Cut Corner Records owners Bob Lewis (left) and Tony Manuel opened the record shop in former location of CD Central late this year. Photo by Mick Jeffries
While the beloved local record shop CD Central may have closed its doors this year after 30 years of business, our friends at Cut Corner Records, which took over CD Central’s space in September, have picked up on our running tradition of having staff members provide snippets about their favorite albums that came out this year. Read on for holiday gift ideas for the music geeks in your life or for your own year-end listening!
Picks from Bob Lewis
Deep Sea Diver: “Billboard Heart”
Deep Sea Diver’s Jessica Dobson is the rare triple threat of singer, songwriter, and guitar hero. But she’s not the shredding kind, playing instead to serve the song, firing off a distorted solo as easily as she does waves of texture, tight and to the point. She formerly served as a touring guitarist for Beck and The Shins, and it’s easy to see why.
Matt Berry: “Heard Noises”
Matt Berry isn’t just Jackie Daytona, the regular human bartender from Tucson, Arizona he protrays on the FX show “What We Do in the Shadows” — he’s also a brilliant musician who’s released 13 albums. “Heard Noises” is a lovely slice of psychedelic rock, that showcases Berry’s versatility and talent while leaving you feeling like you’ve discovered a hidden gem from the 1960s.
Sharp Pins: “Radio DDR”
“Every Time I Hear” starts with a Hüsker Dü vibe, but its pop sound solidly incorporates a range of influences, from power to jangle pop. The solo project of Chicago-based musician Kai Slater, Sharp Pins manages to effortlessly conjure the spirit of the British Invasion and Guided By Voices, while delivering a string of hits from start to finish.
Japanese Breakfast: “For Melancholy Brunettes”
“For Melancholy Brunettes” marks a shift away from Japanese Breakfast’s usual bright pop sound of prior releases, with moody distortion and dreamlike synth. The opening track, “Here is Someone,” sets the tone with an ethereal, melancholic sound juxtaposed with hopeful lyrics. This is an album that rewards you over multiple listening sessions.
Picks From Elizabeth O'Dell:
Purity Ring: “Purity Ring”
Released this past September, the album presents the duo’s boldest concept yet: a sonic journey modeled after an RPG where two avatars traverse the ruins of a broken world in search of healing and hope. Sonically, it fuses ethereal vocals and gleaming synth pop with a touch of drum and bass, trance elements and glitchy video game textures, creating a dream-like alien soundscape. Separating itself from their previous records, this one shifts from catchy songs toward immersive atmospheres and emotional resonance — an immaculate album for late night listening.
Stereolab: “Instant Holograms On Metal Film”
After a long 15-year wait, Stereolab returns with a banger of an album. A radiant mix of rhythmic grooves, dreamy synths and lush harmonies, the record feels fresh and forward looking. Carrying themes of autonomy and creative renewal, and reflecting on the strangeness of modern life, this elegant art-pop work shows us that re-emergence after silence can still sound vital and adventurous.
Darkside: “Nothing”
This album surprised me when it dropped earlier this year. “Nothing” finds the trio expanding their sound into wilder, more unpredictable territory, balancing tight grooves with sprawling improvisation. The addition of drummer Tlacael Esparza gives the record a pulsing, organic energy that pushes against its electronic core. Moments of funk, dub and psychedelia swirl together to create a sense of motion and release. The album thrives in its own uncertainty, feeling restless at times, but ultimately transcends.
Picks from Michael Wright:
Militarie Gun: “God Save the Gun”
This L.A.-based, hardcore-adjacent band is making pop punk that I actually like. The music is super polished, with great breakdowns and build-ups that are super catchy. Lyrics seem to go one way, but end up taking you another direction. Fans of the band will dig the signature “ooh oohs” sprinkled throughout the record. It took me a few listens to get past the obvious hits, “Thought You Were Waving,” “BADIDEA” and “Throw Me Away.” They were all on play-repeat-play. But once I dug a little deeper, I started finding more of the goodness.
The Unknowns: “Looking from the Outside”
Do you like classic punk? Do you like Australian punk? Are you craving some new classic punk from Australia? Look no further! Catchy driving punk rock that will burn through your preferred choice of listening device in about 28 minutes. If you are in your car, you’ll be on your second helping by the time you get across town!
Ty Segall: “Possession”
Full confession, I like pretty much everything this guy does. So, it wasn’t a big surprise this ended up in heavy rotation in the car. The first impressions of the record didn’t hit me, but going back to it a few times had me loving it more and more. “Shoplifter,” “Possession,” “Skirts of Heaven,” and “Alive” are all favorites from this perfect fall/autumn record, with “Shoplifter” being the one super standout for me — damn, I really like that song!
Picks from Ronnie Donahue
Eli Winter: “A Trick of the Light”
This collection of great long-form compositions with beautiful pedal steel kicks off with a stellar arrangement of “Arabian Nightingale,” originally done by Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell. The whole album is a sonic journey into many different styles.
S.G. Goodman: “Planting By the Signs”
This one blew me away. I was already a fan of her last two releases, but this one feels a lot more raw and more personal, conveying a sense of yearning for something big while coming from somewhere so small.
Charley Crockett: “Dollar a Day”
In what is perhaps Crockett’s best songwriting since “Man From Waco,” the instrumentation is tight and the lyrics engaging. While the album is full of top-notch country, my favorite is the instrumental spaghetti western track “Age of the Ram.”