Josh's Favorite Albums of 2010: #9 MGMT – Congratulations

Josh’s Top 15 Favorite Albums of 2010

#9 – MGMT – Congratulations

I actually had no motivation for picking this album up for a long time. I wasn’t a fan. I wasn’t really captured by anything they had done until this point, other than getting Kids stuck in my head for weeks at a time. So what changed, you may ask? Well one of my friends from church had asked if I had heard it and almost casually mentioned that it’s as if Syd Barrett were fronting a band today. Well why didn’t you say so? Of course I’ll get it. Seeeeeee? That was easy.

Now having said all that is this really the case? Not entirely but I would buy that a song like Song for Dan Treacy could very well be a long lost Syd tune so the comparison isn’t entirely without merit. In fact, the entire album is a psychedelic adventure and quite a turn from their more dance oriented fair from its predecessor. I really enjoy everything on the disc, but there *is* one problem. I just can’t get emotionally invested in ANY of these songs. I’ve really tried and lyrically I just don’t get pulled in. That’s probably just me. I just don’t know what most of the songs are about. Anyway, I will say I love the sound they’ve made, it’s ambitious in places (especially the 12 minute long Siberian Breaks), and the chord progressions and sounds all fit in perfectly. It’s a great sound escapade for your ears.

The album does work, it’s tight, has a singular musical vision that doesn’t let up and I can put in on for most occasions. As with most artists, don’t get stuck on the fact that they wrote “so and so” song but if you take the leap, it’s worth it. Here are the requisite videos.

It’s Working

Song for Dan Treacy

Brian Eno

Congratulations

Josh's Favorite Albums of 2010: #10 Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away

Josh’s Top 15 Favorite Albums of 2010

#10 – Josh Ritter – So Runs The World Away

I first met Josh though my friend Caryl (it sounds like I’m already slipping into some kind of third person) early last year. I did see him live shortly thereafter and I’ve slowly gotten most of his albums. So when I randomly saw he had a new release earlier this year, I pounced. It took me a little time to get into this particular album, although I think part of that reason was that at the time I had purchased a lot of new music and I was having a hard time making time for Josh. That was silly.

I think in short time this could (*could*) be my favorite release but the guy. It’s lyrically tremendous as he weaves stories, offers songs of hope, and doesn’t repeat himself. Early in arrears we get The Curse, which is an odd sort of love story. It’s told from the point of a view of a mummy who is unearthed by and archeologist and their travels across the world. I’ve included the video below and it’s great provided marionettes don’t creep you out. Lantern is a simple song of looking for faith and asking someone (God, maybe, although he never explicitly states as such) to be his light in a turbulent and chaotic world. Another New World almost feels like the centerpiece of the album. At almost 8 minutes it’s certainly the longest of the set and it’s a strong, if unconventional, narrative. It’s the tale of an explorer traveling alongside his trusted companion, his ship, and how their relationship changes over time. I really relate to See How Many Was Made as it speaks to where I’m personally at as it’s an affirmation that we aren’t meant to live alone.

Anyway it’s a contemplative, rich, layered, and complex set filled with emotional ups and days and so maybe he’s just reflecting on how our lives mirror this ebb and flow. I really recommend this set and to get you started, here are a few videos.

Change of Time

The Curse

Lantern

Another New World

Josh's Favorite Albums of 2010: #11 Crowded House - Intriguer

Josh’s Top 15 Favorite Albums of 2010

#11 – Crowded House – Intriguer

There seemed like a time on which we’d never have another new Crowded House album but now we’re two albums into CH 2.0 and it’s a nice mellow affair. Now, before I get to the album let me just say this. I’m of the mind that Neil Finn is one of the finest, and horribly underrated and underappreciated, songwriters of the past 25 years. Whether it’s his work in Crowded House, or as a solo artist, or writing albums with his brother Tim, or even putting together super groups (ala last year’s 7 Worlds Collide project), Neil has been amazingly consistent in output yet I cannot, for the life of me, explain him (or the band) to most people in any other way than usually saying, “You know. They did Don’t Dream It’s Over.” which is akin to explaining Ben Folds as simply the guy who wrote Brick (thanks for the example, Rich!!) as if that’s it.

Anyway, we’re sadly on version 2.0 as original drummer Paul Hester took his own life in 2005, just as Crowded House was reforming. Who knows how his influence would have shaped these past two outings but his spirit still seems to be with this band. I will say that this album is extremely mellow and atmospheric and I think Paul would have liked to have gone along for the ride.

I will say that the only bad thing I can say about this entire project is…wait for it…the absolutely hideous mustache Neil grew. I keep thinking it was a prop or some kind of joke. I mean, look at it!! (he’s on the left) One of the auto-complete options under Google images is, and I kid you not, “Neil Finn mustache” That’s not a good sign. However, I will say that if that’s the worse thing I can say about this album, that’s a good thing.

Okay well I’ve already mentioned the vibe of the album and it is a good “rainy day” album that you could throw on and sip tea to while taking it in. For me, the ode to family track Twice If You’re Lucky is one of my favorite singles of the year. It’s classic Finn but doesn’t fall into the trap of sounding like everything else he’s written. I think some songwriters can get into the habit of getting to that complacent point after awhile and I don’t sense that with this tune, or the album. In fact, there are twists and turns throughout the set that come as little surprises. Anyway, I may be largely over the fact that this band will never been seen as anything more than a one-hit wonder in the States but every release solidifies in my mind that we’ve got something special here even if I have to cite 20+ year old songs to jog people’s memory. Oh well. Long live the Crowdies!!!

Twice If You’re Lucky

Amsterdam

Either Side of the World

Josh's Favorite Albums of 2010: #12 Villagers - Becoming a Jackal

Josh’s Top 15 Favorite Albums of 2010

#12 – Villagers – Becoming a Jackal

Villagers. Right. Irish lad named Conor (O’Brien) who goes by the name Villagers. Lots of people before have already said this but…dude looks and sounds A LOT like Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, who also has the dual name/band thing going as well. That *has* to be a coincidence, right? Anyway, this isn’t saying a tooting thing about this album. New paragraph.

So I received this album as a recommendation by a few folks earlier this year, although I initially stumbled across Jackal while perusing new albums online (as I’m want to do) and filed it away as future disc to get. It took a few months but I finally took it in and found it to be an impressive debut.

Conor initially brings us into the album through the haunting piano piece, I Saw The Dead and it doesn’t let up from there. The 12 tracks (including the bonus iTunes track) are *intense* and if there’s mostly a good thing although it would have been good to have been given a song or two to provide some relief. Now, we’re not talking the level of the Cure’s Disintegration or anything, but he is a genuine artist who means every word and doesn’t throw anything on an album haphazardly.

One of the things I do enjoy about the album is that there are tunes on here that feel like songs I had known for years, and I don’t mean that in terms of songs that sound like they’re rip offs. In fact it’s quite the opposite. It’s as if these songs were always written but were waiting to be written and sung by Conor. Not sure if that makes sense but I stand by it. Anyway, you can find a million videos of Conor playing on youtube so if you want to go through the songs there is plenty out there. In fact, it’s really commendable. He’s done a great job of getting his music out there, so dive right in. I’ll get you started with a few videos below. Enjoy.

I Saw The Dead

Becoming a Jackal

The Pact (I’ll Be Your Fever)

Josh's Favorite Albums of 2010: #13 The Vespers - Tell Your Mama

Josh Top 15 Favorite Albums of 2010

#13 – The Vespers – Tell Your Mama

In a first for the countdown we have an unsigned artist…and there’s nobody I know in the band (unless Facebook friends count) to boot so that’s saying something. I ran across the Vespers as my friend Henry shared their Myspace page (Myspace? What year is this?) on my Facebook wall and wrote something like, “You’ll LOVE this band. It’s right up your alley.” And he was right.

As for personnel, they’re a duo…of sibling duos. I don’t think I’ve run across a band constructed this way but it doesn’t matter as the sisters Cryar make wonderful melodies together and brothers Jones keep a sold rhythm and hold the fort down. But, as always, it’s the music that matters and over the course of 13 tracks the band cover lots of territory from family, faith, loss, open spaces, friendship, togetherness, with lots of studies on what it means to be human.

The question of wondering whether you’re the person you should be in Not So Nice, is one of the universals touched upon. I also thought Phoebe Cryar was English the first time I heard this song. That wasn’t nice of me. Although I do like the English. Anyway. Happy Lessons, also a favorite of mine, looks into how happiness is found while still in the middle of dealing with stuff. Sometimes all you need to it is let things go. I shared their video for Eyes Wide Open earlier this year and got quite the response and it probably the most affecting in the set. It’s about the passing down of wisdom from one generation to the next as it paints the scene of a dying grandfather letting his grandchildren know what’s really important. These are just a few of the tunes that make for a wonderful splash into the musical world. It’s quite the musical statement for a debut of young musicians and I’m glad they breezed into my life. Now, we just need to see you four make a west coast trip. Anyway, here are a few videos.

Eyes Wide Open

Not So Nice

Happy Lessons

Josh's Favorite Albums of 2010: #14 Ben Folds and Nick Hornby - Lonely Avenue

#14 – Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue

Oh, Ben Folds. I’ve been following Ben around for about 13 years (way to date yourself, Josh) and have seen the guy in concert a good 5 times and has consistently been a perennial favorite of mine. I’ve always enjoyed his combination of melodic gift, verbal wit, and eagerness to mix things up. Having said that I haven’t always fallen in love with his albums. In fact, his previous effort, 2008’s Way To Normal, felt like a low point to me. Now that could have just been me as that disc reached #11 on the Billboard album chart upon release but it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been out of step with things.

So two years later, what do we get? Ben went all Elton John on us. Instead of writing this album in a similar fashion to his previous releases, he teamed up with English novelist Nick Hornby in which Nick wrote all the lyrics (The “Taupin”, to keep the analogy going) leaving Ben to writing music and melodies with the stories. I, for one, applaud the decision to get this far into a career to shake things up this way. Also because of that decision, themes, characters, and stories come about in new ways which does provide a degree of freshness to the set.

As for songs, themselves, lead single “From Above” is a study on the notion of fate dealing with love. Do we wind up with the person we’re “supposed” to or is it more haphazard than that? Nick votes for the latter. I’ll have to think about that. In “Picture Window” we have a story of the illness of someone close to the protagonist in which they are hospitalized. You hear the anguish over false hope when Ben sings the chorus, “You know what hope is/Hope is a bastard/Hope is a liar/A cheat and a tease/Hope comes near you/kick its backside/Got no place in days like this” Divorce is the focus in “Claire’s Ninth” as she just wants to celebrate her ninth birthday but it’s not as simple as that. The album ends with “Belinda” a look into a still touring “one hit wonder” (only in his mind, kids) whose only “well known song” is, unbeknownst to the audience, the true story of how he foolishly left the only woman who ever loved him and now all he has of her is this song he has to sing every night.

Now the reason why we have Ben at 14 is because, there *are* a few semi-clunkers as far as I’m concerned. Their take on Levi Johnston in “Levi Johnston’s Blues” comes across as being juvenile, “Your Dogs” is not very gripping, “Password” takes an uninspiring theme (Going over someone’s passwords. I’m serious.), and in “Saskia Hamilton” I never really buy the retro 80’s synths or the staccato delivery. However, when the album hits, I think it’s very effective and affecting. Anyway, here are a few vids:

Introduction to Lonely Avenue

Lead single From Above

Picture Window

Belinda

Josh's Favorite Albums of 2010: #15 The School - Loveless Unbeliever

Okay so before we begin, here’s a little history. A couple years ago on blog 1.0, when I wasn’t writing embarrassingly long posts about my last relationship ending I put together a top albums of the year countdown. The Fleet Foxes’ debut album came on top that year (2008) and then last year, Camera Obscura’s My Maudlin Career received top honors (okay, *now* I’m being cheeky). Also note that two years ago it was a top 10 and then last year it was pared down to a top 5. It all depends on how many new releases tickle my fancy from year to year. Anyway, it seemed like a good way to have me think back over my year in music and make it so I could properly assess how things went for me musically.

Now, to be fair, this *is* a list of my *favorite* albums lest we think this is somewhat unbiased. Because it’s not. This was also a particularly difficult year as there just kept on being one more new album after another I liked sooooo…sorry if your favorite didn’t make the list. It is *my* list. Okay well with that said, here’s the first album of my top…15…favorite albums of 2010.

Josh’s Top 15 Favorite Albums of 2010

#15 – The School – Loveless Unbeliever

I stumbled upon The School last year when iTunes recommended them because I’m a hopeless Camera Obscura fan. Talk about a stupid way to get into a band, I know, but honesty is the policy of this blog. Anyway, once I got their first single and EP, it was tough talking to them about people because *you* type in “The School music” into Google and see how that goes. I swear, people don’t think about these things when forming a band. So before this album was released their debut single, the lovely All I Wanna Do, and the Let It Slip EP, which featured the title song, came and things pointed to a really good debut album.

Okay well the main reasons why Loveless Unbeliever gets to the bottom of the list (hey, at least they *made* the list) is that there are only seven new songs in the set and even though they’re nice to the ears, there’s very little here you haven’t heard before. Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful retro-60’s pop music, and there isn’t a bad song I’ve heard from them so that’s a good thing. I also understand that as a band trying to gain some traction that it makes financial, and overall quality, sense to put everything they’ve recorded into one LP, but it still comes across as being odd.

I enjoy the set, although I will say it’s kind of like listening to one looong pop song, and once again it’s not a bad thing. Also because that is the musical world they live in, there isn’t as much musical or lyrical depth as I would have enjoyed but it’s the nature of this particular beast. Unfortunately, the album ended up slipping in the past week as I was going over my ranking preciously because of the depth issue. Buuuuut…for the times when I’m just looking for some sunny retro-pop, they do the trick every time and that’s a good thing. Here are a few videos.

Is He Really Coming Home?

Can’t Understand