Another year has wound its way to an end and with it we have all grown that much older. A few critically lauded acts like Animal Collective, Girls and Wavves made albums that might have aged this indiephile out of a genre or two but the albums listed here kept me young all year long.
1. Grizzly Bear Veckatimest This album strikes a near perfect balance between the nostalgic pop tunefulness and excessive high wire atmospherics of its peers, looking in for content and direction while staying relevant by reaching out for a larger, more complex and rewarding sound. A coming of age album that manages to both capture and transcend the zeitgeist.
2. Flaming Lips Embryonic Like Radiohead's In Rainbows Wayne Coyne and his Flips once again sound like a band of mortals rather than, in their case, an inflatable atomic circus sideshow. Totally fucking insane and damaged, but incredibly talented mortals.
3. Volcano Choir Unmap Bon Iver's Justin Vernon teams with fellow Wisconsinites and math-folk-rockers Collections of Colonies of Bees for a textured avante-beardcore take on Vernon's soulful minimalism.
4. Califone All My Friends Are Funeral Singers Deep and twitchy album pushes the "alt" in alt-country to the limits to find subtle rewards as dark and enticing as the title suggests.
5. The Avett Brothers I and Love and You Redefining rather than rewarming folk harmonies for the twenty-first century. If it aint broke make it better.
6. Elvis Perkins in Dearland s/t A little bit Neutral Milk Hotel and a little bit Buddy Holly, EPiD warble and clatter their way into even the hardest of hearts. Rootsy Americana with a trombone and an accordion for Pete's sake, what's not to love!
7. Bon Iver Blood Bank ep Delivers and builds on the promise of Justin Vernon's wintry debut while hinting at exciting new directions (see #3) as any good ep should do.
8. Neko Case Middle Cyclone Focused and familiar, Case's swooning wail takes on Mother Nature's more destructive tendencies with animal conviction and geologic force.
9. Various artists Dark Was the Night Unlikely among compilations, the brothers Dessner (The National) curate and produce a consistently stunning document of today's indie scene including The Arcade Fire, Feist, Spoon, Grizzly Bear, The Books, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, and Yo La Tango among many others - introducing revealing new pairings (Dirty Projectors + David Byrne) and keeping alive a thematic and sonic thread throughout.
10. Blakroc s/t Much anticipated Black Keys hip hop project delivers the goods, balancing their own low slung rust belt soul with the punch and swagger of well matched MCs including Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, ODB, and stand-out Noe.
11. Dan Deacon Bromst Deacon retains the title King of Freaktronica with an ever so slightly reigned-in extension of his uniquely manic cartoon dancescapes, leaning more on live performance which this royal subject calls a good thing.
12. Modest Mouse No One's First, And You're Next Brief but brilliant reminder that this is a band who used to be more comfortable Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset than allowing life to simply Float On.
13. Steve Earle Townes Earle is at his best when he's growling through a good story and no one tells a good story like Townes. This faithful tribute to a mentor and teacher graciously avoids reverence in favor of insight.
14. Wilco Wilco (the album) With friends like Colbert and Obama Wilco are as much cultural institution as band - but songs like "One Wing", "You and I" and "You Never Know" remind even jaded listeners that Tweedy can still write songs with the best of them.
15. Dizzee Rascal Tongue N' Cheek As the title implies Diz finally lets loose and has some fun, and it's contagious. However like bangers and mash Diz still proves to be too British for most of the US. Also however, bangers and mash is just sausage and potatoes which is pretty good anywhere. Now can I please get a proper pint?
16. Iron & Wine Around the Well This two disc collection of b-sides and out takes charts Sam Beam's trajectory from bedside folkie to indie mainstay, featuring a few highlights (his cover of The Flaming Lips "Waitin' for a Superman") and adding considerable breadth if little depth to his already impressive pool.
17. Them Crooked Vultures s/t Big kids in the candy store indulging in the things they love and do best. No surprises and nothing you wouldn't expect - Josh Homme keeps it libidinous and druggy, John Paul Jones would like to remind you that he used to be in that other band, and Dave Grohl is irrepressible. I think Thor just crapped his pants.
18. Built To Spill There Is No Enemy I never noticed how much Doug Martsch sounds like Roger Waters. B2S maintain focus on simplicity with a renewed interest in psych rock and politics.
19. Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains Smartish upstart indie rock that plays like Pavement by way of Modest Mouse for the post-ironic Arcade Fire generation.
20. Brendan Benson My Old, Familiar Friend The sound of one man trying to throw back the large White blanket he borrowed from an old, very familiar friend.
2. Flaming Lips Embryonic Like Radiohead's In Rainbows Wayne Coyne and his Flips once again sound like a band of mortals rather than, in their case, an inflatable atomic circus sideshow. Totally fucking insane and damaged, but incredibly talented mortals.
3. Volcano Choir Unmap Bon Iver's Justin Vernon teams with fellow Wisconsinites and math-folk-rockers Collections of Colonies of Bees for a textured avante-beardcore take on Vernon's soulful minimalism.
4. Califone All My Friends Are Funeral Singers Deep and twitchy album pushes the "alt" in alt-country to the limits to find subtle rewards as dark and enticing as the title suggests.
5. The Avett Brothers I and Love and You Redefining rather than rewarming folk harmonies for the twenty-first century. If it aint broke make it better.
6. Elvis Perkins in Dearland s/t A little bit Neutral Milk Hotel and a little bit Buddy Holly, EPiD warble and clatter their way into even the hardest of hearts. Rootsy Americana with a trombone and an accordion for Pete's sake, what's not to love!
7. Bon Iver Blood Bank ep Delivers and builds on the promise of Justin Vernon's wintry debut while hinting at exciting new directions (see #3) as any good ep should do.
8. Neko Case Middle Cyclone Focused and familiar, Case's swooning wail takes on Mother Nature's more destructive tendencies with animal conviction and geologic force.
9. Various artists Dark Was the Night Unlikely among compilations, the brothers Dessner (The National) curate and produce a consistently stunning document of today's indie scene including The Arcade Fire, Feist, Spoon, Grizzly Bear, The Books, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, and Yo La Tango among many others - introducing revealing new pairings (Dirty Projectors + David Byrne) and keeping alive a thematic and sonic thread throughout.
10. Blakroc s/t Much anticipated Black Keys hip hop project delivers the goods, balancing their own low slung rust belt soul with the punch and swagger of well matched MCs including Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, ODB, and stand-out Noe.
11. Dan Deacon Bromst Deacon retains the title King of Freaktronica with an ever so slightly reigned-in extension of his uniquely manic cartoon dancescapes, leaning more on live performance which this royal subject calls a good thing.
12. Modest Mouse No One's First, And You're Next Brief but brilliant reminder that this is a band who used to be more comfortable Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset than allowing life to simply Float On.
13. Steve Earle Townes Earle is at his best when he's growling through a good story and no one tells a good story like Townes. This faithful tribute to a mentor and teacher graciously avoids reverence in favor of insight.
14. Wilco Wilco (the album) With friends like Colbert and Obama Wilco are as much cultural institution as band - but songs like "One Wing", "You and I" and "You Never Know" remind even jaded listeners that Tweedy can still write songs with the best of them.
15. Dizzee Rascal Tongue N' Cheek As the title implies Diz finally lets loose and has some fun, and it's contagious. However like bangers and mash Diz still proves to be too British for most of the US. Also however, bangers and mash is just sausage and potatoes which is pretty good anywhere. Now can I please get a proper pint?
16. Iron & Wine Around the Well This two disc collection of b-sides and out takes charts Sam Beam's trajectory from bedside folkie to indie mainstay, featuring a few highlights (his cover of The Flaming Lips "Waitin' for a Superman") and adding considerable breadth if little depth to his already impressive pool.
17. Them Crooked Vultures s/t Big kids in the candy store indulging in the things they love and do best. No surprises and nothing you wouldn't expect - Josh Homme keeps it libidinous and druggy, John Paul Jones would like to remind you that he used to be in that other band, and Dave Grohl is irrepressible. I think Thor just crapped his pants.
18. Built To Spill There Is No Enemy I never noticed how much Doug Martsch sounds like Roger Waters. B2S maintain focus on simplicity with a renewed interest in psych rock and politics.
19. Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains Smartish upstart indie rock that plays like Pavement by way of Modest Mouse for the post-ironic Arcade Fire generation.
20. Brendan Benson My Old, Familiar Friend The sound of one man trying to throw back the large White blanket he borrowed from an old, very familiar friend.
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