Favorite Albums of 2012 - Number 6

Pop music has been taken over by the likes of Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber and the new assemblage of boy bands. That is all well and good. Pop music leans towards the lowest common denominator; in order to sell records you have to reach the most people and to do that you need to offend or alienate the least amount of people. Guitar bands aren't really found much at the top of the charts, except you're the Foo Fighters and they pretty get to be there because pop has to have one guitar band it likes. But their are plenty of bands with guitars that are making great records that have a space where they exist and get heard.

Nude Beach - II

After running he gamut of grunge to psych to prog to alt country, we come to indie rock band Nude Beach. Their latest record is called II and is a short little record. Ten songs of 60s inspired American garage rock; it gets in and gets out. It's not particularly deep or thought-provoking, but that's perfectly fine! Music at its essence is just having a good time, of enjoying the melody and enjoying the day; of tapping your shoe to the beat. Nude Beach do that very well. This is one of those summer day with the top down kind of records. The record nods to the power-pop forebears like The Hollies and The Beach Boys and Big Star, but retains a modern sound. I like this record much better than the Japandroids new record, which is the one  currently making it to the top of the best of lists. I think this record has more life breathed into it.

Here is the video for the lead track "Radio:"

Up next: the best record Elvis Costello never made!