We\u2019re nearly a third of the way through the year. There\u2019s already been some great music. Since my year-end focus is always on singles, I thought I would use this opportunity to share some of my favorite albums of the first four months of the year. I\u2019ll try to repeat this again in the fall.<\/p>\n
Lost In The Dream<\/em> – The War On Drugs As with all WoD music, there is the sense of travel and escape. After six weeks of listening to it, and digesting the combination of despair in the lyrics and almost celebratory tone to the music of the best songs, I think I finally have a handle on what the escape is from. It\u2019s about coming to the realization that it is time to move on from everything that comes after the end of a relationship. Let the person go, and all the pain and memories associated with them. Open your eyes, look around, and open the next chapter. As another great breakup album<\/a> stated, \u201cTake your life, give it a shake…\u201d<\/p>\n A quick note about the band. I\u2019m kind of fascinated in how and why I enjoy this band so much. I loved their 2012 album Slave Ambient<\/em>. I find this to be an even better piece of work. Which is odd, since they can draw a straight line back to classic Springsteen (which I do like), Petty (which I can take in small doses), and Dylan (which I\u2019ve never liked). There is a strong jam band influence (something I hate), but thanks to the structure of their songs, they don\u2019t come across as a jam band. And there are heavy notes of late 70s\/early 80s AOR music, which flies directly in the face of the indie\/alt rock I\u2019ve been listening to for the last 20-plus years. It doesn\u2019t make sense for me to like this band. Yet I do, tremendously.<\/p>\n Transgender Dysphoria Blues<\/em> – Against Me! By that definition, Transgender Dysphoria Blues<\/em> is about as rock and roll as you can get.<\/p>\n It tells the story of lead singer Laura Jane Grace\u2019s ongoing transformation\/reassignment from a man to a woman. Even in our era of wider acceptance of gay people, some kick ass rock music that tells the story of a transsexual person moving from one gender to another is pretty revolutionary. Not everyone will be comfortable with it. But for those who listen with an open mind, it is an amazing journey.<\/p>\n Burn Your Fire For No Witness<\/em> – Angel Olsen This is a moody, uncomfortable album. It reminds me of a middle point between Case and The Cowboy Junkies, as Olsen often lets her songs simmer but never quite boil over.<\/p>\n
\nAhh the breakup album. I do love them, when done well. And this ranks right up with the best, although it takes a different tack than others I\u2019ve loved.<\/p>\n
\nThe meaning of rock and roll has been debated since its earliest days. In general, though, I believe that at its core, rock is the music of rebellion. Often rock music has been used as the soundtrack to dramatic political or social upheavals. But often when we speak of rebellion, we are talking about the simple act of a younger generation carving out a position in society that undercuts the social mores of the previous generations.<\/p>\n
\nThere is a whole swath of women in the indie rock world who have big, powerful voices who are immediately labelled as \u201cPatsy Cline-esque\u201d. Neko Case is likely the most famous. Bethany Cosentino is right there with her. Olsen is the latest entry into that group, and at her best, she can hang with anyone else in the neo-Patsy world.<\/p>\n