- I listened to a lot of great music in 2018 - new music from long-time favorite bands, new music from recent-favorite bands, and new music from new (or at least new to me) bands that could become future faves. It definitely felt like rock music was on the upswing in terms of pop-culture presence this year. One of my favorite bands from 2017, Greta Van Fleet, became a full-blown sensation in 2018. A band I've been a big fan of for a few year s now, The Interrupters, blew up in 2018 ('bout time!) with their kick-ass song "She's Kerosene." And classic rock was everywhere, be it a well-received new album from Sir Paul McCartney or the smash-hit movie Bohemian Rhapsody that celebrated the life of Freddie Mercury and the music of Queen. A couple of new albums from staples like Weezer disappointed - but at the same time, there were some real surprises ... like Smashing Pumpkins' coming out with a pretty rocking new album that evoked their 90's heyday. Music is weird now - you mostly have to proactively seek out the good stuff, and good curation can be hard to find. But I still find taking time to follow favorite bands and to seek out new ones to be rewarding. Discovering a great new song is always an awesome experience.
- I was also lucky to see some fantastic live music in 2018. I didn't go to quite as many big concerts as I did in 2017, but I did see some real gems. Maybe the best one was seeing the man, the myth, the legend - Weird Al Yankovic - as part of his The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour (yes, it really was called that). I'd seen Weird Al in concert a few times already, but man, seeing him at a smaller venue - the Ace Hotel in downtown LA - playing only (mostly) his original songs and more obscure tunes ... it was awesome, and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. I mean, I got to hear songs like "Albuquerque" and "Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" live. Amazing. I also saw an all-time favorite rock band - The Scorpions - live once again, but this time at an outdoor venue (The Five-Points Ampitheater in Irvine). I took friends who'd never seen them live, and man, it was a great show. The Scorpions always rock like a hurricane, and I will never not nerd out when they do their classic "Coast to Coast" performance, with all members of the band wailing in sync on the most epic of epic guitar solos. I also saw another all-time fave - Alice Cooper - once again, this time at the famed Greek Theater in LA. I've seen some amazing Alice shows before, but this one was up there with the best I've seen. Alice was in rare form, and guitarist Nita Strauss was absolutely phenomenal - there were clearly a lot of fans there to see her as much as to see Alice, and with good reason: she freaking rocks. It was also really cool to see former KISS member Ace Frehley open the show - seeing him perform "New York Groove" live was a rock n' roll dream come true. Finally, I finally did the LA bucket-list thing that any LA resident worth his or her salt has to do ... I saw Jeff Goldblum's live jazz show! This is a must-see treat for anyone living in or visiting LA ... you get the full Goldblum experience, with tons of patently oddball audience interaction and a guaranteed photo with the man himself. Plus some cool jazz music to boot, courtesy of Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. Like I said, you must, uh ... find a way ... to see - nay, *experience* - this, if you can.
So without further ado ... here are my top rock picks of the year. And for those about to rock in 2019, I salute you.
DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2018:
1.) The Interrupters - "She's Kerosene" / "Room With a View"
- I first became aware of The Interrupters a few years back, when I saw them open for The Offspring. They killed it at that show, and I was an instant fan (even more so when I realized that their lead singer was actually Aimee Allen, who I'd been a fan of since college when she did the kick-ass theme for the quickly-cancelled Birds of Prey TV show). The Interrupters just deliver simple, classic, catchy punk rock anthems like nobody's business - and that feels even more special in a world where this sort of music just isn't made that much, and definitely doesn't enter the mainstream consciousness. But you know what? When the music is this good, this undeniable ... it will rise to the top of the charts. And "She's Kerosene" is quite simply an instant-classic rock song. You can't help but love it from the first second you hear it. I actually really loved the band's latest album as a whole, and so I'll also give a shout-out to "Room With a View" - the rare punk rock song that's genuinely both rocking and emotional - a feat rarely accomplished since the days of The Ramones. Anyways, I can't say enough about this band, so if you're not already onboard the bandwagon - jump on it.
2.) Andrew WK - "Music Is Worth Living For" / "Ever Again"
- It was a long time coming, but with his latest album You're Not Alone, Andrew WK has finally produced a worthy follow-up to 2001's breakout I Get Wet. I Get Wet is a top-to-bottom modern classic, but You're Not Alone has a number of vintage WK rockers (it also has some odd spoken-word motivational mini-sermons, but I'll reserve commentary on those). Notably, "Music Is Worth Living For" is the kind of epic, earnest, joyful rock ballad that only Andrew WK could create. It's awesome. Similarly, "Ever Again" is another concentrated dose of motivational rock that that personifies the album's message of using the power of positivity to life oneself up from the lowest of lows. Corny? Maybe. Party-worthy rock that demands to be played as loud as possible? Most definitely.
3.) Greta Van Fleet - "Brave New World" / "When the Curtain Falls"
- I'll cut to the chase - as a whole, Greta Van Fleet's first full album of original music - Anthem of the Peaceful Army - feels like a bit of a step down from their holy-$%&$-this-is-good debut EP, From the Fires. That said, there are still some real gems to be found on it - namely, in my opinion, the hard-driving rocker "Brave New World." It's a slower and more methodical song than we're used to from the band, but man, it's got some power behind it. "When the Curtain Falls" is more the speed that GVF fans are used to - and it's a catchy barn-burner in their classic, Led Zep-tribute style. And hey, to those who've been hating on the band of late - please. Maybe this album isn't quite the sonic force of nature as From the Fires was, but these guys are still doing more to re-popularize rock n' roll than anyone. And they can play. I am still very much a fan, and can't wait to see what they do next.
4.) Ghost - "Dance Macabre"
- Ghost is a crazy goth metal band that I was turned onto this year. And while I don't know that I would have become an uber-fan based on their past output, their most recent album - full of 80's-tinged rockers with more of a pop-feel, hit a lot of my rock music sweet spots. I'm guessing some of their longtime fans may not love "Dance Macabre" - as it's a dose of pure, synth-accompanied 80's hair-metal cheese. But man, do I dig this song. It's the throw-your-hands-up-and-dance goth-rock anthem I didn't know I needed, but glad we got.
5.) Meg Myers - "Numb"
- I discovered this one late in the year - but man, what a great song. Meg Meyers has a unique, powerful voice and style to burn. And this song captures an 90's alt-rock style that you don't hear much of anymore ... this song would have been HUGE back in the day, but I'm glad I discovered it here in 2018. I hope to hear more from Meg Myers, and I hope that this isn't just a blip ... give us more great alt-rockers and I will be there for them.
6.) Dead Sara - "Unamerican "
- Dead Sara has been one of the best rock bands out there for several years now, and they're a band whose new music I always look forward to. And "Unamerican" is a return to the loud, angry, pull-no-punches vibe that first put them on the map with "Weatherman" a while back. Not only that, but it's one of the first big rock songs to directly and angrily go after Trump. It felt like this song - or a song like it - has been a *long* time coming. So if you're feeling some rage about the current state of America (and who isn't?), this is the song you've been waiting for.
7.) Paul McCartney - "Come On To Me"
- It's sort of amazing that Paul McCartney, after all this time, is still making really, really good rock music. In fact, I'd argue that his last couple of albums have been genuinely excellent in a way that his music, prior, had not been in quite some time. I mean, give a listen to "Come On To Me" - this is a great pop-rock song, the kind of song that in a different era would probably be (and probably should be) a huge crossover mainstream hit. I think there's also something to be said for Sir Paul's unwavering positivity - now is an era when I think many of us long for the utopian dreams of the Beatles' 1960's - and with songs like this one, Sir Paul is keeping those dreams alive.
8.) The Raconteurs - "Now That You're Gone"
- Late in the year came a nice surprise: Jack White's garage-rock band The Raconteurs were back, with new songs and an upcoming all-new album. I quickly gave a listen to - and really dug - the song "Now That You're Gone." It's exactly the kind of bluesy rock song that made me a fan of Jack White and his various musical projects to begin with. As a bonus - the music video for this one is super cool - a stylish film-noir odyssey that is a great compliment to the song.
9.) The Smashing Pumpkins - "Solara"
- People are often quick to write off Billy Corgan - and I get it, the guy is not exactly the easiest person to like or to root for. And the various dramas around his band make it easy to be skeptical about their music. But I dare any fan of classic Smashing Pumpkins to listen to their new song "Solara" and tell me that it's not exactly the kind of grunge-y, goth-y rocker that made you a fan of the band in the first place. It totally is. This song rocks.
10.) Twenty One Pilots - "Jumpsuit"
- I was an uber-fan of Twenty One Pilots' debut album - but I definitely think there have been diminishing returns since then. For whatever reason, the band seems intent on drastically changing up their musical style with each new album - even as I'd love to see them return to the unique, up-tempo, ear-worm blend of rock, rap, and techno that characterized their early songs. That said, I give credit to the song "Jumpsuit" from the band's third album - if their goal is to pioneer a new sound with each new album, then this one definitely has an undeniable sound-of-the-future vibe. There's an apocalyptic theme to the new album, and this song fits in with that to a T - it's a dystopian banger that starts methodically but ends in full-on screamo panic. It's the kind of song that we're going to see in a lot of movie trailers next year.
