Bradley’s Almanac

[Future Faves?] Anticipated 2013 Music Releases

Posted on January 15, 2013 at 8:19 pm | 2 Comments

First post of 2013, and it’s a doozy…

(Last updated: January 27th, 2013 @ 10am)

Every January brings the expected avalanche of new music release announcements, and this year it feels like they’re flowing faster and more frequently than ever. Not sure if there’s really more music coming or just more ways to find out, probably both. I could delay this post another day and add another half-dozen albums, but I figure I’ll just get my annual “upcoming releases” list out there and update as needed.

Sure, there were more than a few solid collections of songs put out in 2012, but I’m ready to call it now: 2013 is gonna trump its predecessor. It might be wishful thinking, but there are lots of longtime faves with albums on the way, alongside newer bands I’m particularly psyched about.

This isn’t meant to be a complete list, just the stuff that strikes me. Something missing? Well, it was either by intention, ignorance, or absent-mindedness. If you’re extra psyched for an upcoming release, and feel its omission is a glaring error, speak up, either here in the comments, over on the Almanac Facebook page (which has become a bit more active lately), or hell, just tweet at me.

A few notes first…

  • I’ve included preview MP3s if they’ve been shared by the band/label, and links to streams when possible.
  • Label names link to purchase/pre-order pages if available.
  • The second half of January is NUTS with new releases. Seriously. Just look at the 22nd & 29th.
  • There are some truly special new collaborations in the works this year: Overseas (Pedro the Lion’s David Bazan, Centro-matic’s Will Johnson, and the Kadane Brothers from Bedhead & the New Year), Outros (Throwing Muses’ Kristin Hersh, Pond’s Chris Brady, and 50 Foot Wave’s Rob Ahlers), and the unexpected pairing of The Church’s Steve Kilbey with Greg Dulli from The Afghan Whigs. The Overseas album is done and on the way, Outros is in the relatively early stages, and the Dulli/Kilbey team-up is only plans at this point. But some of my favorite musicians intermingling for new music? I’m practically giddy.
  • Download all 17 legally-available MP3s below in one big ol’ .ZIP file.

Alright, here are your personal soundtrack possibilities for the next few months…

Almanac Anticipated 2013 Album Releases…

January

February

March

April

May

  • Come – “11:11” [double LP/CD reissue] (5/7 on Matador)

Coming in 2013, but with no exact date yet…

Full-lengths in progress?

It’d be nice to see…

So how about you? What are you most looking forward to? Lay it on me.

[Nac Faves] My Favorite Music of 2012

Posted on December 31, 2012 at 7:06 pm | 2 Comments

At this very moment I’m in Cincinnati, of all places, getting ready to welcome in 2013 by catching the (supposedly) final show of The Afghan Whigs reunion tour/victory lap, here in their hometown, with the amazing Scrawl opening up. And yes, I fully expect Scrawl to play 11:59 (It’s January). I mean, how could they not? One guarantee is Marcy Mays singing her awe-inspiring guest vocal on the Whig’s “My Curse”. Can’t imagine a more perfect way to kick-off what can only be a much-improved year. Right? Right.

Remember last year when I gratefully stated how above-average my 2011 was? Well, 2012 sure did even up the scales. Good riddance to this particular stretch of 365 days, I say. Sure, there were a few standout personal moments, a bunch of great shows, and a fair amount of very good music released. But overall? A big ball o’ blah.

To help put this year in the rearview, here’s my annual alphabetical list of my favorite full-length albums released in 2012, along with whatever artist/label-approved audio I could share. Listen up, click through, and check out anything you missed. This is the stuff that helped get me through.

Time permitting, I’ll be doing a quick follow-up post with a ZIP file of all the MP3s below, maybe some commentary on my faves, and a quick list of EPs and reissues. But right now, I’m heading over to Bogarts. Bring on a brand new year…


My favorite full-length albums of 2012



Allo Darlin’ – “Europe”
[on Slumberland]

stream full “Europe” LP via Soundcloud




Arc In Round – “Arc In Round” (self-titled debut)
[on La Société Expéditionnaire]

[MP3] Arc In Round – “Hallowed

stream more songs at Bandcamp




Beachwood Sparks – “The Tarnished Gold”
[on Sub Pop]

[MP3] Beachwood Sparks – “Sparks Fly Again




Chris Brokaw – “Gambler’s Ecstacy”
[on 12XU]

[MP3] Chris Brokaw – “Danny Borracho

stream another track at Soundcloud




DIIV – “Oshin”
[on Captured Tracks]

[MP3] DIIV – “Sometime




Rebecca Gates & the Consortium – “The Float”
[on Parcematone]

Stream two songs at Soundcloud




Hallelujah the Hills – “No One Knows What Happens Next”
[on Discrete Pageantry Records]

[MP3] Hallelujah the Hills – “Get Me In A Room

stream full LP at Bandcamp




Neil Halstead – “Palindrome Hunches”
[on Brushfire Records]

stream the full LP at Soundcloud
download a free tour EP at Noisetrade




The Karl Hendricks Trio – “The Adult Section”
[on Comedy Minus One]

[MP3] The Karl Hendricks Trio – “The Men’s Room At The Airport




The James Rocket – “Launch”
[via Bandcamp]

[MP3] The James Rocket – “Paper Valentines

stream the entire LP at Bandcamp




Metz – “Metz” (self-titled debut)
[on Sub Pop]

[MP3] Metz – “Wet Blanket

stream earlier tracks at Bandcamp, including a Sparklehorse cover




Bob Mould – “Silver Age”
[on Merge Records]

stream the entire LP at Merge




Nada Surf – “The Stars Are Indifferent To Astrology”
[on Barsuk Records]

[MP3] Nada Surf – “When I Was Young

stream more Nada Surf songs at Soundcloud




AC Newman – “Shut Down The Streets”
[on Matador Records]

[MP3] AC Newman – “I’m Not Talking

stream another track at Soundcloud




Now, Now – “Threads”
[on Trans Records]

[MP3] Now, Now – “Thread

stream more tracks at Soundcloud




Pile – “Dripping”
[on Exploding In Sound]

[MP3] Pile – “Prom Song

stream the full LP at Bandcamp




Pinback – “Information Retrieved”
[on Temporary Residence]

stream another track at Soundcloud




School of Seven Bells – “Ghostory”
[on Vagrant Records]

[MP3] School of Seven Bells – “The Night




Sharon Van Etten – “Tramp”
[on Jagjaguwar]

[MP3] Sharon Van Etten – “Serpents




Wild Nothing – “Nocturne”
[on Captured Tracks]

stream another track at Soundcloud

« go backkeep looking »
  • BOSTON-AREA LIVE SHOW ACTION
    Monday, November 25th
    Tyler + the Names
    Lupo Citta
    The Spatulas
    @ the Silhouette

    Tuesday & Wednesday
    November 26th & 27th
    The English Beat
    @ City Winery

    Friday, November 29th
    Caspian
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Saturday, November 30th
    Honoring Steve Morse
    All ages @ the Middle East

    Sunday, December 1st
    Interpol
    Cave In
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, December 1st
    Gillian Welch &
    David Rawlings
    @ the Wilbur

    Tuesday, December 3rd
    The Collect Pond
    Astral Bitch
    Sly Fang
    @ Notch, Brighton

    Wednesday, December 4th
    The Ladybug Transistor
    Lightheaded
    Mark Robinson (Unrest/Air Miami)
    @ Deep Cuts

    Thursday, December 5th
    Shawn Colvin
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Thursday, December 5th
    The 8th Annual Allman-Betts
    Family Revival featuring...
    Devon Allman, Duane Betts,
    Sierra Hull, Luther Dickinson,
    Cody Dickinson, Jimmy Hall,
    Anders Osborne, Larry McCray,
    Lindsay Lou, Jackie Greene, G. Love,
    Lamar Williams, Jr., Alex Orbison,
    Robert Randolph, & Sierra Green
    @ the Orpheum

    Friday, December 6th
    Jason Narducy
    @ an Allston living room

    Friday, December 6th
    BASIC
    (Chris Forsyth, Douglas McCombs,
    & Mikel Patrick Avery)
    Chris Brokaw Rock Band
    @ the Middle East Upstairs

    Friday, December 6th
    Mike Viola
    The Figgs
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Friday, December 6th
    Past Life Crisis
    The Zip-Ups
    Lonely Leesa & the Lost Cowboys
    Looking For Rocks
    @ the Jungle

    Friday, December 6th
    BEAT plays the music
    of 80s King Crimson
    featuring Adrian Belew, Steve Vai,
    Tony Levin, & Danny Carey
    @ the Lynn Auditorium

    Saturday, December 7th
    Ted Leo & Aimee Mann's
    The Christmas Show!
    with Paul F. Tompkins,
    Nellie McKay, Josh Gondelman,
    & "other fun stuff"
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Sunday, December 8th
    Footballhead
    New Age Thief
    @ Warehouse XI

    Monday, December 9th
    Joyce Manor celebrating
    10 years of 'Never Hungover Again'
    with Algnernon Cadwallader
    & the Ergs
    @ the Royale

    Tuesday, November 10th
    EARFULL
    Writers reading. Songwriters singing.
    with authors
    Phuc Tran &
    Michael Patrick MacDonald
    and performers
    Carissa Johnson & Joe Gittleman
    with Amy Griffin & Richie Parson
    @ the Burren Back Room

    Thursday, December 12th
    Squirrel Nut Zipper
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Thursday, December 12th
    Wednesday (solo)
    Cryogeyser (solo)
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Thursday, December 12th
    The Jesus Lizard
    Pile
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, December 13th
    Suki Waterhouse
    Bully
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday & Sunday
    December 14th & 15th
    They Might Be Giants
    @ the Orpheum

    Sunday, December 15th
    Tiny Moving Parts
    Action/Adventure
    Greywind
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Friday, December 20th
    Arto Vaun (record release show!)
    MK Naomi
    Sun Urchins
    @ Deep Cuts

    Saturday, December 21st
    The Del Fuegos
    Holiday Shows!
    2 shows @ City Winery

    Friday, December 27th
    Will Dailey
    full album performance
    @ the Burren

    Tuesday, December 31st
    Aerosmith (farewell tour)
    with the Black Crowes
    @ TD Garden

    Saturday, January 4th
    The Sheila Divine
    Baabes
    Teardrops
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, January 17th
    Speedy Ortiz
    Grass Is Green
    & a surprise guest
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Saturday, January 18th
    Thus Love
    The Vaccines
    @ the Royale

    Saturday, January 18th
    Tugboat Annie
    Arto Vaun
    Drew O'Doherty
    @ Faces Brewing

    Sunday, January 19th
    Cracker
    @ the Middle East

    Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday
    January 19th, 20th, & 21st
    Robert Glasper
    two shows each day
    @ City Winery

    Tuesday, January 21st
    This Is Lorelei
    Youbet
    @ the Rockwell

    Saturday, January 25th
    Stereo MC's
    @ the Sinclair

    Wednesday, January 29th
    Matt Pond PA
    Anya Marina
    Bathtub Cig
    @ the Rockwell

    Friday, January 31st
    Half Waif
    See You At The Maypole
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Friday, January 31st
    Jamie XX
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, January 31st
    Frank Black & his band
    play "Teenager of the Year"
    @ the House of Blues

    Saturday, February 1st
    Stuart Murdoch
    (Belle & Sebastian)
    "Nobody's Empire" book tour
    @ the Rockwell

    Saturday & Sunday
    February 1st & 2nd
    The Bowery Presents &
    Run For Cover Records
    present "Something In The Way"
    with
    Slowdive, Balance & Composure,
    Soccer Mommy, American Football,
    Fiddlehead, Mannequin Pussy,
    Militarie Gun, Sweet Pill, Anxious,
    One Step Closer, Ovlov, Glare,
    Enumclaw, Sadurn, Gouge Away,
    Mini Trees, Great Grandpa, Dazy,
    Wishy, My Fictions, Women in Peril,
    & more TBA
    @ Roadrunner

    Tuesday, February 4th
    Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
    Filter
    @ the House of Blues

    Friday, February 7th
    Rubblebucket
    Hannah Mohan
    @ Big Night Live

    Monday, February 10th
    Tim Heidecker
    DJ Douggpound
    @ the Royale

    Tuesday, February 11th
    Lauren Mayberry (Chvrches)
    @ the Royale

    Wednesday, February 12th
    Tobin Sprout & Bevel Web
    with the Moles/Richard Davies
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Thursday, February 13th
    Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Thursday, February 13th
    J Mascis
    @ the Sinclair

    Saturday, February 15th
    Travis
    @ the Royale

    Monday & Tuesday
    February 17th & 18th
    Jack White
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, February 22nd
    Father John Misty
    Destroyer
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, February 23rd
    Jenny Owens Young
    @ Club Passim

    Thursday, February 27th
    Pom Pom Squad
    Caroline Kingsbury
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, February 28th
    The Bevis Frond
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Saturday, March 1st
    Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Friday, March 7th
    Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy,
    & friends mark the 40th anniversary of
    R.E.M.'s "Fables of the Reconstruction"
    (and more) with opener Dave Hill
    @ the Royale

    Monday, March 10th
    Kim Deal
    @ the Wilbur

    Friday, March 14th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Menzingers
    Kilograms

    Saturday, March 15th
    Hovvdy
    Video Age
    @ the Middle East Downstairs

    Saturday, March 15th
    Dream Theater
    40th Anniversary Tour
    @ the Wang

    Saturday, March 15th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Menzingers
    Teenage Bottlerocket
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, March 16th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Bouncing Souls
    Hot Water Music
    Rebuilder
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, March 17th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Bouncing Souls
    Hot Water Music
    Cody Nilson
    @ House of Blues

    Wednesday, March 19th
    Quicksand
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, March 20th
    Neil Degrasse Tyson
    @ the Wilbur

    Sunday, March 23rd
    Ida & Tsunami!
    the Coin-Flip tour!
    @ Crystal Ballroom

    Thursday, March 27th
    Horsegirl
    Free Range
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Thursday, March 27th
    José González
    @ the Cabot in Beverly

    Friday, March 28th
    The Weather Station
    @ the Sinclair

    Saturday, March 29th
    Maya Hawke
    Katy Kirby
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, March 30th
    The Hard Quartet
    Sharp Pins
    @ the Paradise

    Saturday, April 5th
    Snow Patrol
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Saturday, April 5th
    Franz Ferdinand
    @ the Orpheum

    Tuesday, April 8th
    Deftones
    The Mars Volta
    Fleshwater
    @ TD Garden

    Wednesday, April 9th
    Kylie Minogue
    @ the Garden

    Thursday, April 10th
    FACS
    @ Deep Cuts

    Friday, April 11th
    Mogwai
    @ the Paradise

    Saturday, April 12th
    Franz Ferdinand
    @ the Orpheum

    Sunday, April 13th
    EXTC
    (Terry Chambers & friends)
    @ City Winery

    Sunday, April 13th
    Heart
    @ Agganis Arena

    Tuesday, April 15th
    Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
    St. Vincent
    @ Agganis Arena

    Thursday, April 17th
    Mercury Rev
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Friday, April 18th
    Mount Eerie
    Hana Stretton
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, April 18th
    Bright Eyes
    Cursive
    @ House of Blues

    Sunday, April 20th
    Gang of Four
    "The Long Goodbye" farewell tour
    playing "Entertainment!" & more
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Wednesday, April 23rd
    Dweezil Zappa
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Wednesday, April 23rd
    The Linda Lindas
    Pinkshift
    @ the Paradise

    Friday & Saturday
    April 25th & 26th
    The Town and the City Festival!
    @ various venues in Lowell

    Thursday, May 8th
    Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Saturday, May 17th
    Amyl & the Sniffers
    Sheer Mag
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, May 24th
    The Wedding Present
    "Bizarro" 35th Anniversary Tour
    with The Tubs
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, May 30th
    Teddy Swims
    @ Suffolk Downs

    Friday, June 6th
    The Ocean Blue
    playing their self-titled LP
    and their "Cerulean" LP
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Tuesday & Wednesday
    June 10th & 11th
    Queens of the Stone Age
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, July 7th
    OMD
    @ House of Blues

    Tuesday, July 15th
    Weird Al Yankovic
    @ the Wang

    Wednesday, July 16th
    Mekons
    Johnny Dowd
    @ City Winery

    Friday, July 18th
    Samantha Crain
    @ Warehouse XI

    Friday & Saturday
    July 18th & 19th
    PIXIES
    performing "Bossanova"
    & "Trompe Le Monde" (18th)
    and a set of classics (19th)
    with Kurt Vile & the Violators
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, July 21st
    Ghost
    @ TD Garden

    Saturday, July 26th
    Rod Stewart
    Cheap Trick
    @ the Xfinity Center

    Tuesday, July 29th
    Goo Goo Dolls
    Dashboard Confessional
    @ the Pavilion

    Sunday, September 7th
    My Chemical Romance
    Idles
    @ Fenway Park