Ive spent the last 12 months touring a crazy amount, 120 shows + travel days, its been amazing, exhausting, joyful and mind breaking. I feel like the older I get, the more im looking to the past for music to excite me, the enshittification of "independent" music has really been weighing on my mind. I just wish everything didn't feel so low effort, I don't care about musicianship, that shit doesn't matter to me, I'm not impressed. I will say i do feel hopeful when I see peers like JRCG, Wishy, New Issue and Good Flying Birds, all who have blown me with their live shows, songwriting and being earnest & cool people. Anyway, blah blah, here's music i dug this year.
Donkey Basketball - Remold / Recur
Issac of Lifeguard's "IDM" project comes into its own, with a more fully realized project "Remold/Recur". The production is denser, more physical with the beats pulling and bending the listeners sound field. The bass hits you in the chest, the sound design feels like yr in a futuristic city running for yr life. Issac on all fronts have improved with more dynamics and power. It's wild to me this record has turned more heads, it's a great peice of work, for fans of Aphex Twin, Shuttle358 and Skee Mask.
https://evel.bandcamp.com/album/remold-recur
SML "How You Been"
Stated plainly, this sounds like Fela Kuti, Cluster and Mwandishi era of Herbie Hancock jamming in the coolest venue youve ever been too. Its fantastic. Great for pre evening walks, while slightly stoned with a hit of Kava/Kratom.
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/how-you-been
Good Flying Birds "Talula's Tape"
I very much enjoyed this tape when it came out originally on Rotten Apples, and the expanded version is also sick but BUT, this is a band you have to see live for it to fully click, they are hands down one of the best live bands I've seen in a long time (outside JRCG and SML), rock bands basically never impress me, or have that urgency, passion and man, GFB attack their songs like a hardcore band. Its noisy, out of tune and pummeling. "I Care For You" is my jam, it does the classic VU, JATMC, TFC duh duh duh duh duh slamming floor/snare 8th notes....it rules. This is the best rock band in the US right now, hands down. Bright future.
https://rottenapplelabel.bandcamp.com/album/good-flying-birds-talulahs-tape
Florian TM Zeisig "A New Life"
Best ambient record of the year in my humble opinion.
https://stroomtv.bandcamp.com/album/a-new-life
Rest Symbol "Rest Symbol"
A really mysterious downtempo release that combines some abstract sound collages, drones and noise that can hold you at a distance to than all of a sudden delights you with coherent song. The true "songs" are a mix of dubbed out soul, R&B, post Broadcastian pysch pop. Ill say crassly its like a avant gardeier version of Portishead. I cant wait to hear whatever they do next cuz this record is so fun to be immersed in. (technically 2023 but was a reissue this year and i didn't know it until now)
https://restsymbol.bandcamp.com/album/rest-symbol
U.E. "Hometown Girl"
I feel like this sounds like a modern take on Talk Talk or Bark Psychosis. This is my favorite thing Ulla has made so far. Haunting, slow moving, spacious and moving, U.E. like Rest Symbol creates soundscape thats so enjoyable to be pulled into. The record feels very lived in, like yr walking into an old house that is overgrown but beautiful. Mixes ambient, electronic, organic, jazz, post rock and some slowcore that reminds me of Movietone, Rachels and above mentioned bands.
https://ullastraus.bandcamp.com/album/hometown-girl
Chihei Hatakeyama - Lucid Dreams
Lastly, I've been really enjoying much of Chihei music for sleep/anxiety reasons, on tour my mind tends to get into loops of repetitive internal dialog that can prevent me from sleeping or being able to fall back asleep. Their new record "Lucid Dreams" has soundtracked many of sleepless moments at 430 am, trying to make sure I get those last few hours of sleep so I can perform my best. The music is mostly soft drones, with vocals atop sometimes. It's mostly guitars and synths, very gentle. The music is like a low pink hum into my panic riddled mind, so thank you Chihei. Oh and some of it reminds me of a I assume basically unknown group called Dopo, whos record Blue Lands is amazing
https://chiheihatakeyama.bandcamp.com/album/lucid-dreams
Raisa K - Affectionately
Solo record from Good Sad Happy Bad member, that tbh, being a big fan of their last record, I think this one surpasses it. Circular crunchy rhythms that create a fantastic hypnotic groove with interesting sound design. It often reminds me of Broadcasts Tender Buttoms era, minimalist pop songs that are always moving. I love the way the instrumentals move, i dont have a proper way to convery it, but the whole record has a hypnotic pull, its great music to drive too, and Dummy did alot.
https://raisaraisak.bandcamp.com/album/affectionately
Billy Woods - Golliwog
I haven't had a ton of time to spend with it, but all I know is "Dislocated" is on of the best hiphop songs I've heard .....this is a great peice of art that will take many listens to fully appreciate and dissect. The record is so harrowing, dense and hard to grasp fully without really locking in, this isn't a hip-hop record for the faint of heart.
https://billywoods.bandcamp.com/album/golliwog
Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
Obviously I was going to include my fav trio Horsegirls new record. I am so proud of these three for making what to me sounds like a very personal and intimate record. I love that it's more raw, ramshackled and patient. The chord changes are smart, minimal for full impact of their thoughtful vocals / melodies. This may sound dumb but I feel like Dummy and HG are running parallel in a weird way, both bands on our 2nd records pulled away from what we were doing on our debuts, without losing our sense of POP. We went more experimental and pounding, and they went more spacious and tense. They've matured so much, not needing fuzz or noise to hide behind, and fully came into their own. Look Blue Go Clean.
https://thisishorsegirl.bandcamp.com/album/phonetics-on-and-on
Wishy - Planet Popstar
Goddamn, this band can write a funcking tune! Dummy was lucky enough to play couple gigs and hang with these freaks, and they immediately felt like kindred spirits that bow to the alter of POP songwriting while also painting outside those lines in subtle / smart ways. These songs worm so hard into yr skull esp "Over and Over", that song has so many sticky elements from little sounds in the mix, the beat production, Kevin and Nina's vocal chemistry sells these songs. The song "Chaser" is like if The Corrs were actually sick and from DIY, Nina eats on this song. Every song could be a single, some are immediate and some growers....which is how a great band should be, a mix!
https://wishy.bandcamp.com/album/planet-popstar
ASC - Tales of Introspection
Another ambient/drone album i listened to a lot on tour while trying to calm racing thoughts in the van or after a show. Haunting drones, meleodic guitar work and underlying sense of dread that wraps you up like a warm (?) blanket. It reminds me of Biosphere, Windy & Carl and alil of Gas.
https://quietdetails.bandcamp.com/album/tales-of-introspection
Scalp - Not Worthy of Human Compassion
Insanely brutal grindcore, hc, metalcore amalgamation. The first time I heard Scalp i was in Utrecht, playing through a shitty speaker and was blown away by the production being so raw and gross I shazammed it. That was their debut (not counting demo). Their new record the production is less lofi but the performances are still so brutal and urgent. It reminds me of Premonitions Of War, Gulch and Luddite Clone. It rules, their use of feedback rules, and the bass tone really makes me wanna break the earth in two. Mosh
https://scalpoc.bandcamp.com/album/not-worthy-of-human-compassion
Verity Den - Wet Glass
If their was a band carrying the torch of what was happening in Michigan (and the orbiting bands) in the mid to late 90s it would be Verity Den. Atmospheric "rock" that blends drone, tape manipulation, loops, synths and organs that coalesce into a mesmerizing stew. My personal fav from the record is "Unsolved Mystery" which has a fuzzy feedback ebbing and flowing, with what sounds like a piano being looped, minimal drum machine and haunting vocals drifting throughout. I like a record where i cant immediately figure out what is making the sounds. I tend to prefer a female voice in my diy rock, but the male vocals remind me of Lee Ranaldo and Ira Kaplan which always has this hint of sadness. There's bits of Grouper, Windy & Carl, Landing, Yo La Tengo, and alil Bailter Space, and if you dig all these bands....youll vibe with this. Rock music is starting to come back to life thank god.
https://verityden.bandcamp.com/album/wet-glass
Supreme Joy - 410,757,864,530 Dead Carps
Another sick rock record that goes between rock songs and weird tangential moments of sonic experimental. Supreme Joy makes diy rock thats somewhere between Sonic Youth, Lewsberg, Elephant 6 pysch pop, alil dash of Deerhunter and punk. Dummy was luckily enough to play with in Denver and was blown away by their set. I love rock bands pushing the weird side with solid rock songs, i love feedback used for texture, and the urgency of how this band plays...it comes together in a novel way that maybe youve heard similar stuff, but this feels like they are on a path to make something truly spectacular in the future and i hope they continue to dig in.
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https://supremejoy.bandcamp.com/album/410757864530-dead-carps
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