so i went to see the dandy’s last night at ed’s in edmonton. (a) the show was awesome. they played for like almost two hours.. including genius(!) and tons of stuff off thirteen tales. also they played I LOVE YOU!!!! totally sounded so ridiculously awesome. everything off odditorium was way rad. (b) after the show we went backstage and hung out with them until they had to leave. brent was a huge stud. i love that dude. zia was super super super nice, <3. i didn’t really talk to peter at all. and courtney and this groupie-i-agree-with-everything-courtney-says i-know-everything-about-their-history super annoying girl were trying to tell me that basquiat rode warhol to famedom. i was like efff that basquiat was way famous before he ever even met warhol. but they would not believe me!!! tiny bit of respect lost :( also brent’s girlfriend sara(h?) was super cool and nice too. i showed brent the updates i just had done to my tattoo yesterday and he called me the craziest mofo he has ever seen. lol! i will post pics when my roommate gets back with his camera. i luvs you dandy’s!!!!!

lately i have had not a lot to do. that is because one week ago i came to edmonton for

neal pollack is funny.no real reason at all except to stay for awhile. and also to hang out with a friend whom i have not seen for about four years (is that the correct usage of ‘whom’? i never know). what amazed me besides how awesome i am, is that there is an inordinate amount of people who have no clue where edmonton is. dudes, wtf? do you know NO world geography, at all?? that you do not even know the location of one of canada’s larger cities baffles me? srsly, like ten people said: where is that?

anyway i have switched from my usual rum & coke/pepsi to gin & tonics, and i have been enjoying them. however, i only have one glass left for the night, which is mildly annoying, but nevertheless. my friend-slash-new-roommate is gone to victoria for the weekend (also in canada, retards) and i am left at home to write things and drink, and also to read and watch tv. today i finished neal pollack’s ‘anthology’ which is a hilarious satire of all those pompous ‘thought pieces’ you can find in prominent magazines such as the new yorker, or time, or newsweek, or whatever. pollack’s articles for slate.com are quite funny as well. his over-the-top style and mastery of witty anecdotes pander deliciously to my personality. i highly recommend it. and i am probably in love with you, the reader(s?).

well 2007 is only a 1/3 of the way through, and already i have a list of 39 albums in my best of 2007 playlist. this year has been unreal so far and hopefully it continues. here are 39 albums you should make sure you listen to (in alphabetical order, sort of):

(this list is still in progress)

1. 65daysofstatic - the destruction of small ideas
(april 30; monotreme)
the third proper album by this english ass-stomping post-rock quartet is on par with the rest of their work (though not near as incredible as their still unmatched debut). its vehement drumming and autonomous melodies encapsulate most of post-rock’s mentality without drudging it into complacency as a lot of post-rock often does. it’s not their greatest, but it surpasses just about any other post-rock currently out there. the witty, almost iconoclastic “the distant & mechanised glow of eastern european dance parties” is a particular standout.
RIYL: post-rock or math-rock that isn’t boring or narcissistic, mogwai

2. the aliens - astronomy for dogs
(march 19; emi)
former members of the beta band debut with a record that shows an impressive knowledge of music history. though sometimes it seems to get lost within itself, tracks like “setting sun”, “she don’t love me” and “only waiting” more than make up for the sparse moments of self-absorption.
RIYL: a lesson in modern pop music history

3. apostle of hustle - national anthem of nowhere
(february 6; arts & crafts)
broken social scene frontman andrew whiteman leads this band on a guileful odyssey of worldly influences and hypnotic soundscapes that traverse through everything from downtempo to reggae. brilliant tracks like “the naked and alone”, “haul away” and “jimmy scott is the answer” are ample evidence of the continuously brimming music scene in canada.
RIYL: broken social scene mixed with sublime(!?)

4. the arcade fire - neon bible
(march 5; merge)
there isn’t enough to say about this record. it’s anthemic, it’s orcehstral, it’s poppy, it’s subdued, and it’s even better than its nearly perfect predecessor. it would seem at this point that win butler & co. can do no wrong. neon bible is less tragic than funeral, but more complex—it’s almost as if butler is confessing his disbelief over the band’s immense popularity. tracks like “black wave/bad vibrations” and “no cars go” add even more intensity to their signature sound without sounding different at all (think “power out” a year later when everyone is on the verge of starving to death).
RIYL: the burgeoning canadian music scene; the new pornographers, spoon, stars, the constantines, modest mouse, etc.

5. battles - mirrored
(may 22; warp)
comprised of former members of helmet, tomahawk, don caballero, lynx; battles is a quartet that will destroy your perceptions of what music is supposed to be. mirrored is a creepy, beautiful(?), thunderous dreamscape of math rock that will have you asking yourself if you are on drugs or possibly dead. but yet it still rocks. a lot. imagine an army of robots invading a flower garden but for some reason the flowers are classically trained jujitsu artists. a full scale battle breaks out to the horror of the surrounding grass, trees, and a demented bunny.
RIYL: tomahawk, don caballero, insanity but in a good way, the knife, dreaming in real life

6. bears - shortest day of the year EP
(april 3; self-released)
usually i wouldn’t include an ep on a list like this, but in the case of bears that distinction gets thrown out the window: (a) because their songs are so short that their full-lengths could be an ep, and (b) their music is too good to ignore no matter the format. these wonderful ohioans (creators of the best record of 2006) are back with even more blissful indie-pop that is as sad as it is happy and might just contain the power to make a manly dude cry :(
RIYL: saturday looks good to me, the beta band, belle & sebastian, stars, blissful but sad indie pop

7. the besnard lakes - are the dark horse
(february 20; jagjaguwar)
the second album by yet another canadian band on the rise is a melancholy, introspective portrait of reality that is unpredictably epic, beautiful, and rewarding. at times grandiose, at times meager and scared, this record burns with a restrained passion that transcends itself. the album’s hidden hope is barely alive enough to breathe but it’s there, and its existence is simply enough to keep everything from imploding. really, it gets better and better with each successive listen.
RIYL: stars, the arcade fire, other epic canadian orchestrations of love and loss

8. black rebel motorcycle club - baby 81
(may 1; rca)
though these protégés of anton newcombe have now surpassed him in fame, they still owe a large part of their existence to him, and the neo-psychedelic jams found on baby 81 continue that trend. however, brmc have carved out their own niche, and this record continues their marriage of jesus-and-mary-chainsy drug rock with the psychedelic influences of brian jonestown massacre (and bands like the stooges and velvet underground before them). the album’s first single “weapon of choice” is a brutally melodic reminder of brmc’s capabilities. and baby 81 is possibly their best album yet, finally nailing down a suitable contrast of the hard-driving drug rock of take them on, on your own with the folksy blues of howl.
RIYL: jesus & mary chain, brian jonestown massacre, the velvet underground, fuzzdrenched drugged out neo-psychedelia

9. blonde redhead - 23
(april 10; 4ad)
blonde redhead’s seventh studio album continues right along the lines where misery is a butterfly left off—a glimpse into the gorgeously demented minds of three artistic geniuses. this band has done nothing but blow my mind with its past few records, and this is no exception. not only is 23 one of the greatest albums of the year, but possibly ever. from the manic no-holds-barred neo-shoegaze of the title track and “spring and by summer fall” to the strange, heavenly art pop of “dr. strangelove” and “the dress”, this record will take every feeling you have ever had and turn it inside out and then it will punch you in the face while making love to you.
RIYL: weird japanese flower gardens and manic talking butterflies, my bloody valentine, asobi seksu, sonic youth, david lynchian dreamscapes, julee cruise

10. clap your hands say yeah - some loud thunder
(january 30; self-released)
the sophomore album from these post-david byrnians is in many ways a typical one. it’s more reflective, less poppy, more challenging, and still great. though not as immediate (or good) as its antecedent, its eclectic mixture of artsy post-punk and playfulness still succeed in creating a solid second effort. beginning with a deliberate middle finger to any sort of mainstream audience (the title track—compressed into some sort of musical black hole), and ending with an intense, sad little epilogue (on the japanese and itunes releases anyway); this record twists and turns and ultimately circles back to its beginning and will leave you wanting more.
RIYL: talking heads/david byrne, david bowie, modest mouse, wolf parade, sunset rubdown, weird new york art rock

11. dinosaur jr - beyond
(may 1; fat possum)
yes you read that right. even dinosaur jr is jumping on the 2007-year-of-awesomeness bandwagon. the kings-of-stoner-rock’s eigth studio album (and first in ten years) could be easily interchanged with anything from their back catalogue and no one would likely notice (right up to the black and white cover art). that’s a bad thing usually, but not with dinosaur jr—this album summarizes everything we have come to expect from the band and more. lou barlow’s influence is evident especially on (the album’s highlight) “lightning bulb”. if beyond doesn’t make you want to put on some flannel and start a band, i don’t know what will.
RIYL: the 90s, stoner rock, lou barlow, j mascis, mudhoney, grunge, the melvins, awesome drugged out guitar solos

12. dungen - tio bitar
(may 1; kemado)
the fourth album by these neo-psychedelic swedes sounds exactly what the 60s in 2007 should sound like. its modern influences are unmistakable but the band is firmly rooted in original, vintage flower power. layers upon layers of melodies and instrumentation pile upon eachother to create an atmosphere of love, of happiness, and (quite possibly) of god itself. tio bitar is probably something that no one outside of sweden could ever hope to come up with, and that’s perfectly okay.
RIYL: the 60s forty years later, listening to lsd in music form, the beatles, the grateful dead, hendrix, the doors, sweden, beauty

13. the field - from here we go sublime
(march 26; kompakt)
the debut from sweden’s (where else, really?) the field (aka axel willner) is an intense minimalist opus of pounding beats and simplistic, repeating melodies which ironically add to the record’s complexity and ultimately rewrite it into something else entirely (a rave? death? drugs? hypnosis?). from here we go sublime has received almost nothing but critical praise, and for good reason.
RIYL: aphex twin, orbital, electronica, m83, hypnotizing melodies

14. glös - harmonium
(march 27; lovitt)
former members of denali and engine down (you heard that right, fellow keeley davis inamoratos) collaborated to create this hauntingly brilliant fusion of the two aforementioned bands. the steady, panicky “unharmed” is a stunning reminder of what makes maura and keeley davis so damn incredible. maura’s barely audible backup vocals during “hell hath no fury” and “driver” perfectly depict the album’s intense, electronic quality while keeley’s detached coolness contradictorily reinforce it. harmonium is thick with dissonance and drenched in unnerving melody—incessantly threatening to explode.
RIYL: denali, engine down, 3 mile pilot, atmospheric apocalyptic dreamscapes

15. the good, the bad & the queen - s/t
(january 22; parlophone)
damon albarn’s latest project is a logical evolution of gorillaz’ lethargic melodies mixed with a skillful understanding of indie rock’s recent history. albarn’s lazy vocals are slightly sunny but mostly moody, which perfectly compliments ex-Clash bassist Paul Simonon’s bubbly electro backdrops. the good, the bad & the queen is dancey but it’s gloomy; it’s poppy but it’s loaded with a complex subtext that lends it further credibility and rewards patience. don’t be fooled by albarn here, this album is more dismal than he would have you believe.
RIYL: gorillaz, gloomy electro bubblegum pop, oasis, neo-britpop

16. immaculate machine - immaculate machine’s fables
(june 12; mint)
immaculate machine return with an excellent followup to 2005’s immaculate (meta-adjective intended) ones and zeros. the album starts things off right with the first track, “jarhand”—a magnificent pop gem that brings the new pornographers’ “the bleeding heart show” to mind. the rest of the record continues along the same intended path—brimming with sunny melodies and boy/girl harmonies that reminisce and introspect.
RIYL: the new pornographers, canadian indie pop, spoon, the arcade fire, boy/girl harmonies, mates of state

17. jatun - s/t
(march 6; other electricities)
jatun’s self-titled debut takes the synth-soaked melodies of m83 and mixes them with restive, röyksoppian beats; blissfully scattering atmospheric trip-hop and waves of mesmerizing shoegaze in every direction. “ghost and grey” and “voila and the case” bleed hypnosis, while “weakness” and “zombie hotel” barely move—creating a record filled with sonic moods that will turn your heart to ice and melt it back again.
RIYL: m83, my bloody valentine, national skyline, ova looven, aarktica, antarctica, freezing soul-drenching icescapes, film school, nuclear winters

18. jesu - conqueror
(february 20; hydra head)
justin broadrick returns with another record of droning, apocalyptic doomgaze that will melt your face off in slow motion. even more melodic and more sedated (is that even possible?) than his previous work, conqueror crawls and dies and barely moves its way through stoned ambience, glimmers of hope(?!) and layers upon layers of awe-inspiring post-shoegaze that could quite possibly destroy the world’s sunlight if played loud enough.
RIYL: my bloody valentine, isis, godflesh, red-sparowes, pelican, hum, juno, neurosis, doom-laden murderous love songs

19. ken andrews - secrets of the lost satellite
(march 13; dinosaur fight)
the former frontman of the seminal mid-90s space rock band failure (and on, and year of the rabbit, etc.) finally releases a solo album, and it’s everything we could hope for. secrets of the lost satellite plays to all of andrews’ strengths—spacey, heroin-induced melodies, grunged-up guitars, and themes of loss and alienation. “allergic” and “up or down” are on par with some of the best music failure ever released.
RIYL: failure, grungey space rock, hum, year of the rabbit, blinker the star

20. kings of leon - because of the times
(march 30; hand me down)
kings of leon’s third album is far and away their best to date—with booze leaking everywhere; it’s a bar fight waiting to happen. caleb followill’s drunken vocals are raw, gritty, uninhibited and dirtier than the deep south. standout tracks “true love way”, “on call” and “ragoo” bring to mind those wonderfully transcendent moments at 2:30 am when you’ve had 16 beers and you’re on top of the world. with because of the times, the followills prove they are cooler than you could ever hope to be.
RIYL: neil young, lynyrd skynyrd, wolf parade, modest mouse, the constantines, boozed-up rock ‘n’ roll, the rolling stones

21. klaxons - myths of the near future
(january 29; polydor)
klaxons’ debut lp is so hott (that’s two t’s), so energetic, and so ass-shakingly catchy it will have you dancing and shouting in minutes. myths of the near future is littered with literary and intellectual references and at the same time never seems to break a sweat while throwing them in your face and breakdancing circles around you. “golden skans” is so ridiculously appealing that it singlehandedly makes this album (new rave?) worth listening to. the fact that the rest is almost as good makes it a requirement.
RIYL: intellectual dance-punk, the yeah yeah yeahs, shaking your ass, junior senior, lcd soundsystem, the rapture, mstrkrft

22. marilyn manson - eat me, drink me
(june 5, 2007; interscope)
marilyn manson’s sixth studio album is arguably his best since mechanical animals. manson and guitarist tim skold teamed up to create an album much more naked and vulnerable than anything he has put out in the past ten years. skold’s axl-rose-meets-kmfdm guitar solos bring a strange but intriguing new dimension to manson’s morbid vocals—resulting in a raw tension that is bitingly sincere (see the guitars on the album highlight, “they said hell’s not hot”) and still somewhat reassuring and familiar.
RIYL: guns ‘n’ roses, kmfdm, ozzie osbourne, dope, orgy, godhead, paranoid pseudo-industrial metal

23. mice parade - mice parade
(may 8; fat cat)
the latest record from multi-instrumentalist new yorkian adam pierce is a typically genre-defying blend of electronica, post-rock, layered melodies and simplistic beauty. pierce’s entrancing vocals meld seamlessly with the steadily pounding rhythmic backdrops and drizzly guitars, which creates a wintery mix of moods that take on a life of their own. with pierce’s restrained control, these living, breathing organisms are incredibly tense; like a frozen butterfly emerging from a burning cocoon.
RIYL: tortoise, mouse on mars, ambient indie pop, gastr del sol, stereolab

24. modest mouse - we were dead before the ship even sank
(march 20; epic)
former smiths’ guitarist johnny marr(!) joined isaac brock and co. for their fifth proper full length, which reverts slightly back to the rugged quality of their earlier albums while retaining the radio-friendly aspects of their recent work. brock’s signature yelping is still in tact and marr’s guitardom superbly matches the band’s maturing songwriting—most evident on the almost gentle “parting of the sensory”, “missed the boat” and especially on the epic “spitting venom”. though not as brilliant as they are capable of, we were dead before the ship even sank is easily among the year’s best.
RIYL: the pixies, pavement, wolf parade, rugged indie rock, kings of leon

25. the national - boxer
(may 22; beggars banquet)
the national’s fourth album continues along the morose path that 2005’s critically acclaimed alligator paved. matt berninger’s deep baritone is so despondent, so disconnected—it serves to darken his already gloomy and dejected (and sophisticated) lyrics even moreso. album highlights “mistaken for strangers” and “brainy” are practically aural suicide notes; churning with pounding rhythms and an air of murk—defiantly daring you to drink yourself to death.
RIYL: the magnetic fields, dreary pop music, the pernice brothers, american analog set

26. panda bear - person pitch
(march 20; paw tracks)
animal collective member panda bear’s (aka noah lennox) third solo record is an avant garde cavalcade of strange kaleidoscopic collages that shimmer and sparkle with a strange, translucent beauty. lennox’s delicious indie pop experimentations are appropriately delicate and sublime; composed with patience but bleeding with passion.
RIYL: stereolab, strange exerimental indie pop, the polyphonic spree, piano magic, grizzly bear, olivia tremor control

27. papercuts - can’t go back
(february 13; gnomonsong)
californian neo-hippie jason quever’s second papercuts record is summery and flowery and fun and sad and lovely and sugary. the album’s standout, “john brown” is an indie pop anthem made for drinking beer on the porch on sunny saturday afternoons. can’t go back FEELS like a journey through some sunny wonderland; but it’s a journey that really has no beginning or end, it’s just aimless and wandering—a transient nomadic rubberband-ball of bubbly melodies that are fully aware (and quite accepting) of their eventual deaths.
RIYL: sublime sunny indie pop, grizzly bear, stereolab, grandaddy, the notwist

28. pelican - city of echoes
(june 5; hydra head)
pelican’s third full-length is a steamroller of post-metal/post-rock that builds intensity with each passing second. its fierce drumming provides a vicious backdrop for a cavalcade of slow, slintesque guitars that copulatively assert themselves like a timeless, confrontive freight train—as if half-shouting-half-whispering: hey fucker, here i am; i love you, but i have to kill you now.
RIYL: melodic post-rock/post-metal with big drums, 65daysofstatic, polvo, slint, isis, red sparowes

29. piano magic - part-monster
(may 29; important)
the latest from this ambient-pop charged uk collective is fueled by moody post-punk malaise and a subtle canvas of musical radiation that silently electrifies its surroundings as it envelopes you. happiness is evanescent here, hidden in the deep smog of loss. these blissless snippets eventually morph into segues of memories and memories-to-be, relaxing and entrancing and barely convulsing; like a dying pet.
RIYL: the sound, joy division, black heart procession, three mile pilot, the church, arab strap, uncut

30. the ponys - turn the lights out
(march 20; matador)
the ponys’ third record is another brilliantly cool slathering of vintage rock ‘n’ roll attitude updated with post-punk tendencies. building on the cocky swagger of their past releases, turn the lights out churns like a ‘79 trans-am with t-tops and a huge fucking yellow firebird logo on the hood. jered gummere’s sexy and nonchalant, cocaine-laced vocals are dreamy and druggy and hip; a posh reservoir of radicalness too chic to ignore.
RIYL: druggy indie rock, the dandy warhols, tokyo police club, black rebel motorcycle club

31. portugal. the man - it’s complicated being a wizard EP
(february 27; reincarnate)
these postmodern alaskans’ latest ep is another venture of anti-rock/post-prog/quasi-electronic experimentation that barely misses the event horizon of pretentiousness. the narcissistic ploy of divulging the entire ep in the form of the album’s opening track and subsequently deconstructing it to form nine separate tracks to fill the rest of the record not only works but actually adds to the ethos of the band. strange and hynotic and beautifully funky, portugal. the man once again manage to straddle that thin line between nascent artistry and self-indulgent bullshit.
RIYL: klaxons, circa survive, postmodernism, blonde redhead, deerhoof, at the drive-in, the mars volta

32. ra ra riot - s/t EP
(march 13; self-released)
ra ra riot’s self-titled debut is a sublime work of artsy panache (think post-punk-revival-meets-canadianesque-chamber-rock) that takes into account everything from folk rock (“a manner to act” is basically bob dylan’s “the hurricane” written by generation y) to orchestral indie rock (the brilliantly arcade fire-ish “ghost under rocks”). the promise of this exquisitely talented young band outweighs that of even their exquisitely crafted music. exquisite!
RIYL: tokyo police club, stars, the arcade fire, bob dylan, artsy indie chamber rock

33. rocky votolato - the bragg & cuss
(june 19; barsuk)
alt-country singer-songwriter rocky votolato’s fifth album is another familiarly folk-tinged gem of pseudo-southern backwater rock that sounds as breezy as it is heavy. votolato’s confessional songwriting and brisk arrangements add a sort of naked, voyeuristic quality not found in a lot of similar sounding records. in short, the bragg & cuss is a typical southern folk record—that sounds nothing like a typical southern folk record (probably due to votolato’s texan-cum-portlander heritage migration).
RIYL: bob mould, paul westerberg, bob dylan, my morning jacket, iron & wine, the mountain goats, neil young

34. the rosebuds - night of the furies
(april 10; merge)
the rosebuds’ third full-length is soaked in beautiful indie pop bliss and lachrymose wordplay backed by gorgeously danceable synths and heaving beats. hypnotizing and breathing like a midnight summer thunderstorm, ivan howard and kelly crisp’s leisurely reciprocity are a breathtaking, if haunting, counterpart to the album’s contradictory pulsating rhythms and dejected lyrics. standout track “i better run” perfectly captures the band’s indelible mood with intensely forlorn vocals and a surging, bonemelting background of synths and melodies that will make your brain cringe in bemused ecstacy.
RIYL: mates of state, the arcade fire, stars, the smiths, the cure, joy division, sad indie pop, new order

35. sage francis - human the death dance
(may 8; epitaph)
sage francis returns with another album of academic hip-hop loaded with rhyming intellect engulfed by a melodic haze of jazzy, volatile instrumentation. francis’ social and political commentary is both impressive and vivid—even more powerful when mixed with the record’s backing canvas of moody, mercurial arrangements. the album’s closing track is a draconian amalgam of a junkie that brilliantly parades francis’ lyrical and musical abilities amongst a sea of pianos, violins and guitars. who really gives a shit about bitches and ho’s?
RIYL: el-p, jay-z, madvillain, lewis parker, danger mouse, intellectual indie hip-hop

36. the bravery - the sun and the moon
(may 22; polydor)
the bravery’’s sophomore effort is another collection of pounding dance anthems dripping with harmonies and soaked in catchy synths; throbbing with sextastic energy. a glorious bass station broadcasting giant hooks and undeniable moxie, the sun and the moon rides the irresistible wave of sam endicott’s ridiculously seductive vocals and crashes to the shore in a spectacular crescendo of layered 8-bit intensity and virtualized sensitivity.
RIYL: the killers, the strokes, editors, she wants revenge, the cure, panic at the disco, sexy danceable synth rock, the faint, white rose movement

37. circa survive - on letting go
(may 29; equal vision)
this seminal quasi-emo, post-hardcore band’s followup to the stunningly brilliant juturna again hinges on anthony green’s breathtaking, androgynous vocals and azure soundscapes that defy the beauty of music by redefining the existence of ice cold atmospheric bliss. every jaw-dropping second of this record absorbs its surroundings in a postmodern, existential blur of shape and color and form that intertwine and extend outward and inward into some kind of reaffirming violation of beauty.
RIYL: i love you but i’ve chosen darkness, at the drive-in, saosin, …and you will know us by the trail of dead, you in series, cave in

38. new young pony club - fantastic playroom
(june 4; universal)
the debut album by these cooler-than-you english motherfuckers is a créme brûlée of art punk/new rave á la mode (think blondie meets the yeah yeah yeahs) so cool and trendy it demands its own definition. it’s more mod than mod and more punk than punk. more cool than cool, and hotter than hell. tahita bulmer’s detachedly sassy vocals flawlesly emasculate the band’s über-hip hooks and add just enough art school risque to put the record’s vogue over the edge.
RIYL: the yeah yeah yeahs, metric, tokyo police club, the dandy warhols, kissing tigers, controller.controller, klaxons

39. the sea and cake - everybody
(may 8; thrill jockey)
with pervasive éclat, the sea and cake’s seventh album further evidences the band’s intrinsic grasp of subtle hooks, dazed vocals, and layered pseudo-electronic melodies. everybody plays out like a mild sunday afternoon acid trip on a farm somewhere in the hills of montana—meandering slowly in and out of consciousness in a sundrenched daze. the album’s peak, “lightning” is an aural vicodin radiating everything this band does well; which then descends into a sweet, sweet comedown of sleep and possibly death during the closing track, “transparent”.
RIYL: yo la tengo, the notwist, pinback, stereolab, tortoise, styrofoam

40. the shins - wincing the night away
(january 23; sub pop)
the shins’ third album finds the band lessening its quirky style a bit in favor of more experimental and confessional songwriting about the human condition. wincing the night away takes everything that is good about the shins and mixes them with a everything that is good about a zach braff film, resulting in a slightly eccentric but mostly melancholy mixture of tragic melodies and thought provoking wordplay. one listen to some of the record’s high points (“sleeping lessons”, “split needles”) clearly exhibits the band’s growing maturity and uncompromising talent.
RIYL: the arcade fire, stars, the decemberists, quirky but popular indie rock, wrens, the new pornographers

41. spoon - ga ga ga ga ga
(july 10; merge)
austin indie superheroes return with a brand new helping of bubbly, jangly that swanks with stoned grooves and shimmies and shakes like a zombie on pcp. britt daniel’s vocals are as blasé and sluggish as ever (“the ghost of you lingers”, “you got yr cherry bomb”) while the record delves into the territory of worldly influence (“rhthm and soul”, “my little japanese cigarette case”). ga ga ga ga ga is a baby rattle for indie rock fans; easily ranking among the best albums spoon has released. and it gets better each time.
RIYL: sloan, the new pornographers, the constantines, the arcade fire, the hold steady, ted leo, drinking beer and dancing on the lawn on a sunny afternoon

42. tiger army - music from regions beyond
(june 5; hellcat)
formative psychobilly folk-punk band tiger army’s latest is slightly more mainstream (and thus, not quite as good) as their previous releases, resulting in a good record (it’s tiger army, duh) that could be better. nick 13’s vocals on standouts such as “afterworld”, “hechizo de amor” and particularly “pain” bring vintage tigery army to mind, but the polished production and guitar sheen tend to overshadow them (especially on “hotprowl”, featuring davey havok of afi, and “as the cold rain falls”). the result is a somewhat confusing and inconsistent record that mostly delivers, but sometimes falters.
RIYL: against me!, the cramps, the flametrick subs, quentin tarantino soundtracks

43. tokyo police club - a lesson in crime EP
(april 27; paper bag)
these über-cool post-punk revivalists’ debut is a pithy, fleeting collection of anthemic art punk that will leave you in a daze on the floor when it’s finished handing you your ass. the record’s succinctness (8 tracks; 18 minutes) actually brings out the band’s strengths rather than hinders them. dave monks’ lyrical mastery and feigned apathy rise above the energetic, neo post-punk guitarplay and add extra depth and gambole to an already catchy collision of arsty musical dynamite.
RIYL: new young pony club, the strokes, pavement, the yeah yeah yeahs, liars, ultra-hip anti-rock bands, the pixies, ra ra riot
EDIT//this ep was actually released in 2006—almost a year ago!! where was i?? i have no idea.

44. tomahawk - anonymous
(june 19; ipecac)
tomahawk’s followup to 2003’s mit gas is a thunderously insane opus of earthcrushing/ominous/momentous/ doomladen/apocalyptic (seriously, what the fuck IS this?) experimental pseudo-metal/pseudo-tribal/pseudo-psychosis. lurching with ancient (futuristic?) rhythm, belching mescal; murdering, rising, evacuating, dreaming(?)—mike patton has completely lost his fucking mind. and the result is awesome. anonymous is a peyote-laced intepretation of music smoking a pipe filled with the history of civilization.
RIYL: nothing you have ever heard before, battles, the jesus lizard

45. the tough alliance - new chance
(may 21; playground)
ultra-catchy swedish electro-pop duo’s second full-length is another more-addicting-than-heroin assault on the senses that is happy, playful, and undeniably appealing. with eight tracks of memorable, bubbly summeronic love, new chance is an auralgasm of layered harmonies blanketed with melodies blanketed with more layered harmonies coated with the electronic residue of a few red mercedes pills; a euphoric rainbow of pure sound—pure, virtuous passion.
RIYL: röyksopp, sunny swedish electro pop, sunny days, beaches, moby, the field

46. voxtrot - s/t
(may 22; playloudrecordings)
the long awaited full-length debut by these neo-spoon, austin up-and-comers delivers on the promises hinted at by their multitude of ep’s and singles. though the lp format is somewhat detrimental to the band’s distinguished proficiency of concise, condensed indie pop gems, this record still maintains a high standard of excellence. continuing in the piano-soaked, chamber pop direction the band’s most recent ep, your biggest fan, suggested, voxtrot seems to be evolving into a more orchestral creature. though still first-rate, this new tenor unfortunately can’t hold a candle to the unbridled, no-holds-barred indie pop brilliance that is the mothers, daughters, sisters, & wives or raised by wolves ep’s.
RIYL: spoon, stars, the new pornographers, the arcade fire, sparrow house, clap your hands say yeah, wearing nerdy glasses and a cardigan

47. we all have hooks for hands - the pretender
(april 3; afternoon)
sioux falls multi-instrumental collective’s debut lp is a reeling tour of experimental indie pop and melodic noise constructs. like a grand, midwestern cortège, the pretender erupts with sound in every direction; cloaking its surroundings in melodious abstractions and strange creations. with fervent energy and effortless capability—from the pulverizing maceration midway through “hold on, c’mon” to the divinely sincere honesty of “on & on”—we all have hooks for hands’ first offering is an exuberant but zealous expression of playfulness.
RIYL: diy indie pop experimentation, neutral milk hotel, yo la tengo, apples in stereo, broken social scene, the microphones

48. wilco - sky blue sky
(may 15; nonesuch)
jeff tweedy and co’s newest album reverts slightly back to the straightforward alt-country the band became so engulfed in during the mid-90s, recalling the mellow folksy being there and summerteeth. though still displaying a definite willingness to experiment with avant-jazz and atmospheric folk-pop (especially on the stunning “impossible germany”), sky blue sky is more of a coming out party for tweedy’s progression as a singer. his noticeable comfort manifests itself in the form of an engaging, if relaxing, record filled with subtle, instrumental complexities that only add to the depth of tweedy’s engrossing vocals.
RIYL: badly drawn boy, jim o’rourke, leaves changing color in october, songs: ohia, vintage jazz, yo la tengo

i have been sidelined with an ear infection and can hear absolutely nothing out of my right ear :’(

so… i took the time to finally go through ALL of my music and limit my albums down to just the essentials—getting rid of all duplicates i have acquired over the years, all irrelevant and otherwise shitty records, redownloading bad rips, and deleting just about any live album that isn’t necessary. this leaves 2,184 albums by 993 artists.. which is going up as i discover more essential stuff that has gone MIA or for some reason i don’t have. i also finally went through every single album and fixed the ones that have no ‘year’ or ‘track number’ info in the id3 tags.

what this means for you, the reader(s?) is that i have been listening to and remembering tons of old records and forgotten favorites. i was reading sebastian’s blog and he threw out an idea of listing his favorite album for each of the past 30 years—an idea i have totally had before also. and i think it is probably time to bring that idea to fruition.

some awesome favorites i have either neglected or forgotten about:

richard hell & the voidoids
black heart procession
the delgados
bonnie “prince” billy and other will oldham related projects
the mountain goats
colour revolt

and many more.

so stay tuned for some forgotten and/or underappreciated and/or just plain awesome albums, coming soon.