1. Menomena - Friend and Foe



Friend and Foe was love at first listen. I had this album earmarked for the top spot since way back in February. No single track really stands apart from the rest, but neither would any be considered filler. I like albums that are consistent from start to finish. And if they're consistently awesome from start to finish, that's even better. I was wondering if something even more brilliant would come along and knock this album off my top spot, but alas, that mystical album never came.

2. Caribou - Andorra



This album first piqued my interest because I like Andorra the country. Then Stylus (dearly-departed, R.I.P.) and Pitchfork both gave it magnificent reviews. Turns out they were both right.

3. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals



Another album that's received a bit of hype lately. I hate to even include this on my list - much less so high - considering it's such a late entry, but this album is damn good. Given more time, this could easily have been my number one. Its psych-Syrian-gospel weirdness gets better and more fun to listen to every time.

4. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle



It appears the Swedish kids have finally ditched the twee. And the obnoxiously long names. About damn time. This stuff is so fresh it almost makes me want to dance.

This video is oddly hilarious.


5. Deerhunter - Cryptograms/Flourescent Grey EP




I saw Deerhunter twice this year. And met Bradford Cox at Emo's. I've never seen a lead singer sit on the shoulders of his guitarist, or wear a dress either. I heard he retired the dress. And they're going on hiatus too! What a shame.

6. Marmoset - Florist Fired



As you can tell from my profile, these guys just shitstormed their way onto my charts a few months ago. In retrospect, as an introduction to the band, this is probably the worst album of theirs to start off with. It's so all over the place. The first few songs are kinda awful, it's pretty spartan stuff really. Then, at track 8 or so, they cut the avant-garde crap and bang out some really sweet tracks. At the very least, they should have saved the shitty songs for the end. I always skip the last few tracks anyways.

7. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside The Academy



Sonic Youth with violins!

8. Radiohead - In Rainbows



I remember staying up until 3AM to download this thing. I felt like a little kid waiting for Santa. There's something really odd and contradictory about this album. It's such a solid collection, it's hard to dispute that it's a great album. But on the other hand: 10 years from OK Computer and this is where you're at Radiohead? Formulaic pop rock, still? I feel like, if anything, this was a regression from where they left us at Hail to the Thief.

9. Patton Oswalt - Werewolves and Lollipops



No list should be complete without a comedic entry. This album is hilarious. And it was apparently recorded in Austin at Paramount, which is pretty cool.

10. Goldmund - Two Point Discrimination



Beautiful. I love piano pieces that are both extremely simple and elegant. The entire album flows like a single continuous piece. My only complaint is that it's too short.

11. White Denim - Let's Talk About It EP



ok, admission: I don't actually own this EP. But, I've seen these guys 7 times since April, so I'm pretty familiar with all of the songs. I know my Austin bias is pretty thick, but these guys fucking rock. And they are tons of fun live.

12. Pink Reason - Cleaning the Mirror



I can't think of anything to say other than the lead singer's vocals are really haunting. This music is more fitting for a hot summer evening in the desert. The melodies are so thick you can taste them.

13. Panda Bear - Person Pitch



Honestly, this album is overrated, but I'm not gonna deny it's fantastic. Bros has really become the uber-hipster anthem of the year, but I much prefer Ponytail. That song is bliss. The album's still not in my top 10 though.

14. Studio - West Coast



More Swede-electro. Cool stuff. The opening track's bass rhythm is SUPER NICE.

15. Apparat - Walls



I love Ms. Allien too - last year's Orchestra of Bubbles was fantastic - but Sascha>>Ellen.

16. brazos - A City Just As Tall/Feeding Frenzy EP



My second favorite Austin band of the moment. Martin Crane, the lead singer is a superb songwriter (And a cool guy too). These are the kind of songs you get stuck in your head for days.

17. Intelligence - Deuteronomy



What I listen to when I want to hasten my impending deafness.

18. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga



Solid album, as usual from Spoon. Unfortunately, the usual gets a bit boring after a while.

19. Trans Am - Sex Change



Post-rock that's neither pretentious nor boring. The way cooler and far less boring cousin of Tortoise. Staring at the album cover too long might make your eyes explode.

20. Air - Pocket Symphony



Poor Air got little love this year. Asking these guys to create another Moon Safari is pretty unfair. They gave you one already. Mer Du Japon is one of my favorite songs ever.

Biblical Concept Album of the Year:

Justice - Cross



Last year's award went to The Thermals' The Body, The Blood, The Machine. I still can't find any Biblical allegory in D.A.N.C.E. though. Are these guys even religious?

Other good stuff:

Cat-A-Tac - Past Lies and Former Lives
Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
Joakim - Monsters & Silly Songs
of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Bjørn Torske - Feil Knapp
Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus!

alright, I'll stop here.

Wed 25 Apr – Hot Chip, Tussle

I waited over a year for this show. At SXSW 06, I walked out of the Pitchfork day party mere minutes before Hot Chip came on. I had never heard of them and I thought their name sounded dumb so I left. A few weeks later they blew up big time and I realized how stupid that decision was. So yeah, this show was long over-due and I'm so happy to say they did not disappoint. Most of their songs sounded a lot different, which was nice. I didn't even recognize And I Was a Boy from School until about 2 minutes in. With music like theirs, Hot Chip could totally get away with using tons of samples, but they don't use any. Or little if at all, I couldn't really tell. Over and Over was absolutely amazing. The opening band, Tussle (who I completely missed) came out to provide backing percussion and the energy was intense. I love how afterwards they announced they would come back out for an encore. Encores are pretty much a joke anyways so might as well admit it's premeditated. My only complaint is that they didn't play Crap Kraft Dinner or Playboy. O well.

Mon 16 Apr – Trans Am, Zombi, The Psychic Paramount

I had no idea who Trans Am was until just a few weeks ago. I kept hearing about their upcoming gig and I kept seeing posters at Waterloo, so I finally decided to give them a listen. WOW, where the hell have these guys been the past ten years? I've never been much a fan of post-rock, but these guys definitely won me over. Their latest album, Sex Change is freakin brilliant. I always had negative and boring connotations when I thought about post-rock. I guess I just never knew post-rock could be so much fun and upbeat.

The show was fantastic. Unlike most other post-rock bands that drone on and on, Trans Am's set is much tighter and definitely more engaging. It's impossible to be still while listening to Trans Am. Most of their songs are heavy on the bass and I think I could feel my internal organs vibrating the entire night. I'm so glad I randomly discovered Trans Am. It was long overdue.

Tue 10 Apr – Richard Swift, David Vandervelde, Zookeeper

David Vandervelde is a fucking genius. And a madman on the guitar as well. I had no idea he was such an amazing guitarist. I think I can honestly say, Vandervelde may very well be the best guitarist in indie rock today. He's that good. The guitar solos, which made up about half the set were wicked awesome. At one point, he came out into the crowd to play and, at times, had to untangle the mess of chords, forcing him to play with one hand. And he still sounded amazing!

There's a certain nostalgic touch to his music. The very first time I heard David Vandervelde I immediately thought of T. Rex. Fittingly, his stage presence is very Marc Bolan-esque. A touch of glam, a bit of folk, and even a hint of psychedelic. Vandervelde reminds me so much of Anton Newcombe, my all-time musical hero from The Brian Jonestown Massacre. I can't exactly pinpoint why, but there's just something about guys like Newcombe and Vandervelde - the slightly unstable, coke-fueled musical genius - that really appeals to me.

David Vandervelde did a Daytrotter Session a few months ago. The Daytrotter Sessions are amazing and super-cool. Check them out.