2010 Top 50 Recap

Here they are, one last time, all at one time with easy access:

1. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3. The National - High Violet
4. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
5. The Living Sisters - Love To Live
6. First Aid Kit - The Big Black And The Blue
7. She & Him - Volume Two
8. The Black Keys - Brothers
9. Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
10. April Smith And The Great Picture Show - Songs For A Sinking Ship
11. The Morning Benders - Big Echo
12. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
13. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
14. The New Pornographers - Together
15. The Mynabirds - What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood
16. Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love
17. Vampire Weekend - Contra
18. Spoon - Transference
19. Junip - Fields
20. Best Coast - Crazy For You
21. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
22. of Montreal - False Priest
23. The Bird And The Bee - Interpreting The Masters Vol. 1 - A Tribute To Daryl Hall & John Oates
24. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - I Learned The Hard Way
25. The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
26. Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill
27. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
28. Sleigh Bells - Treats
29. Stars - The Five Ghosts
30. Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard
31. Beach House - Teen Dream
32. The Walkmen - Lisbon
33. Groove Armada - Black Light
34. The Drums - The Drums
35. The Watson Twins - Talking To You, Talking To Me
36. Frightened Rabbit - The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
37. Punch Brothers - Antifogmatic
38. Admiral Radley - I Heart California
39. Frankie Rose And The Outs - Frankie Rose And The Outs
40. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
41. Chew Lips - Unicorn
42. MGMT - Congratulations
43. Lissie - Catching A Tiger
44. OK Go - Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky
45. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
46. The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme
47. Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon
48. Dark Dark Dark - Wild Go
49. School Of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire
50. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

1. Broken Bells

1. Broken Bells - Broken Bells

After letting go the other two members of The Shins, James Mercer announced a new album in 2009, but it never came. Instead he ended up doing some work on the project Dark Night of the Soul with Danger Mouse. I guess the collaboration was a good thing, because we ended up with the two of them joining forces to create Broken Bells. In my opinion, the best breakout album of the year, the best album musically, the most listenable album. They have said that this is a permanent thing and there will be more to come. I think this also translates to no more The Shins and no more Gnarls Barkley. Regardless, this is a great thing for music and for your ears. If you buy nothing else from this list, get this!!! I included my favorite sci-fi video of theirs below, they also have a 3-D interactive video here.



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2. Arcade Fire

2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

I could not wait for this album to come out. I am incredibly fond of Arcade Fire and love, love, love this album. It was a close race between this and numero uno. My top three albums were simply listened to over and over and over again and again. The band is from Montreal and consists of Win Butler (vocals, guitar, piano), Régine Chassagne (vocals, accordion, keyboards, hurdy gurdy, drums), Richard Reed Parry (bass, guitar), William Butler (keyboards, guitar), Tim Kingsbury (bass), Sarah Neufeld (violin), and Jeremy Gara (drums). Arcade Fire have been musical trend setters. I love their tribute to David Bowie's entire catalog in this album, and the Olivia Newton John throw back with Regine's song Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains). They released two amazing videos with the album, the first is below and it was directed by Spike Jonze and the second is this beautiful piece of interactive art utilizing google maps and you can experience that genius here.

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3. The National

3. The National - High Violet

I liked The National okay and really didn't pay much mind to their album when they released it. However, upon seeing them live this fall in San Francisco, my opinion was greatly changed and converted me to an avid fan. One of the top five live concerts I've ever seen, they immediately moved high in my charts and in just a few months, High Violet moved to number three. The band’s lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger in a distinctive, deep baritone. The rest of the band is composed of two pairs of brothers: Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Scott Devendorf and Bryan Devendorf. Aaron plays guitar, bass and piano, Bryce plays guitar, Scott plays bass and guitar, and Bryan is the drummer.



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4. Local Natives

4. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

I don't know if this is indicative of anything, but six of my top ten bands are debut's. I would like to think this is the height of a musical renaissance that has been sweeping our world and we get to be in the front seat watching it happen. The sheer talent of the bands that are breaking out right now are reminiscent of the early seventies, before the big record companies became monolithic. Local Natives is a perfect example of this, afro-pop, psych-folk with heavy hooks, these guys put on a killer show and their album has not left rotation in the iPod at all this year. The band consists of Taylor Rice, Kelcey Ayer, Ryan Hahn, Andy Hamm and Matt Frazier and are based out of Silver Lake, Los Angeles. I am looking forward to what these guys can do. Check out the shark attack video below.



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5. The Living Sisters

5. The Living Sisters - Love To Live

So, as if the ultra pregnant Inara George from The Bird and the Bee didn't have enough going on this year with the release and tour in support of their new album, she joined forces with Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond and Eleni Mandell, who came up with the idea. This album is a nod to classic country harmony groups, but with a large dose of doo-wop, soul and folk as well. Their voices harmonize beautifully together and I hope this side project becomes a permanent one.

The Living Sisters - Blue - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

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6. First Aid Kit

6. First Aid Kit - The Big Black And The Blue

Swedish sister songstresses, Klara and Johanna Söderberg from Stockholm, have crafted a unique album. They really have that sunshiney sixties folk scene down pat and they have amazing voices and are excellent musicians. They were great to see live and I hope they continue on past their spectacular debut. Try to find that band name in a google search.



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7. She & Him

7. She & Him - Volume Two

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward are two of my favorite people in the entire world. I don't think there is anyone cuter than Zooey, and Matt Ward is one of the most talented musicians I know. Zooey and Matt have done a great job with their second album and they perform it amazingly live. Another group going for the fifties sound and doing it right. Love them.

She & Him - Don't Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.

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8. The Black Keys

8. The Black Keys - Brothers

The Black Keys is Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney from Akron, OH...this was The Black Keys' year, to say the least. They have catapulted to the next level in music stardom, all help to Danger Mouse producing their last record and their hit song (below) on this one. Hard core Memphis psychedelic blues rock is what these guys are known for and continue to pound out some funk laden grooves. If you haven't heard of these guys yet, then you have been missing out, but that's hard to believe given the media attention they have received this year.



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9. Freelance Whales

9. Freelance Whales - Weathervanes

"Freelance Whales is an indie rock band hailing from Queens, New York, consisting of frontman Judah Dadone (lead vocals, banjo, acoustic and electric guitar, synthesizer, bass), and bandmates Nicole Mourelatos a.k.a. Doris Cellar (bass, harmonium, glockenspiel, synthesizer, vocals), Chuck Criss (banjo, bass, synthesizer, glockenspiel, harmonium, acoustic and electric guitar, vocals), Jacob Hyman (drums, percussion, vocals) and Kevin Read (acoustic and electric guitar, glockenspiel, mandolin, synthesizer, vocals)." - Wikipedia....I included this so I wouldn't have to type this out, because I want you to see all of the instruments utilized in this bands songwriting. Harmonium, glockenspiel, mandolin, banjo=awesome break out band for 2010. Great songwriting, great lyrics, I have not tired of this album in the slightest.



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10. April Smith & The Great Picture Show

10. April Smith & The Great Picture Show - Songs For A Sinking Ship

The fact that this is number ten is a huge surprise to me. This debut album of retro, vaudevillian pop did sit on my player for awhile, and I did enjoy it quite a bit, but I certainly expected it to be much farther down on the list. It doesn't matter, it was a well made freshman effort and has gotten a lot of play and press during the year. Like all good indie rockers, they are from Brooklyn and have resisted mainstream action as much as possible. Plus there are ukelele's.



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11. The Morning Benders

11. The Morning Benders - Big Echo

I discovered The Morning Benders a couple years ago opening for The Submarines and found their music to be infectious even though they looked like little babies up on stage (and still did at The Fillmore this fall). This release got them a lot of press and acclaim and focused a lot on their 50's-esque sound right down to the ballads. They are based out of Berkeley, California and consist of brothers, Chris and John Chu, Julian Harmon and Tim Or. Check out the video below of Excuses for something really cool. Truly talented musicians.





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12. Laura Marling

12. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

Laura Marling is a soon to be 21 year old English folk artist. Her beauty and grace no know bounds. Her voice pierces right through you like a burning white light. I started listening to her a few years ago and am still dumbfounded how one so young can produce such perfect music with such deep, soulful lyrics. This is her sophomore album, and while I do not adore it as much as the first, it is still spectacular. The song, 'Blackberry Stone', was written in response to Charlie Fink from Noah and the Whale, whom she dated for a short time. She toured with Mumford and Sons last year and sang on Noah and the Whale's first record as well as Mystery Jets. This is a must have in your collection. Listen to her with headphones on and she will blow your mind.



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13. Gorillaz

13. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

I didn't really like Gorillaz when they first came out. Sure, there were some catchy tunes and some animated videos, but...really. It was my son who turned me onto Plastic Beach. In this album, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlitt collaborate with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Mos Def, Little Dragon and Lou Reed. This is one of the most artistic, eclectic albums I've heard all year. I cannot begin to describe its importance in music or its variety of style. This is a major surprise and a welcome one to be in the top fifteen. I've included two of the incredibly animated videos below as well as one of my favorite songs off the album for you.





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14. The New Pornographers

14. The New Porno-graphers - Together

Named after something Jimmy Swaggart said about rock and roll being the "new pornography" or after a Japanese film titled The Pornographers, this indie Canadian group has an all-star cast. A.C. Newman with a thriving solo project, as well as Neko Case, indie alt-country darling. Kathryn Calder, Newman's niece was brought on to help out during Neko's burgeoning career, but both were present during the last tour. Calder has a solo album out right now as well. Orchestrated, jangly pop, this band is one of my favorites as well and I love their sound and their intricate lyrics. Newman is a master singer/songwriter and you should check out his infectious solo work as well. I included both videos because they are both visually stunning.





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15. The Mynabirds

15. The Mynabirds - What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood

Laura Burhenn is the leading songstress for this remarkable new group. Equal parts country and soul, her voice is like a shining beacon in a world of over produced female vocalists. A friend of mine turned me onto this band and I haven't stopped listening to it yet. The title track (available below) is one of the shining moments of the album and the video is a lot of fun as well. I missed their show at The Conservatory earlier this year. I will not make that mistake again.

The Mynabirds - Numbers Don't Lie from Saddle Creek on Vimeo.

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16. Belle and Sebastian

16. Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love

Belle and Sebastian is one of my all time favorite bands. This was a no brainer and if I had gotten it earlier in the year, it would have been higher in the charts. However, getting to see this band live completed one of my top five must see live bands of all time. Definitely the best live show I've seen to date, but mainly because I am such a fan and the experience was so rare. Led by Stuart Murdoch out of Glasgow, Scotland, this is their eighth album and they derived their name from a children's book. Vanguards of the genre known as twee, they have highly orchestrated pop along with really complex lyrics and lyrical subjects.



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17. Vampire Weekend

17. Vampire Weekend - Contra

On Vampire Weekend's sophomore effort, we find more of their infectious Paul Simon/Peter Gabriel Afrobeat/punk influenced pop. I don't see how someone cannot love this bouncy, feelgood music. It makes me happy every time I hear this or their last album and I never get tired of it. If you haven't heard Vampire Weekend yet, do yourself a favor and get it now.



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18. Spoon

18. Spoon - Transference

I'm pretty sure I've talked about this before, but I have mixed feelings about a band I've been following for years hitting it big on a major label. However, isn't that why we like these bands. If they didn't make it, then they might go away, and we certainly don't want that. If you don't already know, Spoon is a indie rock band led by Britt Daniels out of Austin, TX. I like this album better than their last one, but they have all been fantastic. There is nothing like throwing on some funk-laden rock before going out for the night or driving in your car.



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19. Junip

19. Junip - Fields

Junip is a side project of Jose Gonzales, singer for Zero 7 and a flourishing solo career. Formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in the late 90's, it also includes members, Elias Araya (drums) and Tobias Winterkorn (organ, moog). Basically an extension of Gonzales' work, the music is quietly intimate and at the same time broadly more expansive than his solo work. I would still like to see him in either Zero 7 or Junip at a live show, it must be amazing. Seeing him by himself is one of the better singer/songwriter performances I have ever attended. My favorite song off the album is under 'Try it' below. The video below is truly bizarre and wonderful.





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20. Best Coast

20. Best Coast - Crazy For You

Yet another surf fuzz rock band, this one is out of Los Angeles, CA. The band was formed by songwriter and frontwoman Bethany Cosentino and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. This has been another great debut this year with lots of chicktastic love songs. I love the video below and their biggest single is under 'Try it'.




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21. Surfer Blood

21. Surfer Blood - Astrocoast

Surfer Blood is a surf rock fuzz band from West Palm Beach, Florida. John Paul Pitts is the frontman and puts forth a dizzying array of fuzzed out, hook-laden, well-written songs. This came out last year about this time and has been in constant rotation since then, for the most part, culminating in seeing them live in San Francisco. I've included a pic from their performance below. Cool sidenote: John Paul got called up on stage during Belle and Sebastian's performance at Treasure Island as a small group of audience dancers. Obviously he had a great weekend....oh to be a rock star.






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22. of Montreal

22. of Montreal - False Priest

of Montreal is the brainchild of Kevin Barnes and is part of the original Elephant 6 collective out of Athens, GA. The name of the band comes from a girl that left Kevin "of Montreal". These guys produce some insanely psychedelic, funk, glam, pop with insanely intricate, intelligent lyrics woven through their songs. Highly creative and artistic, Kevin Barnes and of Montreal have some of the most interesting live performances out there and I highly suggest seeing these guys live at some point in your life, one of his most historic performances was coming on stage mounted on a white horse in a loin cloth and singing. They produce a ton of music (this is their tenth album) and tour constantly. Definitely one of my top ten all time favorite artists.




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23. The Bird And The Bee

23. The Bird And The Bee - Interpreting The Masters Vol. 1 - A Tribute To Daryl Hall & John Oates

I have been with The Bird And The Bee since their inception. Inara George and Greg Kurstin comprise this synthpop duo from Los Angeles. Their music is ultra chill with Inara's lush voice providing the vocal framework. This new album sees them covering about every popular Hall & Oates song there is. I didn't pay this album much mind when it came out, because I shy away from such gimmicks, but after I started listening to it, it became infectious. Perhaps it's because I was raised on these songs that I couldn't put it down, but I prefer to think it is Inara's syrupy vocals and Greg's chill keyboards that keep me coming back for more. While the video below does not capture the sound, you get to see Inara sing while baby-popping pregnant with a special guest. I've included a song below for your listening enjoyment as well.



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24. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

24. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - I Learned The Hard Way

Sharon Jones fourth effort is a soul/motown masterpiece. The band is from Brooklyn, NY where they are signed to Daptone records, where the Dap Kings are the house band. The band eschews digital recording equipment and modern instruments opting instead for analogue and authentic sixties and seventies instruments in order to recreate an authentic reproduction of the sound. I already love this style of music like no other and this is just a welcome addition to my collection.



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25. The Black Angels

25. The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream

Kings of all that is modern psychedelic rock, The Black Angels are based out of Austin, Texas. They got their name from the Velvet Underground song, The Black Angels' Death Song. They've been around since 2004 and I just love these guys. This album has received a lot of critical acclaim, and for good reason...it's easy to say this is their best effort to date.

Telephone from The Black Angels on Vimeo.

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26. Stornoway

26. Stornoway - Beach-comber's Windowsill

So, this is another random CD purchase that ended really well. Just hearing that song Zorbing the first time at the record store made me buy this CD immediately. The band is named after a Hebridean town on the Isle of Lewis. They are an indie folk band from Oxford, England and are probably my favorite break-out band of the year. Zorbing, which is the video below, is apparently a sport in which you climb inside a Wayne Coyne size ball and roll down a hill. It's my next summer activity.



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27. Dum Dum Girls

27. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be

A California girl group with noise pop and surfer rock sensibilities, Dum Dum Girls is named after The Vaselines album Dum Dum and Iggy Pop's song Dum Dum Boys. Each girl has Dum Dum tattooed on a finger and on stage they wear fashionable stockings. Dee Dee, the front woman, has a picture of her mother on the front of the album, who was heavily into the Beach Boys.




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28. Sleigh Bells

28. Sleigh Bells - Treats

This is one of those great stories in music that you have to love. Derek Miller was waiting tables on Alexis Krauss and her mother and mentioned to them that he was looking for a female vocalist for his new project he was working on. Alexis' mom volunteered her and we now have the noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells out of Brooklyn, NY. I love the blown out drum beats, the fuzzed guitars, and the layer of pop on top. This is a great album and they have received a lot of attention from this release. I'm dying to see these guys live, they were playing a show just a block away from my hotel room and I couldn't make it back in time to see them.....sooooo close.



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29. Stars

29. Stars - The Five Ghosts

Stars is one of my favorite bands and their new album did not disappoint me in the least. You can download one of my favorite songs off the album below, it would easily make my top 10 songs of the year if I were to put together such a list. They are a Canadian indie electronic pop group who specialize in writing catchy songs with highly emotive lyrics. The band consists of Torquil Campbell (vocals), Chris Seligman (keyboards), Amy Millan (vocals/guitar), Evan Cranley (bassist), and Pat McGee (drums). Torquil, Chris and Amy have all been members of Broken Social Scene (which I mentioned earlier here). Torquil has a side project called Memphis and Amy also has a solo project as well that leans a little to the country/folk side. Her voice is like liquid velvet.



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30. Ra Ra Riot

30. Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard

Ra Ra Riot is a fun, highly orchestrated indie pop band out of Syracuse, New York. They have an electric live performance and the strings in their sound actually come from a violin and a cello, instead of keyboards. The band consists of Wes Miles (vocals, keys), Milo Bonacci (guitar), Matthieu Santos (bass), Alexandra Lawn (cello, vocals, keys), Rebecca Zeller (violin) and Gabriel Duquette (drums). The band’s original drummer, John Pike died in Fairhaven, Massachusetts on June 3, 2007, drowning in Buzzards Bay shortly after a show in Providence, Rhode Island. This new release is just a continuation of their debut album The Rhumb Line.



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31. Beach House

31. Beach House - Teen Dream

Beach House is a shoegaze out of Baltimore, MD. Teen Dream is their third album and they have been to Oklahoma twice in the last year in support of it. They opened for Grizzly Bear last year and made a stop at the Opolis to headline on their way to SXSW and then opened for Vampire Weekend this past October on their way to ACL. They are better live than their album might let on. Their live show has become much more stylized and I look forward to seeing them again to see how they've progressed. This is a must see live band.



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32. The Walkmen

32. The Walkmen - Lisbon

The Walkmen are an indie rock band out of New York and Philadelphia. The band consists of Paul Maroon (guitar, piano), Walter Martin (organ/bass),Matt Barrick (drums, Peter Bauer (bass/organ) and Hamilton Leithauser (vocals, guitar). They prefer to play music on vintage instruments. I saw them live this summer and could not put the CD down. Their dark, brooding rock makes for excellent driving music and I love Hamilton's voice. Very energetic group and one to keep an eye on.







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33. Groove Armada

33. Groove Armada - Black Light

Groove Armada are Andy Cato and Tom Findlay from London, England. They utilize a lot of collaboration in their trip-hop, electronica, laid back, chill band. They called this album Black Light to express the dark side of Groove Armada. It certainly does, because their past efforts have been more rock and reggae influenced. If you have never listened to Groove Aramada and like chill electronica, I highly recommend this or any of their other albums. In addition to the two songs I've left for you below, also check out their song History here. Truly tops.






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34. The Drums

34. The Drums - The Drums

The Drums are essentially Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham, childhood friends from, of course, Brooklyn. I just started listening to this album one day for the hell of it and really got into it. It is a synthesis of 80's and surfer rock music. They cite their influences as: The Wake, The Smiths, Joy Division, The Zombies, The Tough Alliance, The Legends, The Shangri-las and Orange Juice. Jacob also mentions that reverb in general has played a major role in their sound: "...If reverb didn´t exist we wouldn´t have bothered trying to start a band." I love the video below, reminds me of PB&J's Young Folks and the rest of their songs seem to have that Cure sounding guitar.



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35. The Watson Twins

35. The Watson Twins - Talking To You, Talking To Me

Chandra and Leigh Watson are out of Los Angeles, CA and basically have a country/ folk/blues sound. I have loved The Watson Twins since they were brought to light on Jenny Lewis' Rabbit Fur Coat. This pair of twins are master songstresses and have performed in the city several times. They are both incredibly beautiful and very nice. Their new album has taken on a more groove heavy, gritty soul sound. It fits in great with a lot of the music I've been into lately and I'm glad they chose to go with a harder edge. I wonder which one is the evil one.

The Watson Twins - Savin' You from Vanguard Records on Vimeo.

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36. Frightened Rabbit

36. Frightened Rabbit - The Winter Of Mixed Drinks

Frightened Rabbit is a Scottish band originally started by Scott Hutchison. At first, the band was just Scott, but has since added his brother as a drummer and Billy Kennedy as a guitarist. Andy Monaghan has been recently added as a guitarist as well. I have been listening to this band for a few years and this particular album is a lot more fleshed out than earlier efforts. Scott's voice is incredibly distinctive and creates a melancholy backdrop to the indie rock folk.





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37. Punch Brothers

37. Punch Brothers - Antifogmatic

I saw Punch Brothers perform one night on late night television and was instantly hooked. They have a basic Bluegrass template, but the framework is classical and jazz based. This leads to complex, experimental bluegrass songs. I love the extreme talent base and the lead, Chris Thile has gone to great lengths to make the mandolin relative. Other members of the band include, Gabe Witcher (fiddle), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Chris Eldrige (guitar), and Paul Kowert (bass). If you like Avett Bros. at all, you should definitely check out these guys.



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38. Admiral Radley

38. Admiral Radley - I Heart California

If you know me at all or have read my blog you knew this was going to make the top 50. Probably the highlight of my year was getting to meet Jason Lytle and seeing AdRad perform their first live show ever. If you are not familiar with this band, read up on them in my post about them here.



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39. Frankie Rose And The Outs

39. Frankie Rose And The Outs - Frankie Rose And The Outs

Do you ever walk into a CD store and pick up something you've never seen or heard of before? I do, and not often enough, because it usually leads to aural gold. This is an example of one of those experiences. No hype, no nothing, just listening and loving. Frankie Rose has been the drummer in Vivian Girls and wrote their hit song, as well as doing a stint in Dum Dum Girls (who made this list as well) and Crystal Stilts. This is the perfect example of a girl group, noise-pop album if I've ever heard one. Great melodies and an underlying 60's Brit-pop sound make me love this album a lot.



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40. Broken Social Scene

40. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

I have always loved Broken Social Scene. A Canadian Baroque pop band from Toronto, it can have from six to nineteen members at any given time. Some of the indie greats that have got their start with this band are: Emily Haines of Metric and her own solo effort with The Soft Skeleton; Leslie Feist of Feist; Amy Millan of Stars and her own solo effort; Jason Collett. Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning are the mainstay's and have each produced albums in their own right under the moniker: Broken Social Scene Presents:. I finally got to see this band live in October and it was spectacular and they will be at Cains in February. Should be an incredible show.



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41. Chew Lips

41. Chew Lips - Unicorn

Chew Lips are Tigs, James Watkins and Will Sanderson. They are from London, England and produce infectious electro-pop music. The name Chew Lips comes from a character in the Brendan Behan book, Borstral Boy. I found these guys in the SXSW buzz from last year and they have stayed on steady repeat on the iPod.



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44. OK Go

44. OK Go - Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky

OK Go is an indie rock band out of Chicago, IL. The band consists of Damian Kulash (guitar, vocals), Tim Nordwind (bass), Andy Ross (guitar, keyboards), and Dan Konopka (drums). I have always enjoyed their music immensely and they are known for their quirky, low budget, highly choreographed, one-shot videos (many examples shown below). This particular album invokes the spirit of Prince and 80's dance music in general and is a great listen. Their music always puts me in a great mood.







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45. Avi Buffalo

45. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo

I discovered this band at the 80/35 music festival this summer in Des Moines, IA. Not knowing what to expect, I listened to their set and was pleasantly surprised, so much so, that I went over to the merch table and bought their CD immediately. They come from Long Beach, CA and are led by Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg. Avi recently signed to Sub Pop Records and is an extremely talented guitarist. In addition to the song I've loaded below, you can go here to grab a couple more. I would describe this band as indie pop, but with more complex layers than most and a touch of surfer rock. The album has met with much critical acclaim and is the single has been on constant repeat on the new 105.3TheSpy.



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46. The Radio Dept.

46. The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme

The Radio Dept. are a Swedish indie pop band who got their name from a sign outside a shop in Sweden, Radioavdelningen (which means The Radio Department in Swedish). Johan Ducanson and Martin Carlberg are the driving force behind the band. I have been listening to this band for the last five years. They have produced two other albums prior to their current release and no album of theirs has captured me the way this one has. I'm not saying the other two aren't excellent, but this one has that extra something special. I encourage you to check out all their work, their new video and enjoy my favorite song from the album below.

The Radio Dept. - Never Follow Suit (Official Promo Music Video) from theradiodept.com on Vimeo.

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47. Maximum Balloon

47. Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon

Maximum Balloon is the side project of David Andrew Sitek of TV on the Radio. TV on the Radio's last album, Dear Science, was in my top ten for 2008. David Sitek is also known for producing Yeah Yeah Yeahs as well. Like all good side projects, Maximum Balloon is rife full of collaboration, with artists such as Karen O and David Byrne. This interview with him breaks down each song and the guest artist on it. This has been on constant repeat since listening to it and really highlights Sitek's creative talent and the incredible talent he recruited for it. I really hope he does this again in the future.



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