A Round of Sound

So now it’s time to get to the actual rankings.  Today I’m unveiling the 15 albums that make up #11 through #25 in this year’s rankings.  I’m only including a little blurb and a track for albums that I haven’t already blurbed about on the blog.  For the others, click on the band name to link to its write up.

#25) Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

#24) Japandroids – Post-Nothing

#23) Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – Know Better Learn Faster

Know Better Learn Faster is a joy to listen to, full of 13 bubbly and infectious tunes from Thao Nguyen and her backing band. Thao’s lyrics are sweet but pack a sense of feminine empowerment with their straightforward approach with lines like “I disarm you in the morning” in the title track and “What am I, just a body in your bed?” from the handclapping and horn driven “Body”.  The songwriting is exquisite and by the second track and my personal favorite “Cool Yourself” you’re instantly drawn in and before you know it 37 minutes has flown by with not a dull moment to be found.

[“Cool Yourself” – Know Better Learn Faster]

#22) Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below

#21) The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love

#20) The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns

If this album had been released 10 years ago, it very well could have been thrown in among the late 90’s emo/indie scene, but thankfully in 2009 it gets to stand on its own despite being picked up and re-issued by renowned “emo” label Saddle Creek (Cursive, Bright Eyes, The Faint). Hometowns is unapologetically raw album brimming with confidence from the Toronto based trio complete with emotional, yes emotional, vocals and  personal lyrics.  The musicianship is simple but inspired as the drums really carry the songs but not to be outdone by the subtle orchestration from strings and keyboards.  Hometowns is a very refreshing and surprisingly fantastic debut that from a group overflowing with potential.

[“Don’t Haunt This Place” – Hometowns]

#19) The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come

Just a quick glance at the tracklist of The Life of the World to Come can be quite a headscratcher with every song title named after a Bible verse.  However, inspiration can come from anywhere for frontman John Darnielle.  The Mountain Goats has never been, and never will be a Christian band, but John Darnielle, despite being a non-believer, is an avid reader and lover of the Bible, as he professed on his Colbert Report appearance.  The Life of the World to Come is not a religious album by any means, as Darnielle takes the lessons from these 12 Bible verses and applies them to his usual 3 or 4 minute long epics. This album does nothing to change Darnielle’s reputation as one of the 100 greatest living songwriters; it probably only strengthens that belief.

[“Genesis 3:23” – The Life of the World to Come]

#18) Built to Spill – There Is No Enemy

A band like Built to Spill has to look at the current state of indie rock and glow with pride.  Becoming one of the first indie rock bands to jump to a major label back when Warner Bros signed the band back in 1997, BTS returns with their 5th major label release and 7th overall with There is No Enemy, another excellent album for the Built to Spill catalog.  As a follow up to 2006’s You in Reverse, There Is No Enemy is a more polished effort but recaptures some of the heart that You in Reverse was missing.  Doug Martsch has to be considered a Godfather of current indie rock and he has hinted that this could be Built to Spill’s final release.  If so, they have gone out in very fine fashion and left another album for up and comers to look up to.

[“Hindsight” – There Is No Enemy]

#17) Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

#16) The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You

#15) Lightning Dust – Infinite Light

#14) Dinosaur Jr. – Farm

Back with their second album since their reunion, Farm picks up right where 2007’s Beyond left off but manages to trump it in every facet.  Farm is overflowing with the guitar drenched catchy tunes full of riffs and solos everyone would have expected Dinosaur Jr. to put out back prior to 1988, when the original lineup disbanded.  While it’s predecessor was successful possibly because of the excitement of a reunion, Farm can truly stand on it’s own as one of Dinosaur Jr’s finest.

[“Pieces” – Farm]

#13) Califone – All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

The vastly under-appreciated Chicago group returns with another collection of their experimental folk-rock songs that is again going by relatively unnoticed. Califone consistently releases some of the most interesting albums and All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is no different. The album is the soundtrack to a companion film by the same name that band created and plans to present on their tour and submit to festivals in 2010.  However, the album stands just fine on its own and might actually be some of the most tightly constructed songs of the band’s career.  The meanings of the songs should become more clear upon viewing the film, but it’s not a necessary viewing to appreciate what an impressive release it is.

[“Funeral Singers” – All My Friends Are Funeral Singers]

#12) Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer

A year just wouldn’t be complete without multiple releases from Spencer Krug, one of the hardest working men in indie rock. After last year’s underwhelming Wolf Parade release, Krug released another Swan Lake album, announced another album from his Moonface project, and managed to slip in his best non-Wolf Parade release yet in Dragonslayer.  The album still features Krug’s warbling vocals, but is more accessible than his previous efforts and the backing female vocals absolutely shine on this album like none before.  It’s the easiest Sunset Rubdown album to listen to, but still contains all the quirks and ambitions that makes Krug such a brilliant musician.

[“Silver Moons” – Dragonslayer]

#11) Passion Pit – Manners