There's a Bomb in My Car: My Favorite Albums of 2025

Editor's note: Check out my podcast discussion with Jay Breitling about our favorite music of '25 on Completely Conspicuous (here's parts 1 and 2). And check out Stuck In Thee Garage radio for parts 1 and 2 of my favorites of 2025.

It has grown increasingly difficult to make sense of the world. Sometimes I wonder what the point is of making lists of favorite albums when shit is getting crazier and crazier, but maybe it's just a coping mechanism. At the very least, listening to music can take your mind off everything for a little while. 

Even as the music industry continues to contract and get steamrolled by big corporations like Live Nation/Ticketmaster and Spotify, artists are releasing excellent work that deserves to be highlighted. Nobody but the biggest artists are making any money off album sales anymore, and even constant touring is no guarantee of riches. I saw a bunch of shows this year: Frank Black, Jason Narducy/Michael Shannon, Gang of Four, Bob Mould, Hallelujah the Hills, Greg Norton, Ducks Ltd., The Pixies, The Who and Buffalo Tom. I had tickets to see three others (Swervedriver, Hard Quartet and New Bomb Turks) that I had to miss for various reasons, which was a bummer. But I already have tickets for eight shows later this year, so that's something to look forward to.

I'm in the 13th year of doing my radio show Stuck In Thee Garage for BFF.fm, something I put a decent amount of time into preparing each week. All the artists mentioned here were highlighted on the show throughout the year. 

And without further ado, here are my top 15 albums of 2025:

15. The Hives - The Hives Forever Forever the Hives: The Hives do one thing and they do it well: Play undeniably catchy garage rock anthems. The Swedish lunatics returned with a relentlessly fun and triumphant collection of smartass rock rippers. Co-produced by Mike D of the Beastie Boys, the album is more of what you’d expect from the Hives. Take frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist’s first line in album opener “Enough is Enough”: “Everyone’s a little fuckin’ bitch/And I’m gettin’ sick and tired of it.” The video shows Almqvist as a boxer, first knocking out his opponent, then the referee and assorted audience members. One of the great live bands going, the Hives are still kicking ass and throwing haymakers. Choice kutz: Enough is Enough, Paint a Picture, Legalize Living.

14. Turnstile - Never Enough: After breaking through to the rock mainstream with their third album, 2021’s Glow On, Baltimore act Turnstile continues to expand their sound. They started off as a hardcore act, but have increasingly incorporated elements of alt-rock, pop and funk into their sound, and as a result, some early fans are ripping them as sellouts. That's dumb. On Never Enough, the band continues that evolution, working in flourishes like flute solos and lighter, airy sounds like on “I Care,” which sounds like a modern-day version of The Police. But Turnstile, which recorded this album as a foursome after the departure of guitarist Brady Ebert (later replaced by Meg Mills), never forgets the slamming riffs that they’re known for. Singer Brendan Yates maneuvers through the lighter and heavier material with aplomb, while drummer Daniel Fang can go from jackhammer precision to more economic, Stewart Copeland-esque fills with ease. Choice kutz: I Care, Dreaming, Birds, Dull.

13. Dax Riggs - 7 Songs for Spiders: Dax Riggs got his start in the sludge metal act Acid Bath in the 90s, then later played with Agents of Oblivion and Deadboy & the Elephantmen. I heard a little of the latter on Henry Rollins’ radio show about 15 years ago but haven’t been aware of Riggs’ work for the last decade plus. Until earlier this year, when Rollins began playing songs from this album and I was hooked. Deep swamp rock grooves and gothic themes as Riggs sings fuzz-laden laments about god and the devil and whatever’s in between. It’s captivating stuff. Choice kutz: Sunshine Felt the Darkness Smile, Deceiver, Graveyard Soul.

12. The Convenience - Like Cartoon Vampires: On the New Orleans duo’s second album, they went in a completely different direction. The first Convenience effort was in more of a funk/disco vein, but this one goes right for the post-punk with songs that echo the Fall and Spoon, as well as Britpop and VU. Influences are one thing, but Nick Corson and Duncan Troast are able to take them and create compelling new sounds. "I Got Exactly What I Wanted" would not be out of place on the next Spoon release, but the 10-minute album closer "Fake the Feeling" takes things to an entirely different and interesting place. Extremely listenable and rewarding. Choice kutz: I Got Exactly What I Wanted, Dub Vultures, Western Pepsi Cola Town.

11. Jeff Tweedy - Twilight Override: Tweedy has gotten extremely prolific in the last 20 years, between regular Wilco releases, work with the Minus Five, various collaborations and his own solo work. He’s sort of a somewhat less productive Bob Pollard; nobody can keep up with that guy’s output, but there’s definitely a lot of Tweedy material to wade through and it’s pretty much uniformly good to great. You kind of take for granted what you’re going to get, but on this triple album, he delivers 30 songs, nearly 2 hours of music, and it really struck me as exceptional from the first listen. It’s a wide-ranging collection of all the genres he dabbles in: alt-country, roots rock, post-punk, ballads, a little bit of skronk. Put it on if you’ve got a long drive or a lot of work to do and you won’t be disappointed. Choice kutz: Lou Reed Was My Babysitter, Forever Never Ends, Betrayed.

10. Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz: TV On the Radio toured again but didn't release any new material. The same can’t be said for the band’s frontman Tunde Adebimpe, who rolled out his debut solo album after a long period of musical inactivity. His elastic voice carries this sharp collection of diverse tracks that span everything from electro bangers to fizzy pop confections to slow jams. The dark genius of his TVOTR compatriot Dave Sitek is missed, but Adebimpe and his current collaborators keep things interesting. Choice kutz: Magnetic, God Knows, Pinstack.

9. The Men - Buyer Beware: NYC’s The Men have explored many sounds and approaches over the last 17 years and I fully admit that I lost track of them for a while there. I stumbled upon their latest (their 15th!) release last spring and was blown away by the energy and rawness. Clearly nodding to their early influences, the band lets it rip with odes to Fun House-era Stooges, Motorhead, psych folk, garage rock and more. It’s a lot of fun and might be the album I’ve listened to the most this year. Choice kutz: Tombstone, Pony, Black Heart Blue.

8. Bob Mould - Here We Go Crazy: Mould’s 15th solo album and first since 2020’s pissed-off Blue Hearts, Here We Go Crazy finds the elder statesman of punk mixing and matching angry bangers with more reflective, shimmering tunes. Backed once again by the killer rhythm section of Jon Wurster and Jason Narducy, Mould is able to shift gears from song to song, lashing out at injustice while also pondering his current existence. There’s plenty to be outraged about these days, but Mould doesn’t get overly caught up in that mood. Choice kutz: Here We Go Crazy, Neanderthal, When Your Heart is Broken, Fur Mink Augurs.

7. Mclusky - The World is Still Here and So Are We: The first new album in 21 years from the Welsh trio is appropriately sarcastic and pummeling, same as it ever was. Andy “Falco” Falkous and his compatriots played Cambridge in 2024 and gave us a preview of the forthcoming album, but the full release really delivered on that promise. There’s no sentimentality here as Falco goes after various social and political targets: Corporate fatcats, the British media, the genocide in Palestine, social media gadflies. Refreshingly angry. The band is returning to Boston in April and Falco's always writing, so maybe new material will be presented then. Choice kutz: The Digger You Deep, People Person, Cops and Coppers.

6. Wednesday - Bleeds: Wednesday is the handiwork of singer Karly Hartzman and has been around since 2017, but the Asheville, NC, act has gotten more attention of late thanks to guitarist MJ Lenderman, whose solo career suddenly blew up in 2024. Complicating things was the fact that Hartzman and Lenderman were a couple for six years until their breakup in March ‘24. Earlier this year, Lenderman said he was stepping away from touring with the band, although he plays on the latest album Bleeds and plans to continue to record with the group. All that said, this is Hartzman’s show and it’s an impressive combination of alt-country, shoegaze, punk rippers and bluegrass. She’s a great storyteller, singing about characters who get in bar brawls, get addicted to sinus medicine and go on killing sprees. It’s also tempting to try and figure out which songs are about Lenderman (possibly “Elderberry Wine”?). Whatever the case, it’s an exhilarating and very diverse collection of songs. Choice kutz: Townies, Wound Up Here (By Holdin On), Pick Up That Knife, Bitter Everyday.

5. Shame - Cutthroat: Shame has been bringing the post-punk for over a decade now and the quality level has been high all along. On their fourth album, the South London act reverted to the more energetic sound of their earlier releases, as evidenced by the opening title track, which just grabs you by the throat as singer Charlie Steen sings, “Motherfucker, I was born to die.” They definitely sound like they absorbed some of the swagger of their tourmates Viagra Boys. That said, Shame mix things up with songs like “Quiet Life” and “Lampiao,” about a Brazilian bandit from the early 1900s. Choice kutz: “Cutthroat,” “Nothing Better,” “After Party.”

4. Hallelujah the Hills - DECK: Super ambitious passion project from Ryan Walsh that paid off in a big way for the fans. Crowdfunded via Patreon, the project was several years in the making and spans four albums (one for each suit in a standard playing card deck) and 52 songs (one for each card in a standard deck). We were able to follow along as new songs were debuted, but experiencing the full DECK in its entirety was something else entirely. All killer, no filler. Chock full of great songs and cameos from the likes of Ezra Furman, Sadie Dupuis, Clint Conley, Craig Finn, Patrick Stickles, Cassie Berman and more. I was lucky enough to see the album release show at Deep Cuts in Medford; it was inspiring and impressive. Choice kutz: Rebuilding Year, Crush All Night, I Do My Own Stunts, Here Goes Nothing.

3. PUP - Who Will Look After the Dogs?: Toronto pop-punk stalwarts display maturity on their fifth release, no longer singing about drinking and driving but tackling adult issues like depression and relationship trauma. There’s still some of the rippers we know and love, but the band also shows some restraint while losing none of their emotional power. One of these days I will finally see them live. Over a decade into the career, PUP is just getting better. Choice kutz: Paranoid, Hallways, Get Dumber, Olive Garden.

2. Sloan - Based on the Best Seller: Sloan has been a going concern since 1991 and unlike many acts who reach that stage of their career, they’re still bringing the heat. On their 14th album, the Toronto-based (by way of Halifax) group delivers a diverse collection of styles courtesy of their four singer-songwriters: Punny Beatlesesque pop rock from bassist Chris Murphy, hard rock swagger from lead guitarist Patrick Pentland, uber-catchy power pop ditties from guitarist Jay Ferguson and psych-rock weirdness from drummer-guitarist Andrew Scott. The quartet isn’t touring the U.S. this time around thanks to the current political situation down here–Scott’s ripper “No Damn Fears” includes the verse “Blind rage with a side of smiling/The people treated like flies/ICE raids and the death flag flying/We should be tearing them down”--which is about as political as Sloan has ever gotten. But they are touring across their homeland right now and sounding as good as ever. It helps that they’re not dependent on one or two songwriters to keep delivering the good stuff; they’ve got four battling for space on every album (which is why they did the double album Commonwealth in 2014 on which each member had a side of their songs). They keep kicking ass, so what’s not to like? Choice kutz: “No Damn Fears,” “Dream Destroyer,” “Live Forever,” “Capitol Cooler.”

1. Geese - Getting Killed: The Brooklyn quartet broke through in a big way with their third album of off-kilter, chaotic bangers. Led by enigmatic frontman Cameron Winter, the band embraces its weirdness in a cool and exciting way. I was hesitant to make Getting Killed my top pick because they’ve been embraced by the hipsters, but there’s no denying the greatness of this album. Winter released a solo album, Heavy Metal, a year ago, which sort of set the stage for this release. Geese has the ability to sound tight, ramshackle and then tight again all within the same song. Winter’s vocals can be an acquired taste–sometimes he can sound like the late Karl Wallinger of World Party and others like an injured wolf–but he’s unpredictable and compelling. One minute he’s screaming “There’s a bomb in my car!” on “Trinidad,” the next he’s crooning “I should burn in hell/But I don’t deserve this” on “Taxes.” Just an endlessly interesting album. Choice kutz: “Trinidad,” “Taxes,” “Husbands.”

Honorable mentions

Snocaps - Snocaps

Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys

Pulp - More

Car Seat Headrest - The Scholars

Charm School - Debt Forever

Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On

Superchunk - Songs in the Key of Yikes

Wet Leg - Moisturizer

Water From Your Eyes - It’s a Beautiful Place

This is Lorelei - Holo Boy

Black Helicopter - Balancing Act

(T-T)b - Beautiful Extension Cord

Osees - Abomination Revealed at Last

Pile - Sunshine and Balance Beams

Absolute Losers - In the Crowd

The Beths - Straight Line Was a Lie

Bass Drum of Death - Six

Tony Molina - On This Day

Guerilla Toss - You’re Weird Now

Sharp Pins - Balloon Balloon Balloon

The Telephone Numbers - Scarecrow II

They Are Gutting a Body of Water - Lotto

Militarie Gun - God Save the Gun

Snooper - Worldwide

Kestrels - Better Wonder

Lifeguard - Ripped and Torn

Hotline TNT - Raspberry Moon

The Tubs - Cotton Crown

The Bug Club - Very Human Features

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Carpe Diem, Moonman

Destroyer - Dan’s Boogie

Escape-ism - Charge of the Love Brigade

Dean Wareham - That’s the Price of Loving Me

FACS - Wish Defense

Patterson Hood - Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams

Kinski - Stumbledown Terrace

Hunger Anthem - Lift

CIVIC - Chrome Dipped

SAVAK - Squawk!

Ty Segall - Possession

Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Trash Classic

Stereolab - Instant Holograms on Metal Film

Thalia Zedek Band - The Boat Outside Your Window

TVOD - Party Time

Momma - Welcome to My Blue Sky

Preoccupations - Ill at Ease

Lunchbox - Evolver (2025 Vinyl Edition)

Cameron Keiber - Nurser

Throwing Muses - Moonlight Concessions

Cameron Winter - Heavy Metal (came out in late 2024)

Box sets/reissues: 

Husker Du - 1985: The Perfect Year

The Replacements - Let It Be

Day After Day #318: Underwhelmed

Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4).

Underwhelmed (1992)

Discovering new music has changed a lot over the years. In the '70s when I first started listening to music, it was the radio. By the early '80s, it was all about video. MTV was such a game changer, even if it wasn't perfect. It took way too long to start playing videos by black artists other than Michael Jackson and it would play certain videos endlessly until people were sick of them. But MTV was able to give bands exposure that normally wouldn't get any.

By the late '80s and into the early '90s, my favorite show on MTV was 120 Minutes, which would air on Sunday nights and feature bands you wouldn't normally see during the rest of the week. Although some of those bands, like R.E.M. and Midnight Oil, would end up getting more mainstream airtime. 

One such Sunday night in early 1993, I saw the video for "Underwhelmed" by the band Sloan out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was an instant grabber, starting with a guitar drone before bassist Chris Murphy starts singing about a woman he's interested in.

"She was underwhelmed, if that's a word/I know it's not, 'cause I looked it up/That's one of those skills I learned in my school/I was overwhelmed, and I'm sure of that one/'Cause I learned it back in grade school/When I was young."

The band kicks in, featuring Patrick Pentland and Jay Ferguson on guitars and Andrew Scott on drums, and Murphy's smartass character continues.

"She said, 'You is funny'/I said, 'You are funny'/She said, 'Thank you'/And I said, 'Nevermind'/She rolled her eyes/Her beautiful eyes/The point is not the grammar/It's the feeling/That is certainly in my heart/But not in hers."

By this point, Sloan had been signed to DGC, which was clearly hoping for another Nirvana. Sloan was lumped into the emerging grunge scene, but they were more influenced by acts like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. But hey, why mess with a good gimmick?

"We were talkin' about people that eat meat/I felt like an ass 'cause I was one/She said it's okay, but I felt like/I just ate my young/She is obviously a person with a cause/I told her that I don't smoke or drink/She told me to loosen up on her way to the L.C./She skips her classes and gets good grades/I go to my classes rain or shine/She's passing her classes while I attend mine."

Murphy has said the song's lyrical approach was influenced by the Minutemen's "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing." A different version of the song had been released on the band's EP Peppermint, which was released in 1992 on Sloan's self-run label Murderecords. They re-recorded the song for their DGC debut Smeared, which came out in October '92 in Canada and in January 1993 in the U.S. 

"She told me a story about her life/I think it included something about me/I'm not sure of that, but I'm sure of one thing/Her spelling's atrocious/She told me to read between the lines/And tell her exactly what I got out of it/I told her affection had two Fs/Especially when you're dealing with me/I usually notice all the little things/One time I was proud of it, she said it's annoying/She cursed me up and down and rolled her Rs, her beautiful Rs."

"Underwhelmed" hit #25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. For its follow-up album, 1994's Twice Removed, Sloan decided to buck the grunge trend and went with a quieter, Beatles-influenced power pop sound. The album was a masterpiece, but it pissed off the label; after the band refused to re-record the album, the label pulled promotional support. Sloan split up briefly in 1995 before reforming and asking to be let out of their DGC deal. They then began a run of excellent albums that has continued to this day, with 13 studio albums under their belt.

Sloan is decently successful in Canada, but never could get beyond cult success in the U.S. They've managed to forge a comfortable existence, playing clubs in the U.S. and theaters in Canada. The band has released four limited-edition box sets of their first four albums, the latest being for Smeared. For the first three box sets, the band has done full tours, but for Smeared, they just played two sold-out shows in Toronto this weekend. I was lucky enough to go to the second one last night; my daughter Lily already had a ticket and got me one when we decided to visit her. I've seen most of their Boston-area appearances over the last 28 years, but this was the first time I've seen them (or anyone) in Toronto. It was pretty goddamn great; they played Smeared front to back and then a bunch of B-sides and rarities from that era; the songs were louder and more raucous than their later albums, and they recreated it pretty flawlessly, albeit without the long hair and the slamming around the stage like 20somethings. Sloan hadn't played many of those songs in decades, so it was great to see them rip through them while also seeing my daughter get into them as well.

Day After Day #120: She Says What She Means

Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4).

She Says What She Means (1998)

If a band has two singer-songwriters contributing, that's pretty good. When there's three people bringing quality songs to the table, that's a blessing. But when all four members contribute songs to every album and they're all talented, well, that's above and beyond. There aren't too many bands that can make that boast, but Sloan is one of them.

The band was started in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1991 by Chris Murphy (vocals/bass/drums), Jay Ferguson (vocals/guitar/bass), Patrick Pentland (vocals/guitar) and Andrew Scott (vocals/drums/guitar). They had been playing in other Halifax bands previously and decided to team up. Geffen signed them in the summer of '92 and their first album, 1992's Smeared, reflected their interest in bands like My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth, shoegazy grunge but with a pop sensibility. In early '93, the album was released in the U.S. and the single "Underwhelmed" got some airplay on MTV's 120 Minutes and on alternative stations. Murphy was serving as the de facto frontman during this time, although Pentland and Scott both contributed songs to the debut.

But when Sloan recorded their second album, 1994's Twice Removed, they veered away from the feedback-laden sound of their first album and leaned into quieter, Beatles-inspired power pop. Geffen asked the band to re-record the album and when Sloan refused, the label pulled promotional support for it. The album did well in Canada but was a blip in the U.S. The band split up briefly in late 1995 but decided to release another album to boost their Murderecords label; they asked to be released from their Geffen deal and then recorded the power poppy One Chord to Another in 1996. The album was very successful in Canada, scoring three hit singles and earning the band a Juno award the following year. Their profile was lower in the U.S. but they did some small tours; I saw them in Cambridge. 

By this point, all four members were contributing at least two songs to each album and were finding their own niches: Murphy wrote clever lyrics and McCartney-esque melodies, Pentland delivered catchy hard rockers, Ferguson came up with dream pop songs that would have been at home on AM Gold stations in the '70s and Scott wrote songs that were simultaneously melodic and off-kilter. 

Sloan's fourth album was 1998's Navy Blues, which found the band leaning into '70s rock influences in addition to their Beatles fixation. By this point, the band had relocated to Toronto. Pentland's riff rocker "Money City Maniacs" is probably the band's most popular song, but I'm going with the album's lead track and second single, Murphy's "She Says What She Means." 

It starts with a cough leading into a chugging riff and then Murphy launches into the vocal.

"When in the world?/I'm gonna get it together/I'm telling you, girl/I'm gonna make it all better/But I don't know how I'm going to/'Cause I don't know what she is going through/What I know is that's even mean for me/'Cause she means what she says and she says what she means."

The song stacks hooks upon hooks as Murphy and Scott play guitar instead of Pentland and Ferguson. In an interview with Chart Attack magazine back in '98, Murphy said the song was the last one recorded for the album.

"Patrick had 'Money City Maniacs' and 'Iggy and Angus,' which I was jealous of. Me and Andrew are playing guitar all the way through, so I think it's the one with the most over-the-top soloing, but it's not the guitar players. I wanted to make a hard rock song because I felt that Patrick was kicking my ass."

"What is the word?/It's like you don't even know me/Haven't you heard?/This sort of thing is below me/But I don't know what I would stoop to/Have you got another jump I could hoop through/Now I don't even know if that's meant for me/'Cause she means what she says and she says what she means/When she says that I'm mean, does she mean what she says?"

The song races to its conclusion as Murphy pleads for forgiveness.

"Whenever you want me, whenever you need me/I know that you're angry, you know that I'm sorry/But this situation has come back to haunt me/Whenever you need me, whenever you want me."

I saw Sloan again on this tour, as I would for pretty much every time they came through Boston in the subsequent years. Despite their incessant catchiness and chops, the band never became more than a cult favorite in the U.S. They've released nine studio albums since then, as well as archival box sets. They're much of an established act in Canada, where they play theaters and the occasional arena, whereas here they're playing small clubs. But that's good for Sloan nerdz like me because I can see them at Brighton Music Hall or the Paradise and get right up front. They've managed to keep their sound fresh and fairly timeless, thanks to that four-man songwriting machine.

Completely Conspicuous 611: Climb to Safety

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 1999. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

• Jay's non-top 5s: Frank Black and the Catholics, Sebadoh, Matthew Sweet, Piebald, Fu Manchu, Superchunk, Songs: Ohia, GBV
  
• Phil's #5: Third release from Rage Against the Machine continues their anti-capitalist bent
• Jay's #5: Flaming Lips complete their transformation into a different sound
• Phil's #4: Dave Grohl continues to fight Foo and get more commercial-sounding
• Jay's #4 and Phil's #3: Built to Spill with the triumphant peak of their terrific '90s run 
• Jay's #3: The final Pavement album has only gotten better with age
• Phil's #2: Debut of Rilo Kiley was financed by Dave Foley of Kids in the Hall
• Jay's #2: Beck gets funky, continuing extreme genre shifts from album to album
• Phil's #1: Widespread Panic melds a lot of styles in a listener-friendly jam album
• Jay's #1: Back-to-back #1s from Sloan with a semi-autobiographical masterpiece
  
• Favorite songs: "Climb to Safety" (Phil); "Friendship" (Jay)

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 609: Right About Now

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 1998. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

• More of Phil's non-top 5s: Monster Magnet, R.E.M., Hole, Dave Matthews Band
• Jay's non-top 5s: Tragically Hip, Monster Magnet, Jerry Cantrell, Frank Black and the Catholics, Beastie Boys, Rocket From the Crypt, Rancid, Cat Power
  
• Phil tells of a magical mixtape service
• Phil's #5: Moe with a jazzy jam band album
• Phil says he's not a "Moe-ron"
• Not hating on Steely Dan
• Jay's #5: Silver Jews with downbeat indie rock classic
  
• Phil's #4 and Jay's #2: The debut from Queens of the Stone Age kicks serious ass, combining stoner rock with robotic grooves
• Jay's #4: Followed up Odelay with the experimental Mutations
• Phil's #3: A fun release from the Beastie Boys
• Jay's #3: R&B-influenced album from Afghan Whigs was last before they broke up
• Phil's #2: Phish's 7th album featured a "cow funk" sound
• Phil's #1: Big breakthrough from Fatboy Slim paved the way for DJ as frontman
• Jay's #1: Sloan with a '70s vibe, from arena rockers to sunny AM pop
• Favorite songs: "Praise You" (Phil), "She Says What She Means" (Jay)

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Totally Fine: My Favorite Albums of 2022

Editor's note: Check out my podcast discussion with Jay Breitling about our favorite music of '22 on Completely Conspicuous (here's parts 1 and 2).

The album isn't what it used to be. Not in terms of quality, but stature. Sure, an album released by Taylor Swift or Adele will still do big business, but the vast majority of albums don't sell like they once did. For rock musicians, releasing albums isn't the potential ticket to success that it was 25 years ago. But fortunately for old folks like me, they still release them anyway.

Touring is a way for artists to make some money, but even that isn't a guarantee to do much more than break even. It's tough sledding if you're in a rock band these days. That said, I still found plenty of great music to enjoy last year. Here's my top 15 albums:

15. Wet Leg - s/t: This buzz bin duo from the Isle of Wight caught fire with “Chaise Longue” in 2021, but they don’t let up on their debut. Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers hark back to the blog rock glory days of the early aughts with guitar-driven rockers and clever wordplay. Teasdale’s super-laid back vocal delivery implies slacker-rock, but clearly, they’re having a blast. Choice cuts: "Chaise Longue," "Ur Mum," "Wet Dream"

 

14. Superchunk - Wild Loneliness: The mighty Chunk dials down the fury of 2018’s What a Time to Be Alive, taking a more subdued look at big issues like climate change and pandemic life. Mac McCaughan and co. may not be yelling about Trump-era injustice on this album, but they’re still potent. Choice cuts: "Refracting," "Endless Summer," "City of the Dead"

 

13. Built to Spill - When the Wind Forgets Your Name: It’s a lot to ask of Doug Martsch to expect him to top the peak of Built to Spill’s ‘90s greatness. Their run of albums from There’s Nothing Wrong With Love to Perfect From Now On to Keep It Like a Secret is uniformly outstanding. The band’s four albums since then, on the other hand, are hit or miss. But this release, recorded with a band that was replaced before the latest tour, recalls some of that earlier BTS sound while also mixing in some jammier stuff. Martsch is still a terrific guitarist and he still likes to rip sweet solos, and there’s nothing wrong about that. Choice cuts: "Gonna Lose," "Comes a Day," "Fool’s Gold"

 

12. Kal Marks - My Name Is Hell: The Boston noise-rockers led by singer-guitarist Carl Shane (who reformed the band with new members after its split a few years ago) unleash a gnarly, ornery and unrepentantly loud album that harnesses anger into a cathartic blast. What is Shane angry about? Politics, religion, financial stability…the topics aren’t new, but the band’s post-hardcore fury feels fresh. Choice cuts: "Ovation," "Everybody Hertz," "Debt"

 

11. Alvvays - Blue Rev: On its third album, Toronto act takes its dream pop sound to a new level. Combining Molly Rankin’s angelic vocals with big guitars and lots of synths, Alvvays packs a lot of depth into their songs. Choice cuts: "Pharmacist," "Pomeranian Spinster," "Easy On Your Own?"   

 

10. Fontaines DC - Skinty Fia: London-via-Dublin post-punk band expands their sound on third album. Moody and lean, the Fontaines explore relationships, addiction and being Irish. A little more restrained than their first two records but also more pointed. Choice cuts: "Jackie Down the Line," "Roman Holiday," "Bloomsday"

 

9. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention: Radiohead doods fill the gap between Radiohead albums with a Radioheady album that sounds pretty goddamn good to these ears. Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood teamed up with drummer Tom Skinner to provide Radiohead fans with a reasonable facsimile of that band’s sound. Yorke and Greenwood trade off on guitar, bass and keyboards throughout and Yorke provides lacerating vocals, ripping into Harvey Weinstein-esque offenders at one point and delving into romantic ups and downs at others. An inspired work. Choice cuts: "You Will Never Work in Television Again," "Pana-vision," "Thin Thing"

 

8. Hammered Hulls - Careening: Hammered Hulls is a relatively new band, but its members have a shit ton of experience in the DC scene: Singer Alec MacKaye (brother of Ian) has sung in plenty of bands including the Untouchables, Ignition, and Faith; bassist Mary Timony is better known for Helium, Wild Flag and Ex Hex; guitarist Mark Cisneros was in Des Demonas, Kid Congo Powers and the Make Up; and drummer Chris Wilson also plays in TItus Andronicus and previously was in Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. The album’s 12 tracks are furious, righteous and downright exhilarating. Hints of Fugazi and the Minutemen; a worthy entrant into the Dischord catalog, Choice cuts: "Bog People," "Rights and Reproduction," "Needlepoint Tiger"

 

7. Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance: This young Chicago trio (two are in college, one in high school) may be in their late teens, but they’re not afraid to wear their 90s indie influences on their collective sleeve. There’s definitely a strong Sonic Youth vibe (made stronger by the appearance of Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley on a pair of songs) with guitars to match and cryptic lyrics. The whole things add up to a pleasurable, fuzzy guitar record that’s over in a hurry and makes you want to start it again. Choice cuts: "Homage to Birdnoculars," "Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty)," "World of Pots and Pans"

 

6. Oceanator - Nothing’s Ever Fine: Magnificent collection of nostalgic indie rock from Elise Okusami, featuring hot guitar and heavy riffs. Songs about driving around in the summertime (The Last Summer, Beach Days (Alive Again)), dealing with life’s disappointments (Bad Brain Daze, Stuck), and touring (From the Van). Hot rocker. Choice cuts: "From the Van," "Bad Brain Daze," "The Last Summer "

 

 5. Kiwi Jr. - Chopper: It was a good year for Toronto-based acts. Kiwi Jr. has been bringing the heat for a few years now. On their third album in the last four years, these jangle-rock jammers mix in some synths to their propulsive sound and come up with an album of winners. Lyrically, frontman Jeremy Gaudet fills his songs with tons of pop culture references, a la Craig Finn but with a Canuck POV. Choice cuts: "Parasite II," "Night Vision," "Contract Killers"

 

4. Titus Andronicus - The Will to Live: Patrick “Patty Stacks” Stickles pulls out all the rock stops on the band’s 7th album. Big riffs, rollicking choruses, reflections on God and Satan writ large. Some of the songs touch on the aftermath of the death of Stickles’ cousin and occasional bandmate, Matt Miller. Backed by powerhouse drummer Chris Wilson, who also plays in Hammered Hulls (and Ted Leo’s band previously), Titus is firing on all cylinders here. Choice cuts: "(I’m) Screwed," "An Anomaly," "All Through the Night"

 

3. The Afghan Whigs - How Do You Burn?: Greg Dulli is back with a compelling album that calls back to past collaborations: the late Mark Lanegan is a ghostly presence, Marcy May duets with Dulli on a sequel to 1993’s My Curse, Susan Marshall and Van Hunt also contribute backing vocals. The band covers the classic Whigs gamut, from all-out rockers to R&B workouts to mournful laments. Choice cuts: "I’ll  Make You See God," "Jyja," "The Getaway"

 

 2.  Sloan - Steady: Power pop legends deliver yet another collection of amazingly catchy rock songs. Four songwriters, four singers, all killer, no filler. Recorded mainly in isolation over the last few years, you’d never know it from the immediacy of these songs. Choice cuts: "Scratch the Surface," "Dream It All Over Again," "Magical Thinking" 

 

1.  PUP - The Unraveling of PUPtheband: Concept album from Toronto pop-punk outfit about the trials and tribulation of a Toronto pop-punk outfit named PUP. They combine smartass lyrics about the ridiculousness of the music biz with catchy choruses and piledriving riffs. Never not satisfying. Choice cuts: "Waiting," "Robot Writes a Love Song," "Grim Reaping"

 

Honorable mention:

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Endless Rooms

Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa

Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers - Spencer Gets It Lit!

OFF! - Free LSD

Drive-By Truckers - Welcome to Club XIII

Black Angels - Wilderness of Mirrors

Adulkt Life - Book of Curses

Sharon Van Etten - We’re Going About This All Wrong

Pet Fox - A Face In Your Life

Ex-Hyena - Moon Reflections

Preoccupations - Arrangements

Metric - Formentera

Archers of Loaf - REason In Decline

Ty Segall - Hello, Hi

Pilot to Gunner - Hail Hallucinator

Tony Molina - In the Fade

Mountain Goats - Bleed Out

The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field

Dendrons - 5-3-8

Near Beer - s/t

Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork

Osees - A Foul Form

Pink Mountaintops - Peacock Pools: 

Destroyer - Labyrinthitis

Papercuts - Past Life Regression

Savak - Human Error/Human Delight

Sasami - Squeeze

Kurt Vile - (watch my moves)

Kids on a Crime Spree - Fall in Love, Not in Line

Yard Act - The Overload

Adulkt Life - Book of Curses

Mister Goblin - Bunny

Bodega - Broken Equipment

Guided By Voices - Crystal Nuns Cathedral

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Night Gnomes

Elvis Costello and the Imposters - The Boy Named If

Reissues: 

Pavement - Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal

The Flashing Lights - Where the Change Is