Top 10 Pop/Alternative/Rock Albums Of the Year

Ok so as you all know it's impossible for me to just listen to heavy metal or hard rock.  I've grown outside of my bubble since I was in high school.  Ask me if I listened to this stuff 10 years ago and I'd laugh at you and say no way.  I've grown a little, and I've gotten a little wiser over the years.  Just a little though so my musical tastes have spread out a little more.  I really enjoyed this year.  It was a great year for music all around the spectrum.  From heavy metal to alternative.  No there won't be any Beyonce, or Lady Gaga on my list even though those were huge pop records this year.  I think they're awful.  I respect Lady Gaga for her outlandish antics, and her take no shit attitude, but her music is really not my style at all.  Therefore there is no way I can include her or anything like it on my top 10 list.  If that's what you're into than go make your own list.  This ones mine.  So here it is my top 10 softer records of the year.  Haha softer.  Just not metal I guess records of the year.

-10-

Incubus - If Not now, When?



A lot of people did not like this record when it came out this year.  I respect Incubus a lot.  They have been one of the few bands that have made it from my younger years into now.  My later more ambitious music years.  They are always changing, and I really respect that quality in them.  Do I like all the changes?  No I didn't really like Light Grenades to much, but I really enjoy their early material.  This record though really sounds nothing like anything they've ever done.  There's little bits of what makes Incubus great but for the most part It's a pretty out of nowhere record.  In the since that the really calming, soothing quality to this record comes out of thin air it seems.  It's nice to hear this change in Incubus.  Will it continue?  I seriously don't think so.  Not that this is bad my any means I just think that these guys are musicians that really embrace musical growth, and like change a lot.  It shows on every single record they've ever done, because not one sounds like the other one, but seems to take some qualities, and leave some of the fat behind.  Great release guys.

-9-

My Morning Jacket - Circuital

I've known about My Morning Jacket for a while now, but yet this is another band that I've neglected to get into until this year.  I really enjoyed this release.  It's full of texture, and depth that will keep you interested the entire record.  I really like the ambient qualities to this record.  The opening track is a majestic ride through flowing harmonies, with a great rhythm.  This record grows on me each time I listen to it and that's a good quality to have.  The more you listen to something it should keep getting better and better, and this one really does do that for me.

-8-

St. Vincent

I love St. Vincent.  Annie Erin Clark is so talented.  This record really is a wonderful ride through great electronics, fuzzed guitar effects, wonderful lyrics, and just such a wide range of musical influences through out the entire record.  She has such a great presence that really grabs you, and pulls you into her music.  She is by far one of the great modern female singer song writers that I am really respecting, and there aren't many so she is pretty much on the top, and this record really asserts that reason. 

-7-

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

This record really grew on me.  At first listen I really didn't care for it.  I'd have to say that I wrote it off.  But when I revisited it earlier in the year it started to grow on me.  The use of electronic sounds, and vocal pitches are great.  I really like the overall presence of this record.  It's just a fun interesting record that really is now a powerful Radiohead record in my opinion.  Radiohead have of course been one of those bands that for me that will travel through time with me.  I listened to them back in the nineties, I listened to them in the early 2000's, and now I'm listening to them in the new decade.  Radiohead will live on as one of the best bands of all time in my opinion with their overall immense talent, ability to push their musical limitations, and continue to produce quality material.

-6-

Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.

This record really floored me.  I love Mogwai.  They are so exploritive.  Everything from droned guitars, synth, melotrone, aggressive rock, to ambient progressive music.  Pretty much every music style can be heard in perfect little portions.  This record really explores the entrancing qualities of Mogwai.  The opening track has a great heavy drum hit, with a nice clean guitar tone, with a great synth electronic quality to it as well.  This is by far one of my favorite Mogwai records, and will continue to intrigue me every time I listen to it.

-5-

The Black Keys - El Camino

This is another band that you can't really turn on the radio hear in Austin and not hear.  They play the crap out of The Black Keys, and usually I don't even listen to the radio, but I guess I like the fact that every once in a while they will play some decent music.  The Black Keys really came out with a great record this year.  It's fun, it's fast, it's aggressive, it's funky, and it's full of talent.  Great release from a band that I think will continue to rise in the near future if they continue as strong as they are right now.  Great job guys.

-4-

Rival Sons - Pressure And Time

Let me just say this record really knocked me off my feet, almost literally.  This record sounds like it's straight out of the 60's, or the 70's.  Something like if Led Zeppilin, Thin Lizzy, and like Cream got together and had some crazy Three headed musical Chimaira baby together in a basement somewhere in the mountains.  This is what it would sound like.  Pure orgasmic music that makes me want to just dance around like a hippy from the 60's, and bang my head like a rocker from the 70's.  It's a great record. I highly recommend this record for anyone who's my grandmothers age.  It will make you smile at the fact there are still kids out there today that are kickin out the jams like they used to in the 60's, and not all music has gone to shit like 90% of what's being produced today.

-3-

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

This record is so hard not to like when you listen to it.  It just posses everything that makes a great rockin pop record.  The Foo Fighters have always been one of my favorite bands.  Dave Grohl really is one of the only great musicians that was able to survive the 90's without killing themselves.  This record really shows The Foo's ability to just spontaneously conjure some great rock N roll that will get engraved in your brain.  Some of the tunes are so infectious, but I have no problem letting something like this getting stuck in my head.  The Foo Fighters will continue to amaze me, and I think everyone else, and will go down as one of the greatest bands of all time for sure. 

-2-

Fleet Foxes - Helplessnes Blues

This is by far one of the best records I've heard in a long long time.  These guys are great talents that really know how to make great folk rock that will leave you feeling better in every way after listening to this wonderful work of art.  This record will continue to grow stronger and stronger for me as the years go on.  I honestly think I placed it a little low on my top 20 records of the year.  It should've definitely been higher than the 20 spot now the more and more I listen to it.  It's that good.  The production is great, the musicianship is top notch, and the lyrics really tell wonderful stories that keep you interested the entire time.

-1-

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

WOW.  This is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life.  I've listened to a lot of music over the years but nothing that made me want to go out and show everyone I walked by.  This record is so beautiful, and passionate.  These guys are great talents that have a great future in the musical world.  Nothing has impacted me quite as much as this record this year.  Along with Opeth's Heritage, and Graveyard's Hisingen Blues this record will continue to move me in so many ways.  Bon Iver is an artist that I discovered this year, and thank your God I did because it's amazing.

So there they are my Top 10 softer releases of the year.  There are a lot of good one here, I recommend checking all of these out for sure.  There are good things in every single one of these releases that I think will appeal to every music listener.  SO go out and get some of these releases if you haven't.  Support the artists by buying their vinyl, and cd's.  They deserve it.  They really do.  I can say that yes I download some music from time to time, but usually if I like it I go out and buy it to put along with my ever growing cd collection, and if I didn't like it I delete it off my computer usually.  Why have something I'm never going to listen to.

Ok so here are the Runners Up for the year.  5 records that I though had some good things about them, but also had some noticeable things that I didn't like so much.  Not things that would make me not want to listen to them, but maybe just not top 10 worthy.  Some of these you may say wow this record was amazing, or no way it's even worthy of a runner up spot.  That's fine go have fun making your own list as I do making mine.  So here they are the 5 runners up for the year.  They aren't in any particular order as better or worse.

Mike Patton - The Solitude of Prime Numbers

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Death Cab For Cutie - Codes And Keys

R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

So there you have everything that's a little softer than my normal obsessions that I've really enjoyed this year.  Like I said before I can't possibly listen to just metal or hard rock, and these releases really have great things in all of them.  I highly recommend you check out any of these guys.  You won't be sorry.  Especially my top 5 if there is one up there that you haven't heard of, or have neglected to listen to yet this year.  So until next time stay hard, stay heavy.