2012 roundup: The Bulletin's top 5 pop/rock CDs

There was more to 2012 than Gangnam Style, believe it or not. Here is our selection of this year's best releases.

Ronnie Dawson with High Noon and Lisa Pankratz - The Carnegie Hall Tour

Ronnie Dawson, who succumbed to cancer nearly 10 years ago, was that rare thing in the world of rockabilly: a veteran from the 1950s who, once ‘rediscovered’ by revivalists, set out to write, record and tour new material rather than simply live off his old back catalogue. The thing is, the ‘Blond Bomber’ was a workaholic. This live album was recorded in 1994 in Columbus, OH and Marion, IN and sees Dawson at the height of his powers, backed by the always-excellent High Noon and in-your-face drummer Lisa Pankratz. The good vibes exuding from these recordings are mighty infectious, from Joe Tex’s Yum Yum Yum to Dawson’s own 1959 hit, Rockin’ Bones, via later material of his (Rockin’ in the Cemetery, Up Jumped the Devil). Unseen photographs and genuinely moving liner notes by Pankratz and High Noon’s Sean Mencher make this lovingly assembled artefact an absolute must for fans of genuine rockabilly.

(Bear Family)

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Meat and Bone

Let us render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s: without the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, a large chunk of today’s garage rock’n’roll bands wouldn’t exist. His trademark sound – Mick Taylor’s sleazy riffs, James Brown’s sexy grooves, Lux Interior’s demented vocals – has often been copied, but never equalled. Eight years after the guest-heavy Damage, the new album kicks off in no-nonsense rock’n’roll fashion (Black Mold – the video for which is 100% Belgian) and simply never lets go, thanks in no small part to Judah Bauer’s guitar work and Russell Simins’ peerless timekeeping.

(Bronze Rat)

The North Sea Scrolls - The North Sea Scrolls

With their respective - former - bands (Microdisney then Fatima Mansions for the former, The Auteurs and Black Box Recorder for the latter), Cathal Coughlan and Luke Haines both used a similar approach: grim and vitriolic lyrics sung to backdrops of bijou pop craftsmanship. The North Sea Scrolls sees them join forces, together with rock journo Andrew Mueller (acting as the narrator) for a totally crackpot project: chronicling the, ahem, real history of the British Isles. Ireland invades and subdues Britain, Arthur Scargill appoints himself Witchfinder General, that sort of thing. The song titles alone are priceless, from The Broadmoor Blues Delta (in which Gomez singer Ian Ball tries to kidnap Princess Anne) to The Australian IRA Show (like the Australian Pink Floyd tribute band, only re-enacting the Enniskillen bombing instead of prog-rock songs). But the real beauty lies in those sumptuous melodies cooked up by Messrs Coughlan and Haines.

(Fantastic Plastic)

Gallon Drunk - The Road Gets Darker From Here

This seventh album finds Gallon Drunk in astounding form. From the opening fuzzed-up riff of You Made Me to the hypnotic feedback-and-organ drone of The Perfect Dancer, every facet of this most complex of bands is displayed with devastating effect. Stuck In My Head, a duet with Underground Railroad’s Marion Andrau, even bears a passing resemblance to 1997’s majestic In The Long Still Night. The album is, of course, dedicated to the memory of bassist Simon Wring, who passed away a year ago. It was the most fitting, the most perfect way for the band to pay their respects and come to terms with their loss at the same time. For the rest of us, The Road Gets Darker From Here is “only” an exceptional album.

(Clouds Hill Ltd / Rough Trade)

Doghouse Sam & his Magnatones - Buddha Blue

Over 13 songs, Buddha Blue displays the ease with which the individual styles of singer-guitarist Wouter Celis, bassist Jack O’Roonie and drummer Franky Gomez blend together, from the fast-paced Ain’t Got Time to the more roots-rock sounding It Ain’t Easy. Refreshing touches such as the honky-tonk piano on Roll Up My Sleeves add variety to what is a mighty fine blues album, unobtrusively produced and combining precise vocals with razor-sharp musicianship.

(Music Avenue / Blues Boulevard)