Thursday, November 21, 2019

2019 | Year End Favorites

Favorite Albums 2019 (Alphabetical)
Bon Iver – i, i (Jagjaguwar)
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - When We Are Inhuman (37dO3d)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen (Ghosteen)
The Comet is Coming - Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery (Impulse)
Crumb- Jinx (Crumb)
DIIV - Deceiver (Captured Tracks)
Empath – Active Listening: Night on Earth (Get Better/Fat Possum)
Fontaine’s D.C. - Dogrel (Partisan)
Gong Gong Gong 工工工 - Phantom Rhythm 幽靈節奏 (Wharf Cat)
Brittany Howard - Jaime (ATO)
Kokoroko - Kokoroko (Brownswood)
Cate le Bon - Reward (Mexican Summer)
Damon Locks / Black Monument Ensemble – Where Future Unfolds (International Anthem)
Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains (Drag City)
Rosenau & Sanborn – Bluebird (Psychic Hotline)
Sunn O))) - Life Metal (Southern Lord)
Swans - Leaving Meaning (Young God/Mute)
Tyler, The Creator - Igor (Columbia)
Thom Yorke - Anima  (XL)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Colorado (Reprise)

Favorite Concerts 2019 (Alphabetical)
Beach House @ Riverside Theater (Milwaukee)      
Iron Maiden @ Xcel Energy Arena (St Paul)                                    
Jason Isbell & Father John Misty @ BMO Harris Pavilion (Milwaukee)
Killing Joke @ Bottom Lounge (Chicago)     
Johnny Marr @ Pabst Theater (Milwaukee)
Massive Attack @ Palace Theater (St. Paul)                          
Bob Mould @ Turf Club (St. Paul)
Phish @ Alpine Valley (East Troy)      
Stereolab @ Turner Hall (Milwaukee)                       
Tame Impala @ Surly Brewing Field (Minneapolis)
-->

Friday, December 7, 2018

2018 | Year End Favorites


2018 Album Favorites
Courtney Barnett - Nameless, Faceless [Milk/Mom+Pop]
Beach House - 7 [Sub Pop]
Big Red Machine - Big Red Machine [People/Jagjaguwar]
Lucy Dacus – Historian [Matador]
Dead Can Dance - Dionysus [PIAS]
Nils Frahm - All Melody [Erased Tapes]
GAS – Rausch [Kompakt]
Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo [Dead Oceans]
Low - Double Negative [Sub Pop]
Efrim Manuel Menuck - Pissing Stars [Constellation]
Parquet Courts – Wide Awake! [Rough Trade]
Shame - Songs of Praise [Dead Oceans]
Sink Ya Teeth - Sink Ya Teeth [Hey Buffalo]
Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt [Fat Possum]
Superchunk – What a Time to Be Alive [Merge]
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sex & Food [Jagjaguwar]
Viagra Boys - Street Worms [Year0001]
Voivod - The Wake [Century Media]
Ryley Walker - Deafman Glance [Dead Oceans]
Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth [Shoto Mas/Young Turks]


Favorite Concerts 2018
Bon Iver “For Emma 10th Anniversary” @ BMO Harris Bradley Center (Milwaukee)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Majestic Theater (Madison)                   
David Byrne @ Riverside Theater (Milwaukee)             
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard @ Pabst Theater (Milwaukee)
Radiohead @ United Center (Chicago)                          
Courtney Barnett/Julien Baker/Lucy Dacus @ Surly Brewing (Minneapolis)                          
The War on Drugs @ Riverside Theater (Milwaukee)
My Bloody Valentine @ Palace Theater (St. Paul)
New Order @ Palace Theater (St. Paul)                           
The The @ Riviera Theater (Chicago)
Thom Yorke @ Riverside Theater (Milwaukee)

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

2017 | Year End Favorites

Favorite Albums (alphabetical)
Alvvays – Antisocialites (Polyvinyl)
The Black Angels – Death Song (Partisan)
Julie Byrne – Not Even Happiness (Ba Da Bing!)
Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound (Carpark)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Luciferian Towers (Constellation)
Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds from Another Planet (Dead Oceans)
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound (Southeastern)
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana (ATO Records)
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream (DFA/Columbia)
Thurston Moore - Rock N Roll Consciousness (Caroline)
The National – Sleep Well Beast (4AD)
Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens (Smalltown Supersound)
Priests – Nothing Feels Natural (Sister Polygon)
The Shins – Heartworms (Columbia/Aural Apothecary)
Slowdive – Slowdive (Dead Oceans)
Spoon – Hot Thoughts (Matador)
Sylvan Esso – What Now (Loma Vista)
The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding (Atlantic Records)
Waxahatchee – Out in the Storm (Merge)
The Xx – I See You (Young Turks)

Also of note, the Hüsker Dü, Savage Young Dü box set by Numero Group


Favorite Shows of 2017
Arcade Fire @ Excel Energy Center (St. Paul)
The Black Angels @ The Majestic Theater (Madison)
Cloud Nothings @ High Noon Saloon (Madison)                    
King Crimson @ The Riverside Theater (Milwaukee)
Midnight Oil @ First Avenue (Minneapolis)
Jon Mueller @ Arts & Literature Lab (Madison)
Slowdive @ The Barrymore Theater (Madison)
Thee Oh Sees @ Turner Hall (Milwaukee)
Tweedy @ Eaux Claires Festival (Eau Claire)
Roger Waters @ BMO Harris Bradley Center (Milwaukee)
The Xx @ The Rave (Milwaukee)

Saturday, December 10, 2016

2016 | Year End Favorites

Favorite Albums of 2016 (alphabetical)
Black Mountain - IV (Jagjaguwar)
Bon Iver - 22, A Million (Jagjaguwar)
Charles Bradley - Changes (Daptone/Dunham)
David Bowie - Blackstar (Columbia)
DIIV - Is the Is Are (Captured Tracks)
Drive By Truckers – American Band (ATO Records)
James Blake – The Colour of Anything (Universal)
Jon Mueller – Tongues (Rhythmplex)
Kevin Morby – Singing Saw (Dead Oceans)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed Ltd.)
Parquet Courts - Human Performance (Rough Trade)
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (XL Recordings)
Ryley Walker – Golden Sings That Have Been Sung (Dead Oceans)
Savages – Adore Life (Matador)
Steve Gunn – Eyes on the Lines (Matador)
Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (Atlantic)
The Comet is Coming – Channel the Spirit (The Leaf Label)
The Goon Sax – Up For Anything (Chapter Music)
Thee Oh Sees – Weird Exits / Odd Entrances (Castle Face)
Wire – Nocturnal Koreans (Pink Flag)

Favorite Concerts of 2016 (alphabetical)
Bob Mould @ Majestic Theater (Madison, WI)
Bon Iver @ Eaux Claires Fest (Eau Claire, WI)
Descendents @ First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN)
Iggy Pop with QOTSA @ Northrup Theater (St. Paul, MN)
Savages @ The Rave (Milwaukee, WI)
The Cure @ Excel Energy Center (St. Paul, MN)
Wilco & Kurt Vile @ Breeze Field (Madison, WI)

Sunday, December 6, 2015

2015 | Year End Favorites

Favorite Albums
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color [ATO Records]
Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars/Depression Cherry [Sub Pop]
Car Seat Headrest Teens of Style [Matador]
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think... [Mom + Pop]
Deerhunter - Fading Frontier [4AD]
Faith No More - Sol Invictus [Ipecac]
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear [Sub Pop]
Health - Death Magic [Loma Vista]
Helen - Original Faces [Kranky]
Jamie xx - In Colour [Young Turks/XL]
Killing Joke - Pylon [Killing Joke/Spinefarm]
Kurt Vile - B'lieve I'm Goin’ Down [Matador]
Low - Ones and Sixes  [Sub Pop]
Mikal Cronin - MCIII [Merge]
My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall [ATO/Capitol]
Ryley Walker - Primrose Green [Dead Oceans]
Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love [Sub Pop]
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell [Asthmatic Kitty]
Tame Impala - Currents [Interscope]
Viet Cong - Viet Cong [Jagjaguwar]


Favorite Shows
Chris Porterfield (solo acoustic) / Andie & Mike’s living room [Madison]
Death Cab For Cutie / The Riverside Theater [Milwaukee]      
Deerhunter / Majestic Theater [Madison]        
Kraftwerk / Northrup Auditorium [St. Paul]
Morrissey / Fitzgerald Theater [St. Paul]
My Morning Jacket (two nights) / The Riverside Theater [Milwaukee]
Strand of Oaks / Shitty Barn [Spring Green]
Sufjan Stevens / Eaux Claires Fest [Eau Claire]
Tame Impala / The Riverside Theater [Milwaukee]
The Church / Turner Hall [Milwaukee]
The Melvins / High Noon Saloon [Madison]
Thurston Moore & Mikal Cronin / High Noon Saloon [Madison]


Thursday, December 4, 2014

2014 | Year End Favorites

Favorites Albums of 2014 (Alphabetical Order)
Aphex Twin :: Syro Warp
Courtney Barnett :: The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas Marathon Artists/Mom+Pop
Cloud Nothings :: Here and Nowhere Else Carpark/Mom+Pop
Ex Hex :: Rips Merge
Field Report :: Marigolden Partisan
Curtis Harding :: Soul Power Burger Records
Mogwai :: Rave Tapes Sub Pop
Thurston Moore :: The Best Day Matador
Kevin Morby :: Still Life With Rejects From the Land of Misfit Toys Woodsist
Bob Mould :: Beauty & Rain Merge
Parquet Courts :: Sunbathing Animals What's Your Rupture?/Mom+Pop
Real Estate :: Atlas Domino
St. Vincent :: St. Vincent Loma Vista/Republic
Ty Segall :: Manipulator Drag City
Sturgill Simpson :: Metamodern Sounds in Country Music High Top Mountain
Spoon :: They Want My Soul Loma Vista/Republic
Strand of Oaks :: Heal Dead Oceans
Sharon Van Etten :: Are We There Jagjaguwar
The War on Drugs :: Lost in the Dream Secretly Canadian
Jack White :: Lazaretto Third Man Records

Favorites Concerts of 2014 (Chronological Order)
Superchunk @ High Noon Saloon Madison
Bob Mould @ Onion AV Backyard Party (SXSW) Austin
Gary Numan @ Hype Machine Showcase (SXSW) Austin
St. Vincent @ Turner Hall Milwaukee
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds @ State Theater Minneapolis
Spoon / Guided By Voices / Kurt Vile @ Walker Art Center Minneapolis
New Order @ BMO Harris Pavilion (Summerfest) Milwaukee
Ryan Adams @ Riverside Theater Milwaukee
Johnny Marr @ Vic Theater Chicago
Wilco @ Riverside Theater Milwaukee



Tuesday, December 10, 2013

2013 | Year End Favorites


Alphabetical list of Album favorites for 2013

Arcade Fire – Reflektor Merge Records
Atoms For Peace – AMOK XL Records
Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe Glassnote Records
Fidlar - Fidlar Mom + Pop Records
Forest Swords – Engravings Tri Angler Records
Fuzz – Fuzz In The Red Records
Jacco Gardner - Cabinet of Curiosities Trouble In Mind Records
Jagwar Ma – Howlin Mom + Pop Records
Jason Isbell – Southeastern Southeastern Records
Jim James - Regions of Light and Sound ATO Records
The National - Trouble Will Find Me Beggars Banquet Records
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away Anti Records
Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks Null Corporation / Columbia Records
Queens of the Stone Age - Like Clockwork Matador Records
Savages - Silence Yourself Matador Records
Sigur Ros – Kveikur XL Records
Superchunk – I Hate Music Merge Records
Surf City – We Knew It Was Going To Be Like This Fire Records
Volcano Choir - Repave Jagjaguwar Records
Wavves - Afraid of Heights Mom + Pop Records