Zany indie pop somewhere in the realm of Born Ruffians, but nowhere near as good. Opening track is awes, tho. (5.5/10)
(58) Slight Fountain - Hermit Thrushes (Joyful Noise)
Deadpan mathy folk rock? Some neat ideas rhythmically, but really quite boring. (6/10)
(59) Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship - Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship (Romantic Air)
Trippy song experiments by Zoos of Berlins' Trev + LTD (ex-Pas/Cal). Eerie and rhythm-heavy. (7.5/10)
(60) Assemble - Hi Red Center (Joyful Noise)
Very technical, all-over-the-place, sorta emo-y indie pop. Maybs like a more accessible Deerhoof? Pretty great. (7.5/10)
(61) Dark Dark Woods - Husband & Wife (Crossroads of America)
Bloomington, IN buds play dark, pretty slowcore with a Pedro the Lion-esque pop sensibility. (7/10)
(62) Here//There - Ilad (Syjip)
Imagine if Radiohead, old Wilco, and Tortoise had a child together. Eerie stuff with an awesome groove. Talented group. (6.5/10)
(63) High on Jackson Hill - Immaculate Machine (Mint)
Mediocre power pop from New Pornographers girl plus some people. Really bland and boring. (4.5/10)
(64) I Was a King - I Was a King (Control Group)
Pretty standard, noisy pop/rock. Not bad, but nothing remotely special by any means. (5/10)
(65) Post-Nothing - Japandroids (Polyvinyl)
Another loud, noisy, mediocre rock 'n' roll band. Cool guitar stuff, but whatever. Could use some bass, defs. (5.5/10)
(66) Watch Me Fall - Jay Reatard (Matador)
Really good, surprisingly somewhat diverse pop punk. I really like this record quite a bit. (8/10)
(67) Flowers - Joan of Arc (Polyvinyl)
Tim Kinsella and peeps do their usual, odd but emo-y thing, and it is bizarre and decent like always. (6/10)
(68) Begone Dull Care - Junior Boys (Domino)
Subtle, smooth 'n' sexy synth pop with some nice blip-bloopin' from these two Canadian dudes. This record RULES. (8.5/10)
(69) Tragic Boogie - The Life and Times (Arena Rock)
Allen Epley (ex-Shiner) and his latest space rock beast that sounds like Shiner. It's still really good. (7.5/10)
(70) Curse Your Branches - David Bazan (Barsuk)
FKA Pedro the Lion's new full length, and IMO his lyrics are not up to snuff and it is boring. Disappointment. (5.5/10)
(71) Black River Killer EP - Blitzen Trapper (Sub Pop)
B.T. seem to have dropped their sloppiness and are content doing the southern rock thing. Not as into it. (6/10)
(72) by- - Bygones (Sargent House)
Hella's Zach Hill and dude from Tera Melos do a much more melodic version of Hella or Marnie Stern. It kind of rules. (7/10)
(73) Bay of Pigs EP - Destroyer (Merge)
The 13 minute subtle disco epic, "Bay of Pigs" is Bejar's best song in a while. The other song is nice and boring. (7/10)
(74) LP - Discovery (XL)
Ra Ra Riot/Vamp Weekend synth-heavy electronic pop collab. The obnoxiousness outweighs the few good parts there are. (6/10)
(75) Time to Die - The Dodos (Frenchkiss)
Not really expanding too much on their experimental, polyrhythmic folk sound, but somehow they do it better here. (7/10)
(76) I'm Going Away - The Fiery Furnaces (Thrill Jockey)
After a few off albums, The Fiery Furnaces return with this much less overbearing, zany little pop gem. (7/10)
(77) The Ruminant Band - Fruit Bats (Sub Pop)
A really solid pop record, slightly of the psychadelic 60s kind. That's all this is. (7/10)
(78) Aim and Ignite - fun. (Nettwerk)
Really wanted to like this Format/Steel Train/ex-Anathallo collab, but it's a bit too dramatic and the vocals way too nice. (5/10)
(79) Waterparks - Alec Jensen (Phi Slamma Jamma)
My friend and bandmate is a lo-fi pop whiz kid. His latest solo full length is the best thing he's done yet. (8/10)
(80) Survival Strategies in a Modern World - Liechtenstein (Slumberland)
Swedish female trio. Simple, noisy, reverb-y, punk-y indie pop, not too unlike Vivian Girls. But maybs better. (8/10)
(81) Dear John - Loney Dear (Polyvinyl)
Bland and boring pop dude who puts out one good song per record. Shrug. (5.5/10)
(82) The Floodlight Collective - Lotus Plaza (Kranky)
Other Deerhunter dude, Lockett Pundt and his purely shoegaze project. Songs go nowhere, but are full and BEAUT. (7.5/10)
(83) Josephine - Magnolia Electric Co. (Secretly Canadian)
Mostly boring but pretty country rock. I've always wanted to like these dudes but I just can't do it. (6/10)
(84) Tea Tornado - Marmoset (Joyful Noise)
Sparse, sorta noisy, bland indie pop that lacks what most pop bands' strong suit is: MELODY. I don't like this at all. (4/10)
(85) Grand - Matt & Kim (Fader)
I really do not want to like this obnoxious boy/girl/keyboard/drums duo, but there are too many good songs here. (7/10)
(86) The Mountain - Heartless Bastards (Fat Possum)
Fairly loud and ballsy country-tinged rock 'n' roll that actually is quite good. (6.5/10)
(87) Catacombs - Cass McCombs (Domino)
Another record that I really wanted to like this year. Really pretty folk-pop that gets a little bland. (6/10)
(88) No More Stories... - Mew (Columbia)
Spacey indie pop that's way more interesting than I anticipated. I don't love this record, but it pleasantly surprised me. (7/10)
(89) Jewellery - Micachu & the Shapes (Rough Trade)
Short, sweet and noisy A.D.D. pop songs for fans of the likes of Deerhoof and whatnot. Not bad at all. (6.5/10)
(90) (a)spera - Mirah (K)
Orchestrated yet somehow sparse female pop. I was hoping this to be just a wee louder, but it lacks nothing in beauty. (7/10)
(91) No One's First and You're Next EP - Modest Mouse (Epic)
A collection of b-sides from the last few years. Only three songs from the Good News... sessions rule hard. (6/10)
(92) Hymn to the Immortal Wind - Mono (Temporary Residence)
Ugh. Incredibly dramatic, boring as hell instrumental post-rock. Total snoozer. (3/10)
(93) Years of Refusal - Morrissey (Lost Highway)
I don't think I will ever care about Morrissey's solo records. Not that this is bad, it's just nothing special. (6/10)
(94) Wind's Poem - Mount Eerie (P.W. Elverum & Sun)
Lo-fi, noisy experimental folk. I've never been able to get entirely into P. Elverum, and this is still the case. (5.5/10)
(95) Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band - Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band (Dead Oceans)
Loud, upbeat, emo-y indie rock with classic rock guitarmonies. Not sure where the hype came from. (5/10)
(96) Desktop 12" EP - Desktop (Suburban Sprawl)
Pop Project/Electric Six collab w/ Zach Curd as MVP. S. Wonder, New Order and Junior Boys as kindred spirits. (7.5/10)
(97) ...And the Ever Expanding Universe - The Most Serene Republic (Arts & Crafts)
Layered, relatively spastic and complex indie pop that is surprisingly good. (7/10)
(98) Get Guilty - A.C. Newman (Merge)
I still really like The New Pornographers for the most part, but in essence, I am so over this dude's bland pop. (5.5/10)
After a few off albums, The Fiery Furnaces return with this much less overbearing, zany little pop gem. (7/10)
(77) The Ruminant Band - Fruit Bats (Sub Pop)
A really solid pop record, slightly of the psychadelic 60s kind. That's all this is. (7/10)
(78) Aim and Ignite - fun. (Nettwerk)
Really wanted to like this Format/Steel Train/ex-Anathallo collab, but it's a bit too dramatic and the vocals way too nice. (5/10)
(79) Waterparks - Alec Jensen (Phi Slamma Jamma)
My friend and bandmate is a lo-fi pop whiz kid. His latest solo full length is the best thing he's done yet. (8/10)
(80) Survival Strategies in a Modern World - Liechtenstein (Slumberland)
Swedish female trio. Simple, noisy, reverb-y, punk-y indie pop, not too unlike Vivian Girls. But maybs better. (8/10)
(81) Dear John - Loney Dear (Polyvinyl)
Bland and boring pop dude who puts out one good song per record. Shrug. (5.5/10)
(82) The Floodlight Collective - Lotus Plaza (Kranky)
Other Deerhunter dude, Lockett Pundt and his purely shoegaze project. Songs go nowhere, but are full and BEAUT. (7.5/10)
(83) Josephine - Magnolia Electric Co. (Secretly Canadian)
Mostly boring but pretty country rock. I've always wanted to like these dudes but I just can't do it. (6/10)
(84) Tea Tornado - Marmoset (Joyful Noise)
Sparse, sorta noisy, bland indie pop that lacks what most pop bands' strong suit is: MELODY. I don't like this at all. (4/10)
(85) Grand - Matt & Kim (Fader)
I really do not want to like this obnoxious boy/girl/keyboard/drums duo, but there are too many good songs here. (7/10)
(86) The Mountain - Heartless Bastards (Fat Possum)
Fairly loud and ballsy country-tinged rock 'n' roll that actually is quite good. (6.5/10)
(87) Catacombs - Cass McCombs (Domino)
Another record that I really wanted to like this year. Really pretty folk-pop that gets a little bland. (6/10)
(88) No More Stories... - Mew (Columbia)
Spacey indie pop that's way more interesting than I anticipated. I don't love this record, but it pleasantly surprised me. (7/10)
(89) Jewellery - Micachu & the Shapes (Rough Trade)
Short, sweet and noisy A.D.D. pop songs for fans of the likes of Deerhoof and whatnot. Not bad at all. (6.5/10)
(90) (a)spera - Mirah (K)
Orchestrated yet somehow sparse female pop. I was hoping this to be just a wee louder, but it lacks nothing in beauty. (7/10)
(91) No One's First and You're Next EP - Modest Mouse (Epic)
A collection of b-sides from the last few years. Only three songs from the Good News... sessions rule hard. (6/10)
(92) Hymn to the Immortal Wind - Mono (Temporary Residence)
Ugh. Incredibly dramatic, boring as hell instrumental post-rock. Total snoozer. (3/10)
(93) Years of Refusal - Morrissey (Lost Highway)
I don't think I will ever care about Morrissey's solo records. Not that this is bad, it's just nothing special. (6/10)
(94) Wind's Poem - Mount Eerie (P.W. Elverum & Sun)
Lo-fi, noisy experimental folk. I've never been able to get entirely into P. Elverum, and this is still the case. (5.5/10)
(95) Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band - Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band (Dead Oceans)
Loud, upbeat, emo-y indie rock with classic rock guitarmonies. Not sure where the hype came from. (5/10)
(96) Desktop 12" EP - Desktop (Suburban Sprawl)
Pop Project/Electric Six collab w/ Zach Curd as MVP. S. Wonder, New Order and Junior Boys as kindred spirits. (7.5/10)
(97) ...And the Ever Expanding Universe - The Most Serene Republic (Arts & Crafts)
Layered, relatively spastic and complex indie pop that is surprisingly good. (7/10)
(98) Get Guilty - A.C. Newman (Merge)
I still really like The New Pornographers for the most part, but in essence, I am so over this dude's bland pop. (5.5/10)
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