During the year, I remember many times thinking to myself that I wasn't very satisfied with the albums I was getting. Basically, there weren't a lot that totally filled my music jonze. But then my #1 came, and it seemed like there was a wave of great music after that. But as I reflect, I also started enjoying albums from earlier in the year more as well. I think it just shows that when one amazing album opens your ears, mind, and heart, you are much more receptive to discovery. Kind of like "The Secret" or Scientology.
Finally, this list only includes albums I picked up in the calendar year. I've already found one or two that could fight their way on this list. But that's for another day. On to the list:
10. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
An album featuring the lead singer from Arctic Monkeys in full early Beatles songwriting mode. The first title track is a great punch to start it all off. From there, it proves to be a sweet album chalked full of moments to remember thinking about your middle school crush. Plus, I'm just a sucker for his english accent.
9. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
"FUCK! Why didn't I think of that!". That's my thoughts on almost every mix and mash-up put together on this perfect mixtape. Greg Gillis is a brilliant DJ, and this is a masterpiece. Fav moments: Jay-Z over Radiohead, Weezy and Birdman over Rod Stewart, and Kelly Clarkson over NIN. I ran to this album all summer long, and never got sick of it. Plus, you can pay what you want for it on the Girl Talk mySpace page. Throw the man a couple of bones, and get it for yourself.
8. Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
First, I love Kanye. I love his brashness, I love his contradictions, but most of all, I love his music. So I came to this album as a fan. And I'll leave a bigger one. One of the crazier stories about it I've heard is that he dropped the more traditional hip-hop album he was making after listening to Phil Collins' No Jacket Required. That's some funny shit. And somehow it helped me even make more sense of this album. I guess because when I was a kid, I was a Phil Collins fan. And so were other kids my age. We saw that ugly little guy ALL THE TIME on MTV. Can you imagine a guy like that on MTV in this era? Anyway, this album would be much higher if it weren't for the last couple of songs. The last one is so insufferable, I almost deleted it from my iTunes. But the good songs are sad pop gold. Just like Phil.
7. Vampire Weekend - S/T
The hype of this debut sucked me in. And it's been a delight all year. Smart lyrics, great indie rock soaked in African rhythms. I hope they have enough lasting power.
6. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
"Welcome Back Hip-Hop, I Saved Your Life..." indeed. Wayne is absolutely bat shit crazy. And that is what makes this album so much fun. Speaking of fun, here are three of my favorite memories listening to songs of this album:
- "Mr.Carter" - In the car with my wife as she listened to the ludacris version where he uses seasons as medaphors. Me'Cheal was laughing so hard at so stupid but witty it was.
- "A Milli" - Dancing with college frields at one of their weddings. He specifically requested it out of nowhere, then made his body convulse with the beat.
- "Lollipop" - Let's just say it was with my boys in Austin. It involved a 30 min cab ride with enough guys crammed in to officially call us a clown car.
5. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
Hometowns came out of nowhere at the end of the year. What I love about this album is it reminds me of two other albums that are one-off artifacts in pop music history. The singer's voice, style, and lyrics remind me of Neutral Milk Hotel's In An Airplane Over The Sea, and some of the music arrangement reminds me of The Postal Service's Give Up. Both of these are classics in their own right, and probably the best albums of the year's they came out. This isn't quite on that level, but even reminding me of these has made their next album one I look forward to.
NOTE: This one is only on eMusic right now. But it's worth hunting down.
4. M83 - Saturdays = Youth
This was the first album this year that I fell in love with it. I downloaded it one night before dinner, than started listening to it as I was doing the dishes. Immediately, I felt completely transferred back 25 years. It was like I was in a scene from "The Big Chill". The dabs of the haunting female voice throughout have an emotional pull that just break my heart. And the cinematic 80s synths paint such vivid pictures, you don't even need a screen to see this movie.
3. Conor Orberst - S/T
Conor wrote and recorded this album down in Mexico, and it has a playful laziness much of his Bright Eyes music lacks. He's less emo-serious, even when tackling tough topics like cancer, alcoholism, and faith. Plus, it sounds FANTASTIC on the open Texas highway. I dare you to not crank up "I Don't Wanna Die In The Hospital" when it comes on. I've always liked Conor because I feel I've matured with him. This album did not disappoint at all on that front.
2. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
It took me forever to fall completely in love with this one. I guess that should be expected since it sounds like the work of an Irish drunk. You can't help but falling in love with them in the long run. And once they have you, they have your heart forever. These songs are meant for the pub and a pint. Picking up the same producer who handles the boards for The National was a great score as well. The similarities are noticable. But this doesn't feel as bleak to me. Again, it's the Irish drunken sigh that provides the cheer through the tear.
1. TV On The Radio - Dear Science
To say this was my favorite album of the year doesn't even start to explain how much I love it. I picked it up one day at lunch, and threw it on in the car. From the millisecond the guitars and fuzz kick in on "Halfway Home", my eyes got really big, my fingers started gripping the wheel a little tighter, and my head started bobbing up and down. The TVOR boys reached out from the speakers and grabbed me with force. By the time the 'Ba-bas' hit a few bars later, I had little swells of tears in my eyes. YES! THIS IS WHAT I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR THIS YEAR!
Even before the record came out, I was hoping this would be the case. I liked the first two TVOR albums quite a bit, but they just were a little too deep. They buried so much in layers of noise - especially on Return To Cookie Mountain. I remember talking to a friend and saying "..,if only they didn't overproduce themselves. They could be huge!" Dear Science is that breakthrough. Way more funky than anything they've done, the nods to Price and James Brown grounds the album in pop hooks that make you want to dance, even while the percussion, synths, and horns spell out doom.
It's that chaos that makes this album more powerful. After my first full listen, I immediately labeled it the perfect back bookend of the Bush years (with Radiohead's Kid A being the front end). Since then, Obama won, and the album took another turn for me. You see, there's a lot of hope in this record. There is a "Golden Age comin round". And this album is the perfect document of what ushered in this awkward time of mass turmoil and great hope. It holds the same paradox, and is unapologetically everything great art should be.
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Dude,
ReplyDeleteLOVE the list. I have to run and grab some of this stuff since I know it will be tasty. I needed some fresh air in music -- thanks for the tips. It's lonely without a hip music room mate.
Keep droppin knowledge
Steve
Chad-
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions. I am constantly looking for new music. Listening to TV on the Radio right now and they are really good.
I am surprised Kings of Leon isn't on your list. They seem to be on a lot of people's lists this year. I can't seem to get into them but I do like "Sex on Fire"
Vicki
I like the Owls song...number 4. Never heard of TV on the Radio. Never heard of most of your bands, actually. I'm not hip. I generally can be found singing Baa Baa Black Sheep. Or the ABCs. Or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Did you ever realize all three of those songs have the SAME BORING TUNE.
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