2023 Albums of the Year Bracket Results

Phil Collins - February 21, 2023

The results are in! Last month we named Change the Rotation's 32 favorite albums of 2023. Now we have the results of our 11th annual albums of the year bracket showdown. How did the matchups go down and who was the last album standing? Find out below. First, a little bracketology: four of us (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each submit a list of our favorite full-length albums of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. Once we have our field of 32, the albums are drawn randomly into their positions on the bracket. All four of us vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Four voters means there are bound to be some ties. We each assign a point value to each album before the voting begins (32 points to our favorite album, 1 point to least favorite). In the case of a tie, we add the four point values for each album to determine the winner. Below, see how it all came out and stream all 32 albums through the links toward the bottom of the post.

Bracket quadrant 1

2017 champion Sincere Engineer heads into the final four with Cheap Grills. Mustard Plug makes their bracket debut and wins an all-ska first round matchup. In fact, Sincere Engineer is the only band in this quadrant that has previously appeared on the bracket.

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2023 Album of the Year Bracket Field

Phil Collins - December 27, 2023

It's the end of the year and that means it's bracket season at Change the Rotation. AKA the time when we take our 32 favorite albums of the year and pit them against each other in a merciless contest for aural domination. 2023 marks the 11th annual album of the year bracket. Here's how it works: four of us at Change the Rotation (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each make a list of our favorite full-length albums of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. Once we have our field of 32, the albums are drawn randomly into their positions on the bracket. All four of us vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Four voters means there are bound to be some ties. We each assign a point value to each album before the voting begins (32 points to our favorite album, 1 point to least favorite). In the case of a tie, we add the four point values for each album to determine the winner.

We are running on punk time this year, so a winner won't be crowned until mid to late January. For now, feast your ears upon this year's 32 finalists, Change the Rotation's top albums of 2023:

Audio/Rocketry - Voyager
Beat the Smart Kids - Hot Death
Blind Adam and the Federal League - The Fields We Know
The Bollweevils - Essential
Brutal Youth - Rebuilding Year
Bully - Lucky For You
Clowns - Endless
C.O.F.F.I.N. - Australia Stops
Edging - Good Sex Music
Excrucis - Excrucis
Flying Raccoon Suit - Moonflower
French Police - Bleu
GEL - Only Constant
HIRS - We're Still Here
The Hives - The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
Initiate - Cerebral Circus
The Iron Roses - The Iron Roses
Mustard Plug - Where Did All My Friends Go?
No Men - Fear This
Omnigone - Against the Rest
Jeff Rosenstock - Hellmode
Screaming Females - Desire Pathway
Shit Present - What Still Gets Me
Sincere Engineer - Cheap Grills
Suzie True - Sentimental Scum
Teenage Halloween - Till You Return
Tightwire - Head Full of Snakes
Upchuck - Bite the Hand That Feeds
Wednesday - Rat Saw God
The Whiffs - Scratch 'N' Sniff
White Reaper - Asking For a Ride
Zulu - A New Tomorrow

2022 Albums of the Year Bracket Results

Phil Collins - January 16, 2023

The results are in! Last month we named Change the Rotation's 32 favorite albums of 2022. Now we have the results of our 10th annual albums of the year bracket showdown. How did the matchups go down and who was the last album standing? Find out below. First, a little bracketology: four of us (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each submit a list of our favorite full-length albums of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. Once we have our field of 32, the albums are drawn randomly into their positions on the bracket. All four of us vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Four voters means there are bound to be some ties. We each assign a point value to each album before the voting begins (32 points to our favorite album, 1 point to least favorite). In the case of a tie, we add the four point values for each album to determine the winner. Below, see how it all came out and stream all 32 albums through the links toward the bottom of the post.

Bracket quadrant 1

Beach Bunny took the first quadrant with their second full-length album, Emotional Creature. Beach Bunny's first album appeared on the 2020 bracket, going out in the first round to The Chats. Pigeon Pit, Je'raf, Bodega and Ho99o9 made their first appearances on the bracket this year.

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2022 Album of the Year Bracket Field

Phil Collins - December 27, 2022

It's the end of the year and that means it's bracket season at Change the Rotation. AKA the time when we take our 32 favorite albums of the year and pit them against each other in a merciless contest for aural domination. 2022 marks the 10th annual album of the year bracket. Here's how it works: four of us at Change the Rotation (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each make a list of our favorite full-length albums of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. Once we have our field of 32, the albums are drawn randomly into their positions on the bracket. All four of us vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Four voters means there are bound to be some ties. We each assign a point value to each album before the voting begins (32 points to our favorite album, 1 point to least favorite). In the case of a tie, we add the four point values for each album to determine the winner.

We are running on punk time this year, so a winner won't be crowned until mid to late January. For now, feast your ears upon this year's 32 finalists, Change the Rotation's top albums of 2022:

La Armada - Anti-Colonial Vol. 2
Beach Bunny - Emotional Creature
The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field
Bev Rage & The Drinks - Exes & Hexes
The Bobby Lees - Bellevue
BODEGA - Broken Equipment
Brutus - Unison Life
The Chats - Get Fucked
Escape From The Zoo - Countin' Cards
The Flatliners - New Ruin
Fluppies - Fluppies
Frank Turner - FTHC
Ho99o9 - Skin
Hot Water Music - Feel The Void
JER - Bothered/Unbothered
je'raf - All My Friends Are Holograms
The Linda Lindas - Growing Up
Martha - Please Don't Take Me Back
Meat Wave - Malign Hex
Morrow - The Quiet Earth
Myteri - Illusion
OFF! - Free LSD
Otoboke Beaver - Super Champon
Petrol Girls - Baby
Pigeon Pit - Feather River Canyon Blues
Pinkshift - Love Me Forever
PUP - The Unraveling of Puptheband
Snuffed - Coping Human Waste
Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems
Special Interest - Endure
Titus Andronicus - The Will To Live
Voice Of Addiction - Divided States

Monthly Metal Mixtape: 2021 Favorites

Steve O - January 24, 2022

Monthly metal mixtape graphic

The hardest part about putting together a list of favorite records in a year isn’t exactly deciding on who makes the cut. It’s realizing how many great records you’re probably missing and wanting to go back and listen to them. Next thing you know, you’re like a month behind schedule, and you just gotta make the cut and go with your initial list, or this is never gonna stop. And that’s what is so great about getting lists from a handful of folks. I might have slept on it, but someone else caught it, and lifted it up, and now you get to read about it here. So huge thanks to Mike, Kevin, James, and Danny for contributing some of their favorites to our collective list.

A note about methodology – we all made lists and anything that repeated itself ends up higher. Our first six records all got multiple shout-outs, and the higher they were on our individual lists, the higher they ended up on our collective one. After that point I simply just spun the wheel of names to get a random list based on where we had them ranked. What we have below contains all those that got their name tossed into the ring at least twice, plus all of our individual top fives. And then the remainder are honorable mentions below. Enjoy!

  1. Carcass - Torn Arteries (Nuclear Blast) - Has everything I love about Carcass. Feels closer to Heartwork and Necroticism than Surgical Steel. – Cry Baby Hank / / Multi-decade melodic death metal veterans reemerge with another inexplicably, impossibly catchy and tightly written album of bangers, but this time with the mid-paced endlessly groovy death n' roll part cranked up. – Mike Tri / / Just straight up solid, slightly melodic death metal, from beginning to end; no dips whatsoever. After swearing that Carcass’ earlier, more grind stuff was better, I think I’ve pretty much changed my mind to their late era melo-death. – SteveO
  2. Portrayal of Guilt – We Are Always Alone (Closed Casket Activities) – For every release that came out after this in January, I kept asking myself “Is this as good as the new Portrayal of Guilt?” This album absolutely slaughters EVERYTHING. They decided to put out another sick album called Christfucker in November just to make sure they were bookending 2021 with the sickest shit of the year. – James Bauman / / Unsettlingly evil, infectiously catchy, with inventive riffs. Blackened screamo, a black metal and screamo blend with a touch of hardcore, perfected if it ever could be. – Mike Tri / / In a year where there was a new Full of Hell record, the fact that Portrayal of Guilt managed to make an uglier, noisier, more abrasive and intense record (and managed to do so twice!) that drew influence from across the board was quite a way to ring in the year. – SteveO
  3. Full of Hell – Garden of Burning Apparitions (Relapse) – Full of Hell somehow manages to get heavier and nosier with slick production on this album. Still has a punk edge to it, but it’s firmly rooted in metal. – Danny Collins / / As if Full of Hell wasn’t intense enough already, they up the extremity across the board. More death, more grind, more noise, more powerviolence, more mathcore? More everything. – SteveO
  4. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Bloodmoon: I (Epitaph) – A perfect fusion of both artists sounds into an atmospheric, incredibly melodic sludge and hardcore album that is far greater and surprisingly far more novel than the sum of its parts. – Mike Tri / / A perfect blend of the intensity of Converge and the darkness of Chelsea Wolfe. Impressive up front, but each listen brings out more nuance that this cast of seven built and only make the esteem of this record grow. It’s gonna be a benchmark that we compare collaborations to going forward. – SteveO
  5. Tribulation – Where the Gloom Becomes Sound (Century Media) – Gothic metal done right – these heavy hitters deserve their place in the mega popular metal pantheon with songwriting, riffs, and leads that hit just right. – Mike Tri / / Incredible gothic metal, some borrowed intensity and vibes from their death metal days. Whether rollicking or going more slow and doomed out with mid-pace tunes, these songs are all up in your face, forcing you to take notice, particularly the first half. – SteveO

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2021 Albums of the Year Bracket Results

Phil Collins - January 17, 2022

The results are in! Last month we named Change the Rotation's 32 favorite albums of 2021. Now we have the results of our 9th annual albums of the year bracket beatdown. How did the matchups go down and who was the last album standing? Find out below. First, a little bracketology: four of us (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each submit a list of our favorite full-length albums of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. Once we have our field of 32, the albums are drawn randomly into their positions on the bracket. All four of us vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Four voters means there are bound to be some ties. We each assign a point value to each album before the voting begins (32 points to our favorite album, 1 point to least favorite). In the case of a tie, we add the four point values for each album to determine the winner. Below, see how it all came out, stream all 32 albums through the links toward the bottom of the post, and finally, a video of this year's virtual voting if you want to see how each individual matchup went down.

Bracket quadrant 1

The Muslims took region 1 with their Epitaph debut Fuck These Fuckin Fascists. This is their third time on the bracket - Mayo Supreme finished second in 2019. Amyl and the Sniffers and Blind Adam and the Federal League return for their second times on the bracket. This is the first time on the bracket for the remainder of this quadrant.

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2021 Album of the Year Bracket Field

Phil Collins - December 29, 2021

It's the end of the year and that means it's bracket season at Change the Rotation. AKA the time when we take our 32 favorite albums of the year and pit them against each other in a merciless contest for aural domination. 2021 marks the 9th annual album of the year bracket. Here's how it works: four of us at Change the Rotation (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each make a list of our favorite full-length albums of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. Once we have our field of 32, the albums are drawn randomly into their positions on the bracket. All four of us vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Four voters means there are bound to be some ties. We each assign a point value to each album before the voting begins (32 points to our favorite album, 1 point to least favorite). In the case of a tie, we add the four point values for each album to determine the winner.

We are running on punk time this year, so a winner won't be crowned until mid to late January. For now, feast your ears upon this year's 32 finalists, Change the Rotation's top albums of 2021:

The Ableist - The Ableist
Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort to Me
The Armed - ULTRAPOP
Blind Adam and the Federal League - An Act of Desperation
Bob Vylan - We Live Here
Canal Irreal - Canal Irreal
Corrupt Vision - These Hands of Mine
DARE - Against All Odds
Dollar Signs - Hearts of Gold
Doom Scroll - Immoral Compass
Fiddlehead - Between the Richness
Generacion Suicida - Regeneracion
Heet Deth - Heet Deth HOORAY!
Hostages - Climate of Hate
Illuminati Hotties - Let Me Do One More
Jeff Rosenstock - SKA DREAM
Joe Vickers - Waiting on a Muse
Joystick - I Can't Take It Anymore
Kali Masi - [laughs]
The Kreutzer Sonata - Cradle to the Grave
The Muslims - Fuck These Fuckin Fascists
Postage - Postage
Rent Strike - NOW
Scowl - How Flowers Grow
Sincere Engineer - Bless My Psyche
Slant - 1집
The Suburbanists - Eat From The Tree
Surfbort - Keep On Truckin'
Uglybones - Erasure
Vial - Loudmouth
We Are The Union - Ordinary Life
Won't Stay Dead - Purgatory

Guest Lists: The Best of 2020

James Bauman of Racebannon, Wenches, Torturess

Phil Collins - January 29, 2021

We have one more guest list for the best of 2020, this one from James Bauman of Racebannon, Wenches and Torturess. Take a listen over at the Master Kontrol Audio bandcamp. In case you missed it, Evil Empire came out on top in Change the Rotation's album of the year bracket for 2020. Check out James' picks below:

I know this is a bit late, as we are entering February of 2021, however, good things come to those that wait, right? Well, while last year was mainly full of shit, garbage, vomit and death (i.e., COVID, Trump, BLM, etc.), there were surprisingly a load of decent records released during this flaming ball of excrement called 2020 that are worth checking out. I kept a running tally of releases that impressed me and thought I would just narrow them down at the end of the year for my ultimate top ten list. Yet, that proved to be too difficult so instead I chose to just offer my list of the 35 releases I encourage all of you to check out that won’t disappoint, as long as you like things that don’t suck. So, in no particular order, here are my effin’ favorites of the worst effin’ year ever, that aren’t Run the Jewels or Fiona Apple:

1. Psychic GraveyardA Bluebird Vacation (Fat Beats Records): Members from two of my favorites, Arab on Radar and The Chinese Stars, make this fun weirdo shit that continues to change my creative life with every friggin’ listen. I can’t get enough.

2. IDLESMono (Partisan Records): I looked forward to this release more than most everything else on this list and it didn’t disappoint. If you’re not familiar, don’t worry, it’s never too late. Go now. Run.

3. Jehnny BethTo Love Is To Live (20L07 Music): First solo album from Savages’ frontwoman is waaay on point. So good. Saw her perform with Savages once and it was, without a doubt, one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Yes, that good.

4. Skeletons/t (20 Buck Spin): Maybe my favorite release on this list. It’s too good to skip. Don’t sleep. Blackened metal punk.

5. IlsCurse (Pogo Records): Members from one of my all-time faves, Black Elk, from Portland, Oregon. Fuckin’ sick record. Still super stoked on this release. I can’t get enough.

6. Rebel WizardMagickal Mystical Indifference (Prosthetic Records): One bad ass dude effin’ shreddin.’ Highly recommended.

7. GulchImpenetrable Cerebral Fortress (Closed Casket Activities): This rips HARD. Just do it. Now. Seriously. Holy shit. Brutal.

8. HJELVIKWelcome To Hel (Nuclear Blast): Dude leaves kick-ass Norweigan heavy metal band Kverlertak and starts an even more kick-ass blackened Viking heavy metal solo-band. Fuck yes.

9. DrouthExcerpts From a Dread Liturgy (Translation Loss): Black metal from Portland, Oregon. Super heavy and epic. Realllllllllllyyyyyyy fuckin’ rad. I promise.

10. Black Rainbows - Cosmic Ritual Supertrip (Heavy Psych Sounds): Heavy Psych Sounds has become one of my favorite labels recently. Not only do they have some of the sickest merch designs I’ve ever seen, but they put out bands like this doing the Black Sabbath thing and rulin’ at it. This record is really catchy and fun.

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2020 Albums of the Year Bracket Results

Phil Collins - January 6, 2021

Welcome to Change the Rotation's 8th annual albums of the year bracket. We announced the 32 album field a few weeks ago. Now it's time to find out how the results shook out and which album outlasted the competition to claim the number one spot. First, some bracketology: four of us (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each submit a list of our favorite full-length albums of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. Once we have our field of 32, the albums are drawn randomly into their positions on the bracket. All four of us vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Four voters means there are bound to be some ties. We each assign a point value to each album before the voting begins (32 points to our favorite album, 1 point to least favorite). In the case of a tie, we add the four point values for each album to determine the winner. Below, see how it all came out, stream all 32 albums through the links toward the bottom of the post, and finally, a video of this year's virtual voting if you want to see how each individual matchup went down.

Bracket region 1

Bacchae's Pleasure Vision took region one in the band's first appearance on the bracket. This was a relatively early exit for PEARS - their first two albums were the overall runner-up in 2014 and 2016. Local post punks Ganser made their first bracket appearance.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2020

Danny Cheap Date

Phil Collins - December 30, 2020

The year is just about finished and we have one more guest list, from Danny Cheap Date. You may recognize him from The Cheap Dates, Nude Model and of course Don't Panic Records & Distro. He's also part of Change the Rotation's bracket committee, which decides our top 32 albums of the year. Look for the results from our album of the year bracket next week. Until then, happy new year and here are Danny's top singles of the year.

Danny Cheap Date’s Top Standalone Singles of 2020

Every year at Change the Rotation, we compile our album of the year lists and every year I struggle to pull together a list of over 10 new albums. This year’s different though. I’ve literally had nothing better to do than to sit around and listen to new music which resulted in me putting together a 100-some track best of 2020 playlist. Typically I appreciate the full-length album as a means of expressing one’s art but more and more musicians are putting out standalone singles. I think it’s particularly important to pay attention to these singles this year as so many musicians have postponed their full releases. Now let’s be real, when I look back at 2020, I’m gonna think about the time we blasted WAP outside of the Chicago FOP and I’m gonna think about all the times I danced to WAP in friends’ kitchens and living rooms. It’s the best and most memorable song of 2020 BUT let’s talk about some songs you may have missed!

Ric Wilson – Fight Like Ida B & Marsha P
Ric Wilson has been busy as hell in 2020. The Chicago rapper put out four singles and an EP since the start of the year. Fight Like Ida B & Marsha P is the track that stands out the most to me. With lines like “defund the police, abolish the prisons or don't speak a word to me / stop ICE and let 'em all free / let the kids be, end intersex surgeries,” this song could easily be the anthem for not only this summer’s uprising but for the ongoing struggles we’re going to continue fighting against in 2021. The song has a bouncy beat, catchy chorus and a Tom Waits-esque guitar solo. It also uses Which Side Are You On as a hook. It’s a protest song made for dancing in the streets. This is exactly what we needed this year.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2020

Nick Cvijovic of Butchered

Phil Collins - December 29, 2020

The year end guest lists keep rollin' on in! Nick Cvijovic of Butchered delivers his favorite albums, EPs and more of 2020. Butchered released the catchy, riffy Wax Pathetic last month and it is one of this site's favorite albums of the year. Look for more guest lists this week and our annual album of the year bracket results next week. Without further ado, I'll let Nick take it away:

Nick Cvijovic's Top Albums of 2020

I love year end lists so much. Show me your favorite albums, songs, recipes, movies and I'll read every word you wrote. Hearing about or seeing what other people are listening to is awesome since I only listened to Power Trip and Run the Jewels all year.

I don't need to restate the fact that this year was a bummer and pandemics are awful and the whole state of the world is in disarray, etc etc. That's for real writers and publications and I am just a guy who wants to tell you about the music I listened to and the things I watched while roaming through alleyways drinking whiskey during quarantine/lockdown/whatever you'd like to call it. So, with that being said, I compiled , through rigorous listening and drinking, a PERFECT list of the best LPs, EPs, and other nonsense for you to roll your eyes at. How many guitar-forward rock bands are on this list? Too many. Are both Taylor Swift albums on here? You fucking bet.

*disclaimer: there were like 45 albums and eps on my original list but I HAD to omit stuff. Ask me about those later*

Top Albums (LPs) of 2020 in Reverse Order:

Ultra Mono - IDLES

UK's IDLES yell, talk, and scream about BREXIT, toxic masculinity, racism, nationalism, and all other -isms through a rainbow of emotionally charged songs. Some are funny (Model Village), some are dark (War), but always danceable. Neighbors Anger Index puts this at a 8.
Favorite Song: "Mr. Motivator"

Alfredo - Freddie Gibbs + The Alchemist

This was one of my go-to albums to listen to during the sweet point of 2020 when I kept breaking spokes on my bike and walked to very far away neighborhoods in Chicago. Alfredo features laid back beats with phenomenal word play from Gibbs and a handful of featured artists like Benny the Butcher, Rick Ross, Tyler, the Creator, and Conway the Machine; many lyrics finding their way onto handmade signs of protesters throughout the world this summer.
Favorite song: "Frank Lucas"

Fetch the Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple

This record was number one on like 90% of the lists that I read this year and with good reason. Apple recorded this record over the course of four or five years all at her home, using these songs to better herself at being a songwriter and recording artist. It's an incredible display of bouncy (? sure why not), jazzy (I'm using that as a term to describe odd time and chord changes because I only play in 4/4), and catchy songs that even the most stubborn of music dorks will love. At least they better.
Favorite Song: "Shameika"

folklore/evermore - Taylor Swift

If you know me, then you know I love Taylor Swift a lot. Obviously the pop jams and country bangers are where her real talent lies, but during a time where a lot of us spent alone and idle, folklore really nailed the mood. And even better, she brings back the old Taylor country vibes on certain songs; albeit in a more stripped down fashion. evermore keeps the theme going too. Dropping two albums out of almost nowhere without any singles to hype up the releases was also cool as hell; even for someone of her notoriety.
Favorite Song(s): "the last great american dynasty"/"willow"

Melee - Dogleg

My drummer showed me this band and from first listen I fell in love with it. Even the coldest of hearts need a good sing along every once in a while and this album is chock full of songs to satisfy that need.. Dogleg embrace Spraynard and PUP style punk, but do it in a way that doesn't sound played out. It's one of the few things I enjoy from Michigan.
Favorite Songs: "Bueno" and "Fox"

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2020

The Cell Phones

Phil Collins - December 28, 2020

Happy Monday! We have another guest end of the year list to share today. This one comes from local punk trio The Cell Phones. Justin (drums), Lindsey (vocals) and Ryan (bass) all contributed their favorites in music, food and hobby-ing from the past year. If you haven't yet, go listen to their new album Battery Lower, out on our brother label Don't Panic Records & Distro. If you have listened to it, go listen to it again! At the very least, you'll have a new alarm clock jam. There are plenty of regular jams on there too. So many that it made the cut for our top 32 albums of the year. See you on the bracket! More guest lists to come this week, followed by our annual album of the year bracket results next week. Read the Cell Phones' list below.

THE CELL PHONES 2020 HIT LIST

Favorite Artist/Album of 2020:
Ryan - Anaal Nathrakh: Endarkenment *The Age of Starlight Ends
Justin - Run the Jewels: 4 *ohh la la
Lindsey - Poppy: I Disagree *Concrete
*favorite song

Favorite Artist/Album discovered in 2020:
Ryan - Vitalic: OK Cowboy *My Friend Dario
Justin - Víkingur Ólafsson: Johann Sebastian Bach *Organ Sonata No. 4, BWV 528: II. Andante [Adagio] (Transcr. Stradal)
Lindsey - Wilma Archer (props to Spotify’s Discover Weekly list): A Western Circular *Cheater (feat. Sudan Archives)
*favorite song

Favorite Food/Restaurant of 2020:
Ryan - Roasted Chicken Jibarito from Papa’s Cache Sabroso: drool emoji 10x
Justin - Taco El Jalisciense (cecina tacos)
Lindsey - Small Cheval’s chocolate milkshake (still solid and cold, even if you got it to go!!)

Favorite Hobby/Pastime discovered (thanks Covid) in 2020:
Ryan - Grilling: I cooked a ton this year but the charcoal grill was my #1 heat source, plus it kept me outside during quarantine.
Justin - Cooking
Lindsey - Cross stitch, taken up mostly to pass the time while I had to breast pump, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop.

Guest Lists: The Best of 2020

Connor McNerney of Cabin Corner

Phil Collins - December 27, 2020

Believe it or not, the end is nigh for 2020. We're looking back on the many great albums and releases that came out during this crazy year. We announced Change the Rotation's top 32 albums of the year, which will compete in our annual album of the year bracket. Expect to learn who has survived this rigorous contest to become our album of the year in early January. First, we have some guest best of 2020 lists to share. Starting with Connor McNerney of Cabin Corner, a new music blog. Cabin Corner has featured the best of 2020 along with some choice Christmas albums lately. Connor also does guitar and vocals for Cunj, who released Smooth Grind earlier this year. Check out Connor's list below.

best of 2020 graphic

Top 20 of 2020 (in order of release date):

• Poppy - I Disagree - 1/11 Sumerian Records
• Sallow Moth - The Larval Hope - 1/15 Dead Red Queen Records
• Kvelertak - Splid - 2/15 Rise Records
• New Primals - Horse Girl Energy - 3/20 Learning Curve Records
• NNAMDÏ - BRAT - 4/3 Sooner Records
• Southern Belle - Wild Wheat - 5/4 Brown Bear Records
• Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM - 5/20 Polyvinyl Record Co.
• Backxwash - God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It - 5/28 Grimalkin Records
• Hole Dweller - Flies the Coop II - 8/13 Dungeons Deep Records
• Sweeping Promises - Hunger for a Way Out - 8/14 Feel It Records
• Napalm Death - Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism - 9/18 Century Media
• Sunken - Livslede - 9/18 Vendetta Records
• Jackie Venson - Vintage Machine 10/1 (self-release)
• Underdog Upperhand - Confrontational - 10/2 Brown Bear Records
• Whethan - Fantasy - 10/16 Big Beat Records
• clipping. - Visions of Bodies Being Burned - 10/23 Sub Pop Records
• Butchered - Wax Pathetic - 11/20 (self-release)
• Joan of Arc - Tim Melina Theo Bobby - 12/4 Joyful Noise Recordings

2019 Albums of the Year Bracket Results

Phil Collins - January 9, 2020

It's time for Change the Rotation's 7th annual albums of the year bracket! Each year, we take our collective 32 favorite albums of the year and pit them against each other in a ruthless March Madness style contest. This brutal competition is how we determine the site's album of the year. A quick refresher on Change the Rotation's bracketology: four of us (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each submit a list of our favorite records of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. Albums are drawn randomly into their positions on the bracket. All four of us vote on each matchup until we have a champion. We all assign each album a point value so if there is a tie vote on any matchup, the points for both albums are totaled to determine the winner. Stream all 32 albums through the links at the bottom of this post. Now, the results:

Bracket region 1

Philadelphia post punks Control Top swept through the first region, taking down returning bracket bands PUP and Martha. Good Riddance went down in the first round after making the final matchup last time out. Mannequin Pussy had strong support but couldn't get by PUP's third album.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2019

Nick Feltes and Joe Ott of Death of Self

Phil Collins - January 8, 2020

Taking a look at the best of the last year, today we have Nick Feltes (guitar/vocals) and Joe Ott (drums) of local skate punk band Death of Self. They released their first full-length album, Look Elsewhere, last spring. Read my interview with Nick and Joe about the album here. Death of Self play at the 105 in Naperville on February 1 with The Big Cheese, Deathrun and Coronary. More info on that show here. Check back soon for Change the Rotation's 2019 albums of the year bracket results. Nick and Joe's lists follow:

Nick Feltes

Top shows of 2019
Dec 13th: Deterioration @ Prosper skate shop
June 24th: Krimewatch @ The Fallout
Aug 24th: Infest & Escuela Grind @ Reggies
Mar 2nd: CHEW & democide @ Caliwaukee North
June 15th: La Armada @ Beat Kitchen

Then best D.O.S. show of the year was definitely the Nov 8th Planned Parenthood Benefit. That one was a lot of fun to throw.

My favorite releases of 2019 (in no order)
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rat's Nest
REZN/LUME - Live at Electrical Audio
Slutbomb - Empathy/Apathy
Crafter - Lasting Efforts
Thee Oh Sees - Face Stabber

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2019

James Bauman of Racebannon, Wenches, Torturess

Phil Collins - January 7, 2020

Looking back on 2019, we have another guest list today from James Bauman of Racebannon, Wenches, Torturess, Medusa and VRVLVM. Start digging into that catalog at the Master Kontrol bandcamp. Stay tuned for another guest list and our 2019 bracket results later this week. James' list follows:

My Top Ten releases of 2019 (in alphabetical order)
James Bauman

While this year saw some fine releases from bands I typically enjoy and support like Torche, Sunn O))), Monolord and False, I decided to only included albums that quickly made an impact on me and sent chills through me at least once during the first few listens. Here’s my top ten of 2019 in alphabetical order:

Abbath – Outstrider (Season of Mist)
The second "solo" album from former Immortal mastermind is nothing more than PURE BADASSERY. Riffs upon riffs upon riffs. Highly recommended.

Brittany Howard – Jaime (ATO Records)
This solo album from Alabama Shakes’ frontwoman is full of energy, emotion and amazing talent. While I do enjoy the Alabama Shakes that I’ve heard, I was surprised to like this as much as I do. I’ve been finding it inspiring and a nice change of pace from my usual taste.

C*nts – s/t (Ipecac Recordings)
Awesome record of nasty noise rock punk featuring members of Dead Cross and Retox. Let’s break stuff!

Devil Master – Satan Spits on Children of Light (Relapse Records)
ALL of my favorite genres rolled into one friggin’ awesome album. Relapse calls them “death rock meets black metal punk mayhem” and I can think of no better description. Don’t sleep on this if you haven’t already checked it out.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2019

Michael Garrity of Nora Marks

Phil Collins - January 3, 2020

The decade has wrapped up and it's time to take a look at our favorite records and what not of 2019. Before we unveil the results of our best of 2019 bracket showdown, we have some guest lists to share. Leading off is Michael Garrity, who does guitar, vocals and keyboards in local band Nora Marks. Check out their music at Bandcamp. Catch the band live at the Tonic Room on February 29 with Broken Robots, The God Awful Small Affairs and Casey Elizabeth Weldon. More info on that show here. Michael's list follows:

2019 was definitely a transitional year for me. Raised a one-year-old, started a new job, and finally filled out the lineup for this band after 3 years. So, I wasn’t branching into new music (or new anything, really) as much as I normally do. Luckily, a lot of old favorites came out swinging with great work in 2019.

Favorite Albums

Leonard Cohen – Thanks for the Dance
No artist has been more prevalent in my life this year than Leonard Cohen. It started with a deep dive into his entire discography and recorded works and ended with reading two (2) books about him, in addition to his own writing. So, it was a pleasant surprise that after all this, I got to experience a NEW album of original material from him 3 years after his death, and the fact that it’s actually really good is sort of just a bonus. A triumphant posthumous feat, Cohen recorded all of the vocals for this album during the recording sessions You Want It Darker, and then the arrangements were finished later by his son Adam, who did a wonderful job honoring his father’s musical legacy with songs that refer to all of the different styles and eras of Cohen’s long and diverse career.

The National – I Am Easy to Find
Fitting that my favorite band of the decade would release my most listened to album of 2019, one that diverges significantly from what people expect them to sound like without losing any of the cathartic beauty and poetic grace that makes me love them.

Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center
Probably my all-time favorite songwriter and the best contemporary voice in the business. This one was destined to be a winner, and I’ve had it on regular rotation since it came out in January with no signs of slowing down.

Djunah – Ex Voto
Amazing and dynamic record that has as many memorably catchy moments as it does visceral shredding and impactful drumming. My favorite kind of heavy music.

Off With Their Heads – Be Good
This band keeps getting better with each record, which helps make the wait in between them worth it. Technically it’s pretty straightforward punk rock, but it accelerates past its peers thanks to excellent songwriting.

American Football – American Football (LP3)
Love to see the way this band has matured gracefully and emerged from the early part of the decade’s “emo revival” without looking backward or doing the obvious thing. This record is beautiful and creative.

The God Awful Small Affairs – Vanishing Point Lessons
This band has so much going on that it took a few complete listens of this record before I felt like I really understood what was going on, and by that time the hooks had buried themselves deep into my subconscious. Much like the smooth blending of neo-folk songwriting and spacey guitar work, the band effortlessly maneuvers between different musical ideas multiple times in the course of a single composition, all held together by the captivating poetry and presence of their charismatic lead singer.

The Menzingers – Hello Exile
While this is not the Menzingers album that’s necessarily brought the most excitement into my life, I do think it’s their most coherent and consistent album so far, both sonically but also, more importantly, from a songwriting perspective. I feel like there’s something to be said for just being really focused on craft, which is what this record evokes.

Sleater-Kinney – The Center Won’t Hold
Exterior drama aside, I thought this new Sleater-Kinney album was a cool departure from the band’s roots, and I think the moments that lean into a more pop-oriented approach to songwriting and production suit them well (at this stage on their artistic journey, at least).

Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
Just a great and catchy album that is never not fun to throw on in any situation. Even my toddler loves Lizzo.

Laura Stevenson – The Big Freeze
A beautiful songwriter writes some beautiful songs that, like all of her best work, have the uncanny ability to string together beautiful melodies that resonate from deep within the listener. Probably her best overall collection of songs to date.

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2018 Albums of the Year Bracket Results

Phil Collins - January 15, 2019

A couple weeks ago I posted the field of our 32 favorite albums of the year, which were bound to face each other in our annual albums of the year bracket showdown. Now, the results of this brutal contest are here. A quick refresher on Change the Rotation's bracketology: four of us (Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself) each submit a list of our favorite records of the year. Any record appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes it onto the bracket. The remaining spots are divided evenly between the four of us. This year we had two leftover spots after this step, so we each chose an album to compete in a play-in round. Two of those four albums from the play-in round made it onto the bracket. So, there were 34 total albums on our bracket list this year, but still the usual 32 spots on the bracket itself. Stream all 34 albums through the links at the bottom of this post. Now, the results:

bracket

Gouge Away followed up their bracket-winning 2016 debut album with Burnt Sugar, which again made it through to the final four. Clearly a bracket committee favorite. Locals UGLYBoNES had a good showing with their new album. The heartbreaker for me was Fucked Up's excellent Dose Your Dreams going down in the first round.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2018

James Bauman of Racebannon, Wenches, Torturess

Steve O - January 8, 2019

Before unleashing the bracket results, we have another guest list. Today, James Bauman, best known as founding guitarist for Racebannon, shares his list. In addition to his Racebannon cred, Bauman has also played in bands such as Medusa, Torturess (read more here!), Wenches, and VRVLVM (read more here again!). You check them all out at the Master Kontrol bandcamp. Be prepared, it's a heavy list:

My Top Ten releases of 2018 (in alphabetical order)
James Bauman

ASG - Survive Sunrise – Relapse Records
I was pretty pumped for this release from ASG and it did not disappoint. Killer, hook-heavy riffs with, dare I say melodic singing, made for a great summer time road trip soundtrack.

The Atlas Moth - Coma Noir – Prosthetic Records
Wow. Absolutely crushing. Guitar tones that you just want to take a bite out of.

Craft - White Noise and Black Metal – Season of Mist Records
One of the best black metal records I’ve ever heard. Seriously. Highly recommend.

Daughters - You Won’t Get What You Want – Ipecac Recordings
This album is rad. This band is rad. If you don’t know, now you do. ‘Nuff said. Favorite track: The Reason They Hate Me (quite possibly my favorite track of 2018).

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2018

Gillian McGhee of Turnspit, Hi Ho

Phil Collins - January 3, 2019

Before we close the book on 2018, we have a couple more guest lists and the results of our albums of the year bracket showdown. Today Gillian McGhee of Turnspit and Hi Ho shares her favorite music and personal memories of 2018. Turnspit's album Desire Paths made the cut for Change the Rotation's albums of the year. Stream the album at Turnspit's Bandcamp page. You can also listen to a brand new Hi Ho song, "Whiskey Sheets," over at the Bad Copy. Gillian's list follows:

My Favorite Things in 2018

Hi hello, my name is Gillian, I do the musics in Chicago as Hi Ho (sad girl singer-songwriter tunes) and one-fourth of Turnspit (thoughtful, melodic punk rock). I don’t like ranking music, so instead, I’m gonna tell ya about some of the things that shaped 2018 for me.

Late Teens album cover


Press Club - Late Teens

This is my album of the year, hands down. Press Club is from Australia and they make some of the most catchy, dreamy, anthemic indie punk songs. I feel so empowered listening to them and love singing along with vocalist Natalie Foster. Her lyrics are honest, heartfelt and so close to home and her voice ain’t nothing to fuck with. This record inspired me and was the soundtrack to many summer bike rides. I also showed it to anybody who would listen. Give it a shot; you won’t be disappointed.



Other Killer Tunes

Other records I listened the fuck out of that were released in 2018 include:
Cloud Nothings – Last Building Burning
Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacas – boygenius
Lucero – Among the Ghosts
Red City Radio – SkyTigers
Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers

And here’s some stuff I was either late to the game on or just ruled my year:
John Moreland – High on Tulsa Heat
Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the Alps
White Reaper – The World’s Best American Band
Chris Wollard – “All the Same to You”
Kurt Vile – “Pretty Pimpin’”
Tyler Childers – “Feathered Indian”
And basically Jason Isbell’s entire discography

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2018

Dan Alfonsi of Still Alive

Phil Collins - December 31, 2018

We're wrapping up the year in punk music at Change the Rotation with some guests listing out their favorite things from 2018. Today Dan Alfonsi, guitarist and vocalist of local hardcore/ska band Still Alive, lists his top music, shows and food spots of the year. Check out Still Alive's excellent new EP, Assemble, at their Bandcamp page. If you're a fan of the Suicide Machines, hardcore music, or the show Black Mirror, there is plenty to like. Yesterday we revealed Change the Rotation's picks for the top albums of 2018 and their positions on our annual album of the year bracket. Look out for more guest lists in the coming days. Without further delay, here is Dan's list:

TOP NEW MUSIC (no particular order)
1. La Armada - Anti Colonial Vol 1
2. Turnstile - Time & Space
3. Comeback Kid - Beds Are Burning/Little Soldier
4. Turnspit - Desire Paths
5. Jesus Piece - Only Self
6. Interrupters - Fight The Good Fight

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Change the Rotation's Albums of the Year Bracket Field 2018

Phil Collins - December 30, 2018

It's the end of another year, which means it's time for us at Change the Rotation to decide on our favorite albums of the year. Then, it's time to pit those 32 albums against each other in a merciless contest for our album of the year title. This, of course, is our end of the year bracket. Today, we reveal this year's field with one twist. Below are our top 34 albums of the year, but there are only 32 spots on the bracket. The last four selections will compete in a play in round for the final two spots on the bracket. As usual, Change the Rotation's top albums are chosen by Dave Anians, Danny Collins, Steve O and myself. We each submit a list of our favorite albums. Any album appearing on at least two of our lists automatically makes the cut for the bracket. The remaining spots on the bracket are divided evenly between the four of us. We had a number of spots leftover which was not divisible by four, which is how we ended up with a play in round this year.

During the coming days, look out for some guest "best of 2018" lists from people in the punk music community. I'll post my "best EPs and other releases" list (only full-length albums are eligible for the bracket). And of course we will reveal the results of our annual bracket showdown.

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Albums to look forward to in 2018

Nikki Roberts and Phil Collins - January 22, 2018

We here at Change the Rotation did plenty of looking back at 2017. If you missed it, check out the results of our best albums of the year bracket, the best EPs and other releases of the year and guest lists from Mimi Vacancy (The Vacancy), Elise (Skinny Daisies), Nikki Roberts (Locals Only), Deanna Belos (Sincere Engineer), Chris DeQuick (Chris DeQuick Productions) and Alex (Wood Chickens). Now it is time to look ahead to the future. The very near future in some cases. It is time to talk about some exciting releases coming our way in 2018. Nikki Roberts of Locals Only co-wrote this list. If you like this blog, you will defintiely like Locals Only too. Go check it out. This preview is posted there as well. Let's get into it.

Under the Dark Mark album cover

Bloodletter - Under the Dark Mark

Chicago melodic thrash metal band Bloodletter has been ripping listeners’ ears to shreds since the release of their first demo in 2013. Five years later and with four EPs under their belts, the group was finally ready to tackle writing their first full-length record. And man, did they sure as hell succeed.

According to the band’s vocalist/guitarist, Pete Carparelli, Under the Dark Mark “has the aggression from our Malignancy record, the technicality of our self-titled record, and the melodic approach and sound from our Darkest Reaches EP, all mixed in there.” The influences from past releases are clearly there, but Under the Dark Mark presents a side of Bloodletter that listeners have never heard before. Musically, the ten new tracks are more technically thoughtful and polished than the band’s previous songs; lyrically, the songs address topics such as the occult, life and death, and the supernatural without coming off as cheesy or ironic thrash anthems.

With songs such as “Beyond Belief” that are guaranteed to summon chaotic circle pits and “The Seance,” one of my personal favorites, it’s safe to say that upcoming Bloodletter shows are about to be taken to an entirely new level. You can catch the band playing some of their new tunes on February 20th at Livewire (21+), or at the record’s release show on March 31st at the Subterranean in Wicker Park (17+).

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Change the Rotation's Best Albums of 2017 Bracket

Phil Collins - January 15, 2018

If you are anything like me, you have been on pins and needles waiting to see how Change the Rotation's best albums of 2017 bracket shook out. Well, the results are finally here! Before we get into it, here is a little primer on how this works. Every year (for the last five years,) we here at Change the Rotation choose our favorite 32 albums of the year and then we pit them against each other in a March Madness style bracket to determine the site's album of the year. This is our second year as a four-person bracket committee (Dave Anians, Danny Brawlins, Steve O and myself.) Each of us submitted a regular list of our favorite albums. Any album which appears on at least two of our lists automatically gets on the bracket. The remaining spots are divided up between us. Once we have our field of 32 albums set, we put all their names in a hat and randomly draw them into position on the bracket. We give ourselves a few weeks to think it all over and then we get together and vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Having four people voting means there can be ties. We each secretly rank the 32 albums so that our top album receives 32 points and our least favorite receives 1 point. In the case of a tie, we add up all the points to break it. We have never had the points come out evenly in a tiebreaker although we have had some very, very close calls. I have no idea what we would do in that case. That sounds like a problem for future bracket committees! Anyway, now that we've gone through the logistics, let's get into it.

Bracket region 1

Mobina Galore v. Sincere Engineer was one of the toughest matchups in the whole bracket. How fitting that they were the first two names out of the hat. Both great records, yet one of them had to go out in the first round. Sincere Engineer also took out Propagandhi and Iron Chic on the way to the final four.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2017

Jahshie P of The Decayed

Phil Collins - January 11, 2018

We have one more guest list highlighting the best of 2017. If you missed it, we've had guest best of 2017 lists from Mimi Vacancy (The Vacancy), Elise (Skinny Daisies), Nikki Roberts (Locals Only), Deanna Belos (Sincere Engineer), Chris DeQuick (Chris DeQuick Productions) and Alex (Wood Chickens). This week I listed my favorite EPs and other releases of the year. The voting on our best albums of the year bracket is complete. Hang on a little longer and I will share the dramatic (as always) results and Change the Rotation's album of the year real soon. Today's guest list comes from Jahshie P of local hardcore band The Decayed and bluegrass punk band Last False Hope. He also founded and organizes the MoonRunners Music Festival. This year's festival takes place May 4-5 at Reggies. Days N Daze, Escape From the Zoo, Harley Poe, Hellbound Glory, Amigo the Devil, The Antidon'ts, Davey Dynamite, Won't Stay Dead, Old Wolves and many more are playing. Find out more about MoonRunners and get tickets at their site. I interviewed Jahshie P ahead of last year's fest, read that here. Jahshie P's list follows:

Jahshie P's top albums of 2017

Hellbound Glory- Pinball
Wheeler Walker Jr.- Ol' Wheeler
Scott H. Biram- The Bad Testament
Joseph Huber- The Suffering Stage
Escape from the Zoo- Killacopter

Top shows of 2017:

Screaming Females at Hideout Block Party
Joseph Huber in a living room
Jeff Shepherd at Tonic Room

Guest Lists: The Best of 2017

Alex of Wood Chickens

Phil Collins - January 4, 2018

We have arrived at our final guest list highlighting the best of 2017. Thanks to all this year's contributors. If you missed it, read picks from Mimi Vacancy (The Vacancy), Elise (Skinny Daisies), Nikki Roberts (Locals Only), Deanna Belos (Sincere Engineer) and Chris DeQuick (Chris DeQuick Productions). We are not finished with our end of the year coverage yet. Soon I will post my list of the top EPs and other release of the year. Following that, we will reveal the results of our best albums of the year bracket. Today's guest list comes from Alex of Wood Chickens. The Madison-based cowpunk band released the full-length Countrycide last summer. Listen to the album on their bandcamp page and find Wood Chickens on Facebook. Catch Wood Chickens live at Ian's Party this Friday night at Subterranean (Downstairs). More info on Ian's Party here. Alex's list follows:

Here's my "best records of 2017" list:

Leche - Inhalant Dangers (Digital Hotdogs)- A whopping 41 tracks of speed-punk, scum-country, and other strange things from these Texas cowpunks!
https://digitalhotdogs.bandcamp.com/album/inhalant-dangers

Fire Heads - Fire Heads (Big Neck Records)- Darker 'n' heavier 2nd LP from these Madison homies!
https://fireheads.bandcamp.com/album/fire-heads

Angie Hosh - Has The Mystique Faded? (self-released)- 5 fresh tracks from the Sioux Falls, SD death rock quartet!
https://angiehosh.bandcamp.com/album/has-the-mystique-faded

The Hussy - I See Just Fine 7" (Big Neck Records)- Madison garage-punk heroes release this 3-track EP featuring a hauntingly beautiful A-side and a B-side of 2 powerpop bangers!
https://thehussy.bandcamp.com/album/the-hussy-7

Sex Scenes - Swallow EP (Gloss Records)- 5-song cassette that clocks in at under 6 minutes! Noise punk / hardcore from Milwaukee featuring a pounding rhythm section and craaaazy frontman!
https://sexscenes.bandcamp.com/album/swallow-ep

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2017

Chris DeQuick of Chris DeQuick Productions, Friskie Morris Sessions

Phil Collins - January 3, 2018

This is our penultimate guest list for 2017. If you missed it, so far we have had guest lists from Mimi Vacancy (The Vacancy), Elise (Skinny Daisies), Nikki Roberts (Locals Only) and Deanna Belos (Sincere Engineer). Keep your eyes open for one more guest list, my list of the top EPs and other releases of 2017 and the results from Change the Rotation's best albums of the year bracket. Today's guest list comes from Chris DeQuick of Chris DeQuick Productions. Do you have a band looking to record some tunes? Chris is recording at Atlas Studios now (yes, that Atlas Studios). He recently mastered the new Bombflower album, Bleed Me Out. Find out more about Chris DeQuick Productions over at Facebook. Chris also handles sound for the Friskie Morris Sessions podcast. If you are on this site, you must be interested in local music and if that is the case, this podcast is for you. Listen to interviews with local bands along with songs recorded for the podcast at Atlas Studios. Listen to the Friskie Morris Sessions podcast on Soundcloud or find it in the Apple podcasts app. Chris's list follows:

Favorite albums, no particular order.

1. The Menzingers- After the Party
2. Tim Barry- High on 95
3. Hot Water Music- Light it Up
4. Charly Bliss- Guppy
5. Bully- Losing
6. Propagandhi- Victory Lap
7. Cayetana- New Kind Of Normal
8. The Smith Street Band- More Scared of You Than You are of Me
9. Tigers Jaw- Spin
10. Jessica Lea Mayfield- Sorry is Gone
11. Sincere Engineer- Rhombithian
12. Iron Chic- You Can't Stay Here
13. The Lillingtons- Stella Sapiente

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2017

Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer

Phil Collins - January 2, 2018

Happy 2018 to everyone! If you missed our guest best of 2017 lists last week, go back and read through some rad picks from Mimi Vacancy (The Vacancy), Elise (Skinny Daisies) and Nikki Roberts (Locals Only). Today the guest lists roll on with one from Deanna Belos AKA Sincere Engineer. This has been a big 2017 for Sincere Engineer as her first full-length was released on Red Scare Industries and the band played a sold out record release show at Township. The record, Rhombithian, made the cut for Change the Rotation's best albums of the year bracket. If you haven't seen our 32 favorite albums of the year, check out the list here. Look for the results of our bracket showdown soon. Before that, we will have a couple more guest lists and my picks for the top EPs and other releases of the year. Be sure to catch Sincere Engineer closing out the Saturday of Ian's Party this weekend at Chop Shop. More info on Ian's Party here. Deanna's list follows:

My five favorite albums from this year are:

The Menzingers- After The Party
Protomartyr- Relatives In Descent
Iron Chic- You Can't Stay Here
Oliver Houston- Whatever Works
Meat Wave- The Incessant

Guest Lists: The Best of 2017

Nikki Roberts of Locals Only

Phil Collins - December 29, 2017

Today we continue our end of the year coverage with our third guest list. I know 2018 will already be upon us next week, but we are not quite ready to close the book on 2017. So, look for more guest lists, my list of my top EPs and other releases of 2017, as well as our 2017 album of the year bracket results. Today's guest list comes from Nikki Roberts of fellow local music blog Locals Only. If you are a reader of Change the Rotation, you should be a reader of Locals Only too. They cover a similar set of Chicago area punk bands as us with reviews, interviews and more. Check out Locals Only here and find them on Facebook here. Also, read her feature on Toastamania in the Chicago Reader this past October. It's a good read if you are curious about how thrash/punk and wrestling combine at these shows. Nikki's list follows:

In no particular order:

Shows

1. Through n Through / Black Mass / UGLYBoNES at Slob City
2. Cannibal Corpse / Power Trip / Gatecreeper at Thalia Hall
3. Texas Toast Chainsaw Massacre tour kickoff at the Fallout
4. Eyehategod / Cro-Mags / Minimum Wage Assassins at Cobra Lounge
5. The Killers at Lollapalooza

Read more here

Guest Lists: The Best of 2017

Elise of Skinny Daisies

Phil Collins - December 28, 2017

Today we have another guest list highlighting the best music and shows of the year. Look out for more guest lists this week and next week as our year-end coverage forges into the new year. Before we close the book on 2017, I'll also have a list of my favorite EPs and other releases from the year and we will have the results of Change the Rotation's best albums of the year bracket. Today's guest list comes from Elise of Skinny Daisies. Find the Chicago acoustic songwriter on Facebook. See Skinny Daisies live this Friday night at Suplex City in Chicago with The Vacancy, Magnus Honey and Ashby and the Oceanns. More info on that show here. Elise's list follows:

FAVES OF 2017

TOP 10 FAVORITE SHOWS – IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Don’t Panic Pop Up Shop at CHI PRC for Record Store Day with Davey Dynamite, + (Plus Sign), and Danny Cozzi of All the Wine on April 22

Kikagaku Moyo/Mind Over Mirrors/Plastic Crimewave Syndicate at the Empty Bottle on May 12

Don’t Panic 5th Anniversary Bash with Davey Dynamite and the Salt Creek Duo, the Cheap Dates, Shots Fired Shots Fired and Pylons at the Burlington Bar on July 21

Acoustic Saturday with Danny Lamborghini, Davey Dynamite, Danny Cozzi of All the Wine and Jaclyn Heuser at the Pillowfort on Aug. 19

Kodakrome/Nude Model/Wvrship/Babykettle at Cobra Lounge on Aug. 22

AJJ ‘People Who Can Eat People’ 10 Year Anniversary at Subterranean on Sept. 11

Pile with Bad History Month and Longface at Beat Kitchen on Sept. 27

Beyond the Gate: Circuit de Yeux performing Nico’s Chelsea Girl plus Laraaji at the Behemian National Cemetery on Oct. 7

Friday the 13th: Evil Comes to Town at Auxiliary Arts Center with Bash Bang, Oops, So Pretty, The Messenger Birds and Peach Fuzz on Oct. 13

FEE LION/Replicant/Wingtips/Panic Priest at the Empty Bottle on Nov. 30

Read more here

Guest Lists: The Best of 2017

Mimi Vacancy

Phil Collins - December 26, 2017

Today we have the first of a bunch of guest best of the year lists for 2017. Keep your eyes open for more guest lists this week and in the near future, my list of the best EPs/other releases of the year and of course Change the Rotation's albums of the year bracket results. If you missed it, last week we announced this year's field of our 32 favorite albums. Check that out here. Today's guest list comes from Mimi Vacancy, lead vocalist and guitarist of The Vacancy. The band is a new one, also featuring Davey Dynamite on guitar and vocals. Find them on Facebook here. The Vacancy plays Avonbash at Suplex City in Chicago on December 29 with Magnus Honey, Ashby and the Oceanns and Skinny Daisies. More info on that show here. Mimi's list follows:

Records of the year ….in no order

NON LOCAL

The Menzingers - After the Party
Creeper - Eternity in Your Arms
Girlpool - Powerplant
The Regrettes- Feel Your Feelings Fool!
The Smith Street Band - More Scared of You Than You Are of Me
Sheer Mag - Need to Feel Your Love
White Reaper - The World's Best American Band
See Through Dresses - Horse of the Other World
Harry Styles - self titled
Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps
Downtown Boys - Cost of Living
Craig Finn - We All Want the Same Things
Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Navigator
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
Dave Hause - Bury Me in Philly
Ryan Adams - Prisoner
Tigers Jaw - Spin

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Sandra/Inferno's October 2017 recap

Danny Brawlins - November 22, 2017

Sandra/Inferno

Photo courtesy of Marty Wilkerson

Sandra Malak has been running around the globe with a musical gang of anarchists known as The World/Inferno Friendship Society, for over ten years. The Brooklyn based band tends to get pretty busy toward the end of the year, which for them happens to fall on Halloween. This October has seen the band playing at bars, frat houses, cemeteries and even our All Hands on Deck festival here in Chicago. All this has been in preparation for the band’s 20th Hallowmas celebration for our gourd and savior, The Honorable Great Pumpkin. Ms. Malak, the band’s bassist, was nice enough to take a minute of her time to share with us a glimpse into what it’s like to be a part of this mischievous bunch during the busiest time of their year:

When was the last time you used a payphone? I asked myself this as I used a payphone in Newark Penn Station at 12:30am on October 20th of this year, and as I did this I wished I had been the person on the other end receiving the call. How honored I would feel if someone called me from a payphone! “You used your quarters for me instead of laundry? How sweet!” They’ve gone up to 50 cents, by the way. Additionally, on this particular phone there was a list of free calls one could make from it. Dial *12 for help finding a job. Dial *11 for the Social Security office. Dial *13 for the EBT office and the one that intrigued me most, dial *10 to get God’s Blessing and a Daily Prayer.  Though I would have much preferred if there was a * some number that would dial the person I actually was trying to call, but since there was not, I dialed *10. The line rang a couple times then stopped and was followed by silence. I listened and listened…nothing. Not even heavy breathing. What a rip off. Even though I was feeling pretty good at that moment having not missed the last train back to Middle Jersey where I’d been hiding out in between Inferno shows, a daily prayer might have been nice, especially if it was going to be a nice little affirmation that wasn’t muddled up in any religious denomination. Something like, “You’re doing great, kid. Keep it up.” Ah, well.

I’d spent several days moving through Newark Penn Station in the weeks preceding Halloween and must say I was very saddened to learn that they closed the Blue Comet Lounge, which was the only bar in the whole station. I spent many waiting hours of my life sitting in that dank holding tank between New York and New Jersey and was looking forward to ordering an overpriced, flat gin and tonic, glancing at an episode of Judge Judy on a fuzzy television screen, and watching potential patrons wander in and out of the bar asking if they can pay for a bud light with a handful of pennies and paper clips. But it was no longer to be. When I first noticed the bar had closed, I let out a teary eyed “What the fuck!?!” (I actually did cry a little) then I texted Bill Cashman, the band’s current undertaker, and asked him to please let Jack know the sad news. Mr. Terricloth (who for a yet unexplained reason had recently blocked my number making it therefore impossible to reach him directly) and I shared an affinity for this hole-in-the-wall-under-track-1 (“This is great! I had no idea this place was here! This is my new favorite bar,” he said the first time I brought him to The Blue Comet.) Cashman wrote back to let me know Jack was distraught by the loss of this great and legendary dive bar. It would be a long somber ride from Chicago to Brooklyn for those boys. (I flew back. Had to be somewhere.)

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All Hands On Deck preview

Phil Collins - October 12, 2017

     All Hands On Deck Friday     All Hands On Deck Saturday

All Hands On Deck is only a day away! Join us at Cobra Lounge Friday and Saturday for a bunch of great bands to support an important cause. All proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood. Get your Friday tickets ($10), Saturday tickets ($20) or weekend passes ($25).

Many of the bands playing this weekend are bands we have covered in one way or another over the years at Change the Rotation. What follows is a roundup of that coverage with links to go read the full interviews and reviews.

The World/Inferno Friendship Society

The World/Inferno Friendship Society plays on Saturday at 9:15 p.m.

Jack Terricloth with his suitcase

Danny (of Don't Panic Records and Distro) and I interviewed lead singer Jack Terricloth over Skype in July 2016, ahead of their show at Chop Shop. Here is an excerpt:

Phil: So I have to ask, I know you guys always dress up really nicely on tour and everything, which is great, and it’s fun when the fans dress up too, does that present any challenges touring, like, packing up the van with your suits and everything, is it a lot to lug around?

Jack: Would you like to see my suitcase? This is going to be a written interview, not a video, but I think you’ll enjoy this. Gentlemen, this is my suitcase. It’s ancient, I think it’s from 1930, it’s broken already, it’s held together with a bungie cord because it’s ancient, and now, dig this, it’s an actual “suit-case,” things actually hang in here. And I never load the van, so the rest of the band hates my guts.

Phil: You’ve got it figured out.

Jack: Now dig this, the suits actually hang, and if you go like this, they come out. However, yes, the rest of the band hates my guts. Oh I’m sorry, did we chase Alex out of here, that’s too bad. Yeah, we stink all the time like other punk bands, we just have more things that stink, so really, I guess we actually stink more. We occasionally have to stop for dry cleaning, but, are you guys musicians, have you ever toured?

Danny: Yeah, a little bit.

Jack: So you know, there’s never any time to stop for anything.

Danny: I have two very smelly T-shirts.

Jack: Yeah, well I have four very smelly suits. And there’s eight of us, nine of us, I can’t even keep track, so eight very smelly people in a lot more clothes than you guys wear.

Phil: Are we talking one van, two vans, eight or nine people, that could fit in one van, actually…

Jack: Sometimes we tour with two vans, but we somehow decided we wanted to make money, so now we’re all packed in one van. There was a point where we had two vans, and I was like, this is totally cool, but now it’s all of us packed shoulder to shoulder.

Read the full interview here.

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All Time Awesome Record: Andrew Jackson Jihad - People That Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World

Phil Collins - September 11, 2017

We all have records that mean a lot to us individually, records that forever changed the course of our own personal music-listening experiences. There are those records, and then there is a small subset of those records which three people can sit down and agree upon, without reservation, that these records fall into this Earth-shattering category. This category is the All Time Awesome Record. In the spirit of Decibel magazine's Hall of Fame feature, Change the Rotation occasionally spotlights one record that isn't just good, isn't just a record that one of us thinks is important, but is a record we can all agree had a huge impact on us personally and on the music scene at large.

Andrew Jackson Jihad's People That Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World is the second record we have honored with this distinction. We named Against Me!'s Reinventing Axl Rose an All Time Awesome Record in 2015. We don't take these things lightly, so we don't do them terribly often. We wanted to get this one done in time to coincide with the album's 10th anniversary. AJJ play an early and late anniversary show at Subterranean tonight, both with Ogikubo Station. AJJ will play the record in full, as an acoustic two-piece, which is the way they toured for a long time before going full band electric. We talked about this transition at length back in 2014. However you feel about new school AJJ, I think we can all agree it is pretty awesome that they are celebrating this All Time Awesome Record with an acoustic tour.

All Time Awesome Record

Talking about the record today we have regular contributor Steve O. Check out Random Records With Steve O, where he reviews new records, old records and whatever strikes his fancy. We also have Danny Brawlins on hand from Don't Panic Records & Distro. Don't Panic put out an excellent 7-inch from local punks Fitness recently, as well as Holy Shit, the new Davey Dynamite record. Look for some exciting stuff from them later this year! We here at Change the Rotation are working together with Don't Panic and Friskie Morris & Friends to put on All Hands on Deck, a micro music festival at Cobra Lounge on October 13 and 14. The World/Inferno Friendship Society, Davey Dynamite & The Salt Creek Duo, Fitness, The Bigger Empty, The Cell Phones and more are playing the fest. Both days are all ages and all proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood of Illinois. See the full lineup and links to get your tickets here. Without further ado, let's talk about People That Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World.

Why does this record deserve to be an All Time Awesome Record (ATAR)?

Steve O: Along with Ghost Mice, Andrew Jackson Jihad are probably one of the most influential and important folk punk bands for a ton of people. And while Candy Cigarettes & Cap Guns was technically their first record, it’s the epically titled (and Vonnegut inspired) People That Can Eat People Are The Luckiest People In The World that is most widely known. I remember seeing so many people cover songs from this record, which is a great sign of how universal an impact it had. If there were bands doing the ‘sad songs sung happily’ before, none of them did it as well as Andrew Jackson Jihad.

Danny: This album, along with Reinventing Axl Rose, which we reviewed last time, is another perfect example of folk punk. It’s a weird genre and sometimes it’s hard to explain to people. So when you have genre-defining albums like People Who Can Eat People, it makes it a little easier to talk about.

Phil: I’m really interested in what this record ultimately says about people. It is so dark in places but finishes on an incredibly positive note. This record also harkens back to the acoustic era of this band, a time I think we all have some nostalgia for, even those of us who are into their more recent full band material. Yet, there are so many instruments fleshing out People Who Can Eat People. I think we all agree that this is the band’s best work and a cornerstone of the folk punk genre.

Steve O: That People Who Can Eat People… turns 10 this year and every song on here I still consider incredible just proves how timeless these songs are. “No more racism / no more discrimination / no more fat dumb fucks keeping people out of our nation” from “No More Tears” is just as relevant now, if not more so, than it was 10 years ago. Which is a good segue to say that Sean Bonnette is a fantastic lyricist. Unbelievably creative, every song is packed with memorable lines and brilliant metaphors, revolving around topics such as dealing with anxiety and being kind to humanity. The alliterations at the beginning of “A Song Dedicated to the Memory of Stormy the Rabbit” is unmatched; I can’t recall ever hearing anything else like that.

Phil: This album harnesses the power of concise, powerful lyricism. It’s short on time but deep on meaning. Each song paints a picture and you might notice something different about it each time you take it in.

Danny: This is also an exemplary lo-fi and folk album. I think when you write an album that can be considered a classic in multiple genres ten years later, it deserves to be an All Time Awesome Record!

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Don’t Panic Records & Distro’s Top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2016

Danny Brawlins and Steve O - January 23, 2017

Black metal is an interesting genre. On one hand, it gets a rep for being extremely traditional, for having to stick to established parameters. The trve kvlt doctrine if you will, where if it deviates in any way, then it ceases to be black metal. On the other hand, the one we clearly favor, black metal is potentially the most variable metal genre out there. You can take some basic elements, such as the blast beats, the tremolo picking, or the raspy, shrieked vocals, and apply them just about anywhere. It’s like your ear bones. If you’re like me, you’re a human and those bones (the malleus, incus, and stapes) form a part of your ear. But if you’re a bird or reptile, those bones are a part of your jaw. If you’re a fish, you’re looking at an element of your gills. Too abstract? Maybe, but since a bunch of these records don’t sound like each other, yet we can still categorize them alike, maybe there’s something to it. Regardless, there’s a bunch of records here that cover the whole spectrum that we call black metal. Dig in and enjoy.

10) Skeletonwitch – The Apothic Gloom [Prosthetic]

The responses to this new era of Skeletonwitch have been divided, as The Apothic Gloom marks the debut of new vocalist Adam Clemans, whom you may (should) know as the vocalist of Wolvhammer. Clemans brings a different feel, but honestly, these four songs bring a bit of a different feel, and this should be taken as a whole package, not just a judgement on the new vocalist, as many that have been wont to do. So what do these nearly 21 minutes bring us? A Skeletonwitch on a more epic and grandeur scale – album opener “The Apothic Gloom” would stand as the longest Skeletonwitch song if it weren’t for the epic closer “Red Death, White Light.” Ending with the grand chant, “ignite / the flame / born anew,” which combined with the escalating sense of urgency in the music and the perfect delivery by Clemans (which they also pull off live to an incredible effect), reinforces the idea. This is a new era of Skeletonwitch, darker and grimier, and they’ve gone charging into it masterfully. Can’t wait for the follow up. -SteveO)))

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Change the Rotation's Best Albums of 2016 Bracket

Phil Collins - January 2, 2017

Here we are with the fourth and possibly most dramatic installment of Change the Rotation's best albums of the year bracket. Every year we choose our 32 favorite albums and throw them into a March Madness style bracket to determine our site's album of the year. Steve O, Dave Anians and I were joined by Danny Brawlins to make this a four-person bracket committee for the first time. This meant matchups could result in a tie, and a fair number of them did. Thus the extra drama. We had an iron-clad tie-breaking procedure in place. We all individually assigned points to each album (32 points for our favorite, 1 for our least favorite.) In the event of a tie, the four scores for each album were summed up to determine the winner. This couldn't possibly still produce a tie. Could it? Read on and you will see just how close that came to happening at the bracket's decisive moment.

region 1

The bracket started off with a heated matchup between PUP, who are on the rise in a big way right now, and punk stalwarts the Descendents. This one went to a tie and PUP came out ahead, to the utter shock of half the bracket committee. PUP went on to the quarterfinals, where they lost in a tiebreaker to the winner of region one, Against Me! Bombflower v. Iggy Pop and NOFX v. Against Me! also needed tiebreaking votes in this region.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2016

Ian Tomele

Phil Collins - January 1, 2017

We have one more guest best of 2016 list before we reveal the results of Change the Rotation's best albums of the year bracket. That, in all likelihood, will happen tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled! Today we have a best of 2016 list from Ian Tomele, vocalist and bassist for Voice Of Addiction and main man at Wrecking Ball Productions. Voice Of Addiction has a full-length in the works for 2017. Stream five tracks they recorded live in Canada this year here. Ian's list follows (this list originally appeared on Rock in Chicago).

I was asked once again to list my favorite local and non-local releases of 2016. In no particular order here ya go:

LOCAL:
*Sass Dragons - True Adventure
*Boilerman - Feel Ways About Stuff
*Brick Assassin - Bite the Hand That Feeds
*Squared Off - Call of the Road
*Beat the Smart Kids - Broke Again
*Top Shelf Lickers - Heartbreak City
*The Mizzerables - As I Am
*The Kreutzer Sonata - Fight Songs
*Butchered - Whatever, I Guess...
*Ribbonhead - Racing to the Bottom
*Welfare Beer League - Day Off!

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2016

Connor McNerney

Phil Collins - December 31, 2016

We continue the countdown to the release of our best of 2016 bracket with another guest list. This one comes from Connor McNerney, guitarist for Seasonal Men's Wear and mastermind behind IM Cunj. Stream Seasonal Men's Wear's 9xTOx5xCORE EP here. Stream IM Cunj's latest song, "Sickmas," here. Connor's best of 2016 list follows (this list originally appeared on Facebook.)

         Connor's best of 2016

It's only the beginning of December, and I am probably not even fit to be judging music (nor any sort of art in general), but this is what I enjoyed musically from this year of our lord, 2016. The first list is just an 11 Top Pop, followed by my Top 22 Local Albums & EPs. Neither list is in any kind of ranking, because, well, who am I to have priorities? A lot of good stuff, I encourage you to check out the links provided for the local list. Cheers!

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2016

Adam Kreutzer

Phil Collins - December 30, 2016

Our best of the year posts continue today with another guest list. This one comes from Adam Kreutzer, vocalist of local hardcore punk band The Kreutzer Sonata. Their latest release is a 7-inch split with Boston's The Union Boys. Stream it here. I selected The Kreutzer Sonata's Fight Songs 7-inch as one of my favorite EPs/other releases of 2016. Read about that and stream it here. Here is Adam's best of 2016 list:

1. Shitizen- S/T Cassette
https://shitizen.bandcamp.com/album/shitizen
-Feral sounding Chicago hardcore punk with an attitude and a message. Best played at loud volumes while wasted. Pick up the cassette and catch one of their notorious live sets.

2. The DUI'S- Nightcap (SBS Records)
https://theduis.bandcamp.com/album/nightcap
-Milwaukee's drunkest street punks are also some of the tightest musicians out there. Anthemic songs to start a bar fight to. Melodic and powerful, and great dudes too!

3. On the Cinder- The Fight Against Ourselves (Between the Days Records)
https://onthecinder.bandcamp.com/album/the-fight-against-ourselves
-New full length from Buffalo, NY road dogs. Socially/politically conscious without any pretension and FAST AS FUCK! Pick up this LP. Guaranteed they will be in Chicago again soon, so catch them live!

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2016

Nick Cvijovic

Phil Collins - December 29, 2016

We here at Change the Rotation recently voted on our favorite albums of 2016 in a suspenseful, drama-filled battle of the fittest. Soon we will reveal the results of our annual best albums of the year bracket. First, we have some guest year end lists from people involved in the local music scene. Today, take in a best of the year list from Nick Cvijovic, vocalist and guitarist for Chicago punk/ska band Butchered. Listen to their latest EP, Whatever, I Guess..., here. Butchered plays at Brauerhouse in Lombard on Friday with Johnny Automatic, The Mizzerables and 80 Proof Preacher. More information on that show here. Here is Nick's list of the top music and what not of 2016.

Top Punk Albums:
1. PUP The Dream is Over
2. White Lung Paradise
3. Arms Aloft What a Time to be Barely Alive

Top Metal/Hardcore Albums:
1. Oathbreaker Rheia
2. The Dillinger Escape Plan Dissociation
3. G.L.O.S.S. Trans Day of Revenge

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Oh My Snare! tour dispatch

Jorel of Oh My Snare! - August 29, 2016

[Our friends in Oh My Snare! are currently on a West Coast tour through September 1st . We asked them to keep a tour journal so we can all find out what these French Canadians are up to as they traverse the wild, wild west. They enthusiastically obliged. Keep checking in for more stories as they circle around out west. If you live on that side of the country, go see them and tell them how great they are. Tour dates are more info here: facebook.com/ohmysnare. – Steve O]

Day 1 - Best Friends!!!

“What do you mean, you lost my luggage?” said Dan between two farts. As Canadians, flatulences are one of our preferred ways to deal with frustration, along with apologies and maple syrup binge drinking. Oh, after such a long flight, Dan could easily have lost his temper and yelled at the baggage claim guy, or sarcastically praised the stupendous efficiency of the airline he works for; but then again, that wouldn’t have been very Canadian of him, so he simply farted in disapproval, and Seb and I echoed his rear whisper to show our support. I tried to go for the seventh harmony, to which the attendant’s eyes immediately betrayed a blend of disgust and fascination. And off we went. Better things were waiting for us at the Denver terminal. Friends.

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CTR picks our top 22 PIX releases from 22 years of Plan-It-X Records

Steve O - July 20, 2016

Earlier this year the news broke that, after twenty-two years, Plan-It-X Records was calling it a day. Label co-founder Chris Clavin sites the difficulties in running a physical label in these digital times and the financial struggles involved, while also stating that “Plan-it-X is no longer needed.” Now I’m sure that last claim could be debated, but what is unanimous is that it is indeed a sad fact that Plan-It-X is throwing in the towel. Over those twenty-two years, Plan-It-X released over a hundred great records, played a large role in introducing folk punk to the world, had its own festival that raised money for charity, and perhaps most importantly, served as a communal network and aid to innumerable punks and bands. And so here, in the twenty-second and last year of Plan-It-X, and about a month before Plan-It-X Fest (as of this writing), we gather to recollect on those twenty-two years. Much like the passing of Gordie Howe brought beautiful recollections and tales of his hockey prowess and high character; we have chosen here to celebrate the achievements of Plan-It-X Records instead of mourning its retirement. We collectively determined our twenty-two favorite Plan-It-X releases, in honor of twenty-two years of the label, using a pretty legit and mathematical process. In what follows below, we tell you why these twenty-two records stand out and why Plan-It-X Records means so much to us. We all have fond memories of these bands; discovering them, telling our friends about them, seeing them play live. It’s purely speculative fiction to say this still would have happened without Plan-It-X. The fact is that Plan-It-X had a knack for being involved with sincere musicians, who were dedicated to the DIY ethic and made music with a positive and important message. So without further ado (and any more inane rambling), here it is. Change the Rotation’s twenty-two favorite releases, from twenty-two years of Plan-It-X Records!

Here, Not There

22) Heathers – Here, Not There
PIX071
2008

I can’t help but say that this one seems perfect to me. The pace and intensity is amazing. Even when things are soft, even when things are slow, it is impossible to not be swept into the rhythms and intensity of everything happening. On top of that, we have amazing rhythm guitar work. On top of that, we have the part that most people notice right away: Duo vocals! And beautiful/catchy melodies! And harmonies! And wise/relatable lyricism! Heathers represents so much of what folk music can be while not shying away from the pop elements that keep their songs in your head. Also: What else sounds like this!? God damn!! How is this only two people and one guitar?? — Dave Anians

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Don’t Panic, It’s a Distro’s Top 10 Black Metal Albums of the Year 2015

Danny Brawlins and Steve O - January 14, 2016

Usually when we do anything with Don’t Panic, It’s a Distro, we like to focus on underground DIY punk bands, mostly from the Chicago area (what up DeKalb?). However, there’s a few other genres out there that we are really fucking crazy about that we never cover. One of those genres is black metal. It’s raw, emotional, lo-fi, underground and largely DIY; most of the things we love about punk… that and we couldn’t agree on a 2015 klezmer or avant-garde jazz best of list. These albums were handpicked by both Steve O))) and myself in a very precise, quasi-logical manner. If you feel someone got robbed, or think we missed a good album, or if you just wanna talk black metal find us on Facebook or drop us a line at itsadistro@gmail.com.

10) (tie) Striborg – This Suffocating Existence

I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard much of what Striborg has been putting out as of recently which is why I was a little surprised when I first heard This Suffocating Existence. Instead of the harsh terrifying noise and pained shrieks I expect from a Striborg album, there are melodies and song structures. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a fucking harsh and terrifying album but it kinda strikes me as Striborg’s version of a pop album. Take that as you will. I don’t know about you but I love this album. If you’re new to Striborg, I’d recommend Foreboding Silence over this. If you’re new to black metal, I’d recommend a different band altogether. – Danny (Razed Soul Productions)

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Change the Rotation's Best Albums of 2015 Bracket

Phil Collins - January 6, 2016

For the third year running, we here at Change the Rotation have pitted our 32 favorite albums of the year against each other in a bracket. The agony, the ecstasy. We love all these albums. There are many albums we loved that did not make the cut. Steve O, Dave Anians and I all submitted our nominations for the best albums of 2015. We then narrowed the field down to 32 full-length albums. Those albums were drawn randomly into the bracket. The three of us voted on each matchup until we came up with a champion, to be named Change the Rotation's album of the year.

Bracket region 1

Full Communism by Downtown Boys defeated Mischief Brew's This Is Not For Children to take region 1. Screaming Females put out a great album this year but fell in the first round Don Giovanni matchup with Downtown Boys. Tel Aviv's Not On Tour got a vote but couldn't overcome Mischief Brew.

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Guest lists: The Best of 2015

Jason Jerde

Phil Collins - January 4, 2016

Today's guest year-end list comes from Jason Jerde of Manglor Records and Lester and The Finks. Here is his list of 10 records you should buy:

1) Black Panties - Future 7” (Windian) - Black Panties had three 7”s released this year. This one on Windian, another on Lumpy Records and one on Total Punk. They are all fucking must haves, but I think the Windian release takes the lead by a hair. Look for a Black Panties 7” on Manglor Records in 2015.

2) C.C.T.V. - 7” (Lumpy Records) - This record is absolutely amazing. It features members of The Coneheads (Also on this list), but with female vocals. If you like Suburban Lawns and Devo, you will love this. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

3) Golden Pelicans - Oldest Ride, Longest Line 12” (Total Punk) - Golden Pelicans made the list, big surprise there. These guys unleash the most bad ass shit. Their second 12” record came this year on Total Punk and is not one to pass up. More importantly, if you get a chance to see them live, GO. Doesn’t get much better.

4) Cal and the Calories - Bastard in a Yellow Suit 7” (Total Punk) - Snotty as fuck. Lumpy’s (and the Dumpers) alter ego. Title track will be stuck in your head for days.

5) Gino and the Goons - Push Your Luck 7” (Pelican Pow Wow) Gino also came out with a 7” on Black Gladiator this year. I guess really it’s a toss up, so snatch them both up.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2015

Sean Rafferty, Henry Brawlins, Jake Joyce

Phil Collins - January 1, 2016

Today we have another set of guests sharing their picks for the best of 2015. This time we hear from Sean Rafferty, Henry Brawlins and Jake Joyce.

Sean Rafferty

Sean is the guitarist and vocalist for The Cheap Dates and handles vocals, guitar and bass for Firing Squad. Here are Sean's picks from 2015:

Favorite Friend Jams of 2015, Y’all

Initially, when I started thinking about my favorite releases of 2015, new records by bands like Radioactivity, Vexx, Canadian Rifle, Blank Pages, and Royal Headache, among others, came to mind. Killer stuff. However, I felt like I didn’t have anything new to say about these releases that hadn’t already been said in MRR, Razorcake, or any other solid fanzine being cranked out by a menagerie of unkempt weirdos. So, instead, I decided to make a list of my favorite releases by friends’ bands. However, this isn’t just masturbatory, vacuous glad-handing. Yes, knowing the people who created this music probably endears it to the ol’ earholes that much more, but I have a genuine, abiding affection for these recordings and these songs. It seemed like every few weeks this year friends of mine were releasing something that blew my dick off. It’s hard to have your dick blown off that many times and not find it remarkable enough to surrender to myopia and give these recordings their due. So, in no particular order, here’s a list of some of my favorite friend jams of 2015.

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Guest Lists: The Best of 2015

Plus Sign, Danny Brawlins

Phil Collins - December 30, 2015

We will soon reveal Change the Rotation's best of 2015 bracket selections. First, we have some guest best of the year lists from people involved in the local music scene. Today, feast your eyes on picks from Plus Sign and Danny Brawlins.

Plus Sign

+ has released 17 albums and puts on fun, unique live performances. Check out + at tenderdiscovery.com. Catch + live with Calvin Johnson and the films of Molly Hewitt on January 23 at Pinky Swear in Humboldt Park. Read Plus Sign's best of 2015 list after the jump.

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All Time Awesome Record: Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose

Steve O - December 1, 2015

Show of hands, how many of you have ever read the metal magazine, Decibel? Oh, right, this is the internet. Anyways, they do this great thing called the Hall of Fame, which essentially tells the whole story of a classic metal record, from writing to recording to touring and what-have you. It’s one of my favorite parts of each issue, whether I agree with the record of choice or not. And it’s such an interesting topic to think about too. Is this a classic record, worthy of a Hall of Fame designation, or just pretty damn good?

Since I started contributing to Change the Rotation, I thought it would be fun to try something like Decibel’s Hall of Fame. Obviously, we can’t do the same thing. For one, they talk with everyone who played on the record, and a little blog like this doesn’t have the clout to do something like that. After much pondering the issue, I thought of something we could do: We can talk about some of our favorite records. Not just records one of us likes, or that we think are pretty good, or that we’ve been listening to a lot lately, but records that have stood the test of time and have had a meaningful impact on each of us. An All Time Awesome Record.

All Time Awesome Record

After more deliberation about how to do this and worthy records for induction, I am proud to introduce the new, hopefully somewhat regular, feature to Change the Rotation. A record that is at least five years old and has received unanimous support for induction from all three of us. A record that has had some meaningful, lasting impact on us. A record that is so good we recruited a friend to talk about it with us. A record that is so good it deserves the title: All Time Awesome Record.

Our first test subject, I mean guest, is our good friend Danny Brawlins. He’s the founder of Don’t Panic, It’s A Distro, an organization we work closely with. He’s the one who brings you all sorts of awesome shows and records in a shoebox. He’s also a Cheap Date. As in, a member of the band the Cheap Dates. You can, and should, check them out here: facebook.com/thecheapdateschicago / thecheapdates.bandcamp.com. And if you don’t already, keep up with everything Don’t Panic, It’s A Distro does over here: facebook.com/dontpanicdistro.

Just about a year ago we named Against Me!’s newest record, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, as the best record of 2014. We all loved it, and it defeated some great records in its march to glory. It’s another tally mark on their great career, chock-full of great songs that join a catalog of great songs stretching back 15-plus years. And so with our initial All Time Awesome Record, we take a look at Against Me!’s seminal, 2002, full length debut, Reinventing Axl Rose.

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Change the Rotation's best albums of 2014 bracket

Phil Collins - January 4, 2015

Another year has come to a close and it has been another great year for music. Change the Rotation's three writers (Dave Anians, Steve O and myself) spent the month of December narrowing our favorite albums of the year down to the 32 that competed in this bracket. Those 32 choices were drawn randomly into the bracket. We then spent the better part of four hours hashing out our emotions about each record. Some of these matchups were a 3-0 sweep, while others were grueling 2-1 ordeals. Ultimately I think the right album prevailed, although that final vote was not unanimous. One note: nominations for the bracket were restricted to full-length albums. Check here for some other releases Dave found worthy of checking out this year, here for Steve O's championing of Wasted Potetial's EP as one of his favorite releases of the year and here for some of my top EPs and 7-inches of 2014. Without further delay, Change the Rotation's selections for the best albums of 2014:

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Staff picks: CTR writers choose our 17 favorite albums

Phil Collins - October 12, 2014

How can a lifetime filled with music at every opportunity be boiled down to just 17 top albums? It was not easy, but targeting a number forces the writer to cut it off somewhere. Why 17? 17 is not really any more random than a nice round number like 10 or 20. For this list, I chose the albums that had a big influence on me that I still listen to today. In no particular order, here are my 17 picks:

1. Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Goes Numb (2003)

Ska is not typically known for its complexity. Streetlight Manifesto's debut album embraces the energy of third wave ska while lacing it with sophistication in the music and lyrics. I played this album into the ground during 2007, to the point that I couldn't listen to it for a while after that. Now I can listen to it without it becoming a full on relapse. Everything Goes Numb remains my favorite album by one of my favorite bands.

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Staff picks: CTR writers choose our 17 favorite albums

Steve O - October 10, 2014

So I believe that this is something that’s been going around on Facebook. Not being very Facebook active, it made no sense for me to post this list on there. It made perfect sense, however, for it to be a special feature for Change the Rotation. Instead of just having a list of favorite records (which honestly probably changes every day), this is a combination list of favorites and some of the most influential records. Also, what’s up with limiting this to 17? Anyways, the list:

1) AFI – The Art of Drowning (2000)

The Art of Drowning

So back when I was first getting into punk in 7th grade, it was 3 “A” bands: AFI, Alkaline Trio, and Anti-Flag. AFI are the representative of that era to make it onto this list. I love the way they mix a hardcore vibe into these melodic songs, all marked by Davey Havok’s distinctive voice. There’s a dark overtone to the whole record, but it’s still insanely catchy. 13 years after hearing it for the first time I still know every word.

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Staff picks: CTR writers choose our 17 favorite albums

Dave Anians - October 8, 2014

So for my list, I tried my best to stay away from bands with more than one competing album in my mind. This means I left out some of my favorite bands, which was pretty fun to try. It’s also in autobiographical order, in case that kind of thing is cool to you. These mean a bunch to me, so thanks for reading what I think about ‘em!

Also, this list deserves a shout out to Ryan and Corey B, who got me into punk rock in the first place. Whether or not that’s a good thing is still to be decided.

1. The Clash- The Clash

I think this is the first CD I ever bought. The Clash is my favorite band, and while I don’t listen to them nearly as much as I used to, they will probably remain in that spot indefinitely. The self-titled is their first album, and while it’s hard to say I love it more than some of their others, I can’t deny (“Deny!!”) the way that the attitude and hooks of this album molded my pre-teen brain.

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Tales of a Riot Fest Dropout

D. Brawlins of Don't Panic, It's a Distro - September 27, 2014

I’d like to say I didn’t go to Riot Fest this year for some profound reason like my concerns over the gentrification of Humboldt Park, or because corporate sponsored events don’t belong in punk rock or that I didn’t go because it’s been a threat to the DIY community in years past. Although these are all pretty big concerns of mine, I was really just too underwhelmed with the line up to justify shelling out the cash. Instead, I decided to see what else Chicago had to offer.

Friday night, I did not see NOFX, Offspring or Slayer; I went to someone’s basement… although I’m not sure if anyone actually lived there… and saw the vegan power violence band, Punch. First off, I asked the wrong punk for the address and ended up in Little Village, leaving me to walk a mile in the rain to the right house. When I arrived, there was a dude in a studded denim vest smoking a cigarette on the stoop; I gave him a nod and he motioned for me to come in. I went down to the dark and musky basement, looked around and noticed people were drinking, “cool,” I thought to myself. I went back out in the rain and picked up a six pack, tall boys of course. Got back to the show to catch the openers which was a similar experience to being repeatedly hit in the head with a brick, only with more positive results. The opener that really stood out to me was a poppy hardcore band called The Wrong, who had a fierce trans front woman with the loudest and most beautiful scream I ever heard. She was very aggressive and brought a ridiculous amount of energy to the crowd.

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Point/Counterpoint on Andrew Jackson Jihad as a full band

Phil Collins and Steve O - July 28, 2014

Steve O and I have both seen Andrew Jackson Jihad several times during the last handful of years. During this span of time, the band has transformed from a two person acoustic live show to a full band electric live show. Their recorded music, in turn, has followed a trajectory moving away from pure folk punk and toward indie rock territory. In this point/counterpoint, I detail the merits of this change and Steve O discusses the reasons why AJJ is better as a two-man enterprise.

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Change the Rotation's 2013 albums of the year bracket beatdown

Phil Collins - January 12, 2014

During the last month of 2013 and the first couple weeks of 2014, the Change the Rotation staff put our heads together to come up with our favorite albums of 2013. Steve O, Dave Anians and I each submitted our top picks. We narrowed that list down to 32 and bracketized it to see who would come out on top in a March Madness style throwdown. OK, the real inspiration for this came from that episode of "How I Met Your Mother" when Barney puts the names of all the women he has wronged into a bracket to figure out who is sabotaging him. We drew the 32 albums completely at random, resulting in some painful first round matchups. Some albums may have made it farther than they did with a different draw, while others benefitted and made it farther than they otherwise would have. In any case, I think we ended up with a winner that would have been hard to beat however the matchups came out.

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