30. Black Mountain - In The Future - Vancouver, CA band that has now put out two really good 70s rock albums. They don't change much from the format of their debut, but they improve on what they were doing. Both big, heavy guitar riffs and sweeping, pastural/pyschedelic elements blend effortlessly. Listening to this almost guarantees your hair will grow to you shoulders and a mustache will appear, while a vest comes in the mail.
29. Feral Children - The Second To The Last Frontier - Because they shared a producer, some have labeled these guys a more "feral" Arcade Fire. I don't buy it. But I do buy into the young Modest Mouse comparisons, if you mix in some !!!. A high quality debut indie rock record.
28B. The Saturday Knights - Mingle - A rap soaked rock album. Great energy both on the record and live. A perfect compliment to...
28A. The Knux - Remind Me In 3 Days - A rock soaked rap album. Sounds a little like some early Outkast, but with a lot more guitars.
27. Freshkills - Freshkills - Self-released album by this Brooklyn group sounds a lot like a mix of The National and Interpol on speed. There's a hint of 80s influence as well as punk, and plenty of anthemic choruses to go along with it all.
26. Astronautalis - Pomegranate - Not many releases can incorporate a growl like Tom waits, rap, and melodic vocals in the same album, much less the same song. An incredibly diverse and hook filled release that also tells some interesting stories.
25.The Dutchess & The Duke - She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke - Very 60s blues/folk, especially since it was recorded using 8 track. There's not usually much more here than a duke playing guitar and singing and a dutchess playing a little percussion and backing him up vocally, but it works amazingly well.
24. Michael Franti & Spearhead - All Rebel Rockers - Par for the course for Mr. Franti. Recorded in Jamaica, its an album of smart, hope filled, world conscience lyrics behind reggae, hip-hop and rock beats. Perfect warm weather, happy music that means something.
23. The Notwist - The Devil, You & Me - German group that creates understated, minamalist electronica about as well as possible. It's their first album in about six years, and after this, no one will want to wait that long for a follow-up. Great in either the foreground or the background.
22. The Black Keys - Attack & Release - Before Ike Turner died, they were set up to work with him and Danger Mouse, and after, DM stayed on to produce and the Turner influence is easily heard compared to some of their earlier releases. Not as raw as their earlier stuff, but it doesn't feel restrained either.
21. Sebastien Grainger - Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains - The more melodic half of Death From Above 1979 puts out a melodic release. Imagine that. There are a couple songs that are hints of his previous work, but overall it leans more towards indie rock and refined garage sounds that at times sound similar to The Strokes.
20. The Flight Of The Conchords - The Flight Of The Conchords - "You know you're not in high finance considering secondhand underpants." "He's gonna wake up in a smoothie!" Listen and laugh and sing along.
19. First Communion Afterparty - Sorry For All Mondays - Right up there with Ra Ra Riot as sounding like the years most Arcade Fire-ish release. Plenty of layers. A very lush sounding record. Basically, if you have enjoyed anything from the two artists in this mini-review/description, you should check this out.
18. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular - There are about four decades worth of influences bouncing around this record. A lot of glam, pysch, electronic, pop...whatever you like, there's probably something here for you. Plus, they seem to be opening the door for a bunch of other bands (check out Amazing Baby if you like these guys) and that deserves some sort of recognition.
17. The Broken West - Now Or Heaven - I don't know if this what they intended, but they have the Kill The Moonlight era Spoon down perfectly. That works for me.
16. Alaska In Winter - Holiday - Their previous release sounded more like Beirut, and was aptly titled Dance Party in the Balkans. Holiday still has some of the dance party in it, but it also has a lot more electronic sound. Like they're journeying westward through Europe, musically speaking.
15. Pop Levi - Never Never Love - Not as big and immediate as last year's release, but still very good. Levi seems to take some of the T. Rex glam rock influence away and bring in more 80s synth instead. Once you realize that, it becomes a pretty strong record.
14. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound - East coast punk rock that sounds very blue collar and early Springsteen. Like the title suggests, there is a lot of older themes here, even a Bob Seger quote, intentional or not, and they have the attitude and sound to pull it off. After one listen through, you'll be singing along with almost every chorus.
13. Firewater - The Golden Hour - Just a great, eclectic rock record. A lot of this was recorded in the Eastern hemisphere, and that is not only reflected in the sounds, but also in the lyrics. It doesn't sound like he's had the best time in his recent past (check out song "This is my life"), but the music isn't lacking at all, and something should be said for that.
12. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend - These guys have gotten plenty of exposure, and it's well deserved, especially if it gets the public any closer to seeing how rad African pop music. After the first listen, you know two things about this record; I haven't heard anything like this recently, and wow.
11. The Whip - X Marks Destination - These guys have a formula that you would think could get old fast. Its a basic verse chorus verse, with pretty simple lyrics, really repetitive, and songs all ranging from 4 to 6 minutes. But the quality and catchiness of these songs easily outweighs whatever chance there is of it getting tiresome, and the longest songs still seem short when you consider that they get stuck in your head and your singing them over and over for another day or so.
10. Jay Reatard - 06/07 Singles & The Matador Singles - This dude just keeps putting out music. And it's good. Some is garage, some is new wave, some is punk, all of it is generally short, fast and loud...and very well done.
09. Amadou & Mariam - Welcome To Mali (Digital and import only until '09) - If Vampire Weekend is the entry gate on the bridge to African pop music, Amadou & Mariam are one of the main support beams in the middle. I have no idea what they're singing about on most tracks, but I like it. Just a vibrant, positive, youthful release. - If you like this, also keep you eye out for the collaboration The Very Best, who put out an amazing free mixtape The Very Best Mixtape, a precursor to their album out this next year (I think/hope).
08. The Features - Some Kind Of Salvation - If I ever won MegaMillions, I would put aside a bunch of money to start a record label, and throw cash at about 6 different artists/bands, saying "I don't care how or what you do, but I want to get your music to as many people as possible." These guys are one of those 6. Really distinct vocals, and just a nose for catchy, hook filled songs. Like a southern version of The Wrens.
07. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive - Each album they put out (this is their 4th) is great, and each one gets better than the last. Craig Finn keeps evolving from basically speaking to singing and the rest of the band is backing him up better than ever. They still tell stories you can pick up on, follow, and imagine, and the rest of the music carries it perfectly.
06. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals - Both the party album of the year and the pop culture scrapbook of the year. Check out the wikipedia page for the album and try and figure out how all these samples work out to be incredibly listenable and fun. I'm partial to this just because when all I had was cassettes and a boom box I would record phrases (saying samples would give me too much credit) from cds, songs on the radio and commercials, and try and make it sound like a song. It was funny and entertaining to me then, probably annoying to everyone now. So this is the completely accomplished opposite of my childhood pasttime. That should be the sticker quote on the cd.
05. My Federation - Don't Wanna Die - Probably the best accumulation of high quality choruses on one album this year has produced. Some of the stuff reminds me of southern rock for some reason, even though they live across the pond, while others have a more electronic feel. Real good stuff.
04. Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold - The production is the best they've done. The lyrics are more mature than anything before, as well as being some of the most descriptive stories of any release this year. The hooks work as well as or better than their best stuff previous to this. Bottom line, it was my favorite hip-hop release this year, and just an all-around great record.
03. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours - Synth driven Aussie electronic jams. If you can't get into "Far Away" and "So Haunted," then I'll bet you don't like synth driven Aussie electronic jams.
02. Pete & The Pirates - Little Death - Extremely catchy, jangly, hook filled British indie rock. Really impressive for a debut. Nothing groundbreaking or especially new here, but it's done about as well as anything similar in the last 5 years or so.
The Big Cheese. TV On The Radio - Dear Science - One of the 5 or 6 bands that I think will end up defining the best music of this era. They continue on a similar path to 2006's Return To Cookie Mountain, but the songs do more for you, are easier to get into (with the exception of RTCM's Wolf Like Me, which will be hard to top in that department), and are decidedly more positive. More horns are added than I remember in their previous work, and it adds a nice touch. Plus, if band member David Sitek can produce Scarlett Johansson's release and make it sound really listenable, this is like an batting practice fastball for him.If you thought most of these descriptions got old and kind of repetitive, congratulations, because I thought so too.
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