Music!

2010 is turning out to be an exceptional year in music. Here are some records that I've been gushing about recently, in no particular order:

Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
The National - High Violet

Tracks from these were all on my latest podcast, and they're all Amazing, with a capital A.

Also worth mentioning are Caribou's "Swim", a fantastic electronic record full of dancy rhythms and fun surprises, and Team Ghost's "You Never Did Anything Wrong To Me".

Team Ghost is one half of the French electronic duo M83, and every review points out that this EP logically follows M83's "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts". This is a good thing, and it's a great EP full of atmospheric sounds and the rare pop-hook.

Titus Andronicus, a rather fatalist outfit from New Jersey, came out with "The Monitor" earlier this year. It explores everything that is difficult about life through the filter of the American civil war. It's harsh at times and the lyrics are frequently obscure. The record is interspersed with anthems about the futility of trying and laments for a style of life long gone. It's worth several listens, and at the end of each you'll feel like opening a beer and giving up.

These are all bands that I've been following in some form or another, and it's really gratifying to be so pleasantly surprised by the quality of these new releases. But this year has not been without a few disappointments.

The Hold Steady released a new record this year called "Heaven is Now". Their first four records followed a reasonably clear theme, mostly dealing with Catholicism and lost faith, put to the sounds of 80's rock and singer Craig Finn's barked "singing". It was raw on first listen and lyrically very interesting. But with their newest record the band has all but abandoned this theme and moved on to more personal (read: less interesting) topics. Finn honestly tries to sing, and the music has become more polished. The result is a derivative, boring, 80's rock record twenty-five years too late. And it's a shame.

Frightened Rabbit, a Scottish band, put out a record this year called "The Winter of Mixed Drinks". Their first effort, called "The Midnight Organ Fight", was like so many great records fueled by a nasty breakup and all of the emotions that come with it. It was honest, sometimes stripped down, and poignant. The most striking moments were the quieter ones. But the latest record comes from a much happier place. The band has packed in as much sound as possible into each track, and it shows. The poignant lyrics are gone and what is left is mostly obscured by the over-enthusiastic instrumentation. The record is draining to listen to and disappointing to finish.

As far as new (to me) music, I've recently been exploring and enjoying records by Groundation, an American reggae outfit, and I finally got around to checking out Crystal Castles. Their latest record (their second self-titled) got some good reviews, being labeled as more accessible than their debut. Crystal Castles makes abrasive electronic music filled with surprising twists, and in the right mood it can be amazing. For me, though, it definitely falls into the category of "music to listen to infrequently". Not something I'd put on before noon.

So far, however, the disappointments have been far outweighed by great output from established bands. We'll see what the rest of 2010 looks like, but so far it seems that the heavyweights of indie rock are striking back in a big way.