Personally, I think it's been a pretty good year all around thus far, but it’s true that there haven’t been many stunners yet (last year we already had Hissing Fauna, Neon Bible, Person Pitch, & Sound of Silver, just to name a few). Favorites so far…
Fleet Foxes – Sun Giant EP & s/t LP
Easily the best new band of the year, and the best debut I can think of since Arcade Fire’s Funeral. I know this smacks of hyperbole, but words hardly do them justice. I was lucky enough to see live, in this case their first New York show. Lead singer Robin Pecknold was suffering from the flu at the time (he noted before playing that he had been puking his guts out up until they had to take the stage), but in a truly brave performance, he totally blew headliners Blitzen Trapper off the stage. At first listen, they might sound like My Morning Jacket/Grizzly Bear rip-offs, but they craft really interesting 1960s-esque folk featuring lots of reverb and interesting vocal harmonies. Like the aforementioned Arcade Fire, seeing them live really helped me "understand" their music, for lack of a better term. Perfect springtime music.
No Age – Nouns
"Eraser" is, for me, the song of the year so far. They’ve grown as a band, becoming more melodic, crafting a very pleasing blend of noise and punk with some interesting pop undertones. Because it’s an album, not a collection of 7” singles, it feels much more cohesive. Great sophomore effort that totally delivers on the promise of Weirdo Rippers.
Man Man – Rabbit Habits
It’s not as good as Six Demon Bag, but very few albums are. They sound less like Tom Waits, but a little bit more like Frank Zappa, if he collaborated with a coked-out still-alive reunited Beatles circa-1980.
Dirtbombs – We Have You Surrounded
A nice return to form for Mick Collins’ & Co. with easily their best output since Ultraglide in Black. I think it’s a garage mini-masterpiece on urban paranoia, but I’m definitely seeing this album through slightly rose-colored lenses though, since the touring behind this album has been outstanding. I saw them at Maxwell’s in Hoboken NJ, and they played for nearly an hour and a half, rocketing through most of the new stuff but also throwing in plenty of covers, ending with a rip-roaring version of the Modern Lovers’ “Roadrunner.” Standouts: “Everlovin’ Man,” “They Have Us Surrounded,” and the Alan Moore-penned “Leopardman at C&A.”
Jay Reatard – See/Saw 7”
Nice to see punk wunderkind Jay Reatard finally blowing up. I don’t think See/Saw is his best effort (that’d go to Blood Visions LP or Hammer I Miss You 7”) but it’s a solid mix of early British punk filtered through 60s garage and early hardcore (kind of like a modern successor to early Replacements material).
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Magnetic Fields – Distortion
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – Real Emotional Trash
Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride
All four are huge returns-to-form for their respective artists. At the moment, Real Emotional Trash is probably my favorite. I think it’s a nearly perfect album (aside from the awful “Elmo Delmo”), and easily the best work Malkmus has done as a lyricist since Pavement (that doesn’t really say much though, now does it?). You need to enjoy Jeff Beck-esque guitar wankery, though.
I'll post some more later, but I definitely think those are the high points.
