showerbeers:

10) Ringers - Hurry Up and Wait
Solid last release from this Boston band. Sadly, they are breaking up. Motels, Jail Cells and Hospitals is the best closer on any record released this year.

9) House Boat - The Delaware Octopus
Supergroup featuring Grath and Azeem from The Steinways, Zack from Dear Landlord/Rivethead and Mikey Erg from…well..er…everything. My favorite track is probably My Life Hurts. I relate.

8) Cheap Girls - My Roaring 20’s
Drunken 90s ish indie rock. Buzzing guitars and muted vocals sang drunkenly. Favorite tune on this is Hey Hey I’m Worn Out. Listening to this while drinking on the porch just makes so much goddamn sense.

7) Castevet - Summer Fences
90s emo worship meets Explosions in the Sky. Been listening to this alot more now that the weather has gotten colder. Dual guitar parts that make you think, gruff vocals that make you wanna drink. I Know What A Lion Is sounds great in my headphones, hungover at 6AM before I go to work.

6) Cheeky - What the Heck?
Out of all the bands breaking up this year I am most bummed about Cheeky. Snotty, female fronted pop punk full of attitude. I love the two part Is This Normal?/This Is Not Normal. I caught their set at The Fest and it was one of the best shows I’ve seen all year.

5) Magrudergrind - Magrudergrind
I don’t know alot about grindcore but I know I like this. Good bike riding music. I love the samples. Short, fast, angry songs with funny titles seem to be a dime a dozen in this subgenre but Magrudergrind do it far better. Standout track is Assimilated Pollutants. MOSH!

4) Bomb the Music Industry - Scrambles
Slower and more focused, I was a bit dissapointed with Scrambles at first but after many listens it grew on me and I think it’s the best Bomb record yet. Jeff Rosenstock has a way of writing these honest songs that nail down these hyperpersonal moments that are easy to relate to, pairing them with innovative instrumentation that keeps you hooked. Can I Pay My Rent In Fun was one of my theme songs this year.

3) The Gateway District - Some Days You Get the Thunder
Awesome female fronted punk rock with two singers. Ex-Sovietees, ex-Salteens, ex-Rivethead, current Dear Landlord, current Banner Pilot, this band is a who’s who of midwest punk. The layout of this record is incredible, probably my favorite liner notes/lyric sheet of the year. Standout tracks: River Trash and Lake Street Is For Suckers. Favorite lyrics: ‘Had a dream I was in Georgia, riding shotgun on Motorhead’s bus. Lemmy leans over and passes a blunt, I cough and ask him ‘hey, who can you trust?’”

2) Dear Landlord - Dream Homes
I listened to this record so many times this year that I had to force myself to stop at points. I think the count on my Itunes for Dream Homes is over 200. The LP I have is wearing down from repeat listens while drinking heavily on the porch. Midwest pop punk with great lyrics and huge hooks. This shit gets stuck in your head and into your bloodstream. The songs flow together, giving you split seconds to breathe before the next giant singalong. The transition between Park Bench and Goodbye to Oakland is one of the best punk rock moments of the year.

1) Banner Pilot - Collapser
Collapser, from start to finish, is a near perfect example of what Midwest punk rock is all about. Heavy with seasons, you can almost hear the ghosts of abandoned grain silos and department stores in these songs. This record is like taking a walk through Minneapolis in the fall, after drinking far too much whiskey, with someone who really, really loves it there. The lyrics are written with an almost translucent honesty but they never sacrifice their ability at telling a story. Skeleton Key is my favorite song of the year off of my favorite record of the year but goddamn, this entire album is just perfect. As far as punk rock goes, Minneapolis is the new Berkeley.

i’m not really up on most of this stuff but it’s a good opportunity to everyone to remind them that portraits of past put out a new record this year.