Well folks, Continuous Thunder is a decade old. That's right - 10 years ago, pushed by friends, family, and a particular distaste of "poptimist" music critique, I started the Continuous Thunder music blog. Named after one of my all-time favourite tunes by Japandroids, I had big dreams for the blog - concert reviews, album reviews, lists, interviews and more. After all, blogs were all the rage back then! Said the Gramophone (with their glorious free mp3s), Earmilk, and Hype Machine were some of my favourites back in those days and I aspired to emulate even a fraction of their success. But most of all, I just wanted to share a pure passion for indie, rock and alt music that I was hearing and was excited about.
 |
| Bully at Biltmore, Aug 2023 |
Recently, I was flipping through the used bin at my local record store, and a dusty purple coloured LP caught my eye. Pulling it out of its scratched plastic bag, I realized I had Surfer Blood's 2013 record Pythons in my hands. Flipping it over, I saw the $10 sticker on the back and knew it was coming home with me. Back home, I placed the record needle on that first groove and the opening riff to "Demon Dance" crackled into the air. Immediately, I was taken right back to my dorm room, playing air guitar in my house coat and screaming along to this absolute belter of a summer rock tune. I stand by it - that was 2013's best tune. ( http://continuousthunder.blogspot.com/2013/12/top-25-songs-of-2013.html )
 |
| Dope Lemon at Midway, Nov 2023 |
In 2013, I offered to burn CDs of the top 15 songs for those who wanted a copy. Hilarious! Given I no longer possess the technology to do that anymore, I can only offer a Spotify playlist - linked HERE and below. I've also amassed the top 10 songs from every year's list from the past decade into a 100 song super playlist, linked HERE. I even added 7 of my favourites from the missing 2019, as a special easter egg.
20. "Sleepless" - Bombay Bicycle Club feat Jay Som - My Big Day
A return to to form: Jay Som adds her beautiful shoegaze-y vocals to this indie jam from industry stalwarts Bombay Bicycle Club.
19. "Fingers of Steel" - Shame - Food for Worms
Post-punk rockers Shame returned in 2023 as grown men. Formed as a high school band in East London in 2018, Shame's early work largely relied on pure noise, vulgar lyricism, and shouted talk-vocals. Effectively they were a juvenile version of post-punk contemporaries IDLES and Fontaines DC. With 2023's Food for Worms, the band grew into better melodies, more creative instrumentation, and lyricism worth listening to. "Fingers of Steel" is the perfect reflection of this with its jangly piano choirs, dissonant guitar riffage, and epic down-tempo chorus.
18. "New Face of Death" - Home Front - Games of Power
I always try to include a local band in my top 20 and Edmonton's finest new band is Home Front. With members from Shout Out Out Out Out and a debut album produced by Fucked Up's Jonah Falco, they were destined to be great. Fans of The Cure or Joy Division will love their blend of post-punk and new wave.
17. "Real Love" - Cat Clyde - Down Rounder
Much of my early 2023 music listening was devoted to finding the best music for my May 2023 wedding. As a huge music fan, I obsessed over the playlists to send to our band/DJ for each segment of the night (ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dance). However, it wasn't until many months after our wedding that I re-discovered Cat Clyde's absolutely adorable "Real Love." It's simply a beautiful love ballad, full of gushy sentiments and just enough instrumentation to draw a tear to the eye on every listen.
16. "I Believe" - Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
Written as a tribute to Polachek's late friend, the avant-garde popstar SOPHIE, "I Believe" is a breakbeat synth pop song with crushingly sad lyricism.
15. "Full Time Job" - Squirrel Flower - Tomorrow's Fire
A grunge-y head banger reflecting on the futility of existence in a capitalist society. Incredible guitar tones really make this song pop.
14. "Undergrowth" -Squid - O Monolith
As noted, 2021 is the one missing year of my top songs list. Rest-assured, Squid would have featured high up on that list, with the incredible post-punk odyssey "Narrator." Chock full of plucky dissonant guitar, and uniquely "yelp-y" vocal stylings, "Narrator" set Squid apart in the UK post-punk revival of the of early 2020s. Squid's 2023 entrant to the list, "Undergrowth" is similarly incredible, yet completely different. Backed by a sludgy bass line straight out of a Viagra Boys record, "Undergrowth" immediately draws you into its pocket. At over 6 minutes, the song phases in and out, but we never lose that bass line nor the matching head bobs.
13. "LIKED YOU BETTER" - Jeff Rosenstock - HELLMODE
As a big fan of contemporary pop punk from bands like PUP or The Menzingers, I should have logically been into punk rock legend Jeff Rosenstock long ago, However, I never was able to get into his more cerebral and wordy version of punk. What I love about PUP are the group sung choruses with collective fists raised to the ceiling. Rosenstock never really matched that energy in the same way. Given Rosenstock's 2023 album Hellmode is about his 5 millionth release (just check his wikipedia), and at this point in an artist's career, most are just phoning it in - I was going to just give the album a pass and not bother listening to it. Boy am I glad I did. Rosenstock cuts the crap on Hellmode and delivers pop punk banger after banger, no better than "LIKED YOU BETTER."
12. "Morning Zoo" - Ratboys - The Window
A gorgeous alt-country Americana tune from Chicago outfit Ratboys. One of the best new bands in the USA.
11. "My Sister in Jesus Christ" - Slaughter Beach, Dog - Crying Laughing Waving Smiling
Slaughter Beach, Dog, the solo project of Jake Ewald (frontman of punk outfit Modern Baseball), released one of the more personal and introspective indie-folk records of 2023. Reflecting on themes of childhood and growing up, the entire album is deeply nostalgic and heartfelt. Tracks like "Summer Windows" and "Engine" go about this reflection from a melancholic angle, with downtempo soft drumming and heavy use of a slide guitar. Contrasting with these heavier tunes, my fav from the album is "My Sister in Jesus Christ," an uptempo, funny tune about growing up in a religious home and acting out against that. Some of the best lyrics of the year in this one!
10. "Someday I'll Go Surfing" - Diners - Domino
Power pop perfection from Diners. I could have chosen any number of catchy guitar-driven power pop anthems from their 2023 record Domino for this list. "Someday I'll Go Surfing" wins out with its Beach Boys-esque easy breezy summer sentiment.
9. "I Can Handle It" - Radiator Hospital - Can't Make Any Promises
Frank and brutal lyricism is at the heart of Radiator Hospital's best tunes. My favourite Radiator Hospital is their 2013 hit "Our Song" which is a love song encouraging a partner to leave them for someone else. Pure sadness in a punky rock package. "I Can Handle It" is similarly honest, but from the perspective of a couple on the brink of collapse, trying to make it work through a rough patch, instead of just giving in like in "Our Song". It's a great return to form from a long time indie act that had somewhat faded from the limelight.
8. "5" -Small Crush - Penelope
Sounding like Frankie Cosmos meets The Beths, Small Crush rocks out on this quirky tune reminiscing on the simplicity of life as a toddler. One of the catchier choruses this year!
7. "The Clutch" - Palehound - Eye on the Bat
In an album packed full of breakup songs, "The Clutch" stands out with its thumping beat and screamed vocals from Palehound lead singer El Kempner. In the arc of the breakup, the song represents the fight that boils over into a screaming match. For those of us just watching the fight (through our ears), we are treated to great power chord riffage, a driving bass line, and open cymbal clashing. Roll down the windows, untie your hair, and scream into the wind.
6. "Don't Fade Away" - Beach Fossils - Bunny
Beach Fossils 2023 album Bunny seemed to fly under the radar of much of the music world, for whatever reason. Yet, it may just be their best work to date. The washed out slacker energy remains from their past work, but additional strong guitar work straight out of a Real Estate hit really makes these songs stick with you. "Don't Fade Away," a dreamy indie pop anthem with amazing guitar riffs, is the best song on the album. Its nostalgic vibe with lyrics longing for distanced friends and memories feels like sitting on a beach staring at the sunset reflecting on what could have been.
5. "kisses" - Slowdive - everything is alive
Exactly 30 years on from their genre-defining shoegaze classic Souvlaki, Slowdive is back with perhaps their most compelling work yet. Along with bands like My Bloody Vampire and Cocteau Twins, Slowdive pushed shoegaze to popularity in the 90s with its wall of distorted noise, washed out vocals, and soaring melodies. We get all that on 2023's "Kisses," but with a modern twist. Largely, Slowdive has matured, but also have clearly taken on new influences in the three decades since Souvlaki. Gone are the screechy distorted effects from the 90s, and in are the more washed out, reverb heavy keys and guitars, made popular by 2010s bands like Beach Fossils (ha!) and the appropriately-named Washed Out. Rarely do we get to see a band last for so long that it takes on new influences from younger bands, and those influences are crystal clear on this song. Known for extremely muted vocals on past work, the vocals throughout everything is alive are at the front of the mix and are crystal clear. At just under four minutes, "Kisses" is a shoegaze pop song with a couple of verses, a few choruses and a bridge centred around a classic Slowdive guitar riff. It was enough to push Slowdive into the top ten of the albums chart in the UK, unheard of for a shoegaze band - and I'm all for it.
4. "I Thought You'd Change" - Hotline TNT - Cartwheel
Speaking of shoegaze, I'd like to think that Hotline TNT's Will Anderson would list Slowdive as one of his influences. Except instead of mellowing out like Slowdive, Anderson turns it up to 11 on Cartwheel and never really quiets down. Instead of a giant array of distortion pedals common to many shoegaze bands, Hotline TNT regularly have 4 guitarists on stage to organically create the cacophonous wall of guitar buzz heard throughout the album. This guitar heavy sound really triumphs on the album's best tune "I Thought You'd Change." Layers of riffage, buzz tones, and washed out lyrics combine in delightful melodies that take you away from the first note. Shoegaze really had a revival in 2023 (as evidenced by this list), and Hotline TNT was behind some of the most compelling music in the genre this year.
3. "Doubt"- Slow Pulp - Yard
The dream of the 90s is alive with this grungy alt rock tune from Chicago band Slow Pulp. Longer term Continuous Thunder readers will remember their #4 placement on the 2020 Top Songs list with their tune "Idaho," a mellow alt rock tune that I called a "shimmering warm embrace of sound." In many ways, that 2020 record sounds like it was made for bedroom listening, full of slower, warm-toned songs perfect for drifting off to. After a few post-COVID tours with blog favs Alvvays, Slow Pulp came back swinging in 2023 with a loud country-tinged alt-rock record that sounds like it was written for the stage. This is no better exemplified by "Doubt" which is centred around a crunchy power chord guitar riff that starts the song off with a bang, with the drums kicking in shortly after with matching intensity. Vaguely a love song, it seems to be written about the awkward stage in a relationship when neither person wants to commit to putting a label on it. The catchy "do-do-do-do-doubt" in the chorus perfectly capture the hesitancy of that moment before feelings are fully confessed.
2. "Not Strong Enough" - boygenius - the record
After a five year wait since the release their short self-titled EP, supergroup Boygenius (Phoebe Bridgers, Julian Baker, Lucy Dacus) announced they would be releasing a 2023 full length LP, which quickly became of the most anticipated indie releases of the year. Certainly aware of their own hype train, the album would be cheekily called simply: the record. And, by some miracle, the album did not disappoint. Perhaps feeling the pressure to perform, or perhaps simply existing as humans in the 2020s, the album frequently deals with topics of inferiority, doubts and general anxiety. "Not Strong Enough" best reflects these feelings in a concise folk-rock thumper complete with beautiful three part harmonies and a powerful chorus worthy of Indigo Girls or Kelly Clarkson comparisons. Singing, "I don't know why I am the way I am," the imposter syndrome is clear from the start of the song. By the bridge, they double down, with Dacus's lower harmony singing a repeated "Always an Angel / Never a God," suggesting that unlike men, who can be viewed as rock gods, a three-part women's band can only strive to be lesser angels. Boygenius has always played with this sexist trope - even in their name BOYgenius which pokes fun at the overpraising of male children. They often perform in oversized business suits to push this trope into the live world and their fans regularly refer to the band as "the boys." In a year where Taylor Swift was named person of the year and ran a multi-billion dollar tour and global phenomenon, I think it's high time to idolize women as rockstars. All 3 of the "boys" are certainly gods to me.
1. "Days Move Slow" - Bully - Lucky for You
While I often enjoy listening to challenging or overly artistic music, I'll always have a soft spot for a perfectly written and performed alt-rock song with great replay-ability. "Days Move Slow" was that song for me in 2023. Take a distorted grunge riff straight out of 90s, slap on a punchy "Smells Like Teen Spirit"-inspired drum beat, and you're well on your way to a certified hit. However, what really sets the song apart, like most of the Bully catalogue, is Alicia Bognanno's distinctive vocals. She is always singing right at the maximum pitch and volume for her voice, with the strain on her vocal chords giving her voice a unique raspy quality, not unlike a distortion pedal on a guitar. In "Days Move Slow," she mourns the passing of her loyal dog, singing "And I'm stuck somewhere in between//Your death and my lucid dream." Yet, her experience of grief and mourning can be taken into any form of loss we might experience. At the end of the day, days may move slow, but at least they keep moving on. And, for Bognanno, those new days are best spent throwing your fists in the air, letting your hair down, and screaming about it.
Great post Will!
ReplyDelete