Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

When he’s not performing in a pair of understated red skivvies, Les Savy Fav frontman Tim Harrington enjoys a plethora of other artistic endeavors, like creating a line of sarcastic greeting cards and running a textiles company with his wife. Now, the sweat-soaked Sasquatch has added another highlight to his CV: he’s writing a children’s book.

To be released soon by Balzer & Bray, the children’s imprint of HarperCollins, the untitled picture book is a “humorous, fresh take on the nursery rhyme ‘This Little Piggy,’ featuring drumming, dancing, and superhero toes,” according to The New York Observer. You can sample Harrington’s various illustrations at the website of his one-man think tank, Harrington & Selves.

For the fun of it, watch Harrington’s amusing video guide to London below.

When a band embarks on a tour, the world assumes that what waits for them is a truly magical experience. Filled with illicit substances across the spectrum, wild people hunting for a good time, and other debaucherous scenes too filthy to describe, being on the road is a scene hyped to literary proportions. But to a cut a path of truth, VICE and Marshall Headphones have teamed together to present On the Road, a documentary-style journey through the seedy underbelly of rock and roll shows. And a sin-tacular premise needs equally rockin’ hosts, which it gets in Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav and Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes of Eagles Of Death Metal.

Check out the trailer for the series below (via The Daily Swarm); stay tuned for info on upcoming episodes as they’re released.

This was my first time ever in the Pacific Northwest, much less Seattle, and based on my experience, I can safely say that everyone in Seattle lies about the rain because it was 75 degrees and sunny all weekend long. Don’t believe them when they tell you it always rains – they’re dirty fibbers fibbing the fibbiest of fibs.

Weather: perfect. Mix of local acts and national acts: just right. Seattle hot dogs: intimidating at first, delicious after several beers. I snapped some pictures and jotted some notes at various points during the day concerning bands, people, and experiences. I was welcomed into Seattle’s hood like an old friend, and it felt like I was a part of something special in Capitol Hill, and not just a tourist taking in the scenery and local fare. Thanks for the hug, Seattle.

-Jeremy Larson
Content Director

Friday, July 22nd

1:14 p.m.– I walked around Capitol Hill, and a homeless guy pointed toward the barricade where the fest is being set up and asked, “Are you going to the parade?” I didn’t correct him because he’s probably more right than wrong about festivals being parades.

2:45 p.m. – Zion’s Gate Records is a great little dive of a vinyl store. There are tons of rare 7”s on the wall and really good hip-hop 10”s, as well. Got a Los Crudos 7”. Chicago represent.

4:05 p.m.  – The first official act of the fest kicks off with Fresh Espresso, a Seattle party-rap crew who inaugurated things nicely. Before going into another “get yr hands up” jam, they rhetorically asked, “What’s the best thing about Michigan? Girls and fast cars.” I didn’t correct them because he was probably more right than wrong, again.

4:35 p.m. – Capitol Hill Block Party has four stages:  A main outdoor stage, a smaller outdoor stage (Vera stage), and two indoor venues, Cha Cha’s and Neumos. The Neumos lineup on Friday was stacked, so I spent most of my time in and out of there. Unknown Mortal Orchestra started the bill at Neumos, and, for the second time in a row that I’ve seen them, they asked for there to be no lights on the stage. I’m still not quite sure of the reason for that (other than opening themselves up for really easy jokes about their name), but it’s frustrating.

Being shrouded in dull darkness notwithstanding, UMO bleed talent, and with only one album under their belt, they play those songs to the bone. Singer/guitarist Ruban Neilson is a guitar virtuoso. It’s not often you get to say that about a young indie band, but Neilson shreds. He pulls at the strings without a pick, and his solos call back classic garage rock stuff from the 60′s, like if Eddie Van Halen were drunk. I mean, there was an older guy with a Sleep hoodie playing air guitar in the back of the house. UMO aren’t afraid to improvise and jam like on the highlight of the set, “Boy Witch”. During the middle of a solo, Neilson went back to his Fender amp and just cranked up the volume and continued shredding. I can’t verify this, but I’m pretty sure it went to 11.

5:10 p.m. – I stood outside long enough to catch some of Kurt Vile’s set/hair. “Jesus Fever” may be one of my favorite songs of late, and I got miffed that the crowd wasn’t screaming those lyrics. Back inside Neumos, The Fresh & Onlys kicked off their set with that hale and hearty psych-garage stuff that I trip and fall in love with all over the place. Maybe it’s that the mean age of The Fresh & Onlys is far older than most bands here, or maybe it’s their confidence onstage, but I trust that every song they play is one of the best songs ever written. It sure seems like it at their show. If nothing else, boat hats should really make a comeback.

5:45 p.m. – Fucked Up played in a coffee shop. That’s a real thing that happened.

6:47 p.m. – What makes Woods so enjoyable to listen to? Why do I sit around and listen to their entire set? They’re a band that has a great arc to their performance–sequenced meticulously and yet it feels elastic and free. The brevity of their warm, short songs (“Be All Be Easy”) is interpolated with focused improvisation that rolls steadily like a water just before it boils. In lieu of noodling solos and self-absorbed jams, Woods work with tension, letting minutes of psych play out with tape effects and folksy textures. They captured a big outdoor festival crowd at Pitchfork, and most of Neumos were wrapped in their arms. Any jam-heads (or anyone for that matter) who hasn’t heard Woods live should really check them out, but if that’s not an option, NYCTaper has a recent set from their June show at Northside Festival. Cop that.

8:35 p.m.– I read somewhere that Cults front lady Madeline Follin sounds terrible, “like The Shaggs terrible.” That’s a fierce aspersion to cast, and it stuck with me up until the first note Follin sang. Nah, Cults are on the real. There was an older couple next to me just knockin’ boots during “You Know What I Mean”, and Follin received an unexpected ovation mid-song for her climactic turn on the chorus. Extended to a five-piece, Cults’ retro ditties were filled in with vibrant indie rock colors. “Go Outside” didn’t just sound like a jangly summer anthem, but a punchy head-nodder, as well.

8:45 p.m.– Ra Ra Riot were just finishing their set, the crowd’s hands were in the air, and everyone seemed to really be picking up what they were putting down.

9:50 p.m.– Another riotous Fucked Up show in the books. I overheard someone say Seattle was notorious for not moving at shows, but leave it to Damien Abraham to transform Nuemos into a stage-diving, crowd-surfing clusterfuck. Every dude that made their way onstage fumbled into a mic stand or slipped into a band member. It was hardcore chaos. Two firsts for this show: Madeline Follin from Cults singing Veronica’s part on “Queen of Hearts” (with lyric sheet in hand) and bassist Sandy Miranda diving into the crowd. Neumos was razed.

Also, Ben Cook is probably the only dude in a hardcore band that can pull off shorts.

10:40 p.m. Over on the Vera stage, I laxed to local hip-hop group Brothers From Another/Kung Foo Grip. The Seattle hip-hop scene seems notoriously insular and self-affirming; is that a bad thing? I’m still trying to get a beat on what Seattle hip-hop stands for or sounds like, but “kickin it in the 206” seems to be these guys’ M.O.

11:15 p.m. After seeing them perform as guests in Shabazz Palaces set at SXSW, I was anxious to see how Seattle’s female hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction would fare as a pas de deux. They take cues from femmes of the past, giving nods to KP & Envyi and Rhianna in a matter of songs, and they give it that confidence that I’ve come to expect from 206 hip-hop. The two ladies would trade verses and work with each other across songs that had them alternating from the fronts to the backs of their heels. The bass and the lyrics made my heart pump. It was a welcome sign that empowerment is both wide-reaching and catchy. One song about how fellas are trying to knock down their doors sent a hard message to the male-heavy crowd. “No dickie, dickie/I’m a lezzie,” they hooked.

11:40 p.m. – Back at Ghostland Observatory, and look at all those lasers. There’s one for every color of the rainbow! And, oh shit, that strobe light is syncing up with that egregiously long build before the cheap drop hits! All this ado is a fine distraction from whatever nonsense is happening onstage. The duo brings an energetic show, they have a great time, and the crowd loves it, but it’s truly nonsense music bereft of form, substance, influence, and it’s just a visual and sonic rotten carrot dangling in front of false synesthetes and entry-level electroheads and–whoa. That last laser array was dope!

Saturday, July 23rd

2:15 p.m. – I ask people where to take a good picture of The Space Needle, and they tell me, and I realize that I don’t want a picture of The Space Needle because everyone, including myself, couldn’t care less about The Space Needle. They’re just The Watts towers or the towers in Flushing Meadows for The Worlds Fair, and unless it’s a secret alien spaceship, don’t care.

2:32 p.m. – Another dose of Seattle hip hop with Champagne Champagne has me warming up to some of these local crews, but I still don’t know what they stand for. Champagne^2 have a Das Racist vibe with several portions of levity removed from their flow, or a Jurassic 5 vibe with no trace of jazz in the production. Weed, girls, Seattle: all delivered under semi-swirling beats made less avant by the propensity for getting the party started. The two MCs worked well as a duo bolstering each other and trading spotlights when necessary and had enough energy to shotgun the first set of the day.

3:17 p.m. – The spectral songs of Austra drew me in to the coffee shop to witness some of their KEXP set. Her voice is a ghost, aided by her two other ghosts/female back up singers. Austra benefits from playing cloaked in the darkness of a club, as opposed to surrounded by burlap sacks of coffee beans, so their brooding ethos was kind of tampered by the venue. None of this affected Katie Stelmanis’ power as a vocalist, especially during “Lose It” – a quivering and painful song, the Arabica beans notwithstanding. Maybe it’s not as Poe as all that, but the blank expressions on Austra’s faces don’t exactly make me think Leslie Gore or anything.

3:47 p.m. – Fences: I’ve seen this Seattle band a few times now, and each time inked-out Chris Mansfield becomes more confident, and less trembling. His trials seem cemented and reflective as opposed to maudlin heart-on-sleeve bellyaching. Guitarist Jonathan Warman could really take the band to another tier with some of the volume swells and elastic jams he includes live, and would separate them from the rest of the saturated pop-folk scene. Carry the emotion of the lyrics into the music and find a connection there so that each everyone matches Mansfield’s mood. Promise?

4:10 p.m. – Getting from stage to stage can be a bit of a maneuver here, as Nuemos is a 21+ joint so you have to walk through a checkpoint to get there. If you want to leave Nuemos and go back to the Mainstage, you can’t exit where you entered, you have to walk up a block and come back around. I’m sure there’s a good infrastructural reason, but the contained spirit of each stage/venue wasn’t optimal for the old “wander around and see what grabs me” trick.

4:35 p.m. – Eleanor Friedberger stood on a bare stage. The whole setup looked very intimidating, and she appeared nervous performing her prolix-folk set to a restless crowd, much like I would expect a young Patti Smith/Joni Mitchell would have done pre-fame. Friedberger’s songs weren’t met with the attention they deserved, which is too bad because that particular style of distaff beat folk was in oddly short supply over the weekend. Even though her set was marred by some tech issues, Friedberger pleased this fan, who thinks she has a lengthy solo career and prefers the earnestness of her voice and an acoustic guitar as unencumbered by the often thoughtless instrumentation of The Fiery Furnaces.

5:10 p.m. – I’m full up on less-than-Superchunk power pop, Telekinesis. You sound great, but I have no desire to learn your songs so I can sing along to them in my car, which seems like the only boon to repackaging college power pop these days and the thing is I don’t even own a car because I live in Chicago and take the train.

6:10p.m. – Whatever misgivings I had about Handsome Furs‘ latest synth-driven album were washed clean by their set. I miss Wolf Parade, I’m coping, but Dan Boeckner looks so much happier playing up there with his wife Alexei Perry rocketing through his own material. Or, I guess as happy as a veritable shadow of a dude who asked the crowd right-out for shrooms can be. Boeckner’s synths hit harder than his guitar, the four-to-the-floor beats got the crowd bouncing, and was a great precursor to TV on the Radio’s forthcoming set. “All We Want, Baby, Is Everything” raised my fist and voice in hedonistic delight, something I’m sure Boeckner and Perry champion as a lifestyle and not to be macabre or portentous or anything but really they look like Sid and Nancy up there. Or at least their unleashed stage presence makes me think that.

6:50 p.m. – So usually when a band has the technical prowess thing going on, there’s a lot of stasis on stage. Stationary crowd watches stationary band watches their fingers dancing on fret-boards. Not so with Ravenna Woods, who sounded like Kaki King meets The Dodos with everything — including the lead singer’s dance moves — having a percussive quality. Like UMO, Ravenna Woods birth these rare sounds from their guitars with exuberance and celebrate with high-test energy. The burst picking and tapping at times sounded like a synth loop it was so clean and on time. I look forward to seeing these guys again in any capacity.

7:45 p.m. – I honestly thought Seattle would be the last place you’d see Nirvana t-shirts, but they’re everywhere at CHBP. I had drinks at a bar where Kurt Cobain was last seen alive, and even a bar felt reverent to me, but it seems like people have either moved on to indifference or pride in Nirvana’s legacy. And yes, I’ll watch Hype as soon as I can.

8:15 p.m. – I’m up in the clouds at Teen Daze’s set. Dude’s wearing a cardigan, dropping some 4/4 grooves with chillwave synths and I’m feeling it all around. It’s sad that the Vera Stage feels auxiliary and disconnected from the rest of the fest, and Teen Daze’s music needs to spread out as opposed to filter down a small street. I only stay for a few songs, long enough to overhear a guy in the crowd say, “Man that bass is really killer.”  I never want him to hear a dub step track ever and he’ll die, for several reasons, a happy man.

8:47 p.m. – I’m waiting in Neumos for Cold Cave to go on, which I know I won’t stay for the whole thing because Les Savy Fav is playing opposite and I should get pictures of Les Savy Fav cause Tim Harrington does wacky shit and they make for good pictures.

8:50 p.m. –But Cold Cave are superlative live, and if I can just see a couple minutes of Dominick Fernow’s dance moves and hear some high Hz noise mush for like a couple more minutes I’ll be satiated. Plus they make for great pictures, too. Everything’s coming up Jeremy! Get ready for this sick coverage, conflicts be damned.

9:45 p.m. – Goddammit.

9:47 p.m. – So, Cold Cave lit their show with predictably minimal light for their first song — the extricating “Icons Of Summer” — none of which was on Fernow and his fly-ass dance moves so strike one. I wanted desperately to stay for the rest of their set, but I knew I could run out and get into the pit for Les Savy Fav and watch the rest of their set and just deal. For reasons I won’t go into here, I was not allowed in the pit for Les Savy Fav. So instead of capturing with photos, I’ll ashamedly recapture the events with the pitiful 1:1000 ratio of words. Harrington: left the stage and ran into an adjacent apartment building, dipped his head out of the window, ran back downstairs, grabbed a potted plant from the foyer of the building, brought the plant on stage, hurled it into the audience effectively destroying it. Then, Harrington put on a blond wig and aviators, stripped down and put on corduroy cutoffs, posed like an ingenue actress, grabbed a camera from the in-house film crew and filmed the crowd, threw a tarp in the crowd and stage dove on it, danced with a man in a bald eagle costume, put on the head of the bald eagle costume, pushed the man eagle into the crowd perhaps injuring the man he’s not sure, eased tension by singing the “higher than an eagle” line from “Wind Beneath My Wings”, grinded on the stage, posed like an ingenue actress again, threw confetti all over himself, put on a crudely fashioned head dress cape thing with streamers, jumped off stage, ran through crowd with microphone in hand, pushed through to the back, jumped the security fence, threw a bucket of water on the crowd, and disappeared into the night. Incidentally, they played some peppy post-punk songs, too.

10:15 p.m. – Akimbo saved the whole day for me. Entering the Cha Cha venue is like stepping into a basement jam, and for all intents and purposes, this was a legit basement jam. Akimbo were set up on the floor, no stage, and just ripped into the sweaty walls of the place with sludge punk of the highest pedigree. Beer sprayed everywhere, two big dudes were preventing the mosh pit from overtaking the three piece and the 100 or so people in the venue clawed were fully into Akimbo’s ballsy shitshow, ending with what I’m pretty sure was Black Flag’s “Thirsty and Miserable”, inciting a punk scrum just the way it should be.

10:50 p.m. — In the long corridor of Pike St., sound is can ricochet off the walls of the apartment buildings and storefronts causing for some sound difficulties. I had trouble hearing some of TV On The Radio’s vocals – but other than that, they delivered a similar performance as we reported on last week, only this time welcoming “DLZ” to the setlist. Check out the video of deftly wrangling Fugazi’s “Waiting Room” (and please try not to cringe when the lady sings during the rest at the beginning).

Sunday, July 24th

Sidebar concerning that Pacific NW Folk-pop sound – (The Head and the Heart, The Lumineers, Campfire OK, Loch Lomond, The Cave Singers)

These bands don’t obfuscate their aesthetic at all, which is almost punk in and of itself these days. It’s the importance of being earnest, right? I don’t think that’s a shallow choice, but I think it’s an easy one to make, and not one that offers many rewards in the long-run. I’ve heard and read harsh words regarding the easy-listening jimmy-jangling sentimental strains of bands of this particular ilk, and I agree – to a point.

It’s unfair of me to lump these talented bands into one group because they are truly unique from one another, but someone who’s more aligned with their ethos would be able to describe their emotional effect better. I just don’t jive with they they’re throwing out there. Blame it on me being an outsider, or blame it on the bands’ nationalistic pastoral tendencies, I just can’t connect. However, each band had a few kernels that made me tune in.

The Cave Singers at least know there’s more rain than sunshine in Seattle, and when they incorporated a more southern-blues tinge to their sound and allowed for vocalist Pete Quirk to detach from his folk yolk, I listened. The Head and the Heart pleased a huge crowd on the Mainstage, but at the cost of mawkish mugging and if they’d simply show me their hearts and not tell me ad nauseum about their hearts, I’d be listening. Ritchie Young’s voice of Loch Lomond was hidden behind sleepy instrumentation, and when I could hear the timbre and versatility of his sound, I listened. Campfire OK brought like five people on stage to dance around and play tambourine to their songs which seemed like an insular celebration of themselves and when they briefly forewent the antics of a hempy hootenanny, I listened. The Lumineers actually were a stately, confident young band from Denver, but never really grabbed me with any of their songs, which may bode well for some deeper listening to their studio recordings. I’ll be listening to them.

3:55 p.m. Do you have to be 15 years removed from your prime to ‘rock” on stage? The Posies could give fellow aging 90’s act Guided By Voices a run for their money in terms of old hat rock moves. I expected a polite trip down power-pop lane, but the Seattle natives ripped into their seven-album career like they were playing them for the first time. As previously stated, I’m doing just fine with my power-pop reserves, but it wasn’t really about the songs but how much fun they had playing them. It was hard to look away or stop listening, especially when they nailed their singles of yore “Dream All Day” and the finale with “Solar Sister”. Tingly feelings from 1993 – another good use for power pop other than car-jamming.

4:22 p.m. I eat a Seattle hot dog with cream cheese, grilled onions, hickory BBQ sauce, sriacha sauce, on a toasted bun and it’s five stars, 100%, and most assuredly BNHD.

5:15 p.m. – You want math rock? Cacophonous noise noodling + taught instrumental prog + watching Ian Williams and Dave Knopoka subtly conduct each other like classical musicians + John Stanier’s crash rigged 1,000 ft in the air + projections of delicious Ice Cream during “Ice Cream” + faithful tension wrought from two tweaky synths played simultaneously by Williams + including “Atlas” on the setlist + a flawless, seamless, nonstop show = Battles and Battles are tantamount to none.

5:42 p.m. – The wall of low-drive guitars that Papercuts pushed out didn’t really mesh with the crowd at Neumos. Jason Quever’s hushed, reverb-caked songs have a Galaxie 500 by way of The Shins vibe which may be a tough sell to a crowd after a long weekend. But they strode through their set, playing ambling, lush indie pop. “Do What You Will” sounded particularly pristine as Quever just nailed that chorus.

6:30 p.m. – Some final thoughts about Capitol Hill Block Party: Sucks that I didn’t see Federation X, a touted band by many locals. All the security crew on the grounds were local bouncers and were the most genial, helpful people I’ve ever encountered at a festival. The fact that you can see shows at a club and outdoors is the festival’s greatest boon. For all the Fauxlk running rampant in Seattle, it was pleasing to hear a defined sound reach so many people, and if that’s Seattle’s current identity it’s something to take pride in. On the other side of the coin, a lot of Seattle hip-hop in its current iteration came across as amateurish and near-sighted party bangers, and perhaps afraid to follow the path of Shabazz Palaces has forged. I spoke with several Seattleites about their take on the town’s identity with regards to music, but I was only there for three days and would love more insight. I would wager the fest was ballpark 75% local, 25% visiting, and it did a fantastic job of catering to that percentage, especially with the selection of headliners. Finally, logistically speaking, the fest ran with nary a hitch. Save for some odd 21+ ordinances and no real place to sit down in the grounds, it’s a model for any large-scale block party, you know, if you can get Best Coast and TV on the Radio to show up like they did.

8:35 p.m. –The sun was setting behind the stage with the perfect light hitting everyone’s faces. With a weather anomaly of clear skies and 80 degree heat, I couldn’t imagine the harsh noise of Mogwai of the brooding intensity of Godspeed You! Black Emperor capturing the mood of this weekend of quite like Explosions in the Sky did. Even though every song is unabashedly hyperbolic, Explosions aren’t just “< >”. Their use of space and silence, notable in the opener “The Only Moment We Were Alone”, shows that their keen ear for compositions don’t simply adhere to the primal human need for simple build ups and come downs.

The purified, triple reverse osmosis guitar tones paid dues to The Edge by extending major mode riffs to the end of the block and skipping off to infinity. You could close your eyes and feel transported to the end credits of the weekend (or whatever time-frame you choose, really) and reflect and transcend. Or, you could nod your head and sync up with the band’s exuberance rollicked through their songs matching their intense stage presence. Or, you could hop off the epic wave of sound at any moment, grab a beer, and hop right back in. Music is rarely this inviting for all ears. The grand finale, “Let Me Back In”, swelled to such an ultimate emotional intensity that the fest had no other choice but to come to a close or it surely would have skipped off the space-time continuum. It ended on a good note, stacked upon thousands of other good notes.

The Culture of Capitol Hill Block Party

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Here’s further proof that Thursdays are magical: While a random Thursday in January saw the debut of videos from Lykke Li, No Age, and Sleigh Bells, this random Thursday in March brings the release of videos for Li’s “I Know Places (Live on the Moon), Menomena’s “Taos” (via Pitchfork), and “Les Savy Fav’s “Sleepless in Silverlake” . Most of us are eagerly counting down the hours to the weekend, but watching Lykke Li and her band rock the moon, or the boys of Menomena get their just desserts (wrassln’ style), or a nerd attempt to woo a Marilyn Monroe clone to the sounds of Les Savy Fav make the hours taste like, um, candy. What can we say…we’re weird? If you dare to be stupid, too, check out the clip from Lykke Li above and Les Savy Fav below. Stream Menomena’s at P4k.

Thursday, we salute you!

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Whether you chose to remember it or not, New Year’s Eve always becomes an event – be it a swanky party full of beautiful people, or a sad, lonely remembrance of 2010 alone in your darkened apartment. But save yourself the embarrassment of either and get out to a club and see a band. Below we’ve listed some of the major events happening in cities around the US. Do yourself a favor: go.

There are few things I regret more than not going to see Girl Talk last year in 2009, so don’t make the same mistake I did. Spend NYE with your most favorite band. Whether you know it or not, you’ll be surrounded by new friends. Oh, and you can get tumultuously drunk and rage to some amazing music. Happy New Year from CoS!

– Jeremy Larson
Senior Staff Writer

P.S. If we’re missing something, please let us know in the comments below.

New York City

– Ariel Pink (solo): 234 Starr Street

– The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set): The Wellmont Theatre

– The Butthole Surfers: Music Hall of Williamsburg

– Class Actress: Spike Hill

– Chuck Berry: B.B. King Blues Club

– Drive-By Truckers: Terminal 5

– Gov’t Mule: The Beacon Theatre

– Guided By Voices: Irving Plaza

– Har Mar Superstar: Littlefield

– Holy Ghost!: Standard

– Infected Mushroom, Shpongle: Hammerstein Ballroom

– Patti Smith & Her Band: Bowery Ballroom

– Passion Pit, Slick Rick: Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ)

– Phish: Madison Square Garden

– The Roots: Brooklyn Bowl

– Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings: Best Buy Theater

– Steve Angello: Roseland Ballroom

– Titus Andronicus, Real Estate, Julian Lynch: Ridgewood Temple

– We Are Scientists: Mercury Lounge

– Zach Deputy: City Winery

Chicago

– Big Freedia, Nobunny: Empty Bottle

– The Black Keys, Greenhornes: Aragon Ballroom

– Cave: The Hideout

– Cursive performing Domestica: Subterranean

– Flosstradamus, Gemini Club: Lincoln Hall

– Future Rock: Kinetic Playground

– Japandroids, Light Pollution: Schubas

– Local H: Bottom Lounge

– Mannequin Men, Pegboy: Abbey Pub

– Mucca Pazza: Logan Square Auditorium

– Pretty Lights, Holy Fuck, Tobacco: Congress Theatre

– Robert Randolph & The Family Band, North Mississippi Allstars: House of Blues

– Smoking Popes: Reggie’s Rock Club

– Sublime with Rome, AM Taxi, The Dirty Heads: Navy Pier Ballroom

– Umphrey’s McGee: The Riviera Theatre

– Yeasayer, HEALTH: Metro

Los Angeles

– ATB: Hollywood Palladium

– HARD NYE (Mr. Oizo, Brodinski, DJ Falcon): The Music Box

– John Digweed: The Avalon

– Lucinda Williams: The Viper Room

– Mayer Hawthorne, Classix: Viceroy Hotel

– Nite Jewel: The Echo

– NOFX, Dead To Me: The Wiltern

– The Pharcyde: Key Club

– The Raveonettes, Autolux: The Standard

– Steel Panther: House of Blues

– Together As One (Major Lazer, Diplo, Rusko, Laidback Luke): Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum & Sports Arena

– Yard Dogs Road Show: Edison

London, UK

– British Sea Power: Koko

– Caribou: The Flowerpot

– Carl Barât (DJ Set): All Star Lanes Brick Lane

– Eastern Electrics NYE (Matthew Dear, Joker, Roska): The Tunnels

– Foals: HMV Forum

– Four Tet, James Holden, Jamie XX: Corsica Studios

– Friendly Fires (DJ Set): XOYO

– Sonic Youth, Factory Floor, Shellac: Hammersmith Apollo

– Together (Mark Ronson, Annie Mac, Katy B, Fake Blood): O2 Academy

Elsewhere:

Atlanta:

– Bassnectar, Ana Sia: The Tabernacle

– Charlie Wilson, Chrisette Michele: Atlanta Civic Center

– Coolio: Hyatt Regency

– The Glitch Mob: New Earth Music Hall

– Perpetual Groove: Variety Playhouse

– Zac Brown Band: Philips Arena

Atlantic City:

– B.B. King: Harrah’s Atlantic City

– Maroon 5: House of Blues

– Sarah McLachlan: Caesars Atlantic City

Aspen:

– Jane’s Addiction: Belly Up

Athens, GA:

– The Glitch Mob: New Earth Music Hall

– of Montreal: 40 Watt Club

Austin:

– Adolescents: Red 7

– Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Grupo Fantasma: La Zona Rosa

– Cake: Austin Music Hall

– N.A.S.A., Ladytron: Seaholm Power Plant

– The Sword: The Mohawk

Boston:

– Bettye LaVette: First Night Boston–Copley Square

– Cass McCombs: The Modern

– Dean & Britta, Nina Nastasia: Paramount Center

– moe.: House of Blues

– Soulive: Paradise Rock Club

– Third Eye Blind: Wilbur Theatre

Boulder:

– Crystal Castles, The Chain Gang of 1974: Boulder Theater

Dallas:

– Ghostland Observatory: Plaza of the Americas

– Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights: Granada Theater

– Old 97′s: House of Blues

Denver:

– Big Head Todd and The Monsters: Paramount Theatre

– Impact NYE (EOTO, Dieselboy, Freddy Todd): City Hall Events Center

– Nosaj Thing: Casselman’s

– Railroad Earth, Great American Taxi: Ogden Theatre

– STS9, Tipper: The Fillmore Auditorium

– Widespread Panic, G. Love & Special Sauce: Pepsi Center

Dublin, Ireland:

– Les Savy Fav: The Button Factory

Edmonton, AB:

– deadmau5: Shaw Conference Centre

Houston:

– Warpaint: Ground Hall

Las Vegas:

– 30 Seconds To Mars: Pearl Concert Theater

– Erick Morillo: Marquee Nightclub

– Jamie Lidell: Book & Stage – The Cosmopolitan

– Jay-Z, Coldplay: Cosmopolitan

– Paul Oakenfold, LMAFO: Palms Hotel & Casino

– Pitbull: House of Blues

– Santana: The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel

Louisville, KY:

– The Pass: Headliners Music Hall

Miami:

– Nicki Minaj: The Mansion

– Tiësto: Fontainebleau Resort

– Usher, Trey Songz: American Airlines Arena

Milwaukee:

– Girl Talk: The Rave

– The Hold Steady: Riverside Theater

Minneapolis:

– Brother Ali, The Hood Internet: Marriott City Center Grand Ballroom

New Orleans:

– Better Than Ezra: House of Blues

– Bonerama: 12 Bar on Fulton Street

– Galactic, Tea Leaf Green: Tipitina’s Uptown

– Tab Benoit: Mid City Lanes “Rock ‘N’ Bowl”

Oakland:

– Primus, The Dead Kenny Gs, Les Claypool: Fox Theater

Oklahoma City:

– The Flaming Lips performing The Soft Bulletin: Cox Convention Center

Philadelphia:

– Dada: North Star

– Lotus: Electric Factory

– Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue: World Cafe

Portland, OR:

– Crooked Fingers, Heligoats: Bunk Bar

– The Helio Sequence, Ramona Falls: Mississippi Studios

– Japanther: Artistery

– Langhorne Slim: Mission Theater

– Lazer Sword, Eliot Lipp: Branx

– The Shaky Hands: Backspace

Rome, Italy:

– Aphex Twin: Palazzo dei Congressi

San Diego:

– Crocodiles: Soda Bar

– Designer Drugs: Voyeur

– Dirty South: 4th & B

San Francisco:

– The Dresden Dolls, Pomplamoose: The Warfield

– Furthur, Phil Lesh: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

– The Growlers: Hemlock Tavern

– John Lee Hooker Jr.: Biscuits and Blues

– Mike Posner: The Regency Ballroom

– Sea of Dreams (Thievery Corporation, Balkan Beat Box, Modeselektor, Beats Antique): Concourse Exhibition Center

– The Slackers: Great American Music Hall

– Steve Aoki: Fort Mason Festival Pavillion

Seattle:

– AC Slater: King Cat Theatre

– Lissie: Snoqualmie Casino

– Reverend Horton Heat, The Dwarves: El Corazon

– Z-Trip: Cirque Event Center

St. Louis, MO:

– The Crystal Method: Nightclub Europe

– Yonder Mountain String Band: The Pageant

St. Petersburg, FL:

– Cope: The Local 662

– Dead Kennedys: State Theatre

Washington, DC:

– Gogol Bordello: 9:30 Club

We could sit here and reminisce on everything of prominence over the past 365 days, and all of you gracious readers that strapped us into the #1 Music Blog position on About.com could bask in nostalgia’s glorious sun shower. In the essence of practicality, while revisiting landmark albums like Exile On Main St. and Pretty Hate Machine, dismantling Consequence of Kanye at the culmination of his Dark Twisted Fantasy, and doling out five stars to Arcade Fire, we had the chance to compile this lovely Top 100 list for your critiquing and commenting pleasure.

This is the cream of the crop from all walks of genre, sub-genre, and fused genres alike. This is the definitive mark, two-thousand-ten’s best album releases, summarily graphed — and generously bled for — by your favorite Web site’s dedicated writers and contributors. So much has happened in such a minute expanse of time, we could not feasibly compress it all into a single article, but nonetheless, here lies the certifiable superlative one-off for 12 months’ worth of music.

[cue the confetti strands and silly string]

Significant moments leave a deep impact during December; we start wondering if things were given due justice. Questions arise as to why certain obligations might have been neglected (did you listen to even half of the albums on our list yet?). Perhaps many will silently renew devotions for the sake of a new year. Personally, I try not to guilt myself too harshly; After all, humans are imperfect creatures. Forget about making some last-minute proclamation of weight-loss goals and nicotine withdrawals. Why not focus on enjoying that year-end martini? If you want to lose pounds or finish your novel, do it for your own reasons, not because it’s the standard.

Make 2011 a time of positive build, not redundant letdown. Other usual goal selections are still worthy causes, but nothing is ironclad. If another passing birthday has taught me anything, it is that life is too short to bitch and moan. Think of the positives instead of the negatives, and you will find that the music sounds much sweeter than it did. The rose tint is absent, the naggers are quieted — What remains is the soothing remedy of a happy medium, the way it makes sense for you.

Welcome to the end of 2010 — May your resolutions be fruitful, may your Armageddon be swift, and may your record collection exponentially grow in value. May Chinese Democracy be your how-to guide for overhype. May the last lone Walkman live long and prosper. And may your iTunes gift card see plenty of use.

In bowing out, we implore you… pop the Scroll Lock from your keyboard — it’s obsolete now.

-David Buchanan
Senior Staff Writer

100. Black Label Society – Order of the Black

Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde have both released albums this year: the former’s Scream, the latter’s latest Black Label Society disc, Order of the Black. While Scream seems to have fallen from grace (despite being entertaining enough), Black Label Society have risen from the grave. With old school rising to the nth degree, Order of the Black is definitely one of the best heavy metal albums all year. Is it favoritism if Wylde shares a birthday with my daughter? -David Buchanan

99. Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo

High school must have been a trip for this fresh-out-the-suburbs band that only recently graduated. Following in the ’60s-recalling footsteps of fellow indie poppers MGMT, Avi Buffalo’s self-titled debut gives us innocence on mushrooms, and plays like their own personal summer of love. “Truth Sets In” and “Five Little Shits” show the craftsmanship behind the music is top-notch. Noodly guitars form flower-child pop rock with forays into folk and country as on “One Last”. The lyrics may be a little high school, but Avi Buffalo write music like pros. The guitar work alone sounds 20 years older, as they work through one sunny jam after another. Avi Buffalo couldn’t have come at a better time, what with so many throwback rock bands making their mark in the past year. While timing is everything, so is having a solid record where every track stands out. With an album like this, it sounds like the next generation will be all right. -E.N. May

98. The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang

Nowadays, rock and roll music is married to a lot of different genres, be it rap, pop, various forms of world music, etc. Rare is the truly good album that is just plain rock and roll. However, The Gaslight Anthem proved rock can still just be rock, with the down-on-their-luck punk rock of American Slang. Pain and frustration roar through the speakers, all on the backs of big, booming guitar and tight-as-it-comes drumming. The album showed that while rock music is drifting further away from its glory days, there’s still tons of room for the good, old-fashioned stuff. -Chris Coplan

97. Caribou — Swim

When an artist makes a turn towards pop, one wonders whether the artist has actually improved or simply tricked the listener into accepting the music. I wondered this after hearing Merriweather Post Pavilion and The Suburbs, but 48 listens later each, I’m pretty sure those are both still good albums. Like, 90 percent sure, but I didn’t need to be converted. Caribou sparked these same questions for me with Swim, and going with my instinct was the right choice. It’s hard to put this down, as they used to say when albums were physical objects. Even if you’re not on drugs, Swim will make you feel like you are. It’s not just for dance music junkies though — Caribou has much more to offer than a beat and some synth fiddling. -Harry Painter

96. Tokyo Police Club – Champ

After a somewhat disappointing debut LP in Elephant Shell, which failed to capture the spark of their A Lesson in Crime EP, Tokyo Police Club returned in 2010 with Champ. Like its name would suggest, the album feels triumphant in that it reintegrates that catchy vibe and also sees the band expand their lyrical concepts by adding a dash of worldly cynicism and diversifying their sonic output with lots of effects and improved instrumentation. Consider this the band’s musical equivalent of Rocky making it to the top of the stairs. -Chris Coplan

95. Mike Patton – Mondo Cane

Mondo Cane in one sentence: Mr. Bungle meets ’50s Italian pop with a backing orchestra. Seriously, it’s Mike Patton! Weird is not his calling card — it’s his genetic makeup, and I look forward to more operatic productions in the future. At the very least, a Mr. Bungle reunion? Pretty please? -David Buchanan

94. Cotton Jones – Tall Hours in the Glowstream

Not many records do an artist’s influences perfect justice, creating something strangely fresh without sounding like imitation. But Tall Hours in the Glowstream, Michael Nau’s dreamed out, smoky, hazy exploration of country’s golden age, is exhilarating in both its authenticity and dreamy beauty. -Drew Litowitz

93. Laurie Anderson - Homeland

Homeland is a sprawling and desolate quasi-sequel to Laurie Anderson’s first breakthrough 1984 performance piece, United States Live. This revisiting of America rides on the back of economic desperation, global unrest, and the new electronic reality. It’s a fascinating and haunting perspective on our day and age, from America’s greatest performance artist. -Cap Blackard

92. Weezer – Hurley

On Weezer’s eighth full-length album, Hurley, the band did what they do best; they made a Weezer album. And as always, Rivers Cuomo kept it close to the heart. He and the guys rehashed the glory days “back when Audioslave was Rage” on the Jackass sing-along “Memories”. Rivers kept the power pop Weezer alive too, with “Ruling Me” and “Hang On”, but also wrote some personal and emotional songs like “Trainwrecks” and “Time Flies”. No matter how many releases they have, Weezer showed us that all they will do is rock. At least as long as they have the limbs to do it. -Ted Maider

91. The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night

Shoegaze and ’70s AOR make for a strange combination, but together they make The Besnard Lakes‘ sophomore LP, The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, which sees the band continue to sharpen their sound with lush, slow-burning jams. Jace Lacek’s classic guitar work and resonant voice fit perfectly with Olga Goreas’ acidy soprano. Turn it up, bang your head, and vibe out. -Jeremy Larson

90. Antony and the Johnsons – Swanlights

More a step sideways than a step backwards, the new album by Antony and the Johnsons doesn’t quite reach as many high points as his previous two albums, but it doesn’t have many low points either. It’s another very solid effort from one of the most unique voices in modern music. Adding more guitar-based songs gives this album a wider palate than before, but the highlights are still Antony and his piano. His voice, like always, is the main attraction, and his lyrics are just as affecting as ever. The centerpiece of the album is the title track, a mysteriously sprawling song that is simultaneously one of the strangest songs Antony has ever produced and also one of his best. If his self-titled effort was an introduction, I Am a Bird Now was his breakthrough masterpiece, and The Crying Light was the solid followup to a near perfect album, then Swanlights proves that Antony is here to stay. -Carson O’Shoney

89. Los Campesinos! – Romance is Boring

Singer Gareth Campesinos! wants to talk to you about sex. And death. And fighting. And football. And everything in between. Seems like a lot of material to shove into one album, right? Yet, not only does Romance is Boring cover all of this and more, it does so in a dramatic, sarcastic, and anthemic fashion. The sprawling, 15-song effort is full of tasty moments to digest over multiple listens. The band covers sparse arrangements, noise rock, and even what the casual observer may call a hit song. Numbers like the title track, “There Are Listed Buildings”, and “Straight in at 101” are certainly highlights, but this is a record you should hear from beginning to end. Romance may be boring, but Los Campesinos! is anything but dull. -Joe Marvilli

88. El Guincho – Pop Negro

The man who has been hailed the “Panda Bear of Spain” followed up his immensely successful sophomore album, Alegranza!, with yet another album of his curiously eccentric brand of pop music. Although this release did not receive the same acclaim as its predecessor, it was, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable pop albums of the year. Opening track “Bombay” proved not only to be perhaps the sunniest, most memorable track on the album, but also provided one of the coolest videos of the year. El Guincho stayed true to form on Pop Negro, losing absolutely no integrity, having instead created yet another enjoyable work from his zany imagination. Spanish speaker or not, everyone will be able to understand the obvious musical prowess showcased on this album. -Winston Robbins

87. The Thermals – Personal Life

It ain’t easy squeezing a respectable catalog out of three chords. Few bands do it well, but The Thermals have thankfully stepped up to join the ranks of artists like The Bouncing Souls and Bad Religion as the modern day torch carriers of power punk. Unlike their earlier work, Personal Life displays more new wave tendencies, with lovelorn, bass-heavy tracks like “Only for You” and “Never Listen to Me” owing more to The Cars than The Germs. But mellowed out or not, 10 perfect songs in under 35 minutes is an equation that can’t be beat, even by their younger, rabble-rousing selves. -Dan Caffrey

86. Interpol - Interpol

Even though Carlos D was in the studio for Interpol‘s fourth go-round, the self-titled LP will always be associated with the visible bassist’s departure soon after its release. This is not completely unfair; If it weren’t for Paul Banks’ distinctive monotone, it would be hard to recognize this as an Interpol album. True, it’s not the Interpol we remember and expect, and it’s no Turn on the Bright Lights. But, my, did this LP not deserve to be ignored the way it was. This is more an album of scattered standout moments than one of constant pop perfection, but given repeat listens, those standout moments are worth the time. It’s hard to give Interpol the benefit of the doubt at this point, but here’s hoping the future improves for the New Yorkers. -Harry Painter

85. Four Tet – There Is Love in You

It turns out that 2010 was an amazing year for emotional, powerful electronic music, but none is more emotionally strong than Four Tet‘s There Is Love in You. It’s a powerful album where a baby’s heartbeat is turned into an actual beat. The vocals, the beats, the atmosphere — it’s all beautiful. -Evan Minsker

84. Delorean – Subiza

Spanish quartet Delorean know what they’re doing. Subiza offers layer upon layer of samples, synths, and catchy melodies that result in an uplifting, atmospheric album sure to have your toes tapping. Repeated, airy vocals entrance the listener and add even more depth to the already complex and varied soundscape. The album plays like a DJ set, songs flowing in and out of one another, keeping true to the band’s Balearic roots. Animal Collective references aside, Delorean has forged a home in today’s overpopulated realm of electronic pop music. Whether it’s the ,majestic single “Stay Close” or “Warmer Places”, with its anthemic repetition of “Never settle, never settle, never settle”, Subiza does no wrong. -Caitlin Meyer

83. Pete Yorn - Pete Yorn

Before the drowsy acoustics of 2009′s Back and Fourth and a bubbly collaboration with Scarlett Johansson, Pete Yorn was roughing it up in the garage with producer Frank Blank. At the Pixies frontman’s behest, Yorn swiftly recorded his eventual sixth album in 2008, giving his usual classic rock stylings a newfound sawtooth urgency. Pete Yorn‘s first half is pared down to nothing but crunchy distortion, with power pop nuggets like “Velcro Shoes” and “Badman” recalling a scrappier T. Rex, while the more jangled second half pays tribute to R.E.M. and Big Star. “Come on wheels, take this boy away,” he croons in the twangy closing track. As long as it’s back to where he started, we’ll all be in good shape. -Dan Caffrey

82. Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM

Inspired by Charlotte Gainsbourg’s brush with death and subsequent time spent in an MRI scanner, IRM reveals Gainsbourg’s continued evolution and maturation as a singer. Through producer and co-writer Beck’s diverse instrumentation which ran the gamut between lush and minimalist, Gainsbourg’s distant, barely there whisper offers the occasional peek behind her mystique. The collaboration between Gainsbourg and Beck is a match made in heaven, with both artists bringing the best out of each other. Who else but Beck could replicate the pulsating rhythm and sense of claustrophobia produced by the machine, and turn it into such captivating music? IRM is two artists nearing 40 exploring and reflecting upon death, and the result is the best Beck album since Sea Change. -Frank Mojica

81. Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love

A new Belle & Sebastian album is a welcome outcome in itself; Such is the band’s track record. This latest offering doesn’t disappoint, but requires repeat plays to really sink in. Once there, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that B&S have delivered yet another first-class pop album — bright, breezy and accomplished, both vocally and in the tight, rich ensemble instrumentation. -Tony Hardy

80. Damien Jurado – Saint Bartlett

On his ninth LP, the grossly undervalued alt-folk lion continues his decades-long odyssey into the broken heart of America, working with friend and producer Richard Swift to deliver a collection steeped in vintage sounds and ideas. Damien Jurado‘s work on Saint Bartlett is timeless and penetrating, at once a sonic nod to mid-century production techniques and a reminder of the importance of storytelling in an age that increasingly has little appetite for nuance and reflection. Indeed, his thoughtful, literary tales and troubled, but familiar characters have never seemed so vital. -Ryan Burleson

79. Wild Nothing – Gemini

Upon listening to “Summer Holiday”, the first single from Wild Nothing’s debut full-length Gemini, it would be too easy to lump the band and its principal actor Jack Tatum in with other bands currently feeding on ’80s nostalgia pop, like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. In fact, tracks like “O, Lilac” do sound as if they came out of the Pains’ playbook. However, the album as a whole is a bit more diverse. Not simply relying on fuzzy tones or shrilly synths as a crutch, Wild Nothing also owe something to early ’90s indie pop for its sound. The more I listened to Gemini, the more I also heard elements of the Drop Nineteens and the Swirlies (or other bands from the early SpinArt roster), especially in the way Tatum plays his guitar. Everything is utilized loosely to help highlight the wistful haze surrounding Wild Nothing’s particular approach to dream pop. The carefree jangle theand gorgeous vocal harmony on “Our Composition Book” is like Galaxy 500 on caffeine. “Bored Games” has an underlying dance beat that is akin to some of the sounds found with IDM artists on Ghostly International, and “Chinatown” is simply a strong pop song oozing with dreaminess. -Len Comaratta

78. Fang Island – Fang Island

Give credit to these punks. They’re punks in the true sense because their style and sound is something at odds with the status quo. The frugality that 2010 favors in its music is laughed at by Fang Island’s three part guitar harmonies and the band’s exuberant vocal power. Their sound is that of a band incubating until they someday find themselves in a stadium or an arena. You’d be hard-pressed not to have people tell you it’s prog, but underneath there’s a rich cushion of the history of rock, metal, and strong arena melodies. In other words, they make what they do sound authentic — the highest form of currency in 21st century music listening. -Jeremy Larson

77. The Drums – The Drums

If there was a perfect pop album from cover to cover this year, a strong argument could be made for the Drums‘ self-titled full-length. Coming off the success of 2009’s Summertime EP, the Drums returned with a strong, vibrant album that captured elements of ’60s pop melodies and blended them with the jaded post-punk/new wave attitude of many U.K. bands from the late ’70s. The full-length featured a few repeats from the 2009 EP, including a re-recording of “Let’s Go Surfing”, the hot single that started it all; But newer tracks like “Forever and Ever Amen” and “Best Friend” demonstrate that the band has for-real potential. Their look and sound is vintage U.K. new wave and if they were to be subjected to a time machine accident dumping them out on the streets of post-Punk Revolution London or Glasgow, nobody would bat an eye. With that in mind, the Drums are in no way derivative and they do for the pop sounds of the era what bands like Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand did for the post-punk/dance punk sounds of bands like Gang of Four and Wire. -Len Comaratta

76. of Montreal – False Priest

Coming off their proggiest album, 2008′s Skeletal Lamping, of Montreal could have gone any direction with this release. Fans and critics alike criticized Skeletal for being too nonsensical and tough to grasp, which are spot on analyses. Fortunately, of Montreal stuck to their guns for False Priest, expertly cranking out infectious psych-pop. But, of course, in true of Montreal fashion, the sound of the music did not remain static. This album incorporated the usual Prince/David Bowie influences, but also a largely unexplored territory for the psych-rockers: R&B. Citing Stevie Wonder as a major influence for the record, front man Kevin Barnes deliberately included appearances from longtime friend and psych R&B darling Janelle Monáe, as well as Solange Knowles, the younger sister of pop enigma Beyoncé. In the end, the record wasn’t their strongest, but it was a return to the youthful, lovable of Montreal we’ve all become so enamored with. -Winston Robbins

75. My Chemical Romance – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

My Chemical Romance made its name on vampire songs and screamy music for sad kids. This will only take you so far in terms of earning critical respect, though. They followed up 2006′s heavy-handed concept album The Black Parade with 2010′s Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. This is another concept album, to be sure, but it’s one that rings true and doesn’t overwhelm the music. The album takes us through a radio show piloted by pirate DJ Dr. Death through a post-apocalyptic wasteland controlled by a mysterious corporate behemoth. Luckily, alter-egos the Killjoys are on the loose, providing us with death-defying escapades, corporate defiance, and, of course, some of MCR’s best music to date. It’s still guided by Gerard Way’s snarly, self-indulgent punk vocals, but this time, they’re layered over the top of some solid rock music. Danger Days takes the best of MCR’s skill set and combines it with incredibly listenable, textured rock tunes that will lend MCR some much-needed cultural relevance for many years to come. -Megan Ritt

74. School of Seven Bells – Disconnect from Desire

For School of Seven Bells, creating atmosphere is what it’s all about. On their second album, they do more than succeed at that lofty goal. Each track transports you to a new location, one that’s different, yet still familiar. It turns from the high-pitched, rhythmic vocals of “Windstorm” to the rave-inducing “Dust Devil” and back to shoegaze without any jarring transitions. The duel vocals of twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza move between angelic and haunting within the same song. Meanwhile, guitarist Benjamin Curtis brings up a whole array of effects that he masterfully uses to his advantage. My recommendation? Lie back, close your eyes, and lose yourself in this album. You won’t regret it. -Joe Marvilli

73. Goldfrapp – Head First

These days, there are a ton of bands who readily make use of the musical cash cow that is the 1980s. However, none do it as skillfully as Goldfrapp on their fifth LP, Head First. Full of shiny synths, melodies like sweet ear candy, and coming off like ABBA meeting Olivia Newton-John on some glorious dancefloor in paradise, the album is everything most people loved about the ’80s with an update, thanks to some kicking house and dance music. Plus, you don’t have to wear shoulder pads or neon to enjoy it. -Chris Coplan

72. Miniature Tigers – F O R T R E S S

It was going to be hard to top Tell It to the Volcano, but Miniature Tigers did just that on the followup to their 2008 debut LP. F O R T R E S S was greatly overshadowed by the hype surrounding Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs (which was released a week later), but music fans who overlooked this album missed one of 2010’s brightest nuggets of precision-crafted pop and a timeless collection of songs that our own E.N. May called “so close to perfect, it hurts.” -Ray Roa

71. GAYNGS – Relayted

GAYNGS’ debut LP led to The Purple One attending (and almost playing at) their first show ever, but what Relayted really accomplished was giving us something to chill to without having to call it “chillwave.” Filled with bowel-shaking low end and airy vocals, the 11-track effort from this super collective – which features members of Bon Iver, Megafun, and Solid-Gold – was surely the soundtrack to many a joint-smoking session. -Ray Roa

70. PS I Love You – Meet Me at the Muster Station

PS I Love You‘s album was a pleasant surprise this year — a rock ‘n’ roll record without pretensions or frills from a band who broke through with one single. Paul Saulnier churns out some instant hits here: “Facelove”, “Breadends”, and the title track all come to mind. Killer rock, no gimmicks. -Evan Minsker

69. Revere – Hey Selim!

Revere is an eight-piece London outfit that skilfully blends rock and orchestral instrumentation to create a lush and majestic sound. This fusion, attached to some great songs and an expressive lead vocal, is an explosive mix. This debut album provides a glimpse of the intensity of the band’s live performances through epic songs like “The Escape Artist”. The group is still relatively unknown outside the U.K., but the impact of this album has already led to an invitation to SXSW in 2011. -Tony Hardy

68. Rufus Wainwright – All Days Are Night: Songs for Lulu

All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu finds Rufus Wainwright in an intense place, both musically and personally, as the album was written as his beloved mother succumbed to cancer. This album, full of love songs to the dark muse, represents a major evolution for the songwriter. He’s dark without being morose (“Zebulon”, “What Would I Ever Do with a Rose”), he’s heartbreakingly earnest (“Martha”), and respectably well-read (“A Woman’s Face”, “Shame”, and “When Most I Wink”, all adaptations of Shakespearean sonnets). The resulting album — performed on tour in a grand, uninterrupted song cycle — is a moving collection of 12 tracks that represents some of Wainwright’s most well-composed and executed work to date, music to be remembered by. -Megan Ritt

67. Liars – Sisterworld

This dank, echoing gem of an album accomplishes something I didn’t think possible: It comes close to the glory that was Drum’s Not Dead. And Liars achieve greatness on Sisterworld with string arrangements as they did on Drum’s with feedback. Angus Andrew, Aaron Hemphill, and Julian Gross masterfully produce dark, powerful rock without delving into the overt theatrics of metal or the macabre-for-the-sake-of-it aesthetics of goth material. The disc plays out like the soundtrack to an expressionist horror film yet to come. Not the slasher “he’s right behind you!” type, but the eerie, “what’s going on here” type. -Adam Kivel

66. Torche - Songs for Singles EP

If Mastodon has its passion for epic themes, and ISIS was Tool with a twist, Torche is most likely a candidate for the second coming of Kyuss and Beaver. Strapped with a wall of stoner metal fuzz, ethereal vocals, and a drummer on speed, 2010′s Songs for Singles EP keeps up the tradition of ’08′s Meanderthal — short bursts of Torche awesomeness that leave ringing in your ears. -David Buchanan

65. Everybody Was In The French Resistance… Now! - Fixin’ the Charts, Volume 1

Known for his work with Art Brut, Eddie Argos combined forces with his girlfriend, Blood Arm member Dyan Valdes, and came up with a unique concept for an album: make responses to famous pop songs. Whether it’s telling Bob Dylan that ex-girlfriends should think twice or playing the part of Billy Jean’s bastard son, Argos and Valdes crafted a concept album that isn’t weighed down by its concept, instead being free to be smart and funny and appealing without being overly cerebral. Pop music ain’t perfect, but they’re the best maintenance team we could ask for. -Chris Coplan

64. These New Puritans – Hidden

Tighter around the frame than its predecessor, mixing elements from trip-hop, theatrical music, jaunty keyboard, and avant-garde, Hidden is what future critics will undoubtedly label as These New Puritans‘ 2010 magnum opus. Regardless of who is right or wrong, this Immediate Music meets Interpol for the Dead Man’s Bones fans (the handful left) will stay stuck to your brain, sobriety be damned. -David Buchanan

63. Cee-Lo Green – The Lady Killer

Known for being a member of Atlanta-based rap group Goodie Mob, Cee-Lo Green returned with his third solo album like he was the blaxploitation version of James Bond. The Lady Killer was drenched in the sounds of soul, R&B, and top-40 radio from the ’70s, every song about being done wrong by a she-devil. With a voice to match, Green demolished a lot of preconceived notions and forged himself an album of the best vintage sounds he could cull, and that’s as one-of-a-kind as the introverted and bombastic singer himself. In a phrase, he killed it. -Chris Coplan

62. The Chemical Brothers – Further

The Chemical Brothers‘ seventh studio album holds a special place in the electronic genre. With the romantic swirl of “Snow” and “Escape Velocity” giving way to the soaring highs of “K+D+B” and “Wonders of the Deep”, the Brothers Chemical showed on Further that electronic music can be cool, slick, technical, danceable — and most importantly — emotional, moving, even almost religious. The results are an endlessly listenable album that transports the audience to a higher place. -Megan Ritt

61. The Walkmen – Lisbon

Lisbon plays out like the music a civil war-era punk band might conjure up, if time, technology, and knowledge permitted. With click-clacking trashcan drums, minimally vintage electric guitar, occasional strings, lush brass, and, of course, Hamilton Leithauser’s reedy howl, Lisbon takes The Walkmen sound deeper into the past. By imitating the sounds of yesteryear with contemporary instrumentation, Lisbon sounds like something entirely new. -Drew Litowitz

60. Ryan Adams – Cardinals III/IV

In a year where Ryan Adams released a bunch of crappy demos and a metal album, the realization of the long-awaited Cardinals III/IV was a sight for sore ears. While Adams’ journey into the mythology of metal was a fun distraction, this two-disc album demonstrates what Adams does best: He makes rocking, folksy music with a down-home appeal and lots of deviation and experimentation, songs that, at their core, are universal and eat their way into your bloodstream. It’s good to have you back, Mr. Adams. -Chris Coplan

59. Avey Tare – Down There

In 2010, Camp Animal Collective has been the fodder for the TMZ of indie rock, with every critic and fan pouring over relationship updates (Is Deakin back in the band?),and impatiently waiting for a sequel to the surefire decade list-topper Merriweather Post Pavilion. Meanwhile, Avey Tare (Dave Portner) quietly released this slightly minimal album of electronic textures, full of repetitive journeys through the aural equivalent of a hellish swamp. The dark vibes on Down There were inspired by dark times (his sister’s cancer scare, family deaths), but there’s also a joyful release to the mournful music, like a tripped-out New Orleans funeral march. We’re still impatiently waiting, but this is one hell of a holdover. -Ryan Reed

58. Peter Gabriel – Scratch My Back

Cover albums are often forgettable or regrettable, but when a massively influential artist like Peter Gabriel steps up to the task of reimagining some of his favorite songs, the result is nothing short of amazing. The music is simple, somber, and stripped of any bells and whistles, leaving only raw intentions, pure lyrics, and Gabriel’s passionate voice. This collection of tracks, culled from everyone from Paul Simon to Radiohead, are laid bare, exposing just what makes the originals beautiful and brilliant while lifting them up to an emotional catharsis they may have never intended to go to. What’s more, Scratch My Back is part of a double-album concept in which the artists Gabriel covers return the favor by covering him. If the moons align, the reciprocal follow-up compilation, I’ll Scratch Yours will be out next year. -Cap Blackard

57. The Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme

Hailing from Sweden, relative unknowns (except to a very small, devout following) The Radio Dept. have kept a low profile for the majority of their career, which began back in 1998. And that’s where they’d like to stay, I believe. Does that mean they have to make bad music to stay out of the eye of the masses? Absolutely not. They have released dozens and dozens of tracks that are as solid as any indie pop out there, only they haven’t marketed the music to those selfsame masses. Due to very minimal touring and virtually no deliberate public accolades, The Radio Dept. has remained relatively low key. Clinging to a Scheme is their third official studio album, but was the first heard for many individuals. The album is a testament to a band who has honed in on their craft and made it everything it can/should be. Don’t be surprised if The Radio Dept. continues to release good music, but also don’t be surprised if Scheme becomes their magnum opus. The perfectly placed vocal samples, the wonderfully ethereal musicianship, and the pop mastery are hard not to like, and make for The Radio Dept.’s most polished work. -Winston Robbins

56. The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack‘s opening track “C’mon” coaxes listeners to sing along and dance — and with the band’s straightforward, high energy, ridiculously catchy brand of punk rock, they don’t have to try too hard. The simplicity of The Soft Pack‘s sharp lo-fi is what makes their music so charming; You know all of the lyrics to the choruses halfway through the songs, and can’t help but sing along. The album is reminiscent of a night of drunken debauchery with its rapid tempo, atonal vocals and, honestly, endless fun. There’s no profundity in the lyrics, no pretension in the instrumentation. The Soft Pack isn’t out there to hide meaning in their songs, they’re there to make you dance. This honesty and straightforward approach is refreshing, and the result is a downright addictive 30 minutes of punk bliss. -Caitlin Meyer

55. Menomena – Mines

On their fourth release, Menomena take everything that worked so well on Friend or Foe standouts like “Muscle and Flow” and spread it all over the place. The Portland, OR trio’s homebrewed approach to music-making can be heard in the playfully layered loops of spontaneous riffs and bangs on tracks like “Tithe” and “Oh Pretty Boy, You’re Such a Big Boy”. Mines gets haunting on “Dirty Cartoons” and “Killemall”, while bringing elaborate rock on “TAOS.” One of their best to date, Brent Knopf and crew have created an accessible record that stays unabashedly unconventional. -Ben Kaye

54. B.o.B – The Adventures of Bobby Ray

B.o.B had some serious all-star power behind his highly anticipated and fulfilling debut. Hayley Williams, Eminem, Bruno Mars, Rivers Cuomo, and more helped make B.o.B’s dreams come true with one of the best albums of the year. It was a big year for hip-hop, and this album stands as one of the best. The hit single “Airplanes” was everywhere this summer, and “Nothin’ on You” featuring Bruno Mars netted a Grammy nomination. B.o.B shows all of his talents on this album and his vocals are just as good as his raps. The Adventures of Bobby Ray is as entertaining as it is impressive and proved that it was highly worth the wait. -Kevin Barber

53. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding

Waiting nine years between albums is a potentially lethal move. But for indie royalty Superchunk, their unique blend of boyish ache and super sweet chops proved that time means nothing when you’ve still got something to say. Despite being in their 40′s, the guys and gal of Superchunk prove on Majesty Shredding that their nervous, awkward ways can still translate into relatable, rocking songs that transcend any generational gap. The album’s so good, we’d consider waiting another decade for the next one if necessary. -Chris Coplan

52. Phosphorescent – Here’s to Taking It Easy

Phosphorescent‘s last album was a full-length of Willie Nelson covers, so it was relieving to discover Matt Houck and company still had the goods on Here’s to Taking it Easy. His fifth album may be so refreshing because his company is more stable this time around. As Philip Cosores pointed out, it’s Houck’s first time recording an album with a traditional band, and this is reflected in the sound. It feels like we’re experiencing an assault of alt country and folk rock, but Phosphorescent has been under the radar for too long and this record would shine in any era. -Harry Painter

51. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

This record is a paradigm of artistic collaboration, with the band members sharing creative duties on nearly every aspect of its formation. The resulting indie smorgasbord is alive with ethereal tones and charging rhythms that expose impressive craft for a young debut. Simply masterful harmonies reflect on lost family members and European excursions from an almost Keatsian perspective. Gorilla Manor reveals a group so talented and thoughtful, you’ll wish you’d spent time in the house of the title, waxing poetic about past loves and future possibilities. -Ben Kaye

50. Hans Zimmer & Johnny Marr – Inception: Original Motion Picture Score

Equal parts Bernard Hermann and Elliot Goldenthal, Hans Zimmer and Johnny Marr‘s encapsulating score to this summer’s strongest film, Inception, echoes of sleek, silver-lined decadence. From the strictly lucid start (“Half Remembered Dream”) to the heart-thudding finale (“Time”), it’s easy to understand why the film lingers in people’s minds, even five months later. In a recent episode of South Park which parodied Christopher Nolan’s film, one of the characters starts mimicking the score in the corner of a room. It’s an incredibly coarse imitation, but the score’s become so iconic and memorable that it’s impossible to be lost on the joke. That says something. It also means South Park‘s reaching pretty far these days. Sheesh. -Michael Roffman

49. Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone

Mavis Staples‘ album You Are Not Alone, recorded with Jeff Tweedy, is everything it should be — an amazing showcase of both talents. The title track is a gorgeous ballad written by Tweedy and expertly sung by the soul legend. The disc also includes a series of amazing gospel tunes. This is the roots album cure for “too much T-Bone Burnett”-itis, and it’s a pure delight to listen to from front to back. -Evan Minsker

48. Jukebox The Ghost – Everything Under the Sun

Prog rock is a wasteland of complicated musical creations built for boys. However, thanks to the infusion of happy, piano-powered rock and lyrical sentiments about life as a 20-something on Everything Under the Sun, Jukebox the Ghost found an oasis in the grandiose sound for anyone to come and drink of the sweet water of frenetic, overjoyed pop rock. And, oh, how sweet it tasted. -Chris Coplan

47. Frog Eyes – Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph

Paul’s Tomb is the definition of the word epic. Carey Mercer’s already acrobatic, wild voice has an added growl to it, another trick to add to his repertoire. The fuzzed out, clanging guitar that opens the album on “Flower in a Glove” is the standard-bearer of the pomp and destruction within. Drummer Melanie Campbell’s maniacal thumping and guitarist Ryan Beattie’s lightning-bolt stabs lend tracks like the concussive “The Sensitive Girls” and the expansive title track a conquering air. Mercer’s songwriting just keeps getting stronger, tighter, more insular, and more powerful. -Adam Kivel

46. Foals – Total Life Forever

Foals‘ 2008 release, Antidotes, revealed a debut full of rapid percussion, rhythmic guitars, melancholy, and, interestingly enough, an undeniable urge to dance. Two years later, Foals have returned with Total Life Forever, grown and matured. Vocals receive more of a focus in this second outing, and as opposed to competing with entrancing rhythms and guitar, they work together superbly. Furthermore, instead of giving us the beat up front, “Spanish Sahara” and “Blue Blood” make us earn it — and we love every second of it. Sporadic touches of funk bring to life tracks such as “Miami”, the juxtaposition of styles truly allowing both to shine. Each song is markedly different, yet Total Life Forever fits together seamlessly to create a thoroughly engaging, enjoyable record; hopefully this is indicative of future releases from this young band. -Caitlin Meyer

45. Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns

Before its release, Mike Shinoda described A Thousand Suns as genre-busting. It doesn’t quite reach that level, but it does blow away any restraints on what Linkin Park could be. This is not the same band that showed up 10 years ago as part of the nu-metal movement. Instead, A Thousand Suns features a more mature, experimental Linkin Park, one that took the best parts of their first three albums and threw them into a blender with Pro Tools. After two and a half albums of screaming lyrics about his own life, singer Chester Bennington has joined Shinoda in looking outwards. The band really stepped up their game for this one, making a statement loud and clear — they’re going to make the music they want and they’re here to stay. -Joe Marvilli

44. Warpaint – The Fool

Warpaint was subject to some sudden focus this year thanks to the band’s live performances of tracks from its still unreleased debut full-length album, The Fool, so its October release elicited unfounded worries of sucktitude. Needless to say, it did not suck; In fact, it’s safe to say this was the best debut album by an all-female indie rock quartet this year. Heh, kidding. But while Emily Kokal’s voice borders on whiny at times, The Fool is every bit the brooding art rock gem that tourmates The xx’s debut was in 2009, and Warpaint will likely have similar overbearing pressure to follow it up. -Harry Painter

43. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

I Speak Because I Can is a record that impacts immediately, yet has such depth that you grow fonder of it over time. It marks a true coming of age as Laura Marling goes beyond cataloging the trials of young love and speaks maturely as she explores the roles and responsibilities of full womanhood. The quality of the songwriting is astonishing, as traditional folk sensibilities are seamlessly worked into a modern thesis. Musically, the songs are subtly embellished, yet space is left for Marling’s exceptional vocals to rule. -Tony Hardy

42. Wolf Parade – Expo 86

Recently, Wolf Parade concluded a Toronto performance with the announcement of the group’s indefinite hiatus. With the sheer energy and masterful avant-pop of Expo 86, I doubt many people saw it coming. On their latest — and potentially last — outing, Krug, Boeckner, and the rest of the pack have created yet another collection of songs bursting at the seams with the coked out, danceable gloss of glam, the intricate song structures of prog, the quickfire licking of math, and the catchy synths of electro. If they are indeed signing off, they bow out with the utmost grace. -Drew Litowitz

41. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow

To consider an intersection between mathcore, punk, and metal is to define the very essence of “heavy.” Kylesa is a pulsating breed of sophisticated, a haunting juggernaut on the verge of scaring you senseless, and 2010′s Spiral Shadow fleshes them out completely. Think you’ve heard everything? Give standouts like “Drop Out” and the title track a try, and whisper, “There’s no place like home.” -David Buchanan

40. Grinderman – Grinderman 2

Nick Cave has always been a badass. For years now, he has been pumping out dark and terrifying rock, and his new outfit, Grinderman, has continued the assault with reckless abandon. Their sophomore album, Grinderman 2, took a bit of a more psychedelic turn, but still was able to creep you out and make you want to thrash all over the damn place. With strong lead singles “Heathen Child” and “Mickey Mouse and The Good-bye Man”, Grinderman 2 punched you in the throat, picked you up, did it again, and then you still came back and asked for more. As elder statesmen, Cave and his bandmates continue to push forward and keep consistent, where bands half their age falter and stumble under the pressure. -Nick Freed

39. Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame

Dr. Dog is part of the modern cache of bands that have spent quite some time perfecting its craft. What once was a band of dual personalities finally came together on Shame, Shame. Combining the styles of Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman, the album gives the band one sound meshing McMicken’s Beatles style pop rock with Leaman’s bluesy growl. The harmonies are flawless, and the song writing certainly has its moments of genius. This isn’t anything new for Dr. Dog however, this is just how they’ve always make records. -E.N. May

38. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record

Nary a moment of bloat during its 63 minutes, Broken Social Scene’s fourth album is a joyfully poignant, slow-burning collection of indie pop and post-rock anthems. More cohesive and less chaotic than in the past, the Canadian supergroup continues to epitomize the indie rock collective ideal with the special guest-laden Forgiveness Rock Record. It may have been five long years since their last album, but Forgiveness Rock Record was worth the wait. -Frank Mojica

37. No Age – Everything in Between

The duo that is No Age made one of the most sonically interesting records of the year with their third album, Everything in Between. The drumming builds and builds throughout every song, while the guitar work sounds totally unique. The opener, “Life Prowler”, is a fine example, with guitar loops building upon and crushing one another, all as the drums set the mood. There’s also plenty of punk shredding, with tracks like “Fever Dreaming”, “Shred and Transcend” (which comes complete with whaling feedback), and the despair of “Valley Hump Crash”. But at the same time, there is plenty of artistic instrumental work with tracks like the longing “Positive Amputation”, the choppy “Dusted”, and the constant aural change of “Chem Trails”, a finale that will keep this album on your stereo for weeks to come. -Ted Maider

36. Eminem – Recovery

After a couple of confusing and aggravating releases, Eminem returned this year to release Recovery, and the title could not be more fitting. He kicked his drug addictions, ditched the annoying voice impersonations, and put his focus back on creating witty, quick, and hilarious rhymes, all while producing his best album since 2002’s The Eminem Show. The inspiring single “Not Afraid” and the Rihanna featuring “Love the Way You Lie” both spent multiple weeks at number one. Not only did this release bring Marshall Mathers back into the spotlight, it also revitalized a gifted artist who had lost his ways for years. It’s safe to say, Eminem has truly recovered. -Kevin Barber

35. Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing

In the opening moments of Stuck On Nothing, lead singer Paul Sprangers optimistically affirms “we’re gonna start a new life, see how it goes.” It’s a fitting allusion to a new musical beginning for a band that formed out of the ashes of Minneapolis rockers Hockey Night. But if Free Energy is an attempt at rock and roll redemption, it appears, then, that this Philadelphia-based quintet has grabbed their second chance by the horns. Stuck on Nothing offers ten throwback songs of freewheeling 70’s-influenced rock seemingly posed to force its way into the ranks of today’s great bar-rock bands. -Max Blau

34. Owen Pallett – Heartland

Trading the Final Fantasy moniker for his birth name, Owen Pallett has fully come into his own with Heartland. Incredibly intricate string arrangements, dynamic and compelling in their own right, nicely complement Pallett’s vocals, syncopated rhythms and synths bouncing between headphones. All of these result in a beautifully complete, complex album, perhaps Pallett’s most accessible work to date. The album is a story, but also a study in song construction and pop perfection. The masterful “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” epitomizes the strengths of Heartland, with upbeat percussion, full orchestral crescendoing, and a triumphant repetition of “I’m never gonna give it to you”, which, like the rest of the album, keeps toes tapping and humming going for hours after listening. -Caitlin Meyer

33. Jason Boesel – Hustler’s Son

As the drummer for indie rock darling Rilo Kiley, Jason Boesel has spent his time making albums that flirted with a kind of country, folk-y feel. For his debut solo effort, though, Boesel dives head first into the heartache like a modern day Kris Kristofferson or Don Henley, living life in the desert and recounting every painful scar on his acoustic guitar. Jenny Lewis had Johnny, but Boesel’s debut shows there’s life outside RK. -Chris Coplan

32. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks

It’s easy to forget that Ted Leo was once a mainstay of hardcore music. The energy on The Brutalist Bricks reminds us of Leo’s punk past while maintaining the diverse style that’s made him legendary. On the opening track, “The Mighty Sparrow”, Leo declares that he’s “coming to” and, although this track is classic Leo, that is how the remainder of the album feels, like a reawakening. Lately, the vocalist has expressed his frustration with the music industry and, more specifically, his own career. Perhaps that’s where the sense of urgency heard in this album comes from. Regardless of its source, it is certainly welcome. -Michael Cromwell

31. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Fuck the 50 States. The Age of Adz, while not as consistent or unanimously life-altering as 2005′s obvious opus Illinois, is an even more important album for Sufjan Stevens. Side-stepping a musical identity crisis (in which he questioned the entire point of releasing another album), Stevens does the long player another service, indulging up to his eyeballs in auto-tune, analog synths, and a boatload of brass and woodwinds. “Fucking around” never sounded so good. -Ryan Reed

30. OK Go – Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky

With Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, OK Go have become something so much more than Internet video darlings. True, they’re still pulling out all the stops with their visual accompaniment, but musically, they’ve evolved into so much more. Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is pure art rock – fun, soulful, funky, with just enough cynicism to keep things raw. Their matured sound is built on the backs of greats like The Pixies, Talking Heads, and Prince, but ultimately the sound is their own, and OK Go have now joined their ranks. Between the album, the videos, forming their own label, and endless hi-jinks both on the road and at cutting-edge arts festivals, 2010 has proven that OK Go are true musical artists. -Cap Blackard

29. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest

Halcyon Digest isn’t the album Deerhunter will be remembered for—that award goes to 2008′s Microcastle, which immediately usurped its widespread acclaim with bold, surprisingly direct soundscapes and a handful of hooky anthems, downplaying the raw experimentation of their previous work. Halcyon Digest is ultimately more of the same: focused instrumental textures, headphone engulfing production, and occasionally accessible melodies. So while it doesn’t arrive with such a resounding jolt as Microcastle, the quality of the songs proves it to be well more than a step sideways. Working with producer Ben Allen (who helped introduce Animal Collective to this pesky thing called “bass” on Merriweather Post Pavilion), Deerhunter creates a slightly more reserved album, casually revealing its gently crafted charms over time. From the crawling, minimalist psychedelia of opener “Earthquake” to the collage of borderline tribal rhythms in the euphoric closer “He Would Have Laughed” (a dedication to recently deceased comrade Jay Reatard), Halcyon Digest is built for the long haul, their most consistently compelling collection yet. -Ryan Reed

28. The Black Keys – Brothers

Thanks to Brothers, it’s obvious now how much working with Danger Mouse has had an effect on The Black Keys‘ songwriting. Their debut record, The Big Come Up, rose straight from the wax of Junior Kimbrough, weathered and distorted as Dan Auerbach piped his delta blues revival through a beat up bass amp. It’s been a long time since the blues sounded that heavy. That was 2002, and over the past eight years the duo that is The Black Keys have evolved from a two man blues band into a pop rock band with soul. Brothers is the culmination of that evolution, taking what they started with on Attack and Release and finishing it. Now they are as far removed from the garage rock scene as it gets, yet The Black Keys remain exactly who they were from the beginning: a couple of guys obsessed with the blues. From the start, “Everlasting Light” is full of that dug up soul sound, doo-wop back up singers and all. The crunchy guitar and heavy blues riffs remain constant. Added instruments on “The Only One” and “Never Gunna Give You Up” turn The Keys into an R&B band. This move to broaden their sound was exactly what the band needed, and Brothers makes it sound effortless. That’s what made this record great, and it’s what will keep The Black Keys that way into the future. -E.N. May

27. Best Coast – Crazy for You

I saw posters for this album long before I ever heard it, and the artwork made me assume it to be silly. But it’s not silly; It’s sort of joyful in that little kid way that makes you want to color outside the lines. Best Coast combined Kim Deal’s voice and the Beach Boys’ musical chops to create Crazy for You, one of the best half-hours/catchiest indie records of the year. Tracks like “Boyfriend”, “Goodbye”, “Happy”, and “When the Sun Don’t Shine” stick in your brain on repeat with their catchy chords and simple lyrics. It’s fun when it’s easy to sing along. Meanwhile, there are more mood altering numbers, like the longing “Summer Mood”, the grungy snarl of “Bratty B”, and the despair of “Honey”, the longest track on the album, which barely cracks three minutes. If you’re lucky, you got the bonus track, “When I’m With You”, a catchy 50s style tune that will play in your stereo for days. Basically, this album was an enjoyable and simplistic breeze; It lasted a second, but left a positive impression. -Ted Maider

26. Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin

With labels like post-hardcore and art rock attached, you’d expect something loud and stuffy from the likes of Les Savy Fav. However, for the band’s fifth studio album, and the first since 2007′s Let’s Stay Friends, the NYC-based indie rock outfit takes itself less than serious, crafting an album full of sarcasm and a sense of humor. Doing away with a lot of their previous effort’s aims to expand musically, the group have opted instead to make a straight-forward rock album. The record’s comfortable feel stems from the act finally reaching a happy place regarding their sound, free of the demands of innovation and able to truly take advantage of that frenetic, sweaty vibe that hangs over a lot of its live shows. The ragged sensibilities that the band had held on to for much of its existence also seemingly soften, without coming off as the band giving up or losing their edge. And that ain’t no joke. -Chris Coplan

25. Neil Young – Le Noise

In the past 20 years, Neil Young has done work that’s been less than thrilling. There were some total jams on Fork In The Road, but come on, an entire album about an electric car? That’s why Le Noise, Neil’s atmospheric opus helmed by Daniel Lanois, was such a delight. “Walk With Me” and “Hitchhiker” anchor the album with boisterous, barking autobiography. “Angry World” gets into that whole political thing, but this time, it’s not as preachy as it was on Living With War, or in his documentary CSNY: Deja Vu. And to top it all off, Lanois adds this sonic atmosphere that’s absolutely entrancing. It’s one of Young’s best in recent memory and it competes with some of his best from his heyday. -Evan Minsker

24. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

A good portion of listeners who have given Have One on Me a spin have surely given up mid-rotation. A member of this group might be a guy who normally listens to, you know, all the stuff other hip dudes listen to these days — The National, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Kanyizzle. So, as our imaginary hip listener browses the tubes for music news throughout the year, he undoubtedly comes across Joanna Newsom enough times to pique his curiosity — Who the hell is she and what’s so good about her? And what the fuck has she done to deserve a tribute album? Our friend hits up Grooveshark, finds Newsom’s new album, assuming he’ll love it, and after three or four songs, is confused, angry, bored out of his mind, or all three.

It’s not easy music, and there are no easy answers to our hero’s questions. We’re talking about a dolphin-voiced harpist from an inconsequential town in Northern California who has put out three albums of sleepy, almost nauseatingly pretty harp tunes, and this time around she’s given us two hours and 18 tracks that often clock in around 10 minutes (and this is supposed to be her accessible album!). Not exactly a recipe for popular approval, but we’re largely not talking about a work of pop music; We’re talking about a work of anti-pop that makes Björk sound like Britney. This is no criticism of Björk, of course; It’s simply to say that in a still rock-dominated world, Newsom has made it (sort of) big ignoring everything that goes into the conventional rock formula. The result is not something to bob your head to as much as gape in awe at. If Have One on Me is the peak of her creativity, she should not feel shame. -Harry Painter

23. Wavves – King of the Beach

While Astro Coast may have the upperhand thanks to less gimmickry, there’s no denying the fact that the super baked music of Wavves belongs toward the top of the list thanks to one simple fact: it isn’t Wavvves. Unlike the previous LP, and thanks to the inclusion of the former backing band of Jay Reatard, the project of Nathan Williams became more than just a stoner in his basement making the most unrefined, nihilistic fuzz rock; It became a real band. The album saw the addition of more complicated musical constructions, songs with more subtlety, chord progressions, melody, varied speeds, and a range of influences from ska to punk to doo wop, all without losing Wavves’ sense of dread and stripped-to-the-core sound. As a lyricist, in front of new band members Stephen Pope and Billy Hayes, Williams grew by leaps and bounds, leaving behind some of the trademark anti-social tendencies to talk about love and growing up, once again without losing the minimalism the band was known for. No other follow-up album from a band was so vastly different and yet so unbelievably familiar than Wavves’ third offering. Not bad for a guy who was probably stoned out of his gourd 90% of the time. -Chris Coplan

22. Deftones – Diamond Eyes

In 2008, the Deftones had been in the middle of writing Eros, their highly-anticipated follow-up to the underrated experimental album Saturday Night Wrist, when bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a tragic car accident. Eros was halted indefinitely while the band had the difficult decision of what to do next – disband in honor of the critically injured Cheng, or continue doing what they do best: making music. The Deftones ended up soldiering on and recorded Diamond Eyes, and we’re glad they did. The result is one of the best rock albums of the year. From the crunchy, melodic waves of the opening title track and the angry, demanding ride of “Cmnd/Ctrl”, to the intense urgency of “Rocket Skates” and the beautifully written push and pull of “Risk”, there isn’t a weak track to be found. The haunting notes and Chino Moreno’s stirring vocals on the last track “This Place is Death” is the perfect closer to an emotional ride. This album is what the Deftones are all about. It may not be too brave in the sense of musical deviation, but the fact that the Deftones were able to put out such an undeniably solid album in the wake of tragedy shows the band’s braveness in a different way. Cheng would be proud. -Karina Halle

21. Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid

Following up on her initial plans to create a comprehensive piece of work based on her alter ego in a science fiction universe, Janelle Monáe celebrate 2010 with one of the year’s quirkiest and most listen-able albums. Utilizing the friendships she’d made over the past few years (namely Big Boi, Diddy, and of Montreal), Monáe dropped her much anticipated debut, The ArchAndroid, to universal critical praise. Her album sits at the number three position for the year on critical aggregating website metacritic, behind only Bruce Springsteen and Kanye West. Not bad for a debut. But all things considered, it makes absolute sense. Her off-the-wall themes, impressive lyricism, tight musicianship, and even more impressive vocal capability all exceed the mark on this release. What’s more, to do it all on an R&B concept album (very few of those, historically) that can be performed live is more than noteworthy. Her live show (which opened for of Montreal this summer/fall) may be the only thing that exceeds the glory of the studio recording itself. Monáe has always sworn by the free-thinking mentality, and given her successes thus far, the only way up for Miss Monáe is up. It’s a career that we’ll all have our eyes on closely, and we advise you do the same. -Winston Robbins

20. Hot Chip – One Life Stand

Live energy is a powerful ally, but when you can harness that into studio form, it speaks volumes. Hot Chip remains wildly present here on One Life Stand, a record that feels louder, cleaner, and sharper than anything I’ve heard from the band previously. Whether it’s on the discotheque-inspired “We Have Love”, “I Feel Better” meets evangelical “Brothers”, the tongue-in-cheek malaise of “Thieves In The Night”, or the classy jangle of “Hand Me Down Your Love”,  One Life Stand‘s final product feels ready to take on every nightclub in the 50 states, and then some (not to mention the band’s creative lead in music videos to rival OK Go).

Having a lead singer who looks like Wayne Coyne on a techno beat with the classiest lounge/electro band at his side doesn’t hurt, either. -David Buchanan

19. Robyn - Body Talk

It’s easy to give pop music nowadays a bad rap. A lot of it is watered down and derivative, produced as if it were processed by a mainstream Hits Factory. That doesn’t mean, however, that pop music has to be ignored, and we’re not talking about poppy indie music. Yes, uber saccharine, top 40 music can be just as important and vital as any Arcade Fire LP. That is, of course, if and only if it comes from Swedish songbird Robyn. With two releases toward the beginning of the year, the aptly-titled Body Talk Pt. 1 and Body Talk Pt. 2 combined to make Body Talk toward the end of the year, Robyn has made pop music light and airy, full of nymphomaniacal sex appeal, loneliness, and devastation, all with a beat that demands to be moved to. Unlike other pop vixens, the transition from heart-wrenching ballads crying out for a lost love to hyper-sexualized gimmicks involving ripped pantyhose don’t feel quite as artificial. Robyn has mastered the art of being seemingly invulnerable, a disco valkyrie, still damaged and open, picking and choosing moments of depth as she pleases, readily tossing them aside for frivolity at a moment’s notice. There’s a lot, emotionally, throughout the course of the collected songs, but one thing’s for sure: it’s all fucking real. -Chris Coplan

18. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Leftfoot

A lot of things could have happened with Sir Lucious Left Foot:The Son of Chico Dusty. Big Boi could have fallen into the trap of unnecessary, lackluster collaborations with every name in the game. He could have ended up with the auto-tuned, kick drummed, drug-ridden monotony that plagues today’s generic rap. He could have eulogized the Outkast days. None of these scenarios knows Big Boi.

Instead, we’re given “one half of the Outkast return like ghost of Christmas past”, 80′s synths, stellar guest appearances, and an album that is, seriously, so fresh and so clean. His clever verses paired alongside excellent production make you want to put it on repeat for hours at a time. Each song offers something different, keeping Sir Lucious a constantly engaging listening experience. Dancing to “Shutterbugg”, driving to “General Patton” with full bass, going out to “Tangerine” — there’s a little bit of everything and it’s all executed masterfully. Even the questionable components of the album, such as Vonnegutt’s chorus on “Follow Me” or Yelawolf’s appearance on “You Ain’t No DJ” are quickly countered, respectively, by layered, irresistible synths and Big Boi’s refrain and killer beat. For a man who has been in the game for so long, with Sir Lucious Left Foot, Big Boi has once again seduced us with something new and potent. -Caitlin Meyer

17. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening

While it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for James Murphy to top “All My Friends” on any given individual track, he doesn’t have to on This Is Happening. If cohesive albums are the measure, then the third time’s a charm for LCD Soundsystem. The group has demonstrated their versatility throughout their career, ranging from disco-punk to sprawling anthems and everything in between. But This Is Happening brings it all together into one fluid masterpiece. “Dance Yrself Clean” blows the doors open with a dynamic nine-minute entrance, while “Drunk Girls” brashly maintains their sardonic perspective. “I Can Change” showcases LCD Soundsystem at the most sentimental, and “Home” closes shop with Murphy’s nod to The Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)”. LCD Soundsystem has visited all these places at one point or another, but This Is Happening brings it together like never before. -Max Blau

16. Yeasayer – Odd Blood

2010 was a big year for a lot of bands. It was the year to put up or shut up, and for Yeasayer, well, it was us that shut up. Odd Blood is a new beginning for the band, one that scrapped any notion of who they were and shifted the focus to who they could be. It was exciting and very fresh; Peter Gabriel should be proud. They switched from a loser jammy bohemian sound to tightly constructed electro-jams, ditching most of the traditional instruments for computer programs and other electronics. It worked so well, but only because they kept their original essence found on their debut All Hour Cymbals that got them noticed in the first place: a free form feel that, no matter how carefully constructed the song actually may be, the ideas still feel natural and freaky. Chris Keating and Anand Wilder sound amazing on the bohemian disco track “O.N.E”, with Keating, at four and a half minutes in, providing the band’s first big dance hook. The Prince style funk of “Mondegreen” is an energized, sexualized romp with its horn section and sleazy guitar solo. All the tracks are exercises in vocal gymnastics as well, and as we hear on “Madder Red”, they nail every move. It was one of the first hyped records, and now at year’s end, it has more than proven itself worthy of a year’s worth of spins with many more to come. -E.N. May

15. The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards

The Dead Weather‘s followup to their 2009 debut, Horehound, took Jack White and Allison Mosshart’s “Evil Twin” relationship and ramped it up a few notches. If they were a playful duo before, in Sea of Cowards they’re skirting the edges of madness together, egging each other on in a slinky showdown that’s dramatized by the album’s schizophrenic mix of blues, soul, and psychedelic rock. The album kicks off with the throbbing grooves and twang of “Blue Blood Blues”, while White sings “shake your hips like battleships”. The album moves on to the dark and vibrating single “The Difference Between Us” and the disorienting thump of the psychotically-tinged “I’m Mad”, where Mosshart gets to show off her convincing cackle. The dizzying showdown culminates with the quickly rattled fuzz of “Jawbreaker” and the haunting “Old Mary”, a track that closes the album with a sense of unease and claustrophobia. At times during Cowards you can’t even tell which one of the two is singing (or yelping or snarling), which makes you wonder if they are indeed mirrors of each other or perhaps two people in one, battling to rise above the fury. If anyone walks away a winner though, it’s the listener, for having heard one of the most interesting and defiant rock albums of 2010. -Karina Halle

14. The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt

Inherently, achieving notable differentiation within folk music is pretty difficult. The idea is that this music is for the folk by the folk, so, virtually anybody can play it. Thus, while a lot of the genre’s sounds are beautiful, passionate, and authentic, innovation–especially aesthetic in nature–tends to contradict the genre’s very basis. That’s where wailing Swede Kristian Matsson, better known as The Tallest Man on Earth, comes in. His innovation shines through his stunning songcraft, a style that feels at once familiarly folked-up and almost entirely novel. Over frenetically masterful acoustic fingerpick/strum combinations, Matsson’s hair-raising vocals borrow from Dylan as much as they do contemporary pop, R&B, and pretty much everything else. On The Wild Hunt, his voice soars even higher and cuts even further into his impeccable fingerwork. The record comes off like a collection of brilliant, but undiscovered pop songs, found and reworked by an incredibly gifted folk singer so that they suit the genre. As the record progresses, Matsson’s gravelly voice gallops through vivid metaphorical imagery, expressing some of the most complex of human emotions beautifully, passionately, and, of course, authentically. -Drew Litowitz

13. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 2010 is the year of surf rock. No other sub-genre had as much impact and appeal within the indie rock community than the uber sweet lyrics and jangly guitar sound of surf rock. Countless acts took the lo-fi blast of sonic destruction that was so big in 2009 and infused within it the feel-good vibes of youthful abandonment and heartache. But while Wavves was busy blowing people’s minds with noise and melodies, and Best Coast was making us sullen with her Sixteen Candles-esque feelings of girly forlorn, Surfer Blood was one of the first acts of the year to show the power of the genreitself. Done without quite as many gimmicks and substantially less sunshine, Astro Coast is the angry, witty brainchild of a group of lads reared on the Pixies, pop culture, and a love of the very basic framework of surf rock, adorned with the trappings of worldly influences, lyrical maturity without losing the heartache, and a dash of much-needed oomph. With the band recently signed to Warner Bros., it’s clear that their kind of music was the big kahuna in an ocean of seemingly-identical competitors. -Chris Coplan

12. Devo – Something for Everybody

It’s hard to believe that Devo had not released an album since 1990’s Smooth Noodle Maps, a mediocre album at best that left a bleh taste in the mouths of Devo fans around the world, leaving us longing for another Freedom of Choice. When word came down that the boys had recorded a new album, needless to say, I was not thrilled. I half expected some regurgitated retro mess of new wave synthesizer sounds buzzing chaotically, or, at best, a once great band trying to re-capture some element of its previous grandeur. I was wrong. Completely and totally wrong. The album begins with a hard driving synth-drum combo and, immediately Devo takes off as if 1986-2009 never happened (or hadn’t happened yet). The opener, “Fresh”, and the following number “What We Do” are somewhat autobiographical with lines like “So fresh, it’s giving me a second life” and “What we do, is what we do, it’s all the same, there’s nothing new.” As the album plays out, it becomes pretty obvious that Devo are being Devo. They haven’t changed anything of what they do, other than perhaps using a more contemporary means of production and recording. Devo looked at what worked for them, went back and created an album that could fit perfectly within the frames of Freedom of Choice and New Traditionalists, all while maintaining a relevance to today’s audience. In a decade marked by a resurgence of sounds from the 80s and the new wave movement in particular, I find it most appropriate that the decade ends with a release from a band that was in part responsible for the stereotypical sounds of the era. -Len Comaratta

11. Sleigh Bells – Treats

A lot of bands broke new ground 2010, but Treats was the golden shovel. How can this album sound like everything you’ve ever heard and alternately like nothing you’ve ever heard? It’s a noisy, hooky, abrasive 35-minute ride fit for everything from impressing your metal friends to en bloc blackout nights at the club. So many bands make their two-person rock duo sound broken and cheap, but Sleigh Bells carve their sound from the richest and purest of elements, creating perfect gems. Opener “Tell ‘Em” is their ubiquitous standard-bearer, “Rill Rill” shows they can craft a pop hook fit for tween television, and “Infinity Guitars” may contain the most rocking moment of the year in its final verse. Alexis Krauss and Derick Miller find success with their vulgar production and copious use of lyrical repetition, blurring the line between dance and metal. Krauss’ vocals are just as unpredictable as Miller’s guitar work. Will she be cooing, rapping, or letting out a banshee scream? Will he be shredding, synth-ing, or letting out a banshee scream? And did I mention all of the hooks? -Jeremy Larson

10. The Roots - How I Got Over

In a year of gigantic hip-hop releases from the likes of newcomers Drake and Nicki Minaj and heavyweights Big Boi and Eminem, The Roots‘ ninth LP is easily the one that came in under the radar of many fans and industry insiders. Despite the lack of comparative buzz, the album easily out-punches its competitors. Full of technical skill thanks to ?uestlove and the band, the rhymes of Black Thought and guest MCs like Dice Raw get a high-energy, live feel that adds a bright sheen to the dreary rhymes about everything from religious experiences to life in the street and on the grind. With heavy, heavy influences of soul (especially with the addition of John Legend), blues, and even funk, the album hits the standard benchmarks of black music while experimenting with indie elements, thanks to cameos by Jim James and Joanna Newsom. No other hip-hop release had as much sonic diversity, production value, innovation, lyrical depth, or catchiness as How I Got Over. Plus, it wasn’t even the band’s only release of the year. Apparently, hard work is the answer for getting over. -Chris Coplan

09. Jónsi – Go

What’s gotten into Jónsi over the past few years? As frontman for critically lauded Icelandic art-rock giants Sigur Rós, he’s layered his angelic falsetto into some of the most majestic, transportive tunes of the decade. But for all the weeping audiences and descriptions like “god weeping tears of gold in heaven,” Jónsi and company have never exactly been known for their good humor. That is, until 2008′s Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, their most accessible, upbeat release to date, with a handful of legitimate pop songs (and even one minor toe-dip into English lyrics).

Go marks Jónsi’s first adventure into solo material, and it’s an actual adventure. The last Sigur Rós record was just a preview of the sonic carpe diem explosion that weaves its wondrous way throughout these nine tracks. Working with arranger extraordinaire Nico Muhly, boyfriend/multi-instrumentalist Alex Somers, and Swedish percussionist Samuli Kosminen (aka unexpected God of Drums), Jónsi creates a musical landscape of truly unlimited possibilities. In the sort-of title track “Go Do”, he sounds positively enthralled in the sounds and feelings, his childlike plea surging over a flurry of woodwinds and tidal wave percussion: “We should always know that we can do anything!” On his excellent debut, he pretty much does. -Ryan Reed

08. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma

According to Steve Ellison, or Flying Lotus, cosmogramma is the relationship between the universe and the hereafter– heaven and hell. It’s a cosmic drama. It’s something he learned from his great aunt, Alice Coltrane, and his relationship with the space-jazz queen comes across on Cosmogramma, which, as he says, sounds like a cosmic drama. It’s a mostly-instrumental album with a pointed soundscape, but with a lot of different sounds– glitches, clicks, drums, weird voice samples, scat, horns, and beats, to name a few. Cosmogramma sounds like an adventure, a love story, a drama– an epic. Sure, it could be called “trippy,” but it’s so much more than that. It’s an album that creates its own universe without needing to bother telling a story.

The supporting cast of the album only adds to the drama: the jazz tinges of Ravi Coltrane’s horns, Thundercat’s bass, Laura Darlington’s smokey vocals, and Thom Yorke’s album-stealing guest shot on “…And The World Laughs With You”. But the star here is obviously Ellison, whose work hearkens back to those “Space Is the Place” jazz days of the ’70s (there are songs on here called “Arkestry”, “Satelllliiiiiteee”, and “Galaxy in Janaki”) while maintaining its own post-Dilla vibe. This isn’t an album to be used as incidental music at a gallery or in the kitchen– this is an album to really get lost in. -Evan Minsker

07. Beach House – Teen Dream

Look at how far Beach House has come between over the past two years. Devotion was bleak, lonely and mysteriously beautiful, hazily drifting from song to song. Melancholic? No question. Beautiful? Definitely. But it lacked purpose. On their third record, Teen Dream, lead singer Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally found the resolve that was lacking throughout Devotion on both a lyrical and musical level. This time around, Beach House finally peaked outside the constraining doors of their bedroom dream-pop, awakening from the demons haunting them throughout their earlier work. In doing this, Teen Dream makes a subtle, yet pivotal progression.

Legrand’s serene voice has always remained the focal point of Beach House. That’s still the case on Teen Dream, but the pieces have come together around her to round everything out. Scally’s layered guitars no longer exist as background accompaniments, instead providing prominent staples of their wearily drifting warmth. The slide guitar acts as an equal counterpart to Legrand’s heartrending croon on “Silver Soul”, while Scally also places his musical fingerprints all over “Norway”. More importantly, acoustic percussion has largely replaced the lo-fi drum machines of Beach House’s past, a change evident from the first moments of the album opener “Zebra, a track laced with shimmering, crashing cymbals and timely syncopation. All the pieces come together gloriously on “10 Mile Stereo”, as Beach House awakens from its customary dreaminess, ascending into an astounding climax that stands as their finest work to date. For a band previously known for their minimal, lo-fi dream pop, Teen Dream represents one gigantic step forward. -Max Blau

06. The National – High Violet

Perfection is a dangerous word to use when it comes to something as subjective as music. When you say an album or song is perfect, you’re just asking for a fight. Well, you know what? Bring it on. To me, High Violet is a perfect album from beginning to end. The National have been building towards this moment for a long time, ever since they broke through with Alligator. While both that record and Boxer are incredible, their latest effort distills the band’s formula into its most essential state. The 11 tracks within use every trick the group has shown us before, plus some new ones thrown in for good measure. For one thing, it gains so much power in its restraint. There’s nothing as aggressive as “Abel” or as straight-forward as the chorus of “Fake Empire”. Instead, all the emotion is barely kept hidden behind the curtain, until those moments when the band does cut loose, when it floors you.

Most people have probably heard the big songs like “Terrible Love” and “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, but the deeper cuts are what hold the album together. Listen to the grinding guitar in “Little Faith”. Hear how Matt Berninger gradually loses control as he coughs out the ending of “Afraid of Everyone”. The piano from “England” takes you down the Thames on a gentle, rainy day. As for “Conversation 16”, hell, just take in everything that the track has to offer. You’ll be hard-pressed to find many other albums that are as strong from front to back as High Violet. It’s beautifully fragile, lyrically haunting, and musically ambitious throughout every second. There’s only one word that comes to mind for an album like this. Perfect. -Joe Marvilli

05. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

An important thing: this album isn’t about The American Civil War. I mean, no more than Julius Caesar is about The Liberators civil war in 42 B.C. Rome. Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in anticipation of the growing Protestant/Catholic tensions arising from Queen Elizabeth’s frequent capping of Protestants. Titus Andronicus and their poet laureate Patrick Stickles aren’t interested in telling you the tale of the famous ship the album gets its title after. There are more important matters at hand, both micro and macro. There are binary relationships and post-modern nihilist philosophy, Bret Easton Ellis and Bruce Springsteen, whiskey and cigarettes, punk and rock & roll, and the pursuit of the American dream in a place so absurd as America.

What The Monitor is is a kind of punk manifesto. At its most extroverted, there are rallies around the flag, cries of unity against “them,” and two warnings as to the ubiquity of the enemy. Conversely, the album revels in public solitude, as Stickles continually airs his personal grievances. But even at its most introverted, the album reaches out to the listener by ripping pages out of music’s greatest books. A chapter from The Boss, a little Pogues, and some Minor Threat all build the pretense that The Monitor is just one shout chorus after another, but underneath it’s a meticulous and existential look at our/his bleak and irrational world, perfectly couched in punk anthems. Stickles leads by example, putting his heart, mind, and country into the abyss of self-analysis. And while it ain’t always a pretty site, it’s what our forefathers fought for, and it’s what we should continue to fight for in 2010 and beyond. -Jeremy Larson

04. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

It took five years for the Gorillaz to return to our stereos, the charts, and concert venues with a new album, but it was obviously worth the wait, as Plastic Beach went on to be one of the finest pop/rock records of the year. Damon Albarn’s songs were some of the sharpest his animated side project has ever been accounted for, showing that his craftsmanship is only improving with time. And Jamie Hewlett provided a new Gorillaz aesthetic to their videos, their album art, and their live show display. But it was the tunes on Plastic Beach that made this disc so memorable.

Snoop Dogg joined the brigade for the first time, a match made in heaven, for the track “Welcome to the World of Plastic Beach”. The Gorillaz stocked their band up with a little celebrity status by adding members of the Clash on the title track, and on their tour. Lou Reed even made a vocal appearance on the acclaimed track “Some Kind of Nature”. Albarn composed a few gems with his memorable vocal style, including the ever-catchy “Rhinestone Eyes”, and the serene “On Melancholy Hill”. The Gorillaz kept the dance and hip-hop elements at an all-time high with bizarre numbers with De La Soul (“Superfast Jellyfish”), Michael Jackson-esque grooves and high pitched vocals (“Empire Ants”) and, of course, a super poppy, rap gem that everyone could bump in their stereos. This obviously refers to the Mos Def and Bobby Womack featured song, “Stylo”.

“All we are is dust,” the cartoon band sang on one of this year’s finest records. We all may be dust, but this record is solid musical gold. Cheers. -Ted Maider

03. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Every so often, an album comes along that speaks from the collective consciousness of a generation. The Suburbs was made specifically for this moment in time, for the twenty-somethings of 2010. The world as we know it is changing. The Suburbs isn’t just a portrait of restless former suburbanites and the listless teenagers they used to be, but of the world that this generation was the last to know, and what’s already been left behind. The digital age has come. Everything is instantaneous, no one is truly lost anymore, and it’s easy to feel lost in memories for a pre-Internet existence that seems like a lifetime ago.

The Suburbs marks the efforts of Arcade Fire’s previous albums combined – the darkness and rich musical layering of Neon Bible, and Funeral’s dream-like hopefulness in spite of the world. It doesn’t place suburban sprawl and teen angst on a pedestal, nor does it condemn them. As a concept album, it embraces the full scope of angles and emotions, keeping the songs from choking on their own sentimentality. What makes The Suburbs stand out amidst other teenage snap-shots is that it’s not just a simple photo, it’s a panorama. And it belongs to us. -Cap Blackard

02. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

At this point, all there is to be said about Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has been said, and then some. We’ve seen praise and hate, album reviews that all but declare him as the second coming of Christ, and college essays explaining how he is actually the real-life incarnation of the devil. Some, like our Mike Denslow, declare West’s fifth LP “hands-down the most ambitious mainstream rap album ever made.” Others say you can’t review it without taking into context West’s well-publicized meltdowns and, for that, can we truly bestow him with such praise?

At the end of the day, however, I think the most insightful thing I read regarding My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy came during a late night troll on a message board dedicated to the rapper, as I awaited one of those G.O.O.D. Friday tracks to drop. Someone wrote that the album is great because it’s a culmination of West’s previous four studio albums, taking each of their strengths — the soul of College Dropout, the pop of Late Registration, the electronics of Graduation, and the art of 808s & Heartbreak — and making a greatest hits album of sorts, only the content is entirely new. While The College Dropout may forever be known as West’s best album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the one which will likely best reflect his self and his ideals when it’s all said and done. It’s innovative, it’s risk-taking, it’s charming, it’s frustrating (people still complain about the mix), and, most of all, it’s plentiful, which I think might be the word that best describes Kanye West. Just as Kanye never stops, this album never stops. Even on the 15th or 25th listen, there’s something new to discover between the time Nicki Minaj’s fake British accent introduces us to “Dark Fantasy” and Gil Scott-Heron’s spoken-word “Who Will Survive in America” leaves us as confused as Kanye is.

No, Kanye is not the greatest ever and, yes, he still needs to work on his manners, but if My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy proves anything, it’s that one can be innovative while still being accessible. “Runaway” and “All of the Lights” are two of West’s most ambitious feats to date, but they’re also two of the album’s biggest hits. “Power” is as exposing as it is appropriate for Monday Night Football, and “Blame Game” is smart beyond its years, while still leaving us with room to laugh. Regardless of your perception of him, if you think he’s only an average lyricist or that the album is overhyped, there’s no denying how beautifully put together this album is, how much work went into it, and how at the end of the day it will likely influence generations to come. The only question now is what he’ll do next. -Alex Young

Buy: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

01. Vampire Weekend – Contra

Leave it to Vampire Weekend to release the year’s best album. Wait! What? Believe us, we were surprised, too. When we first sat down to hammer out this list, most of us came to the table with arguments supporting the latest from Kanye West or Arcade Fire or even the Gorillaz. But, then we started to think. You see, once you start playing the Devil’s advocate, it’s hard to return to your original argument. It’s sort of like that episode of Seinfeld, where Costanza buys a cashmere sweater for Elaine, and it looks beautiful and quite a bargain…until someone points out the glaring, red dot to him. Throughout the episode, naturally, the running gag is that every time Costanza attempts to pass the sweater off as a gift, someone notices the dot. And once it’s seen, the whole thing’s fucked. ANYWAY, after four hours of debating, none of us felt comfortable with our choices. That is, until someone muttered two words:

Vampire. Weekend.

People respect redemption tales. They cherish epics. But, above all, they love success stories. Now, it’d be ridiculous to assume that Vampire Weekend is indie rock’s Rocky Balboa, or Coach Gordon Bombay (depending on your preference of fictional sports characters with remarkable comebacks), but turn the clock back a year and you’ll find the band in a very unfavorable position. They weren’t underdogs per se – after all, they were roping in thousands of fans per festival gig – but they were sailing on some rough wake of hype. What would happen with their sophomore record? Just about every indie blog from here to Australia pegged ‘em for disappointment. In certain respects, everyone waiting for the sophomore slump preceded the actual music that would end up on Contra.

But all that went away. Instead of a jarring, forgettable, or even taxing listen, Contra added up to be, well, one of the better sophomore albums in recent memory (The Strokes’ Room on Fire comes to mind). What started with their self-titled debut sure enough continued here. The sunny Afro-pop still intact, frontman Ezra Koenig vacationed within his perspicacious lyrics, digressing on subjects that, at the time, felt typical of his background. Only now, some 12 months later, they come off just downright smart…fitting even.

Music is all about escape. It should take you places. With Contra, Koenig plays the part of a “friend with access” more than the chic aristocrat that so many make him out to be (myself included). He makes sure there’s room in the backseat, so you can hear about “how the other private schools had no Hapa Club” or realize “there’s nowhere else to go.” Some might argue most of his stories are irrelevant, one-sided, or even pretentious. But, at face value, this band makes no secret about either its identity or its influences. You don’t walk in expecting to relate to these guys, you walk in surprised at how much you do relate to them. Also, who doesn’t love a pop song with references to Futura font?

By far the most appealing aspect to Vampire Weekend, and something that’s evolved greatly since the band’s debut, is how cognizant and well versed they are in terms of instrumentation. This isn’t the sound of your typical “indie band.” It’s the result of a real band, who has fully realized its potential and continues to expand. Anyone still tossing out the Paul Simon comparisons aren’t truly listening. This goes far beyond Graceland. A song like the genre-spanning “Diplomat’s Son” sounds nothing like the driving indie rock of “Giving Up the Gun”, yet they blend seamlessly into one another. And, as if to throw the finger at those that felt they only had “A-Punk”, they did one better and issued even stronger singles with “Cousins” and “Holiday”, two songs that perfectly capture how witty and musically sincere this band can be.

In their review of Contra, NME called Vampire Weekend “one of the most unique bands on the planet.” We don’t necessarily agree with them all the time, but they’re absolutely on the money there. In a year that’s seen the market flooded with buzz band after buzz band, it’s important to acknowledge the New York scholars. They removed themselves from the muck (an agreeable and enjoyable muck at times, sure, but, nevertheless, still a muck). Instead, they braved the storm, nullified all odds, surged ahead, and issued not only a stellar sophomore album, but this year’s most solid release. If we’re to assume there’s a holy brethren of releases this year, then for us, we can’t think of any other leader than Contra. -Michael Roffman

Until then, kick back, relax, watch some webcasts of your favorite bands this weekend, and enjoy the following recap. These little tidbits can’t possibly be as entertaining or as memorable as, say, an Arcade Fire set on a perfect summer night in Chicago, but they’re better than nothing, don’t you think?

Here’s what didn’t make it into the last recap:

– It’s been well over a year since Michael Jackson passed away, but he’s still putting out new material. Or at least his estate is.  An album of ten previously unheard songs is slated for a November release.

– Spotify won’t make it stateside after all.

– Panda Bear isn’t the only member of Animal Collective who’s venturing out on his own. Avey Tare will release his debut solo LP this fall, and Deakin announced plans to tour North America.

Here’s a look at the latest festival updates:

– Lollapalooza offered its webcast schedule.

– Outside Lands published its day-by-day schedule.

– The lineup for Fun Fun Fun Fest went public.

– The inaugural City Arts Festival also unveiled its lineup.

Here’s this week in review:

– Just when you thought Arcade Fire couldn’t get any more awesome, they manage to pioneer album cover art and collaborate with Spike Jonze. All in the same week. And they covered Jay Reatard. Damn.

– Kings of Leon will have a new record out by mid-Ocotber. This means that FM radio stations will finally have something other than “Use Somebody” to play ad nauseum.

– Tour announcements galore: LCD Soundsystem + Hot Chip + Sleigh Bells, Massive Attack + Thievery Corporation, Black Mountain + The Black Angels, Grinderman, Wolf Parade, and Deerhunter.

– Paul McCartney personally offered some Beatles songs for use in Glee.

– Time has never slowed down Iggy Pop, and this week certainly wasn’t an exception. He announced some pretty crazy plans for the coming year.

– There were some interesting developments in the Lil Wayne “Prison Watch.”

– Weezer detailed Hurley, their eighth studio LP.

– Kanye West‘s latest album was delayed. He did debuted “Power” in both concert and painting form.

– Eminem scored both Megan Fox and Rihanna for his new music video. Must be nice.

– Wyclef Jean revealed that he intends to run for President of Haiti.

– Wale‘s latest mixtape is up for grabs. While you’re at it, check out Adam Kivel’s review here.

– Les Savy Fav fans are in for a treat. In response to an internet leak, the group bumped up the release date for their new album. We also ran our review of said album this week.

– Deadmau5 collapsed during a performance in DC. He has since cancelled the remainder of his North American tour.

– The RIAA issued warnings to blogs that offered  “unauthorized”  free downloads of Radiohead’s In Rainbows three years ago.

– Apple will soon offer a cloud-based streaming service.

– Philip Cosores interviewed The Dodos‘ Meric Long.

– Cosores also reviewed Joanna Newsom‘s performance at LA’s Orpheum Theater.

– Drew Litowitz covered Newport Folk Fest.

Root For Ruin, the group’s first record in three years, cements Les Savy Fav as winners in both lights, as serious post post-punk and as fun-loving, party-starting fare. The album manages both to be distinctly a Les Savy Fav album while pushing the boundaries of the sound you would come to expect from the group. As the opening song clearly states, the band still has their appetite and the new record is anything but phoned-in. There are no clunkers in the bunch. Every song could stand on its own without the album and if anything, the album slightly suffers for not having connector songs. With every song standing strongly on its own and the band pushing their boundaries, it keeps Root For Ruin from being a masterpiece. Instead, it is just really, really, really good.

Harrington is at new heights in both his vocal range (he manages to channel both Jello Biafra on “Appetites” and Ian Curtis on “Poltergeist”, while never once losing sight of his distinct personality as a singer/yeller) and his melodic sense. Lot’s of people like to refer to Let’s Stay Friends as their poppy record, and that trend continues on Root For Ruin. “Let’s Get Out Of Here” is almost danceable and could easily have teenagers singing along in their parents cars with simple-as-pie lyrics like “I want you to want me right now.” And though he might be an easy target for his simplicity, he never sounds ignorant or stupid. Though a song like “High and Unhinged” can be criticized for being too straight to the point, there is a sophistication in his angst for the love interest in the song and you actually believe Harrington is being insightful rather than spiteful when he says “it’s you that’s all alone.” Yes, these songs show a softening of the band, but they never feel like an old band that is showing their age, like, say, The Hold Steady on their recent effort. The softening of Les Savy Fav feels mature and wise and just about perfect.

But oh, for those who want the humor, the vulgarity and the angst, there is plenty of that on this album as well. “Excess Energies” is the anthem for a 17-year-old shithead. The album includes the line “show me your tits” at some point. There is a song about L.A. that provides no insight whatsoever to the city but is still strangely enjoyable. There is a song about people who deny they are in a relationship and it becomes awkward when you actually picture Harrington as the protagonist “touching his lips” to the object of his affection. Does it all work? Yep. Seriously, not a dull moment here and I haven’t gotten sick of this record in the slightest.

And then there is the song “Dear Crutches”. In an album full of high-points, this is the highest. The mid-tempo jam features the singer singing like “Pots & Pans”, a previous band high point, and creating the ultimate sing along moment of the album when he hits the hard notes for the line, ”just don’t go home today,” and then the song’s climactic refrain of “I don’t want to be your crutches…anymore.” Harrington finds a way to completely shed his persona on this number and the listener can finally forget who they are listening to and just listen.

The backing is impeccable throughout, with not a single complaint really holding any water. Les Savy Fav are professionals. They have taste. They’ve done their homework. And they know that their success hinges on their vocalist’s ability to deliver on the silver platter that is handed to him in song after song. It is both our privilege that he does and almost a challenge to get out there and support this band for their continued commitment to quality. Les Savy Fav have the personality, the songs, the chops and the work ethic to be true leaders in the indie world, not just movers and shakers from behind the scenes like they are now. Buy this record. See a show. Get a t-shirt. Be the coolest kid in class. Support the goddamn arts. Yes, Les Savy Fav are serious. Are you?

When the album initially leaked, the band responded with a rather humorous Twitter account. Then, of course, there was that special Leaked Edition they offered. Realizing though that crazy good deals and threats of hauntings may not be enough, the album will be available for download on iTunes tomorrow, with physical copies to be available shortly after.

Click here if you’d like to pre-order through iTunes. Or, if you just want to give the band money because you may or may not have downloaded a certain leak, then head here. Enjoy the tracklist below (unless you have it already) and stay tuned for more news on the physical copies as it’s announced.

Root for Ruin Tracklist:
01. Appetites
02. Dirty Knails
03. Sleepless in Silverlake
04. Let’s Get Out of Here
05. Lips n’ Stuff
06. Poltergeist
07. High and Unhinged
08. Excess Engergies
09. Dear Crutches
10. Calm Down
11. Clear Spirits

Much like every other track in Les Savy Fav’s discography, “Let’s Get Out of Here” can be described as chaotically catchy, a song defined by the band’s characteristically blitzing guitar work and a sing-a-long approved chorus. So while it doesn’t offer much in terms of newsness, it’s another hit for Les Savy to add to its arsenal — and another opportunity for frontman Tim Harrington to strip naked and/or go bananaz and/or play slip ‘n slide once takes the stage at a venue near you.

Grab the song in question for the price of an email address. Root for Ruin is due for release on September 14th via Frenchkiss.

So, ideally, this is how your day should go: Wake up in morning, grab a vegan omelet (it’s Brooklyn after all!), and then, around 1:00pm, get on the G Train and make your way to up to Newton Barge Park. (Note: as per the Google map below, it’s just north of McCarren Park. You’ll exit at the Greenpoint Ave. stop). Better yet, take the free Northside Festival Trolley! It will take you for Bedford Ave. & 7th to the Green Point Ave. stop and vice versa.

After walking over to the MetroPCS stage (centrally located in Newton Barge Park), you’ll be greeted by the pleasant sounds of an alt-folk afternoon, featuring ARMS, A.A. Bondy, and the one and only Elvis Perkins In Dearland. Around five, you’ll have time to go grab a slice of vegan pizza (it’s Brooklyn after all!), but be sure to hurry back soon, because around 6:00pm, our second show starts. This one will be equally awesome, but a bit louder, as the likes of Grails, Polvo, and Les Savy Fav (who will be debuting their brand new album!) are all set to perform. Plus, if that weren’t enough, you’ll be home in time to catch the second running of Next Food Network Star.

Seriously, what better thing could you possibly find to do on a Sunday?

Still, because we love you, we wanted to add more incentive to go. So, right now, we’re going to start giving away a whole slew of FREE TICKETS. Just send us an email with your name, address, which of the two shows you want to attend, and then one of the following:

– A one paragraph essay on why you want to attend.

– A picture of a Northside flyer that is currently hanging near where you live.

– A picture of a Northside flyer you have printed out and hung around near where you live.

– Anything else that gives a good enough reason to give you free tickets.

Plus, if you do an extra awesome job, we might just give you tickets to both shows. So get writin’/picture takin’/printin’/etc.

In the meantime, find Sunday’s complete schedule, the aforementioned map of the venue, and ticket links to both shows below.

Four day badges, priced at only $50, are still available. Plus, because we love you even more than before, we are currently offering all CoS readers a 20% discount on badges. Just click here and enter code NORTHSIDE.

Show #1:
01:00 pm – Doors
01:30 pm – ARMS
02:30 pm – A.A. Bondy
03:30 pm – Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Tixs: $15/$17 day of; Buy here.

Show #2:
06:00 pm – Doors
06:30 pm – Grails
07:30 pm – Polvo
08:30 pm – Les Savy Fav
Tixs: $15/$18 day of; Buy here.

Album #6 comes in the form of Les Savy Fav‘s fifth full-length, an 11-track effort titled Root for Ruin. According to the band (via P4k), the album is “moderately harder” than its processor, 2007′s Let’s Stay Friends, and focuses on a sound more like “mid-1990s indie bands.” Guitarist Seth Jabour describes it as a cross between “Superchunk or Archers of Loaf or Blur or something like that.” For a more engaging preview, we suggest you scroll below, where you’ll find a live cut of the album’s first track “Appetites”.

Currently, Les Savy Fav only have a few dates scheduled in support of the release, but one of them is at our upcoming Northside Festival Showcase in Brooklyn on June 27th. Click here for more information.

Root for Ruin Tracklist:
01. Appetites
02. Dirty Knails
03. Sleepless in Silverlake
04. Let’s Get Out of Here
05. Lips n’ Stuff
06. Poltergeist
07. High and Unhinged
08. Excess Engergies
09. Dear Crutches
10. Calm Down
11. Clear Spirits

Les Savy Fav 2010 Tour Dates:
06/19 – Toronto, ON @ Wrong Bar
06/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Newtown Barge Park (Northside Festival)
07/02 – Calgary, AB @ Sled Island
07/03 – Calgary, AB @ Sled Island

As part of this year’s Brooklyn-based Northside Music Festival, Consequence of Sound will not host just one thrilling concert, but two. And ready for the best part? They take place on the same day (Sunday, June 27th), at the same location (Newtown Barge Park), and on the same exact stage (MetroPCS stage).

So, right after ARMS (recently added!), Elvis Perkins In Dearland, and A.A. Bondy provide a care-free, relax-your-ass-off Sunday afternoon performance, you’ll also be able to watch New York’s own indie-punk band Les Savy Fav, North Carolina noise outfit Polvo, and Portland instrumental rockers Grails cap off the night with one ferocious and seriously awesome bang.

Both shows will be presented by yours truly and, as mentioned, are part of the 2010 edition of the Northside Music Festival. If you aren’t aware, the event will bring all the aforementioned as well as the likes of Fucked Up, Liars, Titus Andronicus, ?uestlove, Wavves, Thao and Mirah with the Most of All, and plenty more to venues across Brooklyn between June 24th and 27th.

Find set times and specific ticket information for both shows below. In regards to the latter, however, we do encourage you to buy a four-day badge to the festival, because a.) it’s only $50 and b.) you’ll be able to get into everything and anything. Plus, because we love you, we are currently offering all CoS readers a 20% discount on badges. Just click here and enter code NORTHSIDE.

See you there!

Here are the specifics for both:

Show #1:
01:00 pm – Doors
01:30 pm – ARMS
02:30 pm – A.A. Bondy
03:30 pm – Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Tixs: $15/$17 day of; Buy here.

Show #2:
06:00 pm – Doors
06:30 pm – Grails
07:30 pm – Polvo
08:30 pm – Les Savy Fav
Tixs: $15/$18 day of; Buy here.

Check Out:
Elvis Perkins In Dearland – “Shampoo”
A.A. Bondy – “When the Devil’s Loose”
ARMS – “Heat & Hot Water”
Les Savy Fav – “Sweet Descends” (Live)
Polvo – “Beggar’s Bowl”
Grails – “Up All Night”

Whatever the case may be, we decided to do it all over again. You see, our first “35 Albums to Buy in 2010″ only covered a fraction of 2010 and since then, plenty more quality new releases have been unveiled. So the CoS news team came together and etched out a list of “35 More Albums to Buy in 2010″. Below, you’ll find a paragraph preview for each of said “35 More Albums…”, complete with mp3 (if available), cover art (if available), and release date (if available). Whether you buy, steal, or download, we hope you find it as a useful resource. Just remember, musicians are people too. So please support them in some way or manner.

Eminem – Recovery

With his last album, Mr. Mathers suffered a Relapse. Now, with his seventh album, Detroit’s finest plans on entering Recovery. Not because slipping back into his vices is particularly bad, but the last album was, in the rapper’s own words, “ehhh”. In our first taste from the LP, “Not Afraid”, Eminem gets pretty serious in the pro-personal strength mantra. And while it lacks some of the jester-esque flow of his previous efforts, the rest of the album’s got us pretty stoked. With cameos from both Pink and Rihanna, plus production work by Jim Jonsin and Just Blaze, the album could be a step in the right direction toward regaining the hip-hop throne Em held before essentially taking a step back after the release of 2004′s Encore. One day at a time, Marshall, one day at a time. -Chris Coplan
June 22nd via Aftermath Entertainment

Check Out:
“Not Afraid”

M.I.A. – /\/\ /\ Y /\

Say what you will about her music; M.I.A. is a genius of self-promotion. Whether releasing made-to-be-banned videos of children getting executed or stirring up web beefs with New York Times writers, it’s the rare week where the singer doesn’t pop up in the headlines. Soon she may actually be making waves for her music (imagine that). Though it features the most godawful cover ever, /\/\ /\ Y /\ (a creative way of spelling Maya, her real name) promises to deliver 10 more world-fusion tracks ready for clubs and stoner film trailers alike. And while first single “XXXO” hasn’t exactly blown up the charts, don’t forget it took “Paper Planes” almost a year to make a splash. And if the recent controversies have shown anything, it’s that you underestimate M.I.A. at your own peril. -Ray Padgett
June 22nd via N.E.E.T.

Check Out:
“XXXO”

The Roots – How I Got Over

How far they have come. What was once a little jazz hip hop outfit out of Illidelphia is now the house band for Mr. Jimmy Fallon, lest we forget that they have cut some seminal hip hop records in the past. Maybe it’s ?uestlove watching indie band after indie band perform on Fallon that influenced The Roots’ new album  How I Got Over, featuring Jim James, Joanna Newsom, Dirty Projectors, John Legend, and a litany of other guests. Always in the pocket, always fresh, always The Roots, these guys are sure to let the needle drop on some new grooves, while still maintaining that live-band 215th sound they’ve cultivated over the years. Pick this one up OK, Player?. -Jeremy Larson
June 22nd via Def Jam

Check Out:
“Dear God 2.0″ (feat. Jim James)

Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

As one-half of hip-hop royalty Outkast, it’s no doubt we were as giddy as school children for the first solo album of Big Boi‘s already illustrious career; now we just want it out and done with already. We first got whiff of the album as far back as 2007. Since then, it’s been coming and going at regular intervals; it was even to be joined by other Outkast albums at some point. But now the album actually seems to be a reality. And oh what a reality it will surely be. In a song so good even Big Boi loses his head, “Shutterbug” is full of lots of influences, hoping around from energy to energy and with a signature sound that only Big Boi could be the ring leader of. Whether or not the rest of the album’s as good is still up to debate. We’re just happy we get to hear it before Outkast’s kids decide to make music. -Chris Coplan
July 6th via Def Jam Records

Check Out:
“Shutterbug”

How to Destroy Angels – How to Destroy Angels [EP]

Ever since Trent Reznor began posting cryptic studio shots to his blog, fans have wondered what the Nine Inch Nails mastermind had up his sleeve. Well, the secret’s out: it’s How to Destroy Angels, a collaborative project with Reznor’s new wife Mariqueen Mandig, and NIN producer/bass player Atticus Ross. The songs are as dark and ambient as you would expect from Reznor, though the hotel-murder video is particularly gruesome. In another now-standard move, he released the EP for a free download on his website, with the option of a $2 upgrade for high-quality FLAC files. Fans who prefer a physical release will have to wait until July 6th, when the CD drops. Reznor has indicated the EP represents only the earliest experiments by the band; look for a more fleshed-out full length in early 2011. -Ray Padgett
July 6th via The Null Corporation

Check Out:
How to Destroy Angels [EP]

Best Coast – Crazy for You

If we’ve learned anything about buzz bands these past few months, it’s that most (if not all) of them fizzle out. However, as with anything, there are exceptions. Case in point: Best Coast. Maybe we’re just crazy for Bethany Cosentino, but there’s nothing better than the sunny distortion and distant melodies that the group’s 7″ singles and digital releases have trademarked. But we’ve yet to hear a solid effort from the Los Angeles trio. That’s what makes the group’s forthcoming debut, Crazy for You, so exciting, and so delectable, too. Instead of tiptoeing from one single to the next, we’ll be able to digest the fuzzy lo-fi pop punk in large, healthy quantities. The real cherry on top is that the band recorded in the same studio where they hashed out hot singles like “When I’m With You” and “This Is Real”. Hace calor! -Michael Roffman
July 27th via Mexican Summer

Check Out:
“When I’m With You”

Menomena – Mines

If there’s one tragedy to remember in the indie circuit, it’s that 2007′s Friend and Foe didn’t land on any critic’s top year-end lists. In addition to some of the most incredible cover art in recent memory, Menomena‘s third LP packed in so much instrumentation you’d think an orchestra came on board. But truth be told, only three members were responsible. Three musical geniuses, really. Now the Portland geniuses return, ready to make good on their untold promise of creating more with very, very little. Mines, the group’s long awaited fourth LP, culls together portions and portions of material to become something that, as Justin Harris insists, is “more emotional than any previous album.” We’ve had a taste of the new sound with non-album track “Pilgrim’s Progress” on Record Store Day, in addition to current haunt of a single “FIVE LITTLE ROOMS”, but come July 27th, we’re likely to pounce on the whole shebang. -Michael Roffman
July 27th via Barsuk

Check Out:
“FIVE LITTLE ROOMS”

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

The status of Arcade Fire‘s new album as everyone’s most anticipated of 2010 has not changed — if anything, we should all be hungrier after all the details. Between now and August 3rd, there will be two more months of idle talk (natural, being that this is the world’s biggest indie band that’s actually still indie). There will be elitism: “The new singles are so uninspired and mainstream; this album’s gonna suck.” There will be fanboyism: “Arcade Fire can do no wrong; just look at those thematic new song titles! Best band alive.” And there will be obsessive analyses of meaningless minutiae: “Win Butler’s new haircut is… what the hell is he thinking? This album’s gonna suck!” And while the hair is awful, the healthy thing to do is to calm down, listen to The National’s High Violet on repeat, and not build up expectations to unrealistic proportions. That being said, we’re still incredibly psyched. -Harry Painter
August 3rd via Merge

Check Out:
“The Suburbs”

Autolux – Transit Transit

While Autolux has had some trouble (six years’ worth) getting a second album out, the band has been playing tracks off of it live for years. It’s a shame that the live show has been the only chance for most people to hear these songs, because they’re every bit as good as much of the neo-shoegaze trio’s 2004 debut Future Perfect. Furthermore, Autolux is one of those bands that should be much bigger than they are. Come August 3rd, if the record, titled Transit Transit, doesn’t drown in the half-decade of anticipation, Autolux has a chance to make that happen. -Harry Painter
August 3rd via TBD Records

Wavves – King of the Beach

Here’s how to describe Wavves’ sound on the Nathan Williams-led project’s last two albums: Place two speakers on either side of your ears, turn it way up, and enjoy as cascade after cascade of lo-fi surf rock annihilates your inner ear and shatters your bones in the most nihilistic groove you’ll ever experience, dude. But not one to be predictable, Williams (and new backing band made up of the old Jay Reatard band) has decided to switch things up. Williams has claimed in interviews that King of the Beach is going to be an album unlike anything else the unit has produced. And based on the first couple of tracks, that means high-end production value, lots of experimentation with sounds and layering, and, gasp, songs more than a couple minutes long. Growing up is totally rad, bro. -Chris Coplan
August 3rd via Fat Possum

Check Out:
“Cool Jumper”

Chromeo – Business Casual

The lovable soul-pop throwbacks known as Chromeo return with their first album since 2007’s Fancy Footwork. Singer Dave 1 told the Wall Street Journal the record is more “sophisticated” than previous releases, but added, “Our music is music you play when you’re making out or getting ready – for when your suit-with-no-tie comes on or comes off.” Unsophisticated track titles include “You Make It Rough”, “I’m Not Contagious”, and “Hot Mess”, which is about the most perfect Chromeo song title imaginable. In a blog post Dave cited Michael Jackson, the Alan Parsons Project, and keytar player Reggie Griffin as inspirations for the album, which can only mean more smooth lady-killing funk. Another likely muse: mentor Daryl Hall, with whom the pair will perform at Bonnaroo next week. -Ray Padgett
August 17th via Atlantic

!!! – Strange Weather, Isn’t It?

Less than a year after the tragic death of drummer Jerry Fuchs, the un-Googleable dance-punk outfit !!! is ready to soldier on and release its fourth LP this August. “AM/FM”, the first single from their fourth album, bounces along as spastically as any of their previous work, though frontman Nic Offers promises “really dark moments” elsewhere. Yet somehow it’s hard to imagine anything too sinister coming from Sacramento’s most unabashedly dance-happy octet. Like MGMT before them, the band claim Brian Eno as a heavy influence, which suggests perhaps more dense production that previous efforts. If all that isn’t enough to get you excited for the party record of the fall, tracks titled “Wannagain Wannagain” and “Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass” sound like must-listens. -Ray Padgett
August 24th via Warp Records

Check Out:
“AM/FM”

Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard

Ra Ra Riot is already a relatively poppy band (we’re inclined to make a joke about the band and the dictionary definition of “poppy”). With lots of quaint melodies and both a cello and violin in the band, they’re a pop band who wear their love of all that is sweet and bittersweet on their vintage tees. But for their sophomore album, they’re promising to go beyond The Rhumb Line and its effervescent aura and orchestral arrangements . According to the band, its sophomore LP The Orchard is going to be “so poppy you will want to throw up on yourself.” Whether or not that means we actually suffer from some kind of insulin overload or this is a slight but of hyperbole from Syracuse, NY’s second best export is neither here nor there; we’re counting the days till August, that’s for sure. -Chris Coplan
August 24th via Barsuk Records

Röyksopp – Senior

After taking four years between albums the last two times around, Röyksopp is dishing out a sequel to 2009′s Junior rather quickly. This doesn’t spell haste, though — the two albums are, as the names suggest, closely connected. The band described Junior as having a spring feel, while Senior will have an autumn feel (out in late August). So, despite the off-chance Senior could turn out to be a really corny atmosphere piece, we have high hopes for the Norwegian electronic duo’s fourth effort. -Harry Painter
August via Astralwerks

The Thermals – Personal Life

You’d think we wouldn’t be so hungry for new tunes by The Thermals. After all, it’s only been a year or so since they released Now We Can See. But, lo and behold, here we are now, and yes, we’re demanding that Hutch Harris, Kathy Foster, and Westin Glass entertain us. That they will, come September 7th, when Personal Life, the trio’s fifth LP to date, surfaces. We don’t anticipate much change (nor do we want to), but if we’re to believe the band’s latest press release, we should expect a darker and deeper LP. One that, and we quote, “obsesses over love and lies with the same passion The Thermals have reserved for politics and death in the past.” Given Harris’ “sunny” lyricism on those subjects, we anticipate this shit is gonna be heavy. Right on time for the angsty weather of autumn. Choice. -Michael Roffman
September 7th via Kill Rock Stars

Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart

Everyone needs help once in a while, an idea which Black Mountain is currently implementing for its third record, Wilderness Heart, set for release on September 15th. On the followup to 2008′s In The Future, the Canadian psych-rock band is using outside producers for the first time in its career, as the reins have been handed over to Dave Sardy (Oasis) and Randal Dunn (Sunn O). According to vocalist Amber Webber, “We knew exactly what it would sound like if we did this own our own. It just seemed like if we were going to do the third album, we just needed to do something different that would be exciting to us.” Those of you familiar with the band’s past work, get ready for a change. Gone are the epic 10 minute tracks; instead, replaced by short, straightforward rockers and an improvised, lyrical approach. Case in point, the album’s first single “Old Fangs”.  -Joe Marvilli
Fall/Winter 2010 via Jagjaguwar

Check Out:
“Old Fangs”

Grinderman – Grinderman 2

Though we’re promised something different from the first Grinderman installment, Nick Cave and his grunge cohorts are sure to churn out some massive tracks on the forthcoming sequel. Cave and his three separatists from The Bad Seeds engaged in a grunge-heavy, sex-fueled mayhem first time around that razed clubs with their tour with The White Stripes, so expect similar results this time around both live and out your speakers. We’re still hanging on [read: drooling over, perplexed regarding, and a little aroused by] band member Warren Ellis’ quotes from last year regarding the album, “It’s kind of like stoner rock meets Sly Stone via Amon Düül… Nick’s got a different thing going on with the lyrics than he would have from the Bad Seeds. Less sex? I wouldn’t say that.” I wouldn’t suggest it, either, Warren. -Jeremy Larson
September 14th via ANTI-

Kid Cudi – Man on The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager

Oh, Cudi. What can we say about Mr. Cleveland himself? He’s worked with Kanye West and Jay-Z, kind of toured with Lady Gaga, and genuinely been pushed as a guy to watch out for. And while there’s been talk of him quitting after a certain number of albums and then talk of some kind of collaborations album, it seems as if his second LP will be a trip back to the moon. This time, though, Cudi says it’s not about taking us into his bad dreams; instead, Cudder will be “bringing you into my reality, good and bad. It will explain more of who I am as well as pushing the envelope musically.”And that envelope involves working with hip-hop mastermind Jim Jonsin, cameos from Ratatat, Chip Tha Ripper, Cage, and Mr. West himself, and even some Duran Duran sampling. One ticket, please. -Chris Coplan
September 14th via GOOD Music

Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1

The Brooklyn hip-hop trio was all set to release Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 in 2009, but was forced to delay the effort when Adam “MCA” Yauch was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, he seems to be on the road to recovery, as does the album. What we do know is that the outfit’s first traditional LP since 2004′s To the 5 Boroughs, Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 is said to be loaded with obscure samples, hardcore punk (“Lee Majors Come Again”), and even an a cappella piece (“B-Boys in the Cut”). What we don’t know is whether the album originally announced will be the one we actually hear. After letting it age for a year though, the Beastie Boys are currently looking over the tracklisting and songwriting to see if any adjustments need to be made. “We finished the record over a year ago, so we want to take a look at it and re-evaluate and make sure it is what we want to put out there and that we are still happy with it,” explained Yauch to NME. Whatever the end result may be, it finally appears the Beastie Boys’ long-awaited comeback is finally within our reach. -Joe Marvilli
September 2010 via Capitol

Check Out:
“Lee Majors Come Again”

Brandon Flowers – Flamingo

Ever since The Killers announced their hiatus at the end of last year, the band members have quickly scattered to various side projects. Perhaps what may be the least surprising but most anticipated of them all is Brandon Flowers’ forthcoming solo debut Flamingo. While not much has been said about the upcoming album, a few tidbits have slipped out to the Internet. First off, it’s chockful of big name producers, including Daniel Lanois (U2, Neil Young), Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen), and Stuart Price (The Killers, Madonna). Flowers also confirmed a duet with Rilo Kiley frontlady Jenny Lewis on a song called “Hard Enough”, and that the album also features a Gospel song. A release date for single number one is set for the end of June, with the release of his album Flamingo in September. -Joe Marvilli
September via Island Records

Interpol – Interpol

Things weren’t looking good for our dapper post-punk heroes. In the bottom of the whatever, they were down a bass player, a tour, and a release date or name for their new album. But as is the way of most Disney sports movies, Interpol pulled it together, hired a great bass player, and announced a release date for their forthcoming self-produced, self-titled album Interpol. And they also added a bunch more UK and Europe tour dates. Cue Angles In The Outfield theme song. Though, I guess there’s the whole “what does this album sound like” deal. The Interpol boys have baffled us with polarizing statements such as, “it certainly doesn’t sound like anything we’ve ever done before” and “the new record falls back towards the first.” Take those two statements, add “Lights”–their first release from Interpol– divide by overcoming adversity and you get a no contest spot on this list. It certainly can’t be boring and stuff, right? -Jeremy Larson
September 14th via Matador

Check Out:
“Lights”

Kanye West – Good Ass Job

If you take much stock in the comments of fellow rappers and the recently revealed first single “Power”, Kanye West is back to doing what Kanye West does best — good ol’ fashion raps behind equally thrilling samples and beats. Tentatively titled Good Ass Job, the Chicago rapper’s fifth LP promises to be a throw back affair, one which hears Kanye abandoning the Auto-Tune of 808s & Heartbreak in favor of the styles that made him into the hip-hop super force that he is today. There’s also guests a plenty, with everyone from Q-Tip and Kid Cudi to Mr Hudson and Soulja Boy said to be making an appearance. And if all that hype wasn’t enough, Drake is already calling the record “one of the best hip-hop albums of the last 10 years.” Time will tell about that, but, at the very least, this is going to be one captivating listen. -Alex Young
September via Roc-A-Fella Records

Check Out:
“Power”

Les Savy Fav – TBA

Woods, LCD Soundsystem, and Superchunk are synonymous with the labels they are on, Woodsist, DFA, and Merge respectively, because they (or their members) are the owners. Les Savy Fav also holds this distinction, but flies under the radar in this class because its focal point is larger than life singer Tim Harrington, not Frenchkiss owner and bassist Syd Butler (their acts include The Dodos, The Hold Steady and Passion Pit). The five-piece will return in September with a still untitled follow-up to Let’s Stay Friends that Butler told NME will be “heavier” than the previous record, with the sound going back to the 90’s, to which Harrington added “we’re trying to get back to when we didn’t have any friends.” Judging from new songs CoS heard at their recent LA show, “Outta Here” and “Appetites”, it’s not hard to imagine falling in love with this band all over again. -Phil Cosores
September via Frenchkiss

Mark Ronson & The Business – Record Collection

It’s been a few years since Mark Ronson focused on his solo career. Following his 2007 acclaimed cover album Version, the English artist has mostly stayed busy by serving as a producer for the likes of Nas, the Kaiser Chiefs, Adele, and Daniel Merriweather. However, this year promises to see Mark Ronson, now accompanied with the backing band The Business Intl., at center stage again. Titled Record Collection, Ronson’s third album is also his first of all originals in seven years. The first single, “Bang Bang Bang”, features Q-Tip on rapping duties and MNDR, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ touring keyboard player, on vocals. (Both that song and another new track, “Circuit Breaker,” can be found on his official website.) The record will also include appearances by Boy George, The Drums’ Jonathan Pierce, Kaiser Chiefs’ Nick Hodgson, and Miike Snow. -Joe Marvilli
September via Sony BMG

Check Out:
“Bang Bang Bang”

Of Montreal – False Priest

Kevin Barnes, Of Monreal’s flamboyant frontman, has kept uncharacteristically quiet about the band’s new album, its first since 2008’s Skeletal Lamping. Here’s what we know. The band teamed up with veteran producer Jon Brion, who has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Elliott Smith in the past, for False Priest, tentatively due in September.  The quintet recorded the disc at L.A.’s Ocean Way Studios, where the Beach Boys cut “Good Vibrations”. Song titles include “Enemy Gene”, “Famine Affair”, and “Teenage Unicorn Fisting” (we shudder to imagine the lyrics for that one). Most enticingly, Solange Knowles, Beyoncé’s sis and longtime buddy, recorded with the band, so expect her to make an appearance or two. -Ray Padgett
September via Polyvinyl

Panda Bear – Tomboy

Animal Collective was sooo 2009. But vocalist Noah Lennox, aka Panda Bear, will keep his crew on the radar when he releases his fourth solo album in September, titled Tomboy. Details are still being held under wraps, but we do know a series of singles, including the title track in July, will precede the record. But whether you see this as the followup to his beloved album Person Pitch (the album beat LCD Soundsystem’s Sound Of Silver for #1 on Pitchfork’s 2007 album of the year list) or as the followup to last year’s inescapable release Meriwether Post Pavilion, the expectations are probably through the roof. Can’t wait? Go to YouTube and search for his performance clips from the Primavera Sound Festival where he performed almost exclusively new tracks, including “Drone” and “Surfers Hymn”. -Phil Cosores
September via Paw Tracks

The Walkmen – TBA

The Walkmen and The National are like opposite sides of the same coin. Both New York based, with singers who exude cool without really trying. Both bands combine instantly recognizable voices with technically adventurous yet unassuming backing bands, five pieces strong, and filled with people with long-term connections. Prior to this year, both had four albums of original material, have been shifting from rockers to more moody material, and find general acclaim from the critics. So will the upcoming untitled album from The Walkmen, speculated for a September release date, be as successful as High Violet? Doubtful. Who knows why one band is given the key to the city while the other is examined for chinks in their armor, but The Walkmen don’t let their music sound like underdog fair. And with dates at Reading & Leeds and Lollapalooza scheduled, having something to prove may be their greatest asset. -Phil Cosores
September? via Gigantic Music

Antony & The Johnsons – Swanlights

With Antony & The Johnsons, you are either along for the ride, or you are not. If you want to look into its new album, Swanlights, on the band’s official website, you will encounter the image of two men jailed for homosexuality in Malawi, Antony’s personal environmental concernsm and news of the death of Kazuo Ohno, the Japanese dancer who appears on the cover of their last album, 2009’s The Crying Light. This is not light reading, and Antony Hagarty’s music is not light listening, but it is often beautiful and reflects a point of view generally ignored in the arts. Antony uses his warbly voice for more than singing, and on October 6th, we will see what the record, alone with the accompanying 144 page art book featuring Antony’s paintings, collages and writing, have to say. If history is any indicator, it will be worth seeking out. -Phil Cosores
October 5th via Secretly Canadian

Fleet Foxes – TBA

Fleet Foxes was, without question, one of 2008′s best albums and gave rise to not only the band, but a jump in the popularity of indie folk in general. Fleet Foxes set an unbelievably high standard for themselves, and anticipation will be appropriate for the band’s sophomore effort. They’ve said it will be rawer, as well as less poppy and upbeat than the first album. While that likely means no more songs like “Ragged Wood”, “Blue Ridge Mountains”, and “He Doesn’t Know Why”, it is comforting to know the band is recording honest material. Unless the band is just pulling an MGMT and disowning pop to be contrarian; after all, Robin Pecknold has shown in the past to be very unwilling to enter the mainstream. Either way, while the last bit of new information we have is an evil little MySpace blog post from January reading “Progress is being made,” the album is planned for the early- or mid-second half of the year. -Harry Painter
Fall via Sub Pop

Tron: The Original Soundtrack

It’s time I leveled with you. I’m what you guys call a User…er…Tron nerd. My geek factor is so through the roof with this I  don’t think I can even write in complete sentences from here on out. Remake of Tron? How about yeah! Amazing trailer? How about of course! Jeff Bridges is in it? How about shut the hell up! Oh and you know what? What! Daft Punk is scoring the entire movie. Je t’encule! Incredible. So there’s the hype. There’s also a purported tour supporting Tron and purported cameo in Daft Punk will make in Tron and the fact that this will be some of the first new Daft Punk we’ll be hearing in like half a decade. A caveat: publicists for Daft Punk aren’t even sure if it’s going to be a 2010 release, but here’s hoping they come in close. End of line. -Jeremy Larson
December?

Belle & Sebastian – TBA

If any band needed a break, it was Belle and Sebastian. After releasing seven albums in 10 years and touring relentlessly behind The Life Pursuit, the T-Rex influenced record that many considered the band’s finest since The Boy With The Arab Strap, the Glasgow popsters took a four year break and are just now emerging with a full tour schedule for the U.S. in the fall, including rumored appearances at the Matador at 21 and Treasure Island Festivals. Oh yeah, and they are curating Bowlie 2 for ATP in December. But when will the album be released? If you have been waiting patiently since 2006, a little while longer shouldn’t hurt. We do know that they are in LA putting the final touches on it, and I would bet releasing it sometime from their fall tour to ATP is in the cards. -Phil Cosores
TBA via Matador

Dr. Dre – Detox

Detox is one of the most anticipated albums of the past decade, but lately it’s become something of a running joke. No one — not even it’s producers — knows if it’ll ever come out, but hopes are still high. Hopefully it’s not hip-hop’s version of Chinese Democracy. In a Sirus XM radio interview, Scott Storch – whose name plasters the credits on Dre’s Chronic 2001 – said “Detox is a departure from stuff Dre and I have done it the past” and that the doc was looking for “three more records” until he finally releases the damn thing. He added that, “it should take about 400 records to get three. He has pretty high standards.” No shit. No word on whether this thing will actually drop, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. In the meantime, start saving up for the inevitable super deluxe version that comes with a pair of Beats headphones. -Ray Roa
TBA via Aftermath/Interscope

Check Out:
“Flashing” (feat. Snoop Dogg)

Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now

Even though it’ll always be ladies first in this relationship, we’re sure that Jonathan Rice doesn’t mind riding the coattails of his girlfriend’s popularity on this still untitled recording. In fact, one could argue that, in this instance, the 27-year-old Rice might be the brain behind the beauty. He wrote the Elvis Costello collaboration “Carpetbaggers” from Lewis’ sophomore release, Acid Tongue, and Costello liked singing his part so much that he invited the duo to work on his own 2008 album, Momofuku. No release date has been set, so for now you’ll just have to catch the lovebirds when they support Pavement and play a show with Superchunk in September. -Ray Roa
TBA

Justice – TBA

Even though the Paris-based duo been accused of being dance music’s MIlli Vanilli, fans are still eagerly awaiting their next proper LP. Justice‘s last album was 2007’s “disco-opera” — † — and a 2008 live disc/documentary barely satiated a thirst for new music. Last year, they won a Grammy for remixing MGMT’s “Electric Feel”, and tapped the newly reformed Elektra Records to handle stateside distribution of this still untitled record. God knows what it will sound like, but let’s hope it’s gets us dancing. -Ray Roa
TBA via Elektra/Ed Banger

The always present threat of a new Radiohead album

We know Radiohead has made substantial progress on its upcoming eighth album, but we don’t know much else. But as curious as we are about Phil Selway’s solo record, a Radiohead album without details is more exciting than 99% of albums that will come out this year, including his. We can probably expect this thing to be out before the end of the year, but no way it comes out before Selway’s late-August release. We can also only speculate on how it will sound, but if “These Are My Twisted Words” tells us anything, it’s that Radiohead is weird again! Add to that Ed O’Brien tossing around words like “different” and “new,” and it sounds at face value like another successful Radiohead album. -Harry Painter
TBA

Check Out:
“These Are My Twisted Words”

En route to Echo Park, the gentrified home of tonight’s venue The Echoplex, I tell my photographer to make sure he keeps his camera at a safe distance from the singer. He looks confused, and I explain that the guy is a little out-there. Now this was my first Les Savy Fav show as well as Pat’s, but I was familiar with these so-called antics. And I knew that the camera Pat was holding was expensive. And I knew that because it belongs to my father.

“Don’t worry about it,” I tell him, already creating an auspicious and uneasy cloud that would follow us into the warehouse-like venue.

The Echoplex is one of the larger venues in L.A. that puts on true indie shows, along with its upstairs little sister The Echo. Venues of comparable size, like the El Rey and Troubadour will have sponsors behind the shows, but The Echoplex, though kind of nice in a secret-whorehouse kind of way, prides itself on being a dive. But with tickets at 10 bucks and free parking, who can complain? My biggest desire upon arriving into the half-full hall? Find a seat. I was on show number five of a crazy rock ‘n roll week and all I wanted was to sit the fuck down, and I never sit at a show. Not that I’m complaining, because seriously how awesome is it to see great live music often, but if you are ever considering it, five shows in a week may be pushing it.

So after finding a nicely situated column to lean on and preparing to be miserable, I caught the first glimpse of the band setting up and tuning. While a curtain opening with intro music does set a certain mood and increase the drama, watching  guys set up their own shit also sets a mood, making the band seem less like a separate entity and more like part of the community. Harrington was only visible for a second, appearing happy as he waved to the crowd. Then at about 11, with the lights down, Harrington re-emerged wearing a ski mask, with only his eyes visible. From there, it was on.

Size aside, the energy that Tim Harrington leaves out on the stage would impress Lance Armstrong, and though it makes me feel like a giant pussy complaining about my fatigue from watching shows, once the opening guitar of “The Equestrian” began, I was once again my normal self and joined the audience. It was around this time two thoughts came to me: 1. Let’s Stay Friends is a terrific album. It hasn’t gotten old and defies art-punk/bro-rock paradigm that it borrows from and 2. I had no idea why Les Savy Fav are touring. Their last album is years old, so it came to me that we might get some new songs.

Which we did. After two more crowd-pleasers from Let’s Stay Friends, the band announced that they had finished recording and had a couple new songs to play over the course of the night. The new material sounded as strong as anything they’ve ever written, with the first offering a shout-out chorus noting “We still have our appetite” and then finishing with a partial cover of the Silver Jews’ “Punks in the Beerlight”*. The second new song was a bit more melodic and reserved, fitting in with the opening song off their last album. The entirety of the material performed otherwise dipped deep into the back catalog, representing their entire career, and included a number of jams that still hit like a heavyweight.

While Les Savy Fav may hammer the quick ones hard enough to boil veins, the fact of the matter remains that everyone wants to see something crazy. With this being my first Les Savy Fav show, I was a little underwhelmed with the antics. But it was no fault of the band’s, it was just one of the drawbacks of reputation. During the show, Harrington spotted someone who looked like Weird Al Yankovic (what a sad day it will be when this reference is lost on young people), and later when the look-alike jumped on stage, Harrington took down his pants to expose his dick to the audience. From there, the show sped along with the singer spending most of the time amidst the crowd, leaving the band on-stage who wore horrified looks of apprehension. You can’t help but think the rest of the band has an act too, sort of like a dramatic foil. And if that is the case, they are damn good at acting apologetic.

By show’s end, a fan screamed nonsensically into the mic on stage, while Harrington perched himself on a table, his head concealed in an attack space that came off as equal parts satirist and court jester. It seemed like Harrington has used this gathering, probably at all the shows they play, as a form of performance art, seeing how far he can take ridiculousness when the reputation for such precedes you. In fact, just the day before, Les Savy Fav played a free show at The Getty Museum, a world renowned art institute. And you know what, even in the red spandex wrestling suit he donned for the beginning of the encore, Harrington seems like he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable anywhere, because like KISS, GWAR, and many others, he is not really there at all.

Oh yeah, and the camera was not harmed.

Photography by Pat DeVaney.

Les Savy Fav setlist:
The Equestrian
What Would Wolves Do?
Patty Lee
New Song (Appetites)/ Punks in the Beerlight (Silver Jews partial cover)
Pills
Yawn, Yawn, Yawn
In These Woods
Disco Drive
New Song (Outta Here)
Rodeo
Je T’Aime
The Sweat Descends

Encore:
Blackouts
Who Rocks The Party
——

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The Faile BAST Deluxx Fluxx Arcade infuses the game arcades of the 80s with the underground art of the distant future, you know… now. Not quite so cyber but definitely punk, the Arcade is a fully immersive experience covered head to toe with street collage. All the arcade cabinets have been completely redone to feature bold posterized pop art illustrations on the outside and custom games on the inside. Faile is calling it an “arcade remix.” It’d make Kevin Flynn proud. See below for a mini-documentary with the artists and watch them bring the Arcade to fluorescent life.

No arcade would be complete without games blaring sweet electronic melodies and sound effects, and to further emphasize that point, Jabour has composed a twelve-track soundtrack to remind 21st century brains how fun blowing all your money on tokens used to be. The soundtrack is chiptunes-centric electronica, with just as many grinding electronic noises as sentimental bleep bloops: Dr. Mario meets computerized death metal with moody space dungeon moments.

The Deluxx Fluxx Arcade was open in London earlier this year, but now the New York-based art project has at last come home. You can check out the Arcade from now ’til May 27th at 158 Allen St. New York, NY. And if you can’t make it to NYC, you can recreate the experience in your own home. Just dust off your 2600 and stream or download Jabour’s album for free.

The Jesus Lizard, Of Montreal, Mission of Burma, Ratatat, The Pharcyde, and Destroyer head the recently unveiled 2009 bill. Other acts of note include Danzig, Yeasayer, Fucked Up, The Cool Kids, Wu Tang’s GZA performing Liquid Swords, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Lucero, Why?, and No Age.

As it stands, the Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 currently looks something like this:

7 Seconds, Alaska in Winter, All Leather, Astronautalis, Atlas Sound, Bankrupt and the Borrowers, Betaplayer, The Black and White Years, Brendon Walsh, Brian Posehn, Broadcast, Buraka Son Sistema, Car Stereo (Wars), Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm, Chelsea Peretti, MC Chris, Coalesce, Coliseum, The Cool Kids, Crystal Antlers, Crystal Castles, D.R.I., Danzig, Dead Confederate, Death, Destroyer, The DJ Melee, Face to Face, Flipper, Foot Patrol, Fuck Buttons, Fucked Up, Gorilla Biscuits, Growing, GZA performing Liquid Swords, Hannibal Burress, Harlem, HEALTH, James Husband (Of Montreal), The Jesus Lizard,  Josh Fadem, Kid Sister, King Khan & BBQ Show, The Laughing, LAX, Les Savy Fav, Low Line Caller, Lucero, Melt Banana, Metallagher, Mika Miko, Mission of Burma, Moonlight Towers, Neon Indian, The New Movement, Nick Thune, No Age, DJ Numark, Of Montreal, Off With Their Heads, Pack of Wolves, Peligrosa DJs, The Pharcyde, Rat King, Ratatat, Red Sparowes, Reign Supreme, Riverboat Gamblers, The Roller, Royal Bangs, Russian Circles, Shearwater, Shonen Knife, Ssion, The Strange Boys, Street Dogs, Sugar & Gold, This Will Destroy You, Times New Viking, Todd Barry, The Underground Railroad to Candyland, VEGA, White Kids You Know, Why?, Yeasayer, Young Widows, Youth Brigade

Early bird weekend ($67.50) and VIP ($135) are now available via funfunfunfest.com.

Nestled in the heart of downtown in Tampa’s finer sister city, Janus Landing was fashioned out of the courtyard of an early 1900s hotel. You can still look up on all sides during a show and see the ornate, yet withered balconies of old. Even better is that the former suites serve as green rooms for the bands. It’s common to see the headliners leaning over the balcony rails, sipping a beer and bobbing their heads to the opening act. And for those who love the indoors, a bar (nightclub on primetime nights) is conveniently stationed in the very back of the cobblestone square.

But the Landing’s most famed — or notorious depending on how you look at it — architectural feature is the twin set of poles on the stage and in the audience. Although meant to hold up the tent hanging over the front section of the crowd, during any show they rapidly become a support beam or axis point for some of the nastiest mosh pits in the Southeast. You can typically find the crowd whirl-pooling in two different hazardous directions around the audience pole, no matter how soft the band sounds.

Surrounded by a breadth of local flavor, any travel-worthy landmark in St. Pete is just a stone’s throw away from the Landing. The Dali Museum, The Pier, it’s all right next to the Bay Area’s oldest and most beloved open-air music hall.

A much looked over fact is that Jannus Landing was named after famed aviator Tony Jannus, who helmed The St. Petersburg Tampa Airboat Line, the world’s first heavier-than-air commercial aircraft that bounced back and forth across the bay to both cities. It’s pretty inspiring to think of a rickety Benoist XIV landing in the very spot where you can see sweaty, in your face frontmen like Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington and GWAR’s Oderus Urungus launching their spit and fake blood into your headbanging face.

It’s no surprise that Jannus Landing attracts such bands either. Because of its outdoor, yet self contained rough and tumble atmosphere, musical acts with lavish, drenching stage shows feel free to exercise little restraint. It’s the only place where you get to see raucous live bands like The Flaming Lips and, believe it or not, Less Than Jake go all out with their props, sets, and liquids. Indie purists can say what they want about the latter, but their gargantuan ska skull is still one of the coolest stage props I’ve ever seen.  And their earlier work is pretty fantastic, especially when blasted from the the Landing’s stage.

The venue naturally attracts a wide variety of Florida acts (virtually every significant band out of Gainesville’s music scene plays there several times of year) but Jannus Landing has housed everyone from The Pretenders to Wu-Tang Clan to Morrissey over the years.

So if you’re looking for a diverse offering mixed in with a little bit of Florida history, some nice architectural bells and whistles, and a salty dose of the open bay air, Jannus Landing is the place for you. Check it out next time you’re in town. Just watch out for that moshpit.

Ween – “Sketches of Winkle (Live at Jannus Landing 2/01/2008)

Jannus Landing

16 2nd Street North
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 896-2276

Upcoming Shows:
03/20 – The Original Wailers
04/04 – The Kottonmouth Kings
04/11 – New Found Glory
04/14 – The Bamboozle Road Show
04/18 – Twiztid
04/22 – Blue October
04/23 – George Clinton & the Parliament Funkadelic
04/24 – Candlebox
04/26 – Cross Canadian Ragweed
04/28 – Katy Perry

The opening band started off the night solidly, Chicago based Jai Alai Savant brought white suits and indie-rock and mixed it all together with a dub sound resulting in a good mix. The lead singer tried to banter with the crowd, but with people arriving late and low audio quality, the stage chatter was only mildly entertaining. Much of the crowd was itching to see what kind of stage show Les Savy Fav would bring later in the evening. Overall, the Chicago natives were a real solid opener and definitely sold some merchandise in the process, this writer included.

If the aforementioned face licking isn’t your scene, how about outfit changes? Harrington spent part of the show in a wig, a Native American costume, half naked, or my personal favorite, pants made into diapers. Although it might seem wrong, when a band brings this much energy and emotion into a cold wintry February, it warms up the heart.

As the show progressed, the band played a varied selection of their catalog, but when a band has been around for over ten years that’s expected. “Patty Lee” off of 2007’s Let’s Stay Friends was one of the earliest moments of excitement for the crowd. “What Wolves Would Do?” was another highlight off that stacked album. As the night kept moving along, Harrington continually entered the crowd to get up to no good. Did I mention that this entire show was at a church? Epiphany is an open-minded community church that has become a venue for wayward indie bands. In other words, a spiritual haven for all artistic exhibitions.

One near spiritual moment involved Harrington in the crowd as normal, but he ascended onto some stored furniture and sang while he was perched in front of a 30-foot high stained glass window. The crowd, of course, used their cell phones’ cameras as impromptu vigil lights. The show did not end there as Harrington again jumped onto some equipment, this time near the stage, and took apart a lighting rig so that he can run around with five mounted lights in his arms. God Bless Les Savy Fav.

There was no break for the rest of the band, as in most shows with charismatic lead singers; instead, they needed to find a way to keep the show going. As Harrington danced and sang his way through droves of churchgoers, the crowd held up his mic cords as the band kept the tunes going until he returned or started a new song. Some might call this a workout, or just honest fanaticism.

That’s not surprising. Les Savy Fav has long been a band that has had a near fanatical following. They helped build up South by Southwest and seemingly can play that whenever they want. They have never been mainstream by any account, but yet can sell out shows across the country. They always bring a solid stage show and Saturday was not different. The crowd was blessed both literally by Harrington at the beginning of the show and figuratively by the band during the entire show. While not working with the best acoustics, due to the limitations of the venue, Les Savy Fav put on a great show and if you left disappointed, then you’re really weren’t in the spirit.

Special thanks to photo support by the always brilliant Art Pena.

—

This past weekend, the rising media conglomerate brought its own flavor to Union Park, just outside of downtown Chicago, and nearby enough industrial palaces to kick back that ol’ blue collar indie credibility. With such a roll call of bands (Public Enemy, Fleet Foxes, and Dinosaur Jr. to name a few), Chicagoans came in waves… “sold out” waves, as the festival promoters would like you to know. It felt that way, however, as thousands of hipsters mindlessly walked together from stage to stage. Some were so hellbent on either sticking together or going with the flow that they missed the three other ticketing entrances to the festival, which meant there was an unnecessarily long line from the gate to the Green Line Ashland stop. My initial thoughts? Someone get these kids some damn Fuze drinks!

Saturday, the 19th

Having missed Friday (lack of sleep + early morning shift + The Dark Knight midnight screening = heavy, drowsy body), I made a vain attempt to take in as much as I could for Saturday. Things started a little rough, unfortunately. The slow train ride and chugging walk to the festival brought me to the closing song of Titus Andronicus‘s set. My blood boiled tenfold when they walked off stage. The New Jersey rockers’ debut is without a doubt one of this year’s finest and the energy on disc seemed paramount on stage. Oh well, fingers crossed for a Metro show in the near future.

Despite the unhappy weather, the misty rain felt nice. Summer festivals are usually tedious when it comes to heat, but the precipitation allowed for some London chills that kept everyone cool… and muddy. I don’t know if most of Chicago just skipped Bonnaroo, but many “got their jollies off” by rolling around in baseball diamond mud and sliding through festival goers. I even saw some girls wade in shin high rainwater. Enjoy the tapeworm come Monday, fools!

Pitchfork’s darling Jay Reatard came out for a short, thirty minute stint. The “aggressive” punk act swept through a dozen or so songs, and vocalist/guitarist Jay Lindsey had the time of his life with the microphone. It was nice to open with something that had adrenaline and pizzaz. These are acts that make outdoor festival experiences worth while. As the rain came down hard, Lindsey rollicked through a few closing songs before twisting and contorting one last time. Across the field and next door, sound technicians were having some technical difficulties (mainly with a keyboard), which delayed Caribou‘s set. Once the rain had subsided, singer/songwriter Daniel Snaith jump started his indie act into some cuts mainly off of last year’s Andorra. Snaith shared drumming duties with his touring drummer, which peaked at the opening track “Melody Day.” Altogether a tight set, after about twenty minutes, it all seemed the same.

One act everyone seemed excited to see was Fleet Foxes. Mist drifted over the audience as Robin Pecknold, clutching an acoustic and taking a seat by the microphone, played most, if not all, of the songs from their fantastic self-titled debut. Even if the set seemed more appropriate for an intimate setting, the four part harmonies resonated well with a very well behaved audience, who only applauded or spoke after each song. Pecknold’s stage presence isn’t exactly something to write home about, but his musicianship is, playing songs like “White Winter Hymnal”, which sounded perfect, clean, and yet brass. Considering the wide audience that stayed from beginning to end, one should keep a close eye on this Seattle quintet.

For many, the festival started with UK rapper Dizzee Rascal (above right), who came on the Connector stage, which is just one of three stages in the park. With a fly attitude and a smile on his face, he brought out some of the best moods of any hipster. Dancing and swaying, clapping and howling, people were moving. It all seemed fitting that halfway through his set, the sun broke through and any signs of bad weather disappeared altogether. On the downside, the heat turned up.

Halfway to the food stands, I came across some more “mud people”, a name we likened them to, who were asking passerby’s for spit, so they could continue shaping their mud mound. One “mud man” had a few white, smallpox-like fissions on his face, and as he walked up to others, many shied away… and with good reason. It didn’t make the situation for them any better that they were gathering up mud next to the Port-a-Potties. Gross, right? God, I’d never make it through Bonnaroo.

For those hungry at Pitchfork, they’re in luck. While certainly not as expanse as the Taste of Chicago (I mean, c’mon), it’s a step ahead of Lollapalooza. Vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores alike can enjoy everything from Chicago deli foods, Thai cuisine, spices of the South, and even finger licking BBQ. Saturday was packed, but the lines managed to squeeze by without much loss of time. The prices weren’t too shabby, either.

Towards the evening, everyone at the festival crowded the Aluminum stage, where New York’s “new thing”, Vampire Weekend, pleased ears and eyes galore. Singer and guitarist Ezra Koenig seemed comfortable with the crowd, which should come as no surprise after they’ve played Coachella, several international festivals, and the entire nation to boot. Although judging on comparison to their show here last April, the band seemed relatively tired and bored with the material (“Walcott” didn’t have the umph it once had), hinting that some much needed recording time and jamming is in store for them… or maybe just some sleep?

California dance rockers !!! ignited the crowd, playing a wealth of songs from last year’s Myth Takes. The pop eccentric group rallied through song after song, giving frontman Nic Offer little time to flirt with the crowd, but all the energy to grace the stage. Offer, in short shorts and a tight shirt, looked more or less like Nick Swarsden’s Terry of Reno 911, and even basing any opinion off of this performance, it’s clear he knows how to work a crowd. Immediately following, The Hold Steady blistered through “Constructive Summer”, off of this summer’s Stay Positive. Vocalist and guitarist Craig Finn is a little sloppy on stage, but it makes for an excellent show, where he borrows more from Paul Westerberg live, than his Springsteen-like ethics on record. The mixing left much for improvement (keyboardist Franz Nicolay was literally nonexistent throughout the set), but the band carried the best stage presence of any act that day. When Finn belted out “Sequestered in Memphis”, fans went wild, throwing beach balls around and jumping about madly. It was just non stop fun.

With an exhaustive girlfriend at my side and a setting sun in the distance, the idea of home with self made tacos and some Natalie Portman-Clive Owen movie sounded too good to pass up. I know, I know. One day I’ll regret missing out on Animal Collective or Jarvis Cocker, but not this weekend.

Sunday, the 20th

Things started late on the Sabbath, er Sunday, at least for me. New York City idiosyncratic’s Les Savy Fav made a mess out of the Connector stage. When vocalist Tim Harrington wasn’t doing imitations of Oscar the Grouch (complete with trash can), he was smearing war paint on nearby childrens’ faces. A friend of mine summed him up best: “a friendly, peaceful GG Allin.” On the whole, Les Savy Fav played a quaintly messy set, managing to hit wide range of their four studio releases. There was some time to be killed, so I got creative.

There’s always something to do at this festival, or so it seemed. If one’s not sold on the music acts, the trendsetters made sure you could continue all your irregular daily rituals, including thrift store shopping and other fun, sporty activities. The Chicago Independent Radio Project put together a nice little record shoppe, while dozens of homemade products were for sale in a separate tent. Tied in with the flavors of food, as mentioned before, the festival showed its guns.

Over at the Balance stage, which is south of the two main stages, I caught a bit of the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International. For a jam band-type sound, the local Chicago act kept up a tight, powerful set and reeled in a decent size crowd, though most were waiting patiently for Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, both of whom took the stage a good twenty minutes earlier than expected. The two Wu-Tang members’ set seemed moreover a nostalgic, “feeling the years” sort of show than an actual solo performance. Songs “C.R.E.A.M.” and even ODB’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” were played in snippets, with only a few songs of their own respected releases played in full. It was somewhat of a disappointment.

Without a doubt, however, the festival’s greatest performance was from UK act, Spiritualized. Just as the sun dwindled down, the psychedelic soul act took hold of an audience that continued to grow more and more. The alluring blend of classic rock blues and modern atmospherics really sounded refreshing. Songwriter Jason Pierce, or Spaceman to fans, chiseled through his guitar, coagulating both shoegaze and bluesgrass at once. When Tim Lewis, or Thighpaulsandra, took to his organ on several songs, the crowd went absolutely nuts. It was a perfect hour, with no sound technicalities and some of the best musicianship of the weekend. One can only hope they stay in the States for some time.

Of course, the weekend wouldn’t be as prolific if it weren’t for J. Mascis and friends, Dinosaur Jr (below right). The ancient act dusted off a stage that had been corroded from dozens of indie, prepubescent acts with its distortion and ear piercing solos. Songs “Almost Ready” and “Pick Me Up” (sporting an almost five minute solo) were blessings in disguise, reiterated from last year’s smile-making, come back album, Beyond. The band even cleared room for former singles “Feel the Pain” and “Out There.” Playing without a shirt, drummer Murph played a tight drum, while bassist Lou Barlow had his share at a couple of songs. All in all, the aging grunge rockers revealed they still have a few decades under their belt before they’re officially deaf.

Things disintegrated towards the end as headliner Spoon took stage. They opened with Kill the Moonlight‘s first track, “Small Stakes”, before heading into more recent material. One thing I noticed offhand was that vocalist and guitarist Britt Daniel has really improved his chops as a frontman for the band, inviting more energy onstage and an accelerated rhythm in movement. New material off of last year’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga sounded ready and crisp, especially the trolling repetition of “The Ghost of You Lingers.” Is it a surprise that Gimme Fiction material still sells itself readily? “My Mathematical Mind” and “I Turn My Kamera On” were easily highlights of an agreeable closer. It all kind of makes me want to watch that Will Ferrell film released a couple years back… and oddly enough, filmed in Chicago.

On the way back into town, someone talking on a cell phone mentioned to a friend, “Hey, we’re heading back, leaving hipster fest.” I laughed a bit at that comment, feeling as if I’m not alone in my sentiments. When one watches teens bask in the sun, wearing tight, tight Tron shirts and skinny, skinny female jeans, all the while asking for heat exhaustion, you can’t help but scoff. In the end, however, Pitchfork comes through, creating a humble festival for more or less a non-humble crowd, surrounded by industrial factories and sprinkled with less fortunate people asking fairly wealthy concertgoers for a helping hand. The sad twist? Despite all the “go green” nonsense, the efforts towards volunteering, and the peaceful mantras that go into half the acts that performed, people walked by, eager to get back to their lives and iPods. And sadly and rather self deprecatingly, I’m one of them.

In a way, that’s probably the best example of the brute real world yet.

*w/ various photo support by Art Pena

Les Savy Fav is probably the coolest band around. And while there was a six year span between the release of Go Forth and Let’s Stay Friends, whose complaining? Since we last heard them on disc, the band has gotten tighter, the song-writing has improved, and frontman Tim Harrington is just as eccentric, all which make for a win-win combination. The album truly documents Les Savy Fav at their peak. It’s over the top and intense in sound as you would expect. Yet at the same time, the band finds a way to keep it smart as throughout the album, they continually try to expand their horizons and press the limits of their musicality. Album highlights include the quite experimental “Brace Yourself” and the ferocious “The Year Before The Year 2000″ that can only be fully appreciated with the sound on high.

Let’s Stay Friends information

Buy the album on Amazon.com

Listen to a stream

Check Out:
“The Equestrian”
“What Would Wolves Do?”

Check out the rest of CoS’ Top 50 Albums of 2007…