Disclaimer: I realize my taste in music is a bit questionable at times. Don't judge.
25. The Lady Killer - Cee Lo Green
You've all heard the song. You all know every word. You all saw his ridiculous bird outfit at the grammy's. While "Fuck You" obviously stands out as the hit, the rest of the album is pretty solid. Check out "It's OK"
24. Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
I'm a sucker for pop music. I am forced to listen to top 40 radio at work all day and sometimes I don't hate it. Katy Per
ry's songs are ALWAYS stuck in my head. Even the ones I hated are catchy as hell. I'm pretty sure "Peacock" is about a penis a
nd I still find myself singing it aloud. This is just a fun windows-down-sun-shining kind of album.
23. Tourist History - Two Door Cinema Club
The first track "Cigarettes In The Theatre" sounds a lot like Vampire Weekend...which isn't a bad thing. I checked out this band because they were playing a show in RI at The Met that I wanted to go to. I never made it to the show but bought the album anyway. It has gotten a decent amount of listens and I'll definitely be sure to check them out if they ever make it back here.
22. You Get What You Give - Zac Brown Band
I have very fond memories of ZBB from TRB Niner. I had a blast rocking out on lido until all hours of the night. Then ZBB got HUGE. I saw them last summer at Tweeter (or Great Woods or Comcast Center...whatever you call it) and from what I remember, it was great. A little too much tailgating made for a very fuzzy show. There are songs on this album that I LOVE but there's a few that really just don't do it for me. "Knee Deep" makes me wish I was on vacation indefinitely. If this album consisted of only "Colder Weather" on repeat, I'd be happy. All in all, a solid album but not as stellar as I was expecting.
21. Habits - Neon Trees
Sometimes when a song gets as much radio play as "Animals", it's hard to like it. I heard the song before 92ProFM started playing it over and over and over again and I still get excited when it comes on. The album is fun all the way through with "1983", "Sins Of My Youth" and "In The Next Room" being my favorites.
Neon Trees also put out a christmas single "Wish List' that got a lot of play on my holiday playlist last year. If it wasn't for the jingle bells, it could be easily mistaken for just another song on the album.
Another treat for you: a Neon Trees mashup cover of Justin Bieber & Ben E. King.
20. The Incredible Machine - Sugarland Jennifer Nettles rapping is probably one of the funniest things I've ever heard....and I love it. You'll hear it quite a bit on this album. "I am not perfect, but I know I'm worth it and I gotta believe there has to be a you for every girl like me" is my favorite lyric from the entire album. I'm not going to get into my love life in detail but let's just say that it's not good. Sometimes a girl just needs a song that makes her feel like she's not alone. "Little Miss" is another favorite off the record. The video for "Stuck Like Glue" is also hilarious.
19. Nearer the Earth - Honeychild
I think we can all agree that the best kind of music is FREE music. This was another Music is Golden find. (Ben owes me for all the free publicity) "Driving Song" is exactly that....a driving song. If you'll notice, my favorite stuff is best enjoyed driving on a sunny 70 degree day (this is rare in New England) with the windows down and radio blasting. This album is perfect for that. No excuses - now go download the album for free here.
18. Hands All Over - Maroon 5
Just yesterday I heard "Never Gonna Leave This Bed" on the radio and said to myself that Maroon 5 never disappoints me. Then again, I never really set the bar too high. I won Songs About Jane from WBRU (definitely my favorite RI radio station) what seems like 10 years ago (2002, maybe?). Since then, I've always looked forward to their album releases. There's just something about Adam Levine's voice that I love. It helps that he's pretty damn sexy, too. (have you seen the Misery video???) According to my iTunes, "Just A Feeling" had quadruple the plays that the rest of the album did and I believe it. That track definitely stands out for me. "Out of Goodbyes" with Lady A ends the album on a great note too.
17. My World 2.0 - Justin Bieber
Before you X out the page, just hear me out. The kid is TALENTED. He's got such a good heart too, which makes it that much better. (I say this like I know him personally....haha). I was obsessed with his song "Eenie Meenie" with Sean Kingston and would watch the video over and over again on youtube before I finally caved and bought the album. I have recently become a total fangirl and I watch anything that he has to do with (which is TONS lately). Believe me, I don't think his music is groundbreaking or anything...but at least he can sing and actually play a few instruments. This is more than most popular artists can say these days. Bieber Fever is spreading like the plague. I'm not gonna lie, I want to see his movie and will do so as soon as I can find someone my age who will actually pay to sit through it with me. If you're still skeptical, watch this SNL skit. Tina Fey explains bieber fever way better than I can.
16. Between the Sounds - The Candles Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers (shocked I haven't mentioned them yet?) played a very rainy radio festival in Newburyport, MA this summer with The Candles. The band was super nice and great to work with. For a few weeks after the show, Between the Sounds didn't leave my CD player in my car. I saw them again last weekend opening up for The Alternate Routes and they were just as great as I remembered. The first 3 tracks are my favorites.
15. I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart - Butch Walker & The Black WidowsButch Walker is one of the best live performers I have ever seen. That being said, sometimes when someone is that great live it doesn't translate as well in the studio. Not the case with Butch. He has been doing this a long time and obviously knows what he's doing. The super catchy "She Likes Hair Bands" gets the most play off the album for me. "I kinda dance like I've been shot in the leg before" makes me laugh every time. "Be Good Until Then" reminds me of a modern, better version of "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen."
14. The Suburbs - Arcade FireI'm sure you don't need me to introduce you to Arcade Fire now that they've won a Grammy for this album.
While it's not for everyone, I think his voice is great. This album is so simple and it works. He doesn't need much more than his voice and a guitar (or piano in the case of "Kids on the Run") to get his point across.
I've been listening to Guster for years and they haven't really changed much but I love that about them. Thanks to twitter, I got a free download of "Bad Bad World" before the album was released. It incorporated everything I loved about Guster and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the record. When I did, the first song "Architects & Engineers" had me hooked. I love how they brought in the banjo on "Hercules" too. How can you say no to banjo?
I always forget how amazing Tyrone is until I see him live. Tyrone does not look like you would expect him to. He's a yodeling, tall, bald, white man. He's definitely a romantic and it shows in his music but obviously there's nothing wrong with that. This is a really cute (I can't think of another way to describe it) acoustic album. Someday I hope I find someone like Tyrone to write songs about me. "You are the girl that's been running around in my dreams" isn't exactly an original idea but he makes it sound like it's the first time I've ever heard someone use those words. It's also got a great cover of Kings Of Leon's "Use Somebody"
I am not a huge fan of The Killers. I like them but never got into them as much as everyone else did. I heard a lot of good things about Flamingo and loved hearing "Crossfire" on the radio (I swear I don't listen to the radio that much...just at work) so I figured I'd check it out. I'm so glad I did. Jenny Lewis is featured on "Hard Enough" and it's definitely the song that stands out most for me. "Swallow It" is a little weird but whatever. Haha.
The title song was pretty much my anthem for last summer. Lady A clearly cleaned up at the Grammy's and they definitely deserve it. It's a solid radio-friendly country/pop record. While I like their first release better, Need You Now doesn't disappoint. The chemistry between Hillary & Charles is fantastic. I love that they use the phrase "Love my heart all busted up" in "Love This Pain." As my friend said, "Stars Tonight" sounds like it should be on the soundtrack to the next High School Musical movie. I can totally see it.
I have to admit, the first time I heard Local Natives I thought they were weird. Now that I've listened a lot more, I know they're weird but I totally dig it. They have this crazy energy that translates through every song. They collaborate on everything and it makes the sound so much stronger. I love when that drum beat comes in on "Who Knows Who Cares." There's so many different layers to that song, yet it's so carefree. I love it. I definitely need to get to a Local Natives show if they ever make their way to the northeast.
This is a true American rock & roll band. I am so glad Sixthman added them on The Rock Boat. I had no idea who they were but when they got announced, I went to their website to check them out. One listen and I fell for their sound. It felt like they could've been successful 30 years ago. I was shocked to learn that this was their debut album. Sadly, due to scheduling conflicts and an unexpected blackout in Mexico that required a few hours of recovery, I only caught one of their sets on the boat. Songs like "Heart Like A Wheel" and "Hail Hail" stick out because they're fun and upbeat but they really nailed it when they ended the show with "Pure Mountain Angel." The vocals really shined.
Tim Warren is one of my favorite people ever. He's one of the nicest musicians I've ever met and has one of my favorite voices. They are one of the bands I could see night after night and never get bored. I always find that they are so much better live than what comes through on their studio albums. A Sucker's Dream was one of my top albums of 2009 and still gets a lot of play now. I hadn't seen AR for a while before TRB this January so I hadn't really heard any of their new stuff off of Lately. How can you not love an album that starts off with a song that includes the lyrics "I'm drunk on the dance floor, carry me home"? It's like Tim is speaking to us. Haha. While not as strong as A Sucker's Dream, Lately is still great. "Rocking Chair" is a great sing along and we all know I love to sing along.
Ry opened up a few shows for SK6 last fall (after touring with Maroon 5) & I was lucky enough to be there for them. Before I saw him, I had only heard "Some Kind of Love", which I really liked, but just never got around to checking out more of his stuff. I wish I had done it sooner. The day after he played Tupelo in NH, I had a long lonely drive to NJ. I didn't listen to anything other than this album the whole way. Australian surfer-turned-musician, his laid back personality definitely shows in his music. There is not one song I skip over. "Tearing Me Apart" and "Chemistry" are my upbeat faves. I actually changed my mind while writing this and moved him higher up on my list. The video for "Always Remember Me" is HOT.
Ry is a bit of an odd duck, but he was super nice. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for him in the future.
As you may have noticed, I'm not into women musicians but I save a spot in my heart for Sara Bareilles. I can't believe she hasn't released an album since 2007. I'd be upset if it wasn't for the fact that Kaleidoscope Heart was totally worth the wait. "King of Anything" is a powerful fuck you song that I find myself quoting way more than I should. While I love them all, "Uncharted", "Hold My Heart" and "Say You're Sorry" are at the top of my list. I just found out she's coming to Lupo's in April and I've already got my ticket. Can't Wait.
Now that I told you I don't like female musicians, here's another one. Taylor Swift writes hits. That's just what she does. I don't care if all her songs are about the same thing because they are GOOD. Before the album came out, I remember being in the car with my dad driving up to see my uncle's band in Boston and scanning the radio for "Mine" because I knew it would be on at least one station. I love how much "Dear John" sounds like John Mayer actually wrote it. She did such a great job with that song and getting her point across. She obviously doesn't care if people know she's singing about them...and she shouldn't...because she's awesome. I have tickets to see her this summer and it's extra exciting because Needtobreathe is opening up the tour!
So even though SK6 didn't release an album in 2010, you knew I had to sneak them in somewhere. Sam "Steamer" Getz has a side project with some buddies back home. Sam is the newest addition to the sixers and he quickly won me over with his pedal steel and Charlie Kelly impersonations. When I found out he was coming out with an album, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It is everything I am loving about music right now. It has a very americana/folk feel to it. I will probably never get to see The Vig play a full show live and that makes me sad. I did get to hear Sam play "Gonna Be Alright" at a Sixertown set and it was awesome. He obviously isn't used to being a front man and that's okay because his guitar playing makes up for it. They also threw "Impatient Man" into the Holiday show setlists which was fun. Just so you know, that song was written before he got his nickname...which makes it even funnier. In addition to those two, "12 Round Boardwalk Blues" and "The Scars" are the faves.
If you ever make it past "Trying to Try", you will find a bunch of other fantastic songs on this album too. I know it's tough, but you can do it. I watched this youtube video for "Right, Right Now" SO many times before I somehow ended up with the audio from it.
I'd like to thank the rest of the artists from the Sixthman Sessions that year for giving Boots the boost he needed to make another solo record. If this song doesn't do it for you, then I don't know what will. I have watched Boots grow as a musician over the years. I remember watching him as a chubby, curly-haired drummer just singing backup when SK forced him to. His voice has gotten so much stronger, he now plays mandolin and banjo, and although he's gotten skinnier...somehow his pants have gotten tighter. Other than "Right Right Now" & "Grow" at the Sixthman Sessions set, I've only heard "Trying to Try" a few times at Sixertown/Holiday shows. He will be opening up for Pat McGee in a few weeks and no doubt about it, I WILL BE THERE. Oh, and I like hearing him say he's gonna "steal your fuckin' girlfriend" in "The Killing Kind." If you're a fan of Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, definitely pick up a copy of POE (and a copy of The Vig album) at the next show you go to. You will not be disappointed.
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