Ok, so… man, I didn’t post my end of the year best of 2021 records. Pretty lame if you ask me, that’s most of the reason that I even have this blog. Ok, so before getting into the stuff I’ve been listening to that’s come out this year, here’s my quick 2021 recap:
Best Singles: Night Marchers – Wot’s Da Use 7″, Quaker Wedding – Russian Hill 7″, and Elway – The English Wishbone.
Best EPs: Camp Trash – Downtiming, Bruce Lee Band – Division In The Heartland, Lxs Diamantes – Rocanrol Mutante, Sekunderna – Hjärtat EP, and Kiteflighter – Минулі Часи.
Best Records: Remember Sports – Like A Stone, Sincere Engineer – Bless My Psyche, Neighborhood Brats – Confines of Life, Cluttered – The First Pandemic, Tigers Jaw – I Won’t Care How You Remember Me, Mikey Erg – s/t, Talk Show Host – Mid-Century Modern, Liquid Mike – Stuntman, Vacation – Existential Risks and Returns, and Needles//Pins – s/t
Highly recommend checking any of those out if you missed them, they are all very good.
OK, onto my favorite releases of the first quarter of the year.
Swami John Reis – Ride the Wild Night (Swami Records, February 2022)
John Reis is a friggin’ legend and at this point, I don’t think it’s possible for him to release any music that I don’t absolutely love. He’s got another (perhaps more lauded?) release on this list, but this is my favorite one, and an early contender for album of the year. Less Hot Snakes/RFTC, more along the lines of what he did with Night Marchers, it’s just great.
Elway – The Best of All Possible Worlds (Red Scare Industries, April 1st)
I’m embarrassingly late to Elway, as this is their fifth record, but the first time I’ve ever given them a fair listen. As someone who has been obsessed w/The Lawrence Arms, Sincere Engineer, and The Menzingers for the last while, Elway is right in my wheelhouse, while still putting their own spin on the emotive punk genre.
Big Nothing – Dog Hours (Lame-O-Records, February 18th)
At first listen, I wasn’t as moved as their 2019 debut, Chris, which had a few more uptempo tracks. After a few spins though, I stopped trying to compare it and just enjoy it for what it is, which is a great record to just relax to on my way to work or while I’m working around the house. “A Lot Of Finding Out” is great, but enjoy this album as a whole, it’s so good.
Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa (Matador, February 11th)
No band is on a consecutive-album streak like Spoon. How are they so good and still able to mix it up on (almost) every album? Britt Daniels is a wizard, and he’s still got plenty left in the tank on Lucifer on the Sofa. “The Hardest Cut” is a heavy staple when driving w/my kids, but “The Devil & Mr. Jones” is also a gem, and the whole record is diverse enough to keep you entertained the whole way through.
Quaker Wedding – Total Disarray (Salinas Records, April 15th)
You should’ve spotted Quaker Wedding’s Running List 7″ at the top of this post as one of my favorite releases from last year, and both the A and B sides are here on their sophomore release. Just like 2020’s In Transit, the melancholy themes of strained relationships and recurring frustrations are matched with heavy, catchy tunes that will make you feel better about feeling like shit. Love this band.
Plosivs – s/t (Swami Records, March 17th)
Don’t let the fact that this is only my second favorite Swami release of the year sway you, Plosivs are great. John Reis’ extensive catalogue keeps this from being higher on my list, if only because I’d like it better if the vocals were a little more raw and the sound was a tad heavier. I realize now that I’m describing Hot Snakes, and that’s not fair – Plosivs are great and you should listen to them. Then Hot Snakes. Then Sultans. Then Rocket from the Crypt. Then Swami John Reis. Then Back Off Cupids.
Joyride! – Miracle Question (Salinas Records, April 15th)
A while back, I was taking advantage of a sale Salinas Records was having, and bought a few LPs from Joyride!, a female-fronted indie-punk band that sounded cool but that I’d never heard of before. I got hooked on them, but then figured that they’d broken up. WELL, it turns out they didn’t, and just put out a really good record you should go check out.
Reminders – Best of Beach Punk (Wiretap Records, April 1st)
“Carousel” is probably one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard the whole year. While it’s not a perfect record, Reminders have written a few perfect choruses on here (“Picturesque” among them). It’s a really impressive debut and well worth checking out if you’re in a pop-punk kinda mood.
Ten Things I Hate About You – s/t (self-released, January 21st)
My favorite Hawaiian emo band named after an underrated romantic comedy. I’d like this one better if the production value was a little higher, but I think that’s a choice they made, to make it a little fuzzier and noisier. Either way, they write some catchy songs if you’re able to hear them.
Original Son – Currents (Sell The Heart Records, February 17th)
The best $3 a month I spend is on the Sell The Heart Records digital subscription, which is how I found out about Original Son. A mixture of a few influences, it definitely reminds me of growing up in the punk scene in southern California, and I really like STH Records’ media approach – I’ve been able to catch Original Son on some Instagram livestreams and they’re good live.
Russ Rankin – Come Together Fall Apart (SBÄM Records, January 28th)
Good Riddance was one of the primary punk influences in young Marcus’ life, so I’ll always have a soft spot for everything Rankin does, and while I still prefer the full band sound, his always political lyrics (I write this on the night that it was leaked that the Supreme Court has the votes to overturn Roe v. Wade) are sung just as earnestly and are as relevant as always. America Flies First Class.
Oso Oso – Sore Thumb (Triple Crown Records, March 18th)
My most recent show was seeing The Menzingers down in Austin at Empire Control Room (incredible show, easily the best I’ve been to since the beginning of the pandemic), and while I was bummed to arrive too late to see the opener (Sincere Engineer, though I fortunately caught them a few months prior at the same venue), I was able to see Oso Oso live. While Sore Thumb didn’t quite grab me on first listen, seeing them live really brought it together for me, quality indie rock that can be catchy but still keep you guessing.
Slomo Drags – Twin Absorber EP (Spaceflight Records, February 25th)
I know that Austin has a ton of bands, but it’s still crazy to me that Slomo Drags haven’t gotten more attention here. They are by far my favorite local band (honorable mention to Capture Phase, who are recording new music this week). Indie pop that is really catchy and creative, they stand out for tongue in cheek lyrics (see: “Guns! (Baby) and “Effeminate Cop” from some earlier releases), which they continue on “All The Kids” and “Almost Good Enough”. Listen to them please!
Mondo Beta – s/t EP (March 31st, No Men’s Records)
The lone non-English speaking release, Mondo Beta first graced the pages of this here blog with their debut release, which was incredible. They’re back here w/a few more tunes paying homage to the Hot Snakes, and I’ve always maintained that people that like Hot Snakes are the best kind of people.
Teenage Halloween – split w/Homeless Gospel Choir (Don Giovanni Records, January 1st)
On of the highlights of my 2022 SXSW experience (aside from seeing Pom Poko and Spiritual Cramp, a pair of new-to-me bands that blew me away) was finally being able to see Teenage Halloween live. Even on a slightly drizzly morning w/only a handful of people who weren’t there for the free stuff from Paste Magazine, they totally shredded their way through an awesome set. Anyways, I’m not totally into the Homeless Gospel Choir part of this split (it’s not bad, just not my thing), but both Teenage Halloween tunes are top notch.
Alright, that’s it for now. Hopefully it doesn’t take me six months to post again.
Radio Marcus 