Comeback Special 2014

In this episode of Comeback Specials, we set the controls of the wayback machine to 2014.  After listening to over three dozen albums by artists who had not released anything new in a decade or more, I chose a song from each and compiled them.  Thought went into the song selection and sequencing, just as it did when I was a nerdy boyfriend trying to impress a young woman with a mixtape. It's all there except for the carefully hand lettered artist names and song titles. 

2014’s most significant comebacks were probably D’Angelo, The Pixies, Funkadelic, and (most improbably) Linda Perhacs, 44 years after her 1970 album Parallelograms.  Like Cold Fact, Red Hash and Just Another Diamond Day before it, Parallelograms was a little known LP from the early 1970’s that gained recognition and influence among a generation of listeners who weren’t even born when those albums were released to an indifferent public.  The musicians were located and informed (often to their great surprise) of their newfound online fame, as well as the new interest in seeing them perform and hearing any unreleased songs that they may have to offer to the eager ears of a world that had once passed them by.

D’Angelo, on the other hand, had withdrawn from fame after his 2000 sophomore album Voodoo.  2014’s Black Messiah was a triumphant return, but it was also his final album (the artist born Michael Archer died in 2025).  The Pixies had begun a series of reunion tours in 2004, but 2014’s Indie Cindy was their first new album of original songs since 1992. (The songs were first released as a series of three EP’s.)  

Funkadelic’s return was a sprawling triple album of 33 songs (one for each of the 33 years since their last album in 1981).  First Ya Gotta Shake The Gate included contributions (some of them posthumous) from first generation Funkateers (Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Cordell “Boogie” Mosson, David Spradley, DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, Eddie Hazel, Fred Wesley, Gary Shider, Jeff “Cherokee” Bunn, Jessica Cleaves, Michael Hampton, Rodney “Skeet” Curtis), plus some young folks with a strong Mothership connection (three generations of Clintons, plus Gary Shider’s son Garrett).  Guests included Sly Stone and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien.

Another sprawling comeback was created by The Rentals.  It was originally a much larger multimedia project called Songs About Time, which included music, films and photographs.  The more traditionally structured songs were condensed into the 2014 album, Lost In Alphaville.  Like The Pixies, The Rentals originally released their new music on a series of EP’s.  And coincidentally, Joey Santiago played on both projects.

Kim Shattuck had briefly replaced Kim Deal in the Pixies in 2013, but she was fired before the recording of Indie Cindy.  Proving once again that living well is the best revenge, Kim and The Muffs released an excellent album of new songs in 2014.

Other unexpected comebacks from 2014 included Curved Air (first album since 1976); The Boys (first since 1980); The Babys (first since 1981, but with a different singer); The Real Kids (first since 1983); and The Happy Refugees (first since 1984). The Electric Prunes also returned in 2014 with their first record since 1970 (a mix of new songs and old ones).  The Van Pelt will appear again on Comeback Special 2023, and The Woodentops reappear on Comeback Special 2024.

I remember buying the Chrome and D’Angelo albums when they came out in 2014, and a friend of mine was really into the Cibo Matto record.   Don’t think I heard any of the others back then, but there are some excellent songs on both of these hourlong sets.  

Comeback Special 2013

As we get into the 2010’s, the number of comeback albums increases significantly.  The 2012 Comeback Special was a two disc set, and today's 2013 compilation is as well. The increase is both mathematically and historically inevitable: in the 2010’s, there were simply more musical artists who could reunite than there were in earlier decades, and more music fans who might want to attend a comeback tour and buy a reunion album.  

In the 2010's, we had not yet reached the point of music consumers abandoning physical media. You could still buy a new car with an in-dash CD player.  Spotify came to the US in 2011, and it didn’t immediately dominate listening habits to the extent that it does in 2026.  

Another factor in the rise of the comeback album might be the decreased barriers to entry.  In the 21st century, artists can record and release their own music without a record label contract, and make something that sounds professional without going into a recording studio.  For example, Luscious Jackson’s 2013 comeback album was crowdfunded by PledgeMusic.  Jill Cunniff taught herself ProTools and produced the record. There were also new distribution channels.  CD Baby was founded in 1998, and partnered with iTunes in 2004.  The first Record Store Day was in 2007, and Bandcamp opened for business in 2008.  

The Drake meme accompanying today’s post can be applied to Geese, Bad Bunny, Drake, Kendrick, and my own musical prejudices.  For last year's 2025 Comeback Special, I disdained Counting Crows, Spin Doctors, and a few others.  For 2013, I have excluded the comeback albums from Starship, Johnny Hates Jazz, the Standells, and Osage Tribe (an Italian progressive rock band).  I listened to the Standells' album Bump several times, and I can only say that I wish it was a better record. The band Boston barely made the cut.

The biggest comebacks of 2013 were probably David Bowie’s surprise release of The Next Day, the long-awaited return of My Bloody Valentine, and Black Sabbath’s 13 (with Ozzy, Tommy, and Geezer, but without Bill Ward).  13 turned out to be the final Black Sabbath studio album, but we wouldn’t know that until 2025.  Greg Ginn and Ron Reyes hoisted the banner of Black Flag, but their 2013 return was not well-received.  If you’re a Britpop fan, the Suede reunion album Bloodsports was a big deal.  And if you live in New Zealand, the return of the Exponents (with a new album and a documentary film) was a major multimedia event. Damn, that Exponents song is good!

The longest gaps between albums among the 2013 comeback artists were the Standells (46 years), the British psychedelic band July (45 years), the aforementioned Osage Tribe (41 years) and the duo Delbert & Glen (40 years).  We have a wealth of Delbert McClinton's music here on the blog, and many more Comeback Special compilations.

P.S. There’s a great article about the Reivers in last year’s Austin Music Issue of the Oxford American magazine.  Read it here!

2024 Comeback Comeback

Here's a post to correct significant omissions from 2024’s Comeback Special compilation.  I haven’t found a reliable method to keep up with all the comebacks released in a given year.  Having only recently completed a 2025 comebacks compilation, I’ve already found four that I missed (Bill Fox, Feedbacks, Rwake, and Thee Headcoatees).  EDIT: add OK Go, The Farm, John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, and a posthumous album by The Saints!  

The 2024 Comeback Special included 22 artists who released albums of new original music after an absence of a decade or more.  And yet, I missed another 28 comebacks from 2024: far too many to include on a CD-length compilation.  I had to leave out Belong, Kittie, Manu Chao, Propaganda and Stetsasonic.  (There was also a 2024 release from Plasticland called Spree, but I couldn’t find it online anywhere, and apparently the songs were completed a decade earlier.)

The award for the longest time between albums (40 years!) goes to The Heats, whose self-titled 2024 album follows their 1983 debut, The Heats Have An Idea.  It’s been almost that long for The Prisoners, who returned with Morning Star in 2024.  And over 30 years passed before the 2024 comebacks of the Jack Rubies, Propaganda, Stetsasonic, and Toadliquor.

Last year, Khayem reminded me that Beth Gibbons and Gavin Friday had released solo comeback albums in 2024.  Koen discovered that Jona Lewie also released a new record in 2024. 

The biggest name I missed among last year’s comebacks was The Black Crowes.  The Robinson brothers buried the hatchet and reunited in 2019, but it took another five years to release an album of new songs. At the ass-end of 2025, “Rats And Clowns” sounds quite topical, as does “Cross The Line” by Connecticut hardcore band The Pist (who somehow knew in 2024 that the essential question of 2025 would be, “Am I being detained?”)

I front-loaded this compilation with the grooviest songs, and put the heavy stuff at the end. Like 2024 itself, it starts out fun and ends in anger and despair, with everyone wondering how the hell to make sense of this crazy mess. Here's to better days, friends.

Comeback Special 2025

 

It’s almost the end of the year, and time for the 2025 Comeback Special.  Artists who haven’t released an album of new music in a decade or more are featured here, just in time for your holiday gift shopping or wish listing.  

These compilations take longer and longer to assemble, as it seems that more and more artists are active again, which can be a good thing.  I listened to over 40 new releases and selected a song from each one.  This year I allowed myself to skip a few: namely, the comeback albums from 38 Special, Doobie Brothers, Spin Doctors, and Counting Crows.  Honestly I don't want to hear a record called Butter Miracle - The Complete Sweets!

The biggest and most anticipated names to stage a comeback in 2025 were Alice Cooper (the band), Chameleons (UK), Pulp, and Stereolab. The ones I was personally looking forward to most were mclusky and Prolapse.   

Several artists didn’t live to see their own comebacks.  Tim Smith (leader of the band Cardiacs) died in 2020, and the album LSD (which he had been planning for years) was completed by Cardiacs bandmates and guests.  Adam Schlesinger died in 2020; his bandmates in the group Ivy completed the album Traces Of You without him.  

The rapper Prodigy (half of the duo Mobb Deep) died in 2017, and the album Infinite was completed this year by surviving member Havoc, their producer The Alchemist, and guests including Ghostface, Raekwon, and The Clipse. 

Speaking of The Clipse, the rapper No Malice returned from his self-imposed retirement to make a new album with his brother Pusha T and the producer Pharrell Williams (who had coproduced the previous Clipse records).  Let God Sort ‘Em Out is also an album affected by death, in this case the loss of the brothers’ parents.  

It has been over 50 years since Alice Cooper (the band) broke up. The new album features the late Glen Buxton on "What Happened To You". 

It's now more than 40 years since the last albums by Atomic Rooster, the Armory Show, and Glaxo Babies.  

At least 30 years have passed since the last albums by the Dogmatics and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry.  

20+ years: 20/20, 38 Special, Black Eyes, the Cardiacs, the Chameleons (UK), the Cruel Sea, Deadguy, Dr. Strangely Strange, Edith Frost, the Mayflies (USA), mclusky, Mobb Deep, Prolapse, Pulp, and Slick Rick. This year's comeback albums by Mobb Deep and Slick Rick are part of the Legend Has It series of new LP's by veteran MC’s.  

Plenty to absorb among these 42 tracks, and hopefully you'll find something to make the yuletide bright.  

Comeback Special: 2012

It's been awhile since a Comeback Special appeared on this blog.  The idea is, I listen to the comeback albums from a given year by artists who released their first new original music in a decade or more.  I choose the best (or least terrible) song from each of these albums and assemble them into (you guessed it) a CD-length compilation.

It's interesting to hear what these artists have to say after an absence of ten or more years, and how they choose to say it.  The are older and (presumably) wiser.  Do they acknowledge their absence, and the changes in music that have happened while they were away?  Do they try to win over younger listeners?  Or do they ignore the passage of time, and party like it's still 1999?  

There was a long gap between the 2011 Comeback Special and this one. There were so many comebacks in 2012, and it took awhile to listen to all of them.  One of the biggest was David Lee Roth's return to Van Halen.  He left in 1985, and brothers Eddie and Alex hadn't made an album since 1998's disastrous Van Halen III.  DLR and EVH definitely try to turn the clock back to their glory days. Taking a different approach, The Nomads sing, "We can't go back to how it was before/ We can't go back, we're not the same anymore."

The award for longest absence goes to the Alabama hard rock band Felt (not the British band or the hip hop group of the same name).  Felt's self-titled debut was released in 1971, and the "difficult second album" appeared 41 years later.  In second place is Comus (with their first album since 1974), and the bronze medal goes to Afro-Jazz ensemble The Pyramids with their first new record since 1976.

Our runner ups are Class of 77 punk band London.  Hot on their heels are Hawklords with a belated followup to their 1978 debut.  Brownsville Station made their first record since 1978, but without their legendary frontman Cub Koda.  No prize for them!

The Rumour did it right by reuniting with Graham Parker for their first album together since 1980.  The Distractions released their first since 1980. Also back from the 80's: Angel Witch, Dalis Car, Dexys, New Age Steppers, Secret Affair, Ultravox, Wang Chung, and Chicago's own ONO (read more about ONO here.) 

Last heard in the 90's: Bailterspace, Ben Folds Five, Big Dipper, Cardinal, The dB's, Dead Can Dance, Latin Quarter, The Mad Scene, The Nomads, The Primitives, Redd Kross, Shoes, Soundgarden, The Wake, and Bobby Womack (with his final album, coproduced by Damon Albarn).

From the early Oughts: Beachwood Sparks, Deacon Blue, GYBE, No Doubt, Spain, Tom Tom Club, and ZZ Top (not quite ten years since their previous album, but "Chartreuse" is too good to exclude).

Were you listening to any of these when they came out in 2012?  I was into Researching The Blues, the dB's, Bailterspace and New Age Steppers.  I checked out GP and the Rumour, as well as DLR and Van Halen.

ELSEWHERE ON THE BLOG:  a Rumour album rerecorded.

Comeback Special: 2024 Edition

Once again it's time for holiday shopping, and this year's comeback albums make great gifts.  The biggest comeback is probably Sounds Of A Lost World, The Cure's first album of new music in 16 years.  Or maybe it's Ensoulment, The The's first new album since 2000.  

Some of this year's comebacks were bittersweet.  Steve Albini died shortly after the release of Shellac's To All Trains. Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson did not live to see the release of Heavy Lifting by The MC5.  Effigies frontman John Kezdy died in 2023 as the band was recording the album Burned (which was released last month).

Fans of Chicago bands like Shellac and The Effigies will also like Rack by The Jesus Lizard and Arcwelder's Continue.  Les Savy Fav's Oui LSF adds a dance beat to noise rock, like chocolat in your beurre de cacahuète.

The mopey Goth in your family might crack a smile if you gift them the latest by The Wolfgang Press, The March Violets or even The Woodentops. 

Fans of difficult music are (by definition) difficult to shop for.  Surprise them with your eclectic taste by giving them new releases from Normil Hawaiians, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, or Seefeel.

The headbanger in your family will dig the new Nasty Savage album, and if you know a hip hop fan, LL Cool J's comeback album The Force proves that he's still one of the best to do it; and Q-Tip's production is top notch. (Tip samples Can, Gary Numan, and Finnish prog rock band Wigwam!)

Softies should read "first since 2000"

Looking for something with a feminine touch?  Try The Softies or Fairground Attraction -- or rock out with The Fastbacks!

The White Animals' album Star Time is one of my favorites of 2024, and the glam rock stomp of "Ready To Go" is a highlight of today's compilation.  

The Hollywood Stars have been away the longest (since 1977), unless you count The MC5, but Brother Wayne is the only original member to do the Heavy Lifting (Dennis Thompson drums on a few songs). It would be a solid comeback even if it were a Wayne Kramer album, and I love his solo on "Black Boots".  

I broke my self-imposed ten year comeback rule to include Johnny Foreigner, simply because it's such a joy to hear them again.  Maybe they can teach me How To Be Hopeful about 2025.

Mission Of Burma 2.0

 

Peter Prescott, Clint Conley, Roger Miller (not that one)

The book Our Band Could Be Your Life renewed interest in the American indie underground of the 1980's, and that interest led to the reunions of several bands featured in the book.

Mission Of Burma was tremendously influential but commercially unsuccessful in their first incarnation.  Their 21st century reunion saw them playing to larger audiences, as well as releasing four albums of new material.  There's also an excellent documentary film about Burma's reunion.

Few would say the new albums were as astonishing as Vs. (the only LP from the band's first run). But there are individual songs that equal the brilliance of Vs.  When I saw Burma in concert, I was just as excited to hear "2wice" (for example) as "Trem Two".

A few years ago, I did an Imaginary Compilation Album on MoB's comeback for The Vinyl Villain blog (which includes some history of the band). Today's share is an expanded set that adds several cover songs. A couple of excellent b-sides are also included.

During their tours, Burma paid tribute to their punk influences and their contemporaries from the 80's.  Penelope Houston joined them onstage in SF to sing an Avengers song; Vanessa from Pylon did the same in Atlanta; and Burma covered political punk songs by The Dils, The Dicks, and The Wipers.  MoB's final release was a Metz cover for a 2016 split single. 

Roger Miller continues to compose, perform and record as a solo artist and with Trinary System.  Peter Prescott is the singer/guitarist of Minibeast.  Clint Conley appears to have retired from music.  I still enjoy the Consonant albums (Clint's band with guitarist Chris Brokaw and Bedhead drummer Matt Kadane). Bob Weston (who assumed Martin Swope's offstage role in the reunited Burma) most recently played bass on the final Shellac album.  I'm glad that Burma "got their flowers" (as the kids say these days), and equally glad to have the music they made between 2004 and 2016.

CORRECTION: I'm pleased to report that Clint is playing bass in the Chris Brokaw Rock Band, which will perform August 30 at Dromfest in the Catskills!

Hackneyed Imams: 2023 Comebacks

Just in time for Christmas shopping, it's the 2023 edition of Comeback Specials!  

Creation Rebel (pictured at left) and Classix Nouveaux released their first albums of new material in 40 years!  Also back with their first new full-lengths since the 1980’s: Zamrock legends Witch, Rain Parade, Scream, and Subterranean legends Frightwig.

Unheard from since the 1990’s: The Bluebells, Bush Tetras, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, Drop Nineteens, Everything But The Girl, and The Van Pelt.

Comebacks from the 2000's and 2010's: American Analog Set, Bang, Be Your Own Pet, Cheater Slicks, dEUS, The Hives, and Quasi.

Mick and Keef, lookin for a hit

Honorable mentions go to Khanate (whose first album in over a decade consists of three very long songs), Peter Gabriel and The Rolling Stones (first new original music since 2005).

Drop Nineteens' album Hard Light is ridiculously good. I've already expressed my love for the new Bush Tetras album. Wharf Cat Records wins 2023 with those two releases.

Label 51 Recordings started strong this year with Frightwig and Rain Parade. In February, Label 51 will release the soundtrack to the upcoming Dream Syndicate documentary.

Scream's DC Special is a surprisingly fun and diverse listen, and the title track has been in my head for days. As a fan of all things On-U Sound related, I was thrilled to hear Creation Rebel again (as well as Adrian Sherwood's production work on Reset In Dub and the new African Head Charge album).

The Quasi album is topical and funny, and Janet Weiss puts younger drummers to shame. I'm not the first to compare Quasi to Attila, but I think Sam Coomes & Janet Weiss have truly fulfilled Billy Joel's vision of a heavy rock duo with keys and drums (minus the raw meat and furs).

Comeback Special: 2011

In the series Comeback Specials, I listen to all the albums I can find in a given year by artists who released new music after a decade's absence (or longer).  The best (or least worst) song from each record is compiled into a sampler of that year's comeback albums. It's an annual report -- with guitars!

The biggest band to come back in 2011 was The Cars. Jon King and Andy Gill made a new Gang of Four album. Howard Devoto and Dave Formula issued a new Magazine album. The Feelies were Here Again.  And -- zounds! -- even Zounds made a comeback record (thirty years after their debut).

In 2011, the Dead Milkmen released The King In Yellow.  In 2023, the Dead Milkmen are back to life all over again with their brand newest album, Quaker City Quiet Pills.  There's a concerning (and true) story about government surveillance behind the Milkmen's 2011 song "Caitlin Childs".

The Dead Milkmen probably played "You'll Dance To Anything" a lot in 2011, because Blancmange and The Human League also released new albums.  You could possibly dance to Primus, Pyrolator, and hip hop's Freestyle Fellowship as well.

2011 me was abuzz about the return of Magazine, Rival Schools, and Rocket From The Tombs (with new songs by Craig Bell, Cheetah Chrome, Richard Lloyd, and David Thomas). 2023 me is most impressed by the self-titled Seefeel album, with founding members Mark Clifford and Sarah Peacock joined by the rhythm section of Shigeru Ishihara (aka DJ Scotch Egg) and Iida Kazuhisa (ex-Boredoms drummer).

Bush Tetras Live Rent-Controlled In My Head

 

Cynthia! Pat! Steve! Cait!

It's Bandcamp Friday, and you should buy the new Bush Tetras album, They Live In My Head! Steve Shelley produced and played drums. Steve joined Bush Tetras after original drummer Dee Pop died in 2021. Cait "Rocky" O'Riordan is the brand new Bush Tetras bassist.  It's a GREAT record --  Pat Place's guitar is ferocious, and Cynthia Sley's voice sounds stronger than ever. 

Bush Tetras debuted on 99 Records in 1980.  They broke up in 1983 but reunited in the mid-90's.  Beauty Lies (1996) was produced by Nona Hendryx. A followup album called Happy was completed with producer Don Fleming, but got shelved.  In 2007, ROIR put out an odds & sods comp called Very Very Happy, which included several Happy demos.

A Bush Tetras career overview called Rhythm & Paranoia was released on the Wharf Cat label in 2021. Beauty Lies, the lost album Happy and the new one are all on Wharf Cat's Bandcamp page now.

As mentioned previously in these pages, Cynthia Sley has a son with Ivan Julian, and the two proud parents made an LP in 1988 (grab that Lovelies album on the Down Underground blog!) Now here we are in 2023, with a new Bush Tetras album and a new Ivan Julian solo album (which you should also buy on Bandcamp today!)

Comeback Special: 2010

Do you remember Son Of Bazerk?  I sure do: Change The Style was one of my favorite videos on Yo MTV Raps. Son Of Bazerk released a Bomb Squad produced album in 1991. Almost two decades later, they reappeared with Well Thawed Out (released on Chuck D's Slam Jamz label). Group member Jahwell died in December 2022.

Do you remember SoCal punk band Symbol Six?  I sure do: "Beverlywood" is a classic of the Posh Boy sound. Symbol Six released one promising 1982 EP before breaking up.  The original members reunited and made an LP called Monster 11 in 2010, followed by two more albums (in 2014 and 2017) with Tony Fate (ex-BellRays) on guitar.

Several NYC post punk groups returned with new albums in 2010:  Swans, Versus, Certain General and Ike Yard.  Do you remember Ike Yard?  I sure do...

Devo made a strong comeback in 2010 with Something For Everybody, widely regarded as one of the band's best.  OMD and Nitzer Ebb also dusted off their synthesizers in 2010.

The Vaselines reunited two decades after their musical and romantic breakup, and released the cleverly titled Sex With An X.  The Inca Babies also made a comeback in 2010 with Death Message Blues.

Sade returned after a decade's absence with Soldier of Love.  Gil Scott-Heron made a remarkable and unexpected return in 2010 with I'm New Here.  Equally unexpected was Gil's death in 2011.

Comeback Special: 2009

  

Comeback Specials feature artists who returned with new albums after absences of a decade or longer.  I choose a song from each comeback album to share with you.  2009 was a notable year.  Moebius and Roedelius reunited as Cluster. Miriam Linna and Billy Miller put the A-Bones back together.

William DuVall (whose career dates back to Atlanta hardcore band Neon Christ) joined Alice In Chains for their first album since Layne Staley's death, and Krist Novoselic joined the surviving members of Flipper.  

Robert Kidney and his brother Jack made a comeback as 15-60-75 (The Numbers Band), with Chrissie Hynde's brother Terry on sax.  Paul & Gene made a new Kiss album.  They angered fans by replacing Ace and Peter, and by selling the  album exclusively at Wal-Mart.  Pobody's nerfect.

In 2009, Ben Lee made a new Noise Addict album (which is free on Bandcamp!) with the help of Lou Barlow.  Ben started Noise Addict when he was 13. 

Sérgio Dias was 15 when Os Mutantes first appeared on Brazilian TV.    Neither Rita Lee nor Arnaldo Baptista participated in the Os Mutantes "reunion" album; only Arnaldo's brother Sérgio Dias remained for 2009's Haih... Ou Amortecedor.....

Nineties bands Polvo and Six Finger Satellite made new records. 6FS released both a new album and Half Control, an album of previously unreleased recordings from 2001. 

Stiff Records alumni Pointed Sticks and Tenpole Tudor decided that 2009 was the right time for new records.  The Pointed Sticks have since released two more albums in 2015 and 2022.  Mick O'Donnell from Downliners Sect played on the 2009 Tenpole Tudor album.  O'Donnell died in February 2022.

Guitarist and songwriter Gary Higgins came back in 2009 for Seconds, his first record since 1973's Red Hash.  Grant Hart (pictured above) released his final album, Hot Wax, which featured Basia Bulat and members of A Silver Mt. Zion and GYBE. Grant Hart died in 2017.  Billy Miller (A-Bones frontman and Norton Records cofounder) died in 2016.

2022 Comebacks

Let's jump ahead to the present in the comeback series, just in case you're shopping for Christmas presents. Here are the comeback albums of 2022.  

If someone on your list was raised on 1980's college radio, surprise them with new releases by Altered Images, The Boo Radleys, Essential Logic, Hoodoo Gurus, Loop, The Rave Ups, or Urge Overkill. Synth poppers Soft Cell and Tears For Fears make great stocking stuffers.

If you're shopping for that 90's indie kid, try Archers of Loaf, The Hellacopters, or The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 

For the headbanger in the family, Cave In came back strong in 2022, and Randy Holden released a heavy sequel to 1970's Population II.  Metal fans might also dig the self-titled comeback by The Mars Volta.  It's surprisingly melodic, and not as  proggy as their old stuff, so it's not strictly for metalheads.

If you know someone who's gone through a breakup, Nina Nastasia's new album is sadly beautiful (and expertly recorded by Steve Albini).  And if there's an old hippie in the family, gift them The Cowsills' new one!  They probably still have a CD player! 

Hip hop heads will nod to Black Star's No Fear Of Time, where Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (the artist formerly known as Mos Def) are joined by producer Madlib. 

Many of critics "Best of 2022" lists include Black Star, Cave In, The Mars Volta, and Nina Nastasia.  I myself would recommend the delightful Land Of Kali by Essential Logic (which was produced by Youth) and that Loop album!

Comeback Special: 2008

As a whole, the comeback albums of 2008 may seem less impressive than the class of 2007.  The big names are Bauhaus, the B-52's, Portishead, The Verve, and Axl's long-threatened Chinese Debauchery.  I guess Was (Not Was) was a big name too (was they not?)  None of the aforementioned groups has made another album since 2008. The B-52's will perform their final show this month.  

Getting the band back together for a victory lap (and that filthy lucre) is a more obvious decision than reuniting when your band didn't make it big the first time out. It must have been the love of music that brought back 18th Dye, The Bureau, Human Hands, Shelleyan Orphan, and Springhouse. The Motels -- a very successful band -- self-released This album in 2008, and returned a decade later with another album in 2018.

Japrocksampler was published in 2007, and renewed interest led to the 2008 return of the Flower Travellin' Band, 35 years after their 1973 breakup.  The legendary LaBelle (who split up in 1976) also reunited for a 2008 album. LaBelle singer/songwriter Nona Hendryx made a great record of Captain Beefheart songs with guitarist Gary Lucas in 2017.  

Like Nona Hendryx, Grace Jones transcended the boundaries of disco, funk, and New Wave.  Her autobiographical album Hurricane was released in 2008.  If you can find it paired with 2011's exquisite Hurricane Dub, that's the version to get.  You can't beat the cover portrait!  Grace Jones headlined the 2022 Meltdown Festival and announced that she has new music on the way.

Comeback Special: 2007

Wish I had seen this article sooner (reunion albums ranked by Ugly Things magazine) because I missed a couple (Rubber City Rebels, Cactus and The Yardbirds).  I concur that the Dictators' DFFD is one of the best comeback albums.  Another great reunion record is The Stems' 2007 album Heads Up. It was reissued in 2019, and Dom Mariani's current band Datura4 has a new 2022 album out.

A bumper crop of comebacks happened in 2007, the most prominent being new records from the original members of Bad Brains, Dinosaur Jr., Throbbing Gristle, and The Stooges (minus the late Dave Alexander). 

Any Trouble, The Bonzo Dog Band, Buffalo Tom, Crowded House, EIEIO, Happy Mondays, The Hooters, The Roches, and 17 Pygmies also made new albums in 2007 after lengthy absences. 

For punk fans, there were comeback albums by 999, Crime, Lifetime, and The Reds. The Reds were a Philly band whose 1979 debut LP was released on A&M. In 2007, Reds founders Rick Shaffer and Bruce Cohen resurrected their band for a new album.  Back to 2022: Rick Shaffer has released his 11th solo LP, Tightrope Ride. 

Johnny Strike and Hank Rank from San Francisco's first and only rock & roll band recorded 2007 versions of some old Crime songs, with help from a couple of Phantom Surfers.

Metal fans were treated to surprise comebacks by Budgie, Leaf Hound, and Sir Lord Baltimore. (Budgie frontman Burke Shelley died in 2022.) Hip hop fans saw the return of Black Sheep and the Ultramagnetic MC's.  Dan Stuart and Steve Wynn made a sequel to their 1985 Danny & Dusty collaboration, and Levon Helm returned with the well-received Dirt Farmer (with the help of his daughter Amy Helm, who released a solo album last year).