Best of 2010: 15-11

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Honorable Mentions : 25-21 : 20-16 : 10-6 : 5-1

#15  The Walkmen - Lisbon

Purchase Lisbon here.

The latest LP from these inebriated troubadours is brimming with simple tales of love lost and economical melodies that are deceptively charming. I have always felt that Walkmen songs were the ramblings and snapshots of a guilt ridden drunk. On Lisbon, lead singer Hamilton Leithauser's lyrics are empowered as rather than shameful and angry. He is still a drunk, but aware that this time around he was the one who was wronged. Now steely in righteousness, he spills out tongue in cheek rants and melancholy croons as his boys ably back him up with graceful stomps and stumbles. Look to single "Angela Surf City", the peppy "Woe Is Me" and the soaring "Victory"  for the highest points and the boozy title track as a fitting epilogue. This new stately persona The Walkmen have embraced is a welcome change, making this year's effort even more surprising and special.

The Walkmen - Victory

#14  No Age - Everything In Between

Purchase Everything in Between here.

Read my original review here.

The power rock duo was ever so prolific over the past year with No Age making the most glorious noise of them all in full length form. The boys from L.A. have definitely cleaned up their act from their fuzz box standout Nouns. To be honest, there are times when that noise is sorely missed. As parents do with children, we should treat album's all as individuals and love them for what they are. In this case Everything In Between is a great album in a totally different and accessible way. It is overflowing with positivity and shows new facets and influences. I still nominate the first four tracks from "Life Prowler" to "Depletion"  for the 2010's most rocking album kick off.

No Age - Glitter

#13  Crocodiles - Sleep Forever

Purchase Sleep Forever here.

I feel this album wins the award for underappreciation this year, as Sleep Forever has flown way under the radar based on how good it was. Another duo from California (who actually counts No Age as huge supporters), Crocodiles takes a slicker production to its 60's psych-throwback sound and the result is a humming dissonance that straddles shoegaze and retro with efficiency and style. Being blessed with the full album for listening at your leisure, direct your mouse to the furious opener "Mirrors", the druggy downer "Girl In Black", the slinky, scuzzy "Billy Speed" and the Beach Boys sourcing by way of Jesus and Mary Chain "Hearts Of Love". I know what you are thinking and I am not sure how this slipped past you as well.

Crocodiles - Sleep Forever (full album)

#12  Les Savy Fav - Root For Ruin

Purchase Root for Ruin here.

Read my original review here.

These indie punk stalwarts have carved out quite the legacy for themselves, but have never sounded so unencumbered. For the past 13 years or so, Les Savy Fav has been equal parts art rocker and punk rocker while letting it all hang out for their storied live shows. However, Root For Ruin cuts out the middleman and brings all of the reckless abandon right into the studio and rolls it out without much consideration for that artsy fartsy stuff. Not to say that this album lacks in smarts or savvy. Root For Ruin chooses to attack head on by showcasing snickering barnburners like "Appetites", "Dirty Knails", "High and Unhinged" and "Calm Down". The point is duly noted guys, you unequivocally rock.

Les Savy Fav - High and Unhinged

#11  LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

Purchase This Is Happening here.

Read my original review here.

James Murphy has carved out quite the role for himself. To paraphrase something I wrote earlier, he has become an accidental spokesperson for my generation by impersonating the collective conscious of the aging hipster. On This Is Happening, he is setting his sights on the best things in life while showcasing his music tastes through crafty homages of the heroes from his record collection.The results are epic songs that are much more about the journey than the destination that traverse through the history of cool music. Personally, the best tracks on This Is Happening such as "Dance Yrself Clean", "You Wanted A Hit" and "Home" are the ones where LCD Soundsystem doesn't sound like anything less than themselves. Early in the game, Murphy said that he would stop focusing on full lengths after three albums, with this being his last. Throughout the year, he may have softened his position a bit. I say take yr time.

LCD Soundsystem - You Wanted a Hit

Album Review: No Age - Everything In Between

There are a lot of angles to take in taking apart and analyzing the thoughtful punk rock of No Age. First, has anyone else noticed the downpour of indie rock duos making their presence known right now? I am not sure how much can be attributed to the road previously laid by Jack and Meg White, but at least the drummers are better. I am thinking that No Age should tour with Japandroids, The Black Keys and White Mystery and call it the "2x4 Power Duos Tour" and get it a dual sponsorship from Doublemint Gum and Black & Decker. But I digress.The sensitivity in the lyrics juxtaposing the raw, lo-fi fuzz of No Age is the stuff Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr., and early SubPop grunge. Sadly, raging guitar rock tinged with feeling spun itself into ultra-sensitive, guy-lining emo over the past decade or so. In contrast, the duo of Randy Randall and Dean Allen Spunt keep it thoughtful and artful with one foot firmly in the past, never forgetting to pay alms to their forefathers and always praying at the altar of their past influences. After two successive albums of drenching pop-punk with experimental noise, No Age constructs a calmer clamor on Everything In Between, turn down the fuzz but keeping fan attention with hooks that stick with you throughout the day. Think of it as comfort food for your ears.

The urgent thump of "Life Prowler" is the starting pistol for Everything In Between, the first stripped down showcase of the album's many anthems. Next is the early single "Glitter" raising the ante with a cheerleading beat and a lyrical cry for keeping those important people close. (Read my full review of "Glitter" here.) By the next tracks "Fever Dreaming" and "Depletion", No Age is all in for tearing the roof off any listening space, screaming, squealing and amp-shredding through 13 minutes of audio, rocking harder than anything else has in 2010.

Things begin to spread out from here as No Age interweave their fuzzed out experiments, alt-rock homages and their reflective nature to fill out Everything In Between with eye-opening moments and interesting twists. The boys keep in simple on the coffee-house style of "Common Heat" then get punchy again with drum roll and bursting finale on "Skinned". For good measure, they channel the shoegazing beauty of My Bloody Valentine in the instrumental interlude "Katerpillar" and stretch it out through backward tape loops on "Dusted". The power pop of "Valley Hump Crash" makes the indie historian want to blow the dust off their old Posies and Sloan LPs. Finishing up the album is the accurately monikered "Shred and Transcend" where they shake the shit out of you as a reminder that they still can and the melodic closer "Chem Trails" putting the exclamation point on an amazingly varied album that proves once again No Age can do a lot with a little.

Give the entire album a listen below courtesy of SubPop, then watch the promo video for Everything In Between as well.

Purchase No Age Everything in Between here.

Click here to download "Glitter" for free. Click here to download "Fever Dreaming" for free.

No Age - Everything in Between (Note: The tracks "Skinned" and "Sorts" are mislabeled and should be transposed.)



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Download Free No Age Track, Stream Entire New Album, Released on September 28

The noisy punk  duo No Age has all of the prerequisites for instant indie success. Pounding drums, fuzzy and squealing guitars and scream your heart out vocals translate to intensity that pounces from your listening source and crawls all over you. Their first two albums Weirdo Rippers and Nouns are two giant steps forward in their progression towards an album that balances noise and melody, while never forgetting the intensity that butters their bread. With the new album Everything In Between less than one week away, Sub Pop has posted the entire album for you listening pleasure via SoundCloud. After a thorough listening, Everything is a healthy leap rather than a step with each song showcasing a new color on their palate wheel. We always knew they could rock as hard as anyone, but it is the melodic left turns that keep your ear on point, intrigued by what comes next. Check it out now as it is unsure how long the stream will last.

As an added teaser, No Age offered up the first single a few weeks back as a free download. "Glitter" is that great example of melody and noise in sync, humming along with oscillating synth and guitar scrape over cheerleader beats and confessional vocals raising the whole glorious mess to indie's own pop perfection. The b-side "Inflorescence" is a squealing march featuring an jarring organ wedged in the middle. The song earnestly plugs along by keeping it simple. It is truly an similar sounding yet worthy companion to "Glitter". Listen to both tracks below then download "Glitter" by right-clicking here.

Stream Everything In Between here.

Pre-order Everything in Between here.

No Age - Glitter


No Age - Inflorescence