Editor’s Note: This is the fifth in a series of top ten lists from our music writers. These will continue daily, until culminating in an aggregated top twenty list from buzzlegoose.
You can read Victor Koressel’s here.
You can read Chris Franklin’s here.
You can read Alexandra Fletcher’s here.
You can read Aaron Hefelfinger’s here.
Enjoy!
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10. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
The debut album from the James Mercer/Danger Mouse supergroup Broken Bells is everything anyone could have asked for. The album’s (and band’s) first single, “The High Road”, kicks off the record with an easy-going tune that seem to bring the best of Mercer’s Shins writing skills in harmony with the always-fitting beats of (Brian) Burton. The album has some “polar” songs (“October” sounds very Shins-esque, whereas “Your Head Is On Fire” is more up Burton’s alley), but blends the best of both worlds with instant favorites “The Ghost Inside”, “Trap Doors” and the album closer “Mongrel Heart”.
9. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
Going against all the “this album isn’t Arcade Fire ” arguments that seem to have plagued this record, The Suburbs is an undeniably great record. The Arcade Fire’s sound is just as diverse as ever and there really isn’t a weak song on the record. Though the concept is somewhat reminiscent of Cursive’s Happy Hollow, The Suburbs does it Arcade Fire’s way, with the title track serving as a welcoming introduction to the album. Instant gems “Modern Man” and “City With No Children” have greatly varying sounds, but still help to round out yet another great Arcade Fire release.
8. Bad Veins - Bad Veins
Bad Veins is essentially the beautifully-crafted indie pop/rock diamond-in-the-rough of self-proclaimed Cincinnati introvert Benjamin Davis, with one exception- Davis re-recorded the entire album with the help of now-permanent drummer Sebastian Shultz. Together, the duo experiment with a seemingly endless array of arrangements throughout the record, constantly finding a new catchy niche or musical exploration on every track. Not to mention Bad Veins proves that there’s nothing two guys and an awesome vintage tape reel can’t play live.
7. Electric Toys – The Dig
The Dig’s Electric Toys has one of the most distinctive, unique sounds of any album in recent memory. Each track has a very different feel to it, spanning everything from the hauntingly soft “For All Your Sins” to the straight-up rock jams “I Just Wanna Talk to You”, then kick into their own mellow rock sound on the hard-hitting “She’s Gonna Kill That Boy” and “He’s A Woman”, complete with a great bass line and drums.
6. Crazy for You – Best Coast
What’s not to love about great surfy indie pop? Crazy For You is a simple, catchy collection of tunes about west coast beach life and love that never seems to get old, with more than its fair share of great beachy, lo-fi jams. Also, it’s a definite necessity for any well-weathered road trip.
5. Mines – Menomena
Mines is undoubtedly one the most musically-diverse records to come out this year, blending genres seamlessly even within the songs themselves. Whether it be some crunchy blues rock riffs, piano interludes, echoing vocals or some haunting horn accompaniments, there isn’t a single sound out of place on the entire record, but, on the contrary, serves to make “Mines” that much stronger. “TAOS”, “BOTE”, and “Five Little Rooms” should give out a good feel for the record.
4. American Ghetto - Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man may be the single most under-appreciated band around. American Ghetto follows on the heels of their 2009 bombshell psychedelic folk rock triumph The Satanic Satanist, but is a slightly more timid take on the bands eclectic, psychedelic sound. Make no mistake though- there are some real gems throughout the album that are surely some of their best. Check out “The Pushers Party”, “All My People”, and “When The War Ends” for a quick idea.
3. Omni – Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear is the ever-changing beast of the alternative/indie rock scene. While 2007′s Planet of Ice was a fairly dark affair, “Omni” brings about a much more upbeat, pop-sensible vibe while still preserving the musical ingenuity and creativity Minus the Bear’s only further developed with age. Also, with a wide range of instruments and sounds throughout the record, Omni is probably the band’s most adventurous and expansive album, popping out amazing songs like the soft jazz-rock great “The Thief”, electro-jam “Animal Backwards”, and the old-style-MTB groove “Dayglow Vista Road”. Any Minus the Bear fan should be pleasantly surprised by the band’s new shift in sound.
2. Brothers – The Black Keys
It’s not a stretch to call The Black Keys the best two-man band on the planet, and the Akron, Ohio duo deliver in spades with Brothers, a record that serves as proof that The Black Keys just keep getting better with each release. Brothers keeps the best parts of The Black Keys’ sound coming throughout the record, from the first beats of “Everlasting Light” to the quiet ending of “These Days”, with high points “Tighten Up”, “The Only One”, and “Unknown Brother” along the way.
1.- Maniac Meat – Tobacco
This fuzzed out, vocoder-coated masterpiece relentlessly doles out bizarre jam after bizarre jam with no holds barred. In a trip-hop scene becoming more and more saturated by the day, Tobacco again neglects the mold entirely (just in case Fucked Up Friends didn’t do the job) with an insane variety of bass-heavy beats, drippy synth grooves and borderline-unconfortably creepy vocoded lyrics, then puts the icing on the cake with two guests spots by Beck (who’s obviously no stranger to the strange). This is one record that doesn’t seem to ever get old or lose its flavor in the slightest, with each song becoming that much more addicting with each play.
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