Scott’s Top Music Releases of 2011

Every year for almost a decade now I’ve been putting out my favorite records, albums, downloads, whatever they are called now. The end of the year is my most busy time so sometimes my list comes out a little later than I wish. Like this year.

Let me begin by stating that this wasn’t a year for great albums, but there is a lot of depth. Like one of those NFL drafts where it’s best to not be picking at the top, as there isn’t much of a gap between 2 and 15.  The best way for me to review a year is to look back a year later and see how much I still listened to the stuff in my top 10. Using this method I can tell you 2010 was really a great year for music, as I still listen to last year’s releases from Eminem, Mumford and Sons, Black Mountain, Black Keys, Arcade Fire, Constellations, Gaslight Anthem, Roots (with John Legend), Broken Bells, and the Thermals. That was my top 10 (check it out here if you want some examples) from last year and I think it all holds up really well.

Not so sure this year’s list will do as well. As I said, I liked a lot of moments in music this year, but to find artists that had a quality album was a lot harder. The change that has been going on with the advent of Itunes has made the single way more powerful. With that in mind, I’m weighing a few great songs more than I usually have, even if the rest of the record is little more spotty. Here is my top choices for 2011. Hope it turns you on to something new.

1. Adele: 21

In 20 years I suspect this record will still be considered a classic. Kind of like Carole King’s Tapestry or Aretha Franklin’s Soul, it will seem timeless. Part of that is because of the great 60′s style production of 21. While Amy Whinehouse and Marc Ronson seemed to set the tone for this vintage sound, it is Adele who filled a record without a weakness. While I would argue that singers like Joan Osbourne and Joss Stone have had the pipes to hang with Adele, they never have put out a record of the consistent tone and quality that 21 possesses. There is an avant garde feel to her voice at certain moments, like Nina Simone, which makes her never seem like she’s making a paint by numbers song. Every once in awhile the general public gets it right in regards to sales matching quality. The success of 21 is completely deserved.  Here is a live version of the Cure classic, Love Song.

2. Black Keys: El Camino

While this record lacks a great song, it just might be my overall favorite from the band. The record starts out with a T. Rex vibe and then moves into a 60′s sound which I’m sure Producer Danger Mouse helped develop. This is the first Black Keys record where I think drummer Patrick Carney steals the show. I thought the Black Keys might struggle to top what they had done before, but I think the band gets better and better the more they step out of their comfort zone. The only record outside of Adele which is good from beginning to end.

3. Head and the Heart

I’m not going to pretend that this is revolutionary music. It’s probably not as accomplished as Mumfords and Sons from last year, but the harmonies and musical interplay is beautiful. There is a timeless quality to this band that makes me believe it will sound great to me 2 decades from now. Check this video out below and also check out the gorgeous Down in the Valley, which adds great violin touches.

4. Cage the Elephant: Thank You

I’m not one of those types who laments that music was better when I grew up then it is now. That might partially because I grew up in the 80′s, but I will say that it’s hard to find current bands that rock the way I like them too. When I need that fix, I turn my iPod to my 90′s grunge playlists and enjoy the sounds of Soundgarden, Pumpkins, Toadies, etc.  Well, this year Cage the Elephant, a band from the rock capital of Southcentral Kentucky (Bowling Green) put out a grunge-y record that completely holds up to those bands.  This record is the best Pixie-like album since Frank Black’s Teenager of the Year. Below is a song that has more of Flaming Lips-vibe, but check out Aberdeen and then go from there.

5. Awolnation: Megalithic Symphony

This is a hard one to explain. Not sure if this one will hold it up, but I keep coming back to this record, as I love the industrial funk meets 80′s flourishes. Have you been looking for Prince record fronted by Wang Chung, if it was produced by Trent Reznor ? I guess I was. Below is the more entertaining video, which is for Burn it Down. I should mention that Sail is the first song you should check out if you dig this.

6. Mona

Last year I highlighted Gaslight Anthem who have added a spin on classic Springsteen. Here comes Dayton, Ohio’s version of early U-2.  Mona seems a little too cocky, a little to in your face, and it all works.  Looking forward to where this band goes from here. After watching this sexy mess of a video, check out Shooting the Moon.

7. Robin Thicke: Love after War

At one point my favorite rock band was Living Color and my favorite rock guitarist is Jimi Hendrix, so I’m not going to feel badly that my favorite rapper is Eminem and my favorite soul singer is Robin Thicke. Who would have guessed that the Dad from Growing Pains would have Mr. Sex as his son? You listen to a Robin Thicke record and your realize why Justin Timberlake went full-time actor. Thicke is a modern day Marvin Gaye.  2007′s Evolution of Robin Thicke is his classic, but this is damn close. Sexiest video since George Micheal’s Freedom just might be the one below. Thicke is with his red-hot wife, Paula Patton. Now where is their sex tape?

8. Airborne Toxic Event: All at Obce

There is one friend who can talk me into giving a band a second chance and that is my long-time writing partner, Will Carroll. I liked their debut record, but had kind of glossed over this one. On his recommendation I gave it more listens and damned if I wasn’t seeing his point. Great grooves, fresh sound, and a singer at moments sounds like a rocking Neil Diamond. I also hear echoes of the underrated modern rock band, Stroke 9.  A more poppish Arcade Fire might be a good description to sell Airborne.

9. Roots: Undun

Hey bands out there, get up off your asses. The Roots are working 5 nights a week as Jimmy Fallon’s TV band and have been putting out great records each year, too. The music is genius, especially the kickstand Questlove is stomping on. Oh the lyrics are dope, too.

10. James Blake

Here’s the most difficult pick for me that is on my list. The first time I heard James Blake he completely blew me away. This was something unlike anything else I had ever heard. It’s not something I’m up to listen to that often, but catch me in the right mood and it would sit at the top of my iPod.  I could be swayed with the argument that 10 years from now it will be the most influential record of 2011 or that it will be the one of this list I never listen to again.  It’s stark, it’s soulful, it’s jazzy, and I’m knocked out it’s unique sound. Reminds me of what I felt when I first heard Portishead more than a decade ago.

11. Lady Gaga: Born this Way

I have problems about how much Lady Gaga takes from the Madonna playbook, but the musical moments where she’s transcendent make up for it. I don’t rag on Katy Perry or Rhianna, as they have some great hooks and grooves, but their best never touch the place that a You and I, Edge of Glory, or Born this Way does. It’s like she’s melded Elton John, Madonna, and Carole King. I appreciate that she understands music’s past and brings it to her best songs.  No need to put up a video, you’ve heard the songs.

12. Alabama Shakes

If they would have put out a full record of the quality of this EP, I’m not sure it wouldn’t have been Number 2.  I believe Jack White was the most important figure in music during the first decade of this century and Alabama Shakes appear to have been listening. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a blues song as good as You Ain’t Alone. Check out the other 3 songs off their EP.

13. Decemberists: The King is Dead

I’ve always liked this band, but this is the first complete record I’ve gotten completely. Jangly, REM-type guitars are complimented with accordions, Hammond organs, and harmonicas.  The singer reminds me some of the guy who fronted the underrated 80′s band, Wire Train.

14. Low: C’mon

I’ve enjoyed a couple cuts from each of this lo-fi bands music, but this is the first whole record that connected with me. Low is a band from Duluth and they actually sound like a band that would come from their climate. Kind of like the Beach Boys sound like California. It’s dark and kind of quiet, but beautiful, much like the city of Duluth. Lead singer sings like Bob Mould if he fronted American Music Club instead of Husker Du.

15. Dawes: Nothing is Wrong

Singer sounds like Jackson Browne some times, band has a Neil Young’s Horses kind of thing. Tasty stuff. Right behind Head and the Heart for Americana Record of the year. Tasty stuff.

16. Wilco: The Whole Love

While Wilco has been a regular on many lists each year, they haven’t been on mine since their classic Being There double disc. This is my favorite since then, as it shows Jeff Tweedy embracing his Americana roots a little more.  Like the psychedelic touches that appear in moments and even when they go Kid A, they still have a hook.

17. Radiohead: King of Limbs

Speaking of Kid A, Radiohead comes back with a record that has a great groove. The difficulty this band has for me is that it’s produced 3 of the 50 best records of the past 15 years (Bends, OK Computer, and In Rainbows), so it’s hard for me to imagine this record would be something I would be listening to you by even next year. The challenge of being a great band is making music that can hold a candle to your past classics.

18. Tedeschi Trucks Band: Revelator

One of the highlights of my musical life was stumbling into a hotel bar outside of Chicago where Susan Tedeschi got up and sang with the blues band playing there that night. She has the voice and added to husband Derek Trucks blues licks it is all good on this record.

19. Pistol Annies

The best country record is this new band fronted by Miranda Lambert. I always felt Lambert stepped into the void that the Dixie Chicks left when country radio turned their back on the Chicks because of Natalie Maines political stands.  While not of the quality of the Chicks, Pistol Annies blend great harmonies with real country music.

20. Foo Fighters: Wasting Light

While not a perfect record, this comes out the gate strong. I’m especially partial to Rope, which might be the best later days Rush groove since Grace Under Pressure.

 

 

Different Shades of Black Betty

New feature where I give you the original classic and then see what some other covers would be like.  Exclusive only to Rock…Paper…Blog.

Let’s begin with Ram Jam’s version of the song.  Great southern rock guitar and killer drum-solo.  Also this might be the ugliest band I’ve ever seen.

Here is the Spiderbait version with Wiggles video. The Wiggles are Australian dudes who think they are on the star trek enterprise.

Here is Leadbelly’s original.

This is the heaviest song I’ve ever heard Meatloaf do. It’s like his Rob Zombie impression. Cool.

And finally we have a Sheryl Crow live cover of it.

Will Carroll’s Top Albums of 2010

Will Carroll was my writing partner at our former site, The Juice Blog. He’s the author of 3 books and has written for many different publications like the New York Times and Sports Illustrated. We started doing these year-end music lists quite a few years ago.  Here is Will’s version for this year. Only 2 releases made both of our lists.

The Guitar Song, Jamey Johnson
Double albums are the bane of the music industry. It’s usually an indulgent affair, topped off with filler or worse. There’s the occasional one that works, but for an artist that’s not established like Jamey Johnson, it  takes some serious balls to sell this. There’s a “dark” album and a “light” album, but it’s a bit tough to tell which is which. The album pivots on a song that could become a modern “Okie From Muskogee” called “California Riots.” Johnson isn’t jingoistic or patronizing in the way of a Toby Keith, but one look at his shaggy hair or long beard would be enough to tell you that all the talent in the world isn’t going to have him on stage with Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood. He can start the album with a Keith Whitley cover and a heartbreaking ballad that includes the line “I may just be a name on your phone’s screen” that’s all that’s keeping it from being a Kris Krisotofferson song. Johnson’s voice echoes Waylon Jennings, almost too close at times, but he’s also got a powerful speaking voice that he pulls out from time to time. A duet with Whispering Bill Anderson on the title song reminds everyone just how old school Johnson is, but he’s also a man out of time. The songs go from redneck anthems to angry recession blues with only a gapless thread of a tight band tracing through the songs. If there’s any flaw in any of the twenty-five songs, it’s that Johnson can be, of all things, a bit too sentimental. It can feel a bit like a great night of drinking and telling stories, but by the time the bar closes, there’s nowhere else to go.

 

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
For all the gallons of ink and pixels that have been put to use in discussing Kanye West over the past few years, a period of time that will be defined by the loss of his mother, a very public meltdown, and the release of an album that might end up being his masterwork, we don’t know much about the man. It’s funny because he might be the most open of the modern superstars. Like his mentor, Jay-Z, he shows just enough to keep people interested, as willing to play the villain as he is the star, or even just to be in the news. There’s an element of Lady Gaga to him, the pure calculating musical sense and theatricality that’s still going to make you bob your head. West “leaked” most of his album, a genius of marketing that’s sure to be followed by many. It’s a mashup of Napster, the hip-hop mixtape ethos, and social media that won’t be pulled off quite as well by others. Yes, Kanye West is good enough that I’ve barely mentioned this album or even music. Fact is, modern musicians aren’t as much about the music and in ways, that’s ok. It’s about snippets, iTunes, and the like, especially in hip hop. Everyone wants to be the next Jay-Z or even the next Ice-T. That makes it even more of revelation. It’s utterly revelatory and about two big steps forward for an artist that needed 808 And Heartbreak to get out of the rut. Guests like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, and John Legend might make this seem like every other hip-hop album when looking at the liner, but no one – and I mean no one – has put together a hip-hop album this strong since Jay’s Black Album. Songs like “Power” and “Runaway” will be played loud and for years, sadly in situations where the irony will be completely lost on the drunk frat boys toasting themselves. Know what? Even that won’t ruin it for you. It’s that good, maybe better.

 

Black Ribbons, Shooter Jennings & Hierophant
There are lots of things that could have gone wrong with this album. It’s a rock album at it’s core by an artist who’s still identified both as a country artist in his own right and the son of a legend in the field. It’s a concept album. It was marketed under the name “Hierophant,” which is Jennings’ backing band and also the band at the center of the concept’s storyline. It’s tied together by some kind of paranoid conspiracy theory that goes well beyond the worst fantasies of the Fox News watchers. Stephen King bridges the songs as a kind of last days DJ, though his voice and his words work well here. Yet with all that, it just flat works. Jennings holds the tone of ominous paranoia from the first note through the last. There is a problem that in isolation, the songs aren’t standouts, but few concept albums have that, with the notable exception of The Wall. Jennings and his band really hit their stride near the middle, feeling true regret in “All This Could Have Been Yours” and looking to children as the only hope in “God Bless Alabama.” (It’s not the state. Jennings’ daughter’s name is Alabama.) Jennings’ artistry has never been stronger, making me wonder if freeing him from the expectations of his name and legacy helped everything else. CMT’s show “Crossroads” usually pairs a rock artist with a country artist, such as the surreal episode between Taylor Swift and Def Leppard, but the Jennings and Jamey Johnson episode was the closest to kindred spirits I’ve seen them try. These are two great artists moving in opposite but parallel directions. Jennings is comfortable being a bit Hollywood – he’s married to Drea De Matteo of Sopranos fame – and can sing a song like “California Via Tennessee” without irony while waving to Jennings as he heads back along that same worn road to his more comfortable South. Black Ribbons demands more from the listener in terms of thought, of immersion, and even of time than most albums could today. This one is worth every second of the last hour.

 

American Slang, The Gaslight Anthem
There’s a pattern that’s held true for most American bands in the modern era. They explode with the first album, fall back with the second, and then the third decides the direction they’re headed longer term. It’s probably been around longer than Pearl Jam, but PJ perfected the formula. The Gaslight Anthem got some mainstream attention with it’s last album, the breakout The ’59 Sound. The easy comparison to Bruce Springsteen made it possible for even the non-hipsters to listen in. I always heard more Social Distortion than The Boss, but with American Slang, GA has found a comfort zone in their own sound. The influences are still there, to be sure, but listening to them is less a game of spot the influence than the two previous records. It didn’t get a lot of radio traction, surprisingly, but this isn’t a band that’s going to wait years between releases. They’re very likely to explode as they mature, much the same way that Kings of Leon has. Get to know them now, if you already haven’t, before everyone calls them sell outs. You can just quote lines from “Boxer”, a song that goes deeper than most of the fans at the club will ever delve.

 

Interpreting The Masters, Volume I, The Bird and The Bee
There’s not much about this album that would be a classic on paper. Cover album of an act that’s, shall we say, a bit out of style and taste these days. Unknown duo with one well received original album. A musical style that verges on kitsch with a lounge vibe and classic female crooning. Yet, like with Shooter Jennings, this one all pulls it together. Inara George (daughter of Little Feat’s Lowell) has a timeless, perfect voice and while she’s a far cry from the timeless, perfect voice of Daryl Hall, it works and works well. The tone-perfect thinness of her voice – and I mean that as a compliment – contrasts to Hall’s soulful rasp like yin and yang. The opening original, “Heard It On The Radio”, is so good that you’ll go looking for the Hall and Oates version and be genuinely surprised that it’s not there. (Seriously, Daryl Hall — cover this now.) Cover albums can either play it perfectly straight or try to go the Simon Cowell route and “make it their own.” By allowing the songs to be the stars, B&B also manage to not be overshadowed by them. It’s a perfect mashup of talent and art, of artists across the years finding a common ground, and a reminder that while originality counts, authenticity counts for more.

 

Junky Star, Ryan Bingham
I’m not sure that Junky Star is as good as Mescalito or Roadhouse Sun, Bingham’s first two albums. That’s less a comment on this work than the strength of the other two, which stand with some of the best albums of the last decade and had I discovered him sooner, I guarantee this wouldn’t be his first appearance on this list. Like many, I discovered Bingham after hearing “The Weary Kind”, his Academy Award winning song from Crazy Heart. I’m sure many expected more like that on the album that was going to build on that opportunity. Instead, Bingham and the ubiquitous T-Bone Burnett stay understated, letting Bingham’s gravelly voice carry along the exquisitely written songs. This is a dark album from beginning to end, perfectly suited to Bingham’s world weary sound. There are echoes of Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Ryan Adams, and Jeff Tweedy here, but Bingham has always had his own voice, figuratively and literally. The centerpiece of the album, “Depression”, could be as much the start of something as Uncle Tupelo’s “No Depression” and as much an anthem of the times as that was. Bingham could well be the artist who becomes the voice of a generation if this keeps up.

 

On Approach, Everest
The whole “discovered by Neil Young” thing is nice mythology, but it’s also tough to overcome. There’s not really anyone else doing this kind of post-California Rock right now, which makes it all the more interesting that it just feels so comfortable when you hear Everest play. They’re not derivative, just comfortable in the same way that the Eagles once were. There’s a little bit of Young in there, maybe a little Gram Parsons, but it’s all done in a clean, modern way. Someone I played the album for called it a poppier Wilco and that, to me, is the closest modern comparison. A song like “East Illinois” is almost begging for the comparison, but they’re not buried by homage or parody. The band seems to be a bit all over the place at times, as if you’re listening in on rehearsal, but really it’s more that this band can go in so many directions that they often try going in all of them at once. It’s never too messy, instead suggesting that once they really lock in, they’re going to be amazing and not just great.

 

How I Got Over, The Roots
They didn’t sell out, not even a little. When NBC first announced that The Roots would function as the house band for Jimmy Fallon, I thought that at most, this would work out the way that Branford Marsalis did for Jay Leno’s original incarnation of his Tonight Show. Instead, ?uestlove and the boys have become an integral part of the show. The show has even enhanced them, somewhat, giving them the chance to do things like the amazing version of “Straight Outta Compton” earlier this year in addition to greatly raising their profile in the mainstream. Sure, it’s a bit frustrating to see a great, great band known more for “Slow Jam The News” than The Tipping Point, but maybe the Fallon crowd will now listen to How I Got Over. It might not be the best Roots album but this band at their worst does things that no other band has ever done. Their live ethos for hip-hop still works on records, though the endless stream of guest MCs does make it a bit less organic. It’s not quite as in your face as Game Theory or Rising Down, perhaps a bit more evidence of taming, but The Roots haven’t been gelded. They’ve been smoothed out and the effortless grooves they find make it seem a bit easier than it is. The fact that there’s not only no one else doing this, but no one else even trying reminds us just how good they are. Oddly, their work with John Legend on a more retro work didn’t fare nearly as well. The Roots seem able to do anything, but they’re better doing their own thing.

 
Brothers, The Black Keys
If you’ve noticed any recurring theme in this list of ten albums, it’s that the artists are all painfully authentic. From Kanye West’s lack of filter to the gravelly voice of Ryan Bingham, you’re not going to mistake any of the artists here for anyone else. The Black Keys always get compared to The White Stripes, but what’s intriguing to me is that other than setup, the bands really aren’t alike in any way other than their own authenticity. Dan Auerbach doesn’t have the overreaching ambition of Jack White or the self-promotion chops, but in his hands, the guitar screams. He doesn’t caress his instrument; he chokes the life out of it, squeezing out the last drop and just a little more. They’ve slickened up things, despite only using Danger Mouse on a few tracks and even gone to some retro moves like covering Isaac Hayes, yet it works. Auerbach’s voice has found a new gear, going from Delta Bluesman to Memphis Soul with equal skill. They’re not a two piece rocking an abandoned factory any more, but what they do now is just as urgent and just as alive.

 

Ironiclast, The Damned Things
Late albums – this one was released on December 14th – make putting together this list tougher. I actually had it all written up, had decided on the order, but from the first listen, there was no question that this was going to be a contender. A couple more listens locked it in. The Damned Things are a supergroup of sorts, but you won’t hear any CSNY or Asia in here. Members of Anthrax, Fall Out Boy, and Every Time I Die (a band I wasn’t familiar with) came together and the sound falls closer to Fall Out Boy than you’d expect without Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump (who has my most anticipated album of 2011 queued up.) There’s only flashes of Scott Ian’s guitar skills as he shows another one – restraint. The real stars here are the songs, however. Descriptions of the music by the band include a lot of blues rock, like Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy. I’ll be honest, I don’t hear that at all. It’s power-pop-punk with a bit of an edge and dark lyrics. You can call it whatever you want, but it’s damned catchy. If there’s any knock on the album, it’s that there’s not a ton of range. If you like the first song, you’re going to like the last one. You can call that consistency if you like, but it’s actually that word again – restraint. This isn’t an organic band and there’s always a slight tension to either blow the past up and scream to the heavens the way Audioslave did on it’s first couple albums, or to hold back, just let things happen. The latter is where The Damned Things have gone. This is a very solid album, start to finish, with enough to keep me interested despite the lack of range. Moreover, it really makes me hope there’s a second album.
(This one goes to 11, since I already had it written …)

 

Danger Days, My Chemical Romance
Ignore Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. Like bubblegum pop heroes going back to bobby sox wearers, it takes a second act to really take hold. Frank Sinatra might have been a teen idol at one time, but it’s not what defines his legacy. Quick – anyone remember one of Sinatra’s early songs? Maybe Justin Timberlake’s renaissance act will stick or maybe he’ll make another album someday. The thing is, teen idol pop is transitory. If anything defines the last decade, it’s the utter over the top, almost glam style that we’ve gotten from the stretched genre we try to tag “emo.” Some, like Fall Out Boy, have made classic power pop music with smart lyrics at the same time they’ve gone from the pages of Pitchfork to the pages of People. My Chemical Romance made one of those genre-defining albums last time out (The Black Parade) and while many didn’t get the fact that Gerard Way was first and foremost telling a story and not leading a movement, it was an amazing piece of music and an emotional catharsis broad based enough to scare the shit out of even teenagers. With their next album, they went a complete different direction, inhabiting some loose storyline of a band called the Fabulous Killjoys. It’s brighter, sure, but it’s still smart, still loud, and still great songwriting. Some will call it a sell out, but it’s more like buying in – taking things in a new direction, unafraid that ‘new’ might be considered less than what people were used to, and completely commiting to it. Way and his band might have left the eyeliner behind, but they found pieces of Bowie that promise more great things for them. It’s a significantly better followup than what Green Day did after their seminal work, American Idiot. I can’t imagine My Chemical Romance playing on Broadway or even getting covered on Glee, but stranger things have happened.

 

The Next Nine:
Harlem River Blues, Justin Townes Earle: Earle stands in the shadows of giants, but seems to be emerging as his own man.

The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night, The Besnard Lakes: The new Brian Wilsons do it again.

eponymous, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals: Classic blues, sexy and solid.

Chasing After Shadows, Hammock: Post-rock’s ambient masters continue to evolve.

Of Men And Angels, The Rocket Summer: Mixing Geddy Lee, Michael Jackson, and emo doesn’t sound like a winning mix. It is.

Dirt, Kids In Glass Houses: The Brits have done emo before, but KIGH finally nails it as more than just a formula.

eponymous, Steel Train: Jack Antonoff learned lessons from his time with fun.

Reimaginator, Rock Sugar: You’ll laugh the first time, but this mashup is as much musicianship as homage.

No Better Than This, John Mellencamp: More a T-Bone Burnett album than Mellencamp at times, but still his best work since Human Wheels.

Scott’s Best Music of 2010

Elizabeth Cook is No. 10 on My Best of 2010 list

For almost a decade now, I’ve been doing a year-end list of my favorite music.  I started doing this with my writing partner, Will Carroll, at the Juice Blog. Even though we finally dissolved that site in 2008, we still put out a year-end list.  (Look for Will’s tomorrow.) I had told Will last month I didn’t think it was a very good year for music, but after digging around in it, I have to amend that some, as it was better than I gave him credit for. Good depth of product, so I went with 15 records, instead of just 10.  It’s a little hipper than I generally like, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger on any successful pop music this year.

1. Eminem- Recovery

So is that the way it’s going to be, Marshall? At the beginning of each decade you are going to release the best rap album we will hear. Back in 2000, Eminem’s debut, Marshall Mathers was the best rap record of the decade.  After some pretty spotty work after 2002, Eminem comes back strong with his raging Recovery record. It is the sound to me of what you would feel driving through the urban decay of Detroit. Few artists have been more honest in their assessment of their current state as Eminem is on this new classic.  I almost don’t even want to call it a rap record, as the sound of it is rock.  Never has Dr. Dre brought more raw feel to his production.  While Kanye West made the record most of the critics are falling all over themselves for, Eminem made the one with a punk sneer that I think is pretty powerful.

2. Mumford and Sons- Sigh No More

Someplace between the bands Frightened Rabbit and Fleet Foxes is the best debut of 2010.  Mumford and Sons bring bluegrass instruments to beautiful harmonies and dramatic musical arrangements.  No band made a bigger impression on me in 2010 than these blokes.

3.Black Mountain- Wilderness Heart

For most of the decade, Jack White dominated my year-end, Best of lists, be it White Stripes or Raconteurs.  While definitely mining similar influences, Black Mountain is more Black Sabbath than Led Zeppelin, with the male/female vocal exchanges bringing a new vibe to psychedelic hard rock.  My favorite rock record of the year and much better than anything Dead Weather did. Feel the Deep Purple organ riffs of Old Fangs.

4.Black Keys- Brothers

While the previously mentioned White Stripes have been the main focus for 2 piece blues revivalist bands, the Black Keys have been right behind them.  They have always reminded me of Robin Trower, which is a big compliment. Brothers is their best record, as it has the band sounding like a great 60’s psychedlic blues band.  The spectacular guitar fuzz is all over the place, but every rock band should listen to how they record their drum sound, as it’s vintage, dirty Charlie Watts.  This is best late-night soundtrack for a dive bar in years.

5.Arcade Fire- The Suburbs

There have been a few critic-favorites that I’ve never been able to get totally behind like My Morning Jacket, TV on the Radio, etc.  I felt the same way about Kings of Leon, but Only by Night found the band putting it all together for me. (btw, back to being kind of spotty for me on their 2010 release.) No band had fit this scenario more for me then Arcade Fire. I really liked a few of their singles, but I never could embrace the whole record.  No longer. The Suburbs begins with a great Bowie-influenced, the title track and is solid for the next few songs.  The Suburbs really starts to kick-in on the 2nd half beginning with the great Suburban War, with it’s Byrds’ chiming guitars.  This sounds like a modern update of a lot of what I liked on college radio in the 80’s.  OK, I’m officially on-board.

6. The Constellations- Southern Gothic

The recording of 2010 that I’ve turned more happy people on to is by this band from Atlanta.  They remind me of INXS with a Southern-flavor, with some strong hints of Beck thrown in their funky stew.  Not a perfect record, but like a 2010 Dandy Warhols, they know how to make great singles. Check them out, you will thank me later.

7. Gaslight Anthem- American Slang

If you would like to know what a bunch of young guys from Jersey who wear their Springsteen allegiance on their sleeve would sound like, take a listen to Gaslight Anthem.  They don’t have the depth of lyrics that the Boss has, but they know how to produce a great sounding record, which is something Bruce seems to have forgotten.  On American Slang, they meld the early Bruce sound with a Clash attitude.  It’s a really fun record.

8. Roots and John Legend- Wake Up

There have been a lot of great soul-revival records released over the past few years, but with the talents of John Legend and The Roots coming together the potential seemed to be sky high. And unlike few, this one lived up to its potential.  Covering some great 60 and 70’s, this has a great live-sounding production. The gospel-tinged I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free has Legend at his best, as you are listening to the greatest church band backing him.

9. Broken Bells

This was my most difficult pick, as I don’t think it’s a great record, but if I was rating it on 5 songs, it would be at the top of my list.  The High Road and The Ghost Inside being in my Top 50 singles list of 2010.  So start there and see what else you like.

10. Elizabeth Cook- Welder

Not long ago there were many great releases by folk/country artists, but it when I look at my list this year, I just wasn’t finding much that connected with me.  Here was the best exception.  Produced by Don Was, Welder is funny like an Amy Rigby or Lucinda Williams, but has more of a twang to her vocals like classic country artists.  She might not rule the charts like Taylor Swift, but this is what would be on my country playlist.

The Thermals- Personal Life

Not a great year for power-punk, but The Thermals follow-up their excellent 2009’s Now We Can See with the more consistent Personal Life.  There is nothing as great as Now We Can See, but there are plenty to seek here. Slamming percussion and snotty vocals lead the way.

Deerhunter- Halcyon Digest

I’m not as big of fan as some of this band, but Halcyon Digest had me falling for their trippy sonics.  Start with Helicopter and especially the 60’s stomp of Revival.

Marina and the Diamonds- Family Jewels

I am not a hater of Lady Gaga or Katy Perry, as I don’t listen to pop radio, which keeps me from being sick of their stuff. When I hear one of their songs I completely get why they are so popular, as they know how to craft a good pop song. I just think they have been more about singles than putting together a good album.  I just recently discovered Marina and her Family and have really come to like the Kate Bush meets Abba world she inhabits.  It’s a lot of really strange fun.

Sarah Jaffe and Nathaniel Rateliff

My final 2 picks are singer/songwriters who made a couple beautifully quiet records.  Sarah Jaffe has a great tone to her voice, which blends beautifully with the tasteful strings (especially the cellos) that pop up all over her record, Suburban Nature.

Nathaniel Rateliff also uses his vocal timbre to express a weariness to his songs which really connects.  These 2 releases are not going to get people on the dance floor like the Black Eyed Peas, but sometimes you just don’t want to raise the roof. Right?

Gimme Shelter Deconstructed

Check out this great new link breaking down all the elements of quite possibly the greatest Rolling Stones song, Gimme Shelter. I could tell you to focus on one element but they are all so essential.  I guess I will say at least listen to Charlie Watts’ drum brilliance.  It’s a great song just listening to him.  So start with this drum track and then click on the other elements.  Just shows the brilliance of this band during 1969.

Here is Stones backup singer solo take on it.  A gem by Merry Clayton.

The Best R&B Singer of the Decade: Cee Lo Green

While he might not have the lady man looks of Sam Cooke or Al Green, Cee Lo Green has got the natural soul pipes that these greats had. He started out in the rap/hip hop world with Goode Mob, but he first showed his musical depth on his solo records. Then he started collaborating with Danger Mouse and their group, Gnarls Barkley, put out 2 of the best records of the decade. Lots of great music for you to check out from Cee Lo, but I have listed the 5 songs you SHOULD have on your IPod.  First up is his latest, the You Tube smash Fuck You.

I’m not sure Crazy isn’t the best song of the new millenium.

One of the greatest videos of the decade. Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?

Here is Cee Lo as the read deal soul singer from the excellent Sundance Channel series, Live from Abbey Road studios.

Paul Epworth mix of Cee Lo’s No One’s Gonna Love You.

Finally, a funny clip from Cee Lo and the goddess, Eva Mendes.

15 Album Drill

My Facebook friend, Joanna Anello Davis sent me this note. Here is my version.  Feel free to use the comment section to post your list.

THE RULES: Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you’ve heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag fifteen friends, including me, because I’m interested in seeing what albums my friends choose. NO GREATEST HITS OR COMPILATIONS. I added that part at the end.

Beatles White Album

The Who Quadrophenia

Rolling Stones Let it Bleed

REM Automatic for the People

Prince Sign of the Times

George Michael Listen without Prejudice

Pixies Doolittle

Green Day American Idiot

Ben Folds Rockin THe Suburbs

Radiohead The Bends

Muse Black Holes and Revelations

AC/DC Highway to Hell

Bruce Springsteen The Rising

Elvis Costello King of America

Crowded House Temple of the Lowmen

I could make a cooler list but these were the 15 that I thought of. It took me 10 minutes. I’m sure if I put more thought into it, I could come up with 10 different records on this list.

New Music You Should Know- The Hush Sound

The Hush Sound is a band from the Chicago area who put out 3 excellent albums between 2005-2008. Kind of hard to describe their sound, except that it has kind of 70′s piano rock feel with moments that you would think they were some pop group from the 40′s.  An easier description might be they are like Ben Folds, if he did duets with a woman with a beautifully pure voice.  Listen to Wine Red and you will see what I mean.  I’ve also included their poppiest song, Honey, plus Don’t Wake Me Up and their version of emo, Crawling Towards the Sun.

New Music You Should Know: Innerpartysystems

Let me begin by mentioning if you don’t like techno music, this probably won’t work for you.  Innerpartysystems remind me of Daft Punk mixed with 30 Seconds to Mars.  Yeah, I can see some of you cringing just reading that. Stop here, as I know this won’t connect with you.  I don’t like everything from their 2009 debut, but Don’t Stop is really good, and Hearts of Fire, The Way We Move, and American Trash aren’t too far behind.

They’ve done some cool remixes of pop artists. Here is my favorite, Katy Perry vocals over some funk beats like something from Cameo or the Gap Band.

Classic Rock Mixtape 70′s Version

I’ve spent the past month earning my hipster cred highlighting artists like Broken Bells, the Gaslight Anthem, and Brother Ali, so now I go back to my high school days. I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and before MTV, there was basically pop music and album rock. The station every male I know listened to was KGGO and it basically played classic rock plus a lot of Huey Lewis and Bryan Adams.  Since this site is about hopefully turning people on to some music they’ve never heard, I thought I would offer up how my own version of Doctor Johnny Fever playlist.  Today is my first 10, which are focused on songs that have been played on the radio, but not overplayed.

A dirty room and a silver coke spoon give me my release…30 Days in the Hole. Humble Pie had all the ingredients to be a great band, but they didn’t produce much worth listening to.  This is the one song that shows their immense potential, as it’s as good as anything the Stones ever did. Yeah, you heard me right.

All I know about Tommy Bolin is that he played guitar for Deep Purple for awhile and that he was big in Japan. Post Toastee is one of those song you would hear at 2 in the morning on your classic rock station as the song is 9 minutes and would give them time to smoke a joint and/or get laid.  I don’t usually like jam-rock, but the guitar work and groove are really great on this song.

Is Radar Love the greatest late-night driving song of all-time?  I can’t think of one that tops Golden Earring’s classic jam.

Another great psychedelic guitar jam song is 10 Year After’s I’d Love to Change the World.

Not a huge fan of the 70′s rock band organ solo, but Argent’s Hold Your Head Up is one of the exceptions. Video comes from Midnight Special, which that week was hosted by John Denver!

One of my all-time favorites from the decade is Sniff n’ Tears’ Driver’s Seat. Someone should do a cover of this, as it could work in many different genres.

Sure their name makes them the punchline to a joke, but Foghat’s best 10 songs are as good as any other American classic rock band produced during the 70′s.  With the Foghat Block party you always get Fool for the City and Slow Ride, but I always say give Drivin’ Wheel a chance.

OK, Ted Nugent might be a certifiable, bow-hunting wacko, but he knows how to put on a great live show.  When in doubt I whip it out, Got me a Rock and Roll band—It’s a Free-for-All. Ah Suck-It.  Nuge on Midnight Special.

One of the great driving in your car songs is the James Gang’s Funk 49.  The groove is pretty simplistic, but is always in the funk pocket, plus Joe Walsh’s whiny vocals perfectly fit the spirit of the tune.  I have no idea what drugs these dudes from Cleveland were on when they made the record, but it must have been some pretty dope shit.

It’s hard to go wrong with LaGrange, but that song has been overplayed, so I finish with choices from the same Tres Hombres record.  Waitin for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago is one of the great 2 pack songs of all-time.