Best Music 2011

Here are my favorite albums** released this year:

1. The King is Dead - The Decemberists

For a long time, The Decemberists were like a cipher made up of things I should love, I could never quite figure them out until I heard this record. It sounds like R.E.M. (a noted influence of frontman Colin Meloy) by way of British folk, which is to say it sounds a lot like the late 60s Kinks record. An absolutely great record.

Key tracks: "Down By the Water," "June Hymn" 

2. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

A sublime experience, both deeply personal and expansively orchestrated. Less delicate than their debut album, it's not so much a departure as an expansion. It is self-reflection without pretension, over a beautiful soundscape, this time with guitar riffs and grooves backing the choral vocals.

Key tracks: "Montezuma," "Grown Ocean"

3. Torches - Foster the People

The wait for Torches seemed like forever. After "Pumped Up Kicks," and "Helena Beat" started to circulate, I never thought the full album would be anywhere near as good as it turned out to be. This is already a classic from this era, a record I'll pull out 15 years from now and remember exactly how I felt this past summer.

Key tracks (besides the two I already mentioned): "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)," "Houdini"

4. El Camino - Black Keys

After The Black Keys went from indie blues darlings to massive hitsmen with last year's "Tighten Up," the Keys return to with a record you could complain about for being more of the same, but when the same is this good, who cares? This record also sees Danger Mouse step on board as a co-writer, and this album was actually written music first, then lyrics. While some may lament the lack of the blues ballads that dot Brothers, El Camino lives up to its name, a true car record, one I can listen to all the way through without even thinking about hitting the skip button.

Key tracks: "Lonely Boy," "Money Maker"

5. CAMP - Childish Gambino

I discovered Donald Glover through my favorite TV show right now, Community (six seasons and a movie!), and was amazed to hear just how good of a rapper he is. I mostly don't dig on newer rap, for a variety of reasons, but Glover's delivery is as sincere as it is organic. He riffs on the establishment, his identity within the Black community, all using adroit pop culture references and well constructed rhymes.

Key tracks: "Bonfire," "Backpackers"

6. 21 - Adele

What is left to say about this album? Not much, except that while the singles are catchy (and ubiquitous) the true heart of the album are in the deep cuts, and the soulful voice of the girl who captured sorrow.

Key tracks: "Set Fire to the Rain" "Rumour Has It"

7. Strange Mercy - St. Vincent

Strange Mercy is the first time it's really been possible to connect emotionally with St. Vincent, as this record is much more of a personal statement. It ranges from fears of monogamy, feminism, depression, and many others thoughts as the artist attempted to separate herself from information overload.

Key tracks: "Cheerleader" "Year of the Tiger"

8. ROME - Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi

I love spaghetti westerns, and this is a wonderful musical experiment captures that sound perfectly. From my review: "This is a very successful project, and the addition of the vocals of Jack White and Nora Jones adds a layer of distinctness all it's own. Some may see the individual tracks as not particularly interesting, but that makes sense given that this album is structured as a film score. It is really meant to back up a film, and serves it's purpose as such. This sometimes may leave it feeling lacking imagery, but I still really enjoy the music standalone."

Key tracks: "Two Against One," "Problem Queen"

9. So Beautiful Or So What - Paul Simon

As a huge Paul Simon fan, it is just awe inspiring to see him right such a great pop album at this stage of his career. It is deep and spiritual, but also accessible and universal in the way that only art can be.

Key tracks: "So Beautiful Or So What" "The Afterlife"

10. King of Limbs - Radiohead

I had a really adverse reaction to King of Limbs when it first came out, as it felt like an incomplete statement after the amazingness of In Rainbows. I find some of the lyrics incoherent or indecipherable, but it doesn't matter. While I initially found the sampling and electronic looping distracting, the reason this record earns its spot is the rhythm section of Phil Selway and Colin Greenwood. This is their Radiohead record, and they can groove with the best.

Key tracks: "Bloom" "Lotus Flower"

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

• Cults (self-titled)
• Ceremonials - Florence + The Machine
• Kiss Each Other Clean - Iron & Wine
• Undun - The Roots
• The Hunter - Mastodon

A top 25 playlist coming soon! Also 2011 in Movie Music will be at my other blog Filmhash!

**By a single artist. 

My 20 Favorite Albums of 2010

This past year was a big year for me musically, so I wanted to really take the time to make this a more comprehensive list than usual. My tastes have definitely evolved in the past year or so, expanding into new genres like electronic and rap. Another big deal for me was attending the Sasquatch Music Festival in May. A festival is a great place to discover music, and my experience definitely proves it. I saw 8 of the bands below live, and I'm sure that influences the selection. All of these reasons, combined with my lack of posting many reviews over the course of the year, makes the list a more extensive one that in years past. Below are my top 20 albums of the year, plus a film score or two.

Also, at the bottom of the post is a playlist with one song from each of the albums listed.

20. Beach House - Team Dream

This is a great album to just relax and ruminate on one's life. It's all about reflecting on past relationships, with both the joy and sorrow that comes along with it. The real triumph here are the arrangements. They are so pristine and glittery, with many diverse and sweet layers, all truly living up to the dream pop genre. Layered on top of that are the locals of Victoria Legrand's voice, creating a fantastic landscape of sound.

19. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

A huge undertaking, Plastic Beach is a pop concept album that meanders through both ideas and sounds. It draws from rock, electronic, and world music, and is features a rotating cast of guest artists ranging from Mos Def to Bobby Womack to Lou Reed. While that does make it kind of messy at times, it is never sloppy, and a great listening experience.

18. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast

I love surf-flavored rock, and this Florida band's debut is no exception. "Swim" is by far and away the best song here, which features a great hook, and reminds me of driving my car near the beach. Pitchfork calls them classic dorm room indie rock, part of a "faux-genre some of us have jokingly referred to as "alt-bro"-- guitar-heavy indie rock that's probably influenced by Pavement, likely about girls, and almost certainly made by people who at first blush sound more fun to get a beer with than, say, Dirty Projectors." Surfer Blood definitely fits the bill, and they have certainly been influenced by Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and Pinkerton.

17. The Walkmen - Lisbon

Another album on this list led by a surf rock single, "Angela Surf City," a wailing assault on the ears, that rocks hard in both rhythm and emotion. You can hear the pain in lead singer Hamilton Leithauser's vocals, and this band seems like they want to have a good time, but are caught up in feeling sorry for themselves. It is also superbly recorded, and each track brings a nice rich texture.

16. Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

Band of Horses are a solid band, and their third album proves it. According to Ben Bridwell, this is really the band's first album, is this marks the first time that the membership is solid for the future. I love the vocal harmonies throughout, and it's the perfect album for sitting around a campfire with your friends.

15. She & Him - Volume Two

This probably doesn't come as a surprise, since Zooey Deschanel is my #1 celebrity crush. I discovered her through her acting career, but her musical work is just as good. Her voice is sweet, as are her lyrics, and M. Ward's arrangements all come together to evoke the sound of California radio in the 60s and 70s.

14. The Drums - The Drums

As I have mentioned earlier, I love surf rock unabashedly. Admittedly, The Drums lead single, "Let's Go Surfing," seems to be an ironic poke at the recent surf trend in East Coast indie rock, but damn is it a loving one. Add to this the 50's throwback ballad "Down By the Water," reminiscent of Pearl Jam's "Last Kiss" cover, and the lead track "Best Friend," and you have a solid album of surf rock-meets-Brooklyn-meets-The Cure.

13. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Like a few other albums on this list, this is huge an expansive. A lot of it comes from the pain Stevens experienced in overcoming a viral infection that attacked his nervous system. It's a rollicking sonic experience, so dense and riddled with differing soundscapes, yet forming to Stevens' singular vision.

12. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

This album is astoundingly good. For a debut record, it explodes with such a rich, developed sound, that you can't help but like it. Local Natives get a lot of comparisons to Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes, and they are certainly warranted. However, Gorilla Manor feels much warmer than either Veckatimest or Fleet Foxes. There is a lightness to the songs that lend themselves more to a nice summer drive than quiet contemplation.

 

11. Daft Punk - Tron: Legacy

Daft Punk scoring a Tron sequel seems like the pairing of the century. The duo themselves seem to be heavily inspired by the original film. However, the score itself is more Hans Zimmer-y than most had anticipated. Many of the tracks are incidental pieces, with percussive strings and flourishes of electronica, not unlike Zimmer's Batman scores. However, tracks like "Derezzed" bring the full power of Daft Punk unleashed, and they are sublime.

10. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West is likely a terrible person. More likely, is a raving egomaniac and a perfectionist. He also happens to be extremely gifted. To me, he is most reminiscent of Axl Rose, someone with a similar personality (imagine if Twitter had been invented in 1987?) and a similar drive for perfection. This album isn't as streamlined or as pop friendly as Graduation, but one cannot deny the sheer amount of artistry at play here. Everything here is played to the maximum, the lyrics, the beats, the samples, the rhythms. It is pure extravagance, and is really the acme of Kanye's career to date, incorporating styles from each of his previous records.

9. Dinosaur Feathers - Fantasy Memorial

A band I discovered the second morning of the Sasquatch Festival. Another Brooklyn indie band, Dinosaur Feathers being this high on my list probably says more about my taste than anything else. Their sound stems from low-fi rock of the 50s and 60s with a modern twist. Similar to The Drum's debut, Fantasy Memorial is the perfect soundtrack to a summer's day, like if the Dirty Projectors wrote a song with a traditional structure. I love this kind of bright, poppy music, especially when combined with an honest look at relationships.

8. Broken Bells - Broken Bells

There is nothing that Danger Mouse can't do. The man is a one man music making machine with the midas touch. In Broken Bells, he teams up with The Shins' James Mercer, and the two make sweet melodies together. It wisely combines the biggest strengths of each half of the duo: Mercer's voice and lyrics, and DM's production and hip-hop sensibilities. While even the best song here isn't as good as Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" or "So Says I," off Chutes Too Narrow, it is still a wonderful synthesis. And "The Ghost Inside" has the best clap line of 2010.

7. The New Pornographers - Together

The premier Canadian indie rock supergroup, The New Pornographers returned in a big way, and I think Together is their best to date. Carl Newman and Dan Bejar's songwriting is top-notch, and they really show off the whole group's strength. Everything works as a unit here, and despite perhaps underutilizing the power pipes of Neko Case, this is a high point for them so far.

6. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network

No one can doubt that Trent Reznor is a brilliant composer, but I felt that although expansive, Ghosts I-IV was somewhat unfocused. Reznor has long been able to play with whatever he wants to, but under the prodding of David Fincher, the score for The Social Network is pitch perfect. It works well independently of the film, but the sum is greater than the parts. Fincher's filmmaking has an innate rhythm to it, and that is captured beautifully in Reznor's score, where it drives the film. And the boat race sequence may be my favorite scene in any movie all year.

5. The Roots - How I Got Over

With the departure of Conan O'Brien from NBC, The Roots easily took the mantle of Best TV House Band. This album was recorded during their first year on Jimmy Fallon's Late Night show, and it shows how much Questlove and the rest of the band have taken in from visiting guests. When added to the already Best Band in Hip Hop, it really brought the group to the next level. Only 42 minutes long, it is purely distilled purpose. It's a political album that goes deeper than politics, commenting on society and philosophy. And like all great albums, it is better as a whole than individual songs.

4. Yeasayer - Odd Blood

While I enjoy experimental music on an intellectual level, I find that it is more pop leaning music that really speaks to me. And that is how Odd Blood rose near the top of the list. The album as a whole is extremely complex on the back end, with the production techniques varied and bizarre, not unlike Brian Eno's early work with Bowie. Again, this is not what elevates the album to greatness. Keating and Wilder really come into their own as lyricists, and the lyrics melted to the sound makes these songs bounce around in my head for weeks on end.

3. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

Supposedly the last album by James Murphy under the LCD Soundsystem name, it certainly would be going out on top. This entire band is a throwback to a time that almost never was: imagine, in the 1980s, if the kids in high school listening to Brian Eno and Bowie's Berlin were the cool kids. LCD Soundsystem comes from this alternate history. Everything here is dripping with cool, even if that dripping reveals the ugly truths underneath. Murphy is in full command of his voice, both singing and in crafting his lyrics. An absolute masterpiece.

2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

An album as expansive as the sprawl that it laments, The Suburbs is this generation's The Wall without the drug-addled theatrics. Thematically, it is about the mundane, not unlike much of Springsteen's early output. And like The River, it does not mix in Born to Run-style escapism to the plight of our young protagonists. Arcade Fire are more about survival than escape. If their debut album, The Funeral, was about personal loss, love and friendship, and Neon Bible was about how authority figures were out to screw you. The Suburbs adds the fact that were you live is boring, generic, and self-righteously important (or self-importantly righteous?). But all of Arcade Fire's output does contain the flipside of Bulter's despair: Regine Chassagne's optimism: we're all in this together, and together, we can get through it. This is a huge album, and it takes a lot to digest, but it is also filled with fantastic songs.

1. Vampire Weekend - Contra

I first heard this album almost a year ago, and I knew immediately it would be near the top of this list. I honestly never imagined that Ezra Koenig & Co. would ever be able to top their debut, but they may have done it here. Contra doesn't possess the same punchy character as their debut, which left me mildly disappointed at first. However, I've only come to like it more the more I've listened to it. Perhaps more importantly, it accomplishes the goal of a sophomore album: it sounds enough like the first one to be well received by fans, but also not just a direct repeat of previous material. The album starts in a place musically close to the first album, but pushes further and further away as the album progresses. Many have commented on how Vampire Weekend songs are littered with highbrow references, but I don't think that's what matters. It's really the fact that these cultural ornaments are weaved seamlessly into lush melodies with a texture not unlike chunky peanut butter. Its an album that feels like a Wes Anderson movie: deliberately scripted, well executed, and done up in Futura. 

And here's your 20 song playlist from this year's best albums:

My Favorite Movies of 2009

As of this writing, I saw at least 47 films eligible for this year’s Academy Awards, all but one of them in the theater. That’s well more than double last years total (yes, I’m obsessive about some things. I keep a list) and just reinforces to me that going to the movies is one of my favorite pastimes, even if popcorn is way too expensive. 

I’ve managed to see nine of the ten Best Picture nominees in the theaters, though I’ll probably be skipping The Blind Side.  That definitely meets one of my post-Oscar resolutions from last year, although this accomplishment may have more to do with finding a regular movie-going partner than anything else.  The Oscars are the reason this post was delayed from December, because I don’t live in LA or New York, so I have to wait to see some of these films to hit the small town theaters of Philadelphia in order to see them.  I’ll have an Oscar predictions post closer to the ceremony, but here are my favorite films of the year, regardless of whether they are touched by Oscar’s gold glow.

 

Best Movie of the Year: Inglourious Basterds

Basterds is my favorite kind of movie—Tarantino aside for a moment—it’s an action movie with a brain. The best action movies are not only smart in how they show action, but also that you care about the outcome and the characters. Not only is Basterds excellently written, with sharp dialogue, and an intricate plot, but what really makes this movie work is two things: One, the well-defined but not shallow characters, and Tarantino’s newfound mastery of suspense. As a total package, this was the best movie-going experience I had all year.

 

Most Gripping Performance (Actor): Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

It’s no secret that Waltz is one of the major reasons why Basterds works so well. Every time he was on screen, the tension ramps up immediately, as everyone on screen and in the audience knows that they are in the presence of evil genius. Also, I feel bad to say this, but he even beat out Robert Downey, Jr. as having the best on-screen Sherlock Holmes this year, though his character is morally aligned with Moriarity.

 

Most Gripping Performance (Actress): Mo’Nique, Precious

All I have to say about Mo’Nique performance is that I left seeing Precious having to immediately acquire a new pair of pants.

 

Best Comic Book Movie: Watchmen

This pretty much wins by default, beating out the awful Wolverine and the rumored-to-be-worse Whiteout.

 

Best Action Movie: Sherlock Holmes

I’m so happy Guy Ritchie found something worthwhile to apply himself to, and Robert Downey Jr. once again makes it look easy to have fun at the movies.

 

Best Sci-Fi Film: Moon

This is exactly why I’m excited about the costs of technology coming down. Moon and District 9 both are shining examples of how this can lead to quality “hard” sci-fi at a low budget. What puts Moon over the top is the performance of Sam Rockwell, who basically carried the whole movie and pulled it off.

 

Most Overlooked Movie: The Brothers Bloom
I love con movies. And I love movies that feel literary. So a lighthearted literary con movie (featuring Rachel Weisz, one of my favorite actresses nonetheless) was too much to pass up. It’s criminal that this movie wasn’t more widely seen, and at the very least, I will force feed this movie to as many of my friends as possible. It’s my new favorite camel.

 

Best Actor: George Clooney

I’m stunned. Until this year, I’ve only liked Clooney in the Ocean’s movies and under the tutelage of the Coens. However, this year gave me three fantastic movies all starring George Clooney. First was Men Who Stare at Goats, a fantastic tour of the American military and psi-ops, then followed Fantastic Mr. Fox (more on that soon), and Up in the Air, another Jason Reitman triumph. He had a fantastic year. Runner up: Jeff Bridges for the aforementioned Goats and Crazy Heart.

 

Best Actress: Meryl Streep

Like Mr. Clooney, Meryl Streep had an excellent year, also with three movies that I very much enjoyed. Not only was she in Fantasic Mr. Fox (as the wonderful Mrs. Fox), but also Julie and Julia, easily the most delicious move of the year. It’s Complicated looks like an also-ran in this company, but it had a great cast, and I suspect part of my faults with it may be my age relative to the main cast.

 

Best Film Based on a Children’s Book: The Fantastic Mr. Fox

I love this movie. It’s completely wonderful in every way. Funny, heartfelt, touching, suspenseful, and artfully made, as well as boasting a great soundtrack, it may be Wes Anderson’s best movie, and features a great cast of Anderson Players and newcomers. A complete joy to watch. Runner up: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

 

Best Romantic Comedy: (500) Days of Summer

A great film that dances around and through genre tropes with death-defying ease, bolstered by the charming performances of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. I haven’t seen this movie in six months, and I still think about scenes in this movie on a weekly basis.

 

Best Movie I Had to be Talked into Seeing: The Informant!

I went into this movie completely expecting not to like it, but I came out positively raving. Matt Damon’s performance as Mark Whitacre was severely overlooked this awards season. Runner up: Julie and Julia

 

Best Franchise Movie: Star Trek

Such a venerable franchise had fallen by the wayside until JJ Abrams gave Trek it's groove back. Playful, sexy, and fun, this is a Trek I can't wait to take again. This is how you do a reboot. Enough fan fodder to make it feel like the property, but ground-floor enough for everyone else.  

Here’s my Top Ten:

10. An Education

9. Julie & Julia

8. Whip It!

7. The Hangover

6. Up in the Air

5. Up

4. (500) Days of Summer

3.  The Brothers Bloom

2. Fantastic Mr. Fox

1. Inglouriuous Basterds

My Favorite Movies of the Past Decade

Here are my favorite movies of the past ten years. In alphabetical order:

Children of Men
Easily the best sci-fi movie of the past decade, this movie took the dystopia and made it feel real. Alfosno Cuarón is an amazing director, and manages to balance the movie’s realistic and gritty feel with it’s sci-fi elements and deeper themes, like a fantastic Christian allegory. The action is also shown in a great way, and the chase shot alone is something to be studied.  Brilliant. 

High Fidelity
One of the more serious movies in the “chick flicks for dudes” genre, High Fidelity is one of the best movies I have ever seen about love and loss. In this movie based on the book by Nick Hornby, Rob Gordon (John Cusack) recounts his “Top Five” breakups in a quest to figure out why he is aging and miserable. Along the way, he discovers that he isn’t miserable because of his relationships, but because of how he feels about his own life. Rob owns a record store, so the movie has an awesome soundtrack, and a wonderful caricature of record store workers in Todd Louiso and Jack Black’s Dick and Barry. 

The Incredibles
Half of this list could have easily been Pixar output, but the reason this reigns supreme is that it’s the best superhero movie of the decade, and manages to do the Watchmen story on screen better than the movie that straight-up adapted the comic book. It’s the best Fantastic Four movie ever made, with both nonstop action and heart through and through. 

Inglourious Basterds
I think Brad Pitt’s character Aldo Raine sums up this movie perfectly. Towards the end of the movie he says, “I think this might just be my masterpiece.” This is Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece. It combines perfectly his mastery of dialogue with the building of suspense in such a way that makes this film a Hitchcockian thrill ride from start to finish. It’s a Bingo!

The Italian Job
I love heist movies. Especially smart ones, and there are few smarter ones that 2003’s remake of the Italian Job. What really shines here is the excellent ensemble cast led by Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron, allowing the movie’s thriller and comic tones to work equally well. 

Lord of the Rings
Making the most epic novel in existence into a film is something only a crazy man would attempt. And Peter Jackson is crazy. Lucky for us, he also happens to be a filmmaker of the highest caliber. Pulling this all together and doing it all so well may be the single greatest achievement in film of the past decade. 

O Brother Where Art Thou
What I love about this film is that it is about so many things all at the same time. The Odyssey, the South (politics, culture) in the 1930’s, Americana, etc. Featuring great performances from Coen Bros. staples, this is a vision of a film. And features the best (and most important) soundtrack of the decade). 

Sideways
Not since Annie Hall has this movie deconstructed nerdish maledom in mid-life so well. Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church play not only well-rounded male friends, but absolutely believable as real people. The relationships between the characters feel vibrant and real, making this one of the best depictions of real people on film. 

Stranger Than Fiction
I have watched this movie upwards of 10 times, and there are still metaphysical questions to be answered. This from a quirky rom com starring Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman, and Maggie Gyllenhall. This movie is funny, poignant, and deeper than it first appears.  

Unbreakable
M. Night’s best film, and the best superhero origin deconstruction ever put to film. Before Chris Nolan ever decided to take on the Dark Night, M. Night imagined what superheroes would look like in our world without loosing the iconography that makes them superheroes. Highly underrated, with excellent character performances by both Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. 

Albums of the Year 2009

Here are my favorite eight albums from this year: 

8. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Most people are not shocked that I had never heard of Animal Collective until a month ago. This is because most people have not heard of Animal Collective. Briefly sampling their back catalogue via the Interwebs, I know why. Most people don’t like avant-anything. This is why MPP is a revelation. After apparent years of experimenting on the fringes of pop music, Animal Collective ride back from the wilderness on biomechanical creations—like Terminators that are made to love and dance.

Listening to the album is a good experience, and it’s not in-your-face so much as in-your-mind. The album functions on a fairly deep level, with synth and bass lines swirling around steady vocals. This is the kind of thing that makes me love End of the Blank Lists, because without them, I still would not have heard of Animal Collective. Thank you, music media prophets. This makes up for your obsession with Grizzly Bear.

Key Tracks: “My Girls,” “Summertime Clothes,” “Brother Sport”

Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective

7. Metric - Fantasies 

There are not enough good bands with lead female vocalists, although this decade’s biggest trend—bands with vocal leads of both genders (Arcade Fire, The Hush Sound, Silversun Pickups)—is a welcome move. Alongside the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Metric’s Emily Haines is like a mother hen of indie rock. She leads the pack from the rear, often worrying more for groups other than her own. More guitar driven than their previous work, this is a welcome shift.

Fantasies opens with “Help, I’m Alive,” and “Sick Muse,” both have extremely well constructed hooks and driving guitars, which in turn shape the baseline of the album. The syth still sparkles, especially on “Satellite Mind,” and “Twilight Galaxy,” which leaves you with a bright and happy feeling.  Despite some of the feelings expressed on the album, seeing Metric at a show this past week, you can tell Haines and Co. have a blast playing these songs. What some “serious indie bands” forget is that music is fun, and that’s exactly to what this album aspires. I could write a several pages long pontification about how the lyric “Who would you rather be/The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?” is a metaphor for different kinds of relationships, but it could easily just be the fun kinds of questions us Rob Gordon-types ask each other.

Key Tracks: “Help, I’m Alive,” “Gimme Sympathy,” “Twilight Galaxy”

Help Im Alive - Metric

6. Mastodon - Crack the Skye

Mastodon may be the most important metal band of today, and this is not because Crack the Skye may be the first modern metal album I have truly loved. Simultaneously a throwback to the days of progressive rock and a torch leading the way to metal of tomorrow, Crack the Skye exists apart from the ‘thrash metal’ that dominated the post-hair metal hard rock scene.  Bringing in Brendan O’Brien as producer on this disc was a very wise move. His trademark is texture, and helps make the layers of sound work towards a higher purpose, as well as making the vocals truly shine (a rarity for metal bands today, IMO). Everything was accessible if you were in the right state of mind. Or maybe two tracks longer than ten minutes on an album doesn’t bother me because I listen to Rush.

Mastodon blows right past accessible and shoots for cosmically epic. There’s something beautiful in the texture of this album. The pounding drums and the spinning riffs on the opener “Oblivion” meld into something not unlike chunky peanut butter, smooth and crunchy at the same time. This goes the same for “Divinations,” as well, which is easily my favorite song on the album. The guitar solo on here sounds like Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia” or perhaps more true—Satriani’s “Surfing With the Alien,” and is a more ethereal version of space-surf. This is a band unafraid to sing about the Czar and Rasputin for ten minutes. This is a metal band that is unafraid to have a banjo open a single. And no fear is good. Very good indeed.

Key Tracks: “Divinations,” “The Last Baron”

5. Band of Skulls - Baby Darling Doll Face Honey

I didn’t hear this Band of Skulls until I heard the soundtrack of the year, but their debut album quickly become one of my favorites of the year. I love this band for two reasons: 1) The album itself dances across a range of styles and 2) This is exactly the kind of band I would aspire to be.* Their roots are obviously in British blues rock ala Cream and Led Zeppelin, but like those two other bands, they are willing to stretch beyond that beginning. “Light of the Morning” revels in it with Jack White-esque vocals, “I Know What I Am” pushes it by a guitar riff seemingly borrowed from Franz Ferdinand, and “Blood” breaks it back down to the basics. All of this (and more!) on one record.

This is a band that goes from intimate and introspective (“Honest”) to anthemic heights (“Pattern” and the Gary Glitter’d “Hollywood Bowl”) in one song, and more importantly, does both well. Also, I strongly suspect this band as no idea how good they are. This of course, would make them the inverse of the Arctic Monkeys, who know all to well how good they are and abuse it. Band of Skulls just rocks.

*A third reason is that women who play bass are hot. See also: Silversun Pickups. 

Key Tracks: "Light of the Morning," "Honest" "Patterns"

Patterns (album) - Band Of Skulls

4. U2 - No Line on the Horizon

In their third album of the decade, U2 move slightly back toward a “European” sound almost absent from their previous two albums. It’s an album that doesn’t hit you hard with Edge’s guitar, rather showing you the breadth of the U2 sound and the depth of Bono’s lyrics. I wasn’t particularly impressed the first time I listened to this album, but subsequent listens revealed the album’s strength.

Lyrically it is an attempt by Bono to stop outside himself and sing from the vantage of other people. Honestly, I’m not sure if I can tell the difference. Sonically, this album is expansive, like a plane soaring over the ocean. It is certainly evocative of The Joshua Tree this way, and at times it sounds like the follow up album people were expecting in 1990.  “Moment of Surrender” is almost on par with “With or Without You,” and is easily the best song on the album. Answering this expansion is the second half of the album, quieter and more inwardly contemplative, though the contrast isn’t as stark from a sound perspective.

Key Tracks: “Moment of Surrender,” “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”

Moment Of Surrender - U2

3. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

This is a fantastic album that will always be overshadowed by American Idiot. Like U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind, AI took a band perched on the edge of non-relevance and pushed it back into the forefront of modern rock. That’s why 21^st Century Breakdown was Green Day’s best debut ever, and even better, the album is damned good, remaining in my car’s CD player for a solid month or two after it’s release.

The most fascinating thing about this record to me is that is both intensely political as well as intensely personal, and manages to be both at the same time. Their sound has also deepened, mirroring The Who’s career arc in a very agreeable way. Green Day was maybe the first band I listened to that my parents didn’t, and I’m shocked that not only am I still listening to them, but now my parents are too. Green Day conquered the world through punk rock, though they never seemed like they were setting out to do so.

Key Tracks: “Know Your Enemy” “East Jesus Knowhere” “Last of the American Girls”

2. Monsters of Folk - Eponymous 

The motto of this album may as well be that sometimes the sum of parts is greater than the whole. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about Monsters of Folk (except for the opener, “Dear God, (Sincerely M.O.F.)” being trip-folk gospel), but that’s exactly what makes it so great. Many of these songs make you feel like you’ve heard them before, in the backgrounds of movies, on out-of-area radio stations you only listen to on road trips, each track a gem on a compilation you picked out of the bargain bin because you liked the cover art.

An indie-rock supergroup if there ever was one, MOF is Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, and M. Ward. All of these are fantastic balladeers in their own right, but together they produce an album that can’t help but echo the Traveling Whilburys. A mostly mellow, well-thought album, it will certainly be in heavy rotation for summers to come, perhaps as I sip lemonade on a porch. Ahh.

Key Tracks” “Dear God (Sincerely, M.O.F.),” “Say Please,” “The Sandman, The Brakeman and Me”

 

1. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

 Perched at the crossroads between Daft Punk and classical music, synth-rockers Phoenix crafted a breakthrough. It’s a record that is infinitely danceable, and sounds good over headphones walking downtown, or cruising on the highway. Dancing is something rock has been missing for much of the grunge and post-grunge era, and leave to some French dudes to help further the dance-rock Renaissance. Unlike too many other records, the synth here only adds to the music, never distracts from it. Although the craftiness here rivals Merriweather Post Pavilion, WAP is able to retain the urgency of sound and lyric lost in being too precise.

 What I love about this album is that it borders on being too much, but after the towering bliss of “Lisztomania,” “1901,” and “Fences,” a mini synth suite comes in to bring the record down to earth again only to soar again afterwards. The sound itself is at once so contemporary and so retro it sounds like it could have only come from a movie made in the past about the future (like if Blade Runner had happiness). And besides, the lead track is about the first teen idol, 19^th century composer Franz Lizst. 

Key Tracks: “Lizstomania,” “1901” 

1901 - Phoenix

The Eight Best Albums of 2008

Here are my favorite releases from this past year in music, and while you read, I've included a song for each from Imeem: 1. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend I got this album shortly after it's release in January and I've listened to it consistently ever since. A fantastic debut featuring an original sound that traces back to the original Western classical melodic/African rhythm fusion at the foundation of rock music. 2. Fate - Dr. Dog From my hometown of Philadelphia, I discovered Dr. Dog this year with this new album. A harkening back to the 60's progressive pop bands like the Beach Boys and the Band, they have a rich round that is both laid back and exspansive, like a folksier version of Arcade Fire. 3. Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket Another band I discovered this year was My Morning Jacket, and this album has a fantastic range. the title track is great, and how can you dislike a song which includes the line "peanut butter pudding surprise" in the chorus? Also, "Sec Walkin" sounds like vintage James Taylor, which amazing to pull off. 4. H.A.A.R.P. - Muse Everyone I know who has seen Muse in concert has proclaimed their amazing performances, and this live album recorded at Wembly Stadium lives up to this reputation. Featuring many cuts from their 2006 album, Black Holes and Revelations, this is the closest thing to being there as each song soars. 5. Modern Guilt - Beck I mentioned prior that "Gamma Ray" was my retroactive summer anthem, but the rest of the album is no slouch either. "Chemtrails" is breathtaking, and the contributions by Cat Power seem organic and not forced. "Youthless," streamed below, is my second favorite cut. 6. Day & Age - The Killers I recently reviewed this album, and three songs, "Human," "Dustland Fairytale," and "Spaceman." 7. Accelerate - R.E.M. Many high-profile comeback records this year, including AC/DC, Metallica (a CD ruined in production) and the long-awaited Chinese Democracy (would be #10, but this is an 8 item list), but I feel that R.E.M.'s was the best comeback of the year. Close to vintage while showing growth and new life, this is the new Exhibit A on how to do a comeback the right way. 8. Juno - Various Artists The soundtrack from the little movie that could is a fantastic record, filled with simple arrangements and the demented charm of Kimya Dawson. It's a great 'puppy love' album, full of mostly naive-sounding ("if you were the castle, I'd be your moat") hand-holding Beatles love that makes for great summer afternoons with lemonade. Plus, The Kinks, Sonic Youth, and Mott the Hopple. Best soundtrack of the year.