Looking at the albums that came out this year, I have a good idea of what is going to make everyone’s top ten lists. Artists like Lady Gaga, The Decemberists and Radiohead manage to garner most of the attention anytime they release anything. I’d honestly be surprised if Fleet Foxes and Adele didn’t make every list. But these artists will receive their well deserved recognition while certain records remain unmentioned. Indie albums find their way into the mainstream all the time but these records will scarcely make an individual’s top ten list. These are some albums that went under most people’s radars. Records that, I believe, are well worth a listen even from someone who doesn’t typically listen to music from this particular genre.
10) Portugal the Man – In the Mountain and the Cloud: Portugal the Man is an incredibly hard working band, finding ways to release an innumerable amount of material quickly and efficiently. Their past albums American Ghetto, Church Mouth and Censored Colors; however, tended to blend together with only a few stand out tracks on each release. In the Mountain and the Cloud is a breath of fresh air as it contains a much stronger set of tracks and more dynamic instrumentation. It’s a dynamic record that, unlike some of Portugal the Man’s work, feels total and complete.
9) Eisley – The Valley: It’s hard to top albums like Combinations and Room Noises and I won’t say that Eisley did it with The Valley, but I will say that they came close. The vocals are amazing, as usual. The lyrics are modest and down to Earth and the musicianship is more intricate than past Eisley efforts, yet works for the style that The Valley attempts to emulate. Drawing upon some personal struggles, the band creates a charmingly downtrodden lyrical medley that contrasts beautifully with the swelling of orchestral lulls and docile piano tones.
8) Fireworks – Gospel: Fireworks was always a band I had trouble getting into. I usually just assumed it was just another pop-punk band that had a singer with a unique voice but when I finally decided to listen to Gospel, I was sold. Catchy, fast paced pop-punk in all of its glory.
7) Kevin Devine – Between the Concrete and the Clouds: As a musician, Kevin Devine is deceivingly versatile. His work spans from the angst ridden and Elliot Smith inspired Circle Gets the Square to this year’s Between the Concrete and the Clouds, which flirts with the notion of a much larger sound than anything we've seen from Devine. The typical themes Devine toys with are still present – religion, relationships and politics. Everything about this album is polished and it shows Devine at his finest since Split the Country, Split the Streets.
6) The Cinema – My Blood is full of Airplanes: After the band Lydia split, a lot of fans were wary about throwing their support towards an entirely new project from frontman Leighton Antelman. My Blood is full of Airplanes was a surprise favorite of mine from this year, even far surpassing the Lydia album Paint it Golden that was released fall of this year. It’s hard to place a finger on the exact style of music, but it’s a familiar one with an interesting twist. If I had to describe it, it would be indie pop rock with a small hint of dubstep and techno. Anyone can get something out of this album.
5) The Wonder Years – Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing: I was new to The Wonder Years this year and I jumped right in. Pretty much everything on all of their albums is incredible and takes me back to early high school when my Walkman would spin The Starting Line, New Found Glory and The Movielife. It’s nostalgic but at the same time it feels like something new. While the songs all deal with life struggles, the albums carry with them an unrelenting sense of hope. It’s the ultimate cathartic album and one that is best played at full blast on the highway in the summer with the windows down.
4) Saves the Day – Daybreak: This album brought about the long awaited completion of a trilogy of albums which included Sound the Alarm and Under the Boards. These records all stand alone as immense achievements, but when grouped together the scope of the musicianship and artistic tact put into them is staggering. While these records act as Save the Day’s darkest work, they also couple some of the cheeriest and upbeat guitar riffs seen from the seasoned rock band – creating an interesting dichotomy. Only a band like Saves the Day could get away with starting off a record with a ten minute song and have it be one of the strongest tracks on the album. It’s memorable, dark and a wonderful addition to the Saves the Day discography.
3) I Am the Avalanche – Avalanche United: I Am the Avalanche released their highly praised self titled record in 2005. It took the band six years to put another album out and through all the anticipation and hype, they did not disappoint. It’s a punk record. Pure and simple. In the vein of artists like Glassjaw and Boys Night Out, the album is fast paced, toe-tapping and hard hitting.
2) I Can Make a Mess like Nobody’s Business – Gold Rush: Ace Enders puts out more material than any other band I can think of. It seems like every year there is some sort of record you can get your hands on. With the market saturated with his work you’d think the prospect of another album would be stale and be susceptible to losing its anticipation value. The record blew me away. It was so familiar, yet had an undeniable freshness to it all. It’s a smooth, heavy-hearted and whimsical album. Quite possibly one of the best works we’ve seen from Enders.
1) Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math: It always astonishes me how a band can put out three albums within a short span of one another and have them all capture their own distinct sound. Simple Math toys with the idea of an ever-expanding scope – one that includes a children’s choir, sweeping orchestral movements and group vocals. The album contrasts quietly beautiful songs like “Deer” and “Leaky Breaks” with melancholy ballads like “Mighty” and “Virgin.” The album is best taken as a whole, taking in the scale of the accomplishment. However, the songs are also strong enough to stand on their own. It’s a brilliant success from a band that is just getting started.
Andrew Scholz - I am currently a journalism student at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with an emphasis in writing and editing. Also I am working on a ...
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