The bigger list

The faves
All things Merge. It's their 20th anniversary, you know.
- Portastatic Some Small History, Be Still Please, Make It Sound in Tune (covers)
- Score! 20 Years of Merge Records : the Covers
- Superchunk Leaves in Gutter
- Guided By Voices: I've just been listening to them. A lot.

Andrew Bird Noble Beasts - An absolute masterpiece.

The Thermals Now We Can See - "I Let It Go"; live at the Bowery

Metric Fantasies - "Help I'm Alive"

Neko Case Middle Cyclone - "Middle Cyclone," the song, hits like a ton of bricks. Despite the disappointing live show I attended at the Wellmont, this record was just fantastic.

Dinosaur Jr. Farm - live opening for Sonic Youth. (It was the first time I had worn earplugs to a show in about twenty years.)

Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca - "No Intention"; live at the Bowery, not very exciting but sounded great.

Bon Iver Blood Bank - Good Christ, Justin Vernon has a beautiful voice.

Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion - I just got around listening to this record last week . I was seriously grooving in my cubicle.

Daniel Martin Moore Stray Age - "Stray Age"

Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted - OMG. Here's the thing about KC that makes her a step above the rest of the Idol-esque, melismatic horde: KC performs the song. She doesn't trill and leap to show off her talents. Like Frank Sinatra, she actually pays attention to lyrics and narratives of the songs, as silly and nonsensical as they may be. And that's why she's probably the best pop singer working today.

The best of the Nat King Cole Trio - "Tis Autumn"

Dean Wareham/Dean & Britta/Luna/Galaxie 500 - After reading his memoir, I loaded up on his discography and was summarily impressed. How do the Kiwis consistently write such great pop?

The Bats The Guilty Office - Speaking of Kiwis....

Nirvana Bleach reissue
Neil Young Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbuy House 1968 - "On the Way Home"

Ciao My Shining Star : the Songs of Mark Mulcahy - ... of Polaris/Pete & Pete fame; "All for the Best" Thom Yorke.

Jen Trynin Cockamamie - "Better Than Nothing"; Another great rock memoir.

John Doe & the Sadies Country Club - "The Night Life"

Dark Was the Night Red Hot compilation - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings "Inspiration Information"

Lou Barlow Goodnight Unknown - "Don't Apologize"; live solo at Mercury Lounge, cut short for me buy loud drunken Russians.

Sonic Youth The Eternal - "Walkin' Blue"; live at Terminal 5.

Nellie McKay Normal as Blueberry Pie : a Tribute to Doris Day - This is what I've been waiting for from NM: a straight jazz/standards album: no rapping, no winking, just great songs with great arrangements (by NM, herself)

AC Newman Get Guilty - Gotta admit that what I'm really waiting for another New Pornographers record, but this will do for now.

Elvis Costello Momofoku - "Shudder and Wow"; Profane and Sugarcane was good, but this is old school EC rock and soul from 2008, with Jenny Lewis and her crew backing him up.

Sondre Lerche Heartbeat Radio - "Easy to Persuade"
M Ward Hold Time - "Stars of Leo"

The Avett Brothers I and Love and You - "Kick Drum Heart"; I still can't believe these guys are on a major label.

Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid
Wye Oak The Knot

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down Know Better Learn Faster - "When We Swam"; She and Animal Collective are the super indie groovemasters of Aught Nine.
Passion Pit Manners - And also these guys ^^^

The Breeders & the Amps aka the Sisters Deal - "Saints" & "Tipp City" are my go-to wake-the-fuck-up songs

The Dears Missiles

Deastro Moondagger - I love an electropop record made in some Michigan kid's basement? Why not!

Melody Gardot My One and Only Thrill - Wow. A jazz album with new songs that's really, really good.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Teddy Thompson Separate Ways - "I Should Get Up"; I don't know if I've ever heard a more entrancing swoon-worthy voice...other than Lou Barlow's...*sigh*

Japandroids Post-Nothing - This is just two Vancouver kids rocking the shit out of it.

Telekinesis!

Barbara Manning/SF Seals - Found via the Merge covers collection. There's too much good to name just one song.

X Under the Big Black Sun - "The Hungry Wolf"; Yeah, I just got around to them...; live at the Bowery.

Grizzly Bear Veckatimest - "Fine for Now"; This record just gets better and better every time I hear it

Raphael Saadiq The Way I See It - I loved Tony! Toni! Tone! and this is a stellar piece of retrosoul

Solange Knowles - "Stillness is the Move" Dirty Projectors' cover


So good and I'm ashamed I haven't listen to them more...
Burning Hearts Aboa Sleeping
Maxwell BLACKsummersnight
BellX1 Blue Lights on the Runway
Throw Me the Statue Creaturesque
Antony & the Johnsons The Crying Light - This record is exceptional but just depresses the hell out of me.
Loney Dear Dear John
Iran Dissolver
David Bazan Curse Your Branches
Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Levon Helm Electric Dirt
Pomegranates Everything is Alive
The Bad Plus w/Wendy Lewis For All I Care - Avant-jazz covers of (mostly) rock songs. It shouldn't work but it does.
Ida Maria Fortress 'Round My Heart - "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"
Robyn Hitchcock Goodnight Oslo
The Decemberists The Hazards of Love
Eels Hombre Lobo
Young Fresh Fellows I Think This Is
Department of Eagles In Ear Park
Doves Kingdom of Rust
The Mountain Goats The Life and the World to Come
Great Lake Swimmers Lost Channels
The Love Language
The Wooden Birds Magnolia
Visqueen Message to Garcia - "Ward"; Rachel Flotard might just be the coolest, nicest person in rock music.
Heartless Bastards The Mountain
Camera Obscura My Maudlin Career
The Low Anthem Oh My God Charlie Darwin
Yo La Tengo Popular Songs - "Periodically Double or Triple"; I even bought the actual physical disc of this and I just haven't listened to it all that much...
Grand Puba Retroactive
AA Bondy When the Devil's Loose

The Disappointments
Phoenix Wolfgang Amaedeus Phoenix - Funny. I was such huge fan of Alphabetical and the follow-up and so anxiously awaiting this record...but then when they became the ubiquitous car commercial I just never listened to WAP after that first go. It's not bad, I guess, they're just not my little secret of pop goodness anymore. And maybe they're heading to Coldplay territory? And that makes me sad?

Pearl Jam Backspacer - This just didn't sound like a PJ record, in that it sounds like a conscious attempts getting back on pop/modern rock radio, to be 'catchy.' Thing is they've always been able to write catchy songs, and lyrical songs, and fun rockers, and harsh rockers, drawn jams for nights of pot smoking, and the songs sounded organic and authentic. Here...nothing sounds like that except for "Unknown Thought," and maybe "Speed of Sound."

Ben Kweller Changing Horses - How could a country album by BK be disappointing? It just is. But then, nothing can surpass On My Way.

Brendan Benson My Old Familiar Friend - "Feel Like Taking You Home"; Just couldn't live up to the pop masterpiece that was Alternative to Love.

Maximo Park Quicken the Heart

Wilco Wilco (The Album) - Unlike a lot folks it seems, I loved Sky Blue Sky. It was a bit more low-key, and maybe simpler musically than the more vast sonic landscapes of YHF and AGIB, but the songs were so so good: "Impossible Germany" and "Sky Blue Sky" and "Hate It Here" .... WTA did not have a song that good. Usually a Wilco record has music that stays with me for days, weeks, etc., lyrics I can't shake like "Jesus, etc.," or "Handshake Drugs," but I honestly can't remember what this album sounds like, except that I think "Bull Black Nova" kinda rocked.

Stuff I Just Got and haven't listened to yet
The Twilight Sad Forget the Night Ahead - I've actually been listening to this as I've been typing and holyshitsogood.
Lightning Dust Infinite Light
The Swell Season Strict Joy - Also, there once was a vid out there of Glen Hansard covering R.E.M.'s "Hairshirt" on Jimmy Fallon. If you find it, keep the tissues handy.

New Stuff I heard first live
Rock Plaza Central ...at the moment of our most needing - Canadian alt folk ensemble with stunning harmonies, and opened for an otherwise unremarkable Weakerthans show at the Bowery.
Point Juncture WA Heart to Elk - Opened for the Thermals at the Bowery; Beautiful, lilting and fun.

Stuff I haven't got yet
Grand Archives Keep in Mind Frankenstein
BOAT Setting the Paces
Fanfarlo Reservoir
Emily Rodgers Bright Day