Listening Habits 03-05.2019

In about a month’s time we’ll be taking a look at all the new releases that stood out in the first half of the year, but in the meantime here’s our long overdue "Listening Habits" post with our favorite albums and tracks for Spring 2019:

The debut album of the year so far came by the Irish post-punk outfit Fontaines D.C., a band we had the opportunity to see up close in action last December and our high expectations were more than satisfied by the refreshingly powerful and at the same time wonderfully tuneful "Dogrel", a record that reminded me of the thrill of hearing for the first time The Strokes or The White Stripes (not to go too far back in time). In different times for rock music Fontaines D.C. would be climbing the pop charts and headlining festivals in no time. As things stand, they are a prime example that punk rock remains a source of motivation and inspiration for young musicians four decades after the big bang of the mid-seventies.

Another great record of the last few months was The National’s "I Am Easy To Find" who eight albums into their magnificent discography managed to produce another career highlight, their best effort since their break-out album "High Violet". Matt Berninger here shares vocal duties with a stunning array of female vocalists including Lisa Hannigan, Sharon Van Etten, Mina Tindle, Gail Ann Dorsey and Kate Stables, adding another viewpoint to the songs and enriching their effect. The accompanying short film by Mike Mills, starring Alicia Vikander, is also excellent and you should definitely check it out.

Our top albums of Spring 2019 also include the sophomore LP by Snapped Ankles, who go from strength to strength with the Kraut-rock influenced, post-punk gem "Stunning Luxury", Priests’ "The Seduction Of Kansas", also a second effort that builds on the strength of a very promising debut, and "Designer", a folk-influenced treat of melodic delights by New Zealander Aldous Harding with John Parish on production duties.

Also, in a year filled with many interesting returns from artists and bands who we’ve been following for decades, we must emphasize that Royal Trux with "White Stuff" have produced one of their most satisfying albums, their eleventh full-length in a singular 30-year career of deranged rock’n’roll but first one since 2000, while Bob Mould, who never went away since our first introduction way back in the Husker Du days, has made one his top solo efforts with the fiery "Sunshine Rock", his 13th album under his own name.

Top 20 Albums

1.   Dogrel - FONTAINES D.C.
2.   I Am Easy To Find - THE NATIONAL
3.   Stunning Luxury - SNAPPED ANKLES
4.   White Stuff - ROYAL TRUX
5.   Sunshine Rock - BOB MOULD
6.   The Seduction Of Kansas - PRIESTS
7.   Designer - ALDOUS HARDING
8.   Serfs Up! - FAT WHITE FAMILY
9.   It's Real - EX HEX
10. Dusty Notes - MEAT PUPPETS
11. Lux Prima - KAREN O & DANGER MOUSE
12. Ladytron - LADYTRON
13. De Facto - LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE
14. Psychedelic Country Soul - THE LONG RYDERS
15. I Used To Be Pretty - THE FLESH EATERS
16. You Won't Get What You Want - DAUGHTERS
17. The Unseen In Between - STEVE GUNN
18. On The Line - JENNY LEWIS
19. Silver Dollar Moment - THE ORIELLES
20. Art Of Doubt - METRIC

Top 20 Tracks

1.   The Barrel - ALDOUS HARDING
2.   You Had Your Soul With You - THE NATIONAL
3.   Big - FONTAINES D.C.
4.   Jesus’ Son - PRIESTS
5.   Tough Enough - EX HEX
6.   White Stuff - ROYAL TRUX
7.   Tailpipe - SNAPPED ANKLES
8.   Feet - FAT WHITE FAMILY
9.   Deadzone - LADYTRON
10. Woman - KAREN O & DANGER MOUSE
11. Lineas En Hojas - LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE
12. Lost Faith - BOB MOULD
13. Warranty - MEAT PUPPETS
14. Psychedelic Country Soul - THE LONG RYDERS
15. Red Bull & Hennessy - JENNY LEWIS
16. Risk - METRIC
17. Let Your Dogtooth Grow - THE ORIELLES
18. Vagabond - STEVE GUNN
19. Black Temptation - THE FLESH EATERS
20. The Reason They Hate Me - DAUGHTERS

February 2019 Highlights: Bob Mould, Cherry Glazerr, Ex:Re

Going through the releases of the first half of February we have singled out three albums that we want to add to our record collection as soon as possible. Check them out:

Bob Mould - Sunshine Rock

It's been forty years since Bob Mould started out with Hüsker Dü and here he is again with his 13th solo record, the rocking "Sunshine Rock". As the title suggests, this album is about turning towards the brighter side of life and focusing on the positive despite the troubles we are all facing.

Bob Mould - Lost Faith

Cherry Glazerr - Stuffed & Ready

Cherry Glazerr, the band formed by Clementine Creevy in Los Angeles about 6 years ago, returns after 2017's excellent "Apocalipstick" with another cherry bomb of a record, their third effort, titled "Stuffed & Ready". Think "Cherub Rock"-era Smashing Pumpkins jamming with Lush and let the sound of '90s alternative rock take over 2019!

Cherry Glazerr - Wasted Nun

Ex:Re - Ex:Re

Ex:Re is the solo project of Daughter's Elena Tonra and her debut solo release was inspired by the heartbreak of a bad breakup, the perfect record then to counter Valentine Day's schmaltz. Her beautifully melancholic voice is perfect for the subject matter while the soothing trip hop beats and melodies make for an ideal remedy for love's sorrows.

Ex:Re - The Dazzler

Listening Habits 05-06.2016

At the top of the list of our favorite albums for May - June 2016 we have Parquet Courts' "Human Performance", perhaps the best effort yet for the New York-based indie rockers who have had an excellent run in the last 4 years, offering us a string of outstanding releases starting with 2012' "Light Up Gold".

The same can be said for Woods, also from the Big Apple, who recently released their 9th album "City Sun Eater in the River of Light". Woods have been supplying us with an awesome blend of folk and psych rock for several years now and their latest effort finds them in top form, picking up right where they left off with 2014's excellent "With Light and with Love".

It's no alarm and no surprise that Radiohead's return is also among the best releases of the last couple of months, and the same is true for Bob Mould and Kristin Hersh's 50 Foot Wave, who both add terrific new chapters to an outstanding legacy that goes all the way back to the '80s and two of our all-time favorite bands, Hüsker Dü and Throwing Muses respectively.

We did have a few surprises lately though and perhaps the best one came from The Coral whose "Distance Inbetween" is not only their best job since resurfacing a few years ago, but also a record that can compete with their mid '00s output for the honor of being named their best effort yet.

White Lung have given us evidence in the past that they can rock as inspiredly hard as their '90s indie rock heroes and "Paradise" adds more fuel to their fire, while Frankie Cosmos, aka singer-songwriter Greta Simone Kline, excels at the two-minute pop song, singing elaborate tales that you simply cannot believe how they all have fitted in the brief but wonderful 28 minutes of her new album "Next Thing".

Lots more great staff on offer recently as you can see in our Top 15 Albums list below. Have a listen and make sure to pay us a visit next week to see what will make it in our Top 30 list for the first half of 2016.

Top 15 Albums

 1.  Human Performance - PARQUET COURTS
2.  City Sun Eater In The River Of Light - WOODS
3.  A Moon Shaped Pool - RADIOHEAD
4.  Distance Inbetween - THE CORAL
5.  Next Thing - FRANKIE COSMOS
6.  Paradise - WHITE LUNG
7.  Bath White EP - 50 FOOT WAVE
8.  Patch The Sky - BOB MOULD
9.  Strangers - MARISSA NADLER
10. Funs Cool - THE PRETTIOTS
11. Chaosmosis - PRIMAL SCREAM
12. Kin - THE DUKE SPIRIT
13. Hold/Still - SUUNS
14. Stiff - WHITE DENIM
15. Punk 45: Chaos in the City of Angels and Devils. Hollywood From X To Zero & Hardcore On The Beaches: Punk In Los Angeles 1977-81 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Top 15 Tracks

1.  Sun City Creeps - WOODS
2.  Burn The Witch - RADIOHEAD
3.  Chasing The Tail Of A Dream - THE CORAL
4.  Dust - PARQUET COURTS
5.  Bath White - 50 FOOT WAVE
6.  Dead Weight - WHITE LUNG
7.  The End Of Things - BOB MOULD
8.  Sinister - FRANKIE COSMOS
9.  Janie In Love - MARISSA NADLER
10. Where The Light Gets In - PRIMAL SCREAM
11. Hands - THE DUKE SPIRIT
12. Stabler - THE PRETTIOTS
13. Real Deal Momma - WHITE DENIM
14. Translate - SUUNS
15. Female Vampire - JENNY HVAL

 Parquet Courts - Dust

#BestNewMusic 2016 Vol.3

In the March edition of #BestNewMusic we are featuring tracks from the latest releases by Quilt, Autolux, Primal Scream, Bob Mould, Big Ups and The Veldt: "Roller" is taken from Quilt's third album "Plaza", one of our favorite records of the month, "Soft Scene" is the new single off "Pussy’s Dead", the first LP by Autolux since 2010 which is expected on April 1st, "Where The Light Gets In" marks the return of Primal Scream with their eleventh studio album "Chaosmosis", "Voices in My Head" heralds the arrival of the latest solo work by the legendary Bob Mould, "National Parks" introduces us to Big Ups' sophomore album "Before a Million Universes", while "Sanctified" is the opening track from The Veldt's mixtape EP "The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur: The Drake Equation", a must-hear for fans of bands like A.R. Kane or Slowdive. Have a listen:

Quilt - Roller

Autolux - Soft Scene

Primal Scream feat. Sky Ferreira - Where The Light Gets In

Bob Mould - Voices in My Head

Big Ups - National Parks

The Veldt - Sanctified

2012 Review: The Old School

The making of and the presentation of the "Albums of the Year" list is always one of my musical highlights of the year and one of the main reasons for starting Cool Music Central in the first place. Our long standing tradition is to unveil this list at the very last days of December or as the first post of the New Year and despite the strong peer pressure to go public with it early, we shall stick to our guns. Although December usually doesn’t have many new releases, there is always plenty of new stuff to listen to from previous months and we want to make sure that nothing important is left out. The fact that so many year-end lists are out there before our own, actually helps us a lot in the process of discovering those records that eluded us so far.

This means that we are now three weeks away from the premiere of Cool Music Central's "Albums of 2012" list. To build up to the main event, starting today we’ll be presenting mini lists that highlight some of the important releases of the year which have something in common.

For starters, we have the Top 10 Albums of 2012 from The Old School of Rock. All of the following artists and bands have been active since the '80s or '90s and their work has been hugely influential to many of today’s indie rockers. Their latest releases have proven that they still have a lot to offer us; all of these albums are valuable additions to an already formidable body of work, while a couple of them, namely Cat Power's "Sun" and Mark Lanegan's "Blues Funeral", are among their all-time best.

Top 10 Albums from the Old School of Rock

1.   Sun - CAT POWER
2.   Blues Funeral - MARK LANEGAN BAND
3.   Silver Age - BOB MOULD
4.   I Bet On Sky - DINOSAUR JR.
5.   The Bears For Lunch - GUIDED BY VOICES
6.   Meat And Bone - THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
7.   Kill My Blues - CORIN TUCKER BAND
8.   Between The Times And The Tides - LEE RANALDO
9.   Tuscon - GIANT GIANT SAND
10. The Seer - SWANS


Cat Power - Cherokee


Mark Lanegan Band - 4AD Sessions ("The Gravedigger's Song", "St. Louis Elegy", "Riot In My House", "Harborview Hospital")


Bob Mould - The Descent

Coming soon: The Debuts of the Year

Cat Power photo by Indie Design Studio

Listening Habits 09-10.12

As we’re coming closer to the end of 2012 and the beginning of the annual internet listmania, let’s take a closer look at our favorite albums and tracks of this autumn:

Cat Power’s return to action with "Sun", her first album of original material in six years, turns out to be a runaway success here at Cool Music Central. Both of the album’s singles, "Ruin" and "Cherokee", have been in heavy rotation for the last few months and now the album itself tops our autumn Top 15 list. Arguably this type of success will not solve any of Chan Marshal’s recent troubles, but we do feel she has done an exceptional job with this record and we’d like to send her our best wishes for a speedy recovery. "Peace and Love" to you, too, Chan!

Meanwhile, the '90s comeback is at full swing right now, with several of the era’s indie rock protagonists offering excellent new albums that can stand their own against their ace back catalog. Bob Mould’s "Silver Age" is a return to the sound of his Sugar years, a record that proves he can still produce the same fire and fury that inspired the early '90s alternative rock explosion.

With the release of "I Bet On Sky", Dinosaur Jr.’s third post-reunion album, the original line up of the band now has as many albums as it did in its '80s heyday. Although it’s rather impossible to reproduce the excitement of a record like "Bug", there’s no denying that the new material has the strength to inspire the same awe and keep the band at the top of today’s noisemaking elite, without any help from their past glories.

Other notable returns of our '90s indie rock heroes include the reunited Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with the hard-hitting "Meat and Bone" and Corin Tucker with her ace, blues-killing, second solo work "Kill My Blues". Spoon’s Britt Daniel and Wolf Parade - Handsome Furs vocalist - guitarist Dan Boeckner have joined powers as Divine Fits and have produced a thing of divine noise-pop beauty, "A Thing Called Divine Fits". Ariel Pink has gone hi-fi for "Mature Themes", a record whose psychedelic experimentation pays off handsomely, a statement that is also true for Tame Impala’s "Lonerism". Wild Nothing offer the purest of pop delights with "Nocturne", while Canadian newcomers METZ are here to kick ass and take names with their vicious noise bomb of a debut album. Killer staff, indeed!

Top 15 Albums

1.   Sun - CAT POWER
2.   Silver Age - BOB MOULD
3.   I Bet On Sky - DINOSAUR JR.
4.   A Thing Called Divine Fits - DIVINE FITS
5.   Metz - METZ
6.   Mature Themes - ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
7.   Lonerism - TAME IMPALA
8.   Nocturne - WILD NOTHING
9.   Kill My Blues - CORIN TUCKER BAND
10. Meat And Bone - THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
11. Twins - TY SEGALL
12. Circles - MOON DUO
13. Endless Flowers - CROCODILES
14. Centipede Hz - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
15. Four - BLOC PARTY

Top 20 Tracks

1.   Wet Blanket - METZ (mp3 via sub pop)
2.   My Love Is Real - DIVINE FITS
3.   Peace And Love - CAT POWER
4.   Elephant - TAME IMPALA
5.   Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know - DINOSAUR JR.
6.   You’re The Doctor - TY SEGALL
7.   Only In My Dreams - ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
8.   Paradise - WILD NOTHING (mp3 via rolling stone)
9.   Neskowin - CORIN TUCKER BAND
10. I Got Nothing - DUM DUM GIRLS
11. Star Machine - BOB MOULD
12. Black Mold - THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
13. Sleepwalker - MOON DUO
14. Endless Flowers - CROCODILES (mp3 via spinner)
15. New Town Burnout - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
16. Octopus - BLOC PARTY
17. Secret Days - SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS (mp3 via stereogum)
18. Fireflies - STILL CORNERS (mp3 via pitchfork)
19. Wrath Of God - CRYSTAL CASTLES (mp3 via stereogum)
20. Underground - THE DARK RAGS

Wild Nothing - Paradise, starring Michelle Williams!