Like Kevin, this list represents my personal favorites of the year and in no way am I trying to say that they are the best albums released this year. Of course, my thoughts on this could change over time whether it be in five years or five days. Either way, it's cool to think about and I enjoyed the challenge of putting this together. So, without further ado, here you go.
20) Tennis - Young and Old
19) Metric - Synthetica
I had been meaning to get more into this group for years as
I kept hearing great songs pop up here and there on the radio. I finally delved into this album that is
packed with power and dance pop gems that for some reason sound ten times
better with a woman singing them.
18) Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams
A very somber and melodic album from a new band I learned of
this year. There are elements of Fleet
Foxes here with a lot of acoustic folk pop songs and harmonies, but for me the
songwriting is much more consistent than Fleet Foxes who always seemed
overrated to me.
17) Bob Dylan - Tempest
Though I’ve never been a huge fan of Dylan’s more recent
output, I was surprised by his latest release which I found way more consistent
and enjoyable than I thought I would.
Though some of the songs drag on a bit, the overall structures are there
and are very solid. As if he needed to
add another great album to his catalogue, he just keeps going. Which is pretty amazing because in all honesty it seems like he should be
dead by now.
16) The Shins - Port of Morrow
I was surprised by how consistent this album was. I kinda thought the band would be finished
once front man James Mercer fired the other three founding members and went off
on his own to do some stuff with Danger Mouse, Modest Mouse, and any other
mouse he could find. But he brought the
band back this year (or at least the name) and crafted a very solid album of
indie pop that proves he is not going anywhere anytime soon.
15) Spirituzlized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light
14) Beach House - Bloom
Though the album is pretty much the same song over and over
again, they sound so good you kinda look past that. There is a lush and ambient sound to each
track and whatever they are doing in the studio with whatever equipment they’re
using, this Baltimore based duo has
stumbled on to something beautiful. For
their next effort, I might be more critical if they don’t branch out any
further, but for now I think I’ll just enjoy this for what it is.
13) The Raveonettes - Observator
The Raveonettes have been consistently putting out records
since I first heard of them back in 2003, and though I very much like their
style of combining old 50’s du-wop with a more modern indie rock sound, they
have been spotty over the years. For
some reason, this album put everything together on a more consistent level for
me and it was nice to hear.
12) Grimes - Visions
A very catchy dance/pop album with synthesizers all over the
place. Lead singer Clair Boucher’s
eerily creepy yet melodic voice sets the tone for a lot of these songs that can
make you want to dance or just sit in a daze wondering if you somehow took a
hit of acid without realizing it.
11) Woods - Bend Beyond
Every year a band will release and album and I’ll hear and
love it and then get all excited because I feel like I just discovered the next
best thing or something and come to find out the band is not new at all but
more like six years old. And then I feel
like I don’t know anything at all. Along with Spiritualized, this
indie-folk group from Brooklyn was new to me, but not so much to many others. On this release, they created an album that at
times sounds like experimental Pink Floyd and at others sounds like vintage
Band or Crosby Stills & Nash records.
Either way, that’s a win for me.
10) Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet on Sky
Though this band has been around for ages, this record is
the first one I ever sat down and listened to and I’m very glad I did. It took me back a little to the mid-90’s with
that alt-rock/grunge sound that was so prevalent at the time. Oddly enough, it didn’t sound all that dated
and included some of the best riffs of the year. A little voyage into their back catalogue may
be in order.
9) Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Chords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Apple’s fourth record in a whopping 16 years was much
welcomed, though it did take me a long time to digest and get into it (Almost
as long as it takes to get through the ridiculously pretentious title.) But when I did, I really appreciated her
passion, energy, and in some cases schizophrenic mania that came through the
speakers. She’s on some other level.
8) Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
I never heard of Van Etten before this year, but I was very
impressed by this eclectic effort that showcased her strong songwriting skills
and beautiful voice. Equal parts soft
melodic tempo and sinister sounding tunes in minor chords, this album is one I
could go back to many times over.
7) Jack White - Blunderbuss
Jack White’s continuous streak of doing no wrong continues
on his first solo record that incorporates an eclectic mix of blues infused
rock with acoustic ballads and funk based traditional roots rock with country
elements. I know, a little bit of
everything, right? There are several
moments here where you just feel like getting up to clap and sing along in many
of the gospel like refrains and there is a lot on this album that music lovers
of all genres can take something from. Though
it runs a bit long, it holds up and keeps you engaged even during some of the
weaker tracks.
6) Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
An excellent release from the Boss that would be much higher
on this list had he cut out about four throwaway tracks that also make the
album go longer than it should. But the
rest is so good that it demands a high presence on this list. I also got to see Springsteen live for the 8th
time this year, and I can’t stress this nearly enough: If you haven’t seen him live yet, make that a
priority for 2013.
5) Of Monsters and
Men - My Head is an Animal
I was first led on to this band by my aunt and I mistakenly
thought she was referring to Monsters of Folk.
She kept talking about how awesome they were and I was left with a
lukewarm feeling of, “Ehh, that album was alright, but it also came out two
years ago. What’s the big deal?” But then my cousin jumped in and cleared up
the confusion and I went home to check it out.
Chock full of catchy Icelandic pop that reminds me of Edward Sharpe and
the Magnetic Zeroes but even better.
Very full sounds and instruments of all kind along with dual lead
vocalists both male and female make this one of the best of the year.
4) Japandroids - Celebration Rock
This blistering 40 minute 8 track album might not pack a ton
of songs, but it really does deliver one of the more raucous indie rock efforts
in recent memory. The guitar drum duo
out of Vancouver, Canada pick up that torch from previous noisy two pieces The
White Stripes and Black Keys and modernize the sound with more distortion and
bombastic sounds that straddle the line between hardcore punk and melodic
rock. It’s a phenomenal album that just
gets in there and gets right out without wasting one second, except perhaps for
the fireworks exploding sounds that bookend the beginning and end of the
record. Yet, somehow even that fits
right in.
3) Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
From the opening seconds of this phenomenal record, you get
the feeling that something evil is about to happen. Building to a crescendo, lead singer Dylan
Baldi is screaming as if these words are his last and his style doesn’t deviate
much from that the remainder of the album.
And just when you get some idea of what’s going on, the nearly 9 minute
epic second track “Wasted Days” comes on and just blows you away. What would normally be annoying vocals is
offset by the wall of sound of guitars drums and bass that are very tight,
ferocious, and melodic. Overall, an
excellent indie rock record that gets better the more you listen to it.
2) Titus Andronicus - Local Business
These guys from New Jersey
are probably my favorite new act of the past two years. Their 2012 release here continues where they
left off and they crafted an amazing album that somehow combines hardcore punk,
power pop, and prog rock in a way that I have never really heard before. It’s solid all the way through and just
leaves me amazed by how unique and powerful it is. Excellent, excellent, excellent.
1) First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
As soon as I heard this I loved it. There is nothing all that groundbreaking with
this album, but it includes a complete listing of well-crafted folk pop with
lush harmonies and catchy hooks. It is
consistent and the songs vary in structure and tempo enough to keep what would
be an otherwise mediocre album into my favorite of the year. I can’t imagine this ever getting old.
Honorable Mentions:
The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter
Green Day - Uno!
Mumford and Sons - Babel
The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
Diiv - Oshin
Delta Spirit - Delta Spirit
Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon
Tanlines - Mixed Emotions
Nude Beach - II
- M
No comments:
Post a Comment