The Best Reissues of 2012
David Kilgour
Here Come the Cars (DeStijl)
If you know David Kilgour for anything, it's probably as a member of New Zealand's finest purveyors of rudimentary pop, the Clean. But his debut solo LP from '91 showcases his songwriting skills in more lush surroundings, thanks to the renowned production work of fellow countryman Nick Roughan. From the haunting opening title cut to the soothing balm-like closer "Nothing Vol. One," this is one of those records that lingers in the air after every listen. A great gift idea for the melancholy moper in your life.
Avengers
(Water)
It feels like this full length by San Francisco's premier '70s punkers has been out of print forever, so it's quite a thrill to see it out in the racks once again for everyone to grab. If any one album is proof to the timelessness of American punk, this is it. Every song is a chest thumping anthem you shouldn't be embarrassed to sing along to at any age.
Kenneth Higney
Attic Demonstration (One Kind Favor)
When Kenneth Higney self-released this album in 1976, the kindest words written about it were by a critic who cited it as "Lou Reed meets Neil Young without the aid of melody." The songs on Attic Demonstration are a combination of boogie jams that would be played in an existentialist roadhouse and painfully earnest ballads presented in a stripped-down, shambolic and peculiar fashion. It's the kind of stuff that captivates you by its sheer existence alone. Due to the kind efforts of the Rhode Island based One Kind Favor label, Higney's singular vision can now be celebrated by a generation untainted by the words of yesterday's critics.
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