This was a very difficult year to pick a favorite album. Some of my favs put out new ones (Lydia Loveless, Lucero, Juliana Hatfield, Country Westerns), some names we haven’t heard for a while (Young James Long), and some surprises (Extreme, The Stones!). Here’s my top-10 in roughly the correct order.
TOP-TEN ALBUMS
1) Country Westerns - Forgive the City - Follow up to their great self-titled debut that helped me get through the pandemic. This keeps the same spirit, basically, with a couple soft-left turns on songwriting and feel. These guys came through the Detroit area about 5 times during the first half of 2023, and I was there for most of them. One of the most exciting newer bands out there and I’m excited to see what’s next.
2) Lydia Loveless - Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again - I’m deeper in on this one than I was on 2021’s Daughter, which was a bit darker and more complex. I still loved that one and together with this and the two before that it’s a hell of a four-album run. My fav is when she speeds it up but they’re all great here, and it’s a great, great record.
3) Screaming Females - Desire Pathway - Tucos’ drummer Gabriel played these guys constantly in the van and I finally “got it” and picked this one up. A bit outside of my comfort zone, but a super solid punk rock album that got a lot of spins at home. I just heard they’re breaking up, so I guess I’ll never get to see them. Bummer.
4) Young James Long - Orogeny - Ex-Mule and WIG front-man Preston PW Long returns from a bit of a hiatus with an LP of short songs with his trio. Fans of those bands will love it. It’s got Michigan roots via California now, but it’s really swampy and dirty in all the best ways.
5) Juliana Hatfield - Sings ELO - Anything Juliana gets my money and I love some ELO so it seemed like a home run. It’s her third Sings release after the brilliant Olivia Newton-John and the slightly underwhelming The Police tributes. Maybe it’s the Xanadu connection back to Olivia that helps this succeed? I dunno, but it’s great, and highly recommended.
6) Lucero - Should've Learned By Now - These guys just keep going and going, and their output is…remarkable. Not every album resonates deeply with me, but the last few in a row have for sure. These are leftover songs from their previous album When You Found Me, but even the leftovers are delicious this time around.
7) Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives - Altitude - The picking on this record is second to none. The opening track and first song might be my #1 moment of all musical releases all year. Holy smokes is it great. The record goes in some different directions, some more commercial than others, but it’s consistent and sounds amazing. Dying to see these guys.
8) Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds - Easily the surprise of the year. Like the Scorpions album last year, this has no business being this good. There are moments it gets a bit too 90’s Stonesy, but there are moments where you’re like… WOW! These dudes are 80 friggin’ years old and they put this out. Amazing.
9) Extreme - Six - Admittedly I’ve never been an Extreme fan. Not even sure why. But this is a great album that grabbed me and got a bunch of spins. The reggae-tinged “Beautiful Girls” is a cringer, but other than that I’m sold. Missed them when they came through Detroit but hoping to get another chance.
10) Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Weathervanes - My own personal fan arc for Jason Isbell has admittedly crossed over to the down-side as I can’t seem to get past the feeling that he’s made the same album about six times now, but that’s more me than it is him. Everything he does is great; the playing, the writing, the production…. I just wish there was a bit more diversity. But what the hecky-ho do I know? Glad he’s out there and you can’t go wrong with any of `em.
LEGACY RELEASES
Goo Goo Dolls - Live at The Academy, New York City, 1995 - Ho-lee-smokes this is probably my favorite overall thing this year. 3XLPs including the (maybe unnecessary) sound-check. It’s the band at their peak, with focus on Boy Named Goo and Superstarcarwash. These guys have become a punching bag for ex-punks who think they know better, and admittedly some of that abuse is deserved, but here’s a loud, fast, loose, tight, melodic, energetic, raw, powerpop, rock, punk band that’s as good as there was in 1995. If that intrigues you, but you’re weary of what these guys became, I strongly suggest you put your preconceived notions aside and dig in.
The Replacements - Tim: Let It Bleed Edition - Bucket-list remix of the `mats classic Tim that had us all talking for weeks. Like Dead Man’s Pop with Don’t Tell a Soul, there’s redemption here, and somehow we love something even more now than we did before. The extras are a bit tiring, but the remix is pure-gold and I still put it on when we get home from the bar at 2am and I need a come-down nightcap before bed.
Drive-By Truckers - The Complete Dirty South - The first Truckers release that gets the “deluxe” treatment. Different sequencing, a couple extra tracks that didn’t make the original release, and a couple alt-vocal takes that take on a completely different feel. Hope there’s more legacy stuff from DBT - but it’s hard to complain with the output of this very active and very relevant band.
Lilybandits - Shifty's Tavern - Todd May (Lydia Loveless band, solo)’s band from the mid-90s. Sorta alt-country, alt-rock. It sounds great, the playing is awesome…but man, the songs are what really sets it above so much of what was happening then, and now, where alt-country bands are a dime a dozen. Fans of Uncle Tupelo, early Wilco, stuff like that, take note.
Black Sabbath - Live Evil (40th Anniversary Edition) - Another release that was desperately in need of a remix and does not disappoint. So great to hear Ronnie not only kill it live on all the Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules material, but also his takes on the Ozzy-era staples. This got many spins over the summer, and is still in regular rotation.
Gram Parsons and The Fallen Angels - The Last Roundup - While technically a Record Store Day release, I bought it through their Kickstarter campaign, which means I paid more and got it after the public did on Black Friday RSD, as a thanks for my patronage. Who’s bitter? Well, my copy had two of the first LP and zero of the second, but a couple weeks later and they made that right. Who’s bitter? Well, it’s a pretty fantastic recording of Gram, Emmylou, and the gang at their peak, with three 10”s of demos and stuff included. For a Gram mega-fan like me it’s a no brainer. For the casual fan, stick to GP and Grievous Angel and you’ll bed fine.
RSD RELEASES
I love Record Store Day. I meet up with my pal Jason and we camp out in the freezing cold like a couple burnouts waiting for Led Zeppelin tickets in 1974. The lists have been a bit watered down for the last couple, but my wife and wallet are ok with that. Still plenty to grab, and still a great event.
Dio - Live in Fresno 1983 - Finally! A Dio RSD release that’s not a picture disc! This is one I was waiting for. Prime-era Dio with Viv Campbell, perfect setlist, and great sound.
The Pogues - The Stiff Records B-Sides - RIP Shane MacGowan. I was so hardcore into the Pogues/Shane in the 90s and 00s, I had all this stuff, and almost all of it on vinyl already, but I still couldn’t pass it up. Sounds and flows great. There will never, ever be another Shane MacGowan.
Dolly Parton - The Monument Singles Collection 1964-1968 - Pre-”Jolene” Dolly, but it’s a great look into her formative years. A lot of it has a rockabilly vibe, and it’s still got that Dolly charm! Super fun, easy spin.
Faces - Had Me A Real Good Time… With Faces! In Session & Live at the BBC 1971-1973 - Very cool to some rare Faces get the RSD treatment! Stuff like this is what Record Store Day is all about to me. Anything Faces will always get my cash. Sounds great, super fun.
Bottle Rockets - S/T - The first album by Missouri’s great (and recently retired) BoRox on vinyl for the first time. Early alt-country at its best. Super consistent and sounds amazing. Their first three are awesome. Hoping to see Brooklyn Side soon.
HONORABLE INDIE MENTIONS (Buddies, pals, and co-conspirators)
Buddies around the country put out some great stuff in 2023 and they deserve a shout out. How about heading over to Bandcamp and throwing them a couple bucks for some amazing music? It’ll go WAY further than a few hundred spins on Spotify (don’t get me started) and you can look at yourself in the mirror and know that you did something good.
The Brower Sisters Band - Old Friends Are New Strangers - Atlanta, GA teenagers with an EP of great indie-alt-pop-punk. Start with “Messed You Up (Skatepark)” and go from there.
Haiku Seppuku - All Quiet on the Global Front EP - Lexington, KY punk-rock led by Tex Dynamite from NP Presley’s band (NP on drums here). Jawbreaker+Descendents, but with a bit more vinegar and rage. PUNK. Awesome.
Bottlecap Mountain - O! Fantastik Melancholy - Austin pals’ latest full-length chock-full of WHO and Kinks-like hooks with some almost-punk energy. Great textures and smart, indie-rock songwriting. This got plenty of spins in the van, and at home.
Model Citizen - Live at Dial Back Sound - Water Valley, Mississippi via Birmingham, Alabama fast punk blues with a sorta 60s vibe but on amphetamines and amps at 11. Powerful and fun, and super raw. Fans of Mudhoney, Sonics, Iggy…
Doug McKean - The Stars Have All Fallen from Your Sky (single) - Cleveland, Ohio-based singer-songwriter who is right up there with my favorites. What a gift this cat has. He’s got a new band called The Stuntmen who are killing it out there - can’t wait for a DM&S record!
Glamour Machine - S/T - Detroit glam-rock debut. Think cocaine-era Bowie, T-Rex, that sorta stuff. Ex-Tuco Jason on bass and Ex-SlugBug Brian on drums for a couple tracks. Hope to see these guys get out there a bit more next year.
New Twenty Saints - S/T - Detroit rock band that’s part Replacements, part plugged-in Rust-era Neil Young. Great songs, great hooks. Raw and powerful.
TV & STREAMING - DOCS & MINI-SERIES
Poker Face - Peacock series starring Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) as a casino-girl on-the-run who has the power to tell when people are lying. Each episode is in a different town, sort of like The Incredible Hulk show, but some recurring themes and demons chasing her down. It’s not too deep - good, fun, escapist thrills. She rules and season two is gonna be lit.
Peter Case - A Million Miles Away - Doc on ex-Plimsouls/Nerves guy who has grown into one of the most respected songwriters out there. Yeah, I wish there was way more Plimsouls in there, maybe we’ll get that doc someday, but this was really well done and highly recommended.
Wednesday - Netflix show based on the Addam’s Family daughter, sent to boarding school. Great writing, amazing cinematography, and acting, especially by Jenna Ortega, though Christina Ricci’s (huge fan here) limited role is a lot of fun too.
George and Tammy - Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain NAIL the roles of George Jones and Tammy Wynette in this biopic. These things can be so lame but this just had me all in from the start. It’s not an easy watch - they were messed up people - but just so well done. I’m looking to watch it again in the near future, and I never do that.
Squaring the Circle - Documentary about Hipgnosis - the British graphic-designers who created some of the most iconic album covers you’ve ever seen from the likes of Zeppelin, Floyd, and so many more. It’s heavy on Pink Floyd content and Id’a liked to have seen more hard rock stuff, but it’s a really fascinating look into top-tier rock and roll from the 60s and 70s.
Fargo (Season 5) - This is on FX right now. Each season has been great, some more so than others, but every one captures the spirit of the movie really well and it doesn’t hurt to have great actors delivering those Coen-esque lines. Juno Temple (Ted Lasso, The Offer) continues her rise as one of the most quirky, cute, funny and talented actresses out there, and Jennifer Jason Leigh (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) as the uber-bitch mother in law is (one of the) consummate villains.
PENCIL STORM CONTRIBUTIONS
My fav thing I did on Pencil Storm this year were my Three Detroit Bands to Watch series (ep one and ep two). This will be ongoing, as time permits. JCE stepped up big time when Colin, Ricki and I were too busy or otherwise distracted with some GREAT content, including some nice words about the latest Tucos 7” and a joint-venture where we talked about Social Distortion’s Mommy’s Little Monster record turning 40. It’s also fun to walk gingerly among the OSU mega-Michigan-haters while quietly racking up a nice string of wins for this side. I’m so grateful to be a part of this thing, and just honored and humbled to work with Colin and Ricki all the time, even though they bitch incessantly about the coffee I make and my messy desk at the Pencil Storm compound.
Happy New Year!
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
www.thetucos.com
www.facebook.com/jeremyportermusic
www.rockandrollrestrooms.com
Twitter: @jeremyportermi | Instagram: @onetogive & @jeremyportermusic
