1. The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour:
Listening to this album is like listening to some drunk tell you about his curling career and that time he was at the airport over a couple of mugs at a shithole bar. Except that it’s actually interesting and gets your attention without vomiting on your lap or threatening bodily harm. Not to sound like an album cover blip or anything, but Reunion Tour’s songs will slowly suck you in until you can’t help but sing along. And, once the sequel to Reconstruction Site’s “cat song” (aka “Plea From a Cat Named Virtute”) comes along, faithful listeners will realize the true power of Samson’s storytelling.
Best Songs: Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure, Sun in an Empty Room, Utilities
2. Cloud Cult - The Meaning of 8
Craig Minowa is many things. He loves the Earth, he has dressed up as Barney and, sometimes, he can be a very sad man (understandable since much of his music was used as a coping mechanism after the sudden death of his son). Above all, however, he is an incredibly talented musician, and this album – that touches on love, life, loss and God contains some of his best work. It’s less trippy and glitched out then some of his previous work but despite its long running length it never gets boring.
Best Songs: Chemicals Collide, Your 8th Birthday, Thanks
3. Jeremy Enigk - The Missing Link
This one was a surprise. In my formative indie days I was more of a Mineral man than a Sunny Day Real Estate fan and I was always able to point out to the Mineral-haters that Chris Simpson’s post Mineral work (Imbroco, The Gloria Record) was always better than Enigk’s frog and God obsessed solo work. This year should have been the same as The Missing Link consists of only five new songs and four re-recordings of songs off of Enigk’s previous album World Waits (which I honestly hated). However The Missing Link is a heavily orchestrated and emotional tour de force that, quite simply, blows Simpson’s recent solo effort out of the water.
Best Songs: Tatseo Show, Chewing Gum, Canons
4. Mumm-Ra - These Things Come in Threes
When I first heard Mumm – Ra I thought of Egyptian sarcophagi (no I’m not a fan of the Thundercats). Of course that was before I actually listened to any of their songs. Turns out they have nothing to do with Egypt and only a little to do with sarcophagi. Sure their lead singer sometimes sounds like Chris Carraba but Mumm-Ra is easily able to rise above such cookie-cutter acoustic drudgery.
Best Songs: Now or Never, Starlight
5. Two Gallants - The Scenery of Farewell
I never particularly cared for Two Gallants brand of chaotic southern rock but on this EP the Gallants put down the pistolas and pick up the poet's pen. The normally raucous band is stripped down to its basics and, in the process, creates perhaps the most emotionally engaging half-hour of the year. Wonderful.
Best Songs: Seems Like Home to Me, All Your Faithless Loyalties
6. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Damn Arcade Fire. The non-conformist (and thusly probably conformist) hipster in me wants to hate them but, despite my best efforts, albums like Neon Bible just don’t let me. Everybody knows what Arcade Fire sounds like by now. Hopefully the first ever indie band lip-syncing scandal is just around the corner.
Best Songs: Keep the Car Running, Windowsill
7. Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
A bipolar album if there ever was one, Spirit If… runs the gamut from chaotic ethereal vocalizations, to jangly acoustic ballads to (almost) radio ready U2-esque pop.
Best Songs: Big Love, Back Out On The...
8. Band of Horses - Cease To Begin
Upon first hearing Cease to Begin I was all like, “this business isn’t as good as that first one”. Then I listened again…and again…and again. Then I realized I was wrong.
Best Songs: Is There A Ghost, Islands on the Coast
9. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
After the opener “Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe” I was completely sold on this album. It starts off as a nearly mournful ballad then slowly builds up momentum until it explodes into an orgy of frantic guitar work, choral exhortations and mistreated instruments.
Best Songs: Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe, Plus Ones
10. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
For some reason I always think of snakes when I hear this album. I think that’s means I have favorable impression of it.
Best Songs: The Mending of the Gown, Winged/Wicked Things
11. A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers
At times this album moves so fast that it sounds something like My Bloody Valentine on PCP. High praise unless you’re aiming to emulate Bob Dylan or John Denver of course. And I highly doubt that was APTBS intention when they recorded this blitzkrieg of an album.
Best Songs: To Fix the Gash in Your Head, I Know I'll See You
12. Biirdie - Catherine Avenue
With a name as ridiculous as birdie spelled with two “I”’s I thought this album would be one of super sappy folk or Norwegian death metal. However, as is usually the case, I was wrong. Instead Catherine Avenue consists of melodious piano driven harmonies about places, time and fucking around on your lover. Yes, it’s just that dramatic.
Best Songs: LA is Mars, I'm Gonna Tell You Something
13. Battles - Mirrored
I saw Battles a while back when they opened for The Icarus Line. They were awesome live but when my friend bought two of their EP’s it became quite clear that that their histrionics don't translate well to shiny metallic discs. Their new album, however, captures the randomness and reckless abandon of their stage show perfectly.
Best Songs: Tonto, Race In
14. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters
Long ponderous song names mixed with guitar driven build and release anthems… what’s not to like?
Best Songs: Talking With Fireworks/Here It Never Snowed, That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy
15. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
It has a nonsensical album title and touches on topics that I'm bewildered by but this is still a catchy album. If I'm singing about the Scythian Empire, and I don't even know if a Scythian Empire ever existed, then who ever wrote that song is doing something right.
Best Songs: Fiery Crash, Heretics
16. Tender Forever - Wider
Leave it to the Swedes to sing gentle pop songs about wolves killing things and then accompanying the story with badly imitated wolves’ howling. Wider sounds like a musical (and HOTT) tryst between Imogen Heap and Teagan & Sara. This makes me liking it especially surprising since I don’t particularly care for either of those musicians on their own.
Best Songs: Tiny Heart And Clever Hand, No One Will Tell No One For Sure
17. Steel Train - These Trampoline
As odd as it may be to hear tales of the twin towers collapsing set to jangly pop music this is still an excellent album. By (for the most part) ignoring their seemingly natural urges to go on long winded guitar freakouts Southern Rock/popsters (Ropsters?) Steel Train have made their best, most focused album yet.
Best Songs: I Feel Weird, Kill Monsters in the Rain
18. Los Campesions - Sticking Fingers Into Sockets
As Dave Chappelle might put it, “dance, bitches, dance”. Oh, and the Pavement cover song isn’t all bad either.
Best Songs: Frontwards, You! Me! Dancing!
19. River City Rebels - Keepsake of Luck
They take a potentially putrid mixture of The Rolling Stones and Flogging Molly, and make it into a rollicking good time. This album probably should suck horribly but surprisingly it doesn’t.
Best Songs: Bright Rays, Hopeful Romantic
20. Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm Just Me
Romantic balladering, with a touch of kitsch thrown in for good measure makes this quite a good album despite the painful MySpace song.
Best Songs: Crackers, My New Friend
