2016 is more than half over...where does the time go?

We at Electric Avenue feel we have been remiss in talking about the music we love more often.  Let's just say running an indie record shop in this day and age can present many challenges to say the least, so taking time to reflect on the beauty of the music we are surrounded by is something that tends to fall by the wayside.  It's time to catch up by catching you all up on what is floating around our heads and hearts as of late, and maybe you'll take a chance on something you'd like to check out and find something you like too.

Here is a quick reference guide to our favorite albums for the first half of 2016...Is YOUR favorite on the list?  Please don't judge us...



1) DAVID BOWIE--Blackstar

It would be easy to say we are just choosing this because it is a popular choice and Bowie's passing was an incredible loss.  We didn't even begin to eulogize him in print here because it is simply a loss too great that almost defies comment.  We were huge fans of his.  HUGE.  Therefore, this choice may not be completely unbiased.  Let's just say that everything Bowie did had a purpose or intent, and hinting toward his imminent passing from this earthly world through his music was something that truly displayed his sense of genius and dedication to his art and his fans.

Blackstar does not overstay it's welcome.  It is a rather brief seven songs, beginning with the extended title track, something of a throwback to songs like the title track from 1976's Station to Station.  The video combined with the song is even more unsettling in the imagery Bowie is trying to convey about losing his battle with cancer.  The album is filled with small details which are sometimes abstract, but always lead to the same end.  Closing with the wistful and conventionally melodic (compared to much of the rest of Blackstar) "I Can't Give Everything Away", one gets the sense that Bowie felt he really earned his place in the pantheon of artists, and found it terribly difficult just letting go.  We will comment more on this album at end of year, but for now, Blackstar is dark, abstract, unconventional, humorous, charming, haunting, scary, and a little bit sad at the same time.  He was a true icon in every sense of the word, and if there is any justice, history should treat him very well for a number of reasons.




2)  RADIOHEAD--A Moon Shaped Pool

Had Bowie not released such a great piece of art, this surely could have ascended to the top.  When this album premiered on BBC radio, the world got to hear it for the first time at the same time, and while it may be made up of a large number of songs they've worked out live on stage before, there is a feeling of new to most of us who have not seen them recently, and there's also an elegant beauty that has now infused their music.  Johnny Greenwood's experience soundtracking films has brought some grace and warmth to Radiohead's music that was lacking at times during their Aphex-influenced 00's era, and they're all the better for it.  This also works as such a cohesive whole that it really needs to be played in its entirety.  A very special record worthy of the praise it has received.




3)  ANOHNI--Hopelessness

Not an album for everyone (much less the fainthearted), Anohni's (formerly Antony) has spent the past couple years undergoing many personal and artistic changes.  Aside from a gender transition, her new album is a musical transition as well, collaborating with electronic artists like Hudson Mohawk and Oneohtrixpointnever to create something more synthetic than her previous chamber pop while singing about important global issues.  Songs such as the first single, "Drone Bomb Me", are sung from the perspective of a person who has been so shellshocked by the loss of life around them due to drone bombs, they are praying for the same thing to happen to themselves.  It's a harrowing concept that has not been documented enough, and these kinds of statements about culture and the environment put Anohni in a category with artists like MIA more than the chamber pop she usually releases.  Brave, daring, uncompromising, and yet, the most accessible album she's ever made.




4)  CASE / LANG / VEIRS--case / lang / veirs

This album seemingly came out of nowhere and blindsided us, becoming one of the most enjoyable albums of the year.  kd lang has always had that special kind of voice that is alternately classy and inviting, whether crooning or countryfied, it's always a thing of beauty.  Mix in Neko Case's powerful and ringing voice and Laura Veirs' down to earth folky tones, and you get a very special trio that knows when to unite to make magic and when to back off to let certain individuals shine.  Jazz, folk, americana and country all mix into a heady whole that evokes simultaneous images of a world where Laurel Canyon tenderness meets Twin Peaks atmosphere in Portland, Oregon (where the album was produced by Veirs' husband, Tucker Martine).  Don't miss this...It's a thing of great beauty and charm.




5)  ROISIN MURPHY--Take Her Up to Monto

After lackluster sales for what should have been Murphy's big EMI major label breakthrough in 2007 (Overpowered), she took a long break to start a family and rejuvenate her muse.  Last year's Hairless Toys proved that, not only had the former Moloko frontwoman moved on from that era, but she had elevated her more experimental side once more, resulting in a Mercury Prize nomination for the album.  Take Her Up to Monto was born from the same recording sessions as Toys, yet the results are entirely different.  While the previous album had extended songs featuring melodic hooks and a sort of hushed approach to vocals (something which she can more than flip in the other direction), it resulted in a rather introverted sort of record, possibly reflective of her time away.  Monto is more extrovert, but no less personal, and maybe even more knotty than it's predecessor, with loads of unexpected turns.  It's experimental in the way Bjork albums can be, yet grounded in some sort of musical underpinning that keeps things from skittering into unfocused territories.  Songs like "Pretty Gardens" have an element of funky-cabaret to them, while "Ten Miles High" is icy electronics with a dark soul vibe.  As some tracks edge toward Toys territory, (the endearing "Whatever" for example), most are entirely different beasts, appealing to Moloko fans while showing the breadth of her interpretive range.  It's a grower that rewards upon repeated listenings, and will never become tiresome due to its wealth of ideas and sheer ingenuity.




6)  SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS--SVIIB

When Benjamin Curtis passed away, Alejandra Deheza was left with the workings of what would be their final project together.  While most of their albums were sort of mystical in the lyric sense, this swansong is much more grounded in the realities of what happens when someone is faced with a friend's terminal illness and has to cope after that soul is gone.  It is a dark proposition, and one that Deheza takes on with determination on songs like "Open Your Eyes" and "Confusion".  These are the most direct lyrics we've gotten from the shoegaze-y band up to this point, and they are all the better for it.  It's such a shame this excellent album sprang from such tragic circumstances, and I dare you to really be at one with this album in peace and quiet and not be emotionally moved by the knowledge of their story and the lyrics reflecting this situation in which two young people were so interconnected and one had to go against his will.  Heartbreaking.




7)  NIKI & THE DOVE--Everybody Has a Broken Heart

Scandi-duo Niki & the Dove released an album a few years ago on SubPop Records to mixed sales results, and have changed over to Ten Records this time.  This makes their album distribution difficult globally (including the fact that they plan on releasing no physical CD of the album).  For whatever reason, the label is obviously wary of marketing this to countries where it may not sell, which is an understandable yet sad effect of the lack of support artists are getting for their music these days.  If you liked early-80's Stevie Nicks when she was working with Prince, add just a little Tom Tom Club and this album is right up your alley.  There are even moments on songs like "Everybody Wants to be You" where singer Malin Dahlstrom channels a Prince-level performance supported by the touch of musical mastermind Gustaf Karlof.  This record is such a brilliant progression from their first, we can only hope for more of the same, delivering a sublime summery vibe just in time.




8)  LONDON SUEDE--Night Thoughts

Capitalizing on their comeback album Bloodsports (2013), Suede returned early this year with one of their best efforts yet.  Night Thoughts goes deeper with a concept revolving around a man committing suicide by drowning as a result of mid-life crisis and depression.  There are stunning pop tracks like "Outsiders" and "Like Kids" that represent the best glam-rock of their past albums mixed with more reflective fare like "Pale Snow" and "The Fur and the Feathers".  It all adds up to a project that they can be very proud of, one that seals the deal on how important they've been to the world of modern music for the past 25 years(!), and points the way toward an even more exciting future.  Suede are once again firing on all cylinders.




9)  PET SHOP BOYS--Super

Pet Shop Boys can be credited as one of the most consistent and fantastic duos in the history of British pop music.  After nearly 40 years working together, Tennant and Lowe should be as well known at this point as Lerner and Loewe, repeatedly cranking out great tunes with catchy melodies, sparkling arrangements, and smart lyrics.  Super, their second in a row working with producer Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers) hits hard with a bunch of dancefloor ready jams, not the sort of thing you might expect from 2 guys about 60 years old.  Super is fresh, fun, and yet has its darker moments ("Twenty Something" is about the lack of jobs for millennials, "The Dictator Decides" about a tyrant who is tired of the job, and "Sad Robot World" about the lack of love machines show for each other).  In other words, its a reflection of the world in 2016, as no happy element exists without a darker, painful companion.  Carry on, gentlemen.




10)  AVALANCHES--Wildflower

It only took 16 years for the Avalanches to follow up their debut album, Since I Left You.  That album was a culmination of daisy-chain samples and understated hip-hop beats that has now become an underground classic.  The possibility of a followup seemed forever in limbo until Wildflower arrived, and what a gift it is, full of the trademark samples and happy-funk of their past combined with additional guest vocal appearances.  The album is peppered with help from Camp Lo, Danny Brown, MF Doom, Toro y Moi, Biz Markie, Warren Ellis, Ariel Pink, Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev, and others.  Not only do the guest vocals add another element, but there are also some fantastic string parts added by Jean-Michel Bernard sweeten the pot.  The band once described the project as a "hip-hop Yellow Submarine", and with bits of Zappa and Beastie Boys added, it's a rather apt description.




11)  IGGY POP--Post Pop Depression

Iggy gets revved up again with help from Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme.  Possibly the best album he's made since the Bowie-produced Lust for Life of 1977.




12)  GARBAGE--Strange Little Girls

Shirley Manson and Butch Vig along with their cohorts continue to rock the scene over 20 years after their beginnings with one of their best efforts yet!




13)  MEILYR JONES--2013

Quirky Welsh singer details the breakup of his band and a romantic relationship in a move from Britain to Rome and starting fresh, all backed by a winsome group of chamber musicians.  "Refugees" is particularly affecting.




14)  LAST SHADOW PUPPETS--Everything You've Come to Expect

The return of Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) and Miles Kane eight years after their debut finds them in a more relaxed, 70's FM vibe.  One of the strongest British pop/rock albums of the year.




15)  UNDERWORLD--Barbra, Barbra, We Face a Shining Future

Underworld has taken long breaks between their last couple records (vocalist Karl Hyde made a couple albums with Brian Eno recently), and their latest shows the duo finding some new paths to travel that give them an extended lease on their electronic art-rock.  Brilliant.




16)  BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT--Choreography

Rod Thomas (another Welsh-man!) cranks up the 80's time machine with this incredibly fun and catchy album.  Inspired by dance sequences from movies ("Symmetry of Two Hearts" came from watching Kim Cattrall in Mannequin) and featuring guest appearances from Elton John and Scissor Sisters, this is BLBL's third and finest full length to date.




17)  ABC--Lexicon of Love 2

Speaking of 80's time machines, it's been 34 years(!) since ABC conquered the pop world with their Trevor Horn-produced debut, Lexicon of Love.  While all band members have moved on (Where is Steve Singleton anyhow?), Martin Fry joins forces with orchestrator Anne Dudley and other fabulous session musicians to create a sequel to that very special project.  Very well made and done with heart.




18)  GAZ COOMBES--Matador

While the lead singer of England's Supergrass was collecting royalty checks for his ex-band's "Alright" still being used in TV commercials, Gaz leaped back into the scene with this beautifully arranged rock album that shows just how talented he can be on his own, and this is the beginning of a new chapter for him.  Check it out!




19)  SHEARWATER--Jet Plane & Oxbow

This band have been around for a bit, but this is the album where they jumped from good to wow with additional help from composer and former Redd Kross member, Brian Reitzell.  Layers of percussion and bells adorn these well-written gems, and in a just world, this album should have sold several thousand copies.  For fans of U2 who tire of their bloated side.




20)  SHURA--Nothing's Real

Several new faces entered the pop scene this year, and Shura is a unique artist who may sonically appeal to early Madonna fans, yet her lyrics display a shy side that Madonna rarely addressed.  Not only can she construct great songs (many made with help from Joel Pott of British band Athlete), but there is an effortless quality to her tunes which glide gracefully from one to the next.  A name to watch then.

21)  M83--Junk

The most fun album the Frenchman has given us to date, including a guest appearance from Beck.

22)  ST. LUCIA--Matter

South Africa by way of New York band that could give Mr. Mister a run for their money.  Super 80's pop overload.

23)  LADYHAWKE--Wild Things

Also more pop than her last effort, it took four long years for Wild Things to materialize, and it was worth the wait.

24)  KRISTIN KONTROL--X-Communicate

Kristin Welchez (Dum Dum Girls) breaks out with a solo record and persona that emulates Debbie Harry and early Madonna with panache.

25)  JAMES--Girl at the End of the World

The string of great James albums continues with this, their 14th!  Just missed having their first #1 album in England thanks to Adele...

26)  EAGULLS--Ullages

If you like the Cure, this sounds a LOT like them, and is probably better than anything they could come up with at the moment.

27)  BETH ORTON--Kidsticks

Beth finds new sounds after a move to California and having a rethink.  Ironically, it's the closest she has sounded to her first album nearly 20 years ago.

28)  CHAIRLIFT--Moth

This rather overlooked effort is their most polished to date, yet retains some of their trademark quirkiness.

29)  BLOOD ORANGE--Freetown Sound

Dev Hynes continues his search for the truth on his most fully-formed effort to date as Blood Orange.  It's also an album with something to say about social issues, yet does so without aid of firearms.  Sublime.

30)  ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER--New View

Ever since Friedberger left Fiery Furnaces her albums just keep getting better.  New View is just a great example of what a well-made indie album should be.

31)  TEGAN & SARA--Love You to Death

Tegan & Sara made a fantastic album in 2013 (Heartthrob), and this one continues the journey with uber-pop producer/arranger Greg Kurstin in tow.  They should be huge now.

32)  MINOR VICTORIES--Minor Victories

A supergroup made up of Rachel Goswell (Slowdive) and members of Editors and Mogwai, this album is actually probably the best project any of the members have been involved with in some time.  Dark and windswept.

33)  PETER BJORN & JOHN--Breakin' Point

After 5 years away, PB&J take some cues from radio and channel some of the catchiest pop tunes you'll hear on any album this year, yet somehow they manage to steer clear of becoming cloying.  Actually one of their best.

34)  WYE OAK--Tween

An interesting project as Jenn Wasner gets ready to release a solo full length as Flock of Dimes, Tween is just what it says it is...an album made of tracks recorded between the last couple records.  It still adds up to some great moments that leave one wondering how they ever hit the cutting room floor.

35)  MICHAEL KIWANUKA--Love & Hate

While it may not be the most original album on the list, Ugandan-born Kiwanuka pairs up with Danger Mouse and turns up the 70's psychedelia with electric guitar solos that would make David Gilmour proud, and a Bill Withers vocal delivery with songs that resonate in the current political climate.  

36)  BRIAN ENO--The Ship

Eno continues pushing boundaries with this album, containing long instrumental passages, spoken word, and an actual (somewhat) conventional vocal song.  The definition of art.

37)  SAVAGES--Adore Life

Uncompromising band returns with their sophomore effort, a little less intense but no less fueled by anger and disillusionment.

38)  DMA'S--Hill's End

Great new band for those who miss bands like Oasis.  Super catchy and so easy to like.

39)  THE 1975--I Like it When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful...

Confounding sophomore effort from this British band who went from being indie rock darlings to 80's synth-poppers overnight.  Influenced by Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, and Brian Eno (!--the interludes), this album is either enjoyable fun or career suicide.  In other words, it's sort of like Ted Cruz.

40)  BAT FOR LASHES--The Bride

Natasha Khan comes up with a concept about a bride on her way to her wedding when her groom gets killed in a car accident.  An ingenious idea set to some extremely downbeat music.


Be on the lookout for our next post.  You KNOW it won't be more than six months from now!

It's a Year End Thing...2015 as it Sounds to Us

Another year, another list, and quite frankly, we feel guilty for not posting more often.  There is so much going on in the world of music and so much to talk about, yet most of the time at Electric Avenue is spent running the store.  We should have known this would happen when we became store owners, so it's not really surprising, but we must offer heartfelt apologies to all of you (and there may not be many) who are waiting with bated breath from week to week with any kind of sage wisdom regarding the state of the current musical landscape.

With that being said, it has been a super year for music.  Not a great year for the music business, but a great year for music.  It was just last month that I mused aloud about how less than two decades ago the general public were so upset that artists from the 50's and 60's were generally robbed blind by their managers, labels, and producers.  Here we are in 2015 in a "civilized" world, and the majority of the general public takes music from the artists without even batting an eyelid.  Times changed, belief systems were turned over, and it is impossible now to make it as an albums-artist without the benefit of touring, and yet, some music is not conducive to the live arena.  Older artists may not be able to make a living in the future as they age and depend on streaming revenue for their additional income.  In effect, the art world is back at square one thanks to this system that's in place to take from the creators.  On the eve of Beatles going to the world of streaming, it's sort of surprising they are caving to the streaming culture.  After all, they have made over a billion dollars and do not need that sort of weak income stream at this point.  It's because they can afford to accept the loss in order to stay hip with a young generation who expect it.

The media keep droning on about the bright spot being the return of vinyl.  While this is obviously good for stores like ours, it's also a bit frustrating as big record companies begin to pounce on a moneymaking opportunity, taking pressing plant time away from independent labels and controlling the flow of who gets their exclusive pressings (Urban Outfitters and Barnes & Noble being the big offenders).  What's to keep these big companies from farming out more exclusive vinyl the way they were doing with CDs, which was usually giving other mass market chains extra tracks on their discs and now will be earlier releases or colored vinyl, to the FYE's and Best Buys of the world?  Today they announced the return of Columbia House, and the strain on the vinyl manufacturers can only increase from here.  The dark side of silver linings then...

No more digression from Scrooge here, but suffice it to say that if you love music, support it by actually supporting the artists and paying for their art.  We love music at Electric Avenue, so without further ado, here are our top picks for 2015:   







1) NEW ORDER--Music: Complete
Our favorite record of 2015 is one that had us alternately laughing and crying at the same time, it was that damn good.  This statement may be an oversell for some of you, but for those who lived through the era when New Order was the most important band in the world, you will know what we are talking about.  New Order in the 80's was all about moving on from the depressed-post-suicide of their Joy Division leader, the late, great Ian Curtis, and embracing doing whatever the hell they wanted, whether it be guitar indie, New York electro, hip hop, pop, house music...they did it ALL (and even made fun of hair metal in their video for "Touched By the Hand of God").  Like their historic past, this album has it ALL, a true blend of the best sides of the band, from mid-life crisis single "Restless", to the JD-referencing "Singularity" (complete with goth-y introduction), electro-blazing "Plastic" (including shady putdowns to an unnamed recipient), to dance-pop "Tutti Frutti", to funky-house "People on the High Line"...there's even a big Iggy Pop spoken-word contribution to "Stray Dog", and that's just in the first half of this album!  The band thought so well of their efforts too, they even went to the lengths of expanding the length of these already somewhat lengthy tracks for a colored-vinyl deluxe edition featuring one extended song per side.  The second half of the album delivers some great guitar-driven songs, as well as some forays into techno, and the final sparkling track, "Superheated", which sounds like Yazoo fronted by the Killers' Brandon Flowers (he actually guests on the track).  With lead singer Bernard Sumner turning 60 in January and a disgruntled bass-playing Peter Hook leaving the band, who knows how many more New Order albums there will be.  For now, sorry you missed this one Peter...it's their best in over 20 years.



2) BLUR--Magic Whip
We've already said a lot of positive things about this album (our favorite at mid-year) but let's leave this with the statement that if Blur never make another record, at least they ended on a high note this time.  We can only hope Gorillaz 2016 return (with David Bowie supposedly) won't take so much time away from how happy we were to have Blur back in 2015, and how much we valued and missed them.




3) SUFJAN STEVENS--Carrie & Lowell
The most uncomfortably intimate record of 2015 is right here.  Stevens has definitely moved on from his dissecting the history of our nation's states (stopping after just two), and his abstract electro-musings on 2010's Age of Adz.  Like listening to Stevens' diaries, Carrie & Lowell is the sound of the artist telling you very specific and sometimes uncomfortable personal stories that might just rip your heart out.  Gorgeous stuff.



4) ROISIN MURPHY--Hairless Toys
The least known artist in the top 5 makes her first appearance on this list in eight years (Not exactly--her 2007 album, Overpowered, topped our personal blog album list long before the store blog began, while "Let Me Know" topped our singles the same year).  Murphy may be best known for her time as the frontwoman in the alternative electronic duo Moloko, and this is her third solo album since leaving that project, following an extended sabbatical to take some time off and have two(!) babies.  It's also a departure from the catchy funk-pop of it's predecessor, leaning more toward internal head music of a cerebral nature.  Murphy dabbles in house, funk, pop, even country(!), but it's all channeled through her somewhat cool and restrained delivery that could easily belt it all out (I'm looking at you, Adele).  The title of the record is an in-joke of misunderstood lyrics, but each song here has a purpose and a unique heart of its own.  In an alternate world, she should be as big as Annie Lennox.  



5) DESTROYER--Poison Season
Our top ten is peppered with quirky personalities, with Canadian Dan Bejar as a real standout.  A member of big alternative band New Pornographers, Bejar even manages to stand out in that group of musical mavericks.  The last Destroyer album, Kaputt (2011), traded on 80's sounding synths and lots of atmospheric trumpets, while Poison Season brings in string sections and Springsteen's E-Street chug to create his most accessible album yet.  There's a certain thread running through the lyrics, especially on "Times Square", which is repeated in three different iterations here, and while there is a concept somewhat involving the Broadway life, this remains rather vague in typical Bejar fashion.  What isn't vague is his ability to write great tunes, which are all over this album.  He may be the most literate, erudite person in the world of rock music.  



6) FATHER JOHN MISTY--I Love You, Honeybear
Brilliant second album from Josh (J) Tillman as Father John Misty.  This could quite possibly be the most cynical love letter ever written to a significant other, but the actual heart is still beating strong and true.  An early album that stayed strong all year upon repeated listens, it would've made Harry Nilsson proud.



7) FFS--FFS
The most inspired collaboration of the year did work when Franz Ferdinand and Sparks got together and made an entire 16-song album together.  Bringing together the wit and melodies of vintage Sparks (a band that has been around for over 40 years, y'all) with the rock and rhythmic drive of Franz, FFS (which might mean something else in Google) gave both bands an album that counts as one of their best.  Maybe FFS stands for Fun Fun Supreme!

+

8) BJORK--Vulnicura
Certainly the saddest album of the year came from the Icelandic powerhouse that is Bjork, and on Vulnicura she returns to the strings of Homogenic days, but adds synthetic sauce from producers like Arca and The Haxan Cloak.  The album plays out chronologically detailing the end of her relationship with husband Matthew Barney, with a persistent sense of pain and loss.  At it's core, this is Bjork's recent life story as told in music, and it's a compelling one.



9) SUSANNE SUNDFOR--Ten Love Songs
A star in her native Norway, Sundfor is probably most known in the US for her collaborations with artists like M83 and Royksopp.  Ten Love Songs are actually more like Ten Break-up Songs, and this is certainly not the work of any novice, as this is Susanne's fifth album.  There is a certain dark beauty to Sundfor's voice that seems to be in Scandinavian water...the ladies from ABBA have it, and Nina Persson of the Cardigans has it too.  It's a piercing melancholy, both happy and sad, and no matter what style of music is being presented, the vocals are always front and center with diamond-like clarity.  Not only does this album become darker and more tense as it progresses, but it also features a perfect balance of art and commerce, with the ten minute M83 collaboration "Memorial" as its centerpiece, incorporating a full piano concerto excursion.  Sublime.



10) LANA DEL REY--Honeymoon
Del Rey's third effort in as many years (not including the Paradise EP) is her strongest conceptual effort yet.  Continuing with the faded Hollywood glamour vibe, Honeymoon features many glacial but affecting tracks painting a bleak portrait of the seedy side of life as a lonely starlet.  Disappointment is the name of the game in songs like "God Knows I Tried" and "The Blackest Day", while "High on the Beach" and "Freak" operate closer to the character invented on her classic debut Born to Die.  Less rock than the previous album and less pop than it's predecessor, Honeymoon operates in a space where time is relative and David Lynch is the director.  The sadder female Chris Isaak on quaaludes then, and completely enthralling.

11) TAME IMPALA--Currents
Tame Impala continue to evolve and enthrall with this album, their latest and greatest.

12) BELLE & SEBASTIAN--Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
Some saw this as B&S go electronic, when really it was just another gleaming chapter in the evolution of one of the greatest indie bands of all time.

13) COURTNEY BARNETT--Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit
The level of ingenuity and excitement raised by relative newcomer Barnett is something that makes you want to just sit up and take notice.

14) HOT CHIP--Why Make Sense?
The most lovable dudes from indie-tronica return with another loose and engaging collection of tunes from their bottomless well.

15) LOWER DENS--Escape From Evil
Baltimore produces another great band with another charismatic frontwoman, Jana Hunter, echoing legendary singers like Siouxsie Sioux.

16) NEON INDIAN--Vega Intl. Night School
Alan Palomo breaks through after a four year absence with an album put together on cruise ships (supposedly), synthesizing indie with 80's Prince-ly funk.  

17) LIBERTINES--Anthems for Doomed Youth
From the category of "never thought you'd hear from this band again" comes the great new Libertines reunion record, Pete Doherty and all...

18) KURT VILE--B'lieve I'm Goin' Down
Philadelphia's own fantastic singer-songwriter puts out yet another great album in 2015, mural optional.

19) JOHN GRANT--Grey Tickles, Black Pressure
Grant continues to confound and delight with his latest masterpiece, part of a growing catalog of indispensable art.

20) CHVRCHES--Every Open Eye
Brilliant followup to brilliant debut proves if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

21) UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA--Multi-Love
Unexpected turn from indie to funky done with aplomb from a band who continue to do whatever they want to.

22) WOLF ALICE--My Love is Cool
Excellent debut from excellent band who fearlessly try several outfits on during the course of their first album with stunning results.

23) ASH--Kablammo!
The new Ash record proves they were some of the best songwriters of post-Britpop and bridge the melodic gap between Oasis and Weezer.  It should have been heard by many more people.

24) JAMIE XX--In Colour
While waiting for the new XX album, we get a taste of what we wish it will sound like.  The year's best mixtape.

25) LAURA MARLING--Short Movie
Gorgeously rocking album finds Marling recharged after a couple more dreamy acoustic albums, still channeling Joni gloriously.

26) MERCURY REV--Light in You
One of the finest produced albums of the year, Rev return after years away with a beautiful album about walks in the park and rainy day records...what could be better?

27) LOW--Ones & Sixes
After several great Low albums, they suddenly turn in one of the best in their entire decades-long career.  If you ever liked this band, don't let this one slip by...it's a keeper.

28) JOE JACKSON--Fast Forward
That guy returns with one of his best records in years, echoing the greatness of his 80's classic, Night & Day.

29) GRIMES--Art Angels
Grimes makes huge strides with Art Angels, bridging the gap between art & commerce and doing it all on her own terms.

30) GUY GARVEY--Courting the Squall
That burly guy from Elbow breaks out and makes a solo record which takes some stylistic chances that are a welcome change from the normal Elbow box.

31) VACCINES--English Graffiti
Their bid for a big American hit gets closer every time as the Vaccines produce their most accessible pop album yet.

32) ALGIERS--Algiers
The sound of modern gospel blues on the railroad, Algiers is one intense ride.

33) APARTMENTS--No Song, No Spell, No Madrigal
Haunting elegy to a lost child, the first Apartments record in years is worth your time.

34) MARC ALMOND--The Velvet Trail
Almond returns with a gorgeous album of original pop songs, his first in years, showing how much wonderful material is still in his heart and mind after 35 years.

35) JULIA HOLTER--Have You in My Wilderness
Holter's latest riveting album operates on a higher musical plane than most, and there is also more warmth and emotion on parade here than ever before.

36) RYAN ADAMS--1989
Nearly as good as the Taylor Swift version, and it seems VERY sincere.

37) CHEMICAL BROTHERS--Born Into the Echoes
Return of one of the best DJ duos in the UK, featuring contributions from St. Vincent, Q-Tip, and Beck.

38) DUTCH UNCLES--O Shudder
Angular rock of a very particular nature, Dutch Uncles continue to grow while living within their own structural framework.

39) PAUL WELLER--Saturn's Return
Continuing his run of great recent albums is one of Weller's boldest and brightest yet, released in the same year as a Jam documentary and vinyl reissues.

40) YOUNG GALAXY--Falsework
Third great album in a row featuring these Quebec mavericks with Norwegian electronic producer Dan Lissvik, who now seems to be a fully integrated member of the band.

41) SWIM DEEP--Mothers
Tame Impala wasn't the only band who evolved between their last two albums this year.  Take a listen to Swim Deep's two records and you might not know they were the same band, trading Britpop for euphoric psychedelia.

42) BLACK RIVERS--Black Rivers
The other two from the Doves that are not Jimi Goodwin make Black Rivers, and a great side project it is, flying under many radars but a strong album in it's own right.

43) PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.--What the World Needs Now
Who says John Lydon isn't still angry?  There's plenty of bile plus a little more sunshine than usual on this latest epic in the PIL cannon.

44) LIANNE LA HAVAS--Blood
La Havas turns up the heat and brings a little more rock and soul with her sophomore effort, recorded mostly in Jamaica with Matt Hales of Aqualung.

45) MODEST MOUSE--Strangers to Ourselves
Mousers, you have been missed.  Several years have passed since your last (relatively tame) effort, and though Johnny Marr may be gone, this band presses on--in mostly good ways--mostly.

46) SARAH CRACKNELL--Red Kite
Lovely solo effort from Saint Etienne lead vocalist, doing her best to channel peak period Petula Clark and Cilla Black, featuring a guest vocal from Manic Street Preachers' Nicky Wire.

47) SQUEEZE--Cradle to the Grave
Nobody expected Difford and Tilbrook to get back together again, but that's just what happened after 17 years for this generally great album...too bad Jools Holland was too busy to join the party.

48) EL VY--Return to the Moon
2015 seemed like the year of side projects, and El Vy (plural for Elvis) was one of the best, mixing the National's quirkier tendencies with Menomena's poppier side.  Charmingly effective.

49) SLEATER-KINNEY--No Cities to Love
2015 also seemed to be the year of the reunion, with so many bands we haven't heard from in a long time getting back together.  Sleater-Kinney was one of those bands, once Carrie Brownstein could clear a couple months in her busy calendar.

50) BUILT TO SPILL--Untethered Moon
The return of another great (and highly underrated) indie band, Built to Spill helped shake up the earlier part of the year.

51) MARINA & THE DIAMONDS--Froot
Marina is one of the best pop artists on the planet.  Her first three albums have all been excellent, with Froot taking a small step back into more conventional instrumentation after the superpop of Electra Heart.

52) JANET JACKSON--Unbreakable
Miss Jackson made her return in 2015 after a long silence, still reeling from the years of the Superbowl and Nipplegate.  While Miley Cyrus parades her crotch in publications, the lashing Jackson received in the press seems quaint and comical now by comparison.  Unbreakable is somewhat restrained and covered-up (she is married again), but the demure attitude plays well off her more reflective side in this Jam & Lewis production, not only reminiscent of her best work, but her best album since Velvet Rope nearly 20 years ago.  If you ever liked her before, you should give it a try.

53) IAMX--Metanoia
Another great album from ex-Sneaker Pimp Chris Corner as he continues to plumb the darker depths of electro-Weimar cabaret.  If you like the sleazier side of Depeche Mode this was built for you, and even better, there are five earlier albums of the stuff...you have some catching up to do...

54) OH LAND--Earth Sick
While her last album (2013's Wishbone) featured production from heavy hitters like Dave Sitek and Pharrell Williams, Earth Sick is largely an ego-free production, featuring Nanna Fabricius' friends and children of friends, as well as her own opera-singing mother on background vocals.  It is a very charming and unassuming pop album that deserved more attention than it got.  

55) MEW--+/-
Norwegian band Mew continue to confound and enthrall with their big pop-rock opus +/-, reaching for bigger audiences with their anthemic yet somehow still quirky tunes.  The spinning quality of these songs show attention to a deeper sound than most bands of the post-modern Radiohead school, but contain the brightness of Coldplay's melodies, a tricky tightrope they walk with confidence.

56) THE CHURCH--Further Deeper
They may have lost guitarist Marty Wilson-Piper with this album, but somehow (like New Order), the Church sound more like the Church than they've sounded in years.  Dark and brooding melodies are what's on offer, including some of the best songs they've written in years.

57) WIRE--Wire
Plowing a similar path to erstwhile post-punkers the Church, Wire also lost an integral member here with Bruce Gilbert, yet Colin Newman manages to give us some of their best arrangements and material since some of their 80's albums, and that's saying something since their past couple records have also been quite good.  A welcome effort.

58) FLORENCE & THE MACHINE--How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
The return of the Machine in 2015 was very good, and loses only a little point for being sort of labored over.  Florence delivers some of her best vocals yet here, with more nuance and emotion than the usual bluster, and songs like "St. Jude" have a very special, personal quality. She also ditches a little of her fairy dust for a more down-to-earth effort, leaving the door wide for future possibilities.

59) DJANGO DJANGO--Born Under Saturn
Art rockers sophomore album showcases amazing arrangements and vocal harmonies, polished to a perfect shine.

60) BRANDON FLOWERS--The Desired Effect
Killers frontman Flowers one-ups his band's recent efforts with a second solo record that should have been huge in an alternate universe.  Catchy tunes, great production, and music Brandon really sells as he sounds like he really believes in it.  Why it didn't get more attention remains a mystery.

61) SHAMIR--Ratchet
Excellent but flawed debut from Shamir Bailey, who pens odes to his hometown Las Vegas, and tries on some mid-tempo balladry for his lofty falsetto.  Where he really shines is on the fun and catchy numbers like "Call it Off" or "On the Regular"...more please...

62) SWERVEDRIVER--I Wasn't Born to Lose You
Sometimes reunions aren't all they're cracked up to be.  That is certainly NOT the case with the return of Swervedriver, finding them reinvigorated and inspired.  Some call it shoegaze, but there are enough tight melodies here to keep their feet on the ground.

63) JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLANDERS--Playmates
One of the best breakouts of the year was this catchy album from a relative unknown in the US, Jack Ladder.  Channeling like a young Nick Cave fronting Erasure, there are enough dark moments on Playmates to counter the sweetness in the arrangements, and Sharon van Etten's guest vocals on a couple tracks also add levity.  A pleasant surprise!

64) MUSE--Drones
Working with hitmaker Robert "Mutt" Lange (Def Leppard, Shania Twain) for the first time gave Muse a sonic kick into heavier territory, and while the material doesn't always rest at the top of the critical foodchain, they play with commitment and gusto throughout, and fans were far from disappointed.

65) JOSE GONZALEZ--Vestiges & Claws
A beautifully textured folk record from Gonzalez who leaves his post as frontman for his band Junip after a couple albums with them.  This is a much more stripped down and haunted affair, calling artists like Nick Drake back from the grave.

66) LITTLE BOOTS--Working Girl
The third album from Little Boots was released over the summer, and was one of a few bright spots in EDM and dance music that showed some originality.  "Better in the Morning" in particular was a breezy number incorporating rhythmic elements of Tom Tom Club classic, "Genius of Love".

67) ALBERT HAMMOND, JR--Momentary Masters
Super underrated album from Strokes' guitarist and one of the best guitar pop records of the year.  Also the best thing a member of the band has done outside the band (sorry Julian Casablancas)...It bodes well for the Strokes return.

68) DURAN DURAN--Paper Gods
This very catchy record from Duran pushed them out of their comfort zone, and while there were some incredibly catchy songs like "Pressure Off", this album was just a little too slick compared to the last, and probably needed a little more Mark Ronson (who was too busy making "Uptown Funk" with Bruno Mars--he did a little work here), and a little less Mr. Hudson.  Don't forsake the human aspect...

69) A-HA--Cast in Steel
Return effort from the supposedly defunct Norwegian trio who just can't stay away from each other.  It's OK if their albums are this good.

70) RICHARD HAWLEY--Hollow Meadows
One of the best living crooners from the UK is back with an album that brings out the best of all the sides of Hawley.  While he keeps giving us quality albums, we will keep accepting them.

71) MELODY GARDOT--Currency of Man
Gardot took a left turn from her last album of Brazilian beach music with this great album featuring a fair amount of bluesy and jazzy tunes.  There's also understated orchestral pop noir to be found, and while the album has some great songs, it varies wildly as to whether you get the official album or the director's cut, which is yet to come.

72) SHRIEKBACK--Without Real String or Fish
Infuriatingly difficult for Americans to get, this classic British band continue their streak of great albums with one of their strongest in 30 years, featuring the return of founding member, Carl Marsh.  Seek this one out if you like them...it's worth the trouble.

73) PRINCE--Hitandrun Vol. 1 & 2
Prince released two volumes of the Hitandrun albums this year (surprise, after all), and while both featured varying degrees of regal tunes, they also had some really great standouts, with the first volume being more electronic and the second more acoustic (and the horns!)...It's another positive step in the rehabilitation of a recording career that has suffered in the past couple decades.

74) NICOLAS GODIN--Contrepoint
Fantastic side-project from Air man featuring his take on works made famous by JS Bach.  Who knew Bach could be varied in so many interesting ways?

75) ADELE--25
By no means a weak album, Adele released just one of many very fine albums in 2015, yet it is worth mentioning it is also the biggest selling album on this list.  The fact that it appears at number 75 will have no effect on Adele, I'm sure.

76) ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA--Alone in the Universe
Jeff Lynne trudges on decades after ELO began (over 40 years ago!), and here's another great album full of cracking tunes, heartfelt lyrics, and arrangements that would make a Wilbury proud.  Our only wish was that it wasn't so short, yet there is absolutely not one single wasted moment.

77) CHUNGKING--Defender
It's been quite a while since the last Chungking effort, and while Richard X is not involved this time, they have overhauled and ramped up their sound a bit, making for an atmospheric pop record that sounds unique in a musical landscape of soundalikes.

78) BIRD & THE BEE--Recreational Love
Beautiful return for the daughter of Lowell George (Little Feat) and former Geggy Tah member and uber-producer Greg Kurstin (Adele, Kylie Minogue).  This band and album are total labors of love, and it's an enjoyable effort from beginning to end.

79) EDITORS--In Dream
While Tom Smith's vocals are, at times, extuhreemuhlee deep, Editors keep making records that are rather enjoyable, mainly due to the way the band creates the music to surround the important lyrics with.  If you sort of like Interpol but want something catchier, start here.

80) JASON ISBELL--Something More Than Free
Former Drive-By Trucker continues his ascent since leaving said band and getting clean and sober (as well as becoming a father).  This record was a little more laid-back and settled than his masterpiece from a couple years back, Southeastern, but it's a slow burn that pays off over and over.

81) THE WEEKND--Beauty Behind the Madness
The summer of 2015 belonged to this Canadian artist and his Michael Jackson-worthy hit, "Can't Feel My Face".  This album has the same problem many of the Weeknd's albums do, in that there are large stretches featuring depressing or disturbing lyrics with slow music, yet something happens around the mid-point of this album, and everything else feels like Abel has begun a new chapter of looser, more pop material, including duets with Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey.  A step toward world domination then.

82) BEACH HOUSE--Depression Cherry
The first of two Beach House records, it strips away a lot of the reverb that made Bloom a big sounding record, offering a more direct approach, with the same haunting songwriting, and a choir-fuelled closing track...

83) BEACH HOUSE--Thank Your Lucky Stars
...And because they had so much success with Depression Cherry, Beach House released a second album mere weeks after the first one.  Lucky Stars has a looser feel than Cherry, and more variety in the tunes and arrangements as well.  This can be either a good or bad thing depending on what you're looking for from them, but for fans, the more the better.

84) KATE BOY--One
If you're missing the poppier side of The Knife, Sweden's own Kate Boy released a strong album in 2015 that has yet to elicit a physical release.  Worrisome as this encourages forgetfulness and throwaway records...give us something we can hold Kate Boy!

85) PURE BATHING CULTURE--Pray For Rain
PBC follow their last super-ethereal album with something a little more down to earth and electronic.  Cocteau Twins seemed to provide the prior template, and bringing it down to earth brought down our impression of the band a little too.  Still, there are good moments here, so it's worth exploring.

86) BEST COAST--California Nights
Another good record from this California band, as they continue to build a strong legacy of good California records.  Bethany Cosentino's vocals really make this band something special.

87) PUGWASH--Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends)
Pugwash is an Irish band formerly signed to Andy Partridge of XTC's record label, Ape House.  Now signed to the great Omnivore label, Pugwash finally released this US debut in 2015 featuring guest appearances from Neil Hannon of Divine Comedy, Ray Davies of the Kinks, Andy Partridge, and ELO's Jeff Lynne!

88) !!!--As If
I'll admit !!! is a band I've been trying to love for years, but something always stops me short.  I think they finally hit on something special with As If, especially by the time they get to the third track, "Every Little Bit Counts".  It should have been one of the biggest hits of 2015, and the album around it is their best yet.  Keep on keeping on...

89) YEARS & YEARS--Communion
Years & Years were the biggest new pop band in England in 2015, and American still doesn't know who they are.  "King" and "Gold" were all over UK radio, and maybe it just takes a few minutes for things to cross the pond.

90) FRATELLIS--Eyes Wide Tongues Tied
The latest Fratellis record features many of their tried and true sounds but adds some pop and some melancholy where the needs to expand their sound a bit more.  A good album that might shock old fans of the band.

91) MARTIN COURTNEY--Many Moons
New Jersey band Real Estate espouse a easy-breezy lush style of stripped down guitar playing, unobtrusive yet charmingly compelling.  Martin is their "lead" singer, and here he strikes out on a solo record with similar lovely results.

92) ALABAMA SHAKES--Sound & Color
The sophomore effort from Alabama Shakes may not have gone in all the directions their fans expected them to go, but it made for a widely varied and enjoyable record that proves they can do just about anything successfully.

93) MIGUEL--Wildheart
While Prince released some decent but relatively tame records in the past 18 months, Miguel brings a little of the nasty-sexy back but also keeps the edges a little rough and interesting.  He continues to ascend.

94) DEERHUNTER--Fading Frontier
This album is probably better than this number implies, and once again Deerhunter make a shift in sound to a more FM based idea, albeit with lots of little detours.  A grower of an album and one to return to more in 2016.

95) KENDRICK LAMAR--To Pimp a Butterfly
Kendrick deserves to be the biggest artist in hip hop right now...

96) VERUCA SALT--Ghost Notes
Big return for the reunited Veruca Salt who are here to make right what fell apart at the end of the 90's.  Girl group grunge is all the rage again!

97) HOP ALONG--Painted Shut
Philly's own Hop Along made some major inroads this year with a sprightly and loose record featuring the effervescent vocals of Frances Quinlan front and center.

98) BILL RYDER-JONES--West Kirby Country Primary
Ex-Coral lead guitarist Ryder-Jones ploughs his own path with this superb folk-rock album after 5 albums with his previous band.  One to watch for sure. 

99) SEAL--7
Seal reunites with producer extraordinaire Trevor Horn with this lush and reflective album, his best in over a decade.  While there is some softer material here, there are also songs like "Padded Cell" that recall his own classics like "Crazy".

100) COLDPLAY--Head Full of Dreams
I may feel differently about this album in a few months.  It's a very good album (definitely a step up from the previous Ghost Stories), but there is a heavy dose of pop here, and while we love pop (see much of this list), there's also a certain sense that we want Coldplay to deliver something a bit deeper and darker.  At times it's difficult to tell whether or not the rest of the band played along, sounding more like a Maroon 5 effort.  Catchy as heck, they'll surely get more radio play than Radiohead with this one.  Hello Superbowl 2016! 

If you didn't see your favorite album on this list, it's probably just an oversight.  Like we said...SO MANY great records this year.  Music is becoming like TV...more and more choices and hard to keep up with everything.  Huzzah!

The Midpoint: It's been a long time y'all 2015

Hey friends of Electric Ave!

I feel the need to once again apologize for such a long gap in posts.  When we opened the store, I planned on making these blog posts a regular sort of thing, y'know, sharing thoughts on music in general, and life just continues to get in the way.  I guess you could say that, at least we must be busy enough that I rarely have time to get some thoughts together, much less type them out in a blog.  That does not mean that I have turned my back on music.  Au contraire!

I've been listening like a busy little bee judging and compiling all the info about my favorite music of the year 2015 (so far), and here I am about to share those thoughts with you.  I assume you will most likely disagree...I mean, everyone has an opinion, right?...but these are my thoughts and my hope is that something will click for you, and you will feel the push to investigate that music too.  After all, we are now living in a culture where you have to seek this music out...it will no longer just jump into your lap.  So here are the frontrunners for the first fifty percent (that means they might have a good shot to land on the year end list too):

1) BLUR--The Magic Whip

Maybe it seems cliche, but I REALLY love this Blur album.  It seems like the culmination of something Damon Albarn has been searching for since the band sort of fell apart 15 years ago.  Amazingly, it was pulled together mainly by guitarist Graham Coxon and producer Stephen Street after the band had a little time off to jam on some ideas while in Hong Kong in 2013.  It's a little Damon's solo album from last year, Everyday Robots, a little Albarn project Gorillaz, a little another Albarn project The Good, the Bad, & the Queen, and a little Blur!  A sense of being surrounded by millions of people who all seem connected through portable devices, yet seem more lonely and distant due to a lack of direct human contact, seems to pervade this album and is indicative of where it was created.  It rocks, it's melancholy, it has heart, sadness, and even a little party in tracks like the singalong, "Ong Ong".  There's even a little, dare I say it, Britpop in songs like "Lonesome Street" and "I Broadcast".  "Go Out" even seems a little dark and dangerous.  It would be a shame if this were the last Blur album, but at least it would be one to be proud of if it had to end on a high note.

2) SUFJAN STEVENS--Carrie & Lowell

Stevens eschews any desire for commercial success in favor of his art.  What a brilliant choice he makes here.  A sort-of diary observation of life as a child with his mother who has now passed and a stepfather who remains close years after his divorce from his mother, some of the observations contained in these quiet and personal hymns is almost too much to bear upon repetition.  After speaking with those who attended Stevens' concerts this spring, every attendee equated the show to having a religious experience, including lots of crying and holding lovers close.  The soft folk balladry in these songs goes beyond typical folk music and enters that Nick Drake-y territory where the lyrics in combination with the music become overwhelmingly moving and effective.  I am convinced one reason this clicks so much with listeners is that we all have stories of growing up like this, and the way he articulates them allows us to relate to him on a personal level.  It doesn't hurt the music is beautiful to boot.

3) ROISIN MURPHY--Hairless Toys

Probably the least known artist in the US near the top of this list is Ms. Murphy (Roisin is pronounced Ro-sheen).  She was the lead singer of quirky electro-funk/pop band Moloko for over a decade from the early 90's, went solo in the mid-oughts, first making a very experimental album with producer Matthew Herbert (Bjork), then a super-commercial electronic dance album called Overpowered.  When that album didn't sell the bucketloads EMI expected it to, Roisin decided to take time off, had a child, met another man and had another child, and seven years later has returned to sharing her music with the world.  Hairless Toys is largely an experimental album mixing minimal house music and the unique stories and emotions Roisin conveys with restraint and sensuality.  Less is more, and being one of the most underrated vocalists from the UK, she understands this here, and uses her voice as a tool of expression more than as simply a singer.  Mini-forays into country ("Exiled") and ambient ("Unputdownable"), the eight lengthy songs here create an intimate portrait of a woman's internal dialogue after travelling the world and then settling down to become a homebody, and the disparate emotions that come with the territory.

4) FATHER JOHN MISTY--I Love You, Honeybear

One of the most refreshing albums to be released this year, Honeybear acts as a cynical love letter from Josh Tillman to his wife.  Formerly the drummer for highly respected indie band Fleet Foxes, Tillman seems to be carving his own path of unique artistry here.  Singing like a folkier version of Harry Nilsson mixed with Beck, this album has tunes galore, and who else could come up with lyrics like "Oh I just love the kind of woman who can walk over a man, I mean like a god damn marching band".  Get it now!

5) FFS (FRANZ FERDINAND & SPARKS)--FFS

As the penultimate track on this album states, "Collaborations Don't Work", Franz Ferdinand and Sparks set out to prove that old mantra wrong with FFS (google what social media does with those letters if you dare).  Franz have been around for about a dozen years and made a few albums, all sort of twitchy northern-UK funk and pop.  Sparks have been around for about 40 years and made over 20 albums, and no matter if rock band, electropop, or orchestral angle, they always deliver with Ron's baroque-style keyboard playing and brother Russell's histrionic vocals to rival Freddie Mercury at his most operatic.  While their concept sounds British, Sparks are actually from Los Angeles, using humor as a tool to create riveting lyrics, and they have already collaborated with artists as far flung as Faith No More, Erasure, Jane Wiedlin (Go-Go's), Giorgio Moroder (Donna Summer), among others (so they know their way around a collab).  FFS brings out the best in both bands, and while leaning a little more toward Sparks in the song department, Franz pump up the rock side usually lacking in later Sparks material, making for the best sounding Sparks album in over 30 years.  Russell Mael and Franz' Alex Kapranos do most of the vocal duties, usually sharing songs instead of just letting one or the other take over from song to song.  It's amazing how well their voices compliment each other, and at 16 songs the album is so good, one never tires of it.  Here's hoping for another record, and check out the new classic, "Piss Off".

6) BJORK--Vulnicura

When not curating installations of her art at MOMA in New York (as happened this spring), Bjork is busy making art.  Vulnicura is her latest masterpiece, and signals a return of sorts to the kind of music that made her so lauded by critics and fans alike.  Unfortunately, the album had a difficult birth, being based on the dissolution of Bjork's romantic relationship to longtime partner, Matthew Barney.  She always can be relied on to pick interesting collaborators, and this album is no exception, using electronic producers Arca and the Haxan Cloak, who bring back the strings to delve deep into the sadness at the core of this project.  It's even told chronologically as though it was a story, with the final three songs as a bit of retrospection.  Even former collaborator Antony Hegerty returns for a guest appearance.  Then there is the artwork...wow...

7) SUSANNE SUNDFOR--Ten Love Songs

Sundfor is a star in her home country of Norway, and has begun to start catching on more in other countries.  US listeners might know her from the theme to the Tom Cruise film Oblivion (with M83), or from guest appearances on the most recent Royksopp album, but her clear as a bell voice that most resembles an ABBA member with gothic tendencies is at the forefront of her own recent spectacular solo album.  Whether dark or light, electronic or acoustic, Sundfor's voice is the star of the show, and the album centerpiece, the ten-minute "Memorial" (once again with M83), shows how fearless she is by placing a 5-minute piano/orchestra interlude in the middle of the song which is in the middle of the album.  The fact that most of these "love" songs are also about the loss of it or falling out of it is not lost on the listener either.  Marvelous stuff.

8) LOWER DENS--Escape From Evil

Baltimore may have had riots earlier this year, but Lower Dens have little outright angst in their music, as Jana Hunter's soulful voice swoops from one octave to the next like a less-witchy Siouxsie Sioux. The band itself rides that delicate Chris Coady-produced sound a la local peers Future Islands and Beach House, and while Hunter brings a certain androgyny to proceedings, the music is nothing short of pleasurable and textured, draped with keyboards and perfectly placed guitar shadings.  They even dabble a bit in krautrock, but mostly this is a vehicle for Hunter's voice and lyrics, and she is a star in the making.  Look out Karen O...

9) BELLE & SEBASTIAN--Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

Stuart Murdoch and co. return with a new lease on their career, taking some definite musical detours with their first album in a few years.  Incorporating more pop and dance elements into their sound, the lyrics are still focused on the personal and things very British.  While the album was produced by Ben H. Allen (Washed Out, Matt & Kim, Animal Collective) in Atlanta, the poppier songs lean more toward Saint Etienne's style of discopop (see "Enter Sylvia Plath"), and may be a step too far for those traditionalists who want B&S to churn out the same type of indie rock time after time.  Murdoch saw the need to change things up just a little, and for the most part it works.  It doesn't hurt that this album's opening track, "Nobody's Empire", is one of Stuart's most affecting tunes ever.

10) COURTNEY BARNETT--Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit

If you don't know about Courtney, you should probably get out more.  The best thing to come from New Zealand since Hobbits, Courtney is a feisty young singer-songwriter with a punky edge who tells it like it is.  Sometimes things just come along and knock you out, and Courtney is that kind of a surprise.  Lift that rock and check her out now.  Her song and video for "Kim's Caravan" are particularly good for a debut album.

11) HOT CHIP--Why Make Sense?
Fun and funky indie-dance from the UK...Each album has a unique colored cover

12) UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA--Multi-Love
Psychedelic project now incorporates more R&B in the mix.  A winner!

13) ASH--Kablammo!
Still around!  Possibly the catchiest rock record you will hear all year (and one of their best)

14) THE APARTMENTS--No Song, No Spell, No Madrigal
First album in decades from introspective Australian indie band with poignant lyrics about dealing with the death of singer Peter Milton's son

15) ALGIERS--Algiers
Is it rock?  Indie?  Gospel?  Trip-hop?  All of these and one of the most interesting records of the year too

16) THE VACCINES--English Graffiti
Super catchy British rock with a move toward something a bit more accessible to US listeners

17) WOLF ALICE--My Love is Cool
Debut from British group mixing male and female vocals over backdrops that shimmer and shine, recalling a more aggressive Sundays at times...

18) MARC ALMOND--The Velvet Trail
Almond stuns again with his 22nd solo album, his most accessible album in years, featuring Beth Ditto

19) PAUL WELLER--Saturn's Return
This latest album in Weller's saga of great albums continues the trend.  If you miss things like Oasis...

20) DUTCH UNCLES--O Shudder
Quirky indie with a nod to David Sylvian's Japan and Roxy Music.  Angular riffs and melodies with a suave delivery

21) JAMIE XX--In Colour
XX sound sculptor makes what is, in effect, a brilliant mixtape

22) LAURA MARLING--Short Movie
Marling plugs in and continues to electrify with her fifth album

23) BLACK RIVERS--Black Rivers
2/3 of the Doves make their own mark with this great record

24) MODEST MOUSE--Strangers to Ourselves
They're baaaaacccckk after a long hiatus, and recharged

25) SARAH CRACKNELL--Red Kite
Saint Etienne's lead singer with first solo album in almost 20 years, girly and British

26) BUILT TO SPILL--Untethered Moon
First in eight years highlights their best qualities, like they never left

27) MARINA & THE DIAMONDS--Froot
She continues to grow and explore what makes great female pop music

28) OH LAND--Earth Sick
Crowdfunded and recorded at home, Nanna Fabricius keeps getting better with an album that sounds personal AND professional, featuring her mom on background opera vocals

29) MEW--+/-
One of the best bands to come out of Scandinavia keeps moving forward with their happiest to date

30) MIGUEL--Wildheart
Proves his Prince-ly love with this album of experimental R&B that'll keep pulses racing

31) MELODY GARDOT--Currency of Man
Gardot explores the blues more than ever, and shines on fractured and haunted orchestral ballads

32) SHAMIR--Ratchet
Las Vegas own answer to Sylvester, Shamir has delivered one of the summer's most fun albums with pipes to match

33) SWERVEDRIVER--I Wasn't Born To Lose You
It's a shoegaze revolution with Swervedriver making their first in well over a decade.  Buzzy!

34) MUSE--Drones
Polished to a perfect shine by producer Mutt Lange, Muse return to rock their hardest in a while.

35) JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLOVERS--Playmates
Australian Jack Ladder comes on like a mix of Nick Cave and Depeche Mode...What else could you want?

36) JOSE GONZALEZ--Vestiges & Claws
One for the Nick Drake set, this album certainly qualifies as one of the most haunting and beautiful of the year

37) LITTLE BOOTS--Working Girl
Little Boots continues working hard to show what it means to be a working girl...electropop at it's best

38) SHRIEKBACK--Without Real String or Fish
The Shriekback legacy continues with this their best album since 1986's Big Night Music...only currently available from their website

39) WIRE--Wire
Mostly a Colin Newman show now, the latest Wire album brings the band full circle, allowing them to play some of the catchiest music in their vast 40-year catalog.

40) FLORENCE & THE MACHINE--How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Florence has found more vulnerability in her delivery this time around, and she is more the better for it.

Thanks for reading!  Thoughts?...