A few favorites from last year, in alphabetical order:
Alcest - Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde / Prophecy Records
First full length from Monsieur Neige, aka Alcest, who hails from Avignon, France. It’s shoegaze in the tradition of Pale Saints, Lush, and My Bloody Valentine… but especially Pale Saints. (Alcest began as a solo act, became a black metal three piece, and is once again just Neige.) Very pretty stuff.
Grinderman - s/t / ANTI- Records
Nick Cave’s 2007 blues rock project featuring Jim Sclavunos (once in 8-Eyed Spy), Warren Ellis (The Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), and Martyn Casey (also previously in The Bad Seeds and before that in The Triffids). High energy with just the right dusting of danger, transgression, humor, and sardonicism.
The Last Army - Dark EP and Light EP / self released
Eight brand new romantic/Nihilistic songs from Rebekah Delgado (who previously fronted Ciccone) and her friends. London sounds like this to me. Musical points of reference… The Clash, Buzzcocks, and The Only Ones. Fresh, poignant, fun, sometimes verging on numinous. Here’s hoping they tour America this year.
Glenn Mercer - Wheels in Motion / Pravda Records
First full-length solo album from a founding member of ’70s new wave icons The Feelies. It’s archetypal indie rock, brilliant in its simplicity, forging diamonds of pop out of artlessly clever arrangements of cliché—both lyrical and musical.
Sister Vanilla - Little Pop Rock / Chemikal Underground Records
AKA The Jesus and Mary Chain along with the Reid brothers’ sister Linda. Includes a few great dark/romantic noise rock songs (as longtime fans might hope for) but this album is eclectic as 1985’s Psychocandy was unvarying. Plenty of VU-style folk rock, some psych, some DIY…. great album.
Von Südenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions / Domino Recording Co.
Collaboration between German synth duo Mouse On Mars and The Fall’s Mark E. Smith. Musically very self-aware (they have fun with clichés) and equally druggy & dark electrodance. Smith’s vocals (still penetrating after all these years) keep the mood sardonic, evocative, poetic.
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