This year was a great year for new music despite the grumblings of many people about the death of music or whatever. This is just part of what I was listening to this year so it doesn’t include reissues, anthologies, etc. (because let’s face it, that Brazilian Nuggets Vol. 3 on Groovie Records was a-mazing and I still haven’t gotten Back From The Grave Vols 9 and 10). This is all NEW stuff.
TOP 5 ALBUMS
The Neumans: S/T (Screaming Apple) I can’t say enough about this record. 5 Angeleno kids creating a massive mix of the Seeds and every dead end garage band you’ve never heard. This record actually gains momentum over the course of the album and by Side 2 it becomes unstoppable and never lets up. There’s fuzz, there’s organ and they don’t stray from the script at all. Refreshingly narrow-minded. The only drawback is that it doesn’t come with a digital download so I can’t play it in my car. I might be tempted to put my battery-operated turntable on the passenger seat though. It’s that good. Fave song: “Dark Are The Shadows"
The Above: Waterbury Street (Teen Sound) Fantastic mod/garage release from this Brooklyn quartet. A meticulously-constructed sound that approximates the best of early Who and Kinks but with singer David Horowitz’s uncanny, almost Colin Blunstone-esque vocals. Throw in some killer Beach Boys harmonies and you have one of the most listenable records of the year. I couldn’t play this enough. And they pull it off live too. Fave track: “The Prisoner"
The Ar-Kaics: The Ar-Kaics (Windian) Yes, I know them. Yes, I put out a single by them but damn, this is a good record! They push the line between obscure caveman garage primitivism, girl group song structures and a VU obsession—at least if every song was based on Lou Reed’s “Do The Ostrich”. And even though they tout an obscuro-60s fixation (faux 45 labels on the back of the sleeve, perfect lo-fi atmospherics) the songs never feel like a pastiche. There’s a certain weirdness that happens at some point in every tune that takes it some place unexpected. Admittedly this LP took a few listens to get into (esp following their excellent demo from 2012). But I’m firmly in the Love Camp now. Fave track: “No No No"
The Budos Band: Burnt Offering (Daptone) Where did this come from? I have previous records by this band and they’ve all been in this badass 70s funk instrumental mode but this one came out of nowhere. I’ve heard it described as “Stoner Funk” which I guess is a good lazy shortcut. A slightly less lazy description would be: Imagine the Bar-Kays filtered through fuzz pedals, choruses of horns and organ and scoring the climax to every 70s Kung Fu movie and you get the idea. Impeccable Daptone “shitty” production only makes this record soar. Fave track: “Aphasia"
Cozy: Button by Button (HoZac) Incredibly fun record from this Minneapolis quartet. While some bands like Guida borrow liberally from 70s glam acts like Slade and The Hammersmith Gorillas, Cozy’s take on glam is more like a Bay City Roller fetish. Good time rock and roll whose focus is wearing denim (a lot of it, vests, bellbottoms) and scoring in the back seat of a Plymouth Duster. Fave track: “Pure Lady”
THE REST (in no particular order):
Mattson 2: Agar (Um Yeah Arts) The Concussions: Break Up With (Double Crown) Blair Alise & The Bombshells: For My Darlin’ Nick Waterhouse: Holly (Innovative Leisure) The Ugly Beats: Brand New Day (Get Hip) The GTVs: Sh’Bang (Teen Sound) The Mad Doctors: Snake Oil Superscience (King Pizza) Gino & The Goons: Shake It (Black Gladiator/Slovenly) Graham Day & The Forefathers: Good Things (Own Up) The Soundcarriers: Entropicalia (Ghost Box) The Satelliters: More of The Satelliters (Dionysus) Steve Adamyk Band: Dial Tone (Dirtnap) Sloan: Commonwealth (Yep Rock) Ty Segall: Manipulator (Drag City) Army Navy: The Wilderness Inside (Roll Call) St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Half The City (Single Lock) The Safes: Record Heat (O'Brothers)
SINGLES/EPs Some really excellent records of all stripes represented here from straight garage to indie punk to power pop. It’s kinda hard to narrow down but Blackwolf Beach wins for best song title “The Ballad of El Dude Bro” and Gorilla (“Maryanne”) for most amazing approximation of '70s power pop by clearly non-English speakers.
Michael Lynch “She’s On Her Way” (Market Square) The Idle Gossip “On My Way” (Fandango) Muck & The Mires “Double White Line” (King Yum) Graham Day & The Forefathers “Love Me Lies” (State) The Ar-Kaics “Why Should I?” (Windian) Paul Messis “Nightmares” (13 O’Clock) Gorilla “Maryanne” (Three Dimensional) Black Wolf Beach: S/T EP Myracle Brah: The Peach EP Terry & Louie “(I’m) Lookin’ For a Heart” (Tuff Break) Monster Museum: Safety Dances Great Dismal Swamis “Phantom Tollbooth” (RZO) Jake Starr & The Delicious Fullness “Yummy!” (Fandango) Missing Monuments “Too Many People” EP (Various) Sick Thoughts "Fat Kid with a Ten Inch" EP (Black Gladiator)
Tony Pence is the proprietor of Celebrated Summer Records and plays in bands including WarXGames and Deep Sleep.
LP Records
1. HURULA-Vi Är Människorna Våra Föräldrar Varnade Oss För (Derranged) 2. HARD-ONS-Peel Me like an Egg (Boss Tuneage/Wallride) 3. ACCIDENTE-Amistad y Rebelion (Halo of Flies) 4. TELEDROME S/T (fdh) 5. TONY MOLINA-Dissed and Dismissed (Slumberland) 6. IMPALERS-Psychedelic Snutskallar (540) 7. DARK BLUE-Pure Reality (Jade Tree) 8. OLD LINES-No Child Left Behind (No Sleep) 9. PRAISE-Lights Went Out (REACT!) 10. KING TUFF-Black Moon Spell (Sub Pop)
SINGLES
1. 1981-Solutions/Dancing (profiteer) 2. RADIOACTIVITY-DANGER (Secret Mission) 3. IN SCHOOL-Praxis of Hate (Kill Test) 4. CRIMSON WAVE-Say/Calling you (Accidental Guest) 5. LONG KNIFE- Possession (Self Released) 6. LOW THREAT PROFILE-MIDDLE AGED CASUALTY(Deep Six) 7. CONTRAST ATTITUDE/ASPECTS OF WAR-SPLIT (konton Krasher) 8. OBEDIENCIA-El Angel Exterminador (Solo Para Punks) 9. SAD BOYS/RAW DISTRACTIONS/STAGNATION Split (Hardcore Survives) 10. WILDHONEY-Seventeen Forever (Photobooth)
Benn Ray is editor of the Mobtown Shank, he is a Signal (WYPR) contributor, he runs a daily comics tumblr called Mutant Funnies, and he has a weekly comic strip called Said What? which appears in the Baltimore Sun's B Paper.
So I've actually come back around on comic books. It used to be that I'd wait for them to be collected into trades, and then I'd read them, but I've found that there were so many titles that I would lose track of while waiting - or if they were new the idea of committing to 200 pages of something I may not like versus 32 pages seemed off-putting, or some titles I found myself just not being able to wait for, or... well, to be perfectly honest - there are SO many decent mainstream comics coming out that aren't just superhero fare that, well, I find my weekly stack of comics growing again. It's also interesting that alternative publishers like Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly, who have traditionally published the stuff I'm most interested in have all but officially given up on the format - which I think is a mistake.
Here are my favorite series that I read in comic book format as they came out, with a few of my favorite zines (which also seem to be on an uptick) thrown in.
(in alphabetical order)
Afterlife With Archie (Archie Comics) by Roberto Aguirre Sacasa / Francesco Francavilla So Archie Comics had a great thing with this Afterlife With Archie. Taking the gang from Riverdale and exposing them to a Walking Dead scenario was inspired. However, they seem to have actively tried to fuck this title up by only releasing a few issues in 2014 instead of putting it out on a regular basis.
Batman (DC Comics) by Scott Snyder / Greg Capullo I've said this before, but I'm happy to repeat myself, Scott Snyder has been writing some of the best Batman comics in decades. Not only is he capable of creating massive, overarching conspiracies that you have just as hard a time unraveling as Batman, but he also brings in a wonderful horror element to the comics. I mean, it takes a great writer to make the Riddler seem like a badass, right? If you're not reading Snyder/Capullo Batman comics, you're missing out.
Batman Eternal (DC Comics) by Scott Snyder & various We are currently living in a modern golden era of Batman comics. Scott Snyder's run on the regular Batman monthly series has been great. There have been a number of interesting, new spin-off series like Gotham Academy, Arkham Manor and Gotham By Midnight. And there has been the super-fun weekly Batman Eternal. This reads like an all-hands on-deck Bat-family TV show, with delightful cliffhanger after cliffhanger.
Bitch Planet (Image Comics) by Kelly Sue DeConnick / Valentine De Landro This new series by DeConnick and De Landro is a comic version of a feminist, sci-fi, women in prison, sexploitation flick. Think Orange Is The New Black meets Barbarella starring Pam Grier while competing in The Hunger Games. So far, there's been an awesome feminist essay in the back of each issue, and the back cover is loaded with ads for patriarchy. It's a fascinating vision, one I'm very curious to see developed.
Bob's Burgers (Dynamite Entertainment) by Rachel Hastings / Frank Forte If you just can't get enough of the excellent cartoon Bob's Burgers, this comic limited-series (kinda bummed that it wasn't an ongoing monthly) really helps. The presentation is pretty clever - each issue is actually an anthology of ongoing stories from different characters from the show - about a family who owns a burger joint (but is actually just an extension of the Archer universe - what, you didn't see that episode of Archer?). And one-pagers like "Burger of the Day Ideas" and "Letters from Linda" are inspired interludes. Bob's Burgers was a lot of fun.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina #1 (Archie Comics) by Roberto Aguirre Sacasa / Robert Hack This was another potential hit for Archie Comics, but although it was announced as an ongoing series, they've managed to only turn out one issue so far.
The Archie Adult Horror universe expands with this stylish revamping of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Sabrina lives in what some would rightfully argue is a pretty unhealthy family environment (a cousin who's a bad influence, over-protective guardians). Meanwhile, at school she struggles to fit in as the new kid. Should she use witchcraft to woo a boy she likes? While these story elements come straight from the original, kid-friendly version of Sabrina The Teenage With, in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, they are far more sinister. Plus, there's a larger evil lurking on the horizon that makes you anxious as you read. Another great reboot for Team Archie Comics. What's next? Josie and The Pussycats? Please?
Cream City Maryland #1 (self-published) by Andre Novak / Grace Slit This new zine looks at the sleazy underbelly of Maryland. Cream City includes reviews of Ladies Night at a strip club, a playlist of Baltimore music to have sex to, a survey of Baltimore glory holes, and an overview of the sexy art from Baltimore's Club music scene. This zine provides a unique and fascinating look at the sexlife of folks in the "Land of Pleasant Living."
Crossed Plus 100 (Avatar Press) by Alan Moore / Gabriel Andrade Alan Moore is a rather unpredictable fellow. Arguably he could write for any comic series he wanted, but given his understandable feelings toward the big, corporate publishers, this limits him to the smaller presses and the indie comics realm. But even considering that, his choice of titles to return to regular monthly comics publishing is rather surprising - Avatar's gruesome post-Apocalyptic Crossed series. Moore's story takes place 100 years after the epidemic destroyed the Earth. The remainder of humanity might just start to put itself back together again if harsh weather, packs of wolves, and remaining bands of the infected don't get them first. Oh yeah, and evidently, after 100 years without society, the English language seems to break down a bit too which can make for some more cautious reading. But hey, it's Alan Moore - I trust he knows what he's doing.
Gotham By Midnight (DC Comics) by Ray Fawkes / Ben Templesmith With art by Templesmith, Gotham By Midnight is a stylistic, supernatural/horror take on the Batman universe. Jason Blood (AKA The Spectre) has a special investigation unit inside the Gotham Police Department where they take serious looks at oddball cases.
The Humans (Image Comics) by Keenan Marshall Keller / Tom Neely This comic is a prelude to a much-anticipated new Image Comics series coming this fall, and it's chock full o' attitude and bad-assery. It's like The Wild One meets Planet of the Apes: motorcycle gangs of primates fighting amongst themselves. The Kitchen (Vertigo Comics) by Ollie Masters / Ming Doyle If you love 1970s, New York City crime stories, this new Vertigo mini-series is what you're looking for. When an Irish gang gets tossed in prison, it's up to their wives to keep running their rackets to keep the cash flowing. Masters delivers what looks to be a feminist take on the genre, and Ming Doyle delivers her signature stylized art that feels both retro-cinematic and freshly modern at the same time.
Minimum Wage (Image Comics) by Bob Fingerman Back in the '90s I worked for a comics magazine, and Bob Fingerman's excellent Minimum Wage (published at the time by Fantagraphics Books) was a comic me and my colleague Joe Rybandt both championed. In the context of '90s alterna-comics, we didn't understand why more people didn't read the story of struggling smut cartoonist Rob, his bride Sylive (never really liked her) and his friends. Well, it's now almost 15 years later, (in the comic it's like 5 years later - although the characters look like it's 20 years later) and we rejoin Rob as he tries to pick up the shattered pieces of his life in a world that is rapidly changing around him. Fingerman's art is better than ever, and the return of Minimum Wage is like some friends who moved away years ago moving back to your neighborhood. I'm happy to have them around again.
Multiversity (DC Comics) by Grant Morrison / various As mainstream comics companies like DC and Marvel continue to wrestle with a lack of diversity in their superheroes, Grant Morrison undertakes a project with a title that makes it exceedingly clear that DC Comics is aware of this problem. Here Morrison brings characters of multiple earths together, while creating a small army of new characters as well as diverse takes on existing superheroes in a very meta-comics way that appears to be a rather interesting "let's just try whatever and see if anything sticks" approach.
So far, I've enjoyed "Pax Americana" the best. If you ever wondered what The Watchmen would have been like if Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely did the story instead of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and DC let them use Charlton characters as originally planned, then Pax Americana clearly shows what those results would have been.
Pitchfork Review (Pitchfork Media) by J.C. Gabel (editor) Pitchfork continues to pursue physicality with a new issue of its increasingly excellent quarterly publication. The Pitchfork Review begs to be read cover to cover then sat down on a coffee table to be easily picked back up for more thumbing through. Here's hoping it inspires a new era of music-zine publishing - something we could all benefit from. Even if it doesn't, you'll want to collect these.
Rumble (Image Comics) by John Arcudi / James Harren The first issue of a new horror series that reminds me a lot of Sam Kieth's The Maxx. A bartender gets sucked into mysterious supernatural events when a regular comes rushing into the bar, missing an arm and being chased by a hooded scarecrow with a sword. It's a brand-spankin' new series, so I'm reading with curiosity as to where it will take me.
Slurricane (self-published) by Will Laren If you haven't come across any of Tumblr sensation Will Laren's hilarious, weird, and grotesque comics, you are in for a treat. In Slurricane, you'll find the greatest sheep actor of his generation, a bird blaster, pork partners, cowboy therapists and more. Hilarious and handmade.
Southern Bastards (Image Comics) by Jason Aaron / Jason Latour While DC's Vertigo comics imprint continues to flounder from a lack of identity or direction, Image Comics continues to benefit from the talent it's shed and series it should be publishing. With a title like "Southern Bastards," how can you not want to pick up this book? So how is it? Based on the first issue, the formula is like this: Friday Night Lights + Justified x Sons Of Anarchy + Walking Tall = Southern Bastards. Aaron's story takes very unexpected turns and Latour's art completes an atmosphere every bit as thick, sticky and delicious as bbq sauce. We may be in a new Golden Age of television, but Image is in a new Golden Age of quality comics too - and so many of them, like Southern Bastards could be their own shows. Hmm... perhaps there should be an Image Comics cable network?
They're Not Like Us (Image Comics) by Eric Stephenson / Simon Gane This new series is the story of a group of young telepaths coming together. There's a lot of potential for a fun story, with a large cast of distinctive personalities with different telepathic variations, and Gane's art is just plain charming.
Trees (Image Comics) by Warren Ellis / Jason Howard A new Warren Ellis comic series is an ample-enough reason to get excited, but when it's one that starts as eerie and fascinating as this, all the more reason! These large, giant tree-like alien things came to Earth and just planted themselves - on cities, homes, farmland, etc. And then they did... well, nothing. For years. So now, the story picks up ten years later. And they still do nothing - well except for expel some gross waste from time to time. But it's really weird what WE have done. Some places have walled off the Trees. Some have built up strange new communities around them. Strange things have started to grow - much like this story itself.
Wytches (Image Comics) by Scott Snyder / Jock Superstar comics team Snyder and Jock introduce a new horror series about witches, and are off to a good start. Stemming out of teen angst and high school bullying in which some kind of "incident" occurs, Sailor's family moves her to a knew town in the hopes she can put what happened behind her and forget about it. But can that really work when what's happening is because of what our teen heroine is?
Jesse Morgan is a Baltimore expatriate whose prime regret in moving was leaving such a rad and varied music scene.
You know the deal: some zerson you know from around town tells you about some jams that came out this year that ze wants you to buy. This is by no means all inclusive; this is literally what I thought of a week ago when a bunch of other persons were doing the same thing on Facebook.
Beach Slang, "Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street" 7" I never gave a shit about Weston when they were a band, so reading back during the spring that the singer had a new band didn’t stand out for me. However, one of the joys of the Internet in 2014 is being able to sample damn near anything. So when Vice piqued my interest with a stream of this 7”, I checked it out. And I’m glad I did. Old man punk pop that’s equal parts Lemonheads and Hot Water Music.
Clay Davis, "3 Songs" CD A prelude to their 2015 release, this is one of my favorite grind records of 2014, as well as the next step in a little-appreciated lineage of Baltimore grind/PV bands. I’d be stoked to see this two piece get out of the basements of North Baltimore and out on the road in 2015.
Crimson Wave, "Say/Calling You" 7" I’m a long-time backer of this Baltimore dream pop quartet, so to see this slab of wax hit the shelves made me so goddamned happy. This record is great night driving music.
DARK BLUE, "Pure Reality” LP The soundtrack to a skinhead weeping in the corner of a discotheque. Which I think is what Sharkey was going for on this one.
empire! empire! (i was a lonely estate), "You Will Eventually Be Forgotten” LP I stand at odds with a lot of my friends over emo, and the emo revival of the past few years. That’s cool; I’ve come to terms in my late 30s that one man’s Smiths is my Braid. E!E!, between their recorded output and their label, stands at the vanguard of this revival with 11 songs that are equal parts Leonard Cohen, Mineral, and Jeff Buckley.
Gas Rag, "Beats Off” LP Someone poked fun at me recently for suggesting this as one of the great records of 2014. Sorry, I liked when fast hardcore came back in 1999. “Beats Off” is a totally accessible ripper: 11 songs in a little under 11 minutes. Circle pit heaven.
Good Throb, "Fuck Off” LP The only show I missed this year that I’m kicking myself over was Good Throb. This UK four piece made the most snarling dance punk record ever.
Hive Bent, "Dyatlov” cassette Everytime I listen to “Dyatlov”, I think of me and Mac McCormick standing as close to the speakers as we can, banging our heads. This nerdy 2-piece noise rock band from Baltimore is worth losing your hearing for. I’ll bet you your hips start swinging to this tape.
Hurula, "Vi Är Människorna Våra Föräldrar Varnade Oss För" LP Ex-member of Masshysteri makes the best pop rock record of 2014. I hear this went top-10 in Sweden. America, can you please be more like Sweden?
Jawbreaker Reunion, "Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club” cassette Some smart human is going to press this on vinyl in 2015, and make a few shekels. With a mix of re-recorded old jams and new songs, this twee punk group goes to Bard College and sounds like a more fun Bratmobile.
Lost Tribe, "Solace” LP I give full credit to Dana Murphy for turning me onto this Richmond goth-punk group, via U+N Fest in 2013. I generally don’t dig on stuff from that Cvlt Nation world, but this strikes a real chord with me. It’s the sound of smoke machines, Amebix t-shirts, and sketchy situations.
Old Lines, "No Child Left Behind” LP Are they a crust band? A hardcore band? Who cares?!? Four rad dudes making some of the most brutal D-beat I’ve heard in years. It’s great seeing these guys turn into road warriors and show what they’ve been bringing to Baltimore over the past couple years.
Perspex Flesh, "s/t" LP UKHC in the vein of their forefathers (Heresy, Voorhees). I can’t remember who put me onto these cats, but I owe whoever did a pint of lager and two packets of crisps.
Pianos Become The Teeth, "Keep You" LP I know a number of folks were dubious of Pianos’ transition away from screamo revival, but repeated listens to “Keep You” prove that Pianos are on the right track. Easily the record I listened to the most in 2014, which is a neat tricks, considering it came out in October.
Roomrunner, "Separate" 12" Every year, we get a new Roomrunner record. And every year, they’ve gotten a little better, come a little further into their own. Some of my favorite records ever were recorded by J. Robbins; this year, “Separate” got added to that list. This is a killer rock record, regardless of the band’s influences.
Ryan Adams, "1984" 7" I can’t think of any superlatives for this. It’s just a really well-written, well-recorded, well-performed 7” of Ryan Adams rock n roll songs. It’s the record I expected I was buying when I bought “Gold” 10 years ago.
Thou, "Heathen” LP Tip of the cap to Hasan Ali for being a constant booster of Thou. “Heathen”, along with Thou’s other 2014 releases, is the exception to most doom/sludge releases for me. I feel like this is a gateway band for me; I’ll go check them out at a show, then spin off and learn about a new world of openers, influences, etc. And that’s pretty rad.
Special notes: The new D’Angelo is this year’s December surprise. Digital only so far; I look forward to tracking down a copy on thick, 180gram vinyl so this shit can crackle and snap as well as my favorite Issac Hayes records.
Discogs says that Self Defense Family appeared on seven different releases (1 LP, 5 EPs, 1 comp). I’m of the opinion that each of these is well worth acquiring, as they each show a band in constant creation, expansion and growth far beyond the standard hardcore/indie rock progressions. Plus they manage one of the best Tumblrs ever. If you want to start in one specific spot, pick up the “Indoor Wind Chimes b/w Cottaging” 7” on Deathwish.
On a personal level it was a great year. Outside of my little corner, it was one of the worst in recent memory. Apparently, it was also another year in the agonizingly drawn out death of the music industry. Luckily, I managed to find some good music to escape from reality, music spanning a few genres.
The songs are listed in the order that I have put them in a Spotify playlist rather than going from best to worst or vice versa.
I decided to only include music available on spotify. So unlike every best of 2014 list, I had to leave Taylor Swift off.
1. D'Angelo – The Charade 2. Perfect Pussy – Big Stars 3. The Garden – I'm A Woman 4. Sleaford Mods – 14 Day Court 5. Run The Jewels – Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck) [feat. Zack De La Rocha] 6. Homeboy Sandman – Problems (Produced by Knxwledge) 7. Actress – Rule 8. The Soft Pink Truth – Black Metal 9. Beyoncé – Partition 10. Disclosure – Latch 11. King Tuff – Black Moon Spell 12. Electric Wizard – SadioWitch 13. Useless Eaters – Dungeon 14. Speedy Ortiz – American Horror 15. Ex Hex – Waste Your Time 16. The People's Temple – Smooth Moves 17. Ought – Pleasant Heart 18. Swans – Screen Shot 19. Pharmakon – Autoimmune 20. Protomartyr – Ain't So Simple 21. Viet Cong – Unconscious Melody 22. Sharon Van Etten – Your Love is Killing Me 23. Jenny Lewis – She's Not Me 24. Katy Perry – Birthday 25. Nick Jonas – Jealous 26. Charli XCX – Boom Clap 27. Courtney Barnett – Pickles from the Jar 28. Caribou – Can't Do Without You 29. Deerhoof – Big House Waltz 30. I LOVE MAKONNEN – Tuesday 31. Shabazz Palaces – They Come in Gold 32. Ghostface Killah – Love Don't Live Here No More (feat. Kandace Springs) 33. Vince Staples – Fire 34. Mac Demarco – Salad Days 35. SQÜRL – Francine Says 36. Thee Oh Sees – Penetrating Eye 37. Benjamin Booker – Chippewa 38. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Hot Wax 39. Alvvays – Adult Diversion 40. Parquet Courts – Raw Milk
Favorite 2014 music releases in alphabetical order by artist.
Aphex Twin - Syro Arca - Xen At the Gates - At War With Reality D’Angelo and the Vanguard - Black Messiah Diocletian - Gesundrian Evian Christ - Waterfall FKA Twigs - LP1 Gangsta Boo & BeatKing - Underground Cassette Tape Music Girl Talk & Freeway - Broken Ankles Krieg - Transient Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Yumeno Hajima Ring Ring Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2 Various Artists - Hyperdub 10.1, Hyperdub 10.2, Hyperdub 10.3, and Hyperdub 10.4
Tony Pence is the proprietor of Celebrated Summer Records and plays in bands including WarXGames and Deep Sleep.
These are his favorite movies from 2014.
1. Big Hero 6 2. Guardians of The Galaxy 3. The Raid 2 4. Grand Budapest Hotel 5. We Are The Best 6. Jodorowsky's DUNE 7. Veronica Mars 8. Gone Girl 9. 12'Oclock Boys 10. 22 Jump Street
Benn Ray is editor of the Mobtown Shank, he is a Signal (WYPR) contributor, he runs a daily comics tumblr called Mutant Funnies, and he has a weekly comic strip called Said What? which appears in the Baltimore Sun's B Paper.
(in alphabetical order)
Ant Colony by Micheal DeForge DeForge's first original graphic novel is a bizarre and riveting look inside the world/lifespan of an ant colony. In DeForge's world, ants are as different as you and I. The world of the ant is largely allegorical for the sort of world we live in. What I'm saying is, we are the ant colony!
Andre The Giant: Life And Legend by Box Brown With stylized and iconic art, Brown tells the story of the literally larger-than-life wrestler Andre The Giant. When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to see Andre wrestle live a few times. When I got older, I was surprised to discover he had a posse. Brown's story is an endearing and sensitive biography of a somewhat difficult icon while giving us some insight into the world of wrestling too.
Art Schooled by Jamie Coe If you've ever read Dan Clowes' famous "Art School Confidential" comic from Eightball and wished it was more fleshed out, possibly with a nice coming of age narrative, then Coe's Art Schooled is what you've been looking for. Coe's artwork is fantastic, his observations, while sometimes a bit reactionary, are also spot on, satirical and biting. His coloring is every bit as good as his line work and his page/panel construction makes turning every page an exciting surprise. This should be provided to all art school students along as part of their freshman orientation.
Basil Wolverton Weird Worlds Artist Edition by Basil Wolverton IDW's Artist Series has published quite a few impressive, over-sized, limited edition books , but this collection of legendary MAD contributor Basil Wolverton may be the best yet. It contains stories covering his career from Powerhouse Pepper, Spacehawk, up through his grotesques, his religious work and more. The result is simply WOW!
Bumf Volume 1: I Buggered the Kaiser by Joe Sacco The early 1990s was a time rich with surrealist underground comics: famous for artists like Jim Woodring and seminal works Ed The Happy Clown by Chester Brown and Like A Velvet Glove Cast in Iron by Daniel Clowes. Joe Sacco, primarily known for his comics reportage of war zones, has taken his decidedly conflict-based frame of reference and turned in this first installment Bumf, a modern take on the surrealist underground comic. Bumf if ripe with post 9/11 images, Nixon, and a hard focus on buggering. It's brilliant, bizarre fun - loaded with intricate linework and a story that delights in both disorienting and reorienting the reader. Essentially what he have here is a new modern, underground, surrealist comics masterpiece.
Complete ZAP Comix by Victor Moscoso (designer) / Eric Reynolds (editor) I was so stoked for this book to finally come in. Imagine my dismay when the distributor (Diamond Comics) shipped me a damaged copy. So I got on the horn and had them send me a replacement copy. And guess what? Diamond shipped me ANOTHER damaged copy. And now they tell me they can't get any more copies of the book. So all I was left with was a damaged copy to look through before returning it. I wasn't even able to get a copy for myself, which is a bummer because this goddamn thing is a masterpiece. Is it possible for something to be too good? If so, this deluxe set of complete Zap Comix might just be it. This is the most important comics collection to be released in years - bringing together the complete run of the Robert Crumb-created underground comix version of MAD Magazine. It features comics by Crumb as well as S. Clay Wilson, Robert Williams, Gilbert Shelton, Spain Rodriguez, Rick Griffin and so many others. This set is worth every penny of its price tag. If you can get a pristine copy.
Fight Frogs by Jimmy Giegerich Fight Frogs is a modern take on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-style comic. Light on story, heavy on fight and fun. The artwork is funny and gross, the characters almost seem custom-made for action figures and playsets. The story is essentially, the Frogs wake up and find their pad vandalized by the Dick Ducks. So the Frogs hop on their Ultra-Tough All-Terrain Mega-Dank Fight Frog Ultra Boards and travel the desert wasteland to catch up with the Ducks. A flex-off turns into an epic rumble. Grossouts and laughs abound.
Libertarian by Nick Maandang A Libertarian decides to pretend to be something he isn't in order to trick a woman into having sex with him. Mandaag manages to create a comic that satirizes Libertarians, socialists, feminists, Marxists, vegans and while still keeping its heart in the right place.
Love Bunglers by Jaime Hernandez Love Bunglers collects the landmark story from Love & Rockets: New Stories! I'll admit that Love Bunglers may not be the greatest graphic novel of all time. There are a number of other titles - Watchmen, Ghost World, Jimmy Corrigan, Black Hole, Maus and others who can battle for that title. No, what Jaime has achieved here is the perfect graphic novel. These are characters who have developed over decades of Love and Rockets comics, but it's not necessary to have read those stories to get this book. In Love Bunglers, you have a comics master in peak control of all aspects of the medium - the characterization is precise, the linework is impossibly perfect and the narrative is profound and emotionally devastating. Love Bunglers is the comics medium perfected.
Silent Mischief by Katrin Kagen Katrin's collection of illustrations are hilarious and adorable, and this new book will have you laughing out loud. Katrin holds up a mirror to us all at an interesting angle, that sometimes reflects us back as animals and inanimate objects that still manage to reveal us in very surprising and amusing ways. Easily one of my favorite books so far this year.
Silver Surver Vol. 1 by Dan Slott / Michael Allred Marvel restarts their Silver Surfer series, this time with Mike Allred doing the art (a stroke of genius, really). Slott's story captures the pop spirit of Allred's art - and the art really makes this book fun - there are times when the page almost seems too small to contain everything going on.
Theth by Josh Bayer I've been a fan of Josh's for a long time now. With each project his work just gets stronger and stronger, and Theth marks his greatest achievement to date. It's the story of a costumed Seth (taunted by his schoolmates as "Theth"), who is going to school the winter of John Lennon's murder. Theth captures the confusion, ambivalence and import surrounding this profound event in everyday life (perhaps I relate to this as strongly as I do because I was the same age as Seth, and was reading similar comics at unfriendly newsstands, and remember hearing the news of John Lennon's death on the bus to school, and experiencing the cultural confusion it caused at the time). Will Theth and his family find a way to get a long? Will Theth turn bad? Was John Lennon really stabbed and not shot? This excellent new book by Bayer raises these questions and so many more and Josh illustrates them brilliantly.
Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince Liz's memoir has been one of the most anticipated books at Atomic in the past few weeks, with most of the staff asking at least once a day, "Is it here yet, is it here yet?" When I finally said yes, everyone dropped what they were doing and immediately grabbed a copy and started reading - and everyone is in agreement that Liz totally killed it with this book.
Trillium by Jeff Lemire Collected into this book is Jeff Lemire's acclaimed time/space-bending epic of the last love story ever told. It's crazy and awesome, and it'll have you flipping the book around in weird directions at times just to read it.
Turtle Island by Kevin Sherry Kevin Sherry is one of the best kids books authors out there. Turtle Island is coolly illustrated book with a great story: it's a tale of loneliness and the magic of community as seen through an island-sized turtle and some shipwreck survivors.
Twelve Gems by Lane Milburn This excellent, retro space opera reads like a funny, alternative Infinity Gauntlet meets Guardians of the Galaxy - but way cooler than both.
Weirdo Years: 1981-1993 by Robert Crumb If you claim to love comics and don't own a copy of this, collecting Crumb's great Weirdo series, you're a liar. Some of Crumb's best work ever - Weirdo is a must-have.
Witzend by Wallace Wood This isn't so much a book as it is an event. I love it when Fantagraphics delivers these deluxe, multi-volume hardcover comics collections - it's as much a statement of publishing principles as it is a comprehensive comics artifact. One of my all time favorites by in this format was their Harvey Kurtzman Humbug collection. Wally Wood's Witzend is just as impressive - with hours of page-turning glory. This was an early indy comics anthology that provided a lot of amazing artists the opportunity to publish personal work without worrying about the commercial side of comics. And yow! Just look at that list of contributors!
Yeti Files #1: Meet the Bigfeet by Kevin Sherry Kevin Sherry has created a fun, magical world of cryptids. They try to keep a low profile, but unfortunately, there's an idiotic cryptozoologist named George Vanquist who keeps trying to take pictures of them to prove they do exist. This conflict creates hijinks, but the real fun is Sherry's elaborate pages, full of childlike whimsy, fascination and fun.
