29 in 2009 - King Crimson: "In the Court of the Crimson King"

King Crimson:  In the Court of the Crimson King

Originally Released:  October 10, 1969

Genre:  Progressive Rock

Rating:  9 out of 10 Stars

Whoever left the comment about my 29 in 2009 series going the Sufjan Stevens "50 states" route gets mad props from me.  That's actually a pretty clever comment.  However, unlike Sufjan Stevens, I have a day job and responsibilities that need to be attended to.  How I wish I could just sit in my Brooklyn apartment all day in my vintage clothes and play on my banjo!  Alas, that is not my life.  Not now at least.

As it turns out, I still have a very keen interest in current indie music and so balancing my listening with that and these classic records that I have devoted myself too can be quite tough.  As many of my long time readers know, one of my favorite indie bands is The Mars Volta, currently one of the few bands still doing the whole progressive rock thing.  My interaction with the genre has been minimal to say the least.  I am pretty familiar with Rush, and I went through a Dream Theater phase at one point; but for the most part, me and prog rock have never been best friends.

It is with this minimal knowledge that I made the judgement in 2003 that The Mars Volta was one of the most original bands in existence.  However, at just a few minutes into In the Court of the Crimson King, I was made to realize something:  The Mars Volta totally ganked their sound, their style, many of the cool things that they do from King Crimson.  The leadoff track, "21st Century Schizoid Man" is very reminiscent of Amputecture-era Mars Volta; bearing a striking resemblance to "Tetragrammaton."  The difference, however, is clear:  King Crimson did it much better back in 1969 than The Mars Volta ever could have hoped.  "21st Century Schizoid Man" is an amazing piece of rock music, and I am blown away that I have never heard of it up until this point in my life.  How could this not have been an American radio hit, especially considering its many Vietnam War metaphors?

"I Talk to the Wind" is equally as impressive, but the band shows that they are capable of much more than turning the amp up to 11 and rocking out.  This is a much more mellow song entirely, using flutes and clarinets prominently throughout the track.  It's peaceful, moving, and calming.  "Epitaph" is an epic track as well, and though it maintains a relatively slow tempo, the instrumentation and Greg Lake's commanding vocals bring about a wave of excitement every time I listen to it.

I have mixed feelings for "Moonchild."  While I love the "proper" part of the song, the 8-minute free-form section that follows is one of the things that I've always sort of despised about the prog-rock genre.  I'm a fan of melody and form, and the two are sworn enemies of free-form music.  When I heard this song for the first time, it sounded really familiar and I had no idea where I had heard it before.  My answer came after a quick visit to Wikipedia when I found that the indie rock band, Doves, had covered it in their song "M62 Song."  It was always my favorite track from The Last Broadcast, and here I never even knew that it was a cover song!  Once again, my lack of knowledge does me in.

"In the Court of the Crimson King" is probably the band's only song, and the only one I knew that I was familiar with before tackling this album (not counting "M62 Song" of course).  It was the only song to ever be really popular in the United States, and I've heard it on classic rock stations maybe once or twice in my life.  Honestly, it's not their strongest song, though it's easily their most accessible rock song on this record.  It feels like it drags on far beyond its reasonable conclusion, though honestly, which progressive rock song doesn't?  I've found it to be a much better listen when it's experienced on its own, not simply as the conclusion to an intense, long album.

To be honest, I really love this album!  A lot of the time when I should have been listening to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I was listening to this one instead.  When I tried to skip ahead and listen to Tommy, I just wanted to hear "21st Century Schizoid Man" again.  I am kind of appalled that I'm just now hearing this record for the first time; not just at myself, but at the American music media for not instantly mentioning in their relentless lists of "greatest albums."  It's more than just entertaining or powerful; it's incredibly influential and potentially life-changing music!  Obviously, I'm a fan.  I can't wait to hear what else this band has to offer!

Verdict: Classic

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29 in 2009 - Elton John: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

The following post is part of a series known as "29 in 2009."  For more information on the series, click HERE.

Elton John:  Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Originally Released:  October 5, 1973

Genre:  Pop, Rock, Glam, and hints of Progressive Rock

Rating:  7 out of 10 Stars

I wrestled for a while on whether or not to give a rating to the entries in this series, ultimately deciding that for those who don't feel like reading, a rating is pretty helpful.  For those expecting my first entry in the series to be posted sooner than this moment, I apologize for the wait.  Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is quite an album to tackle, containing 17 wonderful tracks that each deserve an equal opportunity to be loved. 

I went into my first experience with the album with a general expectation of what I would hear based on my minimal knowledge of Elton John's music catalogue.  I've listened to and enjoyed his more famous tracks before, so I was expecting to have a good time listening to this album.  For the most part, my expectations were met and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road does live up to its "classic" status.

The leadoff track to this great album is, in my opinion, the album's finest song.  The 11-minute prog-rock influenced "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" is an absolute blast to listen to, particularly during the "Love Lies Bleeding" portion.  A piano-led rocker (as most John songs are), the song is filled with irresistible melodies and charming harmonies.  Over the last week and a half, I've listened to this song more often than any other Elton John song, and that's not just because it's the first track.  It is simply, a classic piece of music that I was surprised I had never heard before.

Also featured on the album is the original "Candle in the Wind" - a beautiful, humble ballad about Marilyn Monroe - and the instantly recognizable "Bennie and the Jets," which, honestly, needs no commentary on my part.  Add in "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and you have a handful of Elton John's most popular songs all on one album.  Who couldn't love that?  The surprising thing is how the quality of the songs on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road rarely, if ever, falter.  It's rare that you see a record of this magnitude achieve such greatness on every single track. 

To be absolutely clear, where the album does start to lose points from me is in its continuity, or rather its flow.  There is no logical reason for putting a soft ballad in between a prog-rocker and unabashed piano pop.  The album literally feels like you're listening to a greatest hits album because a.) all the songs are great, and b.) it feels completely disjointed.  Pick a genre that was around at the time, and chances are it's here in some form.  "Jamaica Jerk-Off" is an awesome song, but its tropical vibes feel misplaced between "Grey Seal" and "I've Seen That Movie Too" (another one of my favorites).  

My assumption is that the disjointed feel of the record is primarily caused by the limitations of the vinyl format.  When originally released, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was a double album consisting of four sides.  Obviously, you can only put so much music on each side and therefore tracks need to be shuffled around in order to make them all fit.  I get it, and surely this won't be the last time I run into this "problem" of listening to an older album on a modern medium.

Despite my nit-picking, one would be remiss to not listen to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.  Though it sounds almost cliche to say, this is an album that truly does have something for everyone - assuming that you don't have a inexplicable desire to listen to German techno or Akinyele at all moments of your existence.  I enjoyed my experience with this album and will continue to listen to it for some time.  I recommend that everyone else do the same.  If you have any questions about my experience with this album, please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.

Verdict: Classic

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Hanne Kolstö and Love:Fi to Perform at SXSW

Try to follow me here, folks. 

For those of you who may be a bit new to the blog, I used to run this feature called Myspace Music Mondays in which I would profile talented artists who I totally found on myspace.  On January 21, 2008 I profiled a young woman from Norway who I felt had what it took to be the next, oh I don't know, Bjork.  Her name is Hanne Kolstö and she sings with several different groups.

As it just so happens, Hanne and the guys from Love:Fi will be performing at this year's SXSW festival in Austin, TX on March 18.  Now I know that for many of you attending the festival, hearing some little known group from Norway is no big deal, but trust me, you're in for a treat!

There's no word yet on specific times or location, but do yourself a favor and try to discover something new.  Who knows?  You may even get to say "Yeah, I heard them before they got famous" to all your friends a few years from now.  Just a thought....

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29 in 2009: An Introduction

Seeing as how Audio Overflow is essentially a defunct blog at this point, I've decided to turn the scarce amount of posts into something worth reading.

I don't think it's too big of a secret that my knowledge of "classic" albums is severely lacking. Ask me about anything made after 1990 and I could spout off just about anything and make it sound intelligent. But before that year, most of my musical knowledge is hit and miss. Therefore, I've decided to make it a personal goal of mine to listen to 29 albums this year - all of which need to be considered classic by someone, and need to have been recorded before the year 1990.

Who specifically am I mostly unfamiliar with? Brace yourself. Bob Dylan, Cheap Trick, Jethro Tull, Miles Davis, Buddy Holly, Bob Marley, Jimmi Hendrix, Billie Holiday....need I continue? There's a serious gap in my musical knowledge and I need to fill this gaps with greatness!

That's where you, dear reader, come in. Leave a comment below. Give me at least one classic album that I need to listen to in 2009 and chances are I probably will. Accompanied with each listen will be me blogging about my thoughts on each suggestion. That blogging could come in the form of a review or any other type of writing. My musical tastes have been known to be...odd...to say the least (I loathe most stuff by the Beatles - though I've never really heard all their druggy music), so there may be some interesting reads in there.

So what do you say? Are you in? Bookmark this page and keep an eye on the list below as I will add records as I listen to them along with links to whatever it is that I end up blogging about. Let the suggestions begin!!!!

1. Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
2. King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King
3. The Who: Tommy
4. Nick Drake: Pink Moon
5. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
6. Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues Singers
7. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
8. Buddy Holly: Buddy Holly
9. Jethro Tull: Aqualung
10. The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground and Nico
11. The Doors: The Doors
12. The Clash: London Calling
13. The Allman Brothers: Eat a Peach
14. Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
15. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
16. The Smiths: The Queen is Dead
17. R.E.M.: Murmur
18. Joni Mitchell: Blue
19. Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Melody Nelson
20. Led Zepplin: House of the Holy
21. Pink Floyd:  Dark Side of the Moon
22. Frank Zappa:  Over-Nite Sensation
23. Joy Division:  Unknown Pleasures
24. David Bowie:  The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
25. Sonic Youth:  Daydream Nation
26. Janis Joplin:  Pearl
27. The Rolling Stones:  Exile on Main St.
28. Tom Waits:  Rain Dogs
29. The Beach Boys:  Pet Sounds

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The Top 31 Albums of 2008 (Pt. 3)

Albums 31-21

Albums 20-11

#10: Conor Oberst: Conor Oberst - Another year passes and another Conor Oberst album makes it into my Top 10. The whole idea is getting quite old, yet Oberst’s music remains just as fresh today as it was back in August. On his self-titled solo album, the Bright Eyes frontman ditched a lot of the self-loathing, depressing songwriting for a more upbeat, exciting record. Even depressing songs like “Danny Callahan” have an uplifting feel to them. Oberst also takes the time to clean up that death rattle of a voice to something much more accessible (or acceptable). In the end, it’s just a great album that you absolutely need to hear.

#9: CSS: Donkey - I, like many, found CSS’s debut to be a bit on the annoying side. Their follow-up has its fair share of annoyances as well. However, for every minor annoyance, there are a handful of cool harmonies, infectious grooves, and inescapable hooks! Donkey is one of the most solid pop albums in recent memory. It will make you feel dirty, it will make you want to dance; but I promise it will not make you want to watch Dirty Dancing.

#8: Jaymay: Autumn Fallin’ - When I first received an email about Jamie Seerman in early 2008, I had no idea how much her music would affect me throughout the year. An mp3 sample of single “Blue Skies” hooked me, and I politely requested a copy of the album for review. Two months later, I gave the album an 8 out of 10 rating, and it remains just as poignant, beautiful, and poetic today! Seerman is an undeniable talent in songwriting, and you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of this album today!

#7: Plants and Animals: Parc Avenue - P&A managed to take the best from 60s psychedelia and indie rock and turn it into one masterful work. I’ve already had the opportunity to introduce this band to 40 and 50-year-olds who have enjoyed every second of Parc Avenue. While the last few songs on the record do wear a bit thin, it is more than bolstered by its miraculous first half. If you haven’t done so already....listen to it.

#6: Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend - And the award for best new artist goes too....(sorry, Fleet Foxes). Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut was one of the most focused, enjoyable, and universally acclaimed albums of 2008, and all of that praise was deserved. It’s not every day that an album comes around that will make seasoned music journalists fein knowledge of genres of which they have no background (in this case African music). I guess that's just another reason why we “lesser people” should look down upon the snooty students at Columbia University. You’re not that much better than us!!

#5: Pop Levi: Never Never Love - I’ll go ahead and stop ranting and raving about the greatness of Pop Levi’s second album as soon as I know that some of you have taken my advice and checked it out. However, judging by the album’s ranking on Amazon.com (one of the few places you can actually find it), few of you have taken the leap yet. Don’t be an idiot. Go get a hold of hit soon! An album this good doesn’t come around often, and you don’t want to be that person who hears it 2 years later than everyone else.

#4: Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs - For such a shitey album title, Death Cab’s latest surprised most of us. True, the band doesn’t take any huge leaps in any direction, but they stayed true to their classic sound and in the process created what many might call their crowning achievement (though Ben Gibbard getting engaged to Zooey Deschanel is giving it a run for its money). I know it’s my favorite Death Cab album, and with such instant classics as “Cath...” and “Grapevine Fires,” it’s bound to be rocking my iPod for many more months to come.

#3: My Brightest Diamond: A Thousand Shark’s Teeth - I’ll be the first to admit that Shara Worden doesn’t have the sort of universal appeal as, say, Vampire Weekend. What she does have, however, is a depth of talent that rivals any of her peers and an album in A Thousand Shark’s Teeth that put most competitors to shame in 2008. For all the grandeur and theatricalities of her 2006 debut, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth far exceeded any expectations and benchmarks that she may have set. It is a wonderful album and an absolute joy to listen to. I recommend you do it at least once.

#2: Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping - Poor Of Montreal. For as many years as I’ve been making year-end lists, my favorite band on the planet has only gotten to the #1 spot once (for 2004’s Satanic Panic in the Attic). Every other year that they’ve been eligible have resulted with a fantastic, though still disappointing #2 placement. The sad truth is that were it not for last year’s “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” or this year’s “Gallery Piece” they may have nudged their way into first place every time. But for all the excessiveness that Kevin Barnes has nailed perfectly, there’s always one or two tracks that just seem like a bit much. Skeletal Lamping is the picture of excess, and with the exception of that one track, it was the best album of 2008.

#1: M83: Saturdays=Youth - If you were to tell me in January that my #1 album of the year would be an M83 record, I would’ve probably laughed in your face. M83 has been off my radar since 2005, and for good reason. For as brilliant as Anthony Gonzalez’s past works have been, they were never as enthralling a few weeks after their initial play. Saturdays=Youth, a 1980s, John Hughes tribute album in more ways than one, has been my favorite album of 2008 since it was released way back when. It is easily the most impressive album of the year with its ability to uncannily recreate the sounds, harmonies, feelings, and imagery of what all of us envision a teenage life in the 1980s would have been like. From start to finish, it is a layered vision, a masterpiece of production and performance. In fact, the only thing holding it back from a perfect 10 out of 10 rating (a rarity on Audio Overflow) is the fact that it’s lyrics are full of the cheesy poignancy that one would expect of an 80s teen drama. As such, the listener is taken on a ride, but it’s not an emotional one that they themselves can experience. Besides this minor and oft-overlooked blunder, Saturdays=Youth is a marvel of electronic pop music that will be remembered for years and years to come. Giving the #1 spot on my list to anyone else would not have seemed appropriate, and there’s no one who deserves it more.

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The Top 31 Albums of 2008 (Pt. 2)

#20: Ladytron: Velocifiero - For all the praise poured on Ladytron over the years, it wasn’t until Velocifero that I really think I figured out what the band was all about. Does that mean I absolutely adore it and listen to it a few times a week? Hardly. But for once, I can say that Ladytron is enjoyable if you’re in the right mood. That mood doesn’t come around too often, but every now and then you just want some thick, wet....synths. What? What did you think I would say?

#19: Headlights: Some Racing, Some Stopping - Headlights’ debut album was a masterpiece of indie rock with some really catchy and meaningful songs. In 2006, it easily made it into my Top 10. This year, the band tried something different, which is always appreciated. They took off a bit of the polish, focused in more on a particular sound, and took Erin Fein off of lead vocals quite often. The result is a satisfying album that is just barely outdone by its predecessor.

#18: Dieter Schoon: Lablaza - If there’s one album in the Top 20 that absolutely no one has ever heard, it’s probably this one. Do yourself a favor and download “The Harbour’s Cold” or “Jethead” and find out what you’re missing. Lablaza is a inventive vision of electronic music that deserves to be heard outside of the artist’s native Sweden.

#17: Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles - I should make myself absolutely clear when I say that Alice Glass is an absolutely worthless piece of garbage. Well, her vocals at least. For as brilliant as Crystal Castles’ debut is, there are just moments when she comes in and ruins everything with her whiny screams. Fortunately, tracks are more than skippable, and if you do yourself the favor of not loading those songs on your iPod you’ll find that the rest of this album is absolutely amazing. This coming from a guy who up until about a year ago swore off of most types of electronic music.

#16: Sia: Some People Have Real Problems - Sia’s third LP is easily her best, and fortunately, her most commercially successful. Throwing away much of the melancholy from her past albums, Sia returned with a triumphant, exuberant record that displays the full talent of her voice and, in my book, clears her a spot right up towards the top of the greatest vocalists of all time. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, if only on the inside, and you’ll keep listening to it for months. Just an awesome album.

#15: My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges - Note to Jim James: lose the falsetto, it doesn’t work. Honestly, MMJ’s frontman’ s vocals were sketchy enough as it was, but the Prince impression is severely lacking. The best moment’s from Evil Urges were reserved for when the band was doing what they always do; play great, southern-tinged rock music.

#14: The Notwist: The Devil, You + Me - In my review for this album I stated that it doesn’t necessarily succeed expectations as much as it does defy them. I’ll stick to my guns on that one, for as much as The Devil falls short of the band’s 2002 masterpiece Neon Golden, it is still an amazing album that I think most were not expecting. The band’s addition of strings and prominent guitars make for an interesting if not entrancing listen.

#13: Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes - If there were one reason why you should read this list, it’s for this: Fleet Foxes is not #1. Take a deep breath. Get it all in there because you won’t see that often in 2008. Now I loves me some Fleet Foxes, that’s why they beat out some of my favorite bands to make it this far on the list, but their debut is not the perfect album that many are making it out to be. It is focused, moody, it makes you feel like taking a trip to Appalachia, but as far as bringing out emotion, action, thoughts out of the listener, there are others that just did it better this year. They are as follows....

#12: The Streets: Everything is Borrowed - Sometimes music critics just sort of blow my mind. For they most part, they had nothing but praise for Mike Skinner’s first two LPs and nothing but disdain for his last two. I’ll go ahead and advocate the opposite, because to me, the artist has finally come into his own. He’s finally making songs that are more universal, more catchy, could actually be considered hip hop. Everything is Borrowed is far from perfect, and it may not be as emotionally gripping as his past albums, but to call it a dud would just be an injustice.

#11: Portishead: Third - The only album I rated with a 9 this year that fell out of the top 10, Portishead’s comeback album still deserves a hell of a lot of credit. Were I a depressed college kid, this album would have easily been closer to the top of my list. But 2008 was a good year for me, and I found myself happier than I’ve been in quite a few years. As such, it doesn’t seem right for me to move this album higher when I just couldn’t devote myself to the doom and gloom that it bleeds. Still, if you find yourself with black hair, black clothes, and a razor blade fantasy, check it out. At least you won’t be 100% stereotypical.

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The Top 31 Albums of 2008 (Pt. 1)

#31: Chris Walla: Field Manual - When I first wrote my review of Chris Walla’s debut album, I described it as a sort of “socially conscious” Death Cab-lite album that would serve as a nice filler while waiting for the next Death Cab album. I stick with that assessment today. With the exception of one or two songs, this album lost my attention by February. That Death Cab album, however, wound up being one of the most surprisingly satisfying albums of 2008!

#30: Magnetic Fields: Distortion - This too is another album that fell off of my radar rather quickly. The Magnetic Fields was one of the first indie bands that I really got into, and like many, I was disappointed with their previous album. Distortion is a much better effort by far. Though it takes some time to get used to the layer of distortion that plagues each track on the album, the songs that go on top of that are nothing short of the brilliance that we’ve come to expect from this legendary group.

#29: The Dears: Missiles - Of all the bands in 2008 that I thought would disappoint me, I never suspected The Dears, whose previous two albums had been masterpieces of moody, indie rock. Missiles ended up getting mixed reviews from critics, many of whom even put it towards the top of their year-end lists. I, however, found Missiles to be a remarkably drab affair with little of the tension and emotional pull of the band’s earlier work. It still wound up being a somewhat decent record, but several miles off from what I feel needed to be achieved.

#28: Tilly and the Wall: O - Who would have thought that a band who made their name by replacing a drummer with a tap-dancer would be able to make the jump from playground tomfoolery to edgy punk rockers? Answer: nobody, and personally, I wasn’t buying it either. I believe I originally gave this album a 5/10 score. Nowadays, I’d be more inclined to give it a 6/10. Sure that’s not saying much, but when you overcome all the nonsense you start to realize that there are some good tracks on O. Not all of them, clearly, but some of them.

#27: Mates of State: Re-Arrange Us - Mates of State made hints on Bring it Back that they were becoming adults but it wasn’t until the release of Re-Arrange Us that we all found out what that would mean for the group. What it meant was ditching the Casio for a piano, shelving shouting and yelling for soft, subtle harmonies, and taking the energy and trading it in for poignancy. Re-Arrange Us is in no way a bad album. But it is severely lacking in almost everything that I used to love about the band. Parenthood definitely makes a person grow up. I just wish they would have held it off for a few years.

#26: Sun Kil Moon: April - Mark Kozelek is a master of making repetitive, mediocre tunes into mesmerizing snapshots of life. He is a true artist, not someone who relies on gimmicks or “it” sounds to creating memorable songs. One gets the sense that deep down, he is aware of his flaws; his lack of compositional flare or his whiny, nasally voice. The remarkable thing is that he perseveres through these shortcomings and even uses them to his advantage in some cases. In the end, what you get is something that is never special, but more than ordinary. April is one of those albums.

#25: She & Him: Volume One - I’m a bit surprised to see She & Him winding up on so many year-end lists for the simple fact that the music contained on Volume One was in no way inventive, flawless, or even entirely memorable. While Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward have made a respectable album with several catchy songs, one simply cannot ignore the nearly-mediocre vocals or the somewhat juvenile lyricism. Let’s face it, we all have a schoolyard crush on Deschanel, let’s try not to let that cloud our judgement.

#24: The Dodos: Visiter - Sometime in February or March (I can’t really remember when), I was in a musical drought with nothing new or interesting to listen to. Somehow I came across Visiter and, based off of favorable reviews, decided to give it a try. While not entirely perfect, The Dodos have managed to make one of the most inventive albums of the year! Just from listening it’s hard to gauge who their influences are. There’s some definite similarities with Glen Hansard and Animal Collective, but even that is reaching far. The important thing to remember is that what you’re listening to is good. Who it sounds like is secondary. Enjoy it!

#23: The Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath - Redemption is a sweet, sweet thing. Over two years ago, The Mars Volta followed what many would consider to be their best album (Frances the Mute), with one that most would consider their worst (Amputecture). This year, TMV gave us a much more respectable record that, while not achieving the heights of their first two LPs, manages to get things back on the right foot. Here’s hoping that 2009’s TMV album (assuming that they continue to release a record every 18 months or so) blows ‘em all out of the water!

#22: The Little Ones: Morning Tide - This album crossed my desk around the same time that I first got a hold of Of Montreal’s Skeletal Lamping. The result, unsurprisingly, was a severe lack of attention paid to it on my part. As the year wound down, however, I discovered just how charming and delightful The Little Ones can be! Morning Tide is a pretty cookie-cutter indie pop album, and many will be deterred by the sheer averageness of it all. However, despite its lack of creativity, Morning Tide is an extremely well-assembled album that contains more than its fair share of potential singles and sing-alongles. I recommend that you all check it out, whether you really want to or not.

#21: The Wombats: A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation - Call it what you will - punk, indie, a combination of both - but few can deny the sheer energy that this band exudes at every corner nor the infectious nature of that energy. The Wombats are not nearly as popular here in the States as one would expect, what, with such a marketable sound. I suppose that should tell you a lot about the state of music media in the US of A. But hey, good for Lil’ Wayne. Good for auto-tune!

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