THE BEST OF 2022 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

 

- When I look back at 2022, it will in many ways be a tale of two halves of a year. Going into 2022, it felt like, after multiple years of pandemic-induced precautions, things might finally be getting back to some degree of normalcy. There were so many things I was looking forward to finally doing again this year - and of course, a big part of that included concert-going.

I had seen some great shows in 2021, but I started 2022 out with a bang by seeing my first ever Sparks concert. I had become an instant fan after seeing Edgar Wright's Sparks Brothers documentary, and I could not wait to see them in person. The February show - at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA -  did not disappoint. The legendary Mael brothers who comprise the band were as amazing as ever, putting on an amazing, career-spanning show. Later, in April, I once again saw one of my all-time favorites, Alice Cooper, in concert at the Greek theater in LA. The concert would prove historic - as it was one of the final Alice shows featuring guitar virtuoso Nita Strauss, who I'd also become a huge fan of over the years. Nita would leave the band that summer to pursue solo efforts, but man, I'm glad I got to see her play with Alice Cooper one more time. In May, I saw the memorable musical Hadestown - featuring songs that evoked classic folk and blues music. In June, I was seemingly recovered from a rough bout with COVID and feeling ready to rock (literally and metaphorically) once again. I saw an incredible "Weird" Al Yankovic show that once again saw Al forego playing his parody hits in favor of original songs and rarities. It was great to see the legendary Al in concert again, and after some major bumps in the road with COVID, things were looking up.

Until they weren't. In early July some of my nagging, lingering COVID symptoms erupted into full-on Long COVID. I suffered debilitating vertigo attacks that then morphed into persistent dizziness, and then into lightheadedness. My blood pressure spiked, I got weird rashes and muscle/joint pains, and had strange bouts of blurry vision. And that, unfortunately, has been the crazy reality that's characterized the second half of my 2022. I wasn't able to go into the office, congregate with friends, or even drive. Through the ups and downs of my ongoing symptoms, I tried my best to still go out when I could. In September, I somehow made it to a live production of Jagged Little Pill - based on the Alanis Morissette album of the same name - at the Pantages theater. And it was fantastic. But overall, I've been very limited these last several months. And I struggled at times to keep my spirits up when so much seemed to be working against me. 

And that, as always, is where music played a huge role for me. I remember the moment I got the latest Interrupters album and gave it a listen. During the height of my Long COVID issues, I heard their song "Jailbird" - and the punk rock anthem felt like the perfect song for that moment. "Strung out adrenaline junkie / My heart pounds, but I look like a zombie / There's wires crossed inside my brain / And broken tracks lead to runaway trains." It's amazing how the right music can take a melancholy feeling and turn it into a rebellious rallying cry. There's some kind of alchemy there that works magic - that lifts us up, inspires us, and energizes us to scream, scratch, claw, and fight no matter how tired we may be. This past year we lost the rock icon Meat Loaf (following last year's loss of his legendary collaborator, Jim Steinman). I always joked that Meat Loaf's songs were so epic that they could make even doing laundry feel like an adventure. Such is the power of a great song. So yeah - long live the spirit of rock n' roll. And as always, for those about to rock: I salute you.

DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2022:


1.) The Interrupters - "Jailbird"

- I've been a huge fan of The Interrupters for years now, and I'm eternally grateful that they help to keep 90's/00's-style punk rock alive and well, while still experimenting and evolving. Their latest album In the Wild was another strong entry in their canon, but "Jailbird," to me, was the standout song. As I mention above, it's a simple fist-pumping punk anthem that nevertheless contains some affecting lyrics that speak to the moment we're in. Dealing with our own health and wellbeing. Trying to get our minds and bodies to function properly. It can all be a lot, but this song turns the despair into a rallying cry.

2.) The Interrupters - "Raised By Wolves"

- One more from The Interrupters. "Raised By Wolves" is a bit less uptempo than a typical Interrupters song, and that speaks to the continued evolution of the band that I mention above. But yeah, this song is one of the band's best - a clearly personal reflection on coming up in hard times and having to fend for yourself and find your own pack. Singer Aimee Allen's soulful wolf-cries are the icing on the cake.

 

3.) Billy Idol - "Cage"

- Yes, seriously. 80's legend Billy Idol had a new album this year, and it contained some genuinely incredible songs - chief among them "Cage," an absolutely banging rocker that will have you pumping your fist in the air like it's 1985. Idol's more grizzled sound - an inevitability of age - only adds to the primal power of this one.

4.) Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs - "Electric Gypsy"

- The 2017 death of the great Tom Petty still haunts me ... but this year I took comfort that key members of The Heartbreakers are still out there, making great classic rock music just like old times. Petty's legendary guitarist Mike Campbell has his own band now, and they put out one heck of an album this year. Check out "Electric Gypsy" for some down n' dirty, blues-y rock that just never goes out of style.

5.) Paramore - "This Is Why"

- Yes, part of me still laments the fact that Paramore moved so far away from their harder-edged hard rock roots. But there's no denying that "This Is Why" is a fantastic alt-rock/dance-rock tune that would get any bar or club (or personal at-home dance party) hopping. Hayley Williams belts out the uber-catchy chorus with aplomb - it's a party anthem for the stay-at-home era.

6.) The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Burning"

- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their first new album in several years in 2022, and there appears to be no ring-rust, so to speak. Their music is as atmospheric and immersive as ever, ready-made for epic movie trailer montages and the like. "Burning" is one of those new songs that feels like it's already existed for decades.

7.) Scorpions - "Rock Believer"

- Somehow, Scorpions just keep on truckin', delivering awesome new arena-ready rock anthems year after year, decade after decade. While some may dismiss the band as 80's relics, the fact is that they never really stopped putting out great new rock music. In 2022, we got yet another new Scorpions album - and while not, as a whole, a classic - it does contain at least one certified new classic in "Rock Believer." A bit cheesy? Sure. But in these dark times I'll gladly take a bit of cheese with my crazy-burger.

8.) Ghost - "Darkness at the Heart of My Love"

- Ghost has really emerged as one of my favorite modern rock bands - a weird but potent mix of Smashing Pumpkins goth-metal and 80's-style over-the-top arena rock. "Darkness at the Heart of My Love" has that goth-horror tinge for sure, but at its heart it's a good, old-fashioned, slow-building 80's-style power ballad. So get ready to pump your fist and play some air guitar along with this one.

9.) Falling in Reverse - "Zombified"

- This year, the WWE wrestler formerly known as Paige - now going by her given name of Saraya - made her long-awaited return to the wrestling ring for ring for rival AEW. Her grand entrance was made all the more epic by the kickass rock song that accompanied it, and I was immediately curious about this new entrance theme. Turns out, it's a new song from band Falling in Reverse - and it rules. All you need is that opening growl of "zombified!" to know you're about to get rocked.


10.) Avril Lavigne - "Love Sux"

- It's no secret that I've long had a soft spot for Avril Lavigne's brand of brash, bratty pop-punk - and this year she came out with a legitimately great new album that was a return to 2000's-era Avril that was sure to give Millennials everywhere a rush of nostalgia. "Love Sux" is maybe my favorite from the new album, a ridiculously shameless rock song with lyrics like "let's play a game of tic-tac-toe /
I'ma go and make all my exes say 'Oh." If that kind of stuff is your jam, then yeah, Avril came through for you in a big way in 2022.

THE BEST OF 2013 - The Best ROCK Of The Year

THE BEST OF 2013 - THE YEAR IN ROCK

- Last year at this time I declared that rock n' roll was alive and kicking. I felt musically energized by great new music from old favorites and up-and-comers. This year, I'm not so sure. It's a sad state of affairs when LA's world-famous KROQ's entire playlist consists of Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, and Lorde. And it's even sadder when literally the only place to hear actual rock n' roll on the radio is on your local classic rock station. It's a strange musical landscape when you throw the odd mainstream metal act like Avenged Sevenfold into the mix. Rock radio is now so toned-down for the hipster crowd that I can only imagine what they must think when something with an actual pulse plays over the airwaves. But the heavy stuff is now grappling for air-time against the elevator music of tomorrow. Maybe it was just an off year for new rock music. Maybe so many big rock albums came out last year that there was nothing left for this year. Maybe part of this is just me being decidedly underwhelmed by the new rock music we did get, from acts like Pearl Jam - whose new album made me long for their 90's-era prime, or Arcade Fire - whose latest, in my mind, failed to live up to the promise of their last couple of albums. Maybe the good stuff is out there, and I just haven't found it. Last year, I made a few great musical discoveries, like Foxy Shazam and Dead Sara. This year, not so much. Oddly enough, pop music is where a lot of the best rock-in-disguise can now be found, from the guitar-lick heavy samples on Eminem's Beastie Boys-style "Berzerk" to the Joan Jett-esque, arena style pop-punk of Avril Lavigne's "Rock n' Roll." Meanwhile, folk-pop continues to dominate the rock-radio scene, with no end in sight. It's not that I hate it, but there's too much of it, and it's not what I want rock music to be. I want something that is rebellious, dangerous, and yes, fun. Not music for depressed hobos. There's a distance and a coldness and a lack of authenticity to a lot of the folk stuff that I don't relate to. Where's the fire? I want to give Mumford and Sons a shot of adrenaline.

Enough negativity though. The group that ruled 2013 in my view were longtime favorites of mine, Daft Punk. "Get Lucky" felt like the perfect pop-song, a throwback to the days when kings-of-pop like Michael Jackson regularly came out with new music that was both innovative and universally-appealing. It's funny, because before Random Access Memories came out, I'd been listening to a lot of Daft Punk's older stuff. So I felt disappointed when I realized just how much of a departure this new album was for the group. But the more I listened, and the more I heard the songs in the context of the album, the more I loved it. Daft Punk are true storytellers, and Random Access Memories tells a quintessentially Daft Punk-ian sci-fi love story. For the purposes of this post, I'm going to call it rock n' roll. To me, Daft Punk is rock through and through. Not just because of the future-sound guitar licks that pop up on many of their songs, but because they embrace the showmanship, the larger-than-lifeness, the spirit of rock in my eyes. They remain thoroughly iconoclastic even with mainstream success.

2013 also saw some great new music from rock legends. Few thought we'd ever see a new Ozzy Osbourne-fronted Black Sabbath album, but we got one this year - and it rocks. The tunes are vintage Sabbath - sludgy, dark, dreary, driving rock. Meanwhile, Joan Jett released a great new album that I thought was very underappreciated. Top to bottom, the songs on it are excellent - lots of up-tempo, cleverly-written rockers that are a nice reminder of why Jett is true rock n' roll royalty. And hey, I haven't made a habit of paying attention to new Paul McCartney music for as long as I've been alive, but Sir Paul made me sit up and take notice with "New." This seems like McCartney's freshest, most lively, most rocking album in many years, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed a number of its songs. Oh, and David Bowie came out with his first new album in years. Not my cup of tea, by and large, but there was something undeniably awesome about having Ziggy Stardust back in the pop-cultural conversation.

I'll also give a shout-out to the Dropkick Murphys. The boys from Boston came out with a great, rocking new album this year that features some of their catchiest, most memorable songs yet. The Murphys were one of the few shining lights this year in terms of modern-rock bands who brought their A-game with great new material.

It was a relatively quiet year for me in terms of concert-going. The one big rock show I saw was in celebration of my brother's birthday. We saw the legendary Pat Benatar (with Cheap Trick) at the equally legendary Greek Theater, and it was an awesome show. I also have fond memories of seeing classic rock cover band The Wayward Sons this September as part of my birthday celebration. Those guys kicked ass, and really brought the house down. It was a nice rock n' roll reminder to stay young at heart even as I get older. My hope for 2014 is to see more shows on par with some of the epic concerts I caught in 2012. But, I did meet one of my musical idols in 2013, as I snagged a photo with none other than the iconic "Weird" Al Yankovic. It was a pleasure to meet the music and comedy legend at Stan Lee's Comikaze expo. I told him that, along with The Simpsons, he was one of my biggest comedy influences growing up. Al was humble and appreciative - truly a man deserving of "American Hero" status.

So yeah, rock n' roll did not have a great year in 2013, but there was great rock and rockin' pop music to be heard, if you could find it. Who knows what will happen in the year to come, but here's hoping that we get less fiddles and more electric guitars in popular music, less music that puts you to sleep, and more music that kicks ass. To paraphrase the great Lou Reed, who sadly passed away this year, here's to rock once again taking a walk on the wild side in 2014.


DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2013:


1.) Daft Punk featuring Pharell Williams - "Get Lucky" / "Lose Yourself to Dance"

-  Get Lucky got most of the accolades, but to me it and Lose Yourself to Dance were the one-two punch of cyber-pop, robot-rock bliss on Random Access Memories. As good as both songs are individually, they're even better when listened to in the larger context of the album - where they serve as infectiously upbeat counterpoints to some of the album's more melancholy tunes. If even robots can learn to lose themselves to dance and stay up all night to get lucky, then so, I suppose, can we.

2.) Joan Jett - "Any Weather" / "Fragile"

- Any Weather is just a great rock anthem, and it's one of several great new songs from Joan Jett's latest album release. Fragile is the other one that really stuck out to me from the album - it's rock n' roll personified: taking painful subject matter and turning it around into a foot-stomping barn-burner that channels sadness into rebellious anger. On the to-do list for 2014: finally see Joan Jett live in concert.

3.) Eminem - "Berzerk"

- This great track from Eminem's new album calls to mind vintage Beastie Boys-style rock/rap grooves. Sampling 80's rock anthem "The Stroke," the song marks a hard-hitting return to form for Eminem after a couple of lesser albums.

4.) Paramore - "Still Into You"

- Look, a big part of me is sad that the latest evolution of Paramore ditched the sort of hard-driving, aggressive rock that originally put them on the map. At the same time, if Haley William's newest iteration of the band is able to channel old-school No Doubt as well as they do here, well, I guess that their new pop-punk sound isn't all bad. Still Into You is just a completely catchy, fun, bouncy song.

5.) Dropkick Murphys - "The Boys Are Back" / "End of the Night"

- The Murphys hit back hard with their latest album, and these are two of the standout songs. The Boys Are Back is just a great, simple, shout-it-out-loud, get-you-pumped-up rocker that sort of encapsulates the Dropkick Murphys in miniature. End of the Night is just a great barroom singalong song - you can picture it drunkenly sung with pitchers held high. A great duo. Glad the Dropkick Murphys are still kicking ass and going strong.

6.) Black Sabbath - "God is Dead?" / "Loner"

- Who could say if a new Ozzy Osbourne-fronted Black Sabbath album would turn out to be any good? Not only was it good, but it was decidedly heavy, showing that these geezers (and Geezer) could still produce the kind of black-mass metal that made Black Sabbath into legends. God is Dead? and Loner are the two standout tracks - both are bleak, grinding journeys into the abyss. No emo here, this is straight-up darkness, courtesy of the Prince of Darkness himself.

7.) Avenged Sevenfold - "Hail to the King"

- Speaking of heavy, here was 2013's token mainstream metal hit. But it's a good one - a fist-pumping battle-cry of a song that mixes metal and melody to great effect. This was the best counter-programming to the folk fluff dominating modern rock radio this year.

8.) Paul McCartney - "New"

- It seemed unlikely that an aged Sir Paul could provide such a great, utopian anthem at this stage of his career, but here it is: a Beatles-y song that's singable and hummable and just downright pleasant. It's a return to Beatles-era optimism at a time when a little positivity is sorely, desperately needed. As long as McCartney's around, then hey, he's still our leader should we need someone to guide us into a new age.

9.) Grouplove - "Ways to Go"

- Channeling late-90's Savage Garden, Grouplove is one of the few acts in the new wave of hipster rock that I actively enjoy. Mainly because there's a bouncy energy to their music and a cleverness to the lyrics that grabs me. This is a cool tune that made me smile whenever it came on the radio.

10.) Avril Lavigne - "Rock N Roll"

- Yes, seriously. Over the years, Avril has showed her rocker side with guitar-heavy songs like "He Wasn't," classic rock cover performances, and, on her latest album, she's even got a collaboration with Marilyn Manson. But I couldn't help but love Rock N Roll - it's a flat-out fun song that channels Joan Jett and 80's hair metal, and even has a killer, Slash-esque guitar solo. Bonus: the music video is one of the weirdest, craziest rock videos seen in many moons. Maybe Avril is a guilty pleasure, but hey, if it rocks, it rocks.

OTHER TOP ROCK OF 2013:

11. Queens of the Stone Age - "I Sat By the Ocean"
12. Fall Out Boy - "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark"
13. David Bowie - "The Stars Are Out Tonight"
14. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Area 52"
15. Orianthi (featuring Steven Tyler) - "Sex E Bizarre"

OTHER TOP POP SONGS OF 2013:

1. Eminem (featuring Rihanna) - "The Monster"
2. Lady Gaga - "Gypsy"
3. Idina Menzel / Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - "Let It Go"
4. will.i.am (featuring Britney Spears) - "Scream & Shout"
5. Lorde - "Royals"