Chicks, Man – The Del Lords – This might not be the best song of 2013 (I think I put it at # 3) but it is my absolute fave and it goes to the heart of what I was writing earlier about happy-sad songs, here you get a perfect pattern song that ends with death! – A+
From the kick it into gear “When The Drugs Kick In” to the jammed out masterful Neil Young cover “Southern Pacific” this album doesn’t falter for a moment, the guitars are tactile, ringing, powerful -a thing of real beauty and smartness like scalpels of sound.
The band sounded real good but they didn’t quite ignite, the closest they got was “Poor Man” but even with Ambel playing the harp for the first time ever they never quite got us there.
Good Morning Good Morning – Mickey Dolenz – Off the Remember album if you think a flute has no place on the Lennon classic, think again ; Dolenz is in superb voice and it captures some of the timed weirdness of Lennon’s take on the straight life – B+
With an album considered the best of the year by many of my peers under their belts and a full force return to touring for a salivating fan base, here the Del Lords are joined by one of the best garage rock bands around, Spanking Charlene, in what is certain to be the rock show to beat in 2013
Reflektor – Arcade Fire – It sounds like Holy Ghost plus LCD Soundsystem hit with gamma rays and turned into the incredible Hulk till it is a monster of pop awesomeness
