My argument for Crack the Skye being more mainstream, at least for Mastodon: the album definitely feels like more of a streamlined and focused effort from the band, and you can't tell me that a song like "Oblivion" isn't mainstream for them. Metallica had plenty of long songs, even ones almost as long as Mastodon's, and we all know that they are mainstream. The album still kicks ass, of course, and I actually like the more focused direction!
As always, you inspire me to seek out more music. And I actually agree about Blueprint 3. It's good, but it IS disappointing.
I actually thought Jay's Blueprint 3 was pretty good. I definitely agree that this album is more toward going for the pop vibe because has a lot of collaboration going on there. I'm excited for your top 30~!
01. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
Release Date: March 9th
For my money, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists are the greatest band going today. If you were to ask me about them last year, I wouldn't have that same answer. But 2009 was the year where I got a major late pass in which I finally found out all about Ted Leo/Rx. They are everything I look for in music: Wordy lyrics that recall Elvis Costello, riffs that recall late '70s punk, and humor. They are the ultimate band.
The Brutalist Bricks is Ted Leo/Rx's first album since 2007's critically-derided-for-some-reason Living With The Living. I've heard four songs from the album in various stages. The punk rocker "Where Was My Brain" in 2008 demo form, the wonderful "Last Days" in ruff mix form, the acoustic "One Polaroid A Day" in live form, and classic Ted Leo/Rx cut "Even Heroes Have To Die" in fully released form. Every single song promises great things for The Brutalist Bricks, and you'd be a fool to bet against this album. It's going to take every other album released in 2010 and chop their heads off. You have been warned. Prepare accordingly.
02. Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1
Release Date: TBA
Once again, Get well soon MCA!
This album was supposed to come out in September, but obviously that didn't happen due to Adam Yauch's health. Word is we might be getting it in the first quarter of 2010, and judging from the two pre-released songs ("Lee Majors Come Again", "Too Many Rappers") it's going to be a real throwback to the early '90s albums. The time when Beastie Boys albums had many songs in many different styles and they were big smorgasbords of awesome. The album is said to also feature, besides Nas on "Too Many Rappers", Santigold on a track called "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win". I can't wait to hear it, and the rest of the album when the Beastie Boys feel it's time to be released.
03. The Roots - How I Got Over
Release Date: February
This album has been pushed many times throughout the months, but according to ?uestlove it's entirely his fault. He wanted to have more time to properly mix it before it got released out to the public. That's the mark of a true artist. He doesn't want to release a shoddy version just to make a release date.
What we can expect on How I Got Over (besides the thunderous title track) are a Frank Zappa cover, a vintage R&B song, a song featuring Icelandic vocalist Patty Crash, and The Roots taking on yet another Cody Chestnutt song. This time it's "Serve Thsi Royalty", and it'll once again feature Cody. It'll also be much more joyful as opposed to the depresing, dour (but both amazing) Game Theory, and Rising Down. With the visibility of The Roots at an all-time high, due to their involvement as house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, this could very well be their most popular album to date.
04. The Hold Steady - TBA
Release Date: TBA
They had my #1 album for 2008. Of course, i'm anticipating it.
05. LCD Soundsystem - TBA
Release Date: TBA
He had my #1 album for 2007. Of course, i'm anticipating it.
06. The Gaslight Anthem - TBA
Release Date: First Quarter 2010
They had my #2 album for 2008. Of course, i'm anticipating it.
OK, enough of that. The Gaslight Anthem went back into the studio with producer Ted Hutt, who produced their previous two records, as well as albums for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and The Bouncing Souls, and it's said to have a first quarter 2010 release. I really can't wait.
07. She & Him - Volume Two
Release Date: March 23rd
Finally! Volume Two is going to be released!
Volume One was one of the most endlessly playable albums from the past couple years, so I imagine Volume Two will be just as good. The album will feature a collaboration from not-really-a-cult-they-are-just-happy-people-oh-wait-maybe-they-are group Tilly and the Wall. There will also be covers of a Skeeter Davis song, and a truly wonderful NRBQ song titlted "Ridin' In My Car". If it's even a sliver as good as Volume One, then i'll be playing it all year long.
08. Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
Release Date: February
Release this thing already, Def Jam!!!! Big Boi has released amazing song after amazing song from this album, and yet it's no closer to release. February is what they say now, but i'm not holding my breath. When this thing ever DOES come out, it'll be one of the best hip-hop albums of 2010, if the songs released are any indication.
09. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Release Date: March 9th
Danger Mouse was probably my favorite producer of this decade (no, I don't run Paste Magazine). From the two Gnarls Barkley albums, to Beck's Modern Guilt, to Gorillaz's Demon Days, to the incredibly underrated The Good The Bad & The Queen, Danger Mouse delivered gem after gem. Now he's at his next project, and this time it's with James Mercer, lead singer of The Shins.
For Broken Bells, Danger Mouse has decided to use his real name, Brian Burton, in the group. Not sure why, but maybe he's tired of the moniker? The first single titled "The High Road" is out now, and it's everything as great as you want it to be. It recalls Danger Mouse's work with The Good The Bad & The Queen, but fits perfectly with James Mercer's style. You can download the MP3 for yourself if you send your email to www.brokenbells.com I highly recommend it.
10. Spoon - Transference
Release Date: January 19th
Hey, this album is out soon!
Spoon just continue to get better and better with each album. They are one of Merge Records' defining artists, and that is saying a lot due to their roster. I love "Written In Reverse", and I expect nothing less than greatness from the guys from Spoon.
11. John Legend/?uestlove - Wake Up Everybody
Release Date: First Quarter
This just may be the most interesting album released in 2010, yet not many people know about it.
For John Legend's fourth album, he decided to enlist Busiest Man In Music ?uestlove to record an entire album of covers. What's the point, you ask? I'll let John Legend tell you:
Quote:
It’s an album of protest songs, political inspiration and social uplift. At first we were going to just do it from any era but when we got into it, we felt as though we should just focus on the sixties and seventies. We’re using a lot of the songs from the civil rights struggle and the black power movement. The stuff that sounded the best was from those eras. We wanted it to be amazing and beautiful and it’s really coming together.
Are these covers or original pieces?
John: Covers, it’s all covers – a complete remake album. Some of the songs you will expect, and some of them will be a little off the beating path. I’m excited about it. I think it’s going to be incredible.
I'll take your word for it, John Legend. Also ?uestlove's impeccable track record helps as well.
12. Sweet Apple - Love and Desperation
Release Date: March 30th
Don't they look like nice gentlemen!
J. Mascis gets bored easy. Even after putting out the wonderful Dinosaur Jr. album Farm earlier this year (expect it in the top 30), he needs to do something else. Meet Sweet Apple. A band he formed with two members from Cobra Verde, and Dave Sweetapple, the namesake for the group.
Judging from the first song released titled "Do You Remember", it should be a real ****-kicker of an album. Listen to it here:
Up next? Albums part 3. In the words of Human Giant: LET'S GO!
**** YEAH for She & Him Volume Two. That album will be soooo amazing. I can't wait for new John Legend as well as Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, and The Roots. I will also be on the lookout for other albums listed here as well. Thanks for the heads up!
I'm waiting for Big Boi and Andre 3000. I'm waiting for OutKast period. But Ben what about Detox or Relapse 2?
I've put Detox on nearly every other version of this list i've done over the years. In a sort of reverse psychology thing, I hope that since I didn't put it on this year it will actually come out.
I'm looking forward to Relapse 2, but I didn't want to make this a top 20, so I had to leave some stuff off. Young Jeezy's Thug Motivation 103 being another example of something i'm looking forward to, but just left off.
I don't know why we ever doubted Eminem. Sure, Encore stunk, and, yeah the Eminem produced and featured T.I. song "Touchdown" is among the worst songs of the decade. So, yeah. Maybe that is why we doubted him.
Well, Relapse is a big step in the right direction. He still has an itch to do dated pop-culture songs, as they get consistently worse over time, but the majority of the album is vintage Em. It's about as focused as he's ever been, and he's about as point lyrically as he's ever been. One of the biggest bummers of the record is that Em's best lyrical performance on the album, "Underground", is on a song with the worst Dr. Dre beat i've ever heard and cringe-inducing chorus. With saying that, Dre delivers some of his most subtle, and nice production in years on Relapse. It's good to hear a Dre beat that isn't just pianos clanging.
Relapse 2 promises to be even better as Em recorded Relapse as he was recovering from his addiction, and he's completely better now. Relapse 2 will also be great, because of word that Just Blaze (!!!) is producing tracks on it. I think this is a great move, as Em relies too much on Dre, and his own production. It'll be nice to hear Em on a Just Blaze beat. I look forward to checking it out. In the meantime, Relapse can definitely tide me over 'til that record comes out.
Best Songs:
01. Underground (lyrically)
01. Deja Vu (overall song)
02. Beautiful
03. Insane
29. Miranda Lambert - Revolution
I admit that I like Taylor Swift. I'm sure if I admitted that to Miranda Lambert she would shoot my head off with her shotgun. So in lieu of that, I can definitely say that Miranda is my favorite modern day country artist. She's about as consistent as it gets, and Revolution just may be her best album to date. Why wouldn't it be? She has a swagger that you don't see often with country artists, but it's what makes her great. She could give swirlies to each member of Rascal Flatts, and wedgie Kenny Chesney on her way back.
She is, and will always will be, the real deal, and i'm happy that I live in the age where I can see an artist like Miranda make great album after great album with ease. She has a track record similar to Dwight Yoakam (my all-time favorite country artist) in that she is getting commercial appeal, continued respect from her peers, as well as each album being better than her last. If that analogy holds true, then I can't wait for her Sling Blade role. This writeup has gone off the rails, I apologize. Just listen to the album.
Best Songs:
01. Maintain The Pain
02. Only Prettier
03. Time To Get A Gun
28. Karen O & The Kids - Where The Wild Things Are
I was bouncing back and forth whether I should include this album or not. Not due to the quality. The quality of it is is top notch. But, due to it being a soundtrack of sorts. I realized that since the soundtrack is all original recordings (and actually, NG's comment in this countdown sealed the deal. thanks NG!) that it could be counted.
The album is truly wonderful, it's a great soundtrack and it plays well with the film. Even without seeing Where The Wild Things Are (and really, if you haven't, come on. Get to it) it works really well as an album. Once you see it, however, your enjoyment of it increases tenfold. Highlights include "All is Love", Daniel Johnston cover "Worried Shoes", the beautiful "Hideaway", and **** it, the whole album is a highlight. Due yourself a favor and check it out, if you haven't.
Best Songs:
01. All Is Love
02. Worried Shoes
03. Hideaway
27. Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel - Willie and The Wheel
Maybe the most fun album of 2009.
Willie Nelson is the very definition of a national treasure. Anyone who says otherwise can step outside. Asleep At The Wheel are a long-running Western Swing act, in the influence of Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. They both got together to record a western swing album titled Willie and The Wheel, and it's a true delight. A lot of that western swing music just puts a big goofy smile on your face, and that's especially true in the case of this album. The running high-pitch play-by-play of sort that Bob Wills pioneered is used wonderfully on this recording. A.V. Club head-writer Nathan Rabin joked that you could hear the worst news possible in that Bob Wills-style, and it would still sound completely jolly.
Highlights on the album include the duet "Sittin' On Top Of The World" where Willie sings with Elizabeth McQueen from Wheel, and instrumental "South" that features guitar work from Vince Gill and piano work from Paul Shaffer. If any of this sounds appealing to you, and it's definitely an acquired taste, then run, don't walk, to check it out.
Best Songs:
01. Oh! You Pretty Woman
02. Sweet Jennie Lee
03. Bring It On Down To My House
26. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
In a year where some mainstream rock acts overthought it, and overindulged, Pearl Jam proves that you should just keep it simple. Backspacer is a great meat-and-potatoes rock album that doesn't reinvent the wheel. It just does it really, really well. An improvement on the great self-titled release, Backspacer proves that Pearl Jam won't phone in a new album just to tour with their nearly-20-years of hits. These are songs that could very easily end up being played alongside "Jeremy", "Better Man", "Yellow Ledbetter", and their many other great songs without anyone objecting. "Unthought Known" is one of those songs, and I could see it becoming a real live-favorite. Backspacer is yet another indication that Pearl Jam are here to stay, and continue to be relevant.
This doesn't have anything really to do with Backspacer, but the great Cameron Crowe is said to be filming a documentary on the group for the band's 20th anniversary in 2011. I can't wait to see it.
Best Songs:
01. Unthought Known
02. Speed of Sound
03. Just Breathe (love how this song sounds like it's straight from Vedder's Into The Wild soundtrack)
Coming up next? Maybe Top 5 Comedy albums, maybe i'll start the TV list, or maybe i'll just do part 4 of the albums list. I'll see how it goes.
Dr. Spaceman, you sure know how to make a list. I don't even know where to start. So I'll just provide extremely generic comments. Great upcoming movies and albums list! Great albums so far! Great songs!
Ben your Eminem write up totally hit it head on!!! Great **** man! I couldn't have written that Relapse writeup better myself! As for the Detox thing I feel like the reason why Dre delayed Detox so much was because of this thing between him, Game, Aftermath and 50. And now that Snoop Dogg reunited Game with Dr. Dre he's ready to put out Detox now that he finally got Game on it. I really do believe that is the reason why Detox got delayed
Responses from merely skimming/reading bits:
PHANTOM PLANET HAD A SONG OUT?
WITH A VIDEO?
WHAT?!
Also, why is it that I've never seen that video for Dead Weather - Treat Me Like Your Mother. Everytime I've seen the video, I seen a performance... damn...
I have not heard of most of the movies you've listed... except for Iron Man 2, which has a very awesome trailer, and Green Hornet. I know what I'll be looking at for movie ideas in the future, haha
There are so many artists here that sadly were not thought of when making my list but I very glad that you remembered them, contrary to the disclaimer. I think I'll have to come back here soon for the new suggestions... like Sweet Apple. They sound so much like they belong in another decade. It's insane!
