This was
another great year of music and while there are some albums by artist that have
made my top albums list in the past, there were some new artist that I
discovered this year. Enjoy!
10. The
Strokes - Angles
Five
years after their disappointing album First Impressions of Earth I did not have very high expectations
for this album. Going into it I
had only heard their single "Under Cover of Darkness" which was
growing on me. But after listening
to the album as a whole I enjoyed their single and many other tracks on the
album ("Machu Picchu", "Taken for a Fool", and "Games", to
name a few). This album was a surprise pick, so it makes the list because
The Strokes impressed me and just about everyone else who
listened to their album. It's no This Is It,
but it is a good, solid album.
Listen
Here: http://grooveshark.com/#/album/Angles/5714109
9. Dale
Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - It's a Corporate World
This was
a new band for me this year and while their sound isn't anything original, it
is enjoyable listening to and each song on the album has its own sound,
separate from the other tracks. The opening song "Morning Thought"
caught my attention the first time I heard it and I found myself singing along
with it when I went back to it. Their sound is similar to other bands I've
listen to, such as, Dr. Dog, Badly Drawn Boy, and Miniature Tigers. However,
that isn't to say that they don't deserve credit for this album. Josh Epstein
and Daniel Zott created a great album that is easy to listen to and
has many catchy songs ("An Ugly Person on a Movie Screen", "It's
a Corporate World", and "If It Wasn't You...” etc.) that you will
find yourself humming long after listening to this album.
8. The
Roots - undun
The Roots
have always been a Hip-Hop band I have enjoyed. However, I haven't heard a good
solid album from them since Game Theory back in 2006. That has changed since
listening to undun. Black Thought
(Tariq Trotter) has such a strong, honest voice that goes perfectly with his
lyrics. "Sleep" is a short, but great song that grabs you right from
the first verse. The album flows well and every song fits in the right place. "Kool
On" and "The OtherSide" are my favorite songs on the album and arguably are on the same level of songs like "Game Theory" and "The
Seed". There isn't anything revolutionary about undun,
but this is a great album worth listening to.
7. David
Bazan - Strange Negotiations
This is
yet another solid album by David Bazan and probably my favorite out the ones he
has recorded since breaking up with Pedro the Lion and going solo. His lyrics
are deep and his sound is unique and I have yet to hear anyone else have such
an identifying sound. I find myself breaking down every song on this album
("Wolves at the Door", "People", "Future Past")
and trying to understand what Bazan is referring to or trying to say, which is
enjoyable in itself. I feel like every song Bazan writes have meaning on a
personal level, which is something rare in today's mainstream music scene.
Bazan keeps his music career away from any organization that would sell out his
music, but famous artist (Ben Gibbard, Robin Pecknold) respect Bazan and
realize his talent and that deserves a lot credit today.
6. TV on
the Radio - Nine Types of Light
I have
always had a soft spot in my heart for TV on the Radio ever since I first heard
"Wolf Like Me" back in 2006. They are the most consistent band I have
listen to and I have never turned down a song they have produced. TV on the
Radio has always had a sound unlike any other band. Their vocal melodies in
every song are perfection, in my opinion, due to Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp
Malone ("You", "Keep Your Heart"). The instrumental sounds
that David Andrew Sitek and the rest of the band create ("Killer
Crane", "Forgotten") are so enjoyable that I find myself just in
my own world when listening to Nine
Types of Light. Not only did TV on the Radio create a great album,
they produced a wonderful movie music video, so that one can listen to the album while enjoying a music video for each song on the album. While
their bassist Gerard Smith sadly passed away shortly after the release of Nine
Types of Light, I hope this lost does not keep this band from
creating great albums like this one in the future.
5. Generationals
- Actor-Caster/ Trust (EP)
This band
is so catchy and easy to listen to its ridiculous. I have yet to find a song
from them that I did not care for. They have a modern doo-wop sound that works
really well with their singing and lyrics. Their first LP Con Law was an
instant hit for me after I saw them open up for Apples in Stereo last year. Trust came out at the beginning of
the year and their single "Trust" soon became my favorite song they
have recorded in their young career yet. With songs like “Ten-Twenty-Ten”, “You
Say It Too”, and “I Promise”, Actor-Caster
continues their streak of creating great, fun music. I see this
band going far in their career and everyone should check them out before time
and fame may start sending them on a downhill slope.
4. M83 - HurryUp, We're Dreaming
M83 isn't
a new band for me, but this album opened up a new window about this band I
never thought I would hear from listening to their previous albums. While M83
still uses a heavily electronic sound, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming has
much more natural sounds and wonderful melodies that I really enjoyed listening
to so much that I found myself looping the album multiple times while working
at my computer. With a collection of 22 songs on two discs, just about every
song has its own identity which allows the album to flow very
well. "Midnight City" grabs you at the very beginning with its
catchy electronic melody. "Raconte-Moi Une Histoire" isn't an
original idea to have a child tell a story while playing a child like sound in
the background, however, this song is awesome and I found myself really
following the girls story. The buildup of the music during the story telling
would make anyone feel better on a bad day. I am not the biggest electronic
music person, but Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is a great album that heavily uses electronic sounds without straying away too far from the traditional
alternative rock sound that I enjoy so much, and that deserves a lot of credit
in my book.
3. tUnE-yArDs
- WHOKILL
Wow! Talk
about something fresh and new. WHOKILL blew me out of the water right
from the get-go. Merill Garbus has a sound that I had been searching for
when it came to finding an artist with something new to bring to the table. Her
lyrics are very feminist and her music is so powerful that it really grabs the
listener's attention, but it doesn't go too far and try to drill her message
into the listener. tUnE-yArDs single from the album "Bizness" is a
great song to sum up her music into one song. It's probably the easiest
listening song and is usually the one song I find sharing with people who want
to know what her music is like. However, in my opinion, it isn't her best song
on the album. "Gangsta", "You Yes You", and
"Powa" is Garbus at her best in this album musically and vocally. If
you are looking for something different than your typical alternative rock/pop or
modern electronic music, check out this album.
2. The
Antlers - Burst Apart
While I
did enjoy The Antlers previous album Hospice, it never
stuck like Burst Apart did. Peter Silberman's vocals are
what separate this band from many other modern Indie Pop/Rock bands. Songs like
"Kettering" from Hospice are beautiful sounding
musically but most importantly vocally. The Antlers step it up in Bust Apart by creating new sounds and moods that
really allowed this album to stand out for me. I felt like every song was great
in itself and the mixing for each track was so enjoyable that I found myself
just wanting to listen to the songs and do nothing else. While songs like
"Rolled Together" are much like songs off of Hospice,
songs like "I Don't Want Love" and "Parentheses" are a
great example on how different and unique The Antlers can be in Burst Apart. This
album has become a standard in what I want in a band with wonderful high range
vocals, great mix of musical sounds, and poetic lyrics.
This band
deserves so much more credit than websites like Pitchfork give them. Ever since
a friend of mine introduced me to this band with their previous album Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free I knew there was something
special about this band, but I didn't know what until I heard Akron/Family II. This
band has a "jam band" like playing style, but they are also gifted
musicians who can create some amazing sounds and mystical rhythms. After
putting on an amazing performance last year at Boomslang and performing songs
off this album, I was anxious for
the release of Akron/Family II. With
already having a strong dedicate fan base, this band might not have the super
star energy of bands like My Morning Jacket or Radiohead, but they are nonetheless a band that can become a very
successful live band for those who have yet to see them in person. Songs like
“So It Goes”, “Another Sky”, and every other song for that matter, have a
great, energetic live sound that makes you feel like everyone of their songs
were recorded at a live concert. Each song on this album seems like
masterpieces on their own and when you hear them all together on this album, it
creates my favorite album this year and of this decade... so far.
Listen
Here: http://grooveshark.com/#/album/S+T+II+The+Cosmic+Birth+And+Journey+Of+Shinju+TNT/5616083
Honorable Mentions
Cults - Cults
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Atlas Sounds - Parallax
No comments:
Post a Comment