Best of 2009: 30 - 21

Numbers 30-31 of my favorite/the best albums of the year - enjoy!

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30: Deastro - Moondagger

Randolph Chabot, the man behind Deastro, is a sci-fi nerd with a love of synthetic-meets-organic electropop music. His debut, Moondagger, is such an excellent album because he takes all his quirks and uses them to create tunes that are unique, heartfelt, and very, very cool. (More from me)

MySpace


29: Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

Andrew Bird didn't make his best album with Noble Beast, but it may be his most adventurous effort and ultimately, it's a very rewarding experience. It's a sprawling record that has goes in many different directions, and the results are - more often than not - wonderful. (More from me)

MySpace


28: Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth

Songwriter Jesy Fortino's moniker, Tiny Vipers, may seem like a strange title at first glance, yet her meandering, delicate songs somehow fit such a name. Life on Earth is an emotionally powerful folk album that will certainly be a little sparse for some tastes, but for me it's truly captivating. (More from me)

Dreamer (MP3)

MySpace


27: Rock Central Plaza - ...At the Moment of Our Most Needing

Rock Central Plaza frontman Chris Eaton is really more of a storyteller than he is a a vocalist, but his roughly sung lyrics find a place in the often ornate yet gritty arrangements of his bandmates, and the result on their latest record is superb. An excellent and unfortunately overlooked folk album. (More from me)

(Don't You Believe the Words of) Handsome Men (MP3)

MySpace


26: The Thermals - Now We Can See

The fourth Thermals record is perhaps their most melodic and "pop" effort, but despite a little more introspection and less political commentary, they still know how to make a fantastic punk album. Now We Can See is my favorite from the Portland natives. (More from me)

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25: Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid

Dan Auerbach made a great album with Patrick Carney as The Black Keys in 2008, then turned around and made another amazing rock record under his own name this year. Of course it kinda sounds like a Black Keys album some of the time, but the breadth of styles here makes this Auerbach's own. (More from me)

MySpace


24: Rubik - Dada Bandits

Finnish indie-rockers Rubik were one of this year's best surprises for me. Their sophomore effort, Dada Bandits, is an experimentally-minded pop album that came - seemingly - out of nowhere, thrilling me upon first listen and just getting better the more time I spent with it. (More from me)

Wasteland (MP3)

MySpace


23: Atlas Sound - Logos

Logos is a great deal more expansive and compelling than its predecessor and just fantastic overall record, making Bradford Cox's Atlas Sound project the most interesting thing he's yet done (an opinion I know not everyone shares). Also, "Walkabout," with Noah Lennox, is one of this year's best tracks. (More from me)

Deerhunter/Atlas Sound homepage


22: Megafaun - Gather, Form and Fly

Megafaun - the group who used to record with Justin Vernon under the title DeYarmond Edison - have let everyone know that they're doing just fine without their former frontman, thank you very much. Gather, Form and Fly is a striking folk record with an intriguingly experimental edge that deserves every ounce of praise it has received. (More from me)

Kaufman's Ballad (MP3)

MySpace


21: Memory Tapes - Seek Magic

Dayve Hawk's Memory Tapes project finally saw a debut album, Seek Magic, released this year, and what a first effort it is - a beautifully crafted electronica album full of twists, turns, and just generally spectacular music. Not only one of the year's best debuts, but one of the year's more notable albums. (More from me)

Band Blog (with free tunes)

MySpace

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Review: Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid (* * * *)

Apparently, releasing one of the better rock records of 2008 wasn't cause enough for Dan Auerbach to take a break. The singer/guitarist, and one half of The Black Keys, is back already (this time without drummer Patrick Carney), making his solo debut with an LP entitled Keep It Hid. Last year's Black Keys full-length, Attack & Release, saw the duo expanding their gritty, blues-tinged rock 'n' roll with the help of Danger Mouse in the producer's chair. The results were generally fantastic, though a number of diehard fans were disappointed by the quirky flourishes and embellishments which were layered upon the band's signature guitar-and-drum attack. Here, Auerbach generally forgoes fancy studio trickery for a more traditional and straightforward blues sound, which he creates with help from a full backing band.

The decision for Auerbach to go solo for this record seemed a strange one to me, since I wasn't sure exactly how this would be significantly different from anything he'd done previously. As such, I was pleasantly surprised to find that, despite his unmistakable style, Keep It Hid is not simply a Black Keys record by any other name. The album is a sprawling collection of rock 'n' roll songs coming in all shapes and sizes; soulful ballads, raw rockers, and everything in between, connected by Auerbach’s unique presentation and gift for channeling the energy and spirit of classic rock.

"Trouble Weighs A Ton" starts things off on a melancholy note, with just acoustic guitar backing the brief, lonesome story. It's one of several subdued, gentle tunes on the album, along with the uncharacteristically tender "When The Night Comes" and the homesick closer "Goin' Home." The latter of which rolls along on banjo and slide guitar, demonstrating a side of Auerbach you may not have heard before. The quieter material suits him well, especially when balanced with the hard blues-rock he does best.

The second track, "I Want Some More," kicks things into a more familiar stomp. You'll think you've heard it before until Auerbach drifts into a spacey, touch-and-go solo for a minute before bringing the song back in focus. His exploration of guitar effects and styles is something of a theme throughout the album. Though none of the songs are longer than five minutes, Auerbach takes time to noodle around a bit more than usual, like during the long outro to "Heartbroken, In Disrepair" and the extended, fuzzed-out solo on "Streetwalker." He keeps the songs focused, though, and the majority of the attention is on his ever-impressive guitar riffs and earnest vocals, just shy of a primal howl. Songs like "Mean Monsoon," "When I Left the Room," and "The Prowl" are all swagger and dirty, distorted grooves that rock in the most pure sense of the word.

Keep It Hid succeeds primarily because of Auerbach’s style. The man exudes rock 'n' roll attitude like nobody in the business, and his guitar chops remain sharp throughout the record. It's obvious that Auerbach feels comfortable and confident with all of this material, and though one could argue that he's not stretching himself much here (and that may be true), he covers so much territory so gracefully that the album's songs feel like a revitalization of the rock genre, rather than just a retread of better days.

Though Keep It Hid offers nothing that could be considered groundbreaking, Dan Auerbach's talent as a musician and songwriter make for an exceptionally enjoyable rock 'n' roll album.

Dan Auerbach: album details, new song

After releasing one of the year's best records in 2008, one half of the Black Keys (the guitar/vocal half), Dan Auerbach, is taking a break from his bandmate and releasing a solo album, Keep It Hid, on February 10th. His debut features a full band for the majority of the tracks along with a few quieter blues numbers all of which showcase Auerbach's strong songwriting and thrilling guitar work. It's an instant rock 'n' roll classic, and you can get a listen by hearing "My Last Mistake" below.

My Last Mistake (stream)

Track list for Keep it Hid:

SIDE A
Trouble Weighs a Ton
I Want Some More
Heartbroken, In Disrepair
Because I Should
Whispered Words
Real Desire
When the Night Comes

SIDE B
Mean Monsoon
The Prowl
Keep It Hid
My Last Mistake
When I Left the Room
Street Walkin'
Goin' Home


Auerbach is also going on tour with backing band Hacienda:

Feb 28 - 9:30 Club - Washington DC, Washington DC
Mar 1 - Paradise Club - Boston, Massachusetts
Mar 2 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, New York
Mar 3 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, New York
Mar 5 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, Ohio
Mar 6 - Metro - Chicago, Illinois
Mar 7 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 10 - The Showbox - Seattle, Washington
Mar 11 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, Oregon
Mar 13 - Bimbo’s - San Francisco, California
Mar 14 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, California