10. King Crimson - Red [2013 Reissue] (DGM)
I've been slowly dipping my toes into King Crimson, ever since someone uploaded three excellently curated discs to a message board I frequent a few years ago. Combine this with my love of all things Steven Wilson and I was thrilled to see the reissue of this record in a 2-disc version, complete with some bonus live material and a Steven Wilson remix of the entire record. This marked the end of the 70s era, as Robert Fripp would disband this version shortly after Red came out. I'm not well versed enough to know how this slots into their overall career arc, but it should a markedly different version of the band than I was used to hearing.
9. Thee Oh Sees - Singles Collection Vol. 3 (Castle Face)
As it says on the tin, this is volume three in the ongoing attempt to capture all of the singles, one-offs, covers and rarities from Thee Oh Sees, this time encompassing 2011-2013. The twenty minutes worth of live material at the end is the obvious highlight, but I also really fell for their Sonic Youth and Mr. Quintron covers, "Burning Spear" and "FBI2" respectively.
8. Rodan - Fifteen Quiet Years (Quarterstick)
Though I knew they also released an EP and a handful of other stray tracks, Rodan, for me, was always one of those bands that released one perfect record, Rusty in this case, before disappearing completely. So I was thankful for this chance to grab some of their scattered compilation appearances and Peel sessions, especially considering the bonus digital download of ten live tracks. Rodan played a key part in the development of a certain strain of 90s indie rock, leading as they did to bands like Shipping News, June of 44 and Rachel's, among others. This is a great chance to understand that the fuss extended well beyond just Rusty.
7. Rilo Kiley - Rkives (Little Record Company)
While it wasn't until 2014 when Jenny Lewis made it pretty much official, everyone had pretty much assumed that Rilo Kiley was gone for good before that. So those of us fans were really happy to hear about this posthumous collection of scraps and B-sides. Given the wide scope, this actually plays pretty damn well as some sort of "lost" Rilo Kiley record, weaving in their growth from a hushed indie rock band to the full-blown pop stars they aimed to become with their major label bow. I've loved all of Jenny's solo work enough not to be terribly brokenhearted, but I will miss her interactions with Blake Sennett. Still not sure about that Too $hort remix though.
6. Mad Season - Above [Deluxe Edition] (Columbia)
This was a seminal record for me back in college. And, no, that isn't hyperbole. I must have listened to this at least 200 times in the first six months after it was released. At the time I was a huge grunge guy and I loved how it bled out into blues lethargy and an almost jazz-like feel. A lot of people wrote this off as a Layne Staley vanity project, but each of the four members (five when you count Mark Lanegan's contributions) played a very important part. This reissue adds as bonus tracks the only other five songs they ever officially released (including a John Lennon cover) as well as an audio version of the Live at the Moore performance (which I originally owned on VHS, I was really hardcore about these dudes at one time).
5. Killing Joke - The Singles Collection 1979-2012 (Spinefarm)
Killing Joke were a weird band, a constantly evolving unit that was difficult to pin down and always fascinating to hear evolve. This 2-disc collection of their singles tries really hard to form a cohesive narrative. While I'm not sure it ever does, this band is so hard to distill, it does make for a great listen. From their earliest punk days to the goth-rock years to the synth-pop experiments to industrial, it's all here and accounted for. The best advice I can give is to just dive in with both feet and find out which eras appeal first.
4. The Smashing Pumpkins - The Aeroplane Flies High [Reissue] (EMI)
As a longtime Smashing Pumpkins fan, though let's not talk about whatever that current incarnation is, I've been a huge fan of this extensive reissue campaign. I was really surprised to hear that they were even going all out with The Aeroplane Flies High, considering its original incarnation was itself a clearinghouse for B-sides and demos. But they managed to jam pack 6 discs with a whole boatload of MCIS era demos, live tracks and all manner of ephemera. Plus, a live DVD from France. The only drawback is that the box is nowhere near as cool as that 45 box that the original version came in.
3. Nirvana - In Utero [20th Anniversary Reissue] (DGC)
While not nearly as extensive or wide-reaching as the Smashing Pumpkins reissue campaign, mostly because Cobain was not nearly as obsessive about recording every stray thought as Billy Corgan was, this is still a really well done reissue of a seminal grunge era record. I loved this when it came out, most days I think this is actually my favorite Nirvana record, and it's nice to have the era's B-sides and demos all in one place.
2. Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) (Columbia)
The years encompassed by the latest entry in the always excellent Bootleg Series were strange ones for Dylan, leading to two 1970 albums that weren't originally well received and marked an interesting turn in his career. These two discs do a great job of allowing us to reevaluate this era, while making the case that Dylan's songwriting was as strong as ever, even if it was branching out into unexpected directions. The alternate versions of the New Morning and Self Portrait tracks also make a case for those records being a lot better than you probably remember.
1. Various Artists - Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound (Numero Group)
Leave it to the good folks at Numero Group to unearth another stellar collection of songs that highlight another unexpected corner of the musical universe - this time the rock, soul and funk hybrid that bubbled up in the 1970s and early 80s that paved the way for one Prince Rogers Nelson to take the world by storm. Admittedly, this type of music isn't something I reach for often, but I think that says something about how overjoyed I am whenever I listen to these tracks. The names aren't familiar, but there are some stone cold classic tunes buried within.
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