Clif’s Top 20: #11 through #15

15. Broken Bells – Broken Bells: Brian Burton (AKA Danger Mouse) must have a horseshoe lodged somewhere in his anatomy, because the guy has an incredible string of collaborative albums in his relatively short career. Broken Bells represents his work  with James Mercer (The Shins). From the High Road to The Mall & Misery, there is not one bad track. Highlights include: The High Road, Vaporize, The Ghost Inside, and October. [Buy from eMusic]
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14. Vampire Weekend – Contra: The bar was set high for Vampire Weekend, the band that everyone wanted to hate (but still loved) in 2010. Yes, they are preppie Ivy Leaguers. Yes, they make cutsie pop tracks. Ahh, but they do it so well. I don’t know, you can’t put a premium on fun. That’s exactly what VW is to me–fun. Contra is a strong sophomore effort that builds off VW’s first, self-titled recording. Songs like Cousins and Holiday are the bridge to newer material like Giving Up the Gun, Diplomat’s Son, and I Think Ur A Contra. [Buy it at Amazon]
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13. Yellow Ostrich – The Mistress: If you’ve been reading the Dadada lately, this next selection comes as no surprise. I guess it was just a matter of where it would fall. Once Alex Schaaf’s solo project, Yellow Ostrich has expanded into a two person act, and they are making the rounds on the indie media circuit. They’ve been on a couple of couches, recorded on KEXP, and are leaking mp3s of cover songs that have since gone viral. The Mistress is an example of what internet-based distribution systems hold for artists. Most of these tracks are lo-fi, bedroom style recordings without the slick production that is typical of big label recordings. The album’s simplicity is its hallmark. Vocals drive the recording, a capella rhythms, exclamations (WHALE!), and odd timing structures (singing behind the rhythm), make this recording strangely attractive. If Vampire Weekend’s Contra is fun, The Mistress is controlled mania. Highlights include: WHALE, Hate Me Soon, Libraries, and Mary. [Purchase by naming your price here].
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12. Francois Peglau – The Imminent Failure of Francois Peglau: What if the Beatles and Deerhoof were able to breed and have a child of French/Peruvian descent who could speak Spanish as well as French, but made his mark singing in English. Confused? I think I am too… When I first heard Peglau’s debut solo album, I thought that he’d spent too much time listening to the White Album. I’ve listened to The Imminent Failure of Francois Peglau several dozen times now, and I feel completely different. Sure, the Beatles influence is there, but he has another post-modern dimension undergirding the whole album. The Imminent Failure… is full of jangly pop tunes that integrate psychedelia (Serge Gainsbourg comes to mind) and Indie rock devices typically incorporated by the likes of Wilco (circa Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) and Deerhoof. This is one of those albums that I let start again when it concludes, because I don’t mind hearing it repetitively throughout the day. Key tracks include: One Minute to Midnight Dream, Who Wants to Go?, Spring Lovers’ Song (si tu quieres), and Sunday’s Ukelele Song. [Pick it up for free on Peglau's Bandcamp site]
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11. The Tallest Man on Earth – Wild Hunt: Okay, so Kristian Matsson sounds a bit like Dylan. Let’s get over that. In his prime, Dylan was a clever chameleon who could turn a phrase like no one else. Matsson is a bit more gritty. This second effort shows a lot of growth from his first LP, Shallow Grave. His vocals are far more powerful and less strained. His guitar picking is more intricate and featured prominently on tracks like The Drying of the Lawns and Troubles Will Be Gone. His lyrics are poignant and inspiring as exemplified in Burden of Tomorrow. Folk musicians typically give a nod to those who preceded them. I believe that Mr. Dylan followed some guy named Woody. Matsson gives a nod to Mr. Dylan (hear King of Spain), but beyond that, he is his own man (if you will) on Wild Hunt. [Buy on eMusic]
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Clif’s Top 20: #16-20
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Cheers…