#4 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Are We There by Sharon Van Etten

This isn’t the first time the artist at #4 has appeared on the Top 31. Sharon van Etten appeared at #13 in 2012, with her third album, Tramp. That was a great album, and Are We There, her fourth, is better by nearly every measure. In my review of Tramp, I noted that it was “a winter album,” meaning it is more dark than light, more cold than warm. Are We There is no different. This is an album that will make you feel things, most of them not fun. Depression, abuse, and pain are at the heart of this album, and it is glorious.

Van Etten is from Brooklyn, like so many other artists on this year’s Top 31. She is a master of harmony, using multiple voices to convey her beautifully wrought poetry across the length of the album. There are a multitude of players on the album (check out the wikipedia page), but Van Etten plays a number of instruments all on her own, in addition to her lead singer / songwriter duties. Guitar, keyboards, Omnichord, drums, bass, and even some handclaps are thrown in for good measure.

Back in July I had the immense pleasure of seeing Van Etten and her band live at the Neptune. I wrote about the experience for The Sun Break:

Van Etten’s band (Darren Jessee (from Ben Folds Five) on drums, Doug Keith on guitar, Heather Woods Broderick on backup vocals and additional keyboards, and Brad Cook (from Megafaun) on bass) was very much on point, professional, and thoroughly enjoyable. And with Van Etten playing acoustic guitar, electric guitar, omnichord, organ and piano in addition to singing with the most powerful voice we’d hear that evening (and that’s saying something), the crowd was hanging on her every syllable.

and more:

Van Etten’s music is slow but not glacial. Languid but not weak. Sleepy but not tired. Listening to it, you can’t help but feel. Sadness, happiness, anger, joy — they’re all there, sometimes all at once. Amazingly, she is able to translate this feeling to the stage, performing these somewhat depressing songs with giddiness and a smile. “I’m weird, I’m totally weird. Is that ok with you?” she said, halfway through her set, and then she picked her nose. Seriously. It was such a menagerie of feelings, it could have been mistaken for schizophrenia.

But her set held together very well. Van Etten’s May 2014 album Are We There is one of my favorites of the year so far, and the songs got even better when heard live. The highlight of the album for me, “Your Love is Killing Me,” with the brutal first half of the chorus slowly singing “break my legs so I won’t walk to you; cut my tongue so I can’t talk to you; burn my skin so I can’t feel you; stab my eyes so I can’t see” is even more powerful sung right in front of you.

That song is featured in the video above. It slays me, every time. She has a number of other videos out from Are We There:

• “Taking Chances”
• “Every Time the Sun Comes Up”
• “Our Love”

They’re all great, just like the rest of the album, which, if you haven’t been convinced by now to run out and purchase, well…there’s just no hope for you.

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5. And The War Came by Shakey Graves
6. Nicky Nack by tUnE-yArDs
7. Not Art by Big Scary
8. The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
9. Owl John by Owl John
10. LP1 by FKA Twigs
11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#5 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

And the War Came by Shakey Graves

The band at #5 is actually the work of just one man, sometimes actor Alejandro Rose-Garcia. When he’s not trying to expand his acting career (he was on Friday Night Lights and Sin City 2!), he’s creating and performing folky, americana music as Shakey Graves. And the War Came is his second album, and it’s no joke that I’m placing it in the top 5 of the year. It is solid from start to finish.

In the same vein as Prince or Matthew Houck (aka Phosphorescent, last year’s #1 band), Rose-Garcia performs most of the instruments on the album. He does have a few guest stars, most notably Esmé Patterson, who shares songwriting credit with Rose-Garcia on three songs on the album and lends her beautiful voice to the harmonies on those same three songs (including “Dearly Departed” above).

Rose-Garcia resides in Austin, Texas, and he sometimes sings with a purposeful, lazy drawl (most prominent on the track “Pansy Waltz”), lending a flare of Nashville to the songs. Overall, the album feels very alt.country, in a good way. The stories he tells on the album revolve around relationships and living life. As he said in this interview on NPR’s World Cafe, this album is about “what it means to love and be loved. It’s a responsibility album.”

“Dearly Departed” is the most approachable song on the album, but it verges on cringe-worthy in all of its hand-clap glory. I fear it could reach the same level of over-played insanity that the Lumineers (fellow Dualtone label-mates), Of Monsters and Men, or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have reached in years past. You can see Rose-Garcia and Patterson perform the song live on Conan, from a show back in October. I also recommend this live set on KEXP, from back in August. Four great songs, and you can really see the talent bubbling over.

I love this album. I can’t recommend it enough. Get. It. Now.

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6. Nicky Nack by tUnE-yArDs
7. Not Art by Big Scary
8. The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
9. Owl John by Owl John
10. LP1 by FKA Twigs
11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#6 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Nicky Nack by tUnE-yArDs

This is the second Top 10 appearance by the artist at #6, Oakland’s tUnE-yArDs. In 2011, the band made it all the way up to #4 with their second album, W H O K I L L. In that review, I wrote about the band:

tUnE-yArDs is an extension of one very talented person’s musical experimentation. Her name is Merrill Garbus, and she is a phenomenon. She creates music that’s definitely not for everyone. How she creates her music is not entirely original: she uses loops of her powerful voice along with other analog sounds to create electronic beats/rhythms/melodies (similar to Andrew Bird and St. Vincent), culminating in a cacophony of sounds that are vaguely African in origin. Hearing the recordings on her two albums, this seems somewhat apparent but doesn’t jump out at you like it does in her live show, where she is beating on anything in sight with her drum stick and creating complicated orchestrations on the strings of a ukulele.

Nicky Nack, the third and every-bit-as-fantastic album to spring forth from Garbus’s brain, is just as eclectic, as strange. Rooted in heavy beats, multiple layers of sound, and meaningful stories about trouble, conflict and cultural exploration, the album is an absolute joy to listen to. Garbus came through town on December 13, and I’m kicking myself for having not gone to the show to try and relive the experience I had back in 2011.

This music may not be for everyone, but I think everyone should listen to the above song before passing judgment. “Water Fountain” is the best song on the album. Give it at least until the bridge, which starts just past the 2:00 mark. From that point on, it builds and builds and comes crashing into the chorus one last time, at which point you should be bouncing along happily to the beat.

Earlier this year, tUnE-yArDs performed in the KEXP studios, and the entire performance is available for viewing. Watching how these songs are performed should give you a massive appreciation for how difficult it is for Garbus and the band to recreate these songs live. There’s also another video, for the song “Real Thing,” as seen here.

Buy this album. Then get her other two albums. They’re unlike anything else out there, and they are simply great.

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7. Not Art by Big Scary
8. The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
9. Owl John by Owl John
10. LP1 by FKA Twigs
11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#7 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Not Art by Big Scary

Merry Christmas, everybody! Coming in at #7 is Australian band Big Scary, whose album Not Art, their second, actually came out last year but didn’t make it stateside until earlier this year. This album is hard for me to define; each song sounds derivative of another band.

The above video, for the song “Luck Now,” reminds me of Jeff Buckley, the way Iansek uses his falsetto to great effect. The song “Twin Rivers” (as seen here) has a dissonant-chord chorus and pervasive piano that reminds me of Grizzly Bear. And “Invest,” which can be seen here, has a drum break that makes me think of U.N.K.L.E. (back when DJ Shadow was with the band).

In addition to the above, you can hear Radiohead, Velvet Underground, and many many other references throughout the album, which, on the surface might appear to be a damning quality for the album to evoke. But it’s not, at all. This album is an absolute joy to listen to. It’s solid, through and through.

The band is a duo, Tom Iansek and Joanna Syme, and they started performing as Big Scary back in 2006. In addition to their two albums, they’ve released a number of EPs. Not Art is the first album of theirs to hit my radar, and I’m so glad it did. I found myself continually drawn back to it over the length of the year. You should give it a listen, too. It will stick with you.

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8. The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
9. Owl John by Owl John
10. LP1 by FKA Twigs
11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#8 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels

[Above video is NSFW] The album at #8 is probably the saddest album I listened to all year. It’s full of heartbreak, regret, and melancholy depression, sung slowly and sparsely. And it’s gorgeous.

Eels have been around for a very long time. E, whose full name is Mark Oliver Everett, is the lead singer/songwriter of this venerable band. The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett, the band’s 11th album, is the first one to resonate with me. As the name of the album alludes, it has personal tales of woe, straight from E to our ears. It’s quite a departure for the band, who is most well-known for their alternative-radio mid-90s hit, “Novocaine for the Soul.” (Listen here. I’d totally forgotten about this song. It’s so good!)

Cautionary Tales is not an “alternative” album at all. It’s best defined as folk, alt.country, and sometimes has a little indie rock bent. But it’s fantastic in all it’s sorrow. I’ve talked about how I can really get into a good, overly sad album many times in the past. This album hits the nail on the head. If you liked last year’s #1 album, Phosphorescent’s Muchacho, then you’ll like this album, too.

There’s one more video from the album, for the song “Mistakes of My Youth.” It does a good job of demonstating the nice and not-overly-wrought strings that are used throughout the album, too.

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9. Owl John by Owl John
10. LP1 by FKA Twigs
11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#9 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Owl John by Owl John

With this album at #9, Scott Hutchison becomes the sole owner of “most featured artist” in all the Top 31s. His bands, (he’s the lead singer of one of my abosolute favorite bands, Frightened Rabbit, and now his solo project here, Owl John) have appeared on the Top 31 four times:

• Frightened Rabbit’s The Winter of Mixed Drinks at #2 in 2010
• Frightened Rabbit’s State Hospital EP at #10 in 2012
• Frightened Rabbit’s Pedestrian Verse at #12 in 2013
• Owl John’s Owl John here at #9 in 2014

This is no small feat. To have featured on the Top 31 four times, each at 12th or higher, says something. Well, it says a lot of things. It says I’m a sucker for a Scottish accent. It says I thoroughly enjoy sappy songs about love and heartache. It says I am a huge fan of Scott Hutchison.

Owl John is a bit of a departure for the singer/songwriter. Most Frightened Rabbit songs are about lost love, bad relationships, depression and pain. Hutchison paints a grave, presumably personal picture about how he is working his way through life. Where Owl John departs from that picture is in its overall positive message and happiness. These songs are about being in a loving relationship, expressing desire to grow old, and showing an optimistic side we’ve never seen from Hutchison.

The reason for that happiness is Hutchison is in love. He’s so in love, he’s recently moved from gloomy Scotland to sunny Los Angeles specifically to be with the one he loves. His entire outlook on life has changed. And he’s still able to crank out a beautiful, indie-rock record. If you’ve liked Frightened Rabbit in the past, Owl John is definitely for you. Hutchison is quick to say that Frightened Rabbit is not broken up. Owl John is merely a side project, something suggested by Atlantic Records as a way to help right the Frightened Rabbit ship that was apparently starting to bog down after last year’s massive worldwide tour for Pedestrian Verse.

Check out Owl John. This is a different side of Hutchison, a good side. One we can all get behind and feel good about. There are two other videos from this album out now for you to check out: “Red Hand” (NSFW!) and “Hate Music”. Enjoy!

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10. LP1 by FKA Twigs
11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#10 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

LP1 by FKA Twigs

The Top 10 of 2014! We’ve made it!

Coming in at the bottom of the Top 10 is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, otherwise known as FKA twigs, an english singer, songwriter, producer and dancer, whose trip-hop based sound took me completely by surprise back in August. This album, and the previous two EPs she released (EP1 in 2012, EP2 in 2013), are best listened to LOUD. Moreso than any other album I’ve listened to in the past few years, this album is layered with sonic goodness. Deep deep bass, voices off in the distance, electronic drums, and her crystal clear voice riding across the top like a slow-motion surfer atop the biggest wave at Mavericks.

This album is sexual, in a way similar to what Prince has been capable of in the past. With lines like “When I trust you we can do it with the lights on,” LP1 has much less innuendo than a Prince album typically does, but the feelings evoked are identical: musical intimacy. Each song is credited to FKA Twigs, along with a bevy of other producers, but that doesn’t prevent the album from holding together well. This is FKA Twigs’ vehicle. The others are just there as hangers-on.

My favorite song on the album, “Two Weeks,” was also the first single and video from the album, and it was posted here back in July. The video above, for the song “Video Girl,” is a close second for “favorite” from the album, but its a less universal song, and will be a more difficult entry into her work for most of you. Don’t let it deter you. The mix of the song featured in the video is different from the album, for what that’s worth. If it’s not your thing, go watch “Two Weeks,” and crank it loud. You won’t be disappointed.

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11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#11 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser

The artist at #11 should be well known to The Bacon Review readers, even if his name doesn’t sound familiar. Hamilton Leithauser, the lead singer of one of my favorite bands of all time (and now defunct), The Walkmen, has broken out on his own, releasing an amazing debut album, Black Hours. The Walkmen appeared on the countdown in 2012 at #9 and in 2010 at #26, so landing Black Hours here at #11 is right in keeping with that standing.

Back in August I had the great pleasure of seeing Leithauser perform this work solo, at the Triple Door, and I reviewed the performance for The Sunbreak. In that review, I wrote:

Fifteen minutes ago I learned that The Walkmen essentially broke up (“extended hiatus”) on November 29, 2013. Learning of this band’s breakup was different from the previous times I can remember hearing this type of news. If it weren’t for the fact that the band’s lead singer, Hamilton Leithauser, had recently released a much-worthy follow-up to the band’s last three absolutely amazing albums, I might actually have felt that pang, that sense of longing. Instead, I can move on, happy in the thought that we’ll still get to hear great music led by this great crooner.

It’s hard for this album to sound not like a Walkmen album, if only because Leithauser’s voice is so unique. But his solo direction appears to be slightly less rock & roll, a bit more lounge singer. But in a good way. Leithauser is a natural born performer: tall, blonde, affable and charismatic. Leithauser grew up in Washington, DC, and now resides in New York City. Singing songs of love, heartache and merriment, these songs could have been written anywhere, about anyone. And that’s part of what makes this album so great. You can connect with it, easily. Do so now.

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12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#12 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Whereas The War On Drugs’ sound harkened back to 80s classic rock (as discussed at #13), the band at #12 goes back even further, to the 60s and 70s. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are a product that sounds so familiar, you could be excused if you thought the songs on Give the People What They Want were all covers. But you’d also be wrong — these songs are all from the new millennium, written and recorded in 2013.

A fantastic blend of horns, backup singers, and powerful lead vocals by Sharon Jones, you can’t help but happily bounce in your seat when listening to them play. Jones has a storied history herself, having been nothing more than a backup singer throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. She spent her days as a corrections officer at Rikers Island and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo. Knowing this information lends credibility to her words. When she wails “Get Up and Get Out,” you really feel compelled to do so.

The Dap-Kings have their own storied history, having been playing together as a group since the turn of the millennium. You’ve heard them many times over, although you might not have been aware of it. They were Amy Winehouse’s backing band on most of her amazing 2006 album Back to Black. They also appeared (uncredited) right here in the Top 31 of 2012, as the backing and pervasive horn section for David Byrne and St. Vincent’s collaboration Love This Giant.

In a normal year, this album would be in the top 10 for sure. It will certainly stand the test of time. I may regret putting it at #12. Either way, it’s fantastic, and you should be putting it into your ear holes right this minute.

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13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#13 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs

First we have Warpaint, now we have The War on Drugs. An indie rock band from Philadelphia, The War on Drugs is a throwback to another era of rock and roll. If you grew up in the 80s, when saxophones and keyboards played a bigger role in the sounds that were coming out of the aging classic rock crowd (think: Glenn Frey, Bruce Springsteen), then Lost in the Dream will resonate well.

The War on Drugs has been around for nearly a decade, started in 2005 by Kurt Vile and Adam Granduciel. Vile left the band shortly after the band’s debut album, Wagonwheel Blues, came out in 2008. While Grandunciel has carried on with The War on Drugs, he also helped Vile get his footing, playing as part of Vile’s backing band The Violators through their 2011 release, Smoke Ring for My Halo.

Vile’s records have been good in their own right, but Lost in the Dream is the best thing to come out of either musician in their time. These songs feel less about telling stories, more about evoking a mood, one that would be right at home on a Miami Vice episode. This description may not sounds like I’m being nice, but I do mean that in the best way possible. This is a great album. It’s solid from start to finish, with some hard rocking tunes, and some slower thought pieces with heavy guitar reverb. If you like Dire Straits, Phil Collins, and other 80s classic rock, then you’ll love this album. But if hearing those names doesn’t resonate with you, don’t let that stop you from listening. This album stands on its own, and it is well worth listening to.

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14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#14 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Warpaint by Warpaint

The band at #14 has been around for over 10 years, yet, despite a minor blip when they released their debut album in 2010, they’ve remained in relative obscurity for the bulk of the decade. Warpaint, four women from Los Angeles, finally pulled all the right elements together for their self-titled 2nd album.

Their sound is indie-rock, with guitars and drums providing most of the foundation for reverb-heavy vocals. The songs are tight, well-produced, and quite a few of them have hooks that will stick in your mind for days. Bits and pieces of 90s rock bands like Luscious Jackson, the Cranberries, Mono, and Portishead all can be heard throughout the album.

A lot of the repetitive drum beats, bass lines and guitar licks seem so “on time” that they could be produced electronically rather than by live instruments. But that matters very little. These are haunting songs that will seep into your brain and bang around a little while. Download it, and hear for yourself.

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15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#15 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Heal by Strand Of Oaks

The album at #15 is the work of one man, Timothy Showalter, otherwise known as Strand of Oaks. This is his fourth album, the first one he’s recorded for Dead Oceans Records, and the first one that’s hit my radar. This album is first and foremost a rock album. There are so many references to other works, from 70s classics to 90s alternative, it’s difficult to classify this album as any one thing, other than it’s phenomenal.

According to wikipedia, the power found on this album stems from a near-fatal car accident Showalter and his wife endured a year ago Christmas. He was apparently in the studio to record days after the accident, and it’s easy to see how that experience could fuel the creative process.

There are great guitar solos, keyboard licks, quiet interlude and anthemic choruses throughout this album. It’s solid, through and through. Showalter grew up in Indiana, and currently resides in Philadelphia, which may explain the obvious Springsteen and other small-town American rock found within. Give this album a couple of listens. From the very first note, you’ll be hooked, but it’s the ups and downs across the length of the album that really make it what it is.

You can check out a couple more videos from the album, in addition to the one above. Here’s “Shut In” and “Same Emotion.”

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16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#16 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Stay Gold by First Aid Kit

This is the second appearance the band at #16 has made on the Top 31. First Aid Kit, a pair of sisters from Sweden, had the #4 album in 2012: their fantastic sophomore album, Lions. I absolutely loved that album, and I had my doubts they’d be able to capture the magic again.

Stay Gold is an apt follow-up. As with their previous efforts, this album is full of perfectly-produced old-school country music. Sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, 24 and 21 respectively, sing — in flawless English — about love, life on the road, and other timeless tropes worthy of being sung. But the subject hardly matters; their voices are what keep me coming back. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the sisters share a brain, such is their ability to sing in lock-step harmony.

If you never listened to Lions, I recommend you start there. Once you’ve thoroughly absorbed that gem, come back to Stay Gold. First Aid Kit have a good thing going, and it looks like they’re going to be around for a while.

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17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#17 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

This is All Yours by Alt-J

[Above video is NSFW] I didn’t think the band at #17 would be able to stand the test of time. I thought Alt-J had worked five years to put together one awesome album (which made it all the way up to #2 on the 2012 Top 31) and then they’d fizzle out. I even mentioned the band in the 2013 Top 31 when talking about Majical Cloudz, saying:

…in a year, I’ll look back and laugh to myself at the fact that [some albums are] on the countdown at all, kinda like I did a couple weeks ago when I discovered that I’d put Alt-J at #2 on the Calendar last year.

I had all but written them off. And they had to go and prove me wrong. This is All Yours, their second album, is as good as their first in many ways, better than their first in a handful of ways as well. It sounds less quirky than the first, but somehow manages to build on what was started, making an even more bold statement. They managed to take all that was good about the first album and expand outward, breaking new ground while creating something wholly “Alt-J” sounding.

The vocals are unmistakable. The tones of the instruments being played all sound familiar. Yet there are 14 new songs here for your enjoyment. Here’s another video from the new album, this time for the song “Hunger of the Pine.” (It’s also kinda NSFW, but for violence, not nudity.) If you liked Alt-J’s first album, you’ll love this one. I promise.

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18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#18 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers

The band at #18 are Canadian, but don’t hold that against them:

A super-group built over time. That is what The New Pornographers are. Even though the Pornos formed after each of the band’s most prominent members (Neko Case, Dan Bejar — who also performs in Destroyer, and de facto band leader AC Newman) had released records under solo or alternative bands, their first joint album, 2000’s Mass Romantic, has been recognized as one of the most influential indie-rock albums of the past two decades.

That’s what I wrote when I posted the first video released from their phenomenal sixth record, Brill Bruisers. The album has proven to be one of my favorites, after having tried and failed to thoroughly enjoy their past three albums. Their 2010 album Together didn’t make the countdown that year, but Neko’s most recent solo album made it all the way up to #5 last year.

They’re all excellent musicians in their own right. Throw them together and magic happens on one or two songs per album, but rarely across the full length of a record like Brill Bruisers. This is something different, something special. I highly recommend it.

Side Note: I recently learned that my favorite New Pornographers song, “Letter From an Occupant” — the only single from their 2000 debut album Mass Romantic — gives sole songwriting credit to Neko Case. I had previously thought Newman was the driving force behind the band. Now, armed with this new information, my whole world has been shaken to its core. If I thought I could love Neko more…

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19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#19 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

I have liked the band at #19 since I first heard a song of theirs thrown at me by KEXP back in 2005. I remember being bowled over by them immediately. Then hearing the band’s name, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, I couldn’t think of a more strange yet more appropriate name for what I’d just heard.

Fast forward to this past August, when I saw the band perform at the Croc:

I’ve now seen CYSHY eight times, and the transformation of the band over the last nine years has been amazing to witness firsthand. Alec Ounsworth, the band’s principal songwriter, lead singer, and driving force, has calmed himself. No longer does he bounce around on stage, as he once did oh so many years ago. He sounds very much the same, allowing his broken, high-pitched, David-Byrne-meets-Gordon-Gano voice to carry him through.

And later on in the same article:

Barely moving around, not quite leaving the mic, [Ounsworth] looked tired. The set was still fun, and the rest of the crowd seemed pleased with what they were hearing. Perhaps it was an off day for him. But more likely, I feel he’s a reluctant star. The band’s debut album, self-released, was an overnight success, and still holds up well nearly 10 years later. It will be one of a handful of albums that defines the early 2000s for many years to come. And that can be a hell of a lot of weight on somebody.

The band’s second album, Some Loud Thunder, was generally panned by critics, so that just adds to the difficulty Ounsworth has had to endure. Hysterical, the band’s third album, from 2011, started to show signs of life, and brought me, personally, back into liking the band. Only Run, their fourth in just nine long years, is the best of “new CYHSY.” But the years have clearly taken their toll on Ounsworth, who appears as if he’d prefer to stay at home and make music rather than tour around and play 9-year-old songs to a crowd that doesn’t appear to appreciate his new work as much.

Well I’m here to say I do appreciate his new work. All of it, in fact. Hysterical was on the 2011 countdown at #16, and Ounsworth’s solo album, Mo Beauty, ended up on my first-ever countdown at #20. Only Run is better than both of those albums, and it only ranked at #19 because there was a lot of good music this year. There’s even a track on the album that features Matt Berninger (lead singer of The National).

I hope Ounsworth and CYHSY continue to create and play music well into the future. I hope the exhaustion I saw in him back in August was just a temporary thing. And I hope you like this album. The more of us who like it, the more likely they are to continue to making great music.

Side Note: In looking for the video to put at the top of this post, I came across this great song by German DJ/producer Claptone featuring Alec Ounsworth on vocals. The song is called “Ghost” and the video is kinda creepy, but watch it so you can listen to the song. And of course, there’s a site that documents an interview the two of them did of each other.

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20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#20 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Augustines by Augustines

The band at #20 creates formulaic, pop-driven rock & roll. That description doesn’t entice anyone I’m sure, but it’s the truth. There’s something to be said for music that hits all the right notes, is over-produced perfectly to the point of feeling clichéd, yet still manages to sink its claws into my psyche. And that’s exactly what Augustines have done. You may know them by a slightly different name, but they dropped the “We Are” part of their name in the buildup to the release of this album, their second, earlier this year.

Hit play on the video above. Ignore the fact that the it’s yet another exercise in cliché and just listen. Everything sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Normally I’m drawn to imperfection, as that is typically where the magic happens. But in the case of this Brooklyn band, the magic is in their unabashed embrace of rock and roll tropes from decades past. This song could easily have made Casey Kasem’s Top 40 in the 80s, and I would have gladly recorded it onto a cassette with my boombox, no doubt coming right before or after Mr. Mister.

The rest of the album is much like this. It falls into the guilty pleasure category for me, but I’m finding as I get older the “guilty” part is diminishing. I like what I like. And Augustines definitely fit the bill.

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21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#21 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

El Pintor by Interpol

I’m as surprised as you are that I’ve never written about the band at #21, Interpol, from New York City. The band formed the year I moved to Seattle and rediscovered my love of music: 1997. They’ve released five albums over that time. Turn on the Bright Lights — they’re debut in 2002, still stands up to the test of time, as does their second album, 2004’s Antics. The next two albums, Our Love to Admire from 2007 and 2010’s self-titled album, fell flat for me, which explains the lack of communication on this blog, which didn’t start until 2009.

El Pintor harkens back to an older Interpol, one rooted in energy and excitement. With the signature upper-register rhythmic guitar, crisp percussion, and near-spoken-word vocals, the band has a sound unlike any other band playing today. They come on the radio, and it’s unmistakably Interpol. That’s not as easy as it may seem, and it’s to the bands credit that they’ve found a sound that works and they can make it kill across nearly 20 decades.

This is a typical Interpol album in that each song is strong on its own merit, and not any one song rises above the rest. It’s also a slight downfall, as when I think of this album when not listening to it, I can’t hear any one song. It doesn’t stick to your ribs. But when it’s on, it’s magical. I recommend tracking it down immediately.

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22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#22 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

I Never Learn by Lykke Li

I can pinpoint the exact day in 2014 when I fell in love with I Never Learn, the third full-length from Sweden’s Lykke Li. It was June 19. That song, “Love Me Like I’m Not Made of Stone,” is one gorgeous song. And from the fever that enveloped me that morning as I was waking up, I listened to and consequently fell in love with the album.

Lykke Li played the Paramount Theater earlier this year, which is quite an impressive feat for a somewhat unknown singer/songwriter from the other side of the globe. Her three albums have all been solid, but it wasn’t until that particular song did I really get her. And now I can’t shake her. There is just something about her voice, that pain and sorrow, dripping with heartbreak — it doesn’t make me sad. Melancholy music usually has the opposite effect for me, bringing me out of my own funk, warming me up inside.

It’s beautiful. And if depressing music can control your moods, then maybe she’s not for you. But if you like living in the remote parts of the emotional spectrum, then maybe you should explore Lykke Li. I have a feeling this is exactly what we all need to get through whatever is dragging us down.

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23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s

#23 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31

Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke

I used to think Thom Yorke could do no wrong. And I suppose #23 on a countdown of albums of the year isn’t really “doing wrong” — but by Radiohead standards, and even compared to former Yorke solo-project related work, this album just isn’t as good. However, I’ve said it before: even a “not great” album by Yorke is a “fucking amazing” album by almost any other artist.

Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes is Yorke’s second solo album. It’s in the same vein as his side project Atoms for Peace (which made it on the Top 31 at #8 last year), and his previous solo album Eraser, which came out back in 2006. It has the same electronic, drum-machine based eeriness we’ve come to expect from Yorke and producer Nigel Godrich.

Maybe I’ve changed so much over the past couple years that his music no longer relates as well to me. Or maybe it’s him that’s softened over the years, no longer pushing the envelope as much, having long ago established a nice, large area of the musical spectrum just for himself. This album struggles to find itself. The songs bleed from one to the next, feeling more like snippets of songs rather than fully formed thoughts. It’s great for background listening, although now as I listen to it to prepare for this write-up, I’m hearing lots of things I hadn’t heard before.

I should know by now to expect a Radiohead or Thom Yorke album to take a few more listens, a few more times of putting it down and picking it up again, to lodge in my brain. Excuse me now, I have an album to devour, again.

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24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s