If you were to ask me my favorite artist of all, I'd say it would have to be this guy. His last album made the top ten in my 2009 list here. His guitar stylings are just perfect. They are perfect for any kind of time, but especially summer nights and winter days. He is a very prolific songwriter and still works with Ms. Deschanel. In fact, she appears on two songs in this collection. I hope he continues writing songs for a long time to come and I hope he stays somewhat small so that I can continue to see him live. The video below is by the same guy who did the 'Chinese Translation'. Yay!
It is no surprise that this band is on this list. I listened to their last album like fifty times. I see them live every chance I get. They are a trio out of Southampton, England. Russell Marsden (guitar, vocals), Emma Richardson (bass, vocals), and Matt Hayward (drums). Live, there is an amazing contrast between Marsden's guitar and Richardon's bass. Their vocals perfectly contrast and she's about a foot taller than Marsden. This band is deeply rooted in Zeppelin and it works. Amazingly there is nothing rehashed about their dark, brooding, bluesy rock sound. Her smokey vocals lend something special to this combo that has made them a favorite of many.
I found these guys by complete accident and have loved every second of it. They remind me of The Naked and Famous, Empire of the Sun and Junior Boys. Definitely more disco involved in their version of electronica. This is the danciest album on the whole list. This is one of those albums that I think the composition is perfect. The lyrics are perfect. Just perfect. The History of Pan!c is essentially Gerald Roesser out of Detroit. Other artist contributions include Leah Diehl of Lightning Love, Casimer Pascal of Pas/Cal, Trevor Naud of Zoos of Berlin, and Keith Thompson of The Electric Six.
Every new Stars album starts out the same for me. Extreme disappointment in not making an album as good as the last, then, after four or five listens, thinking this is the greatest album ever. The North, their newest release, is no exception. Their last album made the 2010 top 50 here. This is a Toronto based band, and you haven't seen anything until you see a bunch of Canadians almost die in August Austin heat.
I am an Andrew Bird fan through and through. It's hard for me to imagine this master whistler and fiddler doing anything wrong. The man has been prolific this year to say the least. This was the first of two album releases this year. Considering his last album was 23 songs, he probably was advised to do this rather than release another unruly album. In relation, this album is far more cohesive and with songs like 'Give It Away' and 'Near Death Experience' they make life a little less grim. Annie Clark of St. Vincent joins in a duet on 'Lusitania' He also just released Hands of Glory later this year. Check out the video below to see him perform and get interviewed. Absolutely wonderful. Also check out below the song 'The Crown Salesman', which was supposed to be released on this album, but didn't make it.
Unfortunately I missed The Darcys initial release and didn't really much about them until I saw them at SXSW last year. You can witness my indiscretion here. I love their fuzzed-out lo-fi dream-pop sound and to hear it applied to this, the greatest of all Steely Dan albums, well, I was just giddy. You may be skeptical, but I assure you, this is treated incredibly well. It rarely leaves my rotation and it was the only vinyl I picked up in Austin that weekend. You can download it for free at their website (link below) or listen to it streaming at the link below.
Guess where these guys are from? You guessed it...Brooklyn. The band consists of Amber Papini (vocals, guitar), Brian Betancourt (bass) and Nathan Michel (percussion). I must say, you haven't seen anything until you've seen Betancourt on bass. I would place these guys square in the twee category, but they also fill a lo-fi, electronic, shoe-gaze bill as well. Found these guys at SXSW and have been in love ever since. I am listening to them right now and they are immediately going back in rotation.
This is a departure for Mystery Jets on some levels, but an enjoyable one. They locked themselves away in a country house outside of Austin, Texas and this album is the result. Sister Everett is a song based on a Mormon trying to convert one of the band members on the plane ride over. There is definitely an Austin influence on the album. Mystery Jets are based out of London and are comprised of Henry and Blaine Harrison, William Rees, Peter Cochrane, and Matt Park. The band are good friends with Laura Marling. I loved Twenty-one, however, this album sounds a lot more mature for this band.
Punch Brothers are soooo amazing! Chris Thile is one of my personal heroes and Noam Pikelny is amazing as well. In fact, every member of this band is so incredibly talented. Chris Thile is formerly of Nickel Creek. Every cover I have ever seen these guys do has been transformed into something else. The Kid A cover on this album is pure genius. It sounds as good, if not better than the original and they transposed it to the acoustic instruments they had at hand. This is music at its finest hour. Bluegrass, or Newgrass, if you will, has never had a better take, and if you haven't already, give these guys a chance. You won't be disappointed.
Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff formed this band as an outlet for more mellow songs from their main musical venture, Okerrvil River. It is named after a tribe of seabirds. Jonathon Meiburg has a masters in geography with a focus on ornithology. With the inclusion of Howard Draper (The Mountain Goats, Akron/Family, and Blonde Redhead), the band has risen up in the indie ranks. To date, this is my favorite album they have put out. It is their eighth album. Every song on this album is just solid. Download one of them in the Soundcloud link below.
This band came out of nowhere and just surprised me. Deep Sea Diver is a band essentially out of Seattle. It is comprised of Jessica Dobson (who just quit The Shins as lead guitarist), Peter Mansen (the drummer, who Jessica is dating), and Michael Duggan. Very focused indie rock, great lyrics and a rich sound. This album is a pure joy to hear. They just released a free Christmas song on their bandcamp page, just click the link below.
This is a band that just gets better every album they put out. They made my top 50 back in 2010 here. Their live show is just amazing. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally comprise this dream-pop band out of Baltimore, MD. They are currently working on a short film titled, "Forever Still", which should hopefully be at film festivals this year. This is their fourth album.
These guys were pretty high up in the top 50 a couple years ago, here. When I first listened to this album, I didn't think it nearly as good as the last one and shelved it. Then I went back and gave a couple more hears and it quickly moved up my charts. Heavy psychedelic, electronic funk. It is the perfect amalgamation of genres for my musical tastes. The band started with Daniel Collas and Sean Marquand and has since grown. It's sort of a musical collective and travels with at most eight members in the live show.
The Shins is of course, James Mercer. While I haven't listened to this album much this late in the year, I did listen to it a bunch right after it was released. How can one not like The Shins? They are the hallmarks of indie rock. It has been a long five years without them, even though the original lineup no longer exists. In fact, Mercer fired all the band members and recruited from Modest Mouse and Fruit Bats for the new line-up. In the dry spell, Mercer has done some solo work and of course, teamed up with Danger Mouse and produced Broken Bells. It's certainly not my favorite The Shins album, but I like it. In true Mercer fashion, one of the best videos ever is below.
This is purely coincidence, but Ramona Falls opened for The Helio Sequence, however, because of Tasting Notes, I was unable to see them play. Showed up as they were packing up their gear. I was, needless to say, crushed. Ramona Falls is Brent Knopf, who is incredibly nice. They are out of Portland, Oregon. You may have heard his name before, he was, until recently, one third of Menomena, who, incidentally, came out with a great album this year as well. Their first album, Intuit, was genius and this one is no less than that. I am completely smitten with this band. Dark, piano driven, orchestrated movements in melody. Ramona Falls is also the name of a waterfall near Mt. Hood where Knopf grew up.
Lucky enough to see these guys a couple months ago in Norman. The thing I want to remind you of when you listen to this album (and you will listen to this album) is that it is only two guys. TWO GUYS!! I mean, this music has the expansive sound of The National or The Boxer Rebellion or Band of Horses. Nope, just two guys putting out this wall of sound. Truly amazing. I think this is their best album to date. I have really enjoyed watching their sound evolve over the years. This is their fifth album. They are out of Beaverton, Oregon and consist of Brandon Summers on vocals and guitars and Benjamin Weikel on drums and keyboards. You can download October below.
I always seem to have a band that has some sort of meteoric rise on my list every year. This would be it. The Lumineers have been nominated for two Grammy's. The Lumineers are Wesley Keith Schultz (vocals, guitar), Jeremiah Caleb Fraites (drums, percussion, mandolin, vocals), Neyla Pekarek (cello, mandolin, piano, vocals) and reside in Denver, Colorado. Infectious folk-pop is the result of this collaboration. The group was born out of sadness after Jermeiah's brother committed suicide.
So, I was sitting in Grey Owl coffee in Norman waiting on King Tuff to go on with my children. We were sipping on tea and coffee and I noticed this fellow who seemed out of place. He seemed nervous and apprehensive and I felt like something strange was going down. When he left the coffee shop, I gathered my children up and tried following him out. Turns out, it was none other than Kyle Thomas aka King Tuff, which I found out upon his arrival on the stage. That same manic energy I witnessed in the coffee shop which left me concerned and afraid translated on stage into a frenetic performance of pure rock and roll. This is such a great album. Other members of the band include, Magic Jake, Mat Schmalfeld, and Thomas Alvarez.
This band has made my "Top 10 Bands That Should've Made the Top 50 But Didn't" segment of my blog twice! So, I am extremely pleased that their album came out early enough in the year so that I may listen to it extensively. Their name comes from their last names. Keith Goodwin, Tim Arnold, and Daniel Schwartz. Clever, huh? They are from Philadelphia and have put out a series of incredible folk-pop albums. Great lyrics that swirl around their guitars. They remind me of Fruit Bats to some degree. The song I included below is titled 'Present for the End of the World' and seemed appropriate for today.
I think the sophomore album is the most difficult. The band has had however long they need to craft the perfect first album. Songs were cut and they ended up with, what they thought, the perfect collection of songs. Then they receive huge acclaim and are expected to push an album out in two years with no time for creativity or reflection. Lots of expectations, little time to rise to them. Passion Pit are great. That first album was magic. Do I like this one as much? No. However, considering their excellence and creativity as musicians, this is still a great album. I enjoyed listening to their electronic vibe, it's both beautiful and shiny. Remember, they garnered the #1 spot with Manners here.
This is my sad, slow album pick for the year. While I am not particularly fond of text slang in album or song titles, the music and lyrics on this album are amazing. Perfume
Genius is none other than Mike Hadreas. A Seattle based musician, this is his second album. Deep, haunting, soulful lyrics. Quiet, reserved, beautiful. The song below is incredibly sad and features his mom in the video, whom he lives with in Seattle.
This started as a solo project for frontman Luke Temple and has since expanded to include; Kristina Lieberson (keyboards), Michael Bloch (guitar), Jennifer Turner (bass guitar), and Peter Hale (drums). These guys come from Brooklyn and after hearing them play Glastonbury, Nigel Godrich (Radiohead's producer) asked to produce this album. Again, like the previous band, their first album was genius and this, their third album is beautiful. They are described as electro-folk, a truly unique sound.
I have been in love with this band since their inception. They started in Cleveland, OH in 2005 and wrote a beautiful first album. Indie pop with some of the best lyrics. I haven't heard much from them until this album. After reading up on their history, I think the band feels the same way. Beautiful, sweet, fun indie pop with bittersweet lyrics. One of the better bands out there, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Santi White, who goes by the stagename Santigold, which was originally Santogold, but she changed it to avoid a potential lawsuit. She was a double major in music and African-American studies at Wesleyan University. She also worked at EMI, produced and co-wrote Res' debut album and played in the punk band, Stiffed. Her debut album came out in 2008 and would have made my top 50, if I had been doing this that year. Her new album is pure genius. I was in a bookstore in San Francisco and Shazam'ed the selection of songs they were playing, and sure enough, this was the album. I love when I have a 'what is this' moment, and it's someone I already adore. If you haven't heard or seen her yet, she's unbelievable. Mixing genres like hip-hop, punk, electronica, rock and goth.
Miike Snow made my top 50 back in 2009 here. The band consists of Bloodshy & Avant (Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg) and Andrew Wyatt. They are out of Stockholm, Sweden. Really great electro-pop with songs that remain stuck in your head for days upon days. Very glad this has turned into something more than just a side project. This album gets better every time I listen to it. Enjoy the trilogy of videos below.
Emily Haines, formerly of Broken Social Scene is the frontwoman of Metric. This Canadian troupe can do no wrong in my eyes. Guitarist James Shaw (who also plays the synthesizer and theremin), bassist Joshua Winstead and drummer Joules Scott-Key round out the roster. These guys played at Brady Theatre last night, and I sadly missed their show. New wave electronica, these guys have been putting out incredible music since 1998.
These lovely ladies made my top ten two years ago, here. A Swedish sisterly duo comprised of Johanna and Klara Söderberg. Very sweet 60's folk which is refreshing in this day and age. Samantha Crain has opened for them on many an occasion and I'm hoping they will come here on their next tour. They put on a great live show.
This is a side project band with a constant rotation of members, but maintain a core, which include; Kevin Parker, Jay Watson and Nick Allbrook of Tame Impala. Joseph Ryan (Mink Mussel Creek) and Jamie Terry (The Silents) round out the roster. Psychedelic 70's style rock and roll is this bands strong suit, much like Tame Impala, only way more 70's. This was a great album to listen to, while I waited on the new Tame Impala album to come out. The video below was filmed on an iPhone.
Allyson Baker is the brainchild of Dirty Ghosts. Dirty rock and roll with a metal/80's new wave, neo punk influence. The electronic mixed with the heavy guitars and drums what I really like about this album. The three piece is out of San Francisco and produced by Aesop Rock, which certainly adds their hip-hop influence in parts as well. They started this project five years ago, so after much touring, this album is much overdue.
The thing I love about music is when someone comes out with something completely original, even after ALL the music that has been created. It is fascinating and refreshing. Polica is just such a band. Truly unique sound. Polica (pronounced Po lisa) is the Polish word for policy, even though there is no 'c' in the Polish language. Founded by Ryan Olson and Channy Leaneagh out of Minneapolis, they are classified as electronic R&B...that's pretty close, but I find a lot more layers going on in the music than that, including a reggae undercurrent and some goth pop. Check them out below.
These guys were ALL the buzz at SXSW this year. Everywhere I went, I overheard people talking about this band. All the cool kids wanted to see their live show. This album has made numerous EOY lists and for good reason. Infectious roots rock masterfully crafted. Heralding from Athens, Alabama are lead singer Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson. Brittany's voice is rugged, soulful and powerful. They've been nominated for a grammy, so be looking for this band to explode in the near future.
Like Freelance Whales, this is a highly orchestrated band, and I just love them for it. These guys made my top 50 back in 2009 with their debut album Reservoirhere. Simon Balthazar and Giles Davis (Giles is no longer with the band) formed the band back in 2006. Current members include; Amos Memon, Cathy Lucas, Justin Finch, Leon Beckenham, and Simon Balthazar. Beautifully orchestrated baroque pop, I hope to see these guys live soon. I worry that their London address keep them from coming to Oklahoma.
These guys made my top 50 back in 2010 here. This Queens, New York band got their start busking in the subway and on street corners. Diluvia shows them with a much more expansive sound, include much more intricate orchestral manipulations and some choral work. The beauty that is produced by this band continues to elate me. With the number of assorted instruments and immaculate songwriting, I hope they make your list as well.
If you've listened to Sarah Jaffe before, but somehow neglected to pick this album up, you are in for a big surprise. Her previous style had been a moody singer/songwriter with folksy roots. This new album still highlights her moodiness, but backs it up with an electronic core and pays homage to her interests in hip-hop as well. Her incredibly beautiful voice and heartfelt lyrics still shine through and I welcome the change. It made for an infinitely more enjoyable listening experience, and I always like to see artists challenge themselves. Bravo! This young woman lives right down the road in Denton, Texas.
This 5 piece out of Brooklyn, in the artistic Bushwick district, are really, just a bunch of friends who play music together. Formerly known as Perpetual Crush, they are Samantha Urbani (vocals), Lesley Hann (bass, percussion, backing vocals), Nikki Shapiro (guitar, keyboards, percussion), Matthew Molnar (keyboards, percussion, bass), Oliver Duncan (drums). This album is so fun and different. A tropicali, disco vibe, with some great dance beats and some punk mixed in as well. It is funny to read bloggers' frustrations with how much music comes out of Brooklyn. I have mentioned the sheer volume in this blog myself. However, I concur, this band is worth checking out.
Heavily inspired by Serge Gainsbourg, Dent May was a former NYU film student. Now living in Oxford, Mississippi, he decided to work on music and art. He owns a 5000 square foot barn called Cats Purring that is being used to develop an artist community. His previous album he was known as Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele. Not as much Uke in this album, but a winner nonetheless. A lot more beatbox and electronic influence pepper this album, but I bet the Uke isn't far away. If you don't know me by now, I am a sucker for late 60's inspired pop.
These guys are out of Brooklyn and their founding member, John Philpot used to play for Presocratics. While it started out as just him, like many bands, it soon fleshed out to a complete line-up. Now he is joined by Joe Stickney and Adam Wills. At one time, bassist James Elliott played for the band before going on to form School of Seven Bells. After several tours, this psychedelic, electronic band has moved away from some of their experimental nature and gravitated to a more pop-driven sound. This does not mean this is a pop record, just that it is much more digestible than previous records.
Next entry is surf rock, Los Angeles based band, Best Coast. They have been in the Top 50 before back in 2010 here. Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno bring us another album of great, love and loss surf rock tunes. In addition to this, they also put out an amazing cover of Rhiannon on the Fleetwood Mac tribute album...Just Tell Me That You Want Me. Watch the video below as they destroy lots of food and musical instruments.
This is the work of a Welsh duo, Tomas Greenhalf and Ryan James from Cardiff. The entire album was produced in Tomas' bedroom, which is pretty amazing considering the immensity of the music. The album is laid-back electronic at points, atmospheric at others and down-right dancy in others. The project was started in 2011 by the pair sharing music files over email. Very impressive first work and I'm happy to see them make the list.
And so we begin. My first entry is just an amazing folk artist. The band Horse Feathers (named after a saying, which the Marx Bros. movie was also named after) is basically Justin Ringle. The backing line-up is Nathan Crockett (violin, viola, mandolin, saw), Dustin Dybvig (drums, keyboards), Angie Kuzma (violin, back up Vox) and Lauren Vidal (cello). They are out of Portland, Oregon. This is their fourth album of haunting melodies. Prior to this they have put out Words Are Dead, House With No Home, and Thistled Spring. I loved the first album when it came out, but this one may be the best one yet. Reminds me a little of Sun Kil Moon, but a lot more Appalachia. Lots of banjo and fiddle in these tunes and should make the folkies happy. Awesome animated video below as well as a song you can download. Enjoy.
Well, it's finally that time of year. It's only been about six months since my last post, but the music goes on. With the addition of the radio show, my life has gotten a little busier and it has changed the way I listen to music some. However, I have still based my top 50 on play counts. I prefer it this way. You get a peek into what I like to listen to and I don't wax on about how artistic an album is and neither one of us can barely make it through one listen. I have now been doing this long enough that bands are making repeat appearances in my top 50 countdown. The interesting thing is that they weren't in the same spots they were last time. Lots of great music this year. So, here we go...let the countdown begin!
...I am currently hosting a radio show. It combines my two greatest passions: wine & music. It is currently Mondays from 7-8pm CST on The Spy. You can also listen on iTunes under the 'Radio' tab. Click on 'Alternative' and go to The Spy. You can also listen on Roku. You can also listen on your AppleTV or your iPhone via the SpyFM app. It is called Tasting Notes and you can find it on Facebook here. Now you can also listen at KOSU on the FM dial at 91.7 in OKC, 107.5 in Tulsa and 88.3 in Stillwater. On this show, I pair music and wine. It turns out that this is a fairly recent scientific phenomenon. Many journal articles have been written and you can read about this phenomenon here, here, and here. We do a locals only show once a month, in which I showcase an Oklahoma artist with an Oklahoma wine....which have gone surprisingly well. I typically feature a varietal and find music to accompany that varietal. But, I must say, I find this approach akin to picking a wine for a wine dinner and have the chef build the food around the wine. In the future, I would like to pick a genre of music and pair the wine or wines around that. I think that would be infinitely more fun. Plus I would get to delve more deeply into the music aspect of the show. You can follow me on twitter @winedr. While this is no excuse, it is at least a reason to my gross absence from this blog. Working full time, moving, kids and now a radio show make it difficult to keep the blog up. However, it's not like I've done any better in the past. If you would like to listen to past episodes at your own leisure, you can do so at soundwisepodcast.com. Here you can listen at leisure with a bottle of your choosing...or message me or browse the facebook page to see which wine we used for the episode. It is still pretty crazy to me, logical person that I am, that a song can dramatically alter both the smell and taste of a wine. Hope you enjoy the show.
Well, it's been a few months. Work has been crazy busy and now, with a radio show once a week, time to blog is almost non-existent. I've been wanting to do this for awhile and was only going to keep it limited to five. However, when I started looking at what I'd missed, I found ten with virtually no effort. To put it mildly, last year was a great year for new music, and this year is shaping up nicely as well. So, without further ado, here's ten more albums that could have easily made the top 50, I just haven't listened to them until now. These are in no particular order...I hope you enjoy.
1. Other Lives - Tamer Animals
I've been fortunate enough to see these guys three times already this year. They reside in Stillwater, which is apparently a mecca for great musicians and creativity, because Stillwater is also the home to Deerpeople and Dead Sea Choir, who are amazing in their own right. It's so crazy how big these guys are getting. They just got off tour with, none other than, Radiohead. Tamer Animals is their Sophomore effort and received loads of accolades. Very happy to put a local band on my blog.
This is a band I ran across in Dallas and who call Fort Worth, Texas home. At the core are Dan and Kelsey Bowman, who are a husband and wife team and a constantly rotating cavalcade of musicians. The more I listen to this band, the more I love them. As close as they are to us, I have yet to see them on a roster here in OKC, but that doesn't mean they haven't. They are certainly excellent candidates for The Blue Door and the house concerts going on in the city. Perhaps I will have them come play my house after I move. They play this Saturday at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton
Saw these guys at SXSW this year and they just completely blew me away. I bought their recent LP, which is a complete cover of Steely Dan's 'Aja' album. That, in and of itself, was enough to sell me on the band. The Canadian band is shoegaze and have been gaining a lot of acclaim.
I discovered these guys by accident and have never turned back. The Rhode Island duo focus on Eastern European folk, but have no problem incorporating other forms of folk from around the world into their music. They just got through playing a mind-blowing show in El Reno last month.
An electo-pop duo from England, Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey produce digital melodies that draw heavily from the 60's surf rock and 80's synth-wave. A great name to remain obscure, because, try typing 'summer camp' into google. Check out the video below.
A five-piece from Santa Barbera, these guys incorporate goth sensibilities in with their dream-pop, electro sound. It makes for a wonderful convergence. They have been here twice within the last year and made a big splash at SXSW. Mostly because the lead singer has a flute strapped to his back.
Another band I found by accident out of Sydney, Australia. They are classified as indie rock, folk and psychedelia. Which basically means, they defy genre and have crafted a unique sound. They have received loads of acclaim in Australia and have been supported by Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend and The Magic Numbers to name a few.
Saw these guys at SXSW and they are just, simply amazing. They are branded as folk, but it's not the traditional folk sound you might be accustomed to hearing. Another Australian band out of Melbourne, these guys craft beautiful songs that stick with you. They will release their album in the US in July.
An indie rock band from Philadelphia including Kurt Vile and Adam Granduciel. This is their sophomore release and is just incredible. Again, I can't believe I fucking missed this. This is the second album from Secretly Canadian; which means I need to pay more attention to them.
Givers is a band out of Lafayette, LA and is indie rock with an African worldbeat influence. It's probably what attracted me to it, was the Ladysmith Black Mambazo style instrumentation. This will probably be a new segment for me in years to come, mostly because there are always bands I miss throughout the year that hit my attention in the first few months of the new year. So much music...so little time.
Thanks for stopping by. I listen to entirely too much music and love sharing music almost as much as I love listening to it. The purpose of this blog is to do just that and bring you along the journey with me.
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