Best of The Year: Brian Gorsegner / Shawna Potter / Nick Woods
And our annual tradition of top 10 lists begin! As per our sacred creed, all this week, we will be posting guest top lists by musicians, labels, producers and other cool people! Today, we kick off the series with Brian Gorsegner of Night Birds, Shawna Potter of War on Women, and Nick Woods of Direct Hit! At the same time, we're also kicking off the annual tradition of sharing adorable holiday pet photos, because, well, why not? Here's the ever-festive Mr. Shea, wishing you well this holiday season.
Brian Gorsegner
Brian is the fantastic lead singer of Night Birds. They released
Mutiny at Muscle Beach
this year. We also spoke to Brian about the record.
10. Red Dons:
The Dead Hand of Tradition
Taken By Surprise/Deranged
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9. The Stops:
Nameless Faces
Dirt Cult Records
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Wallride Records
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7. Radioactivity:
Silent Kill
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6. Vacation:
Non-Person
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4. toyGuitar:
In This Mess
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3. Violent Reaction:
Marching On
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2. Royal Headache:
High
What's Your Rupture?
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1. Tenement:
Predatory Headlights
Shawna Potter
Shawna is the kick-ass lead singer of War on Women. They released
War On Women
this year. We talked to Shawna about Danzig and Dolly Parton.
10. Modern Pain:
Peace Delusions
Label mates!
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Equinox Recordings
I don't know why these horns sooth my savage beast, but they do
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Zoo on Mars
A fellow Baltimorean badass! I'd really love to collaborate with her in the future
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7. Cloud Rat:
Qliphoth
Dead Tank Records
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6. The Velvet Teen:
All Is Ilusory
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5. Chelsea Wolfe:
Abyss
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4. Refused:
Freedom
we got the chance to open for them a few times this year and seeing these new songs live, well, they fit right in with their older stuff! It was awesome!
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they recorded at Magpie Cage, the same studio where we've recorded all our records and in the same building where Brooks and I work
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1. G.L.O.S.S.:
Demo
Self Released
Why aren't our two bands on tour together playing women's centers at every goddamn campus in this goddamn country?!
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Nick Woods
Nick Woods is the main man of Direct Hit! The released
More of the Same (Satanic Singles: 2010-2014)
this year.
Tenement:
Predatory Headlights
I probably don't "get it" the way I'm supposed to, but these dudes are from the Fox Valley, there are some fuckin not-by-numbers jams here, and all the creepy soundtrack-sounding instrumental and weirdo shit in between is excellent to listen to on long drives and while stoned, so whatever.
Self Released
Not much to say that hasn't been said about this one. Game-changing hardcore. The end.
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The Conor Oberst I listen to when not trying to appear sensitive.
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Titus Andronicus:
The Most Lamentable Tragedy
Pretty dank comeback after what I thought was kind of a dud second LP. Really pretentious, but in a fun kinda way, like I felt The Monitor was. My pick for "Best Return to Form of 2015."
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Aftermath
Only the third LP from a living rap legend after more than a decade of nothing. Duh.
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Thunder Zone
Dude gets better and better with every record. Boggles the mind that he doesn't have some kind of contract yet, and has to scrimp by out in Brooklyn or wherever the cool part of New York is these days. One of the few musicians I've gotten to watch transform into something else, and cooler, over the years.
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Katorga Works
Brutal shit. Metal enough to be heavy, and 'core enough to keep me from feeling like I'm wearing corpse paint and a costume while listening. Pretty fucking pumped for the day these dudes put out an LP.
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Midnight Reruns:
Force of Nurture
Dusty Medical Records
Pals from Milwaukee put out this record this year with more tension than release on it, which I dig a lot. Tommy Stinson produced it. If you're involved with music in my town at all, this one definitely touches on some stuff that feels uncomfortably close to home.
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Glassnote
The sonic equivalent of having a 50/50 mix of sugar and molly dumped in your mouth. I'm embarrassed by how giddy and talkative this record makes me. Totally my pick for best overproduced pop record of 2015.
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Courtney Barnett:
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
I didn't get down with this album all at once, but somehow all these tunes kept creeping into my life somehow or other… Caught her set on TV once, heard a couple snippets on NPR, and finally just listened to the whole thing and got blown away. Good job PR machine. Super-cool guitar rock.