having a great time doing it, so it's probably a mixture of love, money, and companionship.

It's been days since I experienced all of this and I still haven't come down from the adrenaline high yet. First, here are some separate links to the pictures I took of the Replacements landmarks in Minneapolis:

The Stinson House

The Skyway

First Avenue/7th St Entry

The Mary Tyler Moore statue

The bench dedicated to Bob Stinson in the Lake of the Isles park

Various other pictures from the trip

Concert:

The poster for the Replacements show

This poster was modeled on the old Minnesota Twins poster:

My ticket!

Yep, they were filming this show professionally

Take me down to the hospital reference?! (sign at Midway Stadium)

stage view from around where I was standing the whole night

Lucero and the Hold Steady were both very good as expected. And now that I've been to the Twin Cities, I understand many more of Craig Finn's local references in the Hold Steady catalog.

Lucero opened things around 7pm

The Hold Steady came on a little before 8pm

Unfortunately, once it got dark it was difficult to get good pictures from where I was standing due to the glare from the stage lights.

capacity crowd minutes before the Replacements took the stage at 9pm

with Tony Glover on harmonica

Encore wearing St. Paul Saints jerseys

For starters the Replacements sounded great, probably way better than any band with that long of a layoff has a right to sound, even 11 shows into their reunion. I have dozens of bootlegs of shows where they were sloppy and drunk and kinda terrible. And I have dozens where they sound great. This was definitely one of the great-sounding performances, as all of their reunion shows have been so far. Guitarist Dave Minehan and drummer Josh Freese are very good musicians who are perfect fits with Paul and Tommy, so the result is a really tight versatile powerhouse live band who sound terrific. And the show was being recorded with professional camera crews, so we will probably see a DVD release of this in the coming year.

I can't really find any fault with a 30+ song setlist containing almost all of the fan favorites, including a handful of songs they've rarely been playing if at all on this reunion tour. In retrospect I would have liked to have seen "Little Mascara" or "I.O.U." as well, but it's akin to quibbling over an A+ set vs. an A++ set.

Here is a re-gram of the setlist:

Setlist:
1. Favorite Thing
2. Takin' a Ride
3. I'm in Trouble
4. Don't Ask Why
5. I'll Be You
6. Valentine 
7. Waitress in Sky
8. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out /into Third Stone From the Sun (Jimi Hendrix)
9. Take Me Down to the Hospital
10. I Want You Back (Jackson Five)
11. Going to New York (Jimmy Reed) with Tony Glover on harmonica 
12. Color Me Impressed
13. Nowhere Is My Home
14. If Only You Were Lonely
15. Achin' to Be
16. Kiss Me on the Bus
17. Androgynous
18. I Will Dare
19. Love You Till Friday /into Maybellene (Chuck Berry)
20. Merry Go Round
21. I Won't
22. White and Lazy /into Borstal Breakout (Sham 69)
23. Swingin' Party
24. Love You in the Fall (from Paul Westerberg solo album)
25. Can't Hardly Wait
26. Bastards of Young
27. I Don't Know (with Buck Hill interlude in the middle)


ENCORE 1:
28. Skyway (Paul solo on a 12-string)
29. Left of the Dial
30. Alex Chilton 



ENCORE 2:

31. Unsatisfied


Some notes on the show:

- Prior to the Replacements taking the stage St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman spoke for a few minutes about the greatness of the band and then declared September 13th "Replacements Day" in St. Paul.

- The band entered to the Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird."

- Before "Take Me Down to the Hospital", Paul dedicated it to Slim Dunlap, who he noted had to go back into the hospital. They were hoping he could have attended the show.

- They stopped the Jackson Five's "I Want You Back" after the first verse and chorus and it sounded pretty good. And then Paul brought out local blues harmonica legend Tony Glover for a cover of Jimmy Reed's blues classic "Going to New York." The rest of the band seemed genuinely surprised about this, as there was nothing about the Jimmy Reed cover on the setlist. And that was the extent of the special guests, which was fine. I didn't want to see a bigger name hijack the show. Although I thought there might be an outside shot Craig Finn would reprise the role of the cop from "Kids Don't Follow" that he played in the Replacements tribute shows in NY in 2011.

- Before "Nowhere Is My Home", Paul said "Here's another song we never released called 'Nowhere Is My Home'...and it's suddenly true." Perhaps a nod to his recent divorce?

- Paul planted a big smooch on Tommy during the last part of "Kiss Me on the Bus" (see this video around the 2:35 mark).

- Paul played "Skyway" flawlessly which is notable if you remember seeing the 2002 solo tour, where I believe he finally nailed the words and notes perfectly at the Philly show I attended, about 10-12 dates into the tour. He had to do it blindfolded so he wouldn't mess it up. I don't recall if he ever played it perfectly again on that tour.

- After "Skyway" the band returned wearing honorary St. Paul Saints baseball jerseys with their last names on the back. And Paul tried to ditch the jersey at first and Tommy finally convinced him to put it on. Tommy: "Put that fucker on. Put it on." Then Paul said, "How many bands have done this? You think Bob Dylan put this fucker on? You think Michael 'fuckin' Stipe put this on?" Tommy: "It's cold. We need it." And with temperatures dipping into the 40's, Paul then said something like "I wanted to be #9. Well, they are kinda cozy." I believe Tommy had #15 and Paul had #25, I couldn't make out the other band members. And I'm sure they can auction those off for charity soon.

And there is so much to read into the setlist for an obsessive fan. Playfully closing with "I Don't Know" (Should we give it up?....I don't know) and then ending with "Unsatisfied." Are they still unsatisfied? Does this mean they are going to continue scratching an itch? Westerberg rarely played "Unsatisfied" on his last few solo tours, probably partially as he noted at one show when a fan requested it, "But I'm so fully satisfied." They seem to be adding more songs to the rotation to keep it more interesting for them, as if they were preparing for this to continue. But I suppose your guess is as bad as mine on the 'will it continue?' topic.

And finally this picture below found online of Paul and Tommy hugging credited to "Darin K" pretty much conveys what so many Replacements fans felt seeing this reunion, and this show in particular.

Seriously, it is one of my favorite pictures ever and I will probably print it and get it framed. Diehard fans probably all felt like we were a 3rd party in a group hug, reaching out and hugging our favorite lovable "best band that never made it big" heroes, and thanking our prodigal sons for returning from a 20+ year hiatus. Your first instinct as a fan is to want a band to play "one more song", and I was hoping for one more. But as soon as I saw the hug after "Unsatisfied" I knew that was the perfect way to end the show.

They are rock 'n' roll blood brothers at this point, with a bond that will go deeper than most families have. Westerberg noted in a recent Rolling Stone profile, "We'll call each other up when things go south, because we know we can get a laugh out of each other. How many people do you know that you can call up and get a guaranteed gut-wrenching laugh? Sometimes it's worth all the money and kissing and hugging in the world."

Earlier in the set between songs Westerberg said, "Sorry we took so long." And Stinson laughing a little quipped, "No you ain't." That sequence right there is why Replacements fans love the Replacements, showing all facets of their humanity. Just when one of them gets a little too serious and sentimental, the other one, on cue, breaks the mood (and the other's balls). Wise wise-asses. Courageous cowards. Ambitious slackers. It was said about Hold Steady that they appeal to "guys who like to drink beer and read." And that is the same group the Replacements always appealed to: smart guys (and gals) who like to drink beer and have a good time and love great songwriting.

This big hug was the final act before they left the stage. You can read so many emotions into this: relief, elation, fulfillment, victory, etc,  If the reunion tour ends in a few weeks (October 12th in Austin, TX is the last date scheduled) and they never play together again, this picture kind of says, "We finally did it the right way. Now we can leave the 'Replacements legacy' in its proper place." So yes, maybe the "sorry we took so long" sentiment was directed as much at each other, as to the fans. As in, "what have we been doing NOT playing together the last 23 years and missing all this fun?" And if they continue, making new music together and touring, as some signs point, well then this embrace looks like more of a feeling of conquest or a "It's great to be back. It feels like we never left" sentiment. I'm hoping it's the latter, although if it isn't I'll have a life-affirming unforgettable concert memory of the first/last time I saw them. 

Year in Music 2012 - 20 to 11

20. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – The Magic of Youth (Big Rig). After slowly fading and going on indefinite hiatus in the early 00’s, the Bosstones have quietly returned with 2 very good albums – Pin Points and Gin Joints released in late 2008 and this current one released late in 2011, which are both on par with their best releases from their heyday in the early to mid 90’s. After nearly 25 years they are still pretty much the best around at what they do. The best tracks are “Like a Shotgun”, “Sunday Afternoons on Wisdom Ave”, “They Will Need Music”, “The Horseshoe and the Rabbit’s Foot”, “The Magic of Youth”, and “The Upper Hand.”

19. Dr. Dog – Be the Void (Anti). There may be fewer highs on this release than on previous ones, but this may overall be the strongest album overall from Philly’s Dr. Dog yet. “Lonesome”, “These Days”, “Do the Trick”, “Vampire”, “Over Here, Over There”, and “Warrior Man” are my favorites.

18. Screaming Females – Ugly (Don Giovanni). Her voice may be an acquired taste, but Marissa Paternoster plays guitar and writes songs that recall Dino Jr. or Sleater-Kinney with appropriate shredding throughout. Indie-rock god Steve Albini produced this and you can hear his influence with the rougher edges in these songs. The highlights include “It All Means Nothing”, “Rotten Apple”, “Expire”, “Crow’s Nest”, “Help Me”, and the seven-and-a-half-minute “Doom 84.”

17. Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten (Mercury). The ’59 Sound and American Slang were going to be difficult albums to top and they weren’t able to do that with Handwritten. Nonetheless it’s still a good album. The highlights are “45”, “Handwritten”, “Mulholland Drive”, “Keepsake”, “Too Much Blood”, “Howl”, and “Blue Dahlia.”

16. Ty Segall – Twins (Drag City). I was not as into Segall’s previous work or his many other releases in 2012, but I really enjoyed this one a lot. Think John Lennon with fuzzy guitars or Jay Reatard I guess. My highlights include “Thank God For Sinners”, “You’re the Doctor”, “Inside Your Heart”, “Would You Be My Love”, “Love Fuzz”, and “Handglams.”

15. Nada Surf – The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy (Barsuk). The last three Nada Surf albums have all kind aged similarly with me. I sort of like them at first but put them on the back burner when more anticipated albums are released. But I’ll be darned if they don’t stick with me longer than most. Then at year end, I find them higher on the list than I had figured they’d be. This is one is no different, but a notch below their last 3 releases, but still very solid power/pop. The highlights include “Clear Eye Clouded Mind”, “Waiting For Something”, “Teenage Dreams”, “Looking Through”, and “No Snow on the Mountain.”

 14. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold (What’s Your Rupture?). This band seems like an old school indie rock band, recalling the indie/pop/rock of Pavement (particularly Crooked Rain) or Nodzzz or even a little GBV on some songs, but more like Sonic Youth or even the Minutemen on some of their noisier songs. My favorites are “Master of My Craft”, “Borrowed Time”, “Light Up Gold II”, “Stoned and Starving”, and “Picture of Health.”

13. Golden Gurls – Typo Magic (self-released on Band Camp). This MD-based band combine shoegaze in a Pains of Being Pure at Heart way with an indie punk sound reminiscent of Sebadoh or Dino Jr. I even hear some Afghan Whigs on some of their groovier songs. The highlights include “Kid Tested”, “I Can See the City”, “Tidal”, "Uphill Fight", and “Excited”. 

12. Pile – Dripping (Exploding in Sound). This music is not just for any old “Gomers.” While Boston’s Pile is heavy and raw-sounding their songs have more melody and groove to them than many of their peers' output. On some of their songs they take a while building up to the crescendo, but after they get there it makes it worth the wait. Check out “Baby Boy”, “So Hard”, “Prom Song”, “Bump a Grape”, and “Bubblegum.”

11. Soul Asylum – Delayed Reaction (429 Records). I’ve always had a soft spot for Soul Asylum and think they are one of the most underrated bands of the last 30 years. And after you hear this record you think “where have these guys been?” This is probably their best album since Let Your Dim Light Shine. Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy are still writing really solid guitar-based pop/rock songs. Michael Bland is the official semi-permanent drummer and Tommy Stinson is now the official semi-permanent bassist (at least in the studio), a role he’s served for the most part since original bassist Karl Mueller began his fatal battle with cancer in the early-aughts. The best tracks are “The Streets”, “Take Manhattan”, “Let’s All Kill Each Other”, and “Into the Light.”

Next: 10 to 1 and Honorable Mentions

Previous: 35 to 21

Pleased to Meet Them

This July 7th marks the 25th anniversary of the release of what is one of the best Replacements albums, 1987's Pleased To Meet Me. I always have a special place in my heart for Tim and Let It Be. Tim was my introduction to the 'Mats in the summer of '91 as they were breaking up, and Let It Be was the next album I bought (one of the coolest album covers of all time!). I remember wearing that Tim cassette out in my car that summer and on drives to and from college the next fall. Anyway, I got into Pleased to Meet Me shortly after that and then eventually the entire discography.

Pleased to Meet Me, their 6th album, is almost certainly in the top 3 albums of all 'Mats fans. For a band who did things the hard way, shot themselves in the foot, and generally rarely abided by the normal conventions in the music industry, Pleased to Meet Me is the record that perfectly captures this. They finally had their big breakthrough album with Tim, had some videos on MTV, the infamous SNL appearance, etc, so Pleased to Meet Me was the record that was poised to break them even more. So what do they do? Of course, they fired their lead guitar player, Bob Stinson, early on in the recording sessions. And then Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, and Chris Mars reconvened as a three-piece in Memphis with the legendary producer Jim Dickinson (Big Star's Third, etc.).

The album cover design was an homage to Elvis' G.I. Blues, with the picture of Elvis replaced with something more telling. On the left, an outstretched arm showing the sleeve of fancy suit with expensive wristwatch and ring. And on the right, an outstretched arm with a torn sleeve. This was a perfect symbolic representation of what the band was experiencing at that time, with the pressures of being an act on a major label vs. the underground scene to which they still felt they belonged. And the title of the album? That came from sort of a running inside joke in the band. Whenever they'd meet corporate record label flacks, they'd introduce themselves saying, "pleased to meet me."

Myths have persisted about these recording sessions and how drunk and out of control the band was, hence the title of the collection of outtakes called How Did the Vomit Get Up on the Ceiling?" It's the kind of excess to be expected when you give a major label recording budget to a band who burned the candle at both ends on a daily basis. Without Bob Stinson pushing the band to be louder and faster, Westerberg was able to show off more of his pop sensibilities that would define his music ever after.

And the quality of songs picked up where Tim left off. There was the eponymous tribute to "Alex Chilton":

"Alex Chilton" video

And the album closed with a more poppy version of "Can't Hardly Wait" (with horns), than had been circulating on previous demos and live bootlegs over the previous 3 years. And the aforementioned Alex Chilton plays guitar on this track.

"Can't Hardly Wait"

The rest of the album consisted of such fan favorites as "I.O.U", "I Don't Know", "Never Mind", "Valentine", "The Ledge", and "Skyway."  "I Don't Know" highlights the conflicts mentioned earlier. "Should we give it up? / I don't know / Should we give it hell? /I don't know /Are you making a fortune? /I don't know /Or don't you wanna tell?"...."One foot in the door /The other one in the gutter."

Slim Dunlap joined the band for the tour for this album and remained the lead guitarist until they called it quits in 1991. Slim is recovering from a stroke now. Mars has been a full-time artist for over a decade. Tommy Stinson is still the living embodiment of rock and roll, playing in Guns N' Roses, Soul Asylum, making good solo albums, and occasionally still recording with Westerberg. And Westerberg? Well, he still writes and records fairly regularly and hopefully we'll get to hear those songs at some point and perhaps even see him play live again.

Slim, Paul, Chris, and Tommy

Tim and Let It Be are better albums and other fans may prefer different albums in their catalog more than Pleased to Meet Me, depending on what era the band was in when you started following them. But if I were to pick out one album and the story behind it that would perfectly sum up the band's career, it would be this one. And considering how they sort of petered out on their subsequent 2 records (although they did finally score a top-40 hit after that), you could say Pleased to Meet Me captured their last moments of greatness together. When it comes to their releases, Tim was a life-changer for me. But Pleased to Meet Me was the album where I really felt like I was able to "get" who these guys were and what they were really about.

Year in Music 2011 - Part Two

The year-end list continues with the honorable mentions:

Honorable Mentions

Dan Andriano in the Emergency Room – Hurricane Season (Asian Man).  The first solo album by Alkaline Trio bass player is a little different than what you’d expect. He was always more of the poppier of the 2 songwriters in the band, with clear Elvis Costello/Cure/Smiths influences, but this is still a little bit of a surprise. The title track, “It’s Gonna Rain All Day”, “Me and Denver”, and “Let Me In” are real stand out tracks. The album closes with the very personal song - “From This Oil Can”, which is dedicated to Dan’s daughter, and actually has a verse from “I Remember a Rooftop”, from Damnesia in it. 

Crooked Fingers – Breaks in the Armor (Merge). I had no idea Archers of Loaf’s Eric Bachmann had solo projects until this year. Then I found out this is the 6^th album under the Crooked Fingers moniker. He definitely branches out into more melodic territory here compared to the stuff in Archers, reminiscent of a more rocking Band of Horses or Jayhawks. "Went to the City" (live) is my favorite along with "Black Candles" (live) and "Typhoon." 

Drive-By Truckers – Go-Go Boots (ATO). The Truckers just seem to well, keep on trucking, releasing a new long country-rock album every 15-18 months or so with constant touring. They still record in analog and generally put tracks together for albums like old LPs used to be with 4 sides. Even though there's a bit too much filler, this album does contain 3 of my favorite songs by them – “I Do Believe” (live), “Everybody Needs Love” (live on Letterman - a cover originally done by the late unheralded blues artists Eddie Hinton), and “TheThanksgiving Filter” (live), an alternate take on holiday family get-togethers. For a lot of people truer words were never written than “Thank God for the filter that enables some distance /From the screaming and crying and the needs of assistance /You wonder why I drink and curse the holidays /Blessed be my family from 300 miles away.”  But overall, it runs on a tad too long. It's a good release, it just seems that after 4 really long albums in the last 5 years, perhaps they need a better editor.

EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints (Souterrain Transmissions). Here’s an album I never thought I would have liked. EMA stands for Erika M. Anderson, the lead singer and songwriter. It’s an interesting experimental record that combines psychedelia and pop, with lo-fi sensibilities, recalling Sonic Youth or the Jesus and Mary Chain, and even a little Cat Power on some of the piano-based songs. Check out "California", "Milkman", "Anteroom", and this cool cover of Nirvana's "Endless, Nameless" (live in studio)

Tommy Keene – Behind the Parade (Second Motion). Keene has now been recording for 30 years, but because of label changes and the like, his releases have come in bunches over the years often with long gaps in between. And the last 10 have been the most active of his career with 4 studio LPs, a live album, and a best of compilation.  This continues the solid run of good albums. "Deep Six Saturday" (video), "Already Made Up Your Mind" (live), "Nowhere Drag" (live), and "Factory Town" are standout tracks.

La Sera – S/T (Hardly Art). This is a Vivian Girls side project, involving “Kickball” Katy Goodman. Not sure what this says if I liked this better than the Vivian Girls proper album. It's a similar sound, but this leans more in the pop/rock direction, perhaps thanks to her main collaborator Brady Hall. The songs just seem slower and more melodic than the Vivian Girls songs. At this point, I almost wish Goodman would just make this a full time gig (and Cassie Ramone would make The Babies a full time gig and disband the VG's). High points include “Never Come Around” (live), “Left This World” (live), and “Devil’s Heart Grows Gold” (video).

Amos Lee - Mission Bell (Blue Note). Philly’s own Amos Lee made a splash during the mid-00’s with a few soulful folk-blues records, making his 2011 release a fairly high-profile deal with some guest appearances from Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson, among others. I didn't even realize until I read a few reviews of this recently, but this debuted at #1 this year. Wow, I had no idea. Mission Bell has a retro sound that recalls 70’s soul and folk recalling Curtis Mayfield, Jim Croce, Jackson Browne, and even more recent artists like Ben Harper and but more tuneful and poppy. Lee, along with artists like Adele can be filed under "newer artists who are liked by old people who still buy a few CDs every year", which partially explains why they've sold so many albums. Anyway, it's a pretty good listen all the way through, and some standout tracks include "Violin", "Flower", and "Windows Are Rolled Down" (live in studio).  

David Lowery – The Palace Guards (429 Records). Lowery has become one of my second-tier favorite artists. I probably have liked almost every album he’s ever released in all of his bands (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker). But I don’t really love any one album in particular.  And here he is with is first ever solo album, which is again a very solid effort, half of which would fit nicely on a Cracker album and half that is just “alt/country” enough to warrant a solo album. It's actually a nice bookend to the record the Decemberists put out this year. Some highlights include "Raise 'Em Up on Honey" (video), "Marigold", and "Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing to Me" (video).

Middle Brother – S/T (Partisan). The lead singers of like-minded bands Deer Tick (John McCauley), Delta Spirit (Matthew Vasquez), and Dawes (Taylor Goldsmith) got together to form an indie-super group. The results of this super group seem to work better than Wild Flag, for example. There are some really good indie/alt-country songs on here, including an inspired choice of “Portland”, a cover of the Replacements late 80’s b-side (Deer Tick’s McCauley is a big ‘Mats fan), originally written as an apology/tribute to the city of Portland for one of their classic train-wreck live shows. Some other highlights include "Daydreaming", "Blue Eyes" and "Someday."

Nodzzz – Innings (Woodist).  SF-based lo-fi mavens return with a follow up to their self-titled debut.  When I first heard this band in 2008, I didn’t really know what to make of them. It sounded like an album of half-finished demos and “ideas”, but not necessarily “songs” per se. Then I learned to appreciate their bare-bones approach – quick intro, riff, verse, chorus, repeat maybe 1 more time, and boom, the end. Innings continues with more of the same with a simplistic, minimalist two-guitar and drum attack. Most of their songs still clock in at under two-minutes (14 songs in less than 25 minutes).  It’s a good record, but it just didn’t grab me like the first one did at the time. The whole album is pretty solid, but my favorites are "Always Make Your Bed", "(Time) What’s It Going to Do?", "Fear of Advice", and "True to Life."

The Raveonettes – Raven in the Grave (Vice Music). I always appreciated the Raveonettes’ fuzzy Jesus and Mary Chain-inspired pop/rock songs. It’s a solid album but not as quite as good as their last few. When you listen to their older stuff, you can see how they definitely laid the groundwork for other bands like Stars, Seapony, Dum Dum Girls, and Veronica Falls. "Recharge and Revolt" (video) and "Forget That You’re Young" sound like it would fit on Seapony or Veronica Falls albums. And you can hear the 80’s Cure-influence on fast-paced rocker "Ignite" (live in studio).

Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread (Drag City). I’m not really sure why I preferred this record over the Thee Oh Sees records, when sometimes I find them hard to tell apart with their psychedelic lo-fi punk rock leanings. Maybe because I had it longer and it had a chance to grow on me more. Anyway, maybe because I had listened to some of Segall’s other albums I went in a little more familiar and could appreciate the changes more on this album.  It seems very Jay Reatard-esque to me at times.  Check out the title track, "I Can't Feel It", and "You Make the Sun Fry."

Tommy Stinson – One Man Mutiny (Done to Death). The legendary Tommy Stinson took time in between tours with Guns N’ Roses and Soul Asylum and hanging out recording with Paul Westerberg to make an album of his own, his first solo album since 2004. It mixes bluesy-rock with folky acoustic ballads and the songs flow well together. The album features Tommy's then fiancé (now wife, they wed in October 2011), Media PA's Emily Roberts singing backing vocals along with guest appearances by Dizzy Reed and Richard Fortus (both in new GNR). Here’s some footage of the recording of the title track. This track was originally recorded in a hotel restaurant in Belgium while on tour with GNR and the raw version was left on the album. "Match Made in Hell" was another song that works in a minimalist way. And "All This Way for Nothing" and "Meant to Be" are more up tempo rockers. Some of the proceeds of the album go toward rebuilding schools in the earthquake-ravaged Haiti, an issue Stinson has devoted much time and money to over the last 2 years. So, go out and buy it. It’s for a good cause.

Those Darlins – Screw Gets Loose (Oh Wow Dang). Those Darlins have a fairly unique sound best described as garage/alt-country. While their 2009 self-titled debut album sounds a bit more country-ish, this definitely has embraced more of the retro garage sound. Think along the lines of Vivian Girls or Best Coast but with a twang. And with a nod to the Ramones, the Donnas, etc, they all go by the last name “Darlin.” There’s a raw-ness to the vocals though that also makes them more unique, reminiscent of Joan Jett’s snarl at times, at least on the songs Jessi Darlin sings. Check out “Be Your Bro” (video), the title track (video), “Tina Said” (live), and “Waste Away” (live). This was a really good record and was probably my top honorable mention.

Total Babes – Swimming Through Sunlight (Old Flame). Yes, it seems 2011 is the "year of the side projects." This is a side project of Jayson Gerycz and Joe Boyer of the Cloud Nothings (stay tuned to see where their album is ranked!). You wonder if a side project was really necessary for another lo-fi punk/garage album. But you can definitely hear some differences. The Cloud Nothings are much poppier, whereas this album is more akin to the noisier, fuzzy rock of bands like Wavves and older Times New Viking. The higlights are "Like They Always Do", "Rot Away", and "Be So True", and "Tip of My Tongue."

Wild Flag – S/T (Merge). This is another example of the whole not being greater than the sum of its parts, as “super groups” rarely are. When Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney (and several other bands in Weiss’ case), Mary Timony of Helium, and Rebecca Cole of the Minders, the sky seemed to the limit for most indie rock fans. When I first heard about this project around this time last year, I had mentally already penciled the album into my 2011 Top 10. It’s a fine album and there are several songs on there that sound like mellow but good Sleater-Kinney songs, namely “Glass Tambourine”, “Romance” (video), and “Electric Band” (video). In some others the lyrics are so painfully bad, it detracts from what would otherwise be decent songs ("Boom", "Racehorse"). But expectations were so high for this, that just being pretty good seems like a let down. 

Lucinda Williams – Blessed (Lost Highway). This seems like a bit of a comeback for Lucinda after her previous two albums – West and Little Honey. Although they were very good in spots, they just seemed overwhelmed with themes of death and loss, understandable since she was writing a lot about the loss of her mother and then a romantic breakup after that. Blessed is her most consistently good album since 2003’s World Without Tears. Elvis Costello and Matthew Sweet made guest appearances on Little Honey and they return here. It’s a solid set from one of the most consistently good and enduring artists of the last 20+ years.  “Buttercup”, “Seeing Black”, and “Convince Me” (live) are the standout tracks.

Next:  Part Three - Albums 21-25