As we inch ever closer to the top ten...
20. Happy Hollow - Cursive (Saddle Creek) [buy it here]
Tim Kasher leads his band through their most hard-hitting and exciting album to date, an actually entertaining concept album about small town life, war, and faith.
Check Out: "Bad Sects", "Dorothy At Forty"
19. The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance (Reprise) [buy it here]
The nu-emo poppers strike back with an even bigger and bolder Technicolor album, leaving all the charm and melody of the breakthrough album in place.
Check Out: "Dead!", "Teenagers"
18. The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me - Brand New (Interscope) [buy it here]
These guys started out as your average pop-punkers but have steadily evolved into one of the more intriguing rock bands of the past decade, as this epic album proves.
Check Out: "Sowing Season", "Jesus"
17. Avatar - Comets On Fire (Sub Pop) [buy it here]
Comets On Fire slides a little ways away from the dissonant noise rock while embracing classic rock, resulting in a much better album than it sounded like on paper.
Check Out: "Dogwood Rust", "Sour Smoke"
16. Altar - Sunn O))) + Boris (Southern Lord) [buy it here]
Two giants of sludgy, droning doom metal team up for a tag-team release that was even doomier, sludgier, and heavier than expected.
Check Out: "Etna", "Blood Swamp"
15. Hell Hath No Fury - Clipse (Re-Up Gang/Zomba) [buy it here]
After several years of label disputes and steadily building internet hype, the arguable kings of crack rap bounce back with this Neptunes produced stunner.
Check Out: "Keys Open Doors", "Trill"
14. Rabbit Fur Coat - Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins (Team Love) [buy it here]
The always charming Rilo Kiley frontwoman steps out and showcases her gospel-tinged, bluegrass-inspired side on this fantastic album, anchored by the gorgeous harmonies of the Watson Twins.
Check Out: "The Big Guns", "You Are What You Love"
13. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys (Domino) [buy it here]
One of the few bands worth all the breathless hype from the UK music rags, the Monkeys delivered a welcome modern spin on the classic Britpop sound.
Check Out: "When the Sun Goes Down", "A Certain Romance"
12. St. Elsewhere - Gnarls Barkley (Downtown) [buy it here]
This enjoyable album went way beyond the ubiquitous "Crazy", the pairing of DangerMouse and Cee-Lo turned out to be one of the more unexpected successes of the year.
Check Out: "Smiley Faces", "Just A Thought"
11. Passover - The Black Angels (Light in the Attic) [buy it here]
The Black Angels make a grand statement on the Iraq war via a tripped-out opium trip through the jungles of Vietnam.
Check Out: "The Prodigal Son", "Manipulation"
No comments:
Post a Comment