‘68 “Yes, and…”
’68 continues their streak of blending chaos with melody on their newest album, “Yes, and…” Unlike the band’s earlier work, frontman Josh Scogin does a lot more singing than screaming, allowing him to experiment with new vocal styles and influences, keeping their sound fresh and different from any of their previous work. Meanwhile, drummer Nikko Yamada rounds out the two-piece, contributing unique and creative drum parts that emphasize every beat that needs to hit hard, providing the perfect backing for even the more subdued moments in the album. The pair innovates on the sound of their last album, while never losing what made the band interesting in the first place. Carter Schenke – Contributor
Mitski “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We”
I recently read a Wikipedia article about Sam Shepard; his work and this album have so much in common that I’m pretty sure “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” could have soundtracked his plays. Rootsy influences? Check. Sepia tone views on love, loss, and the future? Check. Dreary, yearning depictions of a mind that operates separately from the rosy illusions that uphold polite society? Check. Plus, “My Love Mine All Mine” really hit the right TikTok algorithms recently. Nice to see the forlorn cries of a battered and pain-stricken heart popping off next to videos about the top 10 most sinfully attractive cartoon characters. The kids aren’t alright, the adults aren’t alright, and, after listening to the album, I’m not alright. – Kay V. Ashbury – Contributor
Rancid “Tomorrow Never Comes”
Notable punk heroes, Rancid, returned this year with ‘Tomorrow Never Dies,’ their latest and shortest album offering yet. Coming in at just under 29 minutes, the album – their first in nearly six years – is jam packed with tracks that are reminiscent of some of the most popular eras of their back catalog. Many of the songs remind me of old Lars and the Bastards tunes, with driving, gritty, and melodic orchestrations combined with pummeling energy and impactfully stoic lyrics. All marbled together with refreshing modern-day influences. – Rose Eden – Contributor
The Mountain Goats “Jenny From Thebes”
The Mountain Goats are as prolific as they are quirky, which is to say… somewhat frustratingly so. Since 2019, the John Darnielle-fronted group – which has featured Alicia Bognanno, Matt Douglas, Peter Hughes, and Jon Wurster – has released six – yes, SIX – albums, including this year’s ‘Jenny From Thebes.’ And while every album since 2020’s “Getting Into Knives” has felt more and more like an excursion into pop-rock, it is this album that best encapsulates that feeling, with the lush opener of “Clean Slate” or the Lindsey Buckingham reminiscent “Only One Way,” marking a catchy and delightful turn for a band that gave us delightfully crunchy lo-fi albums like “Sweden” and “The Coroner’s Gambit.” Most interestingly, this album is a surprise sequel to the band’s seminal 2002 lo-fi classic “All Hail West Texas.” A surprising relation, to be sure. Like when you remember that Chet Hanks is Tom Hanks’ son. – Adam Frost-Venrick – Contributor
Miltarie Gunn “Life Under the Gun”
Militarie Gun’s ‘Life Under The Gun’ is an essential album for anyone who likes eating Taco Bell on warm nights with people they once perceived as trusted friends but are ultimately the source of all their problems. This album has plenty of hooks and engaging songwriting that makes any car ride better, which will be great knowledge to have when you can finally afford one of those. From ‘Do it Faster’ to ‘seizure of assets’ the catchy guitars and driving drums will propel you through any monotonous work day or lazy afternoon (which, let’s face it, is the same as your definition of a work day).” – Connor Donnelly – Contributor
Sincere Engineer “Cheap Grills”
Chicago’s Sincere Engineer graced us with yet another scream-along anthemic album this year in the form of ‘Cheap Grills.’ Steeped in the Midwestern Emo tradition, the entire record is fuzzy, catchy, brooding, jangly, anthemic, and most importantly, fun as fuck. Deanna Belos’ voice soars atop impenetrable walls of power-chord guitars to deliver the most joyous readings of some of her finest lyrics to date. – CM
Baroness “Stone”
Baroness is currently celebrating their twentieth year as a band, which modern events tell us is quite a milestone. Despite the years, the quartet only seems to be getting started on their sixth LP, ‘Stone.’ The only real difference between their early and older sounds is that old Baroness sounds like they’re taking you on a date to rob a liquor store while new Baroness is staying in all weekend with you for a “Lord of the Rings” marathon with charcuterie pairings for each movie. While the entire staff has been thoroughly enjoying the album, we’ve instituted a moratorium on playing it until we can get our office put back together.-CM
Yardboss “No Casket 1993”
The last time I saw Yardboss, I couldn’t hear anything for three weeks. I was also sticky with beer and had a gigantic bruise on my right side from being tossed into a bar stool by a rowdy crowd-goer. That loosely translates to: ‘This band fucks.’ Six years after the release of their EP ‘I Wish I Was Dead ‘92,’ Yardboss fulfilled their wish with this year’s ‘No Casket 1993.’ It’s a fever dream of melted guitars, excellent melodies, and backbeats that will make you think you’ve been hit multiple times with a defibrillator. Who knows? You just might need one for real after your first listen -CM
Fiddlehead “Death Is Nothing To Us”
When this supergroup featuring members of Have Heart and Basement (just to name a few) released their first album in 2018, many expected it to be a one-off. It makes sense considering the fact that typically when something this good comes out it’s quickly taken away. Life is unfair and meaningless, and nothing pure can last for long. Fortunately for all involved, those assumptions were wrong. Their aptly titled third LP, ‘Death Means Nothing To Us’ is an absolute fucking triumph. Every song on the record is a certified hit. Don’t get any big ideas about starting up your old side project again, though, because Fiddlehead is a one-of-a-kind side hustle.” -CM
DeathCollector “Death’s Toll”
Some people collect baseball cards. Others (virgins) collect Funko Pop Dolls. The gang over at DeathCollector collect… err, death? Pretty sure that’s a thing you can collect. Believe it or not, this band is a death metal project and their latest album ‘Death’s Toll’ cuts to the chase immediately. No drawn out intros, no clean passages- this is meat & potatoes death metal. And by meat: yes, I mean human meat. – JD