20) Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour (Electric Blues/Vagrant)
England’s Band of Skulls made some pretty
cool bluesy rock on Sweet Sour that
makes me think they’ve listened to a lot of Jack White’s catalog. And that’s
not a bad thing if they can make albums that can rock as hard as this one.
On the Web: BandofSkulls.com Best Tracks: “Sweet Sour,” “Wanderluster,” “The Devil Takes Care of
His Own”
19) Brendan Benson - What Kind of World (Readymade Records)
Benson
doesn’t quite approach the heights of his past two solo efforts on What Kind of World. And that’s okay,
because even on his worst day The Raconteurs
singer-guitarist can come up with great hooks that will be stuck in your head
for days.
On the Web: BrendanBenson.com Best Tracks: “What Kind of World,” “Pretty Baby,” “bad For Me”
18) Joseph Arthur - Redemption City (Lonely Astronaut)
Arthur has
struck (or perhaps rediscovered) a new creative vein in the past couple of
years. He's gone back to working solo making his own albums (leaving band work
to his supergroups Fistful of Mercy and
RNDM) and that seems to have
refocused his songwriting. Redemption
City is a lose sequel to 2002’s Redemption’s
Son and it captures Arthur at his best, laying down stream of consciousness
lyrics over loops and subtle keyboards and guitars. Best of all? He gave it
away for free through his website. (I did throw a few bucks in his online tip
jar. I mean, making 24 songs can’t be cheap.)
On the Web: JosephArthur.com
Best Tracks: “I Miss the Zoo,”
“Wasted Days,” “Surrender to the Storm”
17) The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter (American/Universal)
This
follow-up to I And Love And You isn’t
a stone cold classic like that 2009 album. The
Carpenter is another solid roots offering from Seth and Scott Avett and
it features yet another fantastic song with a title that starts with pretty
girl.
On the Web: TheAvettBrothers.com Best Tracks: “Pretty Girl From Michigan,” “Geraldine,” “Live and Die”
16) Blonds - The Bad Ones (Gluck Music)
Jordy Asher and Cari Rae record music that Lana
Del Ray would make if she had an ounce of talent. In other words, they make
music that is influenced by 60s girl groups yet retains a modern edge. And they
weren’t manufactured in a lab like Ms. Del Ray, which is a plus.
On the Web: Blonds.Bandcamp.com Best Tracks: “Heartstrings,” “The Bad Ones,” “Falling”
15) Arkells - Michigan Left (Heavy Plaid)
This
Canadian quintet was one of the more pleasant surprises to hit my mailbox this
year. Their second album is chock full of hooky songs that I found myself
humming days later. And they did a song called “Kiss Cam!” This should be
played at ballpark across the land immediately.
14) Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Psychedelic Pill (Reprise)
Two quirky
albums from Neil Young and Crazy Horse in the same calendar year? What year is
this, 1979? The 27 minute opening song “Driftin’ Back” has some of the lamest
lyrics Young has ever written. (Getting pissed about MP3s, Neil? This isn’t
2000 and you’re not Metallica.) But
the lengthy jam segments make up for it. “Walk Like a Giant” clocks in at only 16 minutes and there’s not a wasted
minute in that glorious tune about realizing your time is running out.
13) Jack White - Blunderbuss (Third Man/Columbia)
The solo
debut from the guy behind The White
Stripes, The Raconteurs and Dead Weather contains elements that
made all those bands fascinating to hear. I think it’s fair to say that Blunderbuss comes across like Jack White's Greatest Hits You Haven't Heard
Yet.
On the Web: JackWhiteiii.com
Best Tracks: “Sixteen Saltines,”
“Weep Themselves to Sleep,” “Trash Tongue Talker”
12) Ryan Monroe - A Painting of a Painting on Fire (RCM Records)
Monroe is a member of Band of Horses which, I must admit, I didn't know he was in the
band until I read the press release that came with the album. Monroe created an album that was much
better than the one his band did this year. I also nominate Monroe for album title of the year.
On the Web: RyanMonroeMusic.com Best Tracks: “Doritoys,” “A Painting of a Painting on Fire,”
“Turning Over Leaves”
11) Bahamas - Barchords (Brushfire Records/Universal)
This album takes
a mellow path like Jack Johnson (not
surprising since the group is signed to Johnson's label) but Bahamas mastermind Afie Jurvanen doesn't make me think I should be in Hawaii. The guitar tones on this album are
some of the coolest sounding ones I’ve heard in years echoing 60s surf guitar masters.
I don’t want to sell this whole album as a sleepy beach nostalgia trip…even
though there is a song called “I Got You Babe,” which should be titled “Not That I Got You Babe (As It Sounds Like
Neil Young’s Zuma).”
On the Web: Bahamasmusic.net
Best Tracks: “Caught Me Thinking,” “Okay,
Alright, I’m Alive,” “I Got You Babe”
10) Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits (Merge)
I was
disappointed with Spoon's last
album, Transference, as it seemed
frontman Britt Daniel was just
rehashing previous efforts. Perhaps Daniel felt that way himself, as this side
project with Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner seems to have
reinvigorated his knack for hooky songs presented in a minimalist way.
On the Web: DivineFits.com
Best Tracks: “My Love Is Real,”
“Would That Not Be Nice,” “The Salton Sea”
9) First Aid Kit - The Lion’s Roar (Wichita
Recordings)
Sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg wrote interesting songs with great harmonies on
their first album The Big Black and the
Blue. This second album has all those elements are still in play, but
producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) gives the duo's songs some
well deserved production heft. The title track deserves to be played at an
ear-shattering volume on top of a huge mountain because, well, it's that epic.
On the Web: ThisIsFirstAidKit.com Best Track: “The
Lion’s Roar," “King of the World,” “Blue”
8) Delta Spirit - Delta Spirit (Rounder)
Delta Spirit
strip out some of their American and alt-country influences on their third
album, aiming for a sound that sounds a bit more contemporary. They don’t
always hit the mark, but when they do on tracks like “Empty House” and “Tear It
Up” it’s exciting and captures the energy of their phenomenal live shows.
7) Young Fresh Fellows - Tiempo de Lujo
(Yep Roc)
Any year
that has a new album from my favorite Seattle quartet can't be that bad. (Well,
okay, maybe that’s not exactly true of this year.) There’s something that
happens when Scott McCaughey, Kurt Bloch, Jim Sangster and Tad
Hutchinson get together. It’s a smart-yet-silly kind of fun music that is sorely
lacking these days. Reportedly the 12 songs on this album were recorded in one
12 hour session at Bloch’s studio. If that is actually the case (these guys
like to cloak the truth in some, at times bizarre, wordplay so I’m doubtful)
that makes this album all that more impressive. And they wrote a song about Dr.
Zizmor from those subway ads!
On the Web: Facebook.com/theminus5 Best Tracks: “Cleflo and Zizmor,” “A
Fake Hello,” “Margaret”
6)
Shovels and Rope - O’ Be Joyful
(Dualtone)
My friend Jim Flammia sent me this debut from the
Charleston, South Carolina duo. Jim is a publicist I’ve known
for 15 years, and he and I share a similar taste in music. Yet I wonder if he
knew exactly how much I would love this album when he dropped it in the mail.
The first time I heard Cary Ann Hearst
and Michael Trent sing together on the
album opener “Birmingham” I knew that there was something
special going on here. The gritty guitars, clanging old drums, and raw
harmonies -- it’s a stunning combination that produces some of the best rootsy
music I’ve heard in ages.
5) Hospitality
- Hospitality (Merge)
I have to
give props to my friend Bill Pearis
for hipping me to Hospitality with a mix he sent me in 2011. Amber Papini has one of the most
distinctive voices I’ve heard in years (apparently she taught herself to sing
via repeated listenings of the Psychedelic
Furs' Talk Talk Talk, which is so
crazy it has to be true) and the album is wisely built upon putting her voice
front and center. Papini is also fascinated with doors, keys and locks, as half
the songs on her use some combination of those words. Hospitality is probably
too quirky for mainstream acceptance, but in a perfect Steve-led world they’d
be big stars. (And the Yankees would never make the playoffs.)
On the Web: Facebook.com/HospitalityLives
Best Tracks: “Friends of Friends,” “Eighth Avenue,” “Sleepover”
4) Frank Ocean - Channel Orange (Def Jam)
Frank Ocean made headlines when he wrote a
lengthy blog post about how the first love of his life was a man. In the world
of R&B and hip-hop, that's a huge leap of faith believing that your
audience won't turn upon you. His bravery is reflected in Channel Orange, an album that demands you give it some real focus
to catch its true greatness. Ocean is an incredible singer and he bares his
soul through his raw lyrics. It’s incredibly compelling. And I’d rank his
performance of “Bad Religion” backed by The
Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
as the best TV appearance of the year.
On the Web: FrankOcean.com
Best Tracks: “Bad Religion,”
“Thinking About You,” “Pyramids”
3) Bob Mould
- Silver Age (Merge)
When I
interviewed Bob Mould about his book See
a Little Light in 2011 he mentioned that when he started writing songs
again he wanted to do something fun after digging through his past for two
years. Who knew that he'd come up with his best album in two decades? Mould and
his band of the past four years (bassist Jason
Narducy and Superchunk/Mountain Goats drummer Jon Wurster) are the closest he’s come
to the power of Sugar and this album
echoes Copper Blue in many aspects.
Mostly because it fucking rocks.
On the Web: BobMould.com
Best Tracks: “The Descent,” “Star
Machine,” “Keep Believing”
2) The Figgs
- The Day Gravity Stopped (Stomper)
How many
acts can say they recorded one of their finest albums 25 years into their
career? Neil Young? Bob Dylan? Van Morrison? Bob Mould?
Whoever you believe should be on that list, it's a short one. The Figgs have done
just that -- and with a double album. Side one -- “On the Grounds of Stately
Homes,“ “Chased,” “The Lovely Miss Jean,” “Inspector R.T” and “Brain Be Gone” --
is easily one of the Top 3 sides of an album the band has ever recorded. A fine
example of a great band learning to age gracefully.
On the Web: TheFiggs.net
Best Tracks: “On the Grounds of
Stately Homes,” “Do Me Like You Said You Would,” “Chased”
1) Nada Surf
- The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
(Barsuk)
This may be
the first Nada Surf album that captures the essence of their concerts -- the
heartbreak, the joy, the longing and most importantly, the rocking. The band
really lets it rip from the opening track “Clear Eye Clouded Mind” and doesn’t
let up throughout, taking advantage of their touring fourth member Doug Gillard. He joined the band in
2010 when they toured behind their covers album and eventually became an
integral part of their sound. His stint with Guided By Voices produced some of that band’s best work and he’s
seemingly done the same magic for the songs of frontman Matthew Caws. Gillard’s sharp solos aren’t that flashy, yet they’re
perfectly constructed and improve each track. (The brief solo in “Waiting for
Something” is a work of guitar art.) Caws isn’t writing about heartbreak and
despair anymore, but as someone else who’s found some serenity in his life, I
really appreciate how he’s been able to take the next step with his art without
having to tap into a reservoir of pain. (Ooh, that’s a good name for an album.
Don’t steal it.)
On the Web: NadaSurf.com
Best Tracks: “When I Was Young,”
“Waiting for Something,” “Teenage Dreams”
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