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1. The Black Keys / Brothers
(sounds like: John Lee Hooker + Hendrix + T. Rex). This fuzz-laden, distortion-heavy, heartbroken blues-rock masterpiece hits you like a gut punch. Goddamn.
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2. The Tallest Man On Earth / The Wild Hunt
(sounds like: Dylan + Mississippi John Hurt + Destroyer). Passion, and acoustic psychedelia, via rural Sweden. Truly transformative. (Also a great EP out this year.)
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3. Spoon / Transference
(sounds like: Wire + Pixies). Edgy, punky, percussive alley anthems, self-produced this time with a warmer, hazier, more ragged sound that really works.
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4. Phosphorescent / Here’s To Taking It Easy
(sounds like: Will Oldham + Neil Young + Jim James). Art-folk goes folk, but stays a little freaky. Mellow, loose and great. (And with a heavy debt to Willie and his stash.)
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5. La Strada / New Home
(sounds like: Beirut + Dexy’s Midnight Runners). Intensely orchestrated, anthemic love songs, with Balkan and Celtic overtones. Inspired, inspiring, and lovely.
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6. Menomena / Mines
(sounds like: TV on the Radio + Pink Floyd). Like a bare-bones version of their earlier sound, still quirky and funky but no less powerful. Totally unique.
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7. New Pornographers / Together
(sounds like: the good old days). Rocking out again with big anthems, big choruses, and big chords, they sound charged up again. Fuckin’ A.
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8. Good Old War / Good Old War
(sounds like: Beach Boys + Eagles + Dawes). Sweet harmonies and simple acoustic country-pop make for a sunshiney good time.
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9. Sharon Van Etten / Epic
(sounds like: Cat Power + Velvet Underground). Intense, haunting, occasionally magical songs of confession – folky, but also almost operatic at times. A true talent on the rise.
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10. Nathaniel Rateliff / In Memory of Loss
(sounds like: Richard Buckner + Nick Drake). Powerful acoustic ballads of mourning and regret, with moments of astounding beauty. A must-hear.
11. Blitzen Trapper / Destroyer of the Void
(sounds like: The Band + Harry Nilsson + Yes). Weirdo Portland folk-rockers take a progressive turn with these quiet, rich ballads. This one takes patience, but really pays off.
12. Free Energy / Stuck On Nothing
(sounds like: Cheap Trick + MGMT + Thin Lizzy). Unashamed power pop, all headbands and wristbands and air drums and chords. Flawless party rock, tons of fun.
13. The Walkmen / Lisbon
(sounds like: VU + The Strokes). Mesmerizing slow burning ballads erupt into fuzzed out rock anthems. Another work of genius from this NYC-based band.
14. Dr. Dog / Shame, Shame
(sounds like: The Band + The Beatles + ELO). With this solid set of retro guitar-pop, they sound more confident than ever. Bright, upbeat and substantial.
15. Deerhunter / Halcyon Digest
(sounds like: Lou Reed + Kinks + Pixies). Slow-burning rock songs take their time to develop, and find power in the pause. More accessible than they’ve been before.
16. The Pernice Brothers / Goodbye, Killer
(sounds like: Beatles + Vic Chestnutt). Smart, tight pop nuggets that get right to the point and stick in your head. These veterans always deliver.
17. Broken Bells / Broken Bells
sounds like: Shins + Roxy Music). Ridiculously underrated, this cool, synthy set of pop songs is actually very good, and gets better with repeated listens.
18. Son Drop / Deep In The Underbark
(sounds like: Jackpot + Band of Horses). Home-schooled 4-trackers from Michigan swing with their eyes closed and hit a triple with this psychedelic country gem.
19. Deadstring Brothers / Sao Paulo
(sounds like: Stones + Tom Petty + Black Crowes). So derivative they should be ashamed; so authentic you will be amazed. Like something out of a 70’s time capsule.
20. The Soft Pack / The Soft Pack
(sounds like Ramones + Strokes + The Whigs). Power-pop with a punk edge, three-minute slices of awesomeness.
MORE GOOD STUFF
The Bird & The Bee / Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1 (Hall and Oates songs, lounge-cool)
Delta Spirit / History From Below (nasally folk-rock songs are infectious, and really grow on you)
Drive-By Truckers / The Big To-Do (polished country-rock pros are still evolving, still great)
The Duke & The King / Long Live The Duke & The King (Felice brother gets soul, and soars)
Roky Erickson & Okkervil River / True Love Cast Out All Evil (authentic folk with an indie touch)
Alejandro Escovedo / Street Songs of Love (another solid, polished rock album from an old favorite)
Frontier Ruckus / Deadfalls and Nightmalls (Richmond Fontaine + Beirut)
Adam Haworth Stephens / We Live On Cliffs (Two Gallants + Ryan Adams)
Glossary / Feral Fire (DBT + Petty + Big Star)
Horse Feathers / Thistled Spring (Iron & Wine + Matt Bauer)
In Tall Buildings / In Tall Buildings (DCFC + Radiohead + Joe Henry)
JBM / Not Even In July (Iron & Wine + Jose Gonzalez + Jim James)
Jamey Johnson / The Guitar Song (there’s no alt in this country, and man is it great)
Junip / Fields (Jose Gonzalez open up and stretches out with a full band, but stays mellow)
Ted Leo / The Brutalist Bricks (always hard but never heavy, Ted delivers again)
Laura Marling / I Speak Because I Can (Joni Mitchell + Fiona Apple: insanely good, and only 20)
The Morning Benders / Big Echo (R.E.M. + Beatles; pop songs both joyous and morose)
Old 97’s / The Grand Theatre, Vol. 1 (a surprising return to their country-punk roots)
Doug Paisley / Constant Companion (Will Oldham + Clapton + Willie Nelson)
Proud Mary / Ocean Park (Stones + Wilco)
Caitlin Rose / Own Side Now (Zooey Deschanel + Neko Case)
Sweet Lights / Sweet Lights (George Harrison + early Bowie + Strokes)
Two Cow Garage / Sweet Saint Me (DBT + Old 97’s)
Unbunny / Moon Food (Neil Young + Sparklehorse)
Vampire Weekend / Contra (better than you remember, despite the annoyances)
OVERRATED!
Arcade Fire / The Suburbs; Beach House / Teen Dream; Best Coast / Crazy For You; Caribou / Swim; LCD Soundsystem / Dance Yourself Clean; The National / High Violet; No Age / Everything in Between; Sleigh Bells / Treats; Sufjan Stevens / The Age of Adz; Titus Andronicus / The Monitor; Wavves / King of The Beach; Kanye West / My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy; and, as always, Pitchfork.
DISAPPOINTING
Band of Horses / Infinite Arms; Born Ruffians / Say It; Eels / Tomorrow Morning; The Hold Steady / Heaven Is Whenever; Tim Kasher / The Game of Monogamy; The Thermals / Personal Life; The Whigs / In The Dark; Wolf Parade / Expo 86
Andrew Stewart
Rhinebeck, NY