Albums Of The Year 2010

1. Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night Of The Soul

After being held up in legal limbo for over a year, 2010 finally saw the release of the soundtrack to the multi-media collaboration between Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, and David Lynch. And for those who never got around to obtaining through alternate means (I'm probably in the minority of that category), it was worth the wait. Albums with multiple guest singers are usually a mixed bag, but there is remarkable continuity on this album. The music was composed by Danger Mouse and Mark Linkous, and then the guest vocalists (including Iggy Pop, Frank Black, Julian Casablancas, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Gruff Ryhs of Super Furry Animals, James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, and David Lynch) wrote the lyrics. Despite the fact that the singers were never given any direction or heard any of the other tracks, all the songs share similar themes of dealing with the darker side of life, giving the project remarkable continuity. The one-two punch of Black Francis' "Angel's Harp" and Iggy Pop's "Pain" give the album its rockingest moments, and "Man Who Played God" is the coolest thing I've ever heard from Suzanne Vega. The biggest surprise though is "Star Eyes (I Can't Reach It)," which proves that David Lynch can actually sing. Losing Mark Linkous to suicide was a blow to the music community last year, but at least he left us one more great album before he checked out. God speed.



2. The National - High Violet

This album didn't have quite the immediate effect with me that Boxer did, but over repeated listenings it's made a similar impact. Although "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and "Afraid of Everyone" were the songs that made the most sudden impact, it was slow burners like "Runaway" and "England" that ended up burrowing their way deepest into my head. Matt Berninger's lyrics might seem like a random collection of loosely associated phrases on first listen, but they seem to reveal themselves over time, and though they're rarely direct and to the point, he the brothers Dessner and Devendorf can create a mood like few other artists out there today. This was the year that The National officially made the list of my all time favorite bands.



3. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding

Oh Superchunk, how we missed you! It's not just that your only activity over the past nine years seemed to be limited to playing Merge anniversary shows and political rallies, and releasing the occasional track on a compilation album. It's also that your previous two albums seemed so, well... adult. We understand that bands need to develop and grow, so we accepted the keyboards and horns and such because the songs were still catchy as hell, even if they were a little slower. But to be honest, we kinda missed the Chunk we grew up with. And from the strains of feedback that open Majesty Shredding, it was obvious that this was a return to the band we hung out with in college. Louder. Faster. Slightly neurotic. It's great to see you again! Wanna grab a beer?

Superchunk - "Digging For Something" (mp3)



4. The New Pornographers – Together

I think I've gotten to the point with the New Pornographers that every new release is kind of like a trip to a favorite restaurant... there aren't going to be many surprises, but I know I'm going to love it. There isn't the thrill of discovery like there was the first time I heard Electric Version, or the first time I had a maple bar from Top Pot in Seattle. Over time that sense of revelation has been replaced with the anticipation of something you know is going to be great. And the fact that you know what to expect doesn't diminish the experience. And if that sounds boring to you, clearly you’ve never experienced the utter deliciousness that is a Top Pot donut. If you don’t believe me, ask Golden Tate. Read our full review from June.



5. Jónsi - Go

While it's not as atmospheric or experimental as Sigur Ros, it's funny to think that Go was intended to be a stripped down acoustic record. The instrumentation is still fairly eclectic, but the songs tend of have more traditional song structures. Combined with the fact that the lyrics are written in actually languages, it makes this much closer to "pop" than anything Jónsi has done in the past. It's hardly conventional, but the songs definitely have a happier, more upbeat feel than his past work. Where as Sigur Ros was always kind of a "put on your headphones and get lost" music, this makes for a surprisingly good driving album.

Albums Of The Decade 2000-2009

With everything going on in my life right now (planning a wedding, buying a house, etc), I haven't had time to finish a proper "best albums of the decade" list. But it seems like too monumental an occasion to just abandon the concept completely. So instead of a traditional, detailed write-ups of my favorite albums of the last ten years, I decided to take a "quick takes" approach for them. Usually I'm in love with Top 5 lists, but reviewing an entire decade seemed to call for a Top 10. So here we go... a list of the ten albums that most made my heart go pitter-patter in the oughts.



1. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights

From the very first notes of "Untitled" I knew this one was going to be special. It strikes the perfect balance between chiming and driving, dense and sparse, soaring and straightforward, and lyrically between obtuse and profound. And as a drummer, I'm completely smitten with Sam Fogarino's playing on this album. There aren't very many albums I fall in love with at first listen and never get tired of. This is definitely one of them.



2. Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun

There was a time in my life when I wouldn't be caught dead listening to a band that sang in a made-up language. But despite the fact that the lyrics are pretty much gibberish, "Svefn g englar" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Pretty much their entire catalog is awe inspiring, but this album is still my favorite.

Sigur Rós - "Starálfur" (mp3)



3. Radiohead - Kid A

I love Radiohead the most when they are a rock band. But this album was so awesome, and so mind blowing, that I didn't care that there were barely any guitars. It was so good in fact that it kept me from breaking up with someone... at least temporarily. Long story.



4. The National - Boxer

I was late to the party on this, so it didn't make my best of 2007 list. But I guarantee you I made up for lost time listening to it in 2008. I'm not sure a band has ever combined brilliant songwriting and offbeat arrangements so well. And it's absolutely become my go to flying album.



5. Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up

The very first time I heard her sing, it was just her and an omnichord, a drumset, and a guitar. But her voice was really the star of the show, and I was mesmerized. For this debut album, she was joined a band who matched her otherworldly vocals with a massive sound of their own. The result is nothing short of magic. Read our original review from February 2007.

Cortney Tidwell - "Missing Link" (mp3)



6. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways

This would have been an amazing record even if it had been released while the Man in Black was still alive. The fact that it basically became Cash singing his own eulogy made it heartbreakingly profound. Read our original review from August 2006.



7. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas

What initially sounded like an odd pairing turned out to be a match made in heaven. Mark Lanegan's gruff baritone is the perfect counterpoint to Isobel Campbell's delicate soprano, and added a welcome degree of earthiness to her ethereal folk. Read our review from the Best 0f 2006 post.


8. The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost

It's been a while since I played with psychedelics, but listening to this album is frankly a better trip than any chemical induced voyage I ever took. It's the kind of album was made for putting on headphones and getting lost with. Read our original review from April 2008.

The Black Angels - "Doves" (mp3)



9. The New Pornographers - Electric Version

Most bands would love to have as many great hooks over the course of their career as Carl Newman and company pack onto their sophomore album. With a wall of sound and a barrel full of infectious energy, Vancouver's finest unleash a power pop gem that is the perfect soundtrack for driving around on a sunny day with the windows rolled down and the stereo cranked just below the point where it would be harmful for your ears.



10. Mojave 3 - Excuses for Travellers

Who knew that one of the biggest stars of the nineties shoegazer scene would end up making such a great stoner country album? For the longest time I'd just listen to "In Love With A View" and "Return To Sender" endlessly, but once I got past track four I found the rest of the CD is equally great.

Albums Of The Year 2009

So now that the holidays are over and a new year and decade has begun, I guess it's high time I get to wrapping up the old ones. So with no further ado, here are my favorite albums of 2009...



1. Workers - Workers

This is one of those albums that I knew from the very first note I was going to love. The band formerly known as Your Black Star kicks off their fifth album with a call to arms in "Revolutions," and they don't take their foot off the pedal until it's over nine songs later. Three people shouldn't be able to make a sound this huge, but as anyone who has seen Workers live can attest, it's not just studio trickery. Eight years in they've made the album of their careers. If you're one of those people who wish U2 had broken up after War, or that Radiohead would leave the electronics behind and go back to being a ROCK band, or you just like kick ass bands and guitars that alternate between buzzsawing and echoing, you owe it to yourself to see what you missed. It started the year off at the frontrunner for my favorite album of the year and never gave up the position, despite some tough competition from number two. Read our full review from April.

Workers - "Revolutions" (mp3) from Workers




2. A.A. Bondy - When the Devil's Loose

Two years ago when A.A. Bondy released American Hearts, it was hard to believe that this was the same buy that fronted Verbena. Sure his old band occasionally touched on the blues, but mostly they sounded like Nirvana. So the rootsy, folky sound of his solo debut was a revelation. And as impressive as it was, his sophomore effort is even better. The songs are utterly fantastic, and the sound is a bit more atmospheric, while still retaining it's soulful core. Read our full review from April.

A.A. Bondy - "I Can See The Pines Are Dancing" (mp3) from When the Devil's Loose




3. A.C. Newman - Get Guilty

Ideally when you release a solo album, it should show a different side of your music than your regular band does. As good as The Slow Wonder was, it basically sounded like a New Pornographers album, minus Dan Bejar and Neko Case. With this second solo set, A.C. Newman got the balance right. It's familiar enough to appeal to the to the Pornographers fans, but just different enough to sound fresh. The instrumentation branches out with the addition of violin, horns and flutes, while the arrangements touch on new feels and rhythms. Of course, all of that would be moot if his gift for brilliant melodies and quirky hooks weren't there. But "All Of My Days And All Of My Days Off" or "The Palace At 4 a.m." are as catchy as anything he's ever released.

A.C. Newman - "Submarines Of Stockholm" (mp3) from Get Guilty




4. Lylas - Do You Believe In Blood?

It'd been too long since we'd heard from Lylas. In the three years since their last album, Lessons For Lovers, we'd only had a Christmas EP and a random show here and there to tide us over. This fall saw the long awaited release of their second full length album, and it was definitely worth the wait. The new lineup meant new textures and an expanded palate for their often eerie, sometimes delicate chamber folk. Music this pretty is rarely this creepy... and vice versa. Read our full review from October.

Lylas - "Baby Brimstone" (mp3) from Do You Believe In Blood?




5. Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted

If this selection seems a bit left field, its probably because it is. But as I started making this list, and thinking of the albums I listened to the most over the past 365 days, this album was right up there. I don't think Kelly Clarkson even qualifies as a guilty pleasure anymore... "Since U Been Gone" is defnitely among the best singles of the last decade, and the fight with her label to release My December gave her more artistic cred than most Pitchfork darlings have. So the fact that there was no song I turned up louder in the car this summer than "I Do Not Hook Up," and "Already Gone" being a really good breakup song means that this album made the cut. Mainstream pop doesn't get much more fun than this. Sure it's bubblegum, but it's really tasty gum.

Albums Of The Year 2008

When I first started doing the obligatory year end list a couple of years ago, I made a decision to limit it to my favorite five albums from the previous twelve months. It was partly because I like the aesthetics of a top five, but mostly it was to keep the focus on albums that I really, truly loved. Like most music geeks, I listen to a lot of music during the course of a year, and while I may really like a lot of them, there are only a few albums that I truly connect with.

That said, I had a really hard time limiting this list to just five albums. I seriously thought about expanding it into a...

You're probably wondering why this post just stopped. Unfortunately the original post was deleted by Blogger for some unknown reason (they never sent me notice), and I've had to recreate it based on a partial copy of it I found on Elbo.ws, and the raw data from Hype Machine's 2008 Music Zeitgeist. If it ever shows up on archive.org, I'll get the complete reviews reposted, but for now, here is what the list looked like.


1. The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost

The Black Angels - "Doves" (mp3)


2. R.E.M. - Accelerate




3. The Duke Spirit - Neptune




4. Hotpipes - Future Bolt

Hotpipes - "The Future Is Where We Belong" (mp3)




5. Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords

Flight Of The Conchords - "Business Time" (mp3)

Honorable Mention:
The Wedding Present - El Rey
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Sunday At Devil Dirt
All We Seabees - MKUltra
Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Matthew Ryan - Matthew Ryan Vs. The Silver State

Albums of the Year 2007

For the past two years it's been my goal to have my "best of" posts written and posted during the week between Christmas and New Years. And for two years I've failed miserably at that goal. Last year I blamed holiday traveling for the delay. This year I've got no legitimate excuse. I actually started this post on December 29, but it's sat largely untouched since then. Maybe next year I'll start this bugger in November. Better late than never though, so here 'tis... Page 300's Albums of the Year for 2007.



1. Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up

Even if I had listened to a million albums this year, this one would still top my list. Everything I said about it in February still holds true. It's stunning, gorgeous, ethereal, otherworldly, majestic, understated, cryptic, catchy, quirky, and just plain beautiful. That's a lot of adjectives, and some of them contradict each other, but I stand by every one of them. Cortney's voice is the star of the show, but it's surrounded by a dazzling array of musical textures provided an all star cast from Nashville's indie scene. I absolutely love this album, and the fact that is was made by a local gal is the icing on the cake.

Cortney Tidwell - "Eyes Are At The Billions" (mp3)




2. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Most of the press about In Rainbows has centered on the band's "pay what you want" pricing strategy when the album was available for download on their website. And while that was a novel concept (especially for a band of their stature), the most amazing thing about it is that they turned release day into a communal experience again. The age of internet leaks has made people forget that it wasn't that long ago people would still line up at midnight at their local record store, so they could be the first to hear their favorite band's new album. By releasing this online just a week after it was finished, Radiohead ensured that everyone would be experiencing for the first time together. None of that would have mattered though if the album didn't deliver, and it does. Thom Yorke seemed to be returning towards writing actual songs (rather than just singing random phrases over the music) on his solo album, The Eraser, and that approach continues here. As much as I liked the band's last three albums, this is easily their best since OK Computer.

Radiohead - "Bodysnatchers" (mp3)




3. Interpol - Our Love To Admire

I'm not sure I really want to call this a return to form, but it's a return to something. Turn On The Bright Lights is probably my favorite album of the last ten years, and while I listened to Antics a lot, and like it, there was something missing on it that I've never been able to put my finger on. Call it the sophomore slump, but it was just less... special. Whatever it was though, the magic is back here in spades. Interpol took their new major label budget and managed to flesh out their sound while still sounding quintessentially like themselves.

Interpol - "Mammoth" (mp3)


4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

In reading other people's end of the year best of lists, it was kind of surprising to me how this album fell off so many people's radar. It was easily one of the 2007's most anticipated albums, and the prerelease hype for it was huge. And maybe that's the problem. The album leaked early, and by the time it was released in March, many bloggers we're already "over it" in their rush to hype the next big thing. Don't feel too bad for Arcade Fire though... Neon Bible debuted at number 2 in both the US and the UK, and made them arguably the most important indie band out there. The album expanded on the already lush sound they introduced on their debut, Funeral, and served as another sign that Bruce Springsteen is the new indie icon.

Arcade Fire - "No Cars Go" (mp3)




5. The Blakes - The Blakes

This album entered my universe just before Thanksgiving (when I originally reviewed it), and one of the best things I can say about it is that it managed to break through the never ending parade of Christmas music that is my usual December listening habit. It's probably the best debut album I've heard since The Stone Roses. The Blakes remind me a bit of Oasis, not only because they often wear their influences on their sleeves, but also because they write kick-ass, fun, and instantly memorable pop songs. I missed seeing them in Nashville in November, ironically because I was on my way to Seattle, both my hometown and theirs. Hopefully I'll get a chance to remedy that in 2008.

The Blakes - "Don't Bother Me" (mp3)