Good folks who happen read this blog. As mentioned in the introductory post, our extended absence is regrettable. But we are back and essentially the same, if not a little worse, than ever. Here we go...
Honorable mentions
Freeman - Freeman
Dude from Ween got a little too "down with the brown" and ends up dropping out of music for a long time. He comes back as Aaron Freeman after Ween is no more. It has a lot of unique sounds, styles and guitar, all done in a fairly acoustic, stripped down way. This is wonderful background music and outside of a few seconds near the end of the first track, a very good album to play when hanging out with smaller humans (kids, not little people). I may need more time to digest this one fully but I never find myself disappointed when it ends up on.
Key Tracks: "For A While (I Couldn't Play My Guitar Like a Man)", "The English and Western Stallion"
Drive By Truckers - English Oceans
A quintessential workingman's
Key Tracks: "Pauline Hawkins", "When Walter Went Crazy"
Alt-J - This is All Yours
Younger buddy of mine had the same experience with these guys in college that a few of us did with the Chili Peppers. The full fledged obsession is the normal part that made sense to me. What was weird is that the band only had one album at the time. Seems like he had pretty good taste though, so I gave this new album a try when it came out since he was so massively stoked for it. It's really unique music and something I can't seem to quantify at all. They sound extremely British? Many more people who have listened to it much more than I have thoughts that are more refined. I have no idea what will happen when I listen to this more but for a week or so, it was all I wanted to listen to when I came home from work.
Key Tracks: "Intro", "Left Hand Free"
Foxygen - ...And Star Power
Shaffer may have saved this album for me. After he digested it enough, I asked him to submit to me a whittled down, normal-album-sized version of this overy bloated behemoth. Without that, this album doesn't see the light of day on this list (honorable mention or not). I don't want to have to wade through that much excess weirdness just to get to the good songs. Get these lunatics an editor. Someone needs to learn to tell the lead singer "no", hard. Thankfully, he's talented enough that no one ever will. Hopefully from here on out, it's 13 songs or less max. At the very least, the albums will be sprinkled with gems.
Key Tracks: "How Can You Really", "Coulda Been My Love"
Tokyo Police Club - Forcefield
I'm nervous/embarrassed/confused about what these guys became. They are so sugary, syrupy, bubblegum pop right now that it's hard to recognize those scrawny young Canucks that put out A Lesson in Crime. That's not to say I didn't see this coming. Every album has been leading to this and I have been throwing my body in front of this genre car crash all the while, to no avail. I'm still helpless to resist though because they, really, they already had me as a fan and this greatly appeals to the 14 year old girl inside me (wait a minute...). I'm at a loss to defend myself, or them for that matter. Even with the amount of times I listened to, enjoyed and sang along to this album, it would be a just too big of a hit to my macho music ego to include in my top 10.
Key Tracks: "Hot Tonight", "Toy Guns"
King Tuff - Black Magic Spell
Liking J Mascis has a million perks if you enjoy the sounds of an amplified six string glory ax. The secret, unexpected bonus is that he plays in other bands with other musicians who ALSO like that instrument and then they put out 70s glam rock metal freak spazz out albums that I can proudly drive around and belt out. Mr. Tuff cranks out some grimy tunes that blend together everything Joseph Mascis had blaring out of his record player as a Amherstian youth with the sexy sheen of modern production. There are a couple swings and misses here where things get a little too heavy for me, but with refinement and age, this strapping young ragamuffin' has a bright future (or past mannnnnnnn).
Key Tracks: "Headbanger", "Beautiful Thing"
The Real Deal
10. Mac Demarco - Salad Days
Another album I have to attribute to a friends work. Buddy of mine took a cross county trip that ended with him in California hanging around with this guy and or just associating with a bunch of other musicians who got him on the Mac wagon. His stripped down, mellow ways belie his age as the songs are far from rushed, anxious or filled with any expectations. The album comes across as the kind of thing you would want to cruise the pacific highway with while potentially dozing off in the backseat. I think all of you reading this would enjoy i if you haven't heard of him and henceforth I recommend it more than any other album on this list to any of you who haven't come across it.
Key Tracks: "Salad Days", "Blue Boy"
9. Conor Oberst - Upside Down Mountain
HoboKeith did everything in his power to ensure that I wouldn't ever like Bright Eyes by overplaying it at a time when I was far from accepting. It took some intervention by my boys from Dawes to change that. Word came out last year that Oberst was going to be putting out a new album, produced by Jonathan Wilson (of whom my love has been deeply chronicled) and that he would be going on tour with Dawes opening and performing as his backing band. Seeing them together gave me enough of a boost to grab the album and things only got better from there. He always had the ability to write lyrics but now he actually brings something else with it. A full band sound, significantly less whining and the aforementioned musical flourishes of Mr. Wilson bring this easily into my top 10.
Key Tracks: "Artifact #1", "Enola Gay"
8. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Wig Out at Jagbags
What a fantastic album name. It should be on everyone's list for that alone. This guy is going to keep cranking out albums and I am going to keep enjoying them relentlessly. I feel that I am too unique in this pursuit. His strange blend of funky guitar tones, abstract lyrics and shufflingly sexy/atonal grooves just do things for me. The music can't be quantified and neither can the man. Odd intros, spoken word interjections, various horns and practically anything else people wouldn't assume goes into a rock song make frequent appearances. "Chartjunk" is probably one of my top 5 songs period since we started doing this whole ranking thing. Those horn charts! Last time I saw him he drunkenly covered "Wild Thing" with a segue into "Lithium". Bless you sir.
Key Tracks: "Chartjunk", "Lariat"
7. Beck - Morning Phase
Everyone told me that 2002's Sea Change was going to be the Beck album I might like if I was feeling miserable and low. Thankfully (unfortunately?) at that time, I was, and those who shared said wisdom with me were dead on. This is a return to form to that era Beck and yet I find myself in a completely different mindset. In order to balance that out, I had a child and needed something to play that was going to be mellow and acceptable to put him to sleep. That is where this album started for me and over time it slowly morphed into something that I couldn't get enough of, no matter the time of day or company I was with. I seem to enjoy this version of Beck more than any other incarnation. Hopefully his life doesn't have to be as miserable as the vibe his music conveys at the time.
Key Tracks: "Country Down", "Turn Away"
5. Spoon - They Want My Soul
6. Phish - Fuego
If you had told me at any phoint in my existence I'd have a Phish album on any top 10 list of mine I'd have assumed I'd just given up on life and was living amongst the downtrodden masses. A large chef friend of mine has been phushing Phish on me since I met him almost 9 years ago and outside of a few songs here and there I never could dive full bore in. He tried repeatedly, basically every single time we hung out and it just wasn't happening. But i'll be damned if I didn't enjoy the hell out of this new album. Maybe I just finally "got it" this album as many Phishheads claim will happen to us all at some phoint. Maybe it's just that I listened to an album for the first time. Maybe my brain just got tired of fighting it. Whatever it is, and as hard as it would have been to say to 22 year old me, I really like it. That's not to say it made me want to go back and immerse myself in their phast work... yet. In fact, I'm almost worried if that ever happens I'll be in a Trey vortex from which I'll never return. Til' then, I'll just be carnivorous, but muscular.
Key Tracks: "555", "Wombat"
5. Spoon - They Want My Soul
In my initial list I completely forgot to include this gem. It was an accidental oversight but the same could be said about how most music fans feel about Spoon. These guys are acknowledged but for the most part float under the radar. This album is just another killer release from a band that manages to always sound like themselves while subtly changing up there style on each album. "They Want My Soul" is extremely cohesive, and it just feels right to just play it front to back instead of cherrypicking select tracks. That's a fun thing nowadays and more of a novelty than the norm. As a result, there aren't solos or jams that stand out per se, but instead these are songs that are filled with grooves. They lay down something slithering and sexy (albeit a little mentally unstable sexy) and then let Britt Daniel wail, howl and croon his way on top of it. Seeing these songs live only confirmed how tight this band is at this point in their career. Onwards!
Key Tracks: "Rainy Taxi", "New York Kiss"
Key Tracks: "Rainy Taxi", "New York Kiss"
4. The Men - Tomorrow's Hits
I was enamored with the Replacements meets Stones rollicking mess of an album these guys put out previously and had my hopes skyscraper high in anticipation of this one. Upon the initial listen, the first single sounded like a cacophony of randomness and I became an ardent worrier of things to come. However, shortly thereafter the rest of the album came out and all my fears dissipated as quickly as these dudes churn out records. From the killer garage rock of the opener "Dark Waltz", to the modern day denim swing of Springsteen on "Another Night", this album is a relentless single factory. It's only 8 tracks, but as noted above even that first single became a favorite and the other 7 just plain deliver. These guys are diverse, prolific and doing everything I want done when I want to drink to an album. Not enough people make good drinking music these days. Take notes America.
Key Tracks: "Settle Me Down", "Dark Waltz"
3. Bahamas - Bahamas is Afie
This dude makes most normal, low key Canadians seem like coked out Nic Cages. He is remarkably mellow and even when he steps up the pace in his tunes, it comes across as soulfully measured, and thoughtfully concise. In fact, his unabashed capacity for being unbelievably reserved is most noted in the fact that the guy can absolutely shred, yet you'd barely know it by listening to this with a casual ear. Perhaps with a deeper dive you might pick up on the occasional killer tone or funky flourish (plus the downright blistering solo that exists on the standout "All the Time") but his restraint is beyond admirable, if not frustrating. This is a breezy album filled with the fantastic songwriting ability of a man named Afie in his absolute prime. I have infinite familial connections to this as well. It was the last album I shared with my dad, my wife actually wants me to put it on in the car and my sons first favorite song is "All the Time". Deal = sealed.
Key Tracks: "All the Time", "Little Record Girl"
Perhaps (read: definitely) the most controversial choice on my list, Mr. Jackson is the only non-living artist to appear. His first posthumous release a few years back was an absolute bomb and one would assume that was put out with the best of the remaining best to capitalize on the revitalized popularity that came with his death. Sadly, though I was as big of an MJ fan as there is out there, I wrote off any future release as a waste of my time. Holy sweet mother of Odin was I wrong. This group of 8 songs, recorded anywhere from 1983 to 2001, all managed to not make it on an album for one reason or another. There is every form of gold this world could ever want. It's glorious. If you don't like Michael there is little I can do to convince you to listen to this. But if you do, in any way, shape or form and you were a holdout like me, stop whatever you are doing right now and go buy three copies immediately. The only reason this isn't #1 is because of how pissed off I am that a) they didn't release this album first upon his passing and b) the unfortunate fact that they put out a second, companion version of the album, redone by modern producers. Of course it's still good, because it's freaking Michael, but why? I mean really....why? Also, there are unconfirmed reports of an impromptu drunken dance party that broke out at my residence one night when sharing this album with friend that I can neither confirm nor deny.
Key Tracks: "A Place With No Name", "Chicago", "Love Never Felt So Good", "Xscape", "Loving You", "Blue Gangsta", "Do You Know Where Your Children Are?", "Slave to the Rhythm"
1. Ty Segall - Manipulator
I had three of this guys albums that essentially did somewhere between nothing to very little for me. Then, I listen to his WTF podcast with Maron and I'm sold enough on his new one to run home and download it? That makes almost as much sense as it ending up as my obsessive, number one played and number one ranked album of the year. There was a solid stretch of time where garage scuzz (hellllllo King Tuff!) was all I wanted in my ears. Give me a grimy riff and a solid, muddled bottom end and I am in my absolute element. This gentleman is relentless in releasing albums and has more product out before age 25 than most would in a career. This leads to way too many unfinished ideas and some genre hopping that would make Frogger proud, but he took his (relative) time on this one, spending an entire year. It produced an absolutely killer LP. In a great year for music (for only me apparently?), this stood out above the rest.
Key Tracks: "Feel", "Tall Man and the Skinny Lady"
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