Despite there being a bit of a shake-up at the Day Job that would soon cause a ripple effect of other frustrations coming to the surface, I somehow found myself finally getting a little more focused on my writing work and the music I wanted to listen to. We were also both still getting used to living at our new home, yet eager to start making it our own. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s getting there.

Nilufer Yanya, Dancing Shoes EP, released 2 July. She keeps coming out with bangers, even if it’s just a tiny four-track mini-album! This one got a lot of play on KEXP during the summer.

Dropkick Murphys, For the People, released 4 July. You can always count on this band to not just be the Most Boston Band Ever, but to be so incredibly outspoken yet still surprisingly erudite, even despite their more ridiculous moments. They have a few things to say about the current administration, and they’re not afraid to let you know about it.

The Reds, Pinks & Purples, The Past Is a Garden I Never Fed, released 4 July. Glenn Donaldson continues pumping out more and more music, and this time it’s a collection of tunes that previously only showed up as vinyl-only tracks or rare singles. And as far as I know, he’s still based in my neighborhood!

311, 311 (30th Anniversary Edition), released 11 July. The album that broke them into the mainstream in the mid-nineties gets a wonderful expanded remastered reissue, sounding bigger and heavier than before. This one got a ton of play during my HMV and Belfry years, and it remains one of my favorite albums of that decade.

Hammock, Nevertheless, released 11 July. I can never quite figure out if I should label this band as rock or electronic, as they seem to glide between the two depending on what album of theirs you listen to. This one’s a quiet and enjoyable instrumental record that works perfectly as a writing session soundtrack.

Coral Grief, Air Between Us, released 18 July. This band just kind of popped up on KEXP’s airwaves one morning and caught my attention with its moody jangle pop I love so much. It’s a wonderful record and worth checking out.

Bush, I Beat Loneliness, released 18 July. I’ve pretty much been a fan of this band since its Sixteen Stone days, and while they’re no longer churning out radio hits, they’re still consistently writing great albums that are fun to listen to.

JR Richards, My Darkest Hour, released 21 July. Speaking of the 90s, the former lead singer of Dishwalla returns with an all new album that was crowd-sourced over the course of a year. He’s one of my favorites.

The Verve Pipe, Reconciled, released 25 July. Speaking of the 90s (again)… I’m glad that this band is still around making records and touring here and there. This is yet another excellent record from them. I suggest following Brian Vander Ark on social media as he’s quite hilarious.

Alison Goldfrapp, Flux, released 15 August. Her second solo album may seem a bit more dance-oriented than her previous work (and definitely less dance-rock than her output in the band named after her), but it’s still quite enjoyable.

Oasis, Complete Studio Album Collection, released 22 August. Released to tie in with their high-profile reunion and tour, this is a great way to revisit their back catalogue and remember just how good they actually were.

The Hives, The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, released 29 August. You can always depend on this band to put on a grand show, whether it’s a chaotic and hilarious live performance or an in-their-own-weird-universe videos, and they always go above and beyond with each album. This one is full of energy and fearlessness. One of my favorites of the year!

*

More to come…

After a slow first quarter, I started picking up on more music that appealed to me. Much of it came from my almost-daily listening to KEXP, of course, but there were also several reissues and best-ofs that started showing up. And as always, many of these albums ended up as writing session soundtracks.

Suzzallo, The Quiet Year, released 2 May. Rocky Votolato was known in the PNW area as a member of the punk band Waxwing but also solo records and showing up on various friends’ albums, but after a personal tragedy he chose to start a new project. There’s a distinct Radiohead feel to his music here, full of tension and discomfort but retaining a deep sense of melody and mood.

Preoccupations, Ill at ease, released 9 May. This is a band I know I like and yet don’t listen to nearly as much as I should. They lean heavily on the 80s’-era post-punk like The Chamelons and Comsat Angels with a bit of dreamlike Cocteau Twins moodiness thrown in. A surprisingly strong and enjoyable record.

Peter Murphy, Silver Shade, released 9 May. This album snuck up on me, and I’m glad I saw it when I did, because I feel like this is Murphy’s strongest album in recent years. Past solo records were good yet very experimental and meandering, whereas this one feels like he’d return to his earlier sound of Love Hysteria and Deep, both albums I’d played incessantly back in the day.

Mark Pritchard & Thom Yorke, Tall Tales, released 9 May. One half of Global Communication and the leader of Radiohead? Of course I’d gravitate to it! Strange and peculiar and yet still lovely to listen to.

Sparks, MAD!, released 23 May. You can always count on the Brothers Mael to deliver yet another album of oddball-yet-catchy pop music that gets stuck in your head. Good to know that this band is still going after all these years.

Orbital, Orbital 2 (The Brown Album Expanded), released 23 May. I’d been a passive fan of this band since the early 90s, having heard “Halcyon” on WFNX every now and again (and later with their brilliant single “The Box”). Their recent reissue program has only made me want to catch up on more of their music, reminding me just how electronic music used to sound in the 90s — it might have always been danceable, but there was much more of an element of otherworldliness to it, like you were listening to something alien and futuristic.

Sea Lemon, Diving for a Prize, released 30 May. An interesting album of quiet dreampop that takes you on a hazy trip. This one also features the great single “Crystal” that features Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie.

Garbage, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, released 30 May. Each album from this band always seems to go in an unexpected direction, and this one provides an element of anger and annoyance that had always been somewhat muted on their previous records. It never takes away from the music, however, it only makes it that much more intriguing.

Pulp, More, released 6 June. Their first new work since…2001?? It’s been quite a long time, but it’s been well worth the wait. Jarvis and Co. pick up right where they left off, channeling the peculiar Britishness of Different Class (which got a great reissue this year as well) and expanding from there.

Blushing, Blushing reissue, released 13 June. I’m still not sure how I managed to skip this dreampop band from Austin until this reissue popped up on my radar. The album is full of all my favorite things: soaring guitars, quiet/LOUD song structures, wandering melodies, and walls of reverb. I ended up downloading the rest of their discography from Bandcamp soon after!

Steve Queralt, Swallow, released 13 June. A third member of Ride finally shows up with his own solo album, this one going in very interesting and unexpected directions with its sonic experimentation. Lush’s Emma Anderson shows up on a few tracks as well, adding to the mystique. Another favorite during my writing sessions.

HAIM, I quit, released 20 June. It’s always interesting when a band like this one, known for its radio-friendliness (I still hear “The Wire” on the radio and elsewhere), decides to further their career by bravely heading in more experimental directions. While this one doesn’t seem to contain that kind of chart hit, it’s just as catchy and fascinating.

GoGo Penguin, Necessary Fictions, released 20 June. One of my favorite finds of the last decade comes out with yet another electronic-tinged jazz album that’s perfect for my writing sessions. As always, I highly recommend checking them out.

*

More to come…

Spring 2025 was a bit of an odd season for me musically, as there were quite a few albums I was interested in hearing but only maybe a few I ended up truly enjoying. It’s not that the albums were bad, just that I never quite resonated with them for one reason or another. Still, I did find a few that I latched onto…

Bob Mould, Here We Go Crazy, released 7 March. I can always depend on Mould to come out with a well-written and contemplative album, no matter whether he’s in a loud or a soft mood.

Throwing Muses, Moonlight Concessions, released 14 March. I’ve been a fan for decades and I’m happy to see that Kristin Hersh is still going strong with her intelligent and quirky music.

Steven Wilson, The Overview, released 14 March. After a few electronic-based albums, Wilson returns to his original prog sound with an intriguing concept album about viewing Earth from space. I can always rely on his music for a good writing soundtrack!

Lucy Dacus, Forever Is a Feeling, released 28 March. Her new album is much more laid back and contemplative, but just as creative and lovely.

SPELLLING, Portrait of My Heart, released 28 March. This Oakland musician has been a local favorite for quite some time with her experimental hybrid sounds.

Miki Berenyi Trio, Tripla, released 4 April. The former Lush frontwoman finally releases her own solo debut and it was definitely worth the wait. It’s a wonderful dreampop album that expands on her former band’s style with a heavier and stronger sound.

OK Go, And the Adjacent Possible, released 11 April. While several of their previous albums had poppier and more radio-friendly songs alongside their always-captivating videos, this album feels a bit more experimental, but it works perfectly.

Tunde Adebimpe, Thee Black Boltz, released 18 April. The TV On the Radio lead singer’s full-length solo debut was a long time in coming (apparently he’s been doing voice acting all this time?) and it’s well worth the wait.

SAULT, 10, released 19 April. I’ve been fascinated by this curiously semi-anonymous band ever since KEXP introduced me to them, and each release is always captivating.

**

More to come…

Granted, the last couple of months of the year usually go by in a blur, especially since I work in retail. Between the day job and writing and everything else, I tend to lose track of time and forget minor details and things like that. But thankfully the year did end on a positive note, with a wonderful handful of new records!

*

deary, Aurelia EP, released 1 November. One of my favorite newer shoegaze finds with that wonderful guitar wash sound I love so much. I played this one a lot during my writing projects!

Ivy, Long Distance [25th Anniversary Edition], released 1 November. This is probably my favorite Ivy record and one that got a lot of play during the Belfry years. I highly recommend giving this one a listen!

The Cure, Songs of a Lost World, released 1 November. Their first studio album since 2008’s 4:13 Dream, this is well worth the wait, and both critics and fans alike have put this on their list of top albums of the year. The more I listen to this, the more I feel it’s one of their best albums to date.

Linkin Park, From Zero, released 15 November. It’s great to see this band not only returning but essentially picking up where they left off. Emily Armstrong is a great choice to heal the loss of Chester Bennington…while she’s got the same scream-vocal style he had, she gives it her own style and spin.

George Harrison, Living in the Material World 50th Anniversary Edition, released 15 November. This is my second favorite George solo record (after All Things Must Pass of course), and it’s got some of his best work on it. While the album itself leans heavily on the spirituality, it’s not overly cloying. It’s well worth checking out.

New Order, Brotherhood (Definitive), released 22 November. This reissue was also worth the wait as well, as their ‘Definitive’ series provides fresh remasters and intriguing bonus tracks and rarities. This was probably my favorite album of theirs after Substance and got a lot of Walkman play back in the day, so it’s great to hear these songs fresh once more.

U2, How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Re-Assemble Edition), released 22 November. Another reissue, this one a twentieth anniversary remaster of their 2004 album plus several more tracks recorded during its sessions but mostly unreleased. It’s a fascinating listen as many of the extras feel much looser and more experimental than what showed up on the original.

Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More, released 22 November. It’s surprising to know that this is actually Deal’s first solo album, after working so many years with Pixies and The Breeders. It kind of reminds me of The Breeders’ Pod actually, with several of its songs played loosely as if it was more of a demo record than a complete project. Yet that’s the kind of work she’s always done best.

Bibio, Phantom Brickworks (LP II), released 22 November. I first found out about this musician through the first Phantom Brickworks back in 2017, and this sequel is just as fascinating. His work leans towards slow and ambient — the perfect score for my writing sessions, of course — and this one in particular reminds me of one of my favorite ambient records, Global Communication’s 76:14.

Various Artists, Red Hot Org Presents TRANSA, released 22 November. Red Hot has always put out fascinating compilations, and this one is a heartfelt celebration of the trans community. It features forty-six tracks of all kinds of styles, including Moses Sumney’s groovy cover of Sylvester’s “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”, a surprisingly calm cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” featuring none other than Wendy & Lisa themselves, a ghostly cover of Sinéad O’Connor’s “Feel So Different” by Sharon Van Etten and Ezra Furman… and the biggest surprise, an absolutely lovely track by Sade herself written for her trans son. It’s a fascinating listen and highly recommended.

Mixtape/Playlist, Re:Defined 2405, created 1 December. This particular mix showcases several songs that stopped me in my tracks in the latter half of this year — songs that literally made me stop writing or surfing the internet to focus on what I was hearing. That’s been sadly very rare these days, but I’m glad there’s still a lot out there that will do that for me.

Garbage, copy/paste, vol 1 (Abridged), released 6 December. A shortened version of a Record Store Day special release, this showcases the band’s penchant for the occasional cover song, many of which usually end up on single b-sides. I was familiar with half of these, but their take on The Psychedelic Furs’ “Love My Way” was a great find.

Saint Etienne, The Night, released 13 December. Glad to see this band returning after a couple of years (songwriter/keyboardist Bob Stanley has been doing a lot of music biography writing as of late, and I highly recommend them). It’s a bit quieter than their usual output, but it’s a great listen.

*

….and that’s it for the year! I did leave out quite a few records, mainly due to space, but I’m glad to say that a lot of it stayed with me over the months while I focused on my writing!

Stay tuned for my best-of list next Tuesday!

August was the month I decided I was going to take it easy and relax a bit. I’d finally finished and released Queen Ophelia’s War in June, and it was far past time for a break. Sure, I’d still focus on my writing work and whatnot, but more to the point I felt it was a good time to just enjoy the end of summer, which would end with our first away-from-home vacation in quite some time. The daily diary looks rather empty for the month, which was on purpose. Come September I’d start fresh and see how far I would get.

*

Jack White, No Name, released 2 August. He just keeps getting better with each album somehow, and this was a surprise release! He’s well entrenched in his signature punk-blues hybrid and it serves him quite well here.

X, Smoke & Fiction, released 2 August. Speaking of punk, this storied LA band has chosen to bow out and dissolve gracefully with this final record that sounds both like their grittier early records and their folk-inspired latter albums.

Orville Peck, Stampede, released 2 August. The masked singer comes back with a super fun album of duets featuring Beck, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff and more; it’s a mix of covers and originals done in his signature wild and Elvis-twangy style.

파란노을 (Parannoul), Sky Hundred, released 3 August. This South Korean band still wears its My Bloody Valentine influences on its sleeves, blending dreamlike melodies and walls of distortion into something otherworldly. This band is always good for writing sessions!

Quivers, Oyster Cuts, released 9 August. My favorite indie band from down under comes through with an album that expands from their janglepop sound into something a bit more rough and tumble. It’s a bit like early Black Keys but at a much slower speed.

beabadoobee, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, released 9 August. Her new album somehow finds its influences in late 90s indie rock, and that’s not a bad thing.

GIFT, Illuminator, released 23 August. I’m happy to say that this here is my top album of 2024, because it fits so completely in my wheelhouse! KEXP’s morning DJ John Richards gave this one a huge push all autumn (it’s on his own top ten of the year list), and once I got it downloaded I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s a wonderful blend of crisp shoegaze, catchy indie rock, soft vocals and tight melodies that resonate perfectly for me. Every single song on this album is a banger, and it’s already claimed its spot as one of my most played albums during writing sessions this year. I highly recommend it!

The Softies, The Bed I Made, released 23 August. This long-running duo returns from an extremely long hiatus with an absolutely wonderful album of quiet twee melodies that lean more towards The Sundays than Belle & Sebastian, all with just voices and guitar. It’s an incredibly relaxing album and well worth a listen.

Chime School, The Boy Who Ran the Paisley Hotel, released 23 August. Yet another super-local band (on Slumberland, natch), this one taking its inspiration from early janglepop, evoking bands like The Three O’Clock and The Mighty Lemon Drops. It’s a fun record that captured the attention of several adoring music critics.

Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd, The Moon and the Melodies 2024 Remaster, released 23 August. You’d think this album would have been given a remaster along with the rest of the Twins’ discography back in the early aughts, but this one was curiously left out until now. This album is one of my top favorites in their catalogue and it’s always gotten significant play during writing sessions. The new remaster gives the already spacious songs even more room to breathe and wander, making the songs sound even more dreamlike.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Wild God, released 30 August. Cave’s new album reminds me a lot of his early 00s albums like Nocturama and Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. There’s more life and energy to this record than his previous non-soundtrack releases (which kind of makes sense, considering his last few were linked to deeply traumatic personal events). While it’s not the drunken death-blues revelry of his early work, it’s more a celebration of life and survival.

*

More to come with September and October!