Dudemonkey

The Boxer Rebellion - Both Sides Are

2. The Boxer Rebellion - The Cold Still

The new album from The Boxer Rebellion is a complete departure from their earlier work. Much more refined melodies and intricate lyrics. This one sort of jumped up and surprised me and has been on steady rotation the last few weeks. They recorded this in Peter Gabriel's Real World studios, so that may add something to the grandeur of this work. These guys are from London and had to cancel their tour in October much to my dismay, but they are just about ready to reschedule. Careful, the video below is rated 'R'.

The Runner from The Boxer Rebellion on Vimeo.

3. Hooray For Earth - True Loves

Hooray For Earth is Noel Heroux, Christopher Principe, and Joseph Ciampini and they are based out of New York. Heavy synth-pop with big arena style percussion and hooks, think MGMT. It was mixed by Chris Coady who also worked on Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio.

Hooray For Earth - True Loves from Dovecote Records on Vimeo.

Hooray For Earth - No Love by luzguz07

4. Halloween, Alaska - All Night the Calls Came In

These guys are from the twin cities and produce dark, brooding electro-pop. They are not really named after an actual town, but it was, rather, two words James Diers (lead vocals) came up with to describe the sound he was looking for to the other band members. They have been around since 2002, but this is the first I've heard of them.

Empire Waist by Halloween, Alaska

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5. The Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade

I found these guys through the video below. Then, I got to see them at ACL this fall. Super cute brother and sister duo from southern California, Barbara and Ethan Gruska write folky music with a draw from Fleetwood Mac and Paul Simon. They both do vocals and she plays guitar and drums, while Ethan plays guitar and piano. Really energetic and they write great songs.

Sweet Louise by The Belle Brigade

Of Monsters and Men- Yellow Light by paperbacks8

6. Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal

This is the debut album of an indie folk pop band out of Iceland. They are the buzz band of the moment. Both KEXP and All Songs Considered have been talking about this group incessantly. So, if you've ever wanted to get on board with an obscure band in the beginning of their career and watch them rise to success, I believe this is a good place to start.

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7. Washed Out - Within & Without

Washed Out is chillwave musician, Ernest Greene from Perry, Georgia. His music was put out of his bedroom until Subpop picked him up. He says he gets his style from hip-hop. If you watch Portlandia, his music is in the show's intro.

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8. Twin Sister - In Heaven

I discovered Twin Sister over a year ago in San Francisco opening between Cults and The Morning Benders. I fell in love immediately and bought their EP, in fact, they made this list that I made last year here. They are a blend of dream pop and disco as well as chillwave. Based out of Long Island, the band members are vocalist Andrea Estella, keyboardist Dev Gupta, bassist Gabe D'Amico, guitarist-singer Eric Cardona, and drummer Bryan Ujueta.

TWIN SISTER - Daniel by MarMat7681

9. Pearl and the Beard - Killing the Darlings

Jocelyn Mackenzie, Emily Hope Price and Jeremy Stiles comprise this Brooklyn band. With a wide range of instrumentation and a never-ending vocal harmony contribution, this Americana style band has met with my approval.

Pearl and the Beard - Sweetness by hearhearmusic

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10. Wye Oak - Civilian

I have seen these guys live three times since their inception. It never ceases to amaze me how two people can produce so much sound. Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner are two of the nicest people you'll ever meet and produce beautiful fuzzed out dream pop. She is an amazing vocalist and guitarist and he is the perfect counterpoint to her. They are from Baltimore, Maryland and their band is named after their state tree.

Wye Oak by -gaga

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Saturday, January 7, 2012

2011 Top 50 Recap

Here they are again with one easy clickable list. Hope you enjoyed. :)

1. The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart

2. The Wooden Birds - Two Matchsticks

3. The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You

4. Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting

5. Yellow Ostrich - The Mistress

6. My Morning Jacket - Circuital

7. Cults - Cults

8. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

9. tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L

10. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!

11. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

12. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing

13. Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi - Rome

14. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

15. The Submarines - Love Notes/Letter Bombs

16. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

17. Blind Pilot - We Are the Tide

18. Austra - Feel It Break

19. Friendly Fires - Pala

20. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys

21. Fruit Bats - Tripper

22. The Drums - Portamento

23. Young the Giant - Young the Giant

24. The Cave Singers - No Witch

25. The Antlers - Burst Apart

26. Alexander - Alexander

27. Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

28. Starfucker - Reptilian

29. Destroyer - Kaputt

30. Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation

31. Thao & Mirah - Thao & Mirah

32. Little Dragon - Ritual Union

33. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

34. Lera Lynn - Have You Met Lera Lynn

35. Boy & Bear - Moonfire

36. Eliza Doolittle - Eliza Doolittle

37. Bill Callahan - Apocalypse

38. Angus & Julia Stone - Memories of an Old Friend

39. Wild Beasts - Smother

40. Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know

41. Feist - Metals

42. Wilco - The Whole Love

43. White Lies - Ritual

44. Noah and the Whale - Last Night on Earth

45. Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - Scandalous

46. Delta Spirit - History From Below

47. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

48. The Black Keys - El Camino

49. The Dodos - No Color

50. Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde

1. The Head and the Heart

1. The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart

This is the perfect time to write this, because I just got done watching The Head and the Heart on Austin City Limits on PBS. When I think back on this last year, I have literally watched these guys go from teeny-tiny to, now, playing on a show that is taping bands like Arcade Fire, The Decemberists and Gomez. It all started by a chance concert venture in March at Opolis in Norman. I had only, barely, heard of The Head and the Heart and was completely converted by that first performance I saw. Little did I know, that I would see them three more times during the year. Twice in Telluride and once at ACL Music Festival. The crowds grew each time and the number of people who knew the words to their songs increased ten fold. The Seattle based indie folk/pop rockers owe their success this year to saying yes to every show. They even played a pizza party and high school in Lawrence, Kansas. They also owe their success to incredibly complex harmonies between the three vocalists; Josiah Johnson (guitar, percussion, vocals), Jonathon Russell (guitar, percussion, vocals), and Charity Rose Thielen (violin, vocals). The intricate, driving rhythms are supplied by the Kenny Hensley (piano), Tyler Williams (drums), and Chris Zasche (bass). This band has an undulating energy on stage and you can tell they love their songs, they have an electric chemistry and enjoy playing for others. Their album is absolutely perfect. If you haven't heard this band already, then now is the time to be enlightened.

Latest tracks by theheadandtheheart

2. The Wooden Birds

2. The Wooden Birds - Two Matchsticks

My friend, Blake, turned me onto this album a couple months ago. Obviously I liked it, because it is number two. The Wooden Birds are Andrew Kenny (former frontman of American Analog Set), Leslie Sisson (also of American Analog Set), Sean Haskins on drums and guest artist, Matt Pond. They are mostly from Austin (and Brooklyn) and produce sweet indie pop with light, breathy vocals. Delicate harmonies, subdued percussion and wandering guitar make this album inescapable. The lyrics are inspired and poetic and there is not a bad song on the album. I haven't stopped listening to this album yet, plus it has an animated video as well.

The Naked And Famous - The Sun (The Drunken Apaches remix) by The Naked And Famous

3. The Naked and Famous

3. The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You

While this album was technically released in the UK in 2010, it makes the cut, because it was released here in the U.S. in 2011 and it's just too good to leave off the list. We saw these guys in Dallas earlier this year and they were fantastic. They also played Cain's this last November and were a huge buzz band at SXSW. Electro-dance pop/rock from Auckland, New Zealand, these guys put on a great show and play some really addictive music. The two leads are Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers. I think of them as sounding like a cross between Passion Pit and Miike Snow. I am anxiously awaiting their second album. They were performing to sold out shows across the U.S. this year, so I have a feeling they will be back. The video below is stellar.

Friday, January 6, 2012

4. Young Galaxy

4. Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting

Young Galaxy is a Canadian band that I sadly, only discovered this year. Their new album Shapeshifting has been on my iPod non-stop and they win the category of one of my favorite songs and videos of the year. This album has been a big shift in their sound creatively (hence the album name) and a much welcome one. Dreampop/electronic, but with this incredible chill vibe is how I would describe them. Or I could just describe them as wicked good. Either way, it has been a great album for the year and they have moved into my 'must see live' list. Watch the videos in succession below because they tell a story.

Young Galaxy – Blown Minded by MODESTMODUS

5. Yellow Ostrich

5. Yellow Ostrich - The Mistress

So, we caught these Wisconsonians as an opener for Ra Ra Riot. I had been hearing some buzz about them and they were the first act, so we tried to get there in time to see them. The band is mostly Alex Schaaf backed with scaled down drummer Michael Tapper (great drummer name). Michael Tapper has also been the drummer for Bishop Allen and We Are Scientists. Alex Schaaf can best be described as a one-man band, playing the bass line with his feet, looping vocals and sounds to create layer upon layer of complexity. Think tUnE-yArDs or Andrew Bird. Really tight pop songs, fantastic lyrical content and a super-energetic live performance. My kids and I fell in love with this band, and this was in October, which means I must have REALLY loved them, because they are #5! Check out the videos and free song below, as well as their Bandcamp page which have a few EP's you can download for your own price.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

6. My Morning Jacket

6. My Morning Jacket - Circuital

Seeing bands live really increases their chance of making a top slot in my top 50 list, however, I believe Yim Yames' new effort would have garnered a spot no matter what. Reminiscent of 'Z', this new album from My Morning Jacket flows from track to track and has the powerful songwriting that made me fall in love with MMJ in the first place. It's hard to pick a favorite song from this collection, they are all so well-written. They opened their tour this year, rightfully so, in their home of Louisville, Kentucky.

Free song!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

7. Cults

7. Cults - Cults

Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion (not his real name) are from Manhattan and comprise the band Cults. They released an EP in '09, which I picked up in San Francisco after narrowly missing their opening act for The Morning Benders. It took awhile, but I was ecstatic when they released their full length this year. Their breakout track, "Go Outside" has been played on every satellite radio station related to indie music I have listened to, and yet, I have not grown tired of it. The whole album is fuzzy, lo-fi 60's pop, which is why I love it so and makes it very dance-worthy.

8. The Decemberists

8. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

These guys made number four in my 2009 list here, and I'm sure they would have been in the top five when The Crane Wife was released. After the anthemic, rock opera, Hazards of Love, Colin Meloy decided to take a step back and put out something seemingly simple. However, crafting timeless songs is, I'm sure, more work than the Portlandians bargained for. It's understandable, during the '09 tour they played Hazards from beginning to end, and their tour lasted most of the year. That was followed by another ten song set. It was a glorious time to see them live. Gillian Welch is guest vocalist on many of the tracks. I believe this is partly due to Jenny Conlee being treated for cancer with chemo most of this last year. During the tour this year, Sara Watkins filled in as best she could for the exuberant songstress. The King Is Dead is much more rooted in Americana as opposed to British folk. The songs may not have all the complexity as the last two albums, but I am not worried. Crane Wife and Hazards were both a magnum opus and the quiet, pastoral songs on this album are enduring gems.

9. tUnE-yArDs

9. tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L

Merrill Garbus is the brainchild behind this band and is joined by bassist Nate Brenner. They have added a saxophone section with this, their sophomore album. To explain this music requires watching it, I believe, so I have included their NPR Tiny Desk concert as one of the videos below. Powerful lyrics about class struggle sung through one of the most diverse voices in the industry. Lots of folk, African rhythms, and reggae. She layers her sounds like a musical architect creating loops with her voice and percussion and ukulele. On top of that are heavy synths and intense, glorious perfection. If you haven't checked these guys out, they are some of the most innovative musicians out there right now. If I was just pointing and choosing my top five for the year, this would be one of them.

Tune-Yards - Gangsta by The Recommender

ELBOW 'The Birds' from album 'Build a Rocket Boys!' by KidTwist

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

10. Elbow

10. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!

Elbow is one of my all-time favorite bands. This particular album from them has just been incredible and has been on constant rotation, especially since I saw them live this last fall. To me, they fall in the same vein as Sparklehorse and Grandaddy. They have been a band since 1990, but changed their name to Elbow in 1997. Heralding from England, Guy Garvey is the lead and his vocals bear a striking resemblance to Peter Gabriel. They tour with two violinists and the orchestration also bears a resemblance to Gabriel as well. There is a level of darkness to their music, but the lyrics can be poetically beautiful. I am very pleased they made the top ten.

Monday, January 2, 2012

11. The Civil Wars

11. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

I got turned on to The Civil Wars earlier this year through one of their videos. By the time I found them, they had just played an intimate show at The Blue Door, much to my chagrin. The Civil Wars are Joy Williams and John Paul White and are from Nashville, Tennessee and met during a songwriting session in a studio there. In the last two years they have gone from nothing to topping the Billboard charts. Beautiful songwriting, incredible harmonies and outstanding musicianship make this band what it is. They will be playing at Cain's later this month on the 18th and this may be your last time to catch them before they strike it big. They are an incredibly beautiful couple and I am shocked they are not together romantically, but are instead married to other people.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Tornado '87 by ObscureSound

Sunday, January 1, 2012

12. The Rural Alberta Advantage

12. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing

Easily one of the best, most underrated bands, to come along in years, these guys made my #6 spot in 2009 here. Based out of Toronto, Canada, Nils Edenloff is the lead and has an interesting enough voice to captivate you through the entire album. There is also an honesty behind his lyrics and delivery which is what keeps me listening. Amy Cole and Paul Banwatt are the other two members. They are one of my favorite bands to see live, they did a virtually acoustic set at SXSW this year, which was interesting. I think their sophomore effort is every bit as good as their freshman album and I look forward to more from these talented individuals. The extended video below was written and directed by Scott Cudmore and is just an amazing piece of art. You can listen to and download the song Tornado with the link below to get the full effect.