Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3 :: Top 25
Purchase Transference here.
Is there anything as dependable and ubiquitous in indie rock as the Austin outfit Spoon? For every year or two for the past decade or so, they have released albums of snappy, fun and accessible music that rarely goes any farther than the excepted. Based on overall review compiling website Metacritic, Spoon is the best reviewed band of the 2000's, putting out four straight 4 star LP's based on the aggregate score from their participating critics. True that Spoon has never had an overwhelmingly stellar album, but most bands would go to the crossroads to have that kind of consistency. 2010's Transference is no different; it's only downfall for me is that it is merely more of the same.
Spoon - Trouble Comes Running
Purchase Majesty Shredding here.
The first half of the 90's for me begins and ends with the band Superchunk. I doubt that I bought more a band's music, saw more of a band's live shows or blared anyone else louder on various stereos in my cars or apartments during that time period. If I was writing a Best Songs of the 90's, at least three Superchunk tracks would be on the Top 100. For the Best Albums of the 90's, On The Mouth and Foolish would be in the mix, with Here's Where The Strings Come In filling in as a dark horse candidate. But this is 2010, a year where Superchunk had not put out an album for almost 10 years (and a good one for about 15). When I heard the first single "Digging for Something" as a return to form featuring snot-nose vocals, pop-punk tempo and wailing guitars, I was wistfully pleased. Majesty Shredding is actually not a lot different than their other great albums. Rather it is me who has changed. Sigh.
Superchunk - Majesty Shredding (full album)
Purchase The Fool here.
This all female quartet definitely grabbed some headlines with their second album. A brooding yet lovely set of songs are found here, evoking comparisons to Cat Power or a reserved PJ Harvey. The example of Warpaint's emotive powers is found on haunting first single "Undertow" that seduces your thoughts while sending you chills. For me, there is not enough "Undertow" on The Fool to justify any more than a respectful genuflection. However, if you are into really, really down music, you could find yourself a fan of this promising band.
Warpaint - Undertow
Purchase Jojo Burger Tempest here.
Often only available on import, WFANFC's albums are an exploration of Brit-pop, post new-wave and shoegaze that contain about half instrumentals and often feel like a warts-and-all studio showcase. Jojo Burger Tempest is more of a cornucopia of oddities than ever before to the point of being awkwardly schizophrenic. Exercises in quirky keyboards and studio bells and whistles crop up frequently and many songs defy mainstream direction and structure. It surely gets 5 out of 5 stars on the interesting scale but registers a "NA" score when considering a common theme.
Working For A Nuclear Free City - Alphaville
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