Favourite Albums of 2025

  My list of my top ten albums that I got in 2025 in no particular order. I didn't buy to many albums this year. I feel like I am out of the loop on new bands and releases. Some new stuff, some reissues, a live album and a few that came out in 2024. Nonetheless, here is my list!

Kerry King - From Hell I Rise

 Ok, this album actually was released in 2024, but I didn't get it until early 2025. The debut solo album from Slayer guitarist Kerry King. A classic thrash album. I don't buy many metal albums these days from new bands, but this one is really fucking good!

Corb Lund Band - Five Dollar Bill

 Alberta's own country-roots rocker Corb Lund's third solo album originally released in 2002 on Stony Plain Records. I've always loved this album but only had it on CD. So I was happy to see New West Records reissue Corb's catalog on vinyl. Still one of my favourite albums of his. This was a must have for me, along with his previous albums.

Altameda - Crazy Blue

 Former Edmonton band now based in Toronto released their fourth album in 2025. I absolutely love this album. It took a few spins for it to really hit me, don't get me wrong, Iliked it from the start but the more I listen to it, the more I like it. Troy Snatarse and Erik Grice hit it out of the park yet again, great songwriting, great harmonies and melodies. A gem of an album from these alt/folk rockers.

Worst Days Down - Stay Innocent

 The posthumous release from Edmonton punkers Worst Days Down. Led by Ben Sir (RIP) who sadly passed away in April 2023. This is a hard album to listen to without shedding some tears. An album featuring some new songs the band had been working on before Ben's passing, as well as some previously unreleased songs and demos from 2014. Thanks for the beautiful music and memories Ben, we miss you!

Jon Spencer - Sick Of Being Sick!

 Another 2024 release that I didn't get until 2025. I picked this up at his show here in Edmonton and even got it autographed. This album is a short 20 minute jam packed album of garage punk rock. Love this album!

Laura Jane Grace - Adventure Club

 This solo album from Laura Jane Grace, formerly of Against Me! is such an awesome album. It's a rocking album with lyrics touching base with struggles of sobriety, mental health, religion, being trans. Dark lyrics, fun lyrics, it's allover the place. But such a great album. This record probably got the most spins of all the records I bought this year. Was so disappointed when she cancelled her cross country tour.

Warren Zevon - Epilogue: Live At The Edmonton Folk Music Festival

 Warren's very last live performance was captured at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival on August 9th 2002. And luckily it was recorded, it might not be the best performance by Warren, but it is very nice to have. Warren passed away in September 2003. This was a Black Friday Record Store Day release. How I wish I had gone to this show.

Dave Hause - ...And The Mermaid

 I really like this album by Dave Hause with his back up band The Mermaid. A more rocking album than his last few releases. I missed Dave's show here in Edmonton this past September as I was in Vancouver. here is hoping Dave comes through town again in 2026 with his band.

Neil Young And The Chrome Hearts - Talkin To The Trees

 Another release from Neil, as he has been punching out all kinds of albums in the last couple years, but this actually a new album of new music. His first album of new music in three years, and with a new back up band The Chrome Hearts, it's not Crazy Horse but still a great rocking back up band. The more I listen to this album the more I like it.

Porno For Pyros - Porno For Pyros

 Last but not least the debut album by Porno For Pyros, this was originally released in 1993. Led by Perry Farrell of Janes Addiction, this was the band he put together after the demise of Janes. Love this album and I now finally have it on vinyl, thanks to my buddy Nazz, who gifted this to me for Christmas. This copy is a 2025 reissue from Rhino Records. This pressing sounds amazing!

Favourite Albums of 2024

 

 So here is my list of my favourite albums that I bought this year. Ya, I would have liked to have picked up more records but the price of vinyl these days is really expensive. They are pricing me right out of the game. I need to be pretty sure I want a record nowadays, as in previous years I could take a chance on bands and artists, not so much anymore. So here is my list of my favourite albums in order that I bought them.

* Corb Lund - El Viejo

 An all acoustic album by Corb Lund recorded at his home in Lethbridge, Alberta. Great songwriter, some fun lyrics and some great sing along songs.

* The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards

 Terrible album cover, but the music is awesome. Nice to see brothers Chris and Rich Robinson recording and touring together again. A return to form for the band, good old rock n' roll.

* Pearl Jam - Dark Matter

 A solid album from one of the few grunge bands that still matter.

* Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Fu##in' Up

 A live album recorded at the Rivoli in Toronto. Neil and his band Crazy Horse perform the album Ragged Glory in all it's Ragged Glory, sloppy but rocking. Love this album.

* Bob Dylan & The Band - The 1974 Live Recordings

 Three albums worth of live recordings from Dylan & The Band on their 1974 tour. Love this album too.

* Jack White - No Name

 A gritty rocking album from jack White, probably my favourite solo album of his. Another back to form album.

* Japandroids - Fate & Alcohol

The fourth and final album from this Vancouver duo. Rocking the fuck out from start to finish. 

* Boy Golden - For Eden

 A folk,country, rocking album with some great storytelling. Saw Boy Golden at the Edmonton Folk Fest and am now a huge fan.

* Mark Knopfler - One Deep River

 A very chill warm sounding album that gets better with each listen. I've always enjoyed his solo albums more so then his Dire Straits stuff. This album has got quite a few spins already.

* Ween - Chocolate And Cheese (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

 What can I say, I fucking love this band and album. A reissue for their 30th anniversary of Chocolate And Cheese. The third album has some previously unreleased songs, which of course I had to hear and have. I can see why they didn't make the album, but still fun to listen to. Now if only Ween would get back together and record some new material. Please Ween, please!!!!

Favorite Albums of 2023

  

Well, like my post about favorite concerts of the year, I didn't buy as many albums as I usually do in the course of a year. Financial difficulties was a big part of it. And what the fuck, albums are near fifty bucks these days, way too expensive. I love buying new albums and taking chances on artists and bands, but at the price of records, you better know what you are buying. The record business is pricing me right out of the game. it's no wonder people are streaming music nowadays. I still want to support bands, especially the more underground artists, but because of lack of money, that is hard to do for me these days. I just feel like I am  kind of out of the loop on new bands as of late. Hopefully 2024 will be better for me. Nonetheless, I did buy a few albums this year, and here is my list of my top ten albums for 2023. The list is in chronological order of when I bought them.

* Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series Vol.17 Fragments (Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997))

* Lucero - Should've Learned By Now

* Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon - Live 1974

* The Hold Steady - The Price Of Progress

* Bob Dylan - Shadow Kingdom

* Jason Isbell - Weathervanes

* Neil Young - Chrome Dreams

* Bob Dylan - Another Budokan 1978

* Elliott Brood - Town

* Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds

My Favourite Albums Of 2022

Here is my list of favourite albums I bought in 2022. There really isn't much of a list, as I didn't buy a whole lot in 2022. Several reasons I guess, for one I moved a year and a half ago and I don't walk by the local record store everyday anymore. Another reason would be that there just wasn't a lot of new albums that interested me in 2022. And, money being a little tighter with concerts back up and running, I was more interested in getting out to see bands in concert. But here is a small list of some of my favourites. A couple of these albums may have been released the year before but didn't get a vinyl release until 2022. List is in no particular order.

Jr. Gone Wild - Still Got The Jacket After 25 years, local cow-punkers finally released a new album, and damn it is good. Not a bad song on it in my opinion.

Altameda - Born Losers Another band from Edmonton now based in Toronto put out their follow up to Time Hasn't Changed You. At first I wasn't sure what to make of this album as it is quite a bit mellower then the previous album. But after a few listens I fell in love with it. An album that grows on you. Again, not a bad song on it.

Black Crowes - 1972 With the Black Crowes reuniting the band or more like Chris and Rich as there are no othe original members in the band anymore released this all cover album of songs from 1972. A fun album.

Corb Lund - Songs My Friends Wrote Another ex-Edmontonian released this all cover album performing songs that, like the title says, songs that his friends wrote. Another fun album.

Dave Hause - Blood Harmony A mellow album that comes across as sincere in it's lyrics.

The Sadies - Colder Streams An album that was recorded and ready to be released just before the sudden passing of Dallas Good. A great album.

Drive-By Truckers - Welcome 2 Club XIII A rocker of a na album and a great reminder why I like this band so much.

Neil Young + Promise Of The Real - Noise & Flowers Neil was sure punching out the albums in 2022. It felt like everytime I did go to the record shop I was picking up a Neil album. Seven releases in 2022, everything from new material, lost albums and live albums. Of the seven I picked up the live album with Promise Of The Real is my favourite. A rocker with the Willie Nelson's sons Lukas and Micah band backing Neil up, rocking in the vain of Crazy Horse. Great album.

My Top Ten Albums of 2020

Time to do my top ten list of purchased records for 2020. Couldn't get out to any shows this year, so that left a lot of time to listen to music. Thank god for music!!!! And with no shows to go to, left a few extra dollars to buy records as well. It's always hard to make this list, but here we go. This is in no particular order.

* Mike Plume - Lonesome Stretch Of Highway Edmonton based roots rocker put out a great album this year. Nice to see Mike with some label support from Royalty Records. If only he could have got out and toured for this album. That time will eventually come. This album deserves a spin. One of my favourites of the whole year.

* Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit - Reunions Another roots rocker. Jason keeps putting out stellar albums.

* Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo Holy shit this album rocks. It's been a while since something heavy actually keeps my attention. Old school thrash this is. Mike Pattons vocals are top notch on this one.

* Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Kingfish (2019) This album actually came out in 2019 but I didn't pick it up until early this year. And because I got it this year it is making my top ten for 2020. An amazing blues album all around. If you are a blues fan this is a must have!

* Real Sickies - Quarantines (digital only release) Edmonton punkers the Real Sickies released this album early in the pandemic (April 2020). An album that was wrote, recorded, mixed and released in seven days without the band leaving their homes. A very impressive release. Would love to see this get a vinyl release eventually. Click here to get the album.

* Neil Young - Homegrown An album that was recorded in 1975 but didn't see the light of day until this year. This album got a lot of spins this year.

* Bruce Springsteen - Letter To You On first spin of this record I thought it was ok, but a couple more listens and it's made my top ten of the year. Really like this album.

* Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass, Vol.1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions I love how Sturgill is all over the map when it comes to style of music he records. This time around it is a bluegrass album. All songs are written by Sturgill and some songs appear on his ealier albums, but now done bluegrass style. Just listening to this record you can feel the fun that he and his band members had in recording this. And I see he has aleady released Vol.2 on streaming services. Can't wait to get that one on vinyl too.

* Tom Petty - Wildflowers & All The Rest Nice to see this reissue finally get released. I got the three LP edition. Two LP's of the remastered original album, and the third disc has All The Rest, 10 songs from the Wildflowers session that were left off the album. This album sounds amazing, one of the best sounding recording ever in my opinion. There are a few other editions of this release, like the 9 LP set which has live recording and so much more. Maybe one day I'll get that one. Love this album.

* Bob Dylan - Rough And Rowdy Ways Now this would be my favourite of the whole year. Another master piece by Bob. The man is still at the top of his game. Who else could put these lyrics in a song "Black Rider Black Rider hold it right there,The size of your cock will get you nowhere,I’ll suffer in silence I’ll not make a sound,Maybe I’ll take the - high moral ground" from Black Rider. Then of course there is the epic song "Murder Most Foul" at almost 17 minutes long that closes out the album. My most played album of the year. So there it is, my top ten of 2020. There were lots of other albums that should or maybe could have been in my top ten, but these are the one's that make it this year. Runners up Motorhead - Ace Of Spades reissue, Steve Earle's album, lots came out by Drive-By Truckers, Pearl Jam, Blitzen Trapper, Pretenders and so on and so on. The one's I listed for top ten are the one's that got the most spins. Don't forget to get out and support your local record shop if possible. And of course support your local musicians and venues. here's hoping for a better 2021. Happy New Year to all!!!!