Here are our all of our favorite albums of 2024. This is the year end review, all in one place.
Below are our picks for RtBE's favorite albums of the year. It starts with our honorable mentions then moves into our top ten albums of the year. There is a short blurb about the album and a song from it, click on the title to read our full review of the selected records. The focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen to all the way through.
Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2024's Favorite Albums Part 3: Top Five.
In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.
Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify, or singles for us.
The number ten just works for this, so here is the second part of our top ten, numbers five through one. You can see the back end of our top ten and the honorable mentions albums that just missed our top ten as well.
Like all of our lists or 'best of', these are meant to start conversations, not end them...
This time around shit has gotten real. While we don't agree with the overhyped title of the review (which we didn't write) the album is top notch. We used the phrase "mental breakdown dance music" in the review and think that sums it up. Gordon herself has stated:
“On this record, I wanted to express the absolute craziness I feel around me right now. This is a moment when nobody really knows what truth is, when facts don’t necessarily sway people, when everyone has their own side, creating a general sense of paranoia. To soothe, to dream, escape with drugs, TV shows, shopping, the internet, everything is easy, smooth, convenient, branded. It made me want to disrupt, to follow something unknown, maybe even to fail.”
She nailed it, all except the fail part, this record is wild in a good way and a clear success.
It is of Sonic Youth's double live album Walls Have Ears.
RtBE are massive SY fans, having written a bunch about them, but their early years are not our favorite era of their sound, and this release doesn't change that.
The final US show the fantastic Sonic Youth ever played is captured on this special release as the August 12th 2011 Williamsburg, NYC Waterfront set from the noise rock legends is now available on vinyl from Silver Current Records.
Having attended this show, which at the time no one knew would be the bands last, there was a sense of something special in the air. The previous few years found the band revisiting past albums with strong shows, but this career ranging affair was unique and powerfully played. Lovingly captured here, this gorgeous night from the hometown band will now live on.
The setlist was created by drummer Steve Shelley and as he explains it:
“This show was a culmination of a run of really special outdoor summertime shows in New York City for us, starting in ’92 with Summerstage in Central Park when we played with Sun Ra. For the Williamsburg Waterfront show I wrote out the set list to present to the band and it was a lot of material we hadn’t played in a while, a lot of deep cuts, so I wasn’t sure if everybody would feel like doing it. After worrying about which songs the band might say yes or no to, I threw those concerns out the window and I just made a list of songs that I thought would be a great set. We practiced the week of the show at our space in Hoboken and put the set together. First we’d try and make sure we had a guitar in the song’s tuning, then we’d try to remember the arrangement and try and put it together, sometimes re-learning bar by bar. In the end I think the whole song list made it through. Even as early as ’86 and ’87 we stopped playing ‘Death Valley 69’ and ‘Brave Men Run’ with any regularity. We’d just get excited about new material coming into the set and songs would get ‘retired’ and wouldn’t get played again for years. So on this particular night in Brooklyn a lot of those retired songs and deep cuts got dusted off and played for this show. It turned out to be a pretty special event with a really special song list.”
The band (Kim Gordon - voc, gtr Mark Ibold - Bass Thurston Moore - voc, gtr Lee Ranaldo - voc, gtr Steve Shelley - drums) tore into this old material right off the bat with that combo of "Brave Men Run (In My Family) > "Death Valley ’69" deploying scratchy layers of guitars, feedback, rumbling low end, and desperate vocals to recall the groups early noise days with passion and energy.
Another old warhorse noise number "Kotton Krown" found Moore singing the prophetic words for this night, "New York City is forever, kitty I'm wasted in time and you're never ready Fading, fading, celebrating". Shelley puts his powerful drums to work with the head banging "Kill Yr. Idols" while Ranaldo gets the crowd revved up to go on "Eric's Trip". The muscle car guitars and motoring sounds continue for "Sacred Trickster", the cataclysmic "Calming The Snake", and the grooving "What We Know" all off of the bands final album (the underrated The Eternal), these were the newest song played on this evening, yet all fit in with the deep cuts/classics wonderfully.
Speaking of deep cuts, "Starfield Road" is up next with crushing bass from Ibold, while the free jazz gets rolled out for the extended screeching and pounding of old school tunes "I Love Her All The Time" and "Ghost Bitch" from the early days of SY. The slow burn of "Tom Violence" builds with sexy power while the unhinged screaming guitars and Gordon's strong vocals slam on "Drunken Butterfly" ending the main set of tunes.
The encores on this night were special as the group continued to delve into their past with feminist force of "Flower" and a rare "Psychic Heart" from Moore's solo career. Both were nice, but it was a gorgeous rendition of the band's "Sugar Kane" that really hit the sold out summer crowd squarely in the chest, the highlight of the whole night.
Feeling extra giving the band returned for a second encore that saw them dig deep and unleash the chugging, noise rock blast of "Inhuman", ending the night, and basically their whole career, on loud clanging feedback, just the way these legends should.
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On a personal note, Sonic Youth are one of our all-time favorite acts, and RtBE has owned an audience taped copy of this show since it happened, so the music is well loved to these ears. It is nice to now own a soundboard recording on vinyl, but it is also bitter sweet as the band was still kicking ass at such a high artistic level when they broke up. It is another reminder, like with the recently broken up Screaming Females, enjoy this amazing music live while you can.
Each year the music industry dips into the past to deliver box sets, live albums, re-masters and outtake collections to sell to the music loving masses (present company included). This look back will round up some of RtBE's favorite archival releases from the past year.
Usually these releases can fall into the money grab category, not really adding much outside of revenue for the label and (hopefully) the artist. Every now and then though some spectacular collections are unearthed and are worth any price.
RtBE includes live albums in this category, since they were recorded in the recent or distant past and thus fall into archival release status.
With the increase in vinyl, and enhanced Record Store Days to help smaller sellers, there are more and more archival releases each year. RtBE are sure to miss a lot of them, but the quality and abundance is exciting. Post your favorites, or any we may have missed, in the comments.
These were our favorite archival releases of 2023, click the link in the title for full length reviews.
Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the best indie rock albums of all time, Sonic Youth'sDaydream Nation.
RtBE are huge fans of Sonic Youth (and pretty much everythingsince their break up) and this is either their first or second best album (RtBE needs to do a ranking of SY's albums). Give it a whirl today and play it loud.
Peep a few favorite tunes of ours from the album below:
The long running NYC based post-punks, Bush Tetras had a resurgence a few years back when they released a career spanning box set called Rhythm and Paranoia in 2021. On the back of that the group decided to reconvene and record a new album.
Unfortunately, original drummer Dee Pop passed away before the band could capture the tunes, so Pat Place, Cynthia Sley and RB Korbet recruited Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelly who also produced the newest full length from the band, They Live In My Head. Shelly is a perfect fit for the group, adding heft and dexterity to the band's sound throughout the eleven songs presented here.
The album opens with the groups solid, groove centered, post-punk as "Bird on a Wire" uses thumping bass and drums, scratchy guitars and a spacey singing style that sets the tone for what is to follow. The group shifts to the Lower East Side dance floor, by way of Paris with "Tout Est Meilleur", an upbeat, hopeful number sung in French by Sley while "Things I Put Together" slows everything back down with strutting confidence.
"2020 Vision" recalls the crazy times we all just went through with revved up energy while "I Am Not a Member" delivers a tasty slice of glam rock from the group. The album centerpiece is "Walking Out the Door" as the track uses start/stop stomping before melding into a spacey jam with a noisy, wandering guitar.
The group goes back to their post-punk roots with "So Strange" (even tossing in some random piano work) while "Ghost of People" has an ominous rumbling but goes on a bit too long. The title track is better as it starts acoustic then kicks in with an almost poppy punk sweetness while "Another Room" gets minds swirling and the aptly titled "The End" closes the album on a galloping note.
With a member passing so close to recording, this project could have been scrapped, but fans of post-punk will rejoice that Shelley joined the group and Bush Tetras delivered an album as rock solid as They Live In My Head.
The non-profit Noise For Now has curated a group of artists to create a compilation of brand new songs that will be released for one day only, tomorrow October 7th, 2022, on bandcamp.
A host of RtBE favorites are included on this release and it supports a worthy cause. The album cover was crafted byKim Gordon and you can see it here:
Buy this album tomorrow. To get in the mood, here are a few older songs from people participating.
RtBE would like to wish a Happy 64th Birthday to one of our personal favorites, Thurston Moore.
We recently discussed our favorite Sonic Youth album, Dirty which turned 30 this year, and mentioned that SY were incredibly formative to our tastes and playing. From the first time we saw them, to bumping into Thurston on Broadway or Kim and Lee at various shows throughout the years in NYC, to reviewing later albums to attending the bands last American show, they will always have a place in our mind/heart.
One of the coolest live moments for RtBE took place back in 2008. Moore and his guitar slinger in crime Lee Ranaldo crafted a whirling electric odyssey in the old Knitting Factory for a Fender Jazzmaster showcase celebrating the guitars 50th year. The tiny venue was excellent for them to showoff their interlinking instrumental style and sound. Another interesting live permutation was when Moore played the Solid Sound Festival focusing on his Demolished Thoughts record and messing around with Pillow Wand.
To celebrate Moore's birthday, let's listen to some songs. We will start with RtBE's favorite Moore's solo song, then continue with a story/interview/few acoustic live tunes before closing with one of the best Sonic Youth songs (you can dive into the better extended version here if you got twenty five minutes to spare).
One of RtBE's favorite albums of all time turns 30 today asSonic Youth'sDirty was released on July 21st, 1992.
Back in the days of cassettes, this one stayed in my Walkman for a large chunk of fall 1992 and beyond. I can still vividly remember sitting in my high school library, study hall and home room blasting this loud in those puffy headphones. Sonic Youth and Dirty particularly influenced everything from my love of loud noisy guitars to fashion sense to desire to see other bands like SY (Dinosaur Jr. etc). While other albums were bigger in the grunge era, this one spoke to my young ears and mind the most.
Everyone has their own favorite SY album, but when asked recently about my personal favorite, Dirty topped the list easily. We will probably set aside a post to go over our list of favorites from the New York noise rock legends at some point in the future, but from the exhilaratingly powerful, bordering on beautiful rock ("Sugar Kane", "Wish Fulfillment", "Chapel Hill", "Purr") to the avantgarde ("Creme Brulee") to the punk rage ("Nic Fit", "Youth Against Fascism") to just flat our dirty as titled rumbling bass line and riffs ("100%") everything just connected on this release.
A major part of the appeal was Kim Gordon's feminist based, confusion-as-sex-as-violence designed lyrics under guttural and breathy vocals ("Drunken Butterfly", "Shoot", "Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit", "Swimsuit Issue", "JC"). She was (and remains) both alluring and scary, capturing the immediate (and sadly future) cultural sexual zeitgeist in a profound way. Thurston had his chugging/slicing riffs combining with Lee's spacey wandering tone, both zig zag up and down fret boards, all the while supported by Steve's strong, but never intrusive drumming that kept everything together.
Years later when I checked out the special edition release and found out "Genetic" was left off this album, I sided with Ranaldo who almost quit the band because of this decision. I am not sure what the band was thinking then, but to be fair the other outtakes of "Stalker", "Hendrix Necro" and "The Destroyed Room" are all top notch, the band was clearly in the groove recording with Butch Vig. We will never know why they left certain songs off or why they didn't release "Sugar Kane" as the lead single, but it all works out eventually (even the dissolution of this great band) and now this gem of a noise rock release turns thirty.
The first bass line I learned was the Ramones...then Sonic Youth's "100%". When my first band played our first show "100%" made the cut, The Ramones didn't, and this was about 15 years after this album came out. While I was slow to get onstage to play music, the influence of this album still loomed large when I began my live music adventure. It still looms large today.
Celebrate the best way possible, buy the album and play it loud.
When it comes to most band's practice tapes, they should be discarded as soon as they are no longer needed, however Sonic Youth's jams can always be examined for interesting sounds. In/Out/In is billed as a "compilation album of five songs recorded between 200 and 2010" but really these feel like practice sessions, song sketches and experiments that never proceeded to complete songs for release.
And that is OK. Sonic Youth perhaps more than any jamband, uses the studio to talk musically to each other, structuring "jams" into "songs" with weird tunings, styles and freak-outs.
The opening "Basement Contender" sounds as if it was recorded during the Murray Street era of the group as the beautiful guitar tones and blissful jams float out around the soft drum rolls. Drummer Steve Shelley is the clear MVP on this release as the questioning interplay of the strings needs a foundation to coalesce around and Shelley provides it expertly on all of these efforts.
"In & Out" uses breathy holding vocals from Kim Gordon but doesn't really go anywhere with the droning despite Shelley's upbeat drums. The growly rock and roll of Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore's guitars push "Machine" but it never rises up to the high levels of the band's 2000's strong output, while "Social Static" is just that, experimental feedback that dulls over the almost twelve minute run time.
The album wraps up with the best track here, "Out & In". The ominous meddling rock tone set by Moore and Ranaldo around warbling guitars starts hot with distortion as boiling tension climbs then drops back down in to the muck. Picking right back up, the guitars fluctuate with a bass bumping finale on a track that could run on infinitely in classic SY style.
In/Out/In will not create new fans, and isn't even a truly major release, (the band's periodic live show releases on bandcamp are much more fulfilling) but for longtime fans (RtBE firmly included) any time spent with one of the most underrated bands in history is time well spent.
This record won't be making the next decades best, but Thurston needs to follow his muse. If it it means re-releasing an album he posted on bandcamp last year.
The Turkish free form ensemble KONSTRUKT has been conducting live collaborations on stage and they hosted a recent one with guitarist Thurston Moore. No stranger to experimentation Moore easily fits in with the outfit, delivering an engaging set of out there, free form, jazz rock.
The live playing is broken into different themes and things start out a bit rocky with the repetitive entry "Yapayalnız (Gezerler Sokaklarda)" dealing with lots of noisy squeals from Moore and saxophones. The full band (Korhan Futacı: alto sax, flute, voice, loops Umut Çağlar: electric guitar, synthesizer Apostolos Sideris: electric bass, upright bass Berkan Tilavel: drums) kicks in after a few minutes with some driving power and distorted vocal yells before the ending dissolves back into free jazz with the players searching.
Things steadily improve as all onstage become more comfortable. "Sis" uses marching drums and sax before a great swirling, chaotic full band ending. "Kurtadam (Part 1)" peters out after some twinkling from Moore but "Kurtadam (Part 2)" fades back in and amps the ominous noise rock Sonic Youth fans will recognize instantly as Moore rings out strong through the maelstrom.
Set closer "Zor" is the highlight of the whole album as the kicked up tempo recalls traditional Turkish tunes before fiery playing from all involved pushes the tempo. Squawking sax work and heavy rocking drums keep flexing he tone before the track dissolves in the middle, only to kick back up for a freak out to wrap the set played in front of an appreciative crowd. "Zor" is reminiscent of prime era electric Miles Davis and company as KONSTRUKT along with guest Moore play the best way possible, without a net.
The outfit encores with the pulsing "Uğultular" to close the night, acting as a cool down form the fury that preceded it, but overall the rocking, experimental jazz KONSTRUKT and Moore delivered with Turkish Belly were the sweet sonic goods on this night.
Here are our all of our favorite albums of 2020. This is the year end review, all in one place.
It starts with our honorable mentions then moves into our top ten albums of the year. There is a short blurb about the album and a song from it, click on the title to read our full review of the selected records. The focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen to all the way through.
Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2020's Favorite Albums Part 2: Numbers Ten through Six
In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.
Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle or singles for us.
The number ten just works for this, here are numbers ten through six, numbers five to one are coming soon. You can check out the albums that just missed this top ten as well. Like all of our lists or 'best of's' these are meant to start conversations more than end them...
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Kim Gordon talks with Carrie Brownstein
Kim Gordon discusses her new book No Icon with Carrie Brownstein tonight at 8pm EST on Zoom.
RtBE has not read the book yet but it is on our list. To get in the mood for the discussion here is a tune from Kim Gordon's last album, 2019's No Home Record which we reviewed for Glide.
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