2010 Music Journals

[murlough23]

Really? Seven days into the new year, and nobody's started this yet? Alrighty, guess I'll break the ice. The standard boilerplate instructions:

Create a post to record the music you hear in 2010. A running top ten list, links to reviews, whatever else, but please save discussion and commentary for separate threads about particular bands or albums.

[murlough23]

Top 10:
1. Vampire Weekend - Contra B+
2. The River Empires - The River Empires - Epilogue B+
3. Vienna Teng & Alex Wong - The Moment Always Vanishing B+
4. Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away B+
5. Jennifer Knapp - Letting Go B
6. Barenaked Ladies - All in Good Time B
7. The New Pornographers - Together B-
8. Broken Bells - Broken Bells B-
9. Jónsi - Go B-
10. OK Go - Of the Colour Blue of the Sky B-

Honorable Mention:
Jack

The Rest:
Lifehouse - Smoke & Mirrors C+

Dishonorable Mention:
Diddly

Compilations/EPs/Singles/Re-releases:
Doves - The Places Between: The Best of Doves B+
Future of Forestry - Travel III EP B-
Iona - Live in London: Limited US Edition B-

Digesting:
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Court Yard Hounds - Court Yard Hounds
Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do
Toby Mac - Tonight
Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me
Robert Randolph & the Family Band - We Walk This Road
Sanctus Real - Pieces of a Real Heart
Snowden - Slow Soft Syrup EP
We Are the Fallen - Tear the World Down

Downloaded It, Need to Listen to It:
Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void

Already Released, Need to Hear It:
Annie Moses Band - Pilgrims and Prodigals
Rachael Lampa - Human EP
Kevin Max - Côtes-d'Armor (True Rebels)
Newsboys - Born Again
Andrew Peterson - Counting Stars
Starfield - The Saving One

Eagerly Anticipating:
House of Heroes - Suburba (August 3)
The Reign of Kindo - This Is What Happens (August 3)
Sixpence None the Richer - Strange Conversation (August 24)
Anberlin - Dark is the Way, Light is a Place (September 7)
The Listening - LMNOP (October 10?)
Fleet Foxes (Fall)
Caedmon's Call - Raising Up the Dead
Iona
Mae - (e)vening EP
Matchbox Twenty
Radiohead

Meagerly Anticipating:
Ivoryline - Vessels (July 27)
Michelle Branch - Everything Comes and Goes EP (July)
Evanescence (August/September)
KT Tunstall - Tiger Suit (September 28)
Alter Bridge - Alter Bridge III (September)
Blindside
Drive-By Truckers - Go Go Boots
Fiction Family
Jimmy Eat World
No Doubt
Steven Page
Snowden
Switchfoot - Vice Verses
U2 - Songs of Ascent
Weird Al Yankovic

Morbidly Anticipating:
Linkin Park -  A Thousand Suns (September 14)

Rumors & Hearsay:
Burlap to Cashmere
Eastmountainsouth
Iron & Wine
Rock Kills Kid

See You in 2011:
Michelle Branch - Different Kind of Country
Incubus
R.E.M.

Looking Back:
2009 Music Journal
2008 Music Journal
2007 Music Journal
2006 Music Journal
2005 Music Journal
2004 Music Journal
2003 Music Journal
1991-2002 Music Journals


How My Grades Work:
A+: The rarest of the rare. An artistic achievement and a highly listenable collection of tunes. Flaws are negligible or nonexistent. Such outstanding work that I would recommend it to almost anyone with no hesitation.
A: An awesome and unique piece of work. Not quite at the level of greatness to be considered an undisputed classic, but any weaknesses present are nitpicks at best.
A-: Impressively consistent, with most tracks being highlights. Maybe an occasional weaker track here and there, but still no major flaws.
B+: Incredibly solid, with the occasional middling track or two keeping an "A" grade just out of reach, but no major screw-ups. The highest grade that I will likely feel compelled to "gush" about.
B: Good job. Might not get me totally excited, but still a largely positive and enjoyable listening experience. Worth a try for those on the fence about the artist.
B-: Reasonably enjoyable. Still above average, but inconsistent. Highlights tend to stand in stark comparison next to mostly average tracks (and maybe a few bad ones).
C+: Just slightly above average. Aside from one or two notable highlights, it either blends in with the middle of the road, or demonstrates a volatile level of inconsistency from one track to another, to the point where it makes getting through the album difficult despite the strong points.
C: Shows a bare minimum of competence, and little more. There are likely few highlights that would compel me to go back to it, but I might still give it a recommendation to existing fans with several caveats attached.
C-: The point where the flaws outweigh the highlights. Stronger tracks might show promise of better work ahead, but the net balance is disappointingly sub-par.
D+: Mediocre. Highlights are a surprising exception to the disappointing rule here.
D: Pretty lousy, but not to the point where its failures are the stuff of legend.
D-: Astonishingly bad; approaching the point of dismal failure, but with the occasional glimmer of decency here and there.
F+: A thoroughly dull or obnoxious record, with any brief redeeming factors causing a reaction such as, "Wow, where the hell did that come from?"
F: Complete and utter failure. Not a single redeeming quality to be found.
F-: The lowest level of musical hell. I wouldn't wish it upon a mortal enemy. You pretty much have to be trying to suck this hard.

How My Lists Work:
Top 10/20  - Keeps track of my 10 favorites as the year progression, and is expanded to 20 items once at least 10 or more fill up the "Honorable Mention" list. Must rank at least a B- to be included.
Honorable Mention - Items #11-20 after the "Top 10", or items #21-30 after the "Top 20", depending on how much there is to fill the first list. Must rank at least a B- to be included.
The Rest - Everything not good enough for "Honorable Mention" (usually starting with some B- albums that didn't make the cut for that list), but still decent enough to warrant a cautious recommendation (ranking a straight C or higher).
Dishonorable Mention - The worst 20 items on the list. Must rank a C- or lower to qualify. Basically, anything that I don't enjoy enough to recommend as a whole, even with reservations. #1 is the absolute worst in this case.
Don't Get It, So I Can't Rate It: Music that I personally couldn't get into, but that I can see is well-respected enough by others that it doesn't seem fair for someone like me, who has a limited perspective on their music, to give it a low grade. Established artists who I have rated before and feel comfortable evaluating based on their previous work should never end up here - it's generally reserved for artists I'm trying for the first time who end up being too "out-there" for me to really form a solid opinion.
Compilations/EPs/Singles - Anything that isn't long enough to be considered an "album", or that consists largely of previously released recordings. My "Top Albums" list is almost exclusively reserved for new material, or at least new recordings of said material.
Digesting: Albums that I'm still listening to, and don't feel ready to rate just yet.
Downloaded It, Need to Listen to It: Albums that physically exist on my computer, that I need to remind myself to sit down and listen to.
Already Released, Need to Hear It: Anything from my "Anticipating" lists that is already available for purchase - when the "Digesting" list starts to get shorter, this is where I will look for new things to listen to first.
Eagerly Anticipating: The upcoming releases that I am looking forward to the most, based on past performances of the artists involved. Many of these will be "automatic buys" for me when they are released.
Meagerly Ancitipating: Albums that I'm sort of looking forward to - I don't expect them to be bad, but I don't expect to totally fall in love with them, either.
Morbidly Anticipating: Stuff that I expect to suck, but will still listen to, in the interest of fairness (or because I'm running low on things to make fun of.)
Rumors & Hearsay/See You in 2011: Stuff that would be on one of the "Anticipated" lists, but based on a lack of news updates or evidence of progress being made in the studio (or an actual known release date), I don't expect it to see the light of day until next year, assuming it exists at all.


(Last Update: 7/27/10)

[bloop]

Best of 2010
Buy It!
Have One on Me, Joanna Newsom (9.5)
So Runs the World Away, Josh Ritter (9.5)
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty, Big Boi (9.0)
This Is Happening, LCD Soundsystem (9.0)
How I Got Over, The Roots (9.0)
IRM, Charlotte Gainsbourg (9.0)
High Violet, The National (8.5)
The Monitor, Titus Andronicus (8.5)
Swim, Caribou (8.5)
Heartland, Owen Pallett (8.5)
Cosmogramma, Flying Lotus (8.5)
There Is Love In You, Four Tet (8.5)
The Wild Hunt, The Tallest Man on Earth (8.5)
Transference, sthingy (8.5)
The ArchAndroid, Janelle Monae (8.0)
Odd Blood, Yeasayer (8.0)
Teen Dream, Beach House (8.0)
Hadestown, Anais Mitchell (8.0)
Go, Jónsi (8.0)
New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), Erykah Badu (8.0)
Plastic Beach, Gorillaz (8.0)
Astrocoast, Surfer Blood (8.0)


Try It
Before Today, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (7.5)
Big Echo, The Morning Benders (7.5)
Contra, Vampire Weekend (7.5)
King of the Beach, Wavves (7.5)
Body Talk pt. 1, Robyn (7.5)
Together, The New Pornographers (7.5)
Letting Go, Jennifer Knapp (7.5)
We Walk This Road, Robert Randolph and the Family Band (7.5)
I Learned the Hard Way, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (7.5)
/\/\ /\ Y /\, M.I.A. (7.0)
Dear God, I Hate Myself, Xiu Xiu (7.0)
One Life Stand, Hot Chip (7.0)
A Sufi and a Killer, Gonjasufi (7.0)
Forgiveness Rock Records, Broken Social Scene (7.0)
Women and Country, Jakob Dylan (7.0)
American VI, Johnny Cash (7.0)
Night Work, Scissor Sisters (7.0)
Soldier of Love, Sade (7.0)
Congratulations, MGMT (6.5)
Aphrodite, Kylie Minogue (6.5)
Heligoland, Massive Attack (6.5)


Be Warned
Teargarden by Kaleidyscope vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor, The Smashing Pumpkins (6.0)
Recovery, Eminem (6.0)
Nobody's Daughter, Hole (6.0)
Heaven is Whenever, The Hold Steady (6.0)
Stone Temple Pilots, Stone Temple Pilots (5.5)
Vivian & Ondine, William Basinski (5.0)


Don't Even Bother
Smoke and Mirrors, Lifehouse (4.0)
Funstyle, Liz Phair (3.5)
Rebirth, Lil Wayne (2.5)


Hey, You Cheated! (Live albums, cover albums, compilations and such)
Scratch My Back, Peter Gabriel (7.0)


Digesting
Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, OK Go
The Soft Pack, The Soft Pack
Measure, Field Music
Black Noise, Pantha du Prince
One Armed Bandit, Jaga Jazzist
Sisterworld, Liars
Romance is Boring, Los Campesinos!
Renihilation, Liturgy
I'm New Here, Gil Scott-Heron
Gorilla Manor, Local Natives
Kairos, White Hinterland
Fang Island, Fang Island
The Way of the World, Mose Allison
Steps Ahead, Mulatu Astatke
I Speak Because I Can, Laura Marling
Mondo Cane, Mike Patton
At Echo Lake, Woods
Volume Two, She & Him
Destroyer of the World, Blitzen Trapper
Travelers in Space and Time, Apples in Stereo
True Love Cast Out All Evil, Roky Erickson w/ Okkervil River
Compass, Jamie Lidell
Brothers, The Black Keys
Subiza, Delorean
Daughters, Daughters
Clinging to a Scheme, The Radio Dept.
Port Entropy, Shugo Tokumaru
Diamond Eyes, Deftones
Sea of Cowards, The Dead Weather
Nothing Hurts, Male Bonding
Treats, Sleigh Bells
Wake Up the Nation, Paul Weller
Innerspeaker, Tame Impala
Bionic, Christina Aguilera
Does It Look Like I'm Here, Emeralds
How to Destroy Angels, How to Destroy Angels
See You On the Moon, Tift Merritt
White Magic, ceo
Further, The Chemical Brothers
Mare, Julian Lynch
Mount Wittenburg Orca EP, Dirty Projectors & Bjork
100 Miles from Memphis, Sheryl Crow


DON'T EVEN BOTHER:
0.0: Not one redeeming characteristic (F)
0.5-1.5: Painful (F)
2.0-2.5: Terrible (F)
3.0-3.5: Poor  (F)
4.0-4.5: Nearing average (D)

BE WARNED:
5.0: Average  (C-)
5.5: Slightly above average (C )
6.0: Pretty Good; serious flaws (C+)

TRY IT:
6.5: Solid; detracting problems (B-)
7.0: Good; well above average (B )
7.5: Impressive; few major reservations (B+)

BUY IT:
8.0: Excellent; repeated listens suggested (A-)
8.5: Exceptional; repeated listens demanded (A)
9.0-9.5: Great; Very few, if any, notable flaws (A+)
10.0: Essential; Among the best of all time (A++)

[NinjaRob17]

Top 10

I Liked It

I Was Okay With It

I Did Not Like It

EPs, Live Albums, Cover Albums, etc.

Digesting
Beach House - Teen Dream
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
Toro Y Moi - Causers Of This
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Living Sacrifice - The Infinite Order
Number One Gun - To The Secrets & Knowledge
Chasen - That Was Then, This Is Now
Apparatjik - We Are Here
TobyMac - Tonight
Fair - Disappearing World
Streetlight Manifesto - 99 Songs Of Revolution: Volume I
The White Stripes - Under Great White Northern Lights
OK Go - Of The Blue Colour of the Sky
Demon Hunter - The World Is A Thorn
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave
Stellar Kart - Everything Is Different Now
MercyMe - The Generous Mr. Lovewell
MGMT - Congratulations
Secret and Whisper - Teenage Fantasy
The Classic Crime - Vagabonds
Flatfoot 56 - Black Thorn
Adie - Just You and Me
Angels & Airwaves - LOVE
Darlene Zschech - Simply Darlene
Team Teamwork - Vinyl Fantasy 7
Deepspace 5 - The Future Ain't What It Used To Be
The Black Keys - Brothers
The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever
The National - High Violet
The River Empires - The River Empires (Epilogue)
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Hammock - Chasing After Shadows... Living With the Ghosts

[plvarona]

Updated: 7/25/2010

(* denotes albums I have heard but do not own.)
Top 10 (So Far):
1. Jennifer Knapp: Letting Go (A-)
2. The Mynabirds: What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood (A-)
3. Fair: Disappearing World (A-)
4. Josh Ritter: So Runs The World Away (B+)
5. The Rocket Summer: Of Men and Angels (B+)
6. The Classic Crime: Vagabonds (B+)
7. Trent Dabbs: Your Side Now (B )
8. Robbie Seay Band: Miracle (B )
9. Patty Griffin: Downtown Church (B )
10. Charmaine: Love Reality (*) (B )

Honorable Mention:
Robert Randolph & The Family Band: We Walk This Road (B )

Mild Recommendations:
Sanctus Real: Pieces of a Real Heart (*) (C+)
Amanda Shaw: Good Southern Girl (C+)

Nah:
Tenth Avenue North: The Light Meets The Dark (*) (D+)
Me in Motion: self-titled (*) (D)

EPs, Live Albums, Greatest Hits, etc.
Future of Forestry: Travel III EP (B )
Jennifer Knapp: Evolve (B )

Currently Digesting:
Children 18:3: Rain's a Comin' (currently streaming on jesusfreakhideout)
Andrew Peterson: Counting Stars (currently streaming on jesusfreakhideout)

Current Releases I Plan to Check Out:
Joy Williams: We Mapped The World EP

Current Releases That Somewhat Intrigue Me:
Dave Barnes: What We Want, What We Get
Flatfoot 56: Black Thorn
Rachael Lampa: Human EP
Lifehouse: Smoke & Mirrors
Sandra McCracken: In Feast or Fallow
Justin McRoberts: Through Songs I Became Undone
Andrew Osenga: Choosing Sides

Current Releases I Will Check Out - if I Am Feeling Particularly Masochisitic
Stellar Kart: Everything is Different Now

Future Releases I Am Eagerly Anticipating:
Anberlin: Dark is the Way, Light is a Place - 9/21
Caedmon's Call: Raising Up The Dead
downhere - 12/21
House of Heroes: Suburba - 8/3
Jars of Clay - October?
Kevin Max: Cotes d'Armor - 8/24
The Listening: LMNOP
Mae: (e)vening EP
The Reign of Kindo: This is What Happens - 8/3
Sixpence None The Richer: Strange Conversation
Switchfoot: Vice Verses
U2: Songs of Ascent

Future Releases I Am Somewhat Anticipating:
Fiction Family
Fleet Foxes
Ivoryline: Vessels - 7/27
Chris Sligh: The Anatomy of Broken - 9/14

Future Releases I Am Morbidly Anticipating:
Newsboys: Born Again - 7/13

Rumored, and Would Certainly Interest Me If True:
Burlap to Cashmere
Iron & Wine
Luna Halo
Monarch
Over The Rhine

[Ian]

MUSIC JOURNAL 2010

RATED:

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma - 9.2
Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt - 9.2
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach - 9.0
Beach House - Teen Dream - 8.8
Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me - 8.8
Yellow Swans - Going Places - 8.7
Charlotte Gainsburg - IRM - 8.7
Brasstronaut - Mt Chimaera - 8.7
Nest - Retold - 8.7
Shining - Black Jazz - 8.6
Owen Pallett - Heartland - 8.6
Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit - 8.6
Jonsi - Go - 8.5
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Who Killed Sgt Pepper? - 8.5
Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago - 8.5
The Besnard Lakes - Are the Roaring Night - 8.4
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh) - 8.4
Balmorhea - Constellations - 8.4
Yeasayer - Odd Blood - 8.3
sthingy - Transference - 8.3
Delorean - Subiza - 8.1
High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine - 8.1
Vampire Weekend - Contra - 8.1
White Hinterland - Kairos - 8.0
Hot Chip - One Life Stand - 8.0
Ben Frost - By the Throat -7.9
Field Music - Measure - 7.8
Electric President - The Violent Blue - 7.8
These New Puritans - Hidden - 7.7
Laura Viers - July Flame - 7.6
Four Tet - There Is Love In You - 7.6
Titus Andronicus - The Monitor - 7.5
Eluvium - Similies -  7.5
The Knife - Tomorrow, In a Year - 7.4
Pangaea - Pangaea EP - 7.4
The Album Leaf - A Chorus of Storytellers - 7.4
Pantha du Prince - Black Noise - 7.3
Goldfrapp - Head First - 7.3
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast - 7.2
OK Go - Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky - 7.2
Magnetic Fields - Realism - 7.2
Apparatjik - We Are Here - 7.2
Xiu Xiu - Dear God I Hate Myself - 7.1
Loscil - Endless Falls - 7.1
Sade - Soldier of Love - 7.0
Dessa - A Badly Broken Code - 6.9
jj - jj n° 3 - 6.9
Liars - Sisterworld - 6.5
Oni Ayhn - OAR004 - 6.5
Basia Bulat - Heart of My Own - 6.4
Siva - Same Sights, New Light - 6.4
Midlake - The Courage of Others - 6.2
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Kollaps Tradixionales - 6.2
The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack - 5.6
RJD2 - The Colossus - 5.6
Pacific Ocean Fire - Hibernation Songs - 5.4
Rocky Votolato - True Devotion - 5.1
Tindersticks - Falling Down a Mountain - 3.1


QUEUE:

Lightspeed Champion - Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You
Moon Duo - Escape
Retribution Gospel Choir - 2
Aidan Baker - Liminoid/Lifeforms
Ruby Suns - Fight Softly
Love is All - Two Thousand And Ten Injuries
Berzum - Bellus
Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
William Basinski - Vivian & Ondine
Richard Skelton - Landings
Elephant9 - Walk the Nile
Taylor Deupree & Savvas Ysatis - Hourglass
Serena-Maneesh - Abyss in B Minor
Black Tambourine - Black Tambourine
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
Dum Dum Girls - Blissed Out
Here We Go Magic - Pigeons
Quadron - Quadron
Scuba - Triangulation
Scott Tuma - Dandelion
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
She & Him - Volume 2
Alcest - Écailles de Lune
Citay - Dream Get Together
CocoRosie - Grey Oceans
Die Antwoord - $O$
Kaki King - Junior
Les Discrets - Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées
Masayoshi Fujita & Jan Jelinek - Bird, Lake, Objects
Red Sparrowes - The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer
Golden Retriever - Golden Retriever
Against Me! - White Crosses
Look Mexico - To Bed To Battle
Sam Amidon - I See The Sign
Roky Erickson With Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil
Wombs - Unitopians
Sharon Jone & The Dap Kings - I Learned The Hard Way
Rufus Wainright - All Days Are Nights
Fang Island - Fang Island
Frog Eyes - Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph
Dosh - Tommy
Mugstar – ...Sun, Broken...

Anticipating

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record (May 4th)
Band of Horses - Infinite Arms (May 11th)
The National - High Violet (May 11th)
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening (May)
Panda Bear - Tomboy (September)
Radiohead
Arcade Fire
M.I.A.
Menomena
The Avalanches
Lupe Fiasco - Lazers
Burial
Battles
Fleet Foxes
Switchfoot - Vice Verses
Of Montreal - False Priest
The Envy Corps - It Culls You
Kanye West
Kevin Max - Côtes-d'Armor
Iron & Wine

[Brenden]

Top 10:
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach - A-
Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do - A-
The New Pornographers - Together - B+
Vampire Weekend - B+
Jennifer Knapp - Letting Go - B+
S_poon - Transference - B+
Jonsi - Go - B
Jakob Dylan - Women & Country B
Johnny Cash - American VI - B-
The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever - B-


Decent:
Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back - C+
Lifehouse - Smoke & Mirrors - C+
Kanye West - VH1 Storytellers - C+

Avoid:
FFH - Wide Open Spaces - D+
TobyMac - Tonight - D

[ewok20t3]

Hits The Spot:
(1.) Hundredth - When Will We Surrender A-
(2.) The Frozen Ocean - The Frozen Ocean A-
(3.) Continuance - Carry Ourselves A-
(4.) It Prevails - Findings EP A-
(5.) All The Day Holiday - The Sloth Sessions A-
(6.) Dependency - Convicted EP A-

Near The Spot:
(7.) Living Sacrifice - The Infinite Order B+
(8.) As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise B+
(9.) Deftones - Diamond Eyes B
(10.) Sons of God - The Genesis Prologue EP B
A Hope For Home - Realis B
Norma Jean - Meridional B
War of Ages - Eternal B
Everett - Destinations EP B
The Sleep Design - All That Is Not Music Is Silence B
White Collar Sideshow - White Collar Sideshow EP B-

Misses The Spot:
Demon Hunter - The World Is A Thorn C
Haste The Day - Attack of The Wolf King C
I Am Alpha and Omega - The War I Wage EP C
The Classic Crime - Vagabonds C
Lovelite - All Color C

What's a spot?:

Digesting:
Zoo Seven - Lifesaver

Anticipating:
Anberlin - Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place (Sept. 7)
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Aug. 2)
Blindside
Brandon Flowers - Flamingo (Sept. 14)
Coldplay
Comeback Kid - Symptoms and Cures (Aug. 31)
Hopesfall - B-sides EP
Jimmy Eat World - Invented (Sept. 28)
Lovedrug
Lydia - Assailants (July 21)
Mae - (e)vening EP
Mindy White
Radiohead
Sleeping Giant
Spoken
States
Switchfoot - Vice Verses
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Oct 25)
Underoath

May Or May Not Check Out:
Ivoryline
The Devil Wears Prada
Grammatrain
U2 - Songs of Ascent
Smashing Pumpkins - Teargarden
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Lifehouse - Smoke and Mirrors
Michelle Branch - Everything Comes and Goes
Sigur Ros
Emery
Future of Forestry - Travel III EP
The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
WrenchInTheWorks - Decrease/Increase (March 16)
LCD Soundsystem

Hoping For:
Five O'Clock People
Sufjan Stevens
Burlap To Cashmere
Explosions In The Sky
Death Cab For Cutie
Further Seems Forever

[TheWanderer]

Top 10:

The Next Best Albums:

Decent:

Avoid:

Bottom 10:

Digesting:

Day Of Fire - Losing All
FFH - Wide Open Spaces

I assume those two albums will get to avoid/bottom 10

[Brenden]

Pretty much, though the FFH album is better than anything I can remember by them, it's still bland as hell.

[murlough23]

Should we sticky this thread and unstick 2009?

[schilleriana]

should be stickied/unstickied respectively now.

[ajyouthguy]

Liked It:
1. Robert Randolph and the Family Band--We Walk This Road
2. Jennifer Knapp--Letting Go
3. Flatfoot 56--Black Thorn
4. Gungor--Beautiful Things
5. The Rocket Summer--Of Men and Angels
6. Sandra McCracken--In Feast or Fallow
7. Robbie Seay Band--Miracle
8. Johnny Cash--American VI: Ain't No Grave
9. Justin McRoberts--Through Songs I Became Undone
10. Danny Gokey--My Best Days

Special Albums (EP's, live, Christmas, etc.) that I liked:



Decent listens, but not listworthy:
TobyMac--Tonight
Superchick--Reinvention
Sanctus Real--Pieces of a Real Heart
The Letter Black--Hanging on By a Thread
Sixteen Cities--Come As You Are
Stellar Kart--Everything is Different Now (a MARKED improvement for them, but they had, and have, a long way to go still)
Lifehouse--Smoke and Mirrors
Neworldson
Tenth Avenue North--The Light Meets the Dark

Not For Me:
Fireflight--For Those Who Wait
Starfield--The Saving One
Dreamlab--Worship Electronica
Day of Fire--Losing All
Atlas Takes Aim
The Washington Projects--Light Up the Dark
Mr. Talkbox--My Time
Petidee--Race 2 Nowhere



Currently Digesting:
Andrew Osenga--Choosing Sides
Dave Barnes--What We Want, What We Get

Biggest Disappointments (artists with new albums I wanted to like a LOT more than I wound up liking):

[RedcoatJones]

Top 10:
1. Beach House - Teen Dream: 9
2. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor: 8
3. These New Puritans - Hidden: 8
4. Vampire Weekend - Contra: 8
5. sthingy - Transference: 8
6. Midlake - The Courage of Others: 7
7. Laura Veirs - July Flame: 7
8. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More: 6
9. Jimi Hendrix - Valley of Neptune: 6

Digesting: