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This list is in no particular order. Although Derek Walker makes  a strong case for Joanna Newsom’s Have One On Me as the best album of February.

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Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
Written by thirst’n howl III

Rocky Votolato - True Devotion (Barsuk)
Written by Bear

Dear readers, True Devotion finds Rocky Votolato in his finest form. Like a race horse trained solely for the purpose of winning the big prize, so does Rocky Votolato spend months and years, pouring his heart out into songs that once released will hopefully have a huge impact on his fans.  With True Devotion Rocky has stripped down his songs with only vocals and acoustic guitar taking his music back where it belongs. -Read Full IRR Review

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Visit Rocky

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Phantogram - Eyelid Movies (Barsuk)
Written by Murdoch Watson

Instead of the contained, smooth, atmospheric dream pop of xx, Eyelid Movies gives us a manic, often disjointed, noir-ish, shoegazey album. Phantogram sounds like trip-hop revisited, while Carter and Barthel refer to their sound as “street beat, psych pop”, whatever name you want to call it it’s refreshing. -Read Full IRR Review

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Visit Phantogram

Phantogram – When I’m Small

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Dan Black – UN
Written by Willy the Knight

The first thing to be said is, Catchy. Any good pop artist knows the importance of a great hook, and riff, and song after song Dan Black finds a way to help you remember each individual track. Dan uses a variety of different elements to bring out some great ambient sound affects like simple strings in the aptly named song “Symphonies” or “Wonder”-a song that it is grounded on the rhythm of an acoustic guitar. - Read Full Review

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Visit Dan Black

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Yeasayer - Odd Blood (Secretly Canadian)
Written by Barry Moore

The first track on the album comes right out of left field, or maybe left out in right field? Um…anyway, beginning with an almost Metropolis-esque electro jazz stomp that evolves into the more electro-poppy hope filled second track “Ampling Alp”, Yeasayer seem to declare their roots in 80’s electronica while maintaining a rather refreshing originality.

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Yeasayer – O.N.E.

Visit Yeasayer

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Quasi - American Gong (Kill Rock Stars)
Written By Bear

A dozen years ago Quasi was a group of youngsters making music that stood out. Now with their new album, American Gong, they have succeeded in making one of the freshest albums so this year, or of the past year for that matter. You might imagine Sam Coomes’s jangled guitars toning down over the last decadde, but they haven’t. Or perhaps you would expect Janet Weiss to not hit her drums as hard, but that would be a fallacy. American Gong is as good as they come.

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Visit Quasi

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Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me (Drag City)
Written By Derek Walker

How does this 20-something songbird keep getting better? If “Ys” was her coming out party, “Have One On Me” has made Joanna Newsom the belle of the indie rock ball — if you call the beautiful melodies she plucks “rock.” An unprecedented triple album, this two-hour-plus long masterpiece is thus far 2010′s best, even if 2010 is barely two or so months old.

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Visit Joanna Newsom

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Dios - We Are Dios (Buddyhead Records)
Written by thirst’n howl III
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This is way late in posting, but it’s never to late is it? Our apologies go out to Feral Children. Here’s the run down. Bill and the band wrote up the bands Best Of Albums and Best Shows for 2009 for IRR. We hope you enjoy the reading!

Here goes:
Hello, I’m Bill from Feral Children. Yesterday at practice I asked the band about this year’s best and here’s what came up:

I know, I know. I never finished my 12 days but all 2 of you who read this won’t care. Here is my complete list of Favs from ’09!

In years past I would say putting together a list of my personal favorites would be a daunting task. This year though, I realized that I wasn’t really into albums much. Not sure if it was due to the fact that I DJ a lot and am always on the look out for single amazing tracks to play or that I feel bands and artist are not really focusing on the art of the album as a whole. Either way, thanks to my itunes and the purchase of a new laptop in January, making this list was quite easy. So lo and behold, “La Lista de Lo Mejor Del 2009” by El Nova:

Favorite Albums of 2009

Mariachi El Bronx – S/T

Hands down this was my favorite album and the most “Punk Rock” thing to grace my car stereo this year. The minute I heard the lead track Cell Mates, I knew I had to check it out. Being born and raised in California (Latin Influence Abound) and having a Grandma that was heavily involved in the Country world, this album just felt like a great reminder of vintage Johnny Cash, Vicente Fernandez and Marty Robbins. If you are a fan of the Bronx, this may or may not be what you’d expect from them. As for me it was a welcomed surprise!

As one friend put, “Even my Valet, who was Mexican, had to ask who the band was playing in my car. That’s when you know they did this right.”

Muse – Resistance

I’ll keep this simple. It isn’t their best work, maybe even my least favorite of all their works. Yet, most bands out there still can’t make an album of this caliber. Maybe duplicate it but never replicate the same feel. When I needed an album to listen to as a whole and escape my daily burdens, in came Matt B and Co with the trip I needed!

Other Albums The Were On Heavy Rotation:
The XX – S/T

Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: End of the Day

Frankmusik – Complete Me

The Bloody Beetroots – Romborama

The Noisettes – Wild Young Hearts

Them Crooked Vultures – S/T

Matt & Kim – Grand

fun. – aim and ignite

Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3

Owl City – Ocean Eyes

The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die

Top 25 Songs

Bonkers – Dizzie Rascal

Never Forget You – Noisettes

3 Words – Frankmusik

HYPNTZ (Biggie Cover) &/Or Symphonies – Dan Black

Lost+ Ft. Jay-Z – Coldplay

Pusuit of Happiness (Ft. MGMT & Ratatat) – Kid Cudi

A Thing For Me – Metronomy

Big Bills feat.CAROLINE POLACHEK – Flosstradamus

She Came Along (feat. Kid Cudi) – Sharam

Pon De Floor – Major Lazer

I Found Away (feat. Douglas P) – Alkaline Trio

I’m On A Boat (feat. T-Pain) – The Lonely Island

Animal (Including Many Remixes) – Mike Snoww

Sugalumps – Flight of the Conchords

No You Girls – Franz Ferdinand

Uptown Girl (feat. Emily Haines & Murray Lightburn) – k-Os

Night By Night – Chromeo

All The Pretty Girls – fun.

In The Room Where You Sleep – Dead Mans Bones

The Good News – Philadelphia Grand Jury

By Sean Hetherington

One day this summer I was listening to Merriweather Post Pavillion while I was working in my garage. One of the songs that is not “My Girls” or “Summertime Clothes” (read: one of the less desirable tracks) was playing. As my little brother’s friends (call him Charlie) left the house he quizzically (and mockingly) smirked at the radio, “What the hell are you listening to man?” He didn’t even give me a chance to respond as he walked away chuckling and shaking his head. I realized at that moment, as I looked at the radio speakers then back at Charlie’s portly ponytail as he got in his truck, that what I was listening to at that moment was indeed nothing less then laughable. In all fairness, the truck he drives is yellow. Also it’s a Hummer H2. One of those SUTs. Nevertheless, the album didn’t make my top ten albums and six months later, I’m still trying to figure out which was more ridiculous: Charlie’s Oakleys as he drove off in his yellow Hummer or me as I listened to “Bluish” or “Lion in a Coma” or whatever pile of crap was playing at that curious moment. Anyways, here are 10 of my favorite albums of 2009.

1. Let’s Wrestle////In The Court of The Wrestling Lets

Imagine if Art Brut teamed up with Frank Black… Oh yeah that happened, and it didn’t sound half this good… but in all fairness, nothing this year did. Let’s Wrestle made a nearly perfect album this year. While this is merely a list of my favorite albums, it must be said that In the Court of the Wrestling Lets is truly the best album of 2009.

2. The Strange Boys////And Girls Club

The Strange Boys were Austin’s best band for at least 51 weeks of 2009. And be sure that—with another album coming early 2010, and a new band member (this one a girl)—they’ll be even more prevalent at SXSW this year in their push for 52 in 2010.

3. The Spits////Volume IV

10 songs in 15 minutes.

4. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart////The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

The Spits would beat the hell out of this band then eat their hearts, thereby showing them what real heart pain is. Still a good album.

4. Handsome Furs////Face Control

Probably the best thing anyone associated with Wolf Parade has put out since 2005’s Apologies To The Queen Mary.

5. Obits////I Blame You

Maybe not the Hot Snakes, but in this economy we’ll take what we can get.

6. The xx////xx

Chic?

7. Grizzly Bear////Veckatimest

A much anticipated album whose brighter moments are so bright that they sustain it’s rather prosaic moments. The fact that it made just about everybody’s “Best Of” lists shows just how bright those better moments are on Veckatimest.

8. Franz Ferdinand////Tonight

For every hour I spent this year trying to convince myself that I liked Merriweather Post Pavillion I spent two trying to convince myself that I did not like Tonight, or Franz Ferdinand at all anymore, for that matter. Wasted time. Shamelessly abandoning their former post-punk pose, the Scots seem to have adopted a post-boy band sound that is quite sexy, often frivolous, mostly, danceable, and always in good fun.

9. Heartless Bastards////The Mountain

Along with Built To Spill and Islands, this Detroit troupe proves that if you consistently make one great album after another (without some drastic change in your formula) you’ll probably get overlooked in 2009.

10. Dan Auerbach////Keep It Hid

Not the Black Keys, but definite proof that solo projects are not always lazy attempts at offloading spare ideas and songs. Auerbach can write songs and then sing for days.

Best Songs

1. “Tanks” Let’s Wrestle
2. “I’m In Fighting Mode” Let’s Wrestle
3. “Tonight” The Spits
4. “Warm Heart Of Africa” The Very Best
5. “Bow Down and Die” The Almighty Defenders
6. “Two Weeks” Grizzly Bear
7. “I’m Confused” Handsome Furs
8. “A Teenager In Love” The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
9. “Lust for Life” Girls
10. “I’m In Fighting Mode” Let’s Wrestle
11. “The Mountain” Heartless Bastards
12. “Blood Get Thin” Pete & The Pirates
13. “That’s The Way Boys Are” Best Coast
14. “This Girl Taught Me A Dance” The Strange Boys
15. “Parasites” The Soft Pack
16. “We Are The Man You’ll Grow To Love Soon” Let’s Wrestle
17. “Rain On” Woods
18. “Peacock and Wing” The Fresh And Onlys
19. “Sea Within a Sea” The Horrors
20. “Disarming The Car Bomb” Islands
21. “Twist and Shout” Art Brut
22. “Big Booty Woman” Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
23. “Prize Fighter” Golden Triangle
24. “Live Alone” Franz Ferdinand
25. “My Girls” Animal Collective
26. “Street Walkin” Dan Auerbach
27. “Listzomania/1901” Phoenix
28. “Execution” Pink Mountain Tops
29. “I Fought A Crocodile” Jacuzzi Boys
30. “Lowiza” The Lovely Feathers

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The third day of nothingness is upon us. How boring am I? Well hopefully a Hollywood pretty boy will brighten up that “16 Candles” romance you so desperately desire. Then again it could be the soundtrack to your ghostly heartaches!

Day 3 – Number 10

Album – Dead Man’s Bones – Dead Man’s Bones Feat. The Silverlake Conservatory of Music Children’s Choir
Last year a friend posted a video via Facebook of a song by Ryan Gosslin and a new music project he was working on. So, to be pretentiously correct, I had to chime back, “How can the dude from the Notebook make hip music? It’s not right.” I should have used more profound words to get the point across. After said comment, I click play and was impressed by what I have heard. Then I forgot the whole thing till a few days ago. I know I am late on this.

Mr. Gosslin may be on a mission from another world to steal our women and with this project he is getting closer to that goal. The timing of Dead Man’s Bones release was perfect, right before that obnoxious Spike Joinze film with the annoying Karen O music. This would have made that film the dark story it was yearning to be. Now remember, this music was intended to be part of a play about Monster Love (Ah Twilight!), so some tracks seem blah when played as a single, but when placed in the context of the album, it all makes for a musical eargasim!

Top 25 Songs
HYPNTZ (Biggie Cover) &/Or Symphonies – Dan Black
Dan Black is the former lead singer of a somewhat unheard of yet sweet band called The Servant. He decided to go the solo route like many other leads before him. Unlike most of them, Dan is making exceptionally great music. This cover that was later turned in to the single Symphonies, thanks Diddy, really got me excited for this artist post break-up career. I played it for months! His Debut release UN was just released statedside this week and look for a small US tour this Spring!

Dan Black – HYPNTZ (Biggie Cover)

I Found Away (feat. Douglas P) – Alkaline Trio
Three Cheers for bands who try some new sounds! To all the Trio’s diehards who have hated on this album I have one question: Are you really that selfish? Well maybe two: Do you expect bands not to experiment, regardless of the sound? While this track seems to have Mr. Skiba and Co. leaving their well known dark emo-punk sounds. Ugh I hate that word. It was a welcomed surprised and had me screaming while driving recklessly down the 5 Fwy at 3am in the morning to stay awake. Enjoy!

P.S. I know this track came out in 2008 but who cares. I played it in ’09!

If you missed Day 2 then head over HERE to see what you missed out on!

Hi, I’m Nova, I post a lot on here but never really have the time to share my thoughts on music. Basically, I like music. I have probably experienced more great shows and own more music than you care to know, i.e. that is my pretentious act so I can try and fit in here. Ha! I never listen to the radio, thanks to my trusty MiniNova (my iPod). Still, I enjoy pop culture while trying to discover great new music.

In years past I would have said putting together a list of my personal favorites would be a daunting task. This year though a discovery was made, I wasn’t really into albums. Was due to the fact that I DJ a lot and always on the look out for single amazing tracks to play or that I feel musicians are not really focusing on the art of the album as a whole. Either way, thanks to my iTunes and the purchase of a new laptop in January, making this list was quite easy. So lo and behold, “La Lista de Lo Mejor Del 2009” by El Nova:

Day 2 – More Honorable Mentions

Album:
The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
Not gonna lie to you and say this album is a masterpiece but it was a much welcome and needed reunion. All the boys of Prodigy back together again to show the Electro Masses why the once ruled the Massives! Omen and Take Me To The Hospital take you back to the early days of a Neo-Punk movement and the title track has been a world wide club banger since it’s release last December. This album as been a dance floor must. Give it a spin!

Top 25 Songs (Begins Now, In No Particular Order):

Pon De Floor - Major Lazer
“Dance Floor Jam Of The Year!” The track just makes you want to dance. The video may make you want to get down a bit more freaky, with it’s latest Jamaican moves! Diplo and Switch are going to be Major Playaz in the upcoming decade, with this project giving them an underground crown for the past ten years! On the side, check out the Chewy Chocolate Remix!

Lost Feat. Jay-Z – Coldplay
Coldplay has been my favorite band of the past decade. Jay-Z has been my favorite hip-hop artist since Reasonable Doubt. It may have seemed at times that they were losing it but they never lost it. When this track was performed at the Grammy’s this past year, I was happy. Lost was my stand out track on the album, Jay made it funnier (I really want to use that word). Check out this jam and hate on haterz! Trust me it takes work ethic to get to this point. Most of you don’t and will never have it! Your favorite band is probably too lazy to ever reach these levels.

If you missed Day 1 then head over HERE to see what you missed out on!

Hi, I’m Nova, I post a lot on here but never really have the time to share my thoughts on music. Basically, I like music. I have probably experienced more great shows and own more music than you care to know, i.e. that is my pretentious act so I can try and fit in here. Ha! I never listen to the radio, thanks to my trusty MiniNova (my iPod). Still, I enjoy pop culture while trying to discover great new music. So with that I decided for the rest of the year I would share one album and 2 tracks that stood out to me and why!

In years past I would say putting together a list of my personal favorites would be a daunting task. This year though a discovery was made, I wasn’t really into albums. Was due to the fact that I DJ a lot and always on the look out for single amazing tracks to play or that I feel musicians are not really focusing on the art of the album as a whole. Either way, thanks to my iTunes and the purchase of a new laptop in January, making this list was quite easy. So lo and behold, “La Lista de Lo Mejor Del 2009” by El Nova:

Day 1 – The Honorable Mentions:

Album – Owl City – Ocean City
To be honest I tried to stay away from giving this album a chance due to all the wonderful peers in the Blogosphere. Once, he started pissing off the cool hip kids though, I had to take a chance. To my surprise, I enjoyed this album straight through and the butterflies fireflies twitter’d in my tummy. It is living proof that Postal Service should have become Ben Gibbard’s full time job. I prefer my music make me feel happy and take me away from my everyday cares. It seems that is what the general public wants too.

Even if it’s in hiding, just give Ocean City a chance. It may become a guilty pleasure. Thank you Adam Young for filling a void that has been in my soul since ’03 – ’04.

Songs:
A Thing For Me – Metronomy
While this track come out late in ’08, one reason for a honorable mention, it didn’t really get an indefinite spin on my pod till this year. The video is just fun and embraces the fact that if you play music, Enjoy Yourself! You are probably doing this because Doctors and Politicians were dank to you! There a few great remixes of it out there too!

Pusuit of Happiness (Ft. MGMT & Ratatat) – Kid Cudi
Day N Night I find myself listening to some track with Mr. Solo Dolo on it. If his indie cred wasn’t legit enough, the Kid invites two Hipster faves to produce a track for him. Maybe I enjoyed this track so much during the later part of my year because it was my theme, always searching! The future is upon is, the musical world as we knew it is over, ushering in the beginning of the end of pointless Genres just so we can feel “Original.” Originality is dead my friend. LONG LIVE INDIVIDUALITY!

That it is for today! Give me your thoughts, more to come and hope you have a fUN weekend.

With winter upon us and just table scraps coming our way for the rest of the year, its time I settled down in my little broken recliner and make my yearly list. So, with Sportscenter on mute and my headphones on, it’s time to go.

Honorable Mention:
11. Brother Ali – Us
As a kid hooked on almost any half credible Rhymesayers act for any number of years will tell you, in hindsight most of those rappers sucked. One emcee who has consistently gotten better though, Brother Ali, dropped “Us” this year and it’s his best effort to date. It’s all tightly produced and the beats are out of this world.

The List:
10. Paper Mice – Paint it Pink
All there is to say about Paper Mice is that they sound like the Minutemen, with their funky guitar lines and even funkier bass work. Also, it helps that they are just fun as hell to listen to.

09. The Black Dahlia Murder – Deflorate
Never being a big death metal guy, the sheer speed that these dudes play with still blows me away. The Black Dahlia Murder is just a bunch of metalheads who happen to be incredibly technical musicians in every aspect of the word, and its pretty rad. Also scores points for being a breath of fresh air in an overcrowded genre of fashion models playing breakdowns to 15 year olds.

08. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
If Wu-Tang was punk rock, Raekwon the Chef would be the Velvet Underground. He always comes up with the coolest ideas: a hip hop concept album about a crime boss? Well, I’m actually being half sarcastic about that, but there is no denying that I feel like the Chef and Lou Reed would get along well in a dark room somewhere, sipping intoxicants. For the record, ODB would be the Germs, RZA would be the Damned, GZA would be the Ramones, Ghostface would be the Sex Pistols, and Masta Killa would be Richard Hell. Awesome.

07. Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
When this era in music is looked at by future students of Pitchfork Community Colleges around the world, I sure hope they don’t forget Propaghandhi. They are a pillar of punk rock both musically and idealistically, and their albums always seem to leave me feeling charged up and ready to fight against the fascists. This album thrashes like a punk album shouldn’t, and has more melody than any lame NOFX album I’ve ever loved.

06. Eyedea and Abilities – By the Throat
This is some awesome hip hop. As I mentioned before, Eyedea and Abilities are one of those few Rhymesayers acts that don’t totally suck, and on “By the Throat”, they expand their sound so significantly it made me feel like DJ Abilities could be the next Danger Mouse or Dan the Automator (see: Producers loved by white people). Seriously though, to hear Eyedea’s manic rants over a thick guitar drone and hip hop bass sounds way better than you think it would based on this sentence.

05. Andrew Jackson Jihad – Can’t Maintain
Ignore the whole “Dylan goes electric” stigma, because its just going to be a waste of time. This album rocks, and this folk punk duo is actually evolving. Not in the way that most of these types of bands usually evolve (playing in an anarchist bookstore instead of a Laundromat), but in a tangible, sonic way. And as a music critic and a musician, “We Didn’t Come Here To Rock” makes me hate myself in a proud way. It’s weird.

04. Bomb the Music Industry! – Scrambles
Seriously, how can I take myself seriously? It seems like every year this band puts out another 6^th wave post-punk-skacore-speed emo-dancehall hardcore and I always put it in my top five. The problem has to be that I play it every day for about three months after it comes out, and I remember it so clearly and associate memories with it. And while that’s pretty fucking lame to say, it’s true. So deal with it.

03. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
Ingredients for a terrible album: Overarching concept (check), unreal levels of storytelling pretentiousness (check), dude with glasses that most likely walked out of a Daytrotter session or NPR studios or John Hodgeman’s apartment less than five minutes ago (check), and most of all: multiple narration perspectives within the context of whimsical folk rock (check). And you know what? IT RULES. The success of this album can be summed up in one word: riffs. There are so many of them its spellbinding. We are talking 70s prog rock, arena-filling, head-banging, air-guitar playing, RIFFS. One of the things that unite us as human beings is our love of just balls out riffs, and for that reason I suggest everyone check out this record. Yup, even Crass fans.

02. Mastodon – Crack the Skye
This is an album that I have as a lock for the top of my end of the decade lists, simply because it sounds so timeless. It was made to be a favorite album, to be played over and over and talked about and mentioned in holy regards among all the pot you are probably smoking when this is on. It’s a stoner metal album for the masses, and it’s got that whole same “completely unrealistic and kind of lame concept” thing going for it as the Decemberists record. It will be an album that many metalheads (myself included) will be listening to for a very long time.

01. Baroness – Blue Record
For the last two months, it has been a back and forth battle between this record and “Crack the Skye”, and rightfully so: both of them are from Georgia and play a similar type of sludge stoner metal. The realization I came to, however, is that “Blue Record” just grooves harder. Every song is a classic. As I look at the track listing, I realized that there isn’t one song that I would want to skip over. Very few albums can do that, and this record does it flawlessly. The guitars are out of this world, and the vocals are everything I love about Midwest punk and Level Plane Hardcore. Think Planes Mistaken for Stars and Hot Water Music, but make it like 250% more badass, add the insane musicianship, and guitar tones that feel like a searing sword of all that is face melting rock and roll and you might have an idea of what Baroness is like. Maybe. Kinda. Just listen to it.

Maybe Crass fans wouldn’t be that into “Hazards” but I digress.

Best Albums

1. The Antlers – Hospice
No album has had this kind of emotional scope since The Moon & Antarctica. The album is based on the story of a man watching a child he loves pass away in a hospital. This is heavy stuff and you’ll feel it. What makes this album so great, though, is that it offsets the pain with moments of triumph. The song “Kettering” displays the utter defeat that much of the album is fueled by, but songs like “Two” and “Bear” suggest hints that the person is beginning to come to terms with death and can still find joy in life and memories. Maybe this all sounds like a downer, but it’s an album that needs to be experienced.

2. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
This is the antithesis of the album of the year. This album isn’t trying to win you over with sincerity. Post-Nothing gave indie music a much needed shot in the arm of punk. There’s not much depth here. Just a couple of guys who want to play as hard and fast as they can and tell us how cool it would be to “French kiss some French girls.” Which you have to admit sounds pretty great.

3. Animal Collective – Merriwether Post Pavilion
Every diehard fan, regardless of the band, will always claim that their favorite band’s early work is their best. But this is simply not the case with this album. This is hands down the best Animal Collective album to date. It’s the result of the band letting go of trying to be inventive and weird and just saying screw it, let’s just make music people are going to love, and then blowing us away as the result. I only wish Radiohead followed suit.

4. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
By far the BIGGEST album of the year. It not only took by Billboard by storm but led Jay-Z to personally rep for the band. Veckatimest will be most critics’ favorite album of the year, but its popularity and hype are somewhat disproportionate to the actual album. The greatness of “Two Weeks” and “While You Wait for the Others” completely overshadowed the fact that this album had some forgettable and skippable moments. I only say this because it was starting to feel like Grizzly Bear gave us a new Revolver or something. It’s not a timeless classic, but it’s pretty damn close.

5. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I got really into this album and the tv show Friday Night Lights this year and I’m starting to think of them more and more in the same terms. Neither is all that original but I can’t pull myself away from either. Sometimes you just want some fun, mindless entertainment and Phoenix delivered in spades.

6. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There are Mountains
This is an album that only a 19 year could release. It embraces everything that is great about being young. It’s angry, raw, loud, and sincere; basically all those things we start to lose as we get older. The albums brightest moment “And the Hazy Sea” holds nothing back and inspires all of us old guys to try to rediscover that passion that we probably lost.

7. Pomegranates – Everybody Come Outside
This is just a great album. Sometimes I have a difficult time explaining why an album is great, which makes me question why I even spend time critically reviewing an album. This album is hard to put your finger on and pinpoint why it so good. It’s good in the same way that Talking Heads albums are good; a perfect blend of melodic and weird. But that doesn’t properly explain this albums greatness either. You know what, screw it. Go buy the album and see for yourself. You won’t regret it.

8. Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer
Spencer Krug is a weird dude. I’m not sure how much I would want to hang out with a guy who pens lyrics about sacrificial virgins and mother’s who eat babies. I don’t think I’ll ever enter into the weird world Krug lives in but I its soundtrack is amazing.

9. Built to Spill - There is No Enemy
A new Built to Spill album is kind of like a lunch packed by your mom. It’s predictable, but you know it’s going to be good. There is No Enemy was just that, but with a little more this time. Songs like “Hindsight” and “Nowhere Lullaby” with their prominent steel guitars, show the band embracing an almost alt-country vibe. Built to Spill rarely tinker with their sound, but There is No Enemy finds Doug Martsch mixing things up a bit. It’s kind of like those rare days when you got a pop-tart up thrown in.

10. The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa
I like to think of this album as what the Lion the King soundtrack would have sounded like if it featured Moby instead of Elton John. I swear that’s a compliment. A lot of bands are trying to harness African influences, but DJ Radio Clit realized the best way was to actually use African musicians. DJ Radio Clit is able to capture the sound that bands like Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective and Yeasayer pine for by working with real African musicians. The wonderfully talented vocalist Esau Mwamwaya gives this album the feel of Africa that other bands can only pray for.

Best Songs

1. Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
2. Walkabout – Atlas Sound (ft. Noah Lennox)
3. 1901 – Phoenix
4. My Girls – Animal Collective
5. Brothersport – Animal Collective
6. Two – The Antlers
7. Wet Hair – Japandroids
8. Blood Bank – Bon Iver
9. Warm Heart of Africa – The Very Best (ft. Ezra Koenig)
10. While You Wait for the Others – Grizzly Bear
11. You Go on Ahead – Sunset Rubdown
12. Lisztomania – Phoenix
13. Young Hearts Spark Fire – Japandroids
14. And the Hazy Sea – Cymbals Eat Guitars
15. Aisle 13 – Built to Spill
16. Anonanimal – Andrew Bird (based mainly on its live performance)
17. Corriander – Pomegranates
18. My Mirror Speaks – Death Cab for Cutie
19. I’m Confused – Handsome Furs
20. Now We Can See – Thermals
21. Pieces – Dinosaur Jr.
22. Summers – Loney Dear
23. Guide to Edible Flora – Touching Earth Made of Steel
24. However Long – Jason Isbell
25. Bear – Antlers

Music is at once something that’s entirely disconnected and extremely personal. What I got out of these albums is probably not what the artists intended. Was Hospice made to get me through a summer break up? Probably not. Was Blueprint’s Sign Language made to help me focus while designing my page for the school paper? Doubt it. What these albums did for me is not what they were meant to do and it’s not what they will do for you. However, these albums are made to be heard and enjoyed. I’ve listened to over 100 albums from this year, and these are my favorites. This list has a lot of different styles of music, so don’t write it off because of one album you don’t like. This list as something for everyone, so check ‘em all out.

1. The Antlers – Hospice
2. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
4. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
5. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
6. fun. – Aim and Ignite
7. Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
8. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
9. Raekwon – Only Built For Cuban Linx II
10. The XX – XX
11. Fuck Bottons – Tarot Sport
12. Brother Ali – Us
13. Girls – Album
14. Blueprint – Sign Language
15. Atlas Sound – Logos
16. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
17. Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement
18. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
19. Built To Spill – There is No Enemy
20. Basement Jaxx – Scars
21. P.O.S. – Never Better
22. Dan Deacon – Bromst
23. Morrissey – Years of Refusal
24. Finale – A Pipe Dream and A Promise
25. Karen O and the Kids – Where The Wild Things Are
26. DOOM – Born Like This
27. Kid Cudi – Man on The Moon: The End of Day
28. Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
29. Busdriver – Jhelli Beam
30. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
31. The Clientele – Bonfires On The Health
32. The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa
33. BLK JKS – After Robots
34.  Converge – Axe To Fall
35. Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing

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