Long Drive Home/Quarterly Round-Up

2010 is off to a bang, and my what a bang it is going to be when it's all said and done. In less than 90 days, I will be back in Tennessee with Boston in the rearview mirror. It's kind of sad, but not really. In truth, it's a relief and exciting to know that for the 1st time in 12 years I will be settled in one place with some permanence! For our cross country trek (Oregon Trail-style!), I couldn't think of a better soundtrack than what 2010 has already delivered. Can't wait to see what the rest of this year holds (IN EVERY ASPECT!).

Here are my favorite records for
the 1st Quarter of 2010:
(that I have PURCHASED)

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
I've already spoken ad-nauseum about this one. It's great. Enough said. It's the follow up that Fleet Foxes still hasn't released.




Download: Local Natives - "Sun Hands"


Harlem - Hippies
This AZ band via Austin is keeping my love of garage/retro rock alive. Their major indie debut on Matador is step up from their last outing, Free Drugs. Matador Records a stalwart of American Independent Labels is under the Beggars Group that also owns stake in Rough Trade, XL, 4AD, and the now defunct Beggars Banquet. All those labels are putting out some of the best music available right now. Harlem is the latest addition to a long list of legends in independent music.

Download: Harlem - "Gay Human Bones"

Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
Is surf rock back? I think so. It is rising up along the same lines with the flower punk. Surfer Blood is NOT surf rock, though. It is something like a bastard child of the Pixies/Breeders with My Morning Jacket (don't attach too much to the MMJ reference - I say that only b/c the singer has vocals that are reverbed out the wazzoo - he is NO Jim James)
***THIS JUST IN*** - They are going on tour with Pains of Being Pure at Heart and will be coming to the Hi-Tone in Memphis and the Bottletree in the big, salty 'Ham. So you better get off your couch and check out what should be an amazing show. THERE!

Download: Surfer Blood - "Floating Vibes"

Spoon - Transference
One of my favorite bands is back for more with less. Scaling things back for a more raw/rough sound than 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Transference is more along the lines of Gimme Fiction without going fully minimalist like Kill the Moonlight. (I still like Ga and Girls Can Tell the best!)

Download: Spoon - "Mystery Zone"


Vampire Weekend - CONTRA
Saw the ol' VW last week at the Orpheum. I feel like I've seen it all. It felt like your umpteenth Dave Matthews Band concert in High School. I fear the next time I see them will be like the one DMB concert I saw in college (snore........). Regardless, the show was excellent and fun. Contra is of the vein of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Little studio tricks are toyed with (autotune), but it is still Vampire Weekend plain and simple. Spring has arrived and I believe it is time to put on my boat shoes!

Download: Vampire Weekend - "Giving Up the Gun"

She & Him - Volume 2
Zooey and M are back to sugarcoat your brains out! These little ditties are sappy as all get out, but they are good in their own simplicity. So, channel Phil Spector producing a Judy Garland/Patsy Cline duet album, put on your retro clothes (girls grab your favorite thrift store skirt and flats), prepare for a deadpan delivery and get lost in what sounds like music for a 70's Disney cartoon (Robin Hood, I'm looking at you....).

Download: She & Him - "In the Sun"

Let me tell you what let me down so far:

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
The Soft Pack
BOOO! You could do better!


There is plenty of awesome other music that came out that I really like but haven't gotten around to purchasing, yet:

The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
Los Campensinos - Romance is Boring
Beach House - Teen Dream
Happy Birthday - Happy Birthday

and on and on........

There is also a lot coming out soon to be fired up about:

MGMT
New Pornographers
The National
Avi Buffalo

and more!

It's gonna be a great year for us and for music!

The Willys Y2K9

Hope everyone has had a nice year. Didn't it go by in a blink? Here are my Favorite ALBUMS of the year. The year started with a bang album-wise then ended up being a "singles" kind of year. Some great stuff came out this year, but it was an off year for me. I was really struggling to find 15 albums that I loved....and were worth this. I admit there is much I missed the 2nd half of this year, b/c I was insanely busy.

These were good, though....

Best of 2009

(in order for me)

Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Animal Collective – Meriweather Post Pavilion

Pains of Being Pure At Heart – (s/t)

Black Lips – 200 Million Thousand

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz

The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love

Passion Pit – Manners

The XX – (s/t)

Peter Bjorn & John – Living Thing

Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young

Honorable Mention

Cass McCombs – Catacombs

Grizzly Bear – Veckamist

Karen O & the Kids – Where the Wild Things Are (OST)

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

The Dead Weather - Horehound

Y2K Willy Singles

Singles (50)

Top 15

1901 – Phoenix

My Girls – Animal Collective

Zero – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Short Fuse – The Black Lips

Skeleton Boy – Friendly Fires

Everything With You – Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Dominoes – The Big Pink

11^th Dimension – Julian Casablancas

Listomania - Phoenix

Let’s Go Surfing – The Drums

Little Secrets – Passion Pit

Cousins – Vampire Weekend

It Don’t Move Me – Peter, Bjorn & John

Big Bills – Flosstradamus ft Caroline Polachek

Quiet Little Voices - We Were Promised Jetpacks

The Rest of the Pack

Plain Material – Memory Tapes

Answer to Yourself – The Soft Pack

Ring Ring – Sleigh Bells

Islands – The XX

All Is Love – Karen O and the Kids

Young Adult Friction - Pains of Being Pure at Heart

She’s Got Me Dancing – Tommy Sparks

Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys

Lalita – The Love Language

Eid Ma Clack Shaw – Bill Callahan (SMOG)

I Wanna Kill – Crocodiles

Summertime Clothes – Animal Collective

The Fear – Lily Allen

Hi-Fi Goon – Throw Me the Statue

Little Bribes – Death Cab For Cutie

Bad Romance – Lady Gaga

Coast of Carolina – Telekinesis!

Deli – Delorean

In This Lonely Town – Jeremy Jay

I’m Confused – Handsome Furs

California On My Mind – Wild Nights

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Walkabout – Atlas Sound ft Noah Lennox

People Say – Portugal. The Man

Wind Phoenix - Cymbals Eat Guitars

Games for Days - Julian Plenti (Paul Banks of Interpol)

Space and the Woods – Late of the Pier

Brandy of the Damned (Mark Ronson Remix) – Nickel Eye ft Wale

Poem Party – The Strange Boys

People Got a Lot of Nerve – Neko Case

Never Had Nobody Like You – M. Ward ft Zooey Deschanel

Oh No – Andrew Bird

Crying Lightning – Arctic Monkeys

Got Nuffin – Spoon

Treat Me Like Your Mother – The Dead Weather

Warm Hearts of Africa – The Very Best ft Ezra Koenig

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll

The Halvesies - Part II

Here's Part II of my 1st half of 2009. Bon Apetit!

The Thermals - Now We Can See
1st grabbing my attention with their album F*&^*&n-A years back, the Thermals were a Sub Pop staple. You know how I love Sub Pop. NWCS is their debut for Kill Rock Stars. Nothing changed but the label. Thermals purists will say they're not as hard as they once were. For me it's as fuzzed out as ever with a bit of pop tinge. The Thermals don't really sing. It is more of talking over fuzz. The title track "Now We Can See" has a recurring Oh, Wee, Oh, Wee, Oh chant for you that is fun. "When I Died" gets the album going with a ruckus akin to their last album, The Blood, The Body, The Machine. While this NW threesome may sound political with their words, they really could care less. Just sit back and enjoy the rock of it all (like "We Were Sick").

Passion Pit - Manners
Boston has had plenty of music through the years and here comes another. While they will never be an Aerosmith, maybe they can at least garner some attention. The buzz/backlash has followed them from the get-go when they dropped the song "Sleepyhead". One of so many DIY indie bands that have appeared over the last 10 years that have made their own steam, PP are better than CYHSY (the bar by which they're measured in my mind). Much like CYHSY, PP has a singer with a strange annunciation to say the least. "Little Secrets" is one of my favorite songs of the year and has a children's choir chorus that doesn't sound like some creepy Pink Floyd opera ala PB&J. The whole album is pretty fun musically, but again like CYHSY - can you handle the voice of the lead singer?

Strange Boys - ...And Girls Club
More garage rock? Yup! SXSW was abuzz this past spring waiting on these local youngins' to take the stage. Already a staple locally in Austin, they were set to unveil themselves to the nation. Slamming out bluesy rock that you could've made in your bedroom, the Boys have more than a "Poem Party". For some more retro garage, bend an ear to the aforementioned track and others like "No Way for a Slave to Behave".

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Well, have we saved the best for last? Maybe. Maybe this will be the best of the year (not likely - but one of the best). These Versailles fellas have drawn the masses in the states, finally. "1901" is one of their best yet. "Listomania" could be one of the better songs of the year. "Lasso" is representative of the rest of the album - just plain fun pop rock. "Armistice" winds down a great album and leaves you thirsty for more.

Various Artists - Dark Was the Night
A compilation for the benefit of AIDS research put together by the brothers Dessner of the NYC band, the National. With contributions of nearly everyone, this comp is worth a listen. The list on contributors reads like a 00's indie rock all-star team. Check it out HERE.

Here are the ones that the jury is still out on for me.
"Near misses"

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Please whale? My German is not up to snuff, but that is what I hear. Weird and good but not as good as Merriweather Post Pavilion.






Death Cab For Cutie - Open Door EP
Actually, this is worthy of the list, but it is only 5 or 6 songs. Great companion to last years Narrow Stairs. Check "Little Bribes"






Telekinesis - Telekinesis!
This one man band from North Carolina found acclaim from Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla. He went on to produce this debut with good results. Try "Tokyo" or "Coast of Carolina"






The Love Language - (S/T)
Yet another North Carolina upstart. This Wilmington attache is the brainchild of one man ala Telekinesis. While not the power pop they wield, TLL is a combo of Old 97's and the National with good results. This was my favorite "near miss". Can't go wrong with "Lalita".

The Halvesies - Part I

Where in the world did 2009 go? I mean I know it's only half-way gone, but it is GONE!

Maybe it hasn't been the banner year for tunes that some years have been in the past, but we still have 6 months to go. These are my favorites. There are albums looked over and forgotten, so please give me a clue on what you loved that I missed. Not to mention, there are so many albums I wanted to buy and never did (Andrew Bird, M Ward, AC Newman, Lily Allen, Bill Callahan (SMOG), Grizzly Bear, and Wilco and on and on....notice my prejudice against solo artists, bear bands and wilco, apparently....)

In No Particular Order
(except chronological)

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
I've spoken my piece on these weirdos. Can one look past previous sins and transgressions (Prospect Hummer with Vashti Bunyan, I'm looking at you...) to accept their crowning achievement? I guess so. Even with all the hype and backlash/sell-out talk, it's still a great record. "My Girls" is the best song of the year (arguably). "Brother Sport" and "Summertime Clothes" are tons of fun. It is one of those albums that despite your greatest desire to click FFwd on your CD player/iPOD - DON'T. This album is meant to be heard all together and straight on through. It is bizarre but beautiful.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - (S/T)
These Brooklyn scenesters were a breath of fresh air back in January. While fresh air, it had an air of familiarity. As I listen to this record, I always feel like I've heard it before. The album opener says it all: this band is a "Contender" for album of the year. It is the record that I has received the most repeat plays. The standout tracks are "Everything With You" and "Young Adult Friction". All the songs sound pretty similar. Their familiarity could place them in the 80's or now or even in 1994/1995 in something as lame as the Empire Records soundtrack. Regardless, you can enjoy it all no matter the year.

Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
The Black Lips are my quintessential garage rock band. They sound like the house band/soundtrack to some obscure 60's or 70's B-movie or horror movie. Weaving the sounds of surf rock and garage into the Stones via the Troggs, the Kingsmen, the Sonics on down to the Standells. While this album does not reach the greatness of 2007's Good Bad Not Evil, it has grown into my heart. "Short Fuse" is one of their best songs bar-none and one of my favorites of the year. "Drugs" and "Let It Grow" are that B-Movie sound I was referencing. "Starting Over" and "Take My Heart" show they came to rock your sock-hop. After watching Grease last night with Whit and the Bear, I think the Black Lips are what the T-Birds would listen to if they were really as hard as they thought they were....

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
A blitz indeed! This album comes out of the gate firing (and does trail off/falter towards it's conclusion). Much like the Killers debut years ago, the 1st half is good enough to make this album worth it. "Zero" starts you off with it's Miami Vice drum line harking back to the "Y Control" days of YYYs. Not letting up "Heads Will Roll" keeps it coming with a fury that almost makes you want to dance. No one wants to dance with me, so I'll dance with myself as per usual. They could only get better after the disappointing Show Your Bones years ago. "Skeletons" ironically shows their bones and softer side. With the coolest frontwoman in rock, Karen O, the YYYs just may have some staying power.

Peter Bjorn & John - Living Thing
After making one of the better pop rock albums of the year/decade in 2007, PB&J (isn't that fun to say?) were screaming for a slump. They almost did. With championing crys from the likes of Kanye West et al leading up this release, I couldn't roll my eyes enough. Then it came. Gone was the bright and shiny ideals of Writer's Block and in was the industrial scaryness of Living Thing. I was put off for sure and disappointed. I've given this album time it didn't deserve, and I now appreciate it. "It Don't Move Me" has become one of my favorite songs of the year. I can even tolerate "Nothing to Worry About" with its creepy children choir chant. In the end, this album sounds like an experimental Paul Simon album in the vein of Krautrock (or Kraftwerk). These Young Folks are bizarro but respected.

Crocodiles - Summer of Hate
These San Diegans (thank you Ron Burgundy) have been praised by some and derided by others as rip-off hacks. Some (ahem, Pitchfork) have gone as far as to pick apart every intro, verse, chorus and bridge to discuss which sound/band they were plagiarizing at that moment. Take your pick. Pick your side. I did. I like them. Pick which band you think they're ripping off. It's likely a band you've never heard. Therefore, it's new to you! (how many of you own and worship Jesus & Mary Chain - Psycho Candy? exactly!). "I Wanna Kill" is a fuzzed out song that was meant for summertime. Enjoy.

More to come tomorrow (Part II)
Here are some highlight songs from these albums today.
Voila!

Halvesies - Part I

Noise for Deaf Ears

Here are some more songs for listening enjoyment or not.....

The Strange Boys - "Poem Party"
This Austin, TX garage band has me foaming at the mouth. You know how I love the garage...

Say Hi - "November was White, December was Gray"
Recent Barsuk Records signee, they are on tour with opening act Telekinesis.

Beck - "Leopard Skin Pill-Box Hat"
A Dylan cover for the War Child Heroes compilation

Plushgun - "Just Impolite"
Postal Service-esque song sans the UPS whiteboard

Ra Ra Riot - "Can You Tell"
More goodies from the Rhumb Line

Friendly Fires - "Skeleton Boy"
SO much better than their 1st single. Sounds like poppie Klaxons

Crocodiles - "I Wanna Kill"
Lo-fi art rock that may help your National void (but not likely)

Wavves - "So Bored"
Not really sure what the big deal is? Blogs won't shut up about 'em/him...

Dum Dum Girls - "Baby, Don't Go"
Vivian Girls? Oh, no - I'm sorry....Dum Dum...

Songs From Coast to Coast

We are going bi-coastal with these two newbies and also international to boot.
Ironically, these two bands are singing about the opposite coast....

Wild Light
This New Hampshire outfit has just released their proper debut, Adult Nights. With generally positive reviews, they may achieve some momentum with their debut song, "California On My Mind". The only problem is that there will be NO love from traditional radio with this song as it proceeds to cuss the majority of the state (especially the San Francisco Bay area.....). Regardless of the language, the song is very catchy along with the rest of their Phantomy Planety songs. Check them out as they are my neighbors to the north (not Canada - I'm not that far north. Then again this group does claim a former member of Canada's own, Arcade Fire....). Leland, somewhere I read "for fans of CYHSY". No sure about that, but give 'em a whirl.

Wild Light - "California On My Mind" (Download)

Telekinesis
Not so much a group, but a guy that I stumbled upon after he was signed to Merge Records recently. Apparently, he's buddies with Death Cab, so he must be cool (sic). Out of Seattle, Telekinesis is singing about the east coast on "Coast of Carolina"....It is a good song, but I like their song, "Tokyo" better. Just can't find an Mp3 of it for ya......Enjoy

Telekinesis - "Coast of Carolina" (Download)

Found the video for "Tokyo"

2008 Movie Recap...

(In honor of the Globes)

Well, I have to admit - I have not been the best moviegoer since my Dental education began. As I sit down to write a Top 10 list for 2008, I can only think 1 thing: "Did I even see 10 movies this year....?". I may not have. There are PLENTY of amazing movies that I did not see: Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Burn After Reading, The Wrestler, Revolutionary Road, Slumdog Millionaire, Rachel Getting Married, Pineapple Express, Benjamin Button - Lots of great movies that I SO wish I had seen.....We still have time...

These were the ones I enjoyed

In Bruges
Atonement
Juno
Dark Knight
Wall-E
Iron Man
Tropic Thunder (parts at least)

I also saw (sadly)

Sex and the City
Indiana Jones and the Alien Space Skulls
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (which I did enjoy, I think?)

Wow, only 11 movies were seen by me.....pitiful.
(not counting the ones I was trying to make up for from '07)
Let's do better in '09, yeah?

The Willys - Part VIII - Finale

Here is my top of the heap.

Like many decisions in life,
there may be some doubt tomorrow.
Today, these are my guys...

#1-4

4. Foals – Antidotes










Maybe seeing this Oxford, UK outfit is what it was like to see Gang of Four in Leeds in the 70's. Don't get me wrong. They're NOT Gang of Four, but they have that danceability. I'm surprised that they didn't have more attention in these end o' the year lists. I suppose that I'm the only one to bite the hook on this hype...With all the hype around TV on the Radio the past couple of years, I'll have you know that this album was produced by their guitarist. Regardless, I enjoy this in all its NME/British rag over-hype. "Mathletics" was their 1st single. "Balloons" (arguably their strongest track) slowly churns to a fever pitch. "Cassius" is simply a stomper, and "The French Open" opens the album with a march into the inevitable fast pace of the whole album. Much like riot grrls and Swedish music, Will is a sucker for any British Invasion.

3. Little Joy – (s/t)










The Lord only knows when and if another Strokes album will arrive, but it is amazing how their drummer, Fabrizio Moretti's, presence in this little side project shifts the sound the way of his primary band. Granted, Little Joy sounds like the Strokes at the Copa Cabana Lounge. Lead singer, Rodrigo Amarante (a Brazilian - hence, the Copa), sounds eerily like the Strokes frontman, Julian Casablancas, with his vocals distorted and filtered through a drain pipe. Free spirit, Bikini Shapiro, fills in with a mysterious and beautiful voice like Regina Spektor once did for the Strokes. "Keep Me In Mind" is the Strokes wannabe song but far from the best song. "Next Time Around" is a sweet ballad that finds all 3 of our players harmonizing over beach blanket riffs and beats. "Brand New Start" moves like a duet between Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello - simple and sharp. "Unattainable" is Shapiro's solo. It is identical to solo takes by Maureen "Mo" Tucker of The Velvet Underground (see: "After Hours" or "I'm Sticking with You"). At the end of the day, I love this record. In the dark, cold winter of Boston (it is dark here at 4:00pm, and we had a wind chill of -12 week before last), this little piece of vinyl will take you away to a desolate beach with a beautiful, warm sunset....

2. Vampire Weekend – (s/t)










You know? What more can be said about my little New England prepsters? I'm sure some of you STILL have not checked them out even after all my prodding. You still have time...Where Little Joy takes you to the beaches of Rio De Janeiro, the boys of VW make you feel like you are on the west coast of Africa having a beach jam off the Cote d'Ivoire. I must say as a Boston resident, resistance is futile as many have labeled this album a concept album about the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" will bring out your inner noodle dance - go white people, go! "A-Punk" will make you bounce right through the living room floor. "Oxford Comma" has all my favorites: chapstick and bow ties. You people owe it a listen. So, grab your favorite critter sweater from J. Crew, your Vineyard Vines polo, throw on your Sperry top-sider boat shoes and dance like there's no tomorrow.

1. Fleet Foxes – (s/t)










Seeing my rants about the 2 previous bands, you've got to believe in the quality of Fleet Foxes to topple them both. 1 of 2 SubPop bands in my top 4 (Foals), the Foxes were a breath of fresh air as Spring turned to Summer in 2008. Their sound is something almost Appalachian with the heavy reverb that My Morning Jacket has popularized. Many of you love Band of Horses. I, too, once thought they had something. Now, I realize they are a bastardization of the Shins, the Jacket, and some Jane's Addiction sprinkled in like vermouth in my Manhattan. No thanks. Fleet Foxes is everything that BoH wishes they could be. This album is nothing short of beautiful. If you close your eyes, it's hard to tell whether you are trecking the Appalachian Trail or marching along the Misty Mountains from Rohan to Rivendell. This band was not one of hype. They just quietly worked their way to the top of almost every list out there. I hate to side with the masses, but Fleet Foxes are for real and deserve your attention. These songs were plumb worn out in Whitney's car. The lyrics and melodies will haunt you. I dare you to resist. "Your Protector" is one of my favorite songs of the year. "White Winter Hymnal" sounds like O Brother Where Art Thou's Baptist congregation bathing in the shoals. "Blue Ridge Mountains" is their "Battle of Evermore" (that's one of Led Zeppelin's most blatant songs of Tolkien influence in case you didn't know).

I hope some of this music will take you to another place. They have taken me away...

Thus, ends the Willy's.
Hope you enjoyed or even read some of this.
(it ate up some serious time)
Please comment with your favorites.
***I'd love to hear.***
I won't chastise your love of Sasha Fierce.
I promise.

The Willys - Part VII

Twice in 1 day, children

papa's got to make up for Friday.

Here begineth the rest of the Top 10...

8-5

8. Black Keys - Attack and Release

1st off I hate Ohio. Nevertheless, these Ohio natives are A-OK with me! Yet another Danger Mouse helmed album that stole my heart. This blues rock duo got down and drrrty for this Attack. While some of their bluesier sounds were sacrificed for some grungy 60's via Seattle sound, the end result is still fantastic. "Strange Times" is nothing strange, but shows the vacation from their stripped down sound on this album. It may be scorn early BK lovers, but they're still the same band you fell in love with.

7. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Much like Ohio, I have never been a fan of Death Cab. I know. It's right up there with Alex's heretic comment about Radiohead. You've all done it. That hot band that everyone embraces to the point that it makes you want to puke and the only way to rebel is to say, "No thanks". In 1994, it was Counting Crows and Hootie. In the '00s (that's pronounced ~ oughts), it has been Ben Gibbard and Co. It's not that I don't respect their music/talent (it's there), I just wanted no part of the hype. Narrow Stairs has come off like the end of the world for hardcore cabbies. Well guess what? I LIKE IT! Benny boy takes his mopey self and adds some "old" Seattleness rather than the droning new school of Shins and Band of Horses (another band - I loathe - here comes the hatemail - and I know they're from NM and SC, respectively - not Seattle). "Cath" f-ing rocks, while "No Sunlight" is a power pop anthem of AC Newman/New Pornographer proportions. What can I say...? It will "Possess Your Heart".

6. Blitzen Trapper - Furr

These cats are cool as grits. They sure like to have fun, and it translates to their music. They sound as if they could be a Phil Lesh offshoot of the Dead. "Furr" is them all stripped down for a mountain jam ala Fleet Foxes. Heck, just listen to the whole album. It sounds like a 70's rock revival (and I don't even like most 70's rock) see: "Sleepytime In the Western World".

5. The Muslims - (s/t)

The words escape my lips. Much like my eargasm/obsession that began last Winter with Vampire Weekend, the Muslims (now The Soft Pack) appear poised to steal my heart into 2009. They rock with the swagger of the Black Lips but take it into 5th gear. "Extinction" is the heat along with "Call It a Day" and "Beside Myself". Unless you bought this long before I blogged about it back when, you are plum out of luck until February when the 2nd pressing comes out...Get it fast!!!! If they come anywhere near your town, you owe to yourself to check them out. I'd put this closer to the top, but it isn't even a full album....

Tomorrow:
The Top of the Pops

The Willys - Part VI

Sorry for the delay kiddos...
it's hard to find time around the holidays....
Back in Boston and back to the countdown

12-9

12. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular










This was on my list last year, but seeing as it was re-released by Columbia this year to widespread appeal it deserves our attention. This trippy duo had arguably my favorite song last year in "Time to Pretend". It still is amazing 1 year later. This year they had another breakout in "Electric Feel" and a minor hit in "Kids". I'm sure you've heard something at this point. If not, you can't go wrong with any of those 3.

11. M83 – Saturdays=Youth










Other than "Don't Save Us From the Flames" from a couple of years ago, I was relatively uninterested in M83. This album changed that. Rather than an album, this plays like a soundtrack to an 80's movie you never saw. At times, it feels like the soundtrack to something like "Risky Business" minus the train ride...."Graveyard Girl" is the hit single, and "Couleurs" is the sound that M83 always aims for. They're one of the few French acts I can stand other than Phoenix.

10. Beck – Modern Guilt










Most of what Danger Mouse has touched turns to gold. Here he strikes again. Teamed with Beck they craft 60's reverbed rock that cuts like a knife. At just over 30 min, these 10 songs cut out the fat and leave you with the meat. "Orphans" pairs Beck with Chan Marshall/Cat Power for a spooky ballad. "Gamma Ray" is Beck's surf rock anthem. "Profanity Prayers" is Beck at his heart...Can You Dig It?

9. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges









Most people can't stand when their favorite band releases that "experimental" album (me included). For most, Evil Urges was that sour taste. For me, I thought Z was the experimental one. Give me all the "Evil Urges" I can handle. The title track soars, while "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream" is a classic! "I'm Amazed" is nothing short of amazing, and could be a hit for crossover country like "When the Stars Go Blue" was butchered by Tim McGraw....