This year was a very good one, and like all these lists I see on the web the order is arbitrary. I included my top 50 albums this year, including a top 10 EPs list. I listened to many on the list again, some had initial lower ratings (“8”) that got better after repeat listens and others with higher ratings (“9”) lost its luster when compared to the others. A very small group (i.e. The Sugar Stems) did not even get an official review, but were so good they made the list. And I will spend some of January reviewing a few I missed. Take what you like from here and discover some new music!
TOP ALBUMS
- Linus of Hollywood – Something Good
- Phonograph (UK) – Phonograph Vol.1
- The Dowling Poole – Bleak Strategies
- Sloan – Commonwealth
- The Legal Matters – The Legal Matters
- Edward O’Connell – Vanishing Act
- Spirit Kid – Is Happening
- The Secret Powers – 6 (six)
- The Jellybricks – Youngstown Tune-Up
- Jeremy Messersmith – Heart Murmurs
- Aerial – Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak At School?
- The Sugar Stems – Only Come out at Night
- Sunday Sun – We Let Go
- The Hazey Janes – Language of Faint Theory
- Rob Bonfiglio – Freeway
- The Paul and John – Inner Sunset
- The Successful Failures – Captains of Industry, Captains of War
- The Autumn Defense – Fifth
- The Bobbleheads – Make Yourself Happy
- Fauna Flora – Fauna Flora
- Marshall Holland – And the Etceteras
- Joe Sullivan – Schlock Star
- Graham Alexander – Repeat Deceiver
- Adrian Bourgeois – Pop/Art
- The Above – Waterbury Street
- Burning Ferns – See Saw Seen
- The CRY – Dangerous Game
- The New Pornographers – Brill Bruisers
- Ransom and Subset – No Time to Lose
- The Well Wishers – A Shattering Sky
- The Mike Benign Compulsion – Here’s How It Works
- The Tripwires – Get Young
- Rob Fetters – Saint Ain’t
- Weezer – Everything Will Be Alright in The End
- The Alarms – Real Tough Love
- Tyson Leslie – Train Wrecks, Havoc & Heartbreak
- Mothboxer – Sand and the Rain
- Rob Cantor – Not a Trampoline
- Doug Gillard – Parade On
- Rick Hromdaka – Trippin Dinosaurs
- The Maureens – The Maureens
- Bracket – Hold Your Applause
- OK GO – Hungry Ghosts
- The Cherry Drops – Everything’s Groovy
- The Magic Brothers – The Magic Line
- Latvian Radio – For Love & Spite
- The Ugly Beats – Brand New Day
- The Britannicas – High Tea
- Shake Some Action – Catch The Sun!
- The Rip Off Artists – The Intercontinental
TOP 10 EPS
- Cliff Hillis – Song Machine
- Evil Arrows – 1,2,3,4
- David Myhr – Record Collection
- OK GO – Upside Out (no longer sold – see Hungry Ghosts )
- The Crush – Future Blimps
- The Solicitors – Blank Check
- Myracle Brah – The Peach
- Smash Palace – Extended Play
- Greg Ieronimo – Bi-Polar Love
- The Feels – Dead Skin