1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)
Using their band’s best elements, the trio of Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist constructed an album that at once acted as an encyclopedia for their sound and started on a new chapter. As tribal drums mixed with mysteriously tinkling piano, hinting at prog rock greats like The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - era Genesis in a psychedelic shell, the sheer exuberance of it all created a crater early in the year; one that was never quite filled up. While obvious winners like “My Girls,” “Summertime Clothes,” and “Brother Sport” rang wildly of simple joys, it was the subtle moments that truly made me gasp while staring into the eye of the storm. The unbroken trio of “Bluish,” hitting that rarely-punctured super-sweet spot of musical enjoyment with the piano run in the chorus “Guys Eyes,” and “Taste” sending out mesmerizing lyrical nuggets like, “Am I really all the things that are outside of me?”, made getting lost in Merriweather’s “curls” irresistible. This incarnation of their ever-changing sonic identity proved that Animal Collective are one of the true artists of the last decade, if that wasn’t clear already.
2. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca (Domino)
Fragmented rhythms and guitar riffs combined with the pinball machine “hocketing” vocals of Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian produced an album that was challenging but extremely gratifying. Beneath all the layers and between the nooks and crannies could be found smart robotic pop sensibilities on “Stillness Is the Move” and ripped-up avant-folk on “Temecula Sunrise”. The catchy accessibility of it all become apparent after multiple listens, and turned me on to a band I once had an aversion to.
3. Fever Ray – Fever Ray (Rabid Records)
Rich textures envelop the creepily-delectable voice of Swedish duo The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson amid world beats and Native American winds. The result was a superb blend of electronic Goth-cool and personal reflection.
4. St. Vincent – Actor (4AD)
On guitarist/vocalist Annie Clark’s second solo album, she created an inverted world, singing about dark things with a sweet voice in an atmospheric vintage haze. A modern noir world sprang forth from lilting woodwinds and strings.
5. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns (Astralwerks/Parlophone)
With a smoky voice that’s suited to everything from indie-pop to balladry to disco, Natasha Khan lent her style to songs that blend the oriental and Western. A variety of moods and finely-selected instruments took the listener on a dense journey.
And these earned numerous spins on the iPod:
Bowerbirds
– Upper Air (Dead Oceans)
Bittersweet folk with pretty piano and swelling accordion.
Jay Reatard
– Watch Me Fall (Matador)
Minimal pogo-stick garage punk with seemingly simple retro riffs and angst-ridden lyrics hid this album’s true complexity.
Bear in Heaven
– Beast Rest Forth Mouth (Hometapes)
Imagine Rush on shrooms.
It looks like 2010 will be a happy new year for indie music fans; there are plenty of established scene giants already loading their guns up:
Yeasayer
– How weird will they get?
Vampire Weekend
– Bust out your neon-rimmed wayfarers!
Beach House
– Calm, but a hazy, poppy calm.
Spoon
– Let’s hope it’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga-reat.
Panda Bear
– How far can Noah Lennox take that Beach Boys psychadelia?
Interpol
– Is this technically indie anymore? Whatever, it’s catchy and tight, and hopefully will be a victory after Paul Banks’ critically condemned solo shot.
Fleet Foxes
– Please, please, please…
Dr. Dog
– They may be stealing from the Beatles’ textbook, but they do it well and quite smartly.
The Thermals
– That’d be rockin’.
The New Pornographers
– some solo stuff from Neko, Dan, and A.C. wouldn’t depress me either.
The Walkmen
– Play me oldies-brushed rock anytime!
And...
The Strokes?!?!?
These guys are still around? Well they did create one of the defining albums of this decade, so yeah, please continue.
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