(Carpark)
Anyone who has read a music blog in the last two years knows who this guy is and I have to say the hype is completely justified for once, "Underneath the Pine" is an album that shows massive range and has some of the funkiest beats this side of the seventies, particularly in "Still Sound" and "New Beat"
- fave track: Still Sound
(Columbia)
Alex Turner's bessie mate put out a solid album, first single "Come Closer" was chosen as the song for the Arthur's Day ad campaign which suggest he has a knack for uptempo catchy pop which he does, but it's when he channels the spirit of Marc Bolan on "My Fantasy" that he really hits the heights.
- fave track: My Fantasy
(Domino)
If you like your indie rock to jangle like early Johnny Marr/The Smiths you'll like this, it's quite a hypnotic album as well you'll find the songs stuck in your head on a loop before too long.
- fave track: It's Real
(Split Records)
Rob Jones is a one man music machine from the Midlands in the UK and his second album sounds like a dude having great fun in his bedroom (not like that). His knack for melody is only matched by his ability to create some cool dreamy music, it's hard to pick a favourite from this album when everything on it is so good.
- fave track: To The Height Of A Frisbee
(Quite Scientific)
Dale Eanhardt Jr Jr are a duo from Detroit who have named themselves after Dale Earnhardt Jr who Nascar fans will recognise. They manage to mix pop hooks, loops and cool harmonies that will make you wonder why others can't do it as good.
- fave track: Vocal Chords
(Music Is For Losers)
Richie Egan's solo albums keeping getting better and better. The only problem I have with this album is that "Scorpio" is such an amazing song, and in this iTunes age, is so easy to just put on repeat after repeat, that it took me ages to take in the album fully as a whole, but when I did I wasn't disappointed.
- fave track: Scorpio
(Domino)
Beck produced the first post Pavement reunion release from Malkmus and they've created an album that contains more great hooks than a fishing tackle store (I'm getting tired...) and also some of his best and freshest sounding songs in a long long while
- fave track: Stick Figures In Love
(dBpm)
I know what you're thinking, Mick hasn't put the Wilco album in the top ten, what the hell is going on? Well it's straightforward enough, even though they've written some of their best songs in a long time, particularly of a rocking variety "I Might", Standing O" and "Dawned on Me", the album didn't really click with me, which means I'll probably end liking this a lot more in a few months time if past experiences with Wilco albums are anything to go by.
- fave track: I Might
(DefJam)
Evryone's favourite TV house band released an amazing album towards to the end of the year, which believe it or not is inspired by a Sufjan Stevens song "Redford" and is pretty much the Roots doing what the Roots do really well and that should be enough for you to go and listen to it.
- fave track: Tip the Scale
(Nonesuch)
The Black Keys are Dan Auerbcah and Patrick Carney and have followed up last years fantastic album "Brothers" with an even tighter, more polished, more rock album "El Camino". If you like your blues and rock combined this is the album for you, every song is extremely catchy so get ready to hear them on every promo, ad or trailer that's made in the next year or so.
- fave track: Nova Baby
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