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Buddy and Julie Miller’s self-titled 2001 release was
one of the best albums of the year that you may not
have heard
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Anyone who covers music for a living knows hundreds of CDs are released each year that come and go with barely any notice. For the vast majority, it's best that way. After all, if you don't have anything good to say ... well, you know the rest of the old saying.
But there are always a few truly fine records that somehow fall beyond the radar of radio and the press. This year was no exception, as it wasn't hard to come up with this list of CDs that didn't deserve to get lost in the shuffle. Here are my picks for the best overlooked CDs of 2001:
Scott Miller & The Commonwealth -- Thus Always To Tyrants (Sugar Hill Records) Miller made a couple of decent Roots Rock records with his former band, The V-Roys. But on this solo debut, his songwriting blossoms as he deftly blends Pop, Roots Rock and a few shadings of Country into a hearty, highly tuneful package.
The Living End -- Roll On (Reprise Records) You may have heard the title song of this CD used in commercials for ESPN's recent X Games. The rest of this CD is just as energized. Drawing inspiration from first wave punkers like The Clash and The Buzzcocks (plus a bit of Rancid for good measure), The Living End play with passion and verve to spare, and pack their songs with hooks as fat as the guitar riffs that drive the songs. Sometimes it's great to rock like it was 1978.
Jimmy Eat World -- Bleed American (DreamWorks Records) Having seen two CDs on Capitol Records go largely unpromoted, Jimmy Eat World made Bleed American themselves before signing to DreamWorks Records. Perhaps Capitol would have done more if Jimmy Eat World had given the label a CD as accessible as Bleed American. Earlier albums had their moments, but Bleed is packed with first-rate pop rockers like "A Praise Chorus," "The Middle" and "The Authority Song." This CD is especially recommended to fans of Weezer-style Power Pop.
The Yayhoos -- Fear Not the Obvious (Bloodshot Records) This Roots Rock supergroup (former Georgia Satellites singer/guitarist Dan Baird and one-time Del Lord Eric "Roscoe" Ambel are the key members) made the party album of the year. There's nothing subtle to rollicking tracks like "What Are We Waiting For," "Monkey With A Gun" and "Oh! Chicago," just the kind of great riffs and chunky grooves that give bar-band Rock & Roll a good name.
The Botswanas -- Fade and You're Gone (Faralette Records) The edgy yet sweet Pop of Fade and You're Gone may remind fans of '80s AlternaPop bands like Game Theory and Mitch Easter's Let's Active. But that's not to say the Botswanas sound dated. Songs as hooky and distinctive as "She's A Mindbender," "Make It Black" and "Pleasure Seeker" never go out of style.
Buddy & Julie Miller -- Buddy & Julie Miller (HighTone Records) Fans of Emmylou Harris probably recognize Buddy Miller as the stellar guitarist from her touring group, Spy Boy. But both Buddy and his wife, Julie Miller, are fine songwriters with several solo albums each to their credit. This year, they pooled their talents on this self-titled release, with Julie writing most of the songs. With a solid set of songs that draw equally from Rock and Country, this CD lives up to the expectations created by the albums the duo have recorded separately. That in itself is no small achievement.
Richard Lloyd -- The Cover Doesn't Matter (Upsetter Music) The former guitarist with Television was usually overshadowed by the band's frontman, Tom Verlaine. But Lloyd's occasional solo albums have revealed him to be a considerable talent in his own right. Ditto for The Cover Doesn't Matter, Lloyd's first CD in a decade. Of course the album features its share of Lloyd's familiar barbed guitar work, but the real treat is the songs themselves, whose melodies and tempos are as crisp as Lloyd's playing.
Swag -- Catch-All (Yep Roc Records) The year's best Pop supergroup (featuring Robert Reynolds and Jerry Dale McFadden from the Mavericks, former Wilco drummer Ken Coomer and even a cameo from Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick) was Swag. Together, they reached back to their '60s Pop roots and made one of the year's most enjoyable CDs. "I'll Get By," "Different Girl" and "Please Don't Tell" are among the standouts.
Brand New Immortals -- Tragic Show (The Music Company/Elektra Records) Mainstream Rock bands on major labels usually have good luck at radio (think 3 Doors Down, Creed or Third Eye Blind). But the Brand New Immortals have yet to make much of an impact despite debuting with Tragic Show, a CD that's as ear-grabbing as anything those bands have released. Fronted by former Black Crowes guitarist Johnny Colt and former Follow For Now singer/guitarist David Ryan-Harris, the 12 songs on Tragic Show strike a winning balance between melody and crunch, spiced with some nifty harmonies and a hint of soul.
Tim Finn -- Feeding the Gods (W.A.R. Records) Finn's name is familiar to Pop music fans for his stint in Split Enz and his brief time in Crowded House. So maybe he's too famous to be called "overlooked." Despite his audience, Feeding The Gods seemed to get virtually no attention. It's too bad. On this CD, Finn avoids much of the quirkiness that has occasionally marred his past writing and comes up with, not only one of the year's best Pop records, but one that stands up to his best work with Split Enz and Crowded House.
The Waterboys -- A Rock in the Weary Land (Razor & Tie Records) I'll admit Mike Scott has been fronting various versions the Waterboys long enough (the band formed in 1981) that maybe this group is too well known to be called overlooked. Yet, A Rock in the Weary Land didn't seem to get much notice at all, despite being one of the best Waterboys CDs ever. This time, the Irish roots of the group take a back seat to rich, hard-edged Rock full of atmosphere and passion.
Clem Snide -- The Ghost of Fashion (SpinArt Records) This band already boasts a frontman with perhaps the most unusual name in Rock Eef Barzelay. Fortunately, the band's brand of Alternative Country (complete with horns on some tunes) is pretty memorable too. Top it off with some funny lyrics ("I can make the bread when we awake with a hammer and nail/Or make a sandwich of us both, but the bread is too stale" from "Ice Cube" or most any line from "Joan Jett of Arc") and you have a combination that's hard to resist.
Nathan Larson -- Jealous God (Artemis Records) Larson used to be in Shudder To Think, a guitar-based band with decidedly Modern Rock leanings. But on this solo debut, Larson explores entirely different territory, alternating between measured emotional ballads like "I Must Learn To Live Alone" and stirring, soul-influenced rock tunes like "Just Because A Man Expects Me To," and "One Perfect Stranger." This is a solid debut for an artist who should get better with succeeding albums. ©
