Radio Free Chicago

People Covering Songs I Love: The Morning Benders (And Justin Bieber) Get Toasty With The Cardigans

You may have noticed that Mylynda posted earlier today about the charming scamps in The Morning Benders and their infectious take on The Ronnettes. Now, here, readers, is where I could lie and say "That got me thinking about my favorite cover on The Benders' Bedroom Covers album..." but in actuality, I'd been planning a Morning Benders "People Covering Songs I Love" post for quite some time. In fact, I was almost disappointed when Indie College's EIC beat me to the punch but then I realized, heck, what's better to warm the cockles in the dead of winter than TWO Morning Benders posts in ONE day?! Nothing! Also, what's a cockle? No clue. But I suspect it bears a strong resemblance to this. Anyhow. Moving on...

The first concert I saw that counts was The Cardigans. Before that, I'd seen a Beatles cover band and The Monkees and a few shows my mom or grandma had taken me to but it wasn't until I was twelve that I really started developing my own taste and asking my mom to get me concert tickets for birthday and christmas gifts. The local rock station had yearly holiday blow outs that featured bands I tended to like and while I was always the youngest person in attendance, I always, despite my social anxiety and dislike of large crowds and strangers making eye contact with me, had a blast. But my first concert was The Cardigans. I was in seventh grade and their svelte, Aryan lead singer, Nina Persson, had me already doubting the sexuality I hadn't even fully developed yet. I mean, look at her! Girl's a fox. Of course, eventually, I realized I wasn't gay and many-a boys dreams were crushed because that meant the male world was robbed of ever seeing me "lez out".

Regardless of my sexual preference, however, The Cardigans are one band from my youth that hasn't grown stale, that I can still listen to at twenty six without having to preface it with "Oh, this is just a nostalgic guilty pleasure." Even the Swedish band's overplayed "one hit", "Lovefool" has withstood the test of time.

The Cardigans - Lovefool

What The Morning Benders do to "Lovefool" is nothing short of genius, weaving it's pop hooks and saccharine lyrics into a confessional tune of heartache and melancholy. Like always, I can't help but relate this tune to a scene in the film version of my life that'll probably never get made:

Interior. House. Sad girl sits alone on bed, daydreaming of the guy that just broke up with her. Why'd he break up with her? Because he has awful taste in women, clearly! But that's beside the point. The point is that this lovely, acoustic rendition of "Lovefool" would be playing and it would charmingly encapsulate all of my melancholy in the most perfect, adorable way.

The Monring Benders - Lovefool (Cardigans Cover)

People Covering Songs I Love: The Morning Benders Do Girl Group Doo-Wop, Minus the Bee-Hives

Not long ago I pleaded on Facebook for someone to share some (totally legal) Morning Benders mp3s  with me, because I decided I had gone long enough living under my Morning Benders-less rock. It seemed every magazine I leafed through and every blog I clicked on had some mention of Morning Benders, so…what was all the fuss about? RFC EIC Amber Valentine quickly obliged my request and sent over a few files. What I did next was possibly sort of odd. I listened to Bedroom Covers first. So, for my first impression of Morning Benders, I listened to an entire album of Morning Benders playing music that isn’t the Morning Benders’.

There are many great, semi-obscure choices from notable artists on Bedroom Covers that I assume Morning Benders culled from their list of musical influences (however, I can’t be sure, because I still haven’t actually listened to Morning Benders’ music). I’m certain that I’m only one in a long list of people to have a mini swoon attack over the cover of Cardigans’ “Lovefool,” which has an edgy and ethereal feel akin to cloudwatching with a flask of whiskey in hand. Something warm overtakes you as Chris Chu huskily croons “say that you need me” and makes the ‘90s superhit his own forlorn ode. Similarly hushed versions of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” and The Smiths’ “I Won’t Share You” flank the release. However, no cover nailed it for me quite like the revamped “Why Don’t They Let Us Fall in Love?,” by The Ronettes.

Why don't they let us fall in love? - Morning Benders (The Ronettes cover)

Rocking beehives, heavy eyeliner and mini-dresses with the best of ‘em in the heyday of the sultry ‘60s girl group, The Ronettes are a band that you may think you have never heard but have probably heard over and over again in your lifetime. In fact, Eddie Money’s semi-ridiculous superhit “Take Me Home Tonight” features lead Ronette Ronnie Spector belting out the female vocals, and even references Ronnie herself and The Ronettes’ hit “Be My Baby” within its chorus.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the original, and I wouldn’t necessarily say that I prefer the Morning Benders’ version. However, this column is all about people covering songs we love, right? And there’s a lot to adulate about “Why Don’t They Let Us Fall in Love?” The lyrics are cheeky and smart, and the harmonies are to die for. The Morning Benders version nicely complements and updates the tune, and brings its evergreen musings about people trying to steer the course of young love against the grain to a new audience. The Benders’ version has a slightly pop-punk feel to match its nose in the air lyrics, and I cannot stop crooning along at home.

In my opinion, an album full of covers is not for every band, and a cover album may get a big ‘ole thumbs down from many critical listeners, as well. However, I think Morning Benders artfully sent a nod to the bands they adore without mutilating the songs we already know, and I am pleased to listen.

 

Top Ten of Twenty Ten - Emanuel's Picks

  10. The-Dream - Love King

Even a slightly lackluster album from The-Dream can still handily take the spot as my favorite R&B release of the year. It doesn't feel as fresh as Love/Hate did, nor connect to an emotional depth as vivid as Love vs Money's but it's still a sonic tour de force(!) from one of the most consistently genius songwriters in the game. It also still has "F.I.L.A.," current frontrunner for best The-Dream song OF ALL TIME.

The-Dream - F.I.L.A.

9. Twin Shadow - Forget 

Forget is an exquisite album, the kind where depending on the week you'll have a completely different  song or hook stuck in your head all damn day. George Lewis Jr.'s singing first reminds one of Morissey on lead single "Slow," but his voice becomes unmistakable in the course of an entire album. Every song has its own soulful heart, stocked with gorgeously vibrant instrumental passages coloring in the spaces in-between (producer Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear probably had some hand in that). It's incredibly crafted, a quiet classic.

Twin Shadow - Slow

Mittenfest Welcomes Wonderful Ruckus

It would behoove anybody with deep ties to Michigan to hear the Frontier Ruckus catalog. With a delicate quaver to his voice, Matt Milia dredges up imagery of the old Summit Place Mall, the Silverdome and I-75 to set the scenes upon which he reflects.

I’ve never been to Michigan. But I do have my very own dead mall to think back on, my very own landmark stadium and my very own highway that I know so well I could almost do it with my eyes closed were it not for all the other cars to account for. Not to mention that Milia’s poetry is boundless; to anyone who’s ever had a youth, who’s ever experienced the bitter cold of winter, who’s ever had a soul, Frontier Ruckus will touch you.

Frontier Ruckus - Pontiac, The Nightbrink

It’s hard to believe I’ve only known of this band for two years, because it’s one of my favorites. It’s easy to find music to love, but not often you find music that blows everything else away, and that’s what Frontier Ruckus does, in such an unobtrusive way, like the gentle breath it takes to extinguish a candle’s flame.

The band’s folk style is in a class of its own, mostly due to its lyrical brilliance. It’s hard to say you’ve ever heard anything quite like it, and it will take you to a place you’ve never been, even if you have been there before. Milia’s vocals drape over guitar strums, banjo picks, horns and singing saw, the most beautiful thing this side of a desolate field under a blanket of snow. And just like that field of snow, it’s tempting to dive into Frontier Ruckus and get lost somewhere inside. I can’t say I haven’t.

Frontier Ruckus - Rosemont

Hear the band on New Year’s Eve during Mittenfest V. They take the stage at 1:05 a.m. (yes, after the ball drops) at Woodruff’s. Festival tickets are $7 a day or $25 for all four days, and proceeds benefit 826Michigan. A small price to pay, really, to be amazed.

 

RFC Thinks You Should Know... Gun Lake.

I was once told that I "turn conflict of interest into an artform". It should probably be noted that the person who said this was Matt Roney, RFC contributor and the bassist of an Ann Arbor four piece called Gun Lake. The fact that I party frequently with one of my writers is probably slightly scandalous (Also said that weekend was that even though we're all adults now, nothing's changed from the days of yore only now the girl passed out on Roney's couch is not just a random drunk chick, but rather his editor in chief.), as is the fact that not only do I support Roney's band, Gun Lake, with my love and adoration but I also sling their shirts, running the Gun Lake merch booth with an iron fist. If one person should probably not be trusted in telling you to go see Gun Lake, it's me because clearly I'm biased. But I'm biased with good reason: Gun Lake is the most amazing band in the Midwest.

Earlier this year, I almost quit music journalism. Part of the reason I didn't is documented on my editorial for Indie College on Frontier Ruckus but the abridged version is that when I moved back up to the mitten, I was devoid of the passion for music that had given me the drive to write. It wasn't long into my tenure in my homestate that the Michigan music scene single handedly saved my career, exposing me to a slew of amazing artists right in my own backyard and one of those musicians was Mark Fain, the singer-songwriter behind Gun Lake. The day I met Fain, at a Daredevil Christopher Wright show, I went home and listened to the four songs Fain had on myspace at the time and I was blown away. Gun Lake, at it's core, was deceptively simple folk songs, rendered from memories of a relationship gone by the wayside and possessing an unshakably haunting quality to them. It wasn't long after my discovery of Gun Lake that I was telling everyone I had ever met that they had to listen to this band. And it wasn't long after that that I found myself go through a break up that turned Gun Lake's songs from "gorgeous folk music I loved" to "gorgeous folk music I could feel", adding a whole new layer to my adoration of the band. Anyone who's ever found themselves unlucky enough in matters of the heart to relate to Okkervil River and Bon Iver will find a kindred spirit in Fain and his tales of heartbreak.

Gun Lake - June

In the time between my initial meeting of Fain, Gun Lake has gone from being virtually a solo project to becoming a full fledged band, with Roney on bass, Max Monson on drums, and Ryan O'Reilly on electric guitar, adding a layer of richness to flesh out the gorgeous framework Fain has supplied his band with. Not only has the band become a cohesive unit but they've also entered the studio to work on Balfour, their forthcoming debut, slated for February, working with Michigan superproducer Jim Roll, the man behind such RFC favorites as Frontier Ruckus and Chris Bathgate (and a member of Drunken Barn Dance!).

Gun Lake - Cliffhanger

RFC Thinks You Should Know... Chris Bathgate.

If you read RFC's CMJ preview or our twitter, you've probably picked up on my love of Midwestern music and the more astute of you have probably picked up on my love of one local Michigan musician in particular, Chris Bathgate. I'd never heard of Bathgate until I moved back to Michigan after a sabatical from the state that saw me make my way to Chicago for a fair few years, as well as Ohio before returning. I was hanging out with a friend one evening, splitting a pack of PBR in his living room and doing what it is that I do best: Talk about music. In betweens mentionings of such steadfast favorites as Dawes and Wilco and the National, my friend mentioned Chris Bathgate.

"Who's Chris Bathgate?"

"You've never heard of Bathgate?" His voice was rife with the shock and dismay that I knew so well because it's the same tone I take on when I incredulously learn that one of my good friends doesn't know something or someone I was most certain they loved.

After that night, I made certain to take note of this Bathgate fellow and, well, it sort of changed everything.

It's rare that I find a musician, particularly a Michigan musician, that has a fairly solid local following but has escaped my ear up until now. I don't like being a late bloomer when it comes to music, especially Michigan folk music, but here I was, way behind the curve so far as Bathgate was concerned.

Chris Bathgate - Madison House

From the opening notes of "Serpentine", the lead track on Bathgate's most recent album, A Cork Tale Wake, it's hard not to be taken. From the gentle piano, juxtaposed againt Bathgate's low voice, to the haunting melody of repeated "Oh's", "Serpentine" takes root in your brain and doesn't let go easily. Thankfully, many of A Cork Tale Wake's later tracks prove just as harrowing, with Bathgate's strong lyrics and placid melodies taking unexpected turns, painting strong visual images, from the crumbling relationship that "left a hole in the cold September dawn" (A lyric from the gorgeous lullaby of "Madison House") to the unshakable tragedy Bathgate frames perfectly with mournful keys and violin in "Do What's Easy", one of the most beautiful tracks I've heard in the past few years.

Smitten For Mittenfest!

I've been looking forward to Mittenfest since before it was announced. In fact, I might have been looking forward to Mittenfest since a few years back, when I was living in Chicago and found out that all my favorite acts from my homestate would all be gathering for the four day festival - And a dirt cheap price. This year, however, Mittenfest has become something more than it was to me, at least, featuring not only some of Michigan's best acts but also some of the best acts in indie music as a whole.

Earlier this year, I (along with everyone playing, running, or looking forward to Mittenfest) had a crushing moment of fear and disappointment when the 'fest's venue of choice, the wonderful Savoy in Ypsilanti, Michigan, closed it's doors due to some unforntunate circumstances that were no fault of the venue. My first thought was "But what about Mitttenfest?!" Thankfully, Woodruff's (36 East Cross Street, Ypsilanti) came into existence, opening it's doors and saving the day.

Mittenfest is taking place for four wonderful days, starting Thursday the 30th and wrapping up on January 2nd, and it costs a mere $7 a day or $25 for a full four day wristband, availible at the Liberty Street Robot Supply and Repair Company (115 East Liberty, Ann Arbor).

The acts I'm looking forward to seeing most are divided into two categories: Michigan bands I know and love and have seen countless times or bands I've heard a significant amount of buzz for but have never caught live before. With sixty bands playing the fest, it would be impossible for me to know them all as well as I do January 2nd's Lightning Love or Frontier Ruckus, who are headlining New Year's Eve. While I am quite anxious to see such tried and true Amber Valentine favorites as Gun Lake and Chris Bathgate (More on them tomorrow!), what has me really pumped about Mittenfest is as follows:

- Discovering new music. Despite being incredibly well versed in the Michigan scene, I can say with certainty that on day one, five of the fifteen acts playing. Given what solid music Mittenfest is known for bringing to Ypsi, I can say with just about complete certainty that acts like Matt Jones & The Reconstruction (Headlining day 1) and This Is Deer Country (Playing at 8:25 on the first day) will become new favorites of mine after the 'fest wraps up.

This Is Deer Country - Freight Train

- Seeing bands I like for the first time. Hey, you know who's awesome? Drunken Barn Dance! They're headlining the final day of the 'fest, playing right after my favorite band in the history of the world, Lightning Love, and despite the fact that they're awesome, I've yet to see them play! Same goes for Ypsi-by-way-of-Chicago's The Ultrasounds, who'll be gracing Woodruff's with their presence on Day 3 at 6:25.

Drunken Barn Dance - No Love

- New year's eve dance party. After Frontier Ruckus wrap up their sure-to-be impecable set, which starts at 1:05 a.m. on January 1st, DJ Chuck Sipperley takes the reigns to keep you movin' until Woodruff's forces you back into the frigid Michigan air. Last year, I had the best new year's ever... From what I can remember. This year, I aim to not only out-do last year but make New Year's 2010 look like a paltry snooze-fest in comparison to New Year's 2011. Watch out, Ypsilanti! Hide your booze and twenty-something bearded gentlemen! Amber Valentine is comin' out to drink your liquor and kiss your boys!

Watch RFC all the rest of this week for more special Mittenfest coverage - And then keep an eye out for some crazy review action and a slew of pics courtesy of myself and one mister Matt Roney, my partner in Mittenfest crime! For more motivation to trek to Ypsi for a fair few days, check out RFC's first post on Mittenfest from last month and check back tomorrow for spotlights on a few of my favorite Mittenfest acts. See you at Woodruff's!

Top Ten of 2010: Matt V's favorite albums

If you are interested in seeing my full Top 25 albums of 2010, check it out at Another Dying Artform.

#10  Lower Dens - Twin Hand Movement

Purchase Twin-Hand Movement here.

Read the original review here.

This album was truly the unexpected treasure of the year for me. When I first gave it a listen, I was struck by the reserved nature of the band and the power that was accrued from that ideal. Most recently as I started making my "Best Of" list, this album kept creeping up the ranks after each reshuffle. The entirety of Twin Hand Movement is like when someone speaks softly to you with conviction, so you have to lean in close to absorb every single word. The minor chords from the guitars chime like the echo of an alley as frontwoman Jana Hunter breathes life into her bereft lyrics. The stark nature of "Tea Lights", the sultry sway in "I Get Nervous" and the near pop shimmer on "Hospice Gates" are all glittering gems in this bountiful, newly discovered trove of riches.

Lower Dens - Hospice Gates

Top Ten of Twenty Ten: Clay's Picks

2010 was an interesting year for music. While 2009 saw many of my favorite artists release horrible albums, 2010 was full of excellent posthumous releases, cover albums, and downright suprises. From rap to country, indie to folk, classic psychedlic rock to pop-punk, 2010 was one of the most diverse years for music quality in recent memory. And while it wasn't littered with perfect albums, it took me a long time to select the albums for this list, and like every top ten list, there were some excellent albums I had to leave off. So without further ado, let's get on with it, shall we?

10. Magnetic Fields - Realism

Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind
“You want what you turned off turned on/You call it sunset, now it’s dawn/You can’t go ‘round saying stuff because it’s pretty/And I no longer drink enough to think you’re witty.” sings Stephen Merritt, chief songwriter of Magnetic Fields. It’s genius moments like these that permeate and define Realism, a wonderful little slab of indie-folk.

As usual Merritt’s vocals and instrumentals are heavily distorted but the lyrics are easy to decipher. Realism is a breath of fresh air for both folk and indie rock. The distortion compliments the folk aspects and keeps them feeling modern, while the folk helps keep the indie grounded enough in common sense that it avoids typical pratfalls.

You might recognize Merritt from his 1999 magnum opus 69 Love Songs. A massive three disc concept album about love songs. Realism also sticks to songs about relationships and love. What keeps Realism from getting repetitive and stale is the way Merritt approaches love from different angles. “You Must Be Out Of Your Mind” is about a guy who refuses to get back with an old flame who still has feelings for him, while “Seduced and Abandoned” is about exactly what it says on the title. None of these songs are personal though, instead they each encapsulate their own “reality”, hence the album title.

None of the songs on Realism are throwaway, and although Merritt’s style of writing fictional love songs instead of personal ones occasionally comes off as cold and distant, their tight composition and brilliant wit will win you over. Realism is the best kind of indie, conceptual, intelligent, but without pretension or ego. It’s a record you’ll feel cool showing to your friends, burning on a mix-tape for a loved one, or listening to alone. Stephen Merritt once again proves why he’s the king of love songs.

The Ferdy Mayne Return To The Midwest

It's always a bummer to lose an awesome member of your local scene to a different area of the country, even if it's pretty obvious that said member of your local scene is going to flourish elsewhere in a way they probably didn't here. That's exactly what happened to Ypsilanti, Michigan with The Ferdy Mayne when lead singer Shane Firek left Ypsi for the greener pastures of Nashville.

Yeah, The Ferdy Mayne totally belong in Nashville - One listen to any one of their songs will tell you that the band will have no problem fitting in perfectly in Tennessee but nevertheless, Ypsilanti got slightly less awesome when Firek vacated its city lines.

 

The Ferdy Mayne - You Wearin' Dresses

 

But good news kids! Now, for one night only, The Ferdy Mayne will be returning to the Midwest, playing Mr. Mike's in Ypsilanti, Michigan (1425 Ecorse Rd). Conveniently, this happens just a few short days before that Mittenfest we here at RFC have been squawking about so much! So all of you planning to hit the town for the four days of Mittenfest at Woodruff's might want to slate your venture into Ypsilanti a few days early to experience the best Nashville band you've never heard of. To top things off, The Ferdy Mayne will be joined by Steve Smalls, Medium Deep Rough, and Derby Mama - And believe it, you want to see Steve Smalls. You really do.

And while you're at it, you probably want to grab The Ferdy Mayne's entire debut on their bandcamp - It's awesome! And free!

Merry Christmas From RFC!

I might have mentioned previously that I'm sort of Scrooge McDuck when it comes to holiday music, much to the chagrin of the people around me. No, you won't hear Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" echoing from the speakers of my office (or, rather, the corner of the dining room where I house my computer). Instead, you'll hear the same sad, indie music you hear year 'round from this gal. Who needs "Little Drummer Boy" when you have "Westfall", am I right? Okay, maybe no one agrees with me. Regardless, if there's one thing Michigan is good for, other than producing a ton of amazing folk music, it's Suburban Sprawl, the yearly compilation that finds local Michigan artists contributing winter-themed songs that don't make me want to kick babies!

You can get the whole compilation at the above link, or you can just right click and save my two personal favorites...

Lighting Love - A Town Of Glass

On "Town of Glass", Lightning Love's third contribution to the Suburban Sprawl compilation series, the Ypsi kids do nothing less than give The Shins a run for their money with lackadaisically charming music and harmonies that would make anyone who specializes in male-female duets turn an attentive ear towards their speakers. Lyrically, the song is perfectly in step with lead singer Leah Diehl's past winter themed songs: You won't find anything Christmas cookie sweet here. Diehl focuses on the kind of winter I know best, the kind devoid of holiday cheer, instead singing lines like "Winter's not so nice here anymore, I wish things would go back the way they were before." Season depression? You're talkin' my language, Leah!

Personally, my favorite part of this tune is that guitarist Ben Collins seems to be taking the male vocals, whereas  Diehl's brother, drummer Aaron, was the dude voice present on Lightning Love's debut, November Birthday.

Sylvan Lanes - Christmas From A Deadmall

Don't be fooled by this "Sylvan Lanes" nonesense. The moniker is not only the name of a Detroit metro bowling alley but is also an alias for Matt Milia, frontman of RFC favorite Frontier Ruckus. It'll come as no surprise to anyone who knows me and my predilection for sad songs that this song, like "A Town Of Glass" before it, is less focused on the magic of Christmas than it is the intense loneliness and heartbreak the season can cause. Blame it on Michigan's dour weather, I guess.

Part of the appeal of "Christmas From A Deadmall", for me, lies in the fact that Milia, on this song, is doing what he does best: Name checking the landmarks of youth. From radio station 100.3 to Somerset mall, "Christmas From A Deadmall" plays out like a narrative of my adolescence, just like the rest of Frontier Ruckus's discography does, anchoring itself in the sad scenery of Detroit and it's surrounding suburbs. It's doubtless that Arcade Fire's The Suburbs is nothing less than a perfect soundtrack to life in the sprawl but for those of us with Detroit in our heart, Frontier Ruckus is unshakably perfect.

As for my favorite Christmas song that doesn't have roots in my homestate, check this gem out...

Aimee Mann and Michael Penn - Christmastime

Top Ten of Twenty Ten: Shani's Picks

Ok I had to. All the kids are doing it Mom! Again, I aim to entertain with this list, not to in any way persuade or convince. Its merely my favorite selection of efforts from the past year, as it would be damn near impossible to really nail down "the best". I'd also love to hear from RFC readers. What are your favorites that we missed? Why should we be listening to them? Resolve to email RFC in 2011 and let us know what you want to read about. Tell us about an upcoming show we should see, or a record we missed. We welcome it. And we love you. xx

1. LCD Soundsystem- This is Happening.

Sometimes we're lucky enough to witness genius. Sometimes this happens kinda often (see pick #3). James Murphy and company are upping the genius count. Making sense of intricacies in sound that have no business hanging out in the same room, confusing us, tugging at our hearts, and making us dance, long after we put 2010 to bed.

LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change

People Covering Christmas Songs I Love!

Those who know me even vaguely probably won't be surprised to learn that I'm kind of a Scrooge McDuck when it comes to holiday songs. It was just the other day that I was driving with my roommate, listening to Detroit's premier peddler of Holiday "cheer", 100.3 WNIC. Shocked at my grinch-ly attitude, she asked me, aghast, "What's better to make you forget how cold it is outside other than a doo wop group singing Christmas songs?!"

So, as a rebuttal, I have prepared a list of five things that are better than a doo wop group singing Christmas songs...

- The sobs of one thousand colick-y infants.

- Foxes engaging in sexual intercourse.

- Kesha... Oh, I'm sorry, I meant "Ke$ha".

- People with lung cancer coughing.

- And, finally, a doo wop group NOT singing Christmas songs.

Okay, maybe that's a little harsh but it gets my point across, right? Christmas music can suck it. But, that being said, even my "Bah Humbug" heart can't help but be warmed by Detroit natives The Kickstand Band taking on Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer's "There's Always Tomorrow".

The Kickstand Band - There's Always Tomorrow

JUST LISTEN TO IT! From start to finish, that song is so damn cute that not only do I want to cuddle their cutie pie lead singer but I just want to cry because I did not think that much "adorable" could be packed into two minutes. You know when the Grinch's heart grew three times in size from Christmas cheer? Well, thanks to The Kickstand Band, that's what just happened to me.

 

 

Top Ten of Twenty Ten - Bill's Picks.

It's that time again. Another year gone and another year of lamenting bad decisions with the help of whiskey. I mean...Another year ends with hard task of picking the top ten albums of the past twelve months. It's very hard for me to do top albums of the year. I feel that I don't have enough time to digest every release and form a solid list of great albums. Ask me to do a top ten of 2009 or 1997 and I can bust that out in no time. But these are the albums that made an instant and/or lasting impression on me this past year. There might be a few albums on here you might not expect, but I hope you check them out and enjoy them. Without further ado, I now cram my subjective opinions down your throat in the form of my top ten albums of 2010. In particular order:

10 - Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo

I never know how I’m going to receive a young singer/songwriter’s work. They’re younger than me. What would they possibly sing about that I could relate to? But  Avi Buffalo’s group of 19 year olds won me over with their debut release. Their Built to Spill guitar work and Shins-esque vocals may be off-putting to the most snotty of music-snobs (as I’m sometimes accused of being), but their teenage sensibilities are not dumbed-down for the sake of the casual listener. Though the lyrics and track titles can be a bit adolescent (Five Little Sluts), the execution of the music and the overall themes of the songs more than make up for the bit of high-school wit scattered throughout the record. “What’s It In For” is a song that anyone of any age group can relate to, regardless of your experiences in life. Give these young folks from Long Beach a listen and you might find yourself in the same mindset as I am.

Avi Buffalo - What's In It For

Top Ten of Twenty Ten: Abby’s Picks

With such a great year for music, choosing my top 10 albums of the year was a challenge. Suffice it to say, this list of my 10 favorites only grazes the surface of what 2010 had to offer, and after determining my final list, even I was a little surprised at the outcome (for example, I thought for sure the Drums would be on there somewhere, not to mention Caribou and the Moondoggies and … well, they didn’t make the list, so I’ll move on). Here’s what did make it on, and why they deserve it:

1. Frontier Ruckus - “Deadmalls and Nightfalls”
I can’t really say it any better than I did in the review on my blog earlier this year: “Matthew Milia's taut vocals tremble and glide through all 12 songs — over guitar, dobro, banjo, trumpet and drums, accompanied at times by a singing saw, harmonium and a creative-but-subtle array of other instruments. The stark imagery in the lyrics perfectly conjures a midwest mood with a romance for youth, nostalgia, dark winters and deserted places.” A staunch supporter of minimalism, I chose this album for the top spot for its brutally poetic lyrics and idyllic folk musicality. The pastoral charm of Frontier Ruckus is evocative and everlasting.

Springterror - Frontier Ruckus