The great and frustrating thing about music is, no matter how much you hear you can never hear it all. Here’s 5 albums I found about by reading other peoples’ lists (most of which I found on Largehearted Boy’s master online list).
1. Andrew Bird-Armchair Apocrypha. How the hell did this album get by me? It sounds like something that should have been submitted by the label. Shame on Fat Possum for not doing that. God bless e-music, where I found this delightful pleasure. Great singer-songwriter tunes, perfectly crafted and constantly engaging. Not a flawed track on the entire album.
Andrew offers lots of free music on his download page, so go check it out. Like this:
2. Ha Ha Tonka-Buckle in the Bible Belt.
A really, really, really good album, also available on e-music. Self-described “foot-stompin indie rock,” this is easily as great as The Broken West. Being a huge Americana fan, I can’t understand how this album never made a blip on my radar all year long. Maybe it was the fact that their name is nothing like their music.
Off one of my favorite labels, Bloodshot Records.
3. Scarface-Made.
The fact that this ex-Geto Boy can make solid, compelling, and utterly merciless hardcore rap albums in his sleep shouldn’t deter you from buying every single one. One of the most underrated artists in hip hop today, a true O.G., and a brilliant storyteller.
4. The Pipettes-We Are The Pipettes.
Of course I had heard this band’s big single, “Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me,” several times last year, but it didn’t move me. I didn’t realize how witty the album was until Universal unloaded a bunch of copies on my office, needing to “get rid of them.” What a thrill! I take back anything negative I may have said about this fun retro frolic. Sometimes the major labels get it right, and this is one of those times.
5. Blockhead-Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book. A selection from the always dependable Passion of the Weiss, my favorite blog (I like it more than my own, actually). Go read what he wrote about it, and listen to the track he posted, available below:
This is a very difficult album to find–I think it is out of print–and I happened to luck upon it at my favorite used CD store, but the copy I got is slightly scratched. I love it if someone gave it to me for Christmas.
You reading Mr. Weiss?
