The Best Band on Earth, 1967

Of course with this being probably the best year for music of all time, this was tricky.  However, I don't even have to list all the reasons why it's the Velvet Underground.

I should mention that they released two masterpieces in this year - their only two albums featuring John Cale, making them on par, or even surpassing the sum of their parts.  In 1967 their connection to Andy Warhol brought them to great prominence even if their records didn't sell that well (though by today standards peaking at 182 is hardly a failure).  They did that whole thing with the art freaks and then ditched them to get even weirder with White Light/White Heat.  For Those reasons this incarnation is seen as the more experimental side, but I prefer to see the aggression of their experimentation as their sign of being a true rock band.  While it may sound avant-garde, songs like "Run Run Run" and "Sister Ray" have been proven by the rest of rock history to be the definition of the genre.  With the more conceptual and experimental pieces like "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "The Gift" being balanced out by the sweet sounds of "Sunday Morning" and "Here She Comes Now," the Velvets seem to have more in common with the Beatles than with Captain Beefheart.

Prior to their run-in with Warhol, the Velvets were just another rock band playing teen beat shows around the New York area and their maturity and bend for weirdness never detracted or even distracted from their ability to rock hard.  With that, the original quartet had that raw cohesion that makes 60s punk such a special kind of music.  While I will admit they still had that power with Doug Yule, few musicians can approach John Cale's level of talent and creativity - an undeniable part of this era's sound.

Though as much as one can say for Cale and Reed, I refuse to keep allowing the greatness of Sterling Morrison to be overlooked, and hey as reprehensible as her later political affiliation is, Moe Tucker was the first woman in a band outside of vocals/tambourine to not have a gimmicky element.  Plus she played a weird kit.

Honorable mentions:  Moby Grape, Love.

Best Band on Earth, 1966

Missed yesterday on account of the yuletide obligations.  Now, on for another underground hipster snob pick for 1966:  The 13th Floor Elevators.

Though I'll be one of the first to tell you that Easter Everywhere blows the debut away, the 1966 Elevators are the greater band.  The core of Roky Erickson, Tommy Hall, and Stacy Sutherland was augmented by a rhythm section that matched them on a more even level and included the highly-underrated drummer John Ike Walton who many considered the band's secret weapon.

These days people focus the most on the Elevators mystic/psychedelic aspect, but Erickson's energy and the band's attack made them as much a proto-punk group, making "You're Gonna Miss Me" a staple of Lenny Kaye's Nuggets.  The band's debut is furious statement that was originally intended to be a crash-course in psychedelic enlightenment orchestrated by Tommy Hall which would have made it one of, if not the first concept album.  The 1966 Elevators truly vied up to the 4 P's with their attack, concepts, freeform experimentalism, and great catchy songs.

The Elevators were on a speeding upward trajectory this year as the quintet and their entourage of new age contributors including Clementine Hall and Powell St. John created a massive, yet under-appreaciated shockwave.  They scored a national hit, released an Erath-shattering album, and moved on to show San Francisco the real meaning of psychedelic rock thanks to Janis Joplin.  The band was on top of the world and still had great music ahead of them, and the raggedy that surrounded the band had not yet begun to destroy it.

Honorable mention:  The Kinks.

Best band on Earth, 1965

The shape of rock music had changed radically in its brief existence at this point,t hough few noticed.  That's why for 1965, I am giving you its first deconstructionists the monks.

Maybe all you Trans-Atlantic Feedback devotees are right and the whole concept was a couple German guys' ideas, but that can't discount the fact that these five Americans played the music.  After all, they weren't the ones who kicked off an album saying, "alright, my name's Gary."  It just wouldn't have the same impact if they did anyway.  With guitar, bass, drums, organ, and electric banjo they already had an all new post-beat sound that is more proto-krautrock than pro to-punk.  Still that doesn't acknowledge the fact that Gary Burger could be described as the first true noise guitarist.  To those of us in the know it is a fact that Jimi Hendrix saw the monks right when he came to England.

Still, the guitar is such a small part and their rhythmic droning, sometimes stripped down to a mere fuzz bass and drum kit puts the Velvet Underground's to shame.  While simplicity was already considered a virtue in rock, the monks' primal minimalism was something all new and Larry Clark's organ was as bold in its merciless cacophony as the guitar, to say nothing of the metallic crunch of Dave Day's banjo.

Their appearance wasn't even as radical as their lyrics which presumably were accepted only due to being in a country that might not grasp every aspect that makes "I Hate You" and "Monk Time" so powerful.  They were probably just happy bopping to the linguistic unification of "We Do, Wie Du."

The monks were a howling, crunching music machine that completely reconstructed rock music for the future, and as simple as it may appear, not just any five guys could sound like this.

Honorable mention:  The Byrds

Best Band In The World, 1964

Luckily the Rolling Stones at the top of their game were captured on film in the unbelievable TA.M.I. Show on which some people feel that their closing performance even outdoes James Brown's.  I am not sure if I concur, as it is just not right to compare.  Regardless I have see few performances on par with the Stones'.

That being said, this performance pre-dates the Rolling Stones that people born after the fifties (or possibly even most of the fifties) knows, still long before defining hits like "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," but the familiarity with the material is hardly an issue.  In 1964, few people other than the band's biggest fans would know much about the individuals that made up this group.  There's the wild frontman oozing with sex, the the drugged-out genius on lead guitar, the barely competent madman wildcard on rhythm guitar - and I believe four maracas, the creepy older lech holding a bass like a real weirdo, and a quiet fellow behind the traps serving as the ringleader.  It's more than than just the way that they are dressed that made their performance the most casual.  When the Stones abandoned their Beatles-esque uniforms they brought on the artist of rock artists just not giving a fuck, providing many with the "Stones are better than Beatles" argument that still rages on.

If, this seems to focused on the T.A.M.I. Show it's because it could make a greater argument than any person ever could.  The producers wisely chose this band, still called by some a flash in the pan, to close the extravagant show and forever solidified the band's greatness before they even came into themselves.  They played the music they all loved, they were young, and they sere still far come bloated or drug-damaged.  For those reasons the Rolling Stones, regardless of how much greater they may have become, were the best band in the world in 1964.

The Best Band on Earth, 1963

With this band it's wasn't a matter of if, but rather when, so of course...  The Beatles.

I still refuse to take sides on the early vs. later Beatles argument, but what is unarguable is the fact that 1963 was the year the Beatles rose to the top of the world where they still are.  They could not have done that without their unrelenting schedule of killer live shows - already in top form from their years in Hamburg.  Footage from this era shows a band that delivered anything anyone could want from a rock show.  Brian Epstein also made sure they were extra charming and looked great, even if the suits were a bit weird.

Though they were still playing a lot of covers at this point that is what many fans loved most and groups like the Cyril Jordan era Flamin' Groovies owe their whole persona to this era and their re-workings of original classics like "Misery" and "Please Please Me" have been kept alive.  These songs showed that Lennon and McCartney had even greater skill than the guys they were covering with tunes as diverse as the sweet love of "All My Loving" to the determined punk fury of "I Wanna Be Your Man."

These performances were effortless to this unmatchable quartet and for those lucky enough to experience these times they remain the fondest of all Beatles' memories.  Of course, the music only got better, but we've all heard enough about the Beatles.  There is no need for me to further ellaborate why they were the best band in the world in 1963.

The Best Band on Earth, 1962

It begins in 1962 as this was the birth of the "band" era.  Before that, in rock at least, it was all about singular performers and perhaps some acknowledgement of their side men.  This concept is based on the idea of cohesion, energy, and unity.  No bands repeat, so I guess it's not totally accurate.  It has very little to do with records and some bands will be number one when they did not release anything or maybe even released a weak album.  So, with that, the best band of 1962, The Beach Boys.

So, obviously I am not trying to say that the Beach Boys did their best work in 1962, but merely that they were the best band in the world at the time.  In a lot of ways, they were the best band they ever were at this point.  As the music got better they became more a project of Brian Wilson making use of five other vocalists and one other guitarist.  Then really just six solo projects that would share LPs.

1962, though the quintet of Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson with Mike Love and David Marks were the tightest and liveliest band so far.  Brian's songs were getting better and better by the day as he expanded beyond surfing and car songs into the likes of "Farmer's Daughter" and "Lonely Sea."  Though a weaker record, their debut Surfin' Safari showed how much potential the soon-to-be legendary band had and considering the hypnotic harmonies on "Ten Little Indians" were recorded live they may have already been there.

There is still a lot of controversy surrounding rhythm guitarist David Marks, but the extraordinarily young guitarist contributed much to the band being so cohesive.  The 1962 lineup was essentially a power trio of brothers plus one cousin and Marks.  Growing up in the same neighborhood as the Wilsons he was Dennis' young sidekick and even learned how to play guitar side by side with Carl.  These familiar bonds gave this era a rhythmic lock never head before that even a mature musician like Al Jardine just could not outdo.

The mostly teenage band did a lot of touring already and maintained a live schedule far more demanding than most bands since the 80s and their playing was improving as rapidly as the songwriting.  Sure, it may pale in comparison to Pet Sounds, but the 1962 Beach Boys were a live musical force far beyond many of over 50  the groups that will follow.  Plus, consider that the average age of its members was only 17!

The Best of 2013

One day after the release of a Robert Pollard album I know I just won't have time to absorb, here's my year-end list.

First, the notables from categories I'm not doing this year.

As always, I'm listening to a lot - perhaps primarily, reissues.  I'm not really keeping up with the release dates.  Who knows what came out this year, last year, maybe even 2011 for the fifth or sixth time.  I do know that the second set of Cleaners from Venus records came out this year.  I wanted to get the whole boxed set, but couldn't find it when I had my chance.  Therefore, just the beautifully-titled In The Golden Autumn which I can recommend highly thanks to tracks like "Renee" and "Marilyn on a Train."

Then of course there was Speed the Plough's The Plough and the Stars which I have discussed a lot on the link.  IT's an undefinable record excellent in all the things it is - a best-of, an archival live release, and a new EP, even if the last one is one side of an LP.

That section of the piece, entitled Tag Sale was not the only incredible EP to come out of new Jersey.  Ducktails' Wish Hotel was perhaps my favorite record of the year, any format and a huge improvement over the album he released earlier this year.

So now onto the main event.  The top 10 albums of 2013.  This year, more than ever, I think 10 was the correct number, though ranking them was even harder than most.

10.  Robert Pollard - Honey Locust Honky Tonk

With Pollard's suggestion that English Little League could be the final Guided by Voices record I knew that his next solo album was worth checking out after the last time it happened.  Luckily there are at least two more coming from his group, but this effort is a good one.  In a recent interview with Pollard he discussed the difference between the two projects and these songs coming from an individual 55 year-old man is an even bigger defining element than longer tracks, more keyboards, and less pop.  This maturity may be hear best on the closer "Airs," but Pollard's talent as evident on all the tracks with rocker "Flash Gordon Style" and "Her Eyes Play Tricks on the Camera" being some other top picks.

9.  Mikal Cronin - MCII

It took a recommendation to check this one out as I'm really not into that whole thing coming out of San Francisco these days, but this is a pretty cool guitar pop record.  The young Cronin has a good ear and it's interesting to see what he will do in the future when he gains some more maturity.  I think he falls into some of the retro traps his adopted city is full of, but on face value there is nothing wrong with channeling the greats of the past and songs like "Shout it Out" transcend all of those things.

8.  Surfer Blood - Pythons

One of the most overlooked records of the year (probably due to frontman John Paul Pitts' mental issues and the havoc the wrought), Surfer Blood's follow-up is probably an even better record than their 2010 debut.  This is in no small part due to veteran producer Gil Norton whose work makes opener "Demon Dance" shine as brightly as their other opening track.  The band, now down to a four-piece has just gotten better as well and Pitts' lyrics go even further into his dark psyche and past on songs like "Blair Witch" and "I Was Wrong."  If it doesn't hit the same heights as their debut, it is definitely more consistent and their influences have made them a truly unique voice distinguishing them from the 80s and 90s revivalists to whom they can be compared.  One more record like this and they will have outdone Weezer.  Easily.

7.  Bronko Lelich - The Wrong Stuff

This Bay Area transplant in Brooklyn named after a deceased doctor released this album at the same time as his old band No Big Deal's also strong album.  This one ended up being one of my favorites of the year.  The short lengths show his dedication to Guided by Voices, but the punk energy with transcendently catchy pop make him more along the lines of a non-violent Jay Reatard - best heard on "Pouring Rain."  His skill for concise lyrics may even outdo the pop hooks on songs like "Loveliest One" and "It's So Hard (The Self-Pity Anthem)" and with his perfect guitar tones on "Bad News" and opener "Hella Faced" makes this a perfect record for the rock future.  If you, for some reason haven't downloaded it yet, do that now here:  http://bronkolelich.bandcamp.com/

6.  Guided by Voices - English Little League

Pollard, Sprout, and the rest continue their rise back to the status of the best band on Earth with their fourth reunion album.  It may be the biggest jump in quality yet in terms of both consistency and standout tracks.  Of course Sprout is still shining even brighter with these albums his only current outlet and "Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)" has joined the upper echelon of his best work.  Pollard and his increasingly collaborative approach is also returning to form and the opening one-two punch of "Xeno Pariah" and "Know Me As Heavy," but hits his highest point with "Flunky Minnows."  This album may not be classic era, but no use in expecting more of those, and I would wager to say it beats almost all the professional era albums.  They even close it powerfully with "W/ Glass In Foot"!

5.  Yo La Tengo - Fade

Now over twenty years in their classic incarnation the Hoboken, New Jersey trio shows no signs of slowing down even if their hometown has completed its final death rattle.  Released in the very beginning of the year, it certainly got things moving with this exceptional album, especially opening with "Ohm" a song that captures what Yo La Tengo do best with the surprising lead of James McNew.  With no tracks over 7 minutes it's also one of their most concise and the shortest track of them all "Well You Better" is one of their best pop tracks of all time.  It's their best album in half a decade and if that doesn't say much just remember how great the last one was.  Either way, it's Yo La Tengo and noisy folk pop will always be one of the best things an album can be no matter what.

4.  My Bloody Valentine - m b v

The overhyped and, naturally, over-backlashed album of the year took enough time to absorb than most of those reactions are invalid.  Kevin Shields managed to get past the 22 years of pressure and produced another great record for the legendary band.  Of course, it was a little less collaborative than it had been in the past, but nothing changes the quality of the music.  Less song-oriented than ever before the textures on this album may even surpass those in the past without the overkill of Loveless which shows a more mature artist.  Rather than try to repeat their old masterpiece, they have a sound the picks up the evolution where they left off and the record has a charm all of its own, like all of the group's other records.  More ethereal Irish music from the heart and a new classic song to boot in "New You," one of their best of all time.

3.  The Flaming Lips - The Terror

I am only new beginning to absorb this album.  Perhaps it was the release date.  It's just not a very Spring album, is it?  I have a feeling it may end up a masterpiece in my mind, taking over the number one spot for this year and maybe the Lips' career.  The last few years have given us a whole lot of apocalyptic albums and this is one of the finest, in a was picking up where the other slow-burning Embryonic left off.  If you're not ready it's hard to sit through it and very hard to find a foothold, but the same could be said for much of Pink Floyd and this album proves more than any other that the Li[s are the heirs to that throne.  Once this album has its following it will be a real life changer as there is no doubt that each member of this band has found as cosmic channel to the truth you shouldn't need any more proof than titles like "Be Free, A Way" and "You Are Alone" should be enough.  If you've been scratching your head over this release it's time to listen to it again.  The bonus tracks are great too and "Sun Blows Up Today" should have been included on my mix for the year.

2.  Kurt Vile - Walkin' in a Pretty Daze

It took long enough, but I was finally won over by Kurt Vile at the South Street Seaport this summer.  Shortly after I picked up this album and it was in very heavy rotation for a while.  Prior to its release it would be hard to imagine Vile sounding any stonier (though on "Goldtone" he insists that's not the case), but the extended lengths of these songs managed to do it.  Even with many of these slow, psychedelic folk tunes pushing the 10-minute mark it never drags or even gets too jammy proving Vile and his Violators highly-skilled in getting to the essence of the music and it making it really count.  With one of the most perfect titles of all time, it's no surprise that the lyrics are one of the biggest strengtths as well, from the nebulous, yet blissed-out opener to the sentimental fantasy of "Girl Called Alex."  However, it is "Was All Talk" that defines the album best:  "Making music is easy.  Watch me!"

1.  Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of The City

When this came out, I - like so many others, still had a hard time liking Vampire Weekend.  This album though, was a huge step up, even as I've come to appreciate all their records.  As the cover suggests this is not just another snicker at the Northeast upper crust, but an honest look at the majesty of the city that gave birth to this unique group.  It could not have been timed any better and the opening "Obvious Bicycle" was enough to show a different side to the New Yorkers.  Though it contributes to what has put off so many people, the group's honesty is one of their virtues and the album takes it so far it gets both uncomfortable and transcendent as in the breakdown of "Finger Back."  Where there is an air of light preppy fun on the album, death is everywhere and the release of "Diane Young," which I still believe is the album's weakest track as lead single said all that could be said in that regard.  I also can't condone what they did to those Saab's, but its artistic reasons are good enough to overlook it.  This element of damnation and redemption that begins early on with "Unbelievers" spirals to a dramatic conclusion at the end with tracks like "Worship You," the eerie "Hudosn," and the gorgeous conclusion "Young Lion," which is even a little reminiscent of "You're Not An Airplane."  The record's production may actually be what it keeps it so on the edge, though with the rising superstar Ariel Rechtshaid adding pop sounds foreign to a person like me fitting in perfectly with Rostam Btmanlij's ear for classical embellishments, best heard on "Ya Hey."  A masterpiece, and maybe even more perfectly-titled than the Kurt Vile record.

Top 5 Songs of 2013:

5.  Vampire Weekend - "Obvious Bicycle"

4.  Surfer Blood - "Demon Dance"

3.  My Bloody Valentine - "New You"

2.  Ducktails - "Wish Hotel"

1.  Deerhunter - "The Missing"

Top 5 Sets I Attended in 2013:

5.  pow wow! at Living Bread, Brooklyn

4.  Flamin' Groovies, Maxwell's, Hoboken

3.  Feelies, Washington Street, Hoboken

2.  Will Stratton, Pete's Candy Shop, Brooklyn

1.  The Last Nights, Super River House, Los Angeles

So what's coming up for 2014?

A lot of good!  First of all, from New Jersey, of course.  As anyone who downloaded my best of 2013 mix would know the next Will Stratton album is going to kick ass.  There's a reason he's #2 on that live shows list.  That was one of the most emotionally-moving experiences of my life, beat only by the time he played before, but that set wasn't as long.  The other one would be the New Real Estate album.  Every little scrap I've heard from that so far is as great as Days.  I would't be surprised if we get more form Speed the Plough and their new lineup too.

Then of course there's Super River, and our upcoming album The Ball Python Manual.  It's taken a long time to complete, but it shouldn't be that much longer.  It's gonna be pretty different from This One Reminds Me The Most of Us, I think in a good way, so hopefully that will be finished and you can all hear it soon!

Also, I believe there should be some new releases from Twin Sister, the Apples In Stereo, and definitely some cool stuff coming out of Alameda, so that's promising.

Coming soon (probably tomorrow) the best band in the world for every year.

2013 Mix

In my slow way of moving toward the obligatory end of the year list, here is my best of 2013 Mix.  It's all new music from all formats, so nothing from the great reissues I will mention in non-list form in the next article.

I think it's a good mix of stuff that's been released over the year.  Some of it won't even get a nod in my year-end list, but these are good songs.  Some of it is rare stuff that you won't hear anywhere else... At least not yet.  So here it is, along with my suggested order because I don't have any blank CDs to commit these tracks into my ideal fashion:

1.  "Jesus Loves the the Byrds" - Starling Electric
2.  "Perfect North" - Speed the Plough
3.  "Return of the Champ" - The Last Nights
4.  "Demon Dance" - Surfer Blood
5.  "Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)" - Guided by Voices
6.  "She's a Freak" - Bronko Lelich
7.  "Well You Better" - Yo La Tengo
8.  "Finger Back" - Vampire Weekend
9.  "Walkin' On A Pretty Day" - Kurt Vile
10.  "Ice Cream Date" - No Big Deal
11.  "The Missing" - Deerhunter
12.  "Flunky Minnows" - Guided by Voices
13.  "Shout it Out" - Mikal Cronin
14.  "New You" - My Bloody Valentine
15.  "Wish Hotel" - Ducktails
16.  "The End of Love" - Super River
17.  "Imperium" - Blouse
18.  "Airs" - Robert Pollard
19.  "Gray Lodge Wisdom" - Will Stratton

DOWNLOAD 2013