CHRIS
2021. A year like no other (apart from 2020, maybe). It's certainly the year that I've listened to the least amount of new music for a long time. The combination of the pandemic hampering bands from recording and months of delays to vinyl production mean that my new music consumption is way down. With that background, I thought I was going to struggle to find ten releases that I wanted to include in this list. Obviously, I was seriously wrong.
Going back through what's come out this year, I've found that whilst quantity might be down, quality certainly isn't. What's more, I found it particularly pleasing that my list is a nice mix of releases from bands that have been around for decades, bands that are fairly established and bands putting out their debut albums.
With that in mind, I think I need to give some honourable mentions… Antagonizers, Charteux, Debt Neglector, Harker, Heart & Lung, Lost Love, Needles//Pins, Pass Away and Zoanoids all put out great records this year that I've had on constant rotation. There's also a whole bunch of others, but I've resisted the temptation to name them all otherwise you'd simply be reading a long list of all the new music I've brought this year.
Right, on with the top ten and, as clichéd as it sounds, I could have listed these records in multiple different orders and still been pretty happy with the list. Certainly, if you asked me to put the list together again next week, there's a good chance there'd be others in the line up and a 100 per cent chance the order of the top ten would be different. What I'm loving at any moment changes all the time, so lists always tend to be fluid things, but when complying a top 10, you have to be disciplined and like it or not create an order from 10–1. So here's mine as of this day, writing in early December…
10. Over The Overlords by Naked Raygun (Wax Trax! Records)
There was no way I was ever not going to have Naked Raygun on this list. Having loved the band – along with their Chicago peers Pegboy – when I was a teen, a first album in 30 years meant it was always going to represent something special to me. However, as we all know, "representing" and actually truly becoming something special don't always match up. And whilst even I'm not old enough to remember them releasing records in their pomp, like when so many bands release new stuff, let alone after a gap of 30 years, I was nervous this would tarnish those teenage memories. Of course, there was no need to worry. There's a bit of post-punk and plenty of fizzing "poppy" stuff, drawing inevitable comparisons to the Buzzcocks and it's definitely more aligned to their later stuff rather than the earlier releases, but that's no bad thing for me. A truly seminal band, I'm so glad they're back.
9. No Way Out But Through by Face To Face (Fat Wreck Chords)
Another band that I've loved for years, although apart from when they were on a brief hiatus in the mid-noughties, unlike Naked Raygun, Face To Face have never stopped putting out great albums. They're probably the band I consider to be the most consistent over many years. That fast, catchy, SoCal punk that defines them and that which has become so recognisable is here again throughout this album. There's nothing new sound wise, but this album doesn't in anyway feel like the band is going through the motions, and again that familiarity is no bad thing for me as I love the Face To Face sound and I just want to hear more of it.
8. Disappear. Reappear. by Rough Dreams (59 X Records)
Whilst they've released a number of tracks online, this is the debut album from Rough Dreams. It's emo-tinged punk with a bit of grungy shoegaze in there as well. It does remind me of a similar sound that you'd get from the 90s/00s but at the same time it doesn't feel dated or stale. There's plenty to get your blood pumping with fast guitars and passionate sing-a-long choruses – this album is a banger.
7. Irruption by Ship Thieves (Chunksaah Records)
Chris Wollard is punk rock royalty and it's very hard not to like at least some of his back catalogue with the likes of Hot Water Music, The Draft et al. Ship Thieves are his one of his side projects, but this is the first release from the band for five years. You can hear the HWM and The Draft influence in here – raspy and melodic – but it also draws from Chad Darby's other band, Samiam. It's the best of the four albums the band have put out to date and none of the first three were duds, which should make you want to give it a spin. It's a Midwestern meets Gainesville punk sounding record, which is a pretty great combo.
6. The Drovers Inn by Captain Kaiser (Bearded Punk Records, White Russian Records)
Considering how much great European punk there is around at the moment, it was a bit of a surprise that Captain Kaiser's release was the only Euro record to make my list. But, as the only inclusion from Europe this year, Belgium's Captain Kaiser is a superb representative for the continent. Fast and aggressive with super catchy gang vocals, their sophomore album has elements of pop and skate punk, but above all is melodic and tuneful. I know the release of this album was delayed because of the pandemic, so I really hope the band will be able to get back on the road again soon in order to promote it whilst it's still relatively new.
5. Respect The Frequency by The Last Mile (Rad Girlfriend Records)
This band, and consequently this album, came out of nowhere for me. Tipped off about them thanks to a review by friend of CPRW Matt Speer and the blog Ear Nutrition, Canada's TLM went from not even being on my radar one minute to being on constant rotation the next. Released on the always brilliant Rad Girlfriend Records, it's melodic and angsty with loads of influences from hardcore to skate, from the Midwest to Gainesville, via way of Montreal. If you listen really, really hard enough there's even a little bit of ska punk in there, although at its core fans of Hüsker Dü and those early Lawrence Arms records need to check this out.
4. Better Than Me by Articles (Self-released)
When does an EP become an album? When it's at least seven songs long, right? That's good, because these seven songs from Gainesville's Articles are too good to miss out on being included in a best of list. The embodiment of great DIY punk and that particular city's sound, this album was released towards the end of the year and I just haven't stopped playing it. As you'd expect from a recommendation from me, it's catchy and hook filled, No Idea Records type stuff which could have finished even higher up my list had there been a few more songs on here.
3. A Portal For Spirits by Rutterkin (Euclid Place Records)
Without a doubt my favourite discovery of a band through CPRW this year. Textbook melodic punk, gruff gang vocals, and super catchy harmonic anthems – this band and this album has my jam written all over it. Hailing from Florida, they'll be regulars at The Fest for as long as they want, and with plenty of great Floridian orgcore influences in here, the album gives us twelve blistering, punchy hook-laden songs that make this a brilliant debut.
2. Waste My Heart by The Raging Nathans (Brassneck Records, Dead Broke Rekerds, Rad Girlfriend Records)
The Raging Nathans are as prolific as they are infectious. At a time when everyone else seems to be struggling to get together and record, the Raging Nathans have not only put out a second banger in consecutive years, but they also continue to put out seven inch singles as well. Waste My Heart picks up where last year's Oppositional Defiance left off in the sense that this is more killer melodic midwestern punk, but the sound is a little different. It's more considered, less flustered and more refined, but I still find it rowdy and catchier than last year's album. It's another step up for a band that's able to do both quality and quantity.
1. Don't Panic by Neckscars (Engineer Records, Sell The Heart Records)
The brand of punk that Neckscars play is my very favourite and this album was always going to feature at the top end of this list. Fans of Dillinger Four should consider this album a must and for fans missing Gameday Regulars you equally need this, as a number of Neckscars were in the latter. It's straight up, gravelly voiced, fist in the air, anthemic, you name it, catchy punk. You might think there's no distinguishing between this and a considerable number of the other records on this list… perhaps… but that doesn't mean it's not great and totally worthy of the top spot.
How was your 2021? I can’t really complain about mine. It wasn’t easy to carve out a ton of time for scouring the internet for new releases between selling our old house and moving into a new one and starting a new job in a new school district, but even with a (thankfully) shorter commute, I still listened to a ton of music this year. Perhaps just as importantly, live music returned to the stage this year (hooray for vaccines and science!), and after not seeing a band in person since January of 2020, I broke my fast by seeing Descendents and Sincere Engineer for the first time, and The Menzingers and Bully for the second time.
Even if your year wasn’t great, there was still great music worth checking out, so let’s get to it. From the looks of the CPRW monthly Spotify playlist, I don’t know if there will be a much overlap between my list and the other writers, so hopefully you find something new and great and different here. If not, I’m sure my colleagues will have something more up your alley.
10. Needles//Pins by Needles//Pins (Dirt Cult Records, Mint Records)
I made it to 2021 without ever having heard of Needles//Pins, but after hearing the gruff-singalong chorus of “A Rather Strained Apologetic”, I knew I had to check these guys out. I dug into their catalogue a bit, and while I’m on the fence about whether I prefer this one or the also excellent Good Night, Tomorrow, the stand out tracks, uh…, stand out more in this one, and it’s a straight up banger. Definitely a group of tunes that seem to be begging to be heard live, so if they ever make it down to Texas from the Great White North, I’ll have to push my way to the front.
9. Existential Risks and Returns by Vacation (Salinas Records)
My biggest musical discovery this year was finding out how much I love so many records that Salinas Records has put out, and Existential Risks and Returns is another hidden, underrated gem. Vacation’s previous release was gloriously lo-fi, and while the production here is a little shinier, it’s far from what you would call “polished”. “Luminary Jerry” and “Liberty Tax Statue Man” are throwback rock jams that would sound like they were written in a few minutes in a garage (in the best way) if not for the well-thought out lyrics and added parts that are only detectable on repeat listenings.
8. Stuntman by Liquid Mike (Lost Dog Records)
A lot of these tunes would fit right in on Fountains of Wayne’s debut record (and possibly other FoW records, but I’m not as familiar with those), and coming from me, that is very high praise. Poppy with just enough of an edge, it’s almost a throwback to some of the lighter alternative of the 90s that hits my ears very well. Of all the ones on my list, this album is the most fun. I can’t just listen to one song from these guys, I always end up listening to the whole album, but “Couch Potato” is a good place to start if you’re pressed for time.
7. Mid-Century Modern by Talk Show Host (Disconnect Disconnect Records, Wiretap Records)
Sometimes, I wonder what teenage Marcus would think about current day-Marcus’ music taste, but I know that any version of myself would like Mid-Century Modern. It’s a no-skips record of catchy pop-punk that has great lyrics about a wide a variety of topics. Where they really stand out from their peers is that there’s enough variance between each song to keep it from getting stale. Tracks 2, 3, and 4 (“Blood in the Sand”, “Crisis Actors”, and “Warmest Condolences”) are the best back-to-back-to-back songs that I’ve heard this year, and while not everybody has to love pop-punk, this is done so well that it’s a shame it hasn’t gotten more attention this year. You should dig this.
6. Mikey Erg by Mikey Erg (Brassneck Records, Rad Girlfriend Records)
I’ve tried getting into some of Mikey Erg’s stuff before, but none of it really grabbed me… until this one. Mikey Erg starts off with eight un-skippable pop-punk bangers, including tunes paying homage to his favorite artists and influences (a song about Seattle punk band Sicko, along with some covers of Green Day and Pearl Jam), and I personally guarantee you that “Rumblestrip” is the best song that clocks in at less than 90 seconds that was recorded in 2021. The last two songs – an acoustic number that was recorded in a bathroom and a six minute finale (that Erg himself said is an “overly long noisy dirge track”) might not be for everyone, but even if they’re not your thing, the juice from the first eight songs alone is worth the squeeze.
5. I Won’t Care How You Remember Me by Tigers Jaw (Hopeless Records)
I’m a bit of a late comer to Tigers Jaw, so it may be my recency bias, but I think this is their best work since 2008’s Tigers Jaw (their second album). I really started getting into them when I went to see The Menzingers a few years ago in Dallas and Tigers Jaw opened for them, so this is the first “new” TJ for me. It took a while to grow on me as a full record, but I loved the urgency of “Hesitation” and “Can’t Wait Forever” right from the start, and the title track is the best album opener that I’ve heard in a long while. There are some much slower places on I Won’t Care How You Remember Me that it took a while to really appreciate (so if you weren’t into it on first listen, I’d go back and give it another spin), but, as some of the kids say these days, this whole record “is a mood”.
4. The First Pandemic by Cluttered (Broken Frames Music)
I made the comment online that if Cluttered’s first two EPs (released at the very end of December 2019 and in June 2020) were combined into one record, it’d be one of my favorites of the year. Ask and ye shall receive! Joining Needles//Pins and Talk Show Host, Cluttered is the third Canadian band with a top ten release on my list, and they are the newest of the bunch. Singer Matty Grace’s intimate lyrics on mental health are relatable to anyone that has lived through the past few years, and the ability to deliver such personal and angst-filled lyrics in a way that makes you want to sing along happily is truly impressive. I can’t wait to see what the future brings now that they’ve got a few shows under their belts. The more songs like “Don’t Hold Your Breath” there are in the world, the better.
3. Confines of Life by Neighborhood Brats (Dirt Cult Records, Taken By Surprise Records)
Neighborhood Brats is another band that I had heard before but, for whatever reason, I kept scrolling past. I wasn’t able to make that same mistake again, because Confines of Life is the kind of record that grabs you by the collar and knocks the ice cream cone out of your hand (though I’m sure the people behind the music would never do anything like that). Equal parts fierce and catchy, it delivers 12 tunes that blend fast street punk with a sound you’d hear from the staunchest ’77 punkers, and delivers it with the political heat you’d expect to hear from today’s climate. “Transitional Housing” is my personal favorite, but don’t sleep on the instrumental “All Nazis Must Die” and the topical “Harvey Weinstein (Is a Symptom)”.
2. Bless My Psyche by Sincere Engineer (Hopeless Records)
It’s really hard not putting this one at the very top of the list, because it feels like all these songs were written just for me at just this time. Although there are a few times when the differences between this one and Rhombithian may ruffle a few feathers, the honesty in the lyrics punches you in the gut the same, and the delivery by Deanna Belos still as unique and, for lack of a better word, sincere. Bless My Psyche is here to make you feel better about wherever you’re at. Whether you’re feeling exhausted (“Out Of Reach”, “Dragged Across the Finish Line”), anti-social (“Recluse in the Making”), or just having a bad day (“Hurricane of Misery”), this record is there to give you a couch to crash on and a friend to commiserate with. It’s at least cheaper than therapy.
1. Like A Stone by Remember Sports (Big Scary Monsters, Father/Daughter Records)
This is an incredible record. When I first heard the lead single, “Pinky Ring”, it didn’t really hook me, but after listening to the whole record all the way through, I’m not sure that any one particular song was really written to “stand out”. While Remember Sports jumps around from up-tempo indie-pop to contemplative alt-country, it’s the snapshot of these incredibly well-written jams all coming from the same group is what makes it remarkable. Don’t look at this cool tree, check out this incredible forest! It’s a decent departure from (or progression of) their previous sound, so you’d be forgiven if you thought this was a completely different band, but in my opinion, it should appeal to fans of many sub-genres. My Last.FM account tells me that this was my most listened to album this year (not even counting the number of times I spun the vinyl), and for my money, it was the best record I found this year.
