Tony Molina’s album Dissed and Dismissed is a personal favorite to emerge out of the onslaught of year-end lists. “I got to leave this town cause all my friends like me better when I am not around.” Molina’s sharp first line cues the listener in to the by turns gaudy, self-deprecating threads that run throughout the album. Molina is a comprehensive rockist (ranging from Suffocation to Guided By Voices) and all-inclusive riffophile; pentatonic solos, thrash-metal, pre-solo throbs of feedback, purring power chords, and classical picking all get smattered together in the power-pop structures that follow. The abundant charm and charisma of it all lies in the fact that behind all the Teenage Fanclub harmonies and dueling, stadium-ready solos, there is just one dude singing about his fear of being alone; he recorded the entirety of the album himself. Underneath the crust distortion and veils of elaborate technique, is an erudite and sincere love of guitar arrangement. Slumberland Records will be releasing a reissue on March 25th.