These six albums have been written about (seemingly) by every music blogger and maybe their brothers and mothers and even their cousins. I’m not going to beat a dead horse by writing up full reviews of them, but (still) I think they are all worth a mention as they will all almost certainly appear on my favorite albums of 2010 list when I compile that later this year. Go out , enjoy the day, and pick up one or all of these albums and I’m sure you won’t regret it.
The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
Honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed when I first heard American Slang. It seemed to lack the same punch and urgency that The Gaslight Anthem’s breakout 2008 album The ’59 Sound had. How silly I was. This album is the sound of a band that has found themselves and is cranking out quality material with a cool that sounds like a ’57 Chevy and a leather jacket. The vocals have less slap-echo than they did on The ’59 Sound and I like that. This is timeless American rock music. RIYL: Bruce Springsteen, The Hold Steady, etc…
MP3: The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
The Hold Steady is on quite a roll. Heaven Is Whenever is their fifth album released in the last six years and there’s nary a bad one in there. Since their last one keyboardist Franz Nicolay left the band, but there’s still not a whole lot that’s changed. In my book, The Hold Steady is one of the best rock & roll bands in America today and vocalist Craig Finn is one of the best lyricists/storytellers in rock music as well. Can this band do anything wrong? RIYL: The Gaslight Anthem, Lifter Puller, Guns ‘n Roses, etc…
MP3: The Hold Steady - Hurricane J
Band Of Horses – Infinite Arms
It’s a funny story, really. My daughter and I were driving somewhere the other day and when I put on the opening track (“Is There A Ghost?”) from their last album Cease To Begin. My daughter immediately and nonchalantly said, “I love this song.” That about sums up Band Of Horses. Infinite Arms is the band’s third album and more of a full-band affair with denser arrangements and a bit more variation, but it still sounds like a logical progression for Ben Bridwell and the expanded Band Of Horses lineup. RIYL: My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Neil Young, etc…
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
One Life Stand is my favorite Hot Chip album since their 2006 release The Warning. It’s a bit clamer than some of the band’s other material, but still retains their signature electro-pop sound albeit (this time) with some cool steel drums added to the mix. Great vocals, great synths, great beats make this one of my favorites of 2010. RIYL: Junior Boys, LCD Soundsystem, etc…
MP3: Hot Chip - One Life Stand
The Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt
I love love love this second album from Sweden’s Kristian Matsson (aka The Tallest Man On Earth). His debut full length, Shallow Grave, was one of my favorites of 2008, but aside from a little more strumming and a little less fingerpicking, it’s the same basic formula; a formula that works. Just a guy with a guitar who sounds (at times) a lot like Bob Dylan playing incredibly great folk songs. RIYL: Bob Dylan, Jose Gonzalez, etc…
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth - King Of Spain
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Mumford & Sons have been getting a lot of publicity the last few months. The London based folk band originally released Sigh No More in the UK in late 2009, but it was just released stateside in February of this year. This band is fantastic and plays fairly traditional Americana is if they were from the hills of West Virginia (via England). RIYL: Fleet Foxes, The Avett Brothers, Coldplay, etc…
MP3: Mumford And Sons - Little Lion Man
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No “Brothers?!”
This is just six that will be on my top 50 of 2010 list. There’s nothing written where I said there would be no Black Keys on the list.
[...] already read about Patrick’s favorite albums of the year. Here’s a second opinion, with six free [...]
Good choices. It’s interesting when kids request songs. My 7 and 3 year old kids favorite now is The Boxer off of American Slang. They want it loud and sing along.