THE BEST OF 2022

I try to make a list like this every year, and it seems to keep getting harder for me.  It’s probably because I listen to such a massive amount of music and a fairly broad spectrum of genres.  Nevertheless, it has to be done, and hard decisions have to be made.  My choices are all over the map—something for everyone shall we say.  Here goes:

1.      Soraia – Bloom

This band just seems to keep on getting better with time.  They have progressed throughout their career.  2020’s Dig Your Roots record was a pinnacle, or so I thought.  Bloom is just as good however, and maybe better.  This band is an absolute staple of Little Steven’s Underground Garage.  If you’re a listener to that you may have heard this killer band.  They knocked this one out of the park and therefore they get this year’s top honor.

 2.      American Jetset – Cat’s Got Your Tongue

This hard rock band out of Baltimore has a bunch of good tunes from prior Ep’s and singles, but with a change in guitarists and renewed energy, they made a masterpiece here.  “Tokyo Radio” is my favorite track, but there are several that will have you believing that the era of Sunset Strip metal is totally back. 

3.      Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts – Ballad of a Misspent Youth

Man, I just am happy for Tuk Smith on this one.  The guy is a rock n roll warrior who has persevered through the hell that is known as the music business.  After fronting The Biters for years - who for me are the most underrated band ever - he finally broke them up and formed the current band.  He then had the well-deserved fortune of being added to the giant Mötley Crüe Stadium tour and I suspect he thought his ship had finally come in.  But no, a little scourge called COVID-19 killed that off and a record he had basically finished never got released.  But he kept on and the results are glorious. 

4.      The Godfathers – Alpha Beta Gamma Delta

Peter Coyne is the only remaining original member, but he’s the voice and creative force of The Godfathers, and he just keeps putting out great records.  He seems to have a knack for assembling some pretty strong bands around him.  This record is sharp and frankly it surprised me a little. I just didn’t think it would be this good. 

5.      Eliza & the Delusionals – Now and Then

This Australian band has been releasing singles and EP’s that just always seem to be good.  This is their debut full length and it’s solid all the way through.  I wrote about seeing them live recently and described their music as “shimmering.”  I’m going to stick with that.  Eliza Klatt has a truly beautiful voice, and this band’s brand of indie pop is just rocking enough to meet my standard for excellence. 

6.      Beach Bunny – Emotional Creature

Here is another female-fronted indie pop band.  This, for me, is their strongest release to date.  The song “Oxygen” is an instant classic.  Check it out. 

7.      Starcrawler – She Said

I love this band which features Arrow De Wilde on vocals and Henry Cash on guitar—two young, punk rock superstars that are going way beyond punk at this point.  2019’s Devour You record is spectacular and would be hard to follow up.  She Said may not be quite that good, but it’s pretty damn good. 

8.      Palaye Royale – Fever Dream

Palaye Royale released a record called The Bastards in 2020 that was a masterpiece.  There was no way in the world that the follow-up could match it, and 2022’s Fever Dream does not.  It is however a great record and it makes my top ten.  A number of the best songs came out well in advance of the full album release, some even in 2021, but that’s not important.  The record is consistently good, and in some ways, it takes a little different direction than its predecessor.  It is more anthemic and less in your face rock.  Added Bonus:  While not on this record, they quickly followed with a single this month.  It’s a spectacular cover of The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby.” 

9.      Thundermother – Black and Gold

I am not certain how I stumbled on this one.  It’s just plain straight-ahead rock n roll with crunching guitars, booming drums and a strong female vocal.  They have a couple of records and they seem consistently good.  Side Note:  I see that my fellow Pencilstormer Jeremy Porter had this on his list also.  That says something. 

10.  Halestorm – Back from the Dead

Halestorm is a band I have followed for years and have seen several times.  I saw them this year on a tour with The Warning and The Pretty Reckless. I went to the concert purely for The Pretty Reckless. The 2018 Halestorm record called Vicious was such a disappointment to me that I thought the band had run its course.  I was wrong.  Back from the Dead is a very apt title in this instance.  It is largely a return to form, although I would say it is their heaviest record yet. They were great playing the new songs live, which probably helped in getting me to latch onto this one.  Top ten for the year, but not by much.

Honorable Mentions 

Enuff Z’Nuff – Finer Than Sin 

I really have to mention this one, and I know I will have second thoughts about leaving it out of at least the tenth slot.  As Chip Z’Nuff carries on prolifically even without Donnie Vie, he seems to be hitting stride.  He’s veered a bit away from recent more metal sounding tunes back to the power pop stuff.  This record seems to be a blend of both, and I like it.

Headstones – Flight Risk

This Canadian band dates way back to the 1990’s but I have never been too familiar with them.  They reformed in the 2000’s after about a decade-long hiatus.  They have made a really good record with this one.  Well worth checking out.

Michael Monroe – I Live Too Fast To Die Young

The former front man for Hanoi Rocks just keeps cranking out consistently great rock n roll.  Not much else needs to be said.  This could have been top ten, but I think it’s a little weaker than some of his other most recent releases.

Band To Watch For In 2023: 

The Wild Things - The Wild Things are a British band fronted by Sydney Rae Wright, who is apparently the star of a British Netflix series.  It seems that Pete Townshend has taken a liking to them, so much so that they opened two shows for The Who at Madison Square Garden.  Townshend will be producing their new record which will be released in 2023.  Their older material is strong and I am looking forward to more.

Noteworthy

Six out my top ten records this year feature female lead vocalists.  That seems like quite a few, but apparently my tastes are trending that way.  I guess that’s why I had one Pencilstorm piece posted earlier this year called “Women on Top” and another called “An Explosion of Female-fronted Indie Pop Rock N Roll.”

So between my top ten, my three Honorable Mentions and one band to watch for, you have fourteen glorious bands to go check out.  Happy New Year to all of our Pencilstorm readers, thank you for being here!

JCE, or John to his friends, was born in 1963 in the Nation’s Capital.  He grew up in the VA suburbs of D.C.  He has a wife of 32 years, and a grown daughter.  He leads a bit of a double life, working by day as the chief administrative officer of a VA county, and spending as many nights as possible listening to live rock n roll with his wife at any club that has a decent band within 100 miles or so of their house.  Oh, and he has an ever-growing collection of about 150 vintage skateboards.