**Disclaimer:
So I feel it should be quickly noted that my name is Paul, and I had nothing to do with this blog being started. Turns out it was created as a surprise Christmas gift by a pal of mine named Mollie. These are my writings, but I can’t take all the credit. If anyone draws even a single ounce of entertainment or information from this blog, thanks are most definitely in order to this very good friend who couldn’t take me wasting these writings on my feeble-minded roomates any longer. Thanks Mollie!
20. Das Racist….Sit Down, Man
Enough spits of ironic pop culture references to make you laugh, but also enough satire to piss you off and realize these guys are making socially important hip-hop. Interesting production, too.
19. Hot Chip….One Life Stand
They finally get serious (sort of) for almost the entire length of an album. The results are as much heart-warming as they are dance-able. But more importantly, they are a master class in the realm of melody and song structure. Screw Dance/House/Electro/IDM……..this is pop music.
18. No Age….Everything In Between
By stretching out the song lengths and dialing up the vocals, No Age
make an album of punk/pop shout alongs, which by no means robs them of their
identity. An equal amount of ambient/drone experiments thrown in (plus
screeching feedback) for good measure make this their most balanced and
accessible LP yet.
17. Gorillaz….Plastic Beach
An all over the place sprawl of hip-hop, synth, r & b, and
soundtrack music highlight Damon Albarn’s best album since Blur’s Think Tank. When you boil these elements down, you hope the future of pop sounds
more like this.
16. Spoon….Transference
A grower, in the most difficult sense, when compared to all of
Spoon’s prior work. Tense, sweaty, fragmented rock n’ roll it
most definitely is, underneath the layers of scuzz. First and foremost, this
is a groove band, and they lay out an entire LP’s worth of what the second
half of Gimmie Fiction only hinted at.
15. The Black Keys….Brothers
One imagines that this will finally be their apex. After years of
bashing out disgusting blues, they reach this plateau of recreating what a
two-man band budget wouldn’t previously allow. Pure rock n’ roll filled to
the brim with the juiciest bits of old r & b, dusty soul, keybords(!),
psychedelia, and of course reliable blues all played with the utmost of
passion.
14. Women….Public Strain
This is the most “difficult” and brutal sounding album on my list.
If you know the second half of VU’s “Heroin”, then you can start to
understand what’s going on here over the course of an entire album. Except
that’s pigeonholing. By adding layers of the most visceral feedback and
noise on top of catchy (while murky) melodies, they create an intricate
sense of tension not often heard in the “indie” world. Even better than
their debut.
13. Caribou….Swim
Ditching all remnants of electronic shoegaze and 60′s paisley psych, Dan Snaith completely loosens up on this endless groove of an album. The title is perfect; everything ebbs and flows like a never ending tide and you feel awash in it. Featuring less vocals also let’s Snaith concentrate on blowing your mind with his arsenal of disco/house music. This is one you press play on and let go.
12. The National….High Violet
Keeping in the same vein of Boxer, The ‘Nats perfect their form in
subtle ways (strings, horns, background vocals) for another victory lap.
Cracking the U.S. Top Ten shows that their particular brand
of melancholic sophisticate music actually connects across the board.
11. Beach House….Teen Dream
By dropping the icy demure of old, Beach House evolve in the only
way they know how: slow to modestly-paced songs explode with radiant warmth
bursting through the seams. Every track a widescreen epic.
10. Flying Lotus….Cosmogramma
I can compare this LP to The Flaming Lips’ Embryonic only in idea
and shape, not in sound. Impossible to understand or even enjoy until heard
multiple times. With elements of experimental/electronic, free-jazz, and
trip-hop, Flying Lotus has made an absolute mess of a masterpiece. Watching
the next to last scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey helps.
9. The Walkmen….Lisbon
Much like The National, The Walkmen have been perfecting their sound
for years, and I doubt they will improve from this point on. Lisbon has
the feel of a band getting older, and thus more comfortable with themselves.
The leisurely pace and 50′s style arrangements are a beautiful compliment to
any tiki-torch evening; but they haven’t forgotten to rock: ”Angela Surf
City” churns out their most memorable thrasher since “The Rat”.
8. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti….Before Today
First off, the guy’s a total weirdo, which reflects in his music. No
way around it. Once you get past that and over yourself (I disliked most of
it initially), any album boasting the best pure pop song of the year (“Round
and Round”) has to be great; and it is. Cheesy synth, roller skate rink
guitars, haunted house noise, and syrupy sweet vocals sprinkle
this absolutely stuffed package.
7. Titus Andronicus….The Monitor
Upping the ante to a ridiculous degree, these New Jersey
punk-shouters add bagpipes, horns, and even longer soliloquies into this
ambitious LP. Whether the lyrics are meant to be depressing is not the
point; the music is downright inspiring. This is epic, stadium-sized rock
n’ roll meant to rile your spirit and stir the senses. If it doesn’t, just
give up.
6. Arcade Fire….The Suburbs
Avoiding a major mis-step by straying away from the daunting and
claustrophobic atmosphere of Neon Bible, Arcade Fire have created another
unique listening experience. Thematic leanings aside, musically this is
their most ambitious to date. Dipping their toes in pastoral pop, disco, and
most of all, patience, they’ve made a near-perfect front to back song
cycle that once again puts them in the conversation of best band on the
planet.
5. Big Boi….Sir Lucious Left Foot: the Son of Chico Dusty
Wow. No album this year was more of a pleasant surprise than this
one. Those thinking the other guy in Outkast is nothing without his better
half (me included) may now shut up. Big Boi borrows liberally from outside
the usual hip-hop fare for an LP filled with funk, rock, psychedelia, and
any other genre he decides to make his own. Not to mention his flow a’int
too shabby either. An album I consistently want to revisit; there is
honestly not a weak track on this beast.
4. Deerhunter….Halcyon Digest
As this next logical step in their progression shows, they know
exactly what they’re doing. Scaling down the “album”-like feel of their
prior two, they have made their version of a “greatest hits” release. As
their singles collection, you can’t go wrong with setting this one on
random. Bradford Cox shows he’s not only a master of space and texture, but
has emerged as one of the brightest lights we have in terms of pure
songwriting. Fans of Deerhunter have nothing to worry about; for every gaudy
sax solo (“Coronado”) there are still enough blissfully extended guitar
workouts (“Desire Lines”) and slow-motion epics (opener “Earthquake”) to
hold you over until their next progression. One can safely assume they’ll
only get better from here.
3. Vampire Weekend….Contra
Enough already with all the “silencing the haters” talk. As far as I
know, I haven’t even met a “hater”. There is absolutely nothing to feign
disdain for on this phenomenal pop album. Every song crackles with brilliant
wit, energy, chops, and hooks galore. By taking what made their first LP a
classic and surrounding it with even more layers of musical ideas (stings,
electronics, M.I.A. samples) they’ve created another concise collection of
catchy tunes. No need to hate, this band is better than you. Not to mention
smarter.
2. LCD Soundsystem….This is Happening
For a supposed goodbye album, you simply could not have asked for
anything more . As filler-free romp through the mind and heart of Mr.
Murphy, it succeeds in exposing every frayed edge of his neurosis (getting
older, pleasing record companies, and of course, love/longing) blown through
his fun house of sounds. It’s all encapsulated in the truly shocking (I know
I was shocked) explosion of opener “Dance Yrself Clean”, with its stunted
synth bleeps and rapid-fire drumming. Murphy finally showed his human side
on the already-classic Sound of Silver, and this one is all human. The
one-two punch of “All I Want” and “I Can Change” drop some of the most
heart-wringing lyrics of the year over a bed of feedback-soaked lilting
guitars and on-the-floor dance beats. The final track, “Home” is the ideal
way to close out this chapter in his life. What starts as a disco number
evolves into a beautiful statement of life’s direction with
some of his best crooning yet. Coming to grips with yourself has never been
this fun.
1. Kanye West….My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
As jaw-dropping as everyone has said it is. Everything you’ve heard
about this absolute behemoth piece of work is true: it’s epic, bloated, over
the top, fuckin’ ridiculous, and above all, one of the best albums of this
young century. Forget not one song being filler, there’s not even one moment wasted. Transcending the restraints of hip-hop has never been a
difficult problem for Kanye, and he absolutely shatters genre and
expectation with this one. Everything on the radio is put into perspective
as such a pathetic joke in comparison. It almost sounds like the template
for a whole new type of hip-hop (or just music for that matter), blending
everything he’s ever loved about music seamlessly with his better than ever
rapping. The Sgt. Pepper of our generation? Let’s not get too far ahead of
ourselves, but this one has all the signs of inspiring plenty of young
musicians and producers into exploring new avenues in their work. It’s that
good.
And that important.
