Listing To Starboard...Fifty Favorite LP's 2017

FIFTY FAVORITE LP's: 2017

If nothing else, The Year That Was certainly reflected the world at large, ranging from systemic unease to pure distress, and everything in between. These were the LP's that saw us through, that said something about where we're at, if not how we got there, and what the hell do we do next... For the so inclined, here's a playlist with a cut off of each LP, otherwise, check the links below... Happy listening, and we'll see you out on the trail next year!

50) ANGEL OLSEN: Phases

49) KING WOMAN: Created In The Image Of Suffering

48) BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE: Hug Of Thunder

47) MARK LANEGAN: Gargoyle

46) THE NATIONAL: Sleep Well Beast

45) HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF: The Navigator

44) METZ: Strange Peace

43) SHANNON LAY: Living Water

42) SLEAFORD MODS: English Tapas

41) LAS ROBERTAS: Waves Of The New

40) COURTNEY BARNETT/KURT VILE: Lotta Sea Lice

39) MEKLIT: When The People Move The Music Moves Too

38) HAUNTED SUMMER: Spirit Guides

37) WOODS: Love Is Love

36) CHELSEA WOLFE: Hiss Spun

35) COURTNEYS: II

34) BOSS HOG: Brood X

33) LOMELDA: Thx

32) MAKTHAVERSKAN: III

31) SAY SUE ME: Say Sue Me

30) BJORK: Utopia

29) BIG THIEF: Capacity

28) DOWNTOWN BOYS: Cost Of Living

27) PRIESTS: Nothing Feels Natural

26) JAY SOM: Everybody Works

25) ZOLA JESUS: Okovi

24) VAGABON: Infinite Worlds

23) ALEX G: Rocket

22) GOLD CLASS: Drum

21) GREAT GRANDPA: Plastic Cough

20) JEN CLOHER: Jen Cloher

19) DIET CIG: Swear I'm Good At This

18) SPOON: Hot Thoughts

17) JAPANESE BREAKFAST: Soft Sounds From Another Planet

16) DREAM SYNDICATE: How Did I Find Myself Here

15) PROTOMARTYR: Relatives In Descent

14) GIRLPOOL: Powerplant

13) GRANDADDY: The Last Place

12) AFGHAN WHIGS: In Spades

11) JENS LEKMAN: Life Will See You Now

10) CAYETANA: New Kind Of Normal

9) TWO INCH ASTRONAUT: Can You Please Not Help?

8) STEF CHURA: Messes

7) LOS CAMPESINOS!: Sick Scenes

6) PALEHOUND: A Place I'll Always Go

5) WAXAHATCHEE: Out In The Storm

4) CLOUD NOTHINGS: Life Without Sound

3) PEAKING LIGHTS: Fifth State Of Consciousness

2) CHASTITY BELT: I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone

1) RADIATOR HOSPITAL: Play The Songs You Like

Allison Crutchfield Takes A Bow...

ALLISON CRUTCHFIELD and The FIZZ

RADIATOR HOSPITAL

OVLOV

BOOTLEG THEATER, LA

14 OCTOBER, 2016

In the continuing adventures of the Crutchfield sisters, Friday night at the Bootleg Theater in LA saw Allison take center stage with The Fizz, bringing to life cuts from her solo debut EP, Lean Into It, and previewing songs from next year's full-length. Just a month ago, she was in town as part of the P.S. Elliot reunion, then hit the road with The Fizz opening up for the Julie Ruin. As if that wasn't enough, misfortune struck in the form of a van break-in, claiming hardware from drummer Catherine Elicson, and all of Allison's clothing. Bloodied, but unbowed, they made it to LA for a headlining show.

The night was the working definition of a stacked bill, with Connecticut-based Steve Hartlett leading off with a few Stove songs, then shifting gears into Ovlov material.

Sam Cook-Parrott brought Radiator Hospital to life in solo form, providing a well-received set of mostly new songs, sprinkled with some crowd favorites, and a peek at his most recent project "The Afterglows", before going on to hold down the bass in Crutchfield's trio.

Taken as a whole, the night was an already sepia Polaroid of where these artists are at, steps before they unveil their next offering.

Ovlov

Radiator Hospital

Allison Crutchfield and The Fizz

When A House Is A Home...

RADIATOR HOSPITAL

UPSET

BENNY THE JET RODRIGUEZ

GIRLPOOL

ROGIE'S HOUSE, BOYLE HEIGHTS, EAST LA

20 SEPTEMBER, 2014

your host, calling a point of order...

Memorable house parties seems to be a recurring theme this year, and last weekend's was a corker. Rogie opened up his house in Boyle Heights on a steamy Saturday night, and Eloy Lugo upped the ante on his previous All Dogs/Upset booking to welcome Philadelphia's Radiator Hospital, as well as locals Upset, Benny The Jet Rodriguez, and Girlpool. The 'bandstand' stood at the foot of the driveway, penned in by guest houses and a fence, and one was hard pressed to make a people count, but jam-packed will suffice. Shooting from next to, and at times underneath a teetering speaker pole, lit only by the security light on the back of the house, it was worth every second of drama, and hopefully the energy of the evening comes through. Cultural/generational note: the boys at the check-in table seemed taken aback, then thrilled when i dropped a case of beer with a weighty ch-chunk on the table. Have the unwritten rules of house shows have gone the same way as paying for music? Interesting... A long ways away from the College Rock days, but once the bands kicked in, it was as ever... Settling into the scene, i caught up with my usual suspects, then staked out a spot.

"A stacked bill" was an observation that stood up, as the night started with Girlpool. With the recent double-barreled blast of signing to Wichita Records and getting their song "Jane" pimped by Pitchfork, Girlpool is stepping into the deep end. As evidenced, their live show is the converter, and the passion is infectious. They covered most of their self-released EP, (reappearing in November through Wichita), including "Blah Blah Blah", (below), "Jane", and "Slutmouth". Their spiky, confrontational songs are matched only by their ability to put them over. Next up for Girlpool is a strong dose of the road, along with a pending UK/Euro tour. The Long Beach punk trio known as Benny The Jet Rodriguez hit the afterburners and came out flying, repping last year's LP Home.Run hard out of the gates. Spearheaded by Lauren Freeman on guitar, (she also pulled double duty as the new recruit in Upset), "Alley Cat" was the number that got the bodies flying. As noted at their last appearance, LA's Upset is in a period of transition, and based on this rough and ready set, things are starting to come to fruition. The chemistry with relatively new Rachel (Slutever) and very new Lauren (Benny The Jet Rodriguez) is gelling, and the band previewed new material that plays to their strengths. Even after a kazillion listens, "Oxfords and Wingtips" retains its otherworldly power, and served as the anchor of the set.

The scary part is, that only a few albums in, it seems like a Radiator Hospital set is jammed with 'hits', and one rues what isn't played, unlike most bands at that point who play everything and some hastily organized covers. Band is the operative word here, as Radiator Hospital is Sam Cook-Parrott, and on record, an ever-evolving cast of cohorts. On this tour he's brought that cast to life, in the form of a crack band, and they added a savage edge to Torch Songs live, crashing through the tunes with a raucous joy, pausing only to verify the safety of the audience on a comfortingly consistent basis. Kicking off with "Cut Your Bangs", there was no looking back, just a full throttle blitz that included a rousing take on "Our Song" from last year's Something Wild that threatened to push things over the edge. "Fireworks" brought brought it down with a bittersweet romp, and provided an unexpected high point for the evening, as the bodies stopped churning long enough to make an emotional connection. And that was the beauty of the night, to take these songs that are heard almost as a private vice, and give them a new life.

GIRLPOOL:

BENNY THE JET RODRIGUEZ:

UPSET:

RADIATOR HOSPITAL:

misc.

meeting of the minds: Sam (Radiator Hospital) and Eloy