The Smile – Showbams

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2024

December 30, 2024 by The Bam Team 2 Comments

2024 was a BIG year for music. With a continued return to normalcy playing out following the first global pandemic in more than a century, the past 12 months produced plenty of great moments onstage and in the studio — from record-breaking world tours to surprise releases and everything in between.

Every year we get to do this we feel fortunate to have the opportunity to do something that we love — witness live music. Yet, each one feels a little different than the last and this year certainly had its own unique collection of highlights. We saw Explosions in the Sky make a statement as one of post-rock’s most essential acts, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan ring in his 60th birthday on the “Sessanta” tour, My Morning Jacket back at The Fillmore for a four-night run of no repeats, DIIV assure us there’s still a future for indie rock and Dawes celebrate the holidays with a brand-new album and star-studded cast of special guests. We also covered our first shows at the state-of-the-art Fox Theater Pomona and legendary Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown much to our delight, with those sort of visceral experiences amounting to more than merely the music we heard there.

But with another year wrapping up and 2025 here very soon, it’s time for us to reveal our annual “Best of” lists as we have done since this blog started more than a decade ago (see our 2023 picks here). As we always say, we will be the first to confess we didn’t attend every show or spin every album that was issued in 2024, but looking in the rearview mirror can be nearly as fun and challenging as when we first started doing this yearly exercise.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2024.

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2024:

Sting at BeachLife Festival // Photo by Josh Herwitt

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2024
1. Pearl Jam at Kia Forum – Los Angeles, CA – May 21st-22nd
What a year it was for one of our all-time favorites acts. The release of Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album Dark Matter in April gave us more than a month to acquaint ourselves with their latest effort before we would see them blow the roof off a sold-out Kia Forum over two consecutive nights. By the end of the second, we were well-satiated thanks to Eddie Vedder and the Hall of Fame band delivering one tour debut after another while also seamlessly mixing in their new material. But the most poignant memory for us came on Night 1 when Vedder broke into Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” at the end of “Daughter” with the crowd seemingly in the palm of his hand. Not only hearing the entire arena sing along to “We don’t need no education / We don’t need no thought control” but also seeing Vedder still command an audience like that at his age gave me chills — the good kind — down my spine that I don’t think I will never forget. All we can say is the power of live music felt very alive (no pun intended) and well in that moment.

2. My Morning Jacket at The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA – May 30th-31st
3. Queens of the Stone Age at Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA – May 24th
4. LCD Soundsystem at Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA – November 8th
5. Sting at BeachLife Festival – Redondo Beach, CA – May 3rd

Honorable Mention: slowdive at Fox Theater Pomona – Pomona, CA – April 26th

Top 5 Albums of 2024
1. Pearl Jam – Dark Matter
It has been a long time since PJ uncorked a full length as strong from start to finish as their newest, but when I first heard its lead single that would also serve as the LP’s title track, I could sense something was different this time. Maybe it was Matt Cameron’s drums sitting front and center in the mix or Mike McCready’s electrifying, Hendrix-like guitar solo down the song’s final stretch. Except the more time I spent with Dark Matter, the more I loved not just the singles but all 11 songs. “Waiting For Stevie” has become an instant fan favorite in its relatively short time while others like “Scared of Fear”, Won’t Tell”, “Upper Hand” and “Setting Sun” have been the glue, giving depth to an album that sees Vedder and company not resting on their laurels after more than three decades together. Whether it was working with Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt or the addition of former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer to the songwriting process, Dark Matter sees one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands in the business continuing to push itself creatively and that has carried over to the stage where Pearl Jam’s epic live shows remain full of raw energy and emotion (see above for more on that).

2. Kendrick Lamar – GNX
3. Jack White – No Name
4. The Smile – Wall of Eyes
5. The Smashing Pumpkins – Aghori Mhori Mei

Favorite Live Album of 2024: The War on Drugs – Live Drugs Again

Top 5 Songs of 2024
1. Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
After a year in which the Dodgers finally won the World Series fair and square, this only seemed like the right choice for any self-respecting Angelino like myself. “Not Like Us” compliments of Compton’s finest rapper would not just end up becoming a new anthem for my hometown of LA but the entire West Coast. As he goes down the “rabbit hole” with shrewd and clever wordplay, it’s clear why King Kendrick has sat atop hip-hop’s unofficial throne for a while now and has already cemented himself before the young age of 40 on its Mount Rushmore. What was released as a diss track in a series of them aimed at Drake has turned into so much more six months later, and the Mustard-produced gem continues to resonate for us no matter which side won the highly publicized feud. Because in our minds, it never was really close.

2. Pearl Jam – “Setting Sun”
3. LCD Soundsystem – “x-ray eyes”
4. Jack White – “It’s Rough on Rats (If You’re Asking)”
5. The Smashing Pumpkins – “Edin”

Favorite Soundtrack of 2024: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers (Original Score)

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2024
1. Idles with Protomartyr at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – May 10th
My anticipation of seeing Idles for the second time was palpable as I made my way into the Fox. The first time I saw them was at The Fillmore a few years earlier, and it was easily one of the best shows I had EVER seen (and I have been to hundreds of concerts). Once again, they delivered a performance that was not only interactive, but also filled with heart, raw energy and the kind of joy you don’t always see from road dogs like them. Every note seemed to be played with total satisfaction, which you could see on every member’s face throughout the 25-song set.

2. Green Day with The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, The Linda Lindas at Oracle Park – San Francisco, CA – September 20th
3. Black Pumas at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – February 8th
4. Home Front with Neighborhood Brats, Build Us Airplanes at Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA – December 14th
5. Rich Kids on LSD (RKL) at Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA – May 1st

Top 5 Albums of 2024
1. The Smashing Pumpkins – Aghori Mhori Meiwo
This is the Pumpkins album that I have been wanting to hear since Zeitgeist came out in 2007. Some critics have said in recent years that guitar-focused rock music is “dead” … well, the band’s 13th studio effort has a bone to pick with that sentiment. After several releases that have varied from “questionable” to “just OK,” founding members Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin went back to the basics and laid down a proper LP that every SP fan knew they were capable of making. After all, I always love a good comeback story.

2. The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
3. Alkaline Trio – Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs
4. NØ MAN – Glitter and Spit
5. The Jesus Lizard – Rack

Top 5 Songs of 2024
1. Yard Act – “Dream Job”
With how turbulent the world has been over the past few years, I have been finding myself gravitating toward music that’s a bit more upbeat musically — and this song is a certified infectious banger. Yard Act have this cool way of incorporating clever, oft-dark social commentary into what would otherwise be a tasty dance number, which is part of their charm and why they have blown up since forming in 2019. I kept coming back to this album during 2024, and this was definitely the track that kept my foot tapping.

2. Sammy Kay – “Love Song”
3. The Jukebox Romantics – “Packing Up My Knives”
4. Idles feat. LCD Soundsystem – “Dancer”
5. Jack White – “It’s Rough on Rats (If You’re Asking)”

Rochelle Shipman // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2024
1. Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals at Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA – September 24th
Anderson .Paak pulled out all the stops for a performance of his seminal and (arguably) best album Malibu, bringing out every featured guest from BJ the Chicago Kid and ScHoolboy Q to Rapsody and Talib Kweli. As if that wasn’t enough, he got some help from the GOAT — Dr. Dre himself performing 2001 hits “The Next Episode” and “Still D.R.E.” — to jump start the second set and kept the surprises coming. Plus, the iconic Hollywood Bowl proved to be a stunning setting for the most ethereal evening.

2. Conor Oberst at Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA – March 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th
3. Something Corporate at Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA – October 11th
4. Stars at The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – October 18th
5. Kate Nash at Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA – November 2nd

Top 5 Albums of 2024
1. Kendrick Lamar – GNX
For an album that dropped six weeks prior to the end of the year, GNX has been embedded in the fabric of K-Dot fans since Q2. Artfully teasing snippets like lead single “Squabble Up” months before its official release, Kendrick effortlessly reminded the world why “King” fits so naturally into some of his nicknames. Not that he needs any more, but blessing us with a surprise LP full of fiery tracks that keep breaking and setting new records gives him one more lick of proof that no one else is in his lane.

2. Little Simz – Drop 7
3. Yaya Bey – Ten Fold
4. Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal
5. Channel Tres – Head Rush

Top 5 Songs of 2024
1. Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
It feels disingenuous to pick any other song but “Not Like Us” in 2024. Kendrick’s meticulous takedown of Drake was the perfect evil antidote to an industry choking on espresso. “Not Like Us” was the golden middle finger with Lamar penning an impeccable balance between professor and troll, destroying Drake in a way that only a Pulitzer Prize winner could.

2. Little Simz – “Torch”
3. Desert Mambas – “Hot George Costanza”
4. Yaya Bey – “slow dancing in the kitchen”
5. Megan Thee Stallion – “Hiss”

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2024, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: Alkaline Trio, Anderson .Paak, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, BeachLife Festival, BeachLife Festival 2024, BJ the Chicago Kid, Black Pumas, Bottom of the Hill, Build Us Airplanes, Channel Tres, Conor Oberst, Desert Mambas, DJ Mustard, Doechii, Dr. Dre, Drake, Fox Theater Oakland, Green Day, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood Palladium, Home Front, IDLES, Jack White, Kate Nash, Kendrick Lamar, Kia Forum, LCD Soundsystem, Little Simz, Megan Thee Stallion, Mustard, My Morning Jacket, NØ MAN, Neighborhood Brats, Oracle Park, Pearl Jam, Protomartyr, Queens of the Stone Age, Rancid, Rapsody, Rich Kids on LSD (RKL), Sammy Kay, Santa Barbara Bowl, Schoolboy Q, Something Corporate, Stars, Sting, Talib Kweli, Teragram Ballroom, The Cure, The Fillmore, The Fonda Theatre, The Jesus Lizard, The Jukebox Romantics, The Linda Lindas, The Police, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Smile, The Teragram Ballroom, Yard Act, Yaya Bey

DIIV give us hope at The Wiltern that there’s a future for indie rock

July 5, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

DIIV with Lightning Bolt, untitled (halo) //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
June 29th, 2024 //

For nearly 15 years it’s no secret the music industry has moved farther away from the guitar-driven rock that prevailed through much of the 90’s and early 2000’s. Some have even gone as far to now say “rock is dead,” and while we can point out some of our own experiences from recent memory — including one here — to counter that claim, there have only been a handful of new bands since 2010 that accurately fit the description and have hooked me enough to catch them live.

Australian sextet King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are one of those acts, and their three-hour marathon at the iconic Hollywood Bowl last summer (read our show review here) was one of our favorite shows in 2023 (see our picks here).

English bass-and-drums duo Royal Blood are another, and their bone-rattling concert at The Wiltern in November (read our show review here) was also a highlight for us last year.

Of course we can’t forget about Houston psych-funk-rock trio Khruangbin, which have continued their ascent with sold-out gigs at some of America’s biggest music venues and events. In fact, we still think about their 2022 appearance on Day 2 of Primavera Sound LA (read our festival review here).

And then there’s “American indie-groove band” Goose, who gave us a chance to finally watch them in the flesh several months ago when they made their Santa Barbara Bowl debut and a compelling case why they have been one of the hottest (jam) bands lately (read our show review here).

Obviously there are supergroups and/or side projects like The Smile, boygenius and The New Basement Tapes as well, while others might argue that bands such as Greta Van Fleet, Hockey Dad, Turnstile, Wet Leg and Viagra Boys have carried the torch forward for the genre (note: IDLES were not mentioned here because they formed back in 2009 along with Alabama Shakes, Atoms for Peace, Broken Bells, Dawes, The Dead Weather, How to Destroy Angels, Rival Sons, Them Crooked Vultures and Wild Nothing).

But standing among some of the best to arrive on the scene in roughly the last decade and a half are DIIV, which began as a solo endeavor for Zachary Cole Smith (lead vocals, guitar) after previous stints as a guitarist in the psych-rock outfit Soft Black and drummer/guitarist for indie rockers Beach Fossils while he was living in Brooklyn.

Smith has relocated to LA since DIIV’s formation, but the group’s sound has remained fairly consistent — dreamy, hazy vocals float on top of gritty, fuzzed-out guitars as they collide with punchy rhythms that immediately evoke comparisons to Modest Mouse, Silversun Pickups, Slowdive and even Explosions in the Sky when we listen. That’s not to say DIIV’s shoegaze-laden soundscapes don’t have their own feel and vibe, though. They very much have their own identity, as Smith’s catchy riffs often pull you in at the start and build up to moments of pure sonic bliss like on “Taker” or “Acheron” that stands as the longest track in the DIIV catalog at more than seven minutes.

Four albums in following the May release of Frog in Boiling Water on Fantasy Records, and the quartet that was a five-piece in the early 2010’s and currently includes Smith’s childhood friend Andrew Bailey (guitar), Colin Caulfield (bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals) and Ben Newman (drums) are no doubt a well-established unit at this point. The 10-track LP anchored by lead single “Brown Paper Bag” has already garnered critical acclaim from quite a few media outlets and fits in nicely with the rest of DIIV’s material, showcasing Smith’s continued growth and evolution as a singer-songwriter. And although we can’t say his overall range behind the microphone has transformed dramatically dating back to 2012’s full-length debut Oshin, Smith does come across more forceful in his delivery on DIIV’s latest studio effort.

Wrapping up the first leg of a 33-date North American tour last Saturday at The Wiltern with Rhode Island noise-rock duo Lightning Bolt and LA’s untitled (halo) providing support, Smith and company delivered plenty of highs from “Doused” to “Blankenship” and yet left us yearning to hear others like “Dopamine” off 2016’s Is the Is Are and “Skin Game” from 2019’s Deceiver. The fact that neither of those are being played was somewhat surprising — even if they aren’t among their Top 5 songs on Spotify — and yet encouraging considering how well we thought their 90-minute performance in LA flowed from one song to the next. DIIV haven’t been mixing up their setlists each night they take the stage, instead sticking to a very similar script so far for their 2024 dates across Europe and the U.S. While that’s something we eventually hope to see from them after another album cycle, the next six months will mark an important stretch for DIIV with their tour schedule extending all the way through December and taking them back to the UK where a couple of sold-out gigs with Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. — another one of the rare major post-2010 rock acts to emerge — in London await.

The impending doom and gloom that Smith’s lyrics have been known to address since DIIV’s inception in 2011 don’t exactly anoint them as champions of hope and optimism at a time of great uncertainty and political tension here at home. Frog confronts the “overwhelmingly banal collapse of society under end-stage capitalism,” and with another U.S. presidential election looming that stars a former president and convicted felon, there’s a real cause for concern with the stakes higher than ever. The video interludes — one to advertise DIIV merch, another to introduce their sophomore single on Frog entitled “”Soul-net” and finally a satirical promo for ExxonMobil at the beginning of the encore — sprinkled in throughout the show reminded us of that dark reality, but as Bailey told Zane Lowe during a recent interview for Apple Music: “The message isn’t ‘the world is screwed and there’s nothing we can do.’ It’s more pointing out the fact that the world is screwed and heading toward demise … how do we accept that reality and still turn it into something positive?”

Smith, for one, has faced his own demons and past struggles with substance abuse that we don’t need to get into but has courageously come out on the other side all while continuing to push the boundaries sonically with every DIIV release. Frog, after all, was the first time the band worked democratically with writing credits going to all four members, challenging them individually and testing the strength of their collective bond in ultimately representing “a mesmeric testament to enduring.” For us fans, it’s just one sign of another great band in the making.

Setlist:
In Amber
Like Before You Were Born
Brown Paper Bag
Under the Sun
(Druun Pt. II)
Doused
Reflected
Somber the Drums
Take Your Time
Taker
Raining on Your Pillow
Soul-net
Frog in Boiling Water
Between Tides
Blankenship
Acheron

Encore:
Everyone Out
Horsehead

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Alabama Shakes, Beach Fossils, Broken Bells, Dawes, DIIV, Fontaines D.C., Greta Van Fleet, Hockey Dad, Hollywood Bowl, How to Destroy Angels, IDLES, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Lightning Bolt, Rival Sons, Royal Blood, Santa Barbara Bowl, Soft Black, The Dead Weather, The New Basement Tapes, The Smile, The Wiltern, Them Crooked Vultures, Turnstile, untitled (halo), Viagra Boys, Wet Leg, Wild Nothing

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2022

December 30, 2022 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

After seeing what the live music industry endured the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 was certainly a step in the right direction. For many artists and bands, this year marked the first since 2019 that they had the opportunity to step onstage — and that was a victory in and of itself.

While we aren’t completely out of the woods yet considering the coronavirus is still very much a part of our lives, there’s no signs of us returning to those dark and dire days of 2020. The shows simply must go on, and we are all better for it whether you’re a musician or just a fan.

Now as we turn to 2023 with cautious optimism, it’s time for us to share our annual “Best of” lists as we have done since this blog first began (see our 2021 picks here). We’ll be quick to admit we didn’t catch every show or hear all of the albums released in the past 12 months, but looking back on the year that was can not only be fun but also challenging with so much great music to consider.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2022.

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2022:

Tool at Viejas Arena // Photo by Josh Herwitt

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2022
1. My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – August 26th-27th
2022 will go down as easily one of my favorite years for live music. So many of the artists and bands I love toured after being forced to sit on the sidelines for at least two years, and as I look back on all of the shows I was fortunate enough to witness, it would be a shame to not mention the ones that aren’t already included here, whether it was Eddie Vedder, Baroness, Royal Blood, Interpol and The Shins at Just Like Heaven, Jack White (two nights), The Kills, Puscifer on my big day, Fleet Foxes, Big Gigantic Telefon Tel Aviv, Moderat, Khruangbin and Arctic Monkeys — plus Lorde — at the debut of Primavera Sound LA, The Mars Volta, Bonobo, Foals, Modest Mouse performing The Lonesome Crowded West from start to finish to celebrate the LP’s 25th anniversary or The Smile closing out their North America tour. But this year’s No. 1 spot once again goes to My Morning Jacket, which have become my top live band over the last decade among some very stiff competition (see the rest of the bands listed below to get a better idea). With back-to-back dates in SoCal at the Santa Barbara Bowl and Hollywood Forever (read our review here) serving as a preview for what would come the following week, the Louisville-bred rockers left no stone unturned in their return to Red Rocks. If there was ever an act to catch — not once but twice — at the legendary amphitheater after visiting it more than a dozen times in my life so far, this was the one for me and MMJ proved it over two sold-out gigs with no repeats as always.

2. The War on Drugs at Shrine Auditorium – Los Angeles, CA – February 26th
3. Pearl Jam at The Forum – Inglewood, CA – May 6th
4. Tool at Viejas Arena – San Diego, CA – January 19th
5. Nine Inch Nails at Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA – September 13th

Top 5 Albums of 2022
1. The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention
It wasn’t until last year during a surprise performance for the concert video “Live at Worthy Farm” when we first learned of the latest side project from Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. But after putting out six singles off their debut LP that came out back in May, it was clear the three-piece wasn’t messing around. Across all 13 tracks on A Light for Attracting Attention, it’s safe to say there isn’t one worth skipping, reaffirming why Yorke remains one of the best songwriters out there in the last 30 years. And with him and Greenwood switching off between guitar, bass and synthesizer among a bevy of other instrumentation including vocoder, piano and harp, their talents are as palpable as they have ever been before. After all, hearing Yorke croon “Don’t mess with me” toward the beginning of “The Smoke” is an edict — literal or not — many would have a tough time disputing at this point.

2. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
3. Jack White – Fear of the Dawn
4. My Morning Jacket – MMJ Live Vol. 2: Chicago 2021
5. Bonobo – Fragments

Top 5 Songs of 2022
1. The Mars Volta – “Graveyard Love”
For fans of The Mars Volta, it has been a long wait since Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala hit the studio to record new material. Even with the project’s two constant members on good terms these days, it took more than a decade before anything would enter our earholes. But despite many of the prog-rock tendencies it demonstrated on earlier albums dating all the way back to 2003’s seminal De-Loused in the Comatorium, the duo’s seventh studio effort delves unexpectedly into new sonic territory. With a pop aesthetic running through it that surprisingly sees no song surpass the five-minute mark, The Mars Volta will undoubtedly be looked at as a departure from the days of “Cygnus…Vismund Cygnus” and “Cassandra Gemini” when Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala were captivating At the Drive-In fans as well as new listeners. Nevertheless, its second single “Graveyard Love” stands tall as some of their best work to date and reminds us that these guys haven’t lost what made them so uniquely special.

2. The Smile – “Thin Thing”
3. Jack White – “Eosophobia”
4. Interpol – “Toni”
5. Moderat – “EASY PREY”

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2022
1. Yard Act at Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA – April 21st
Funny story about this show … I had been hearing a lot of buzz about Yard Act, and I had only listened to one song played a few times on KEXP, which I really dug. I had been on the Rickshaw Stop’s email list, and the venue ran a contest for free tickets. I happened to win so I took a chance and opted to see Yard Act’s show that same week. Wanting to familiarize myself with their material more, I immediately dove head first into their album and was totally hooked, so I felt really good about this turn of events. I hadn’t been to a gig at Rickshaw Stop in many years and was eager to visit again, so it felt great to be back in a packed room again for an intimate evening of punk rock. The opening act Buzzed Light Beer fell a bit flat in my humble opinion, but once Yard Act took the stage, the room started buzzing with life. Lead singer James Smith’s command of the crowd is very nonchalant, but he also knows he has you hanging on every word. The set was fun and well-executed, and the UK quartet was clearly on its “A” game after a lengthy run of shows and in between weekend performances at Coachella. Much to the chagrin of those in attendance, Smith kept referring to the audience as “San Diego” (LOL), though he did tell us that he had some mushrooms the night before, so … you know. To round things out, Smith offered to do a magic trick during the last song of Yard Act’s set before their encore and coaxed fans to hand over any loose bills they had, which he pocketed and took backstage. As it turns out, he actually gifted the money to the bar staff, which I felt was a nice touch and very much on-brand.

2. THE FEST 20 – Gainesville, FL – October 28th–30th
3. Coheed & Cambria at Greek Theatre Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – August 14th
4. Bauhaus at The Masonic – San Francisco, CA – May 22nd
5. The Velvet Teen at Arlene Francis Center – Santa Rosa, CA – June 17th

Top 5 Albums of 2022
1. Pilot to Gunner – Hail Hallucinator
Brooklyn indie rockers Pilot to Gunner hadn’t put out an album for a decade, and to be honest, I hadn’t really paid much attention to them prior to Hail Hallucinator. The name was always out there and I had friends who were really into them, but I never got around to checking out their music for one reason or another. And not unlike many other bands that came before them (i.e. Seaweed, Far, The Murder City Devils), I am bummed that I was so late to the party. They are absolutely fantastic, and this record was easily my most listened-to during 2022. From start to finish, the 10-track LP hit all the marks for me in terms of stellar songwriting, original-sounding guitar work that still feels familiar and vocals carrying the torch of the early 2000’s indie/emo revival sound ala Hey Mercedes and Jimmy Eat World all while not completely aping either group. “Drop the Sun”, “We’re Blasting to Masses”, “Total Rager” and “Escape Season” are among its best tracks, but I simply love all of them from beginning to end.

2. Thee Sacred Souls – Thee Sacred Souls
3. Yard Act – The Overload
4. Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems
5. High Vis – Blending

Top 5 Songs of 2022
1. 3rd Secret – “I Choose Me”
The supergroup 3rd Secret surprised the music world when their debut self-titled LP arrived in mid-April. Comprised of members from Nirvana, Soundgarden, Hater and Giants in the Trees, the album is a tour de force brought to you by grunge and alt-rock royalty. Its lead single “I Choose Me” turns things up and right out of the gate you can’t help but feel a little washed over with nostalgia from guitarist Kim Thayil’s signature riffage in addition to the thundering cadence courtesy of bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Matt Cameron. What makes the song — and the album — stand out to me, however, is the work of co-vocalists Jillian Raye and Jennifer Johnson. The pair deliver gorgeous singing atop the otherwise gritty instrumentation, harkening back to what made so many 90’s albums awesome with a beautiful balance of dark and light. I kept coming back to this song a lot throughout the year, and it made me really reflect on just how incredible the music that came out of the Pacific Northwest was when I was growing up. To hear this collection of musicians conjuring up those aural ghosts through a contemporary filter was not only refreshing, but also something that I was really looking for in 2022.

2. Yard Act – “The Overload”
3. Thee Sacred Souls – “Can I Call You Rose?”
4. Cave In – “New Reality”
5. High Vis – “0151”

Animal Collective at Greek Theatre // Photo by Rochelle Shipman

Rochelle Shipman // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2022
1. PUP at The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – April 21st
Two years and one full length after this show was originally supposed to occur, LA finally got to see PUP perform on their “Thank Fucking God” tour. Worth the wait would be a major understatement here as the Canadian punks transported us back to pre-pandemic times like nothing had ever happened — we were touching, we were screaming, we were moshing again! The night had such an innocent air to it. Despite the delay, 2019’s Morbid Stuff felt fresher than ever (and it still does).

2. Yaya Bey at Cafe Erzulie – Brooklyn, NY – June 16th
3. Animal Collective at Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – May 20th
4. Vince Staples at The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – August 23rd
5. Bright Eyes at Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – June 23rd

Top 5 Albums of 2022
1. Lando Chill – if im being honest
The multi-hyphenate who’s based out of LA quietly dropped this mixtape early in the year, and it stood strong in my top spot from the start. With a sharp wit and silky delivery, Chill tears through pages of his diary without cutting a single corner. Thank God for vulnerability.

2. Smino – Luv 4 Rent
3. Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry
4. Yaya Bey – Remember Your North Star
5. Open Mike Eagle – Component System with the Auto Reverse

Top 5 Songs of 2022
1. Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
An earworm for the ages! This impossibly catchy tune took over TikTok and catapulted Mr. Lacy into the spotlight that he was born to occupy, whether he was ready for it or not. The cherry on top of his banner year was the singer-songwriter’s old iPhone (aka his instrument) landing on display in the Smithsonian.

2. Lando Chill – “guess”
3. Leggy – “Lipstick on the Mic”
4. Pusha T – “Brambleton”
5. Channel Tres – “Acid in My Blood”