Each year these lists get harder to write. Instant gratification blog aggregation means any new band with a catchy hook can explode days after recording and months before ever going on their first tour. Best of the year lists are coming out in November, and each competes to be more pretentious than the last. It's hard to find balance between music everybody's already heard of (because it's good) and music obscure enough to create a unique discovery for the reader. I've decided to scale back the ranked list to only 10 albums this year and leave the rest of the post for discussion.
Standard disclaimer: If you think James Blunt should be on this list, go soak your head. If you have any other opinion, leave a comment!
Top 10 albums
- The xx "xx"
Moody and sparse synth-rock with a great male-female duet front. Similar, but not as good as, the Canadian group Stars.
Islands, Heart Skipped a Beat - Passion Pit "Manners"
Passion Pit mastered the hook in their explosive first full-length. And the power of the hook should not be ignored - they went from unknown to SXSW to Lollapallooza to a Palm Pre commercial all in one year. Thank the bloggers for their success and inevitable backlash; a story which continues to repeat itself. While my experience seeing Passion Pit was full of energy and dance, I was occasionally annoyed by the off-key vocals of singer Michael Angelakos.
The Reeling, Little Secrets - Phoenix "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"
Phoenix broke into Top 40 radio in a big way with the singles "1901" and "Lisztomania" this year. The album is a nice extension of the two hits and has great replay value.
Lisztomania, Girlfriend - Andrew Bird "Noble Beast"
Andrew Bird is on his own level when it comes to small-label music, and I believe he outdid himself again on this album. Bird's sound is always rich and deep - during both violin solos and orchestral arrangements.
Anonanimal, Tenuousness - Miike Snow "Miike Snow"
Great electro-pop with more maturity and depth than Passion Pit.
Song For No One, Silvia - Grizzly Bear "Veckatimest"
Grizzly Bear turned a lot of heads with the full-length completion of the Two Weeks single that began spinning at the end of last year. They've really found a good mix of their signature dream-prog sound with pop hooks sure catch the masses ears.
While You Wait for the Others, Two Weeks - M Ward "Hold Time"
Matt Ward has a hold on Indie Americana and his solo records should be the envy and blueprint of every upcoming folk artist. "Hold Time" isn't the record that will expand his audience (that's what Monsters of Folk is for) but it's one his fans will enjoy.
One Hundred Million Years, Never Had Nobody Like You (Featuring Zooey Deschanel) - Dirty Projectors "Bitte Orca"
After hearing the chaotically-precise harmonies and instrumentation of the first single "Stillness is the move" I was incredibly curious on how it would sound live. I got that wish during a free show with Sea and Cake early in the summer and was astounded by the precision I heard. Dirty Projectors put out a refreshing, progressive sound at a time when Indie Rock is homogenizing like crazy.
No Intention, Stillness is the Move - Various Artists "Dark Was The Night (Red Hot Compilation)"
Indie charity compilations are pretty common of late, but this 2-disc set of timeless covers, star-power collaborations, and fresh new material for the (RED) organization is the strongest I've ever seen.
Blood Pt 2, Knotty Pine - The Decemberists "The Hazards of Love"
This was a satisfying album and I had the privilege to see it performed live twice last year. In the words of Melissa Johnson:
"following the success of their first major label album (The crane wife, 2006), curiosity surrounded the indie giant's sophomore album with Capitol. Lead singer Colin Meloy started with a title track and built the rest of the album around that song, weaving a dark tale of love and danger. This style is not unfamiliar to The Decemberists, I.e. The Crane Wife parts 1-3 and The Tain EP, but the album manages to avoid a campy quality, instead seducing the listener with it's seamless movements from one tragic song to the next. Always intriguing, Meloy's artful lyrics found a perfect counterpart in guest singer Shara Worden ( My Brightest Diamond). As the voice of the forest queen, Worden embodies a character both frightening and fascinating, which qualities were especially impressive to hear live."
The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All), The Wanting Comes In Waves / Repaid
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