Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #1 - The Black Angels

Why I Decree it to Be So:

As soon as I heard Phosphene Dream, I knew The Black Angels had claimed the number one record. True, it was probably fated to be my favorite record of the year, given how much I adore The Black Angels. But not even I could have predicted just how much I would love Phosphene Dream. It is record number three for my favorite time-traveling lovers of all things psych and holy, and it might just be my favorite. Right away, the disarmingly delicious drone draws you in in the form of "Bad Vibrations." Shit starts to get crazy around three minutes and twenty seconds in, when Alex Maas yelps and the guitars explode into an assault of pure noisy ecstasy. On "Yellow Elevator #2" the band officially blew my mind, not only with the super sexy bassline but the breathtaking harmonizing and the daze tha ensues as the song reaches its ending. It's brilliant. And what follows this little piece of spiritual awareness? Only what could be called a pop song (well, as pop as The Black Angels are likely to get). "Sunday Afternoon" is fast and catchy and calls to mind images of go-go dancers in Nancy Sinatra-approved boots shaking and whirling in their mod minis. Title track "Phosphene Dream" will probably blow out your speakers if you listen to it loud enough, but with all that heavy, heavy soul going on, odds are you won't mind. The band pulls another pop song out of the hat in the undeniable "Telephone," with that great organ sound wrapped in that mess of delightful noise. Phosphene Dream says goodnight with the magnetic, masterful "The Sniper," all molasses-thick and impossible to ignore. Oh, but before it ends it gets faster. And harder to ignore. This is The Black Angels at their absolute finest. They prove once again that they will out-drone, out-loud, and out-psych anyone and everyone. End of story.

mp3: Bad Vibrations (The Black Angels from Phosphene Dream)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #2 - Lower Dens

Why I Decree it to Be So:

I'll tell you a little something, you foxy foxes, Lower Dens really knows how to put the charm in Charm City. Twin-Hand Movement is a masterpiece, pure and simple. And as a side note, it also makes for some pretty fine mood music. I suppose that's neither here nor there, but believe you me, 'tis true. To me, Lower Dens made one of 2010's most beautiful, most atmospheric, and most incandescent records. There's stuff going on here that is incomprehensible in its loveliness. The seductive, hazy lo-fi tones of "Tea Lights," for example, or the heart-stopping, slow-motion trap that is the impeccable "I Get Nervous." Perhaps you'll be snagged by "Rosie," which begins ever so slowly and gently, whispering coyly in your ear before, a minute or so later, it expands and rushes into a jumble of lushness. It's nigh on impossible not to hear "Truss Me," a song scented with the perfume of a velvet midnight in the pulsating, sweet height of summer, and not want to kiss someone. Even now, oh so many listens in, this album knocks me out. If you don't own this record yet, don't let yourself go another day without it. It really is that good.

mp3: Blue & Silver (Lower Dens from Twin-Hand Movement)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #3 - Weekend

Why I Decree it to Be So:

The manner in which I fell in love with the Weekend album Sports was rather unusual. For the first few listens, I only listened to "Coma Summer." Then, I only listened to "Youth Haunts." And then, only "Monday Morning." Every few days it was a different song. And every few days, I fell deeper down the Weekend rabbit hole. Sports is an almost unfathomably wonderful record, my little warm fuzzies. There is a richness to it, a warmth, this despite the cutting precision and decimating distortion that courses through its veins. My first love, "Coma Summer," is an epic mess of the aforementioned distortion, along with muddy vocals and an unrelenting exuberance. Contrast that with "Youth Haunts," a haunting echo of a song very much akin to those LET favorite sons A Place To Bury Strangers with a cruel crackle and raging bull aggression. A few songs later, along comes "Age Class," building a wall of hypnotic, monotonous drum beat with a whole lot of increasingly loud, ferocious guitar riffs. And "End Times," well, that might be my most favorite of a record of favorites. There's a hint of the pop meets post punk of early Joy Division to it, and it practically bounces off the walls. The way Weekend constructed these songs is nothing short of magical. Sports is magnificent I tell you. Simply magnificent.

mp3: Coma Summer (Weekend from Sports)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #4 - The Love Language

Why I Decree it to Be So:

My oh my, how I do so love love love The Love Language. I adored their self-titled debut and was convinced they couldn't possibly get any better. But lo and behold, along came Libraries. And somehow, wouldn't you know it, The Love Language bested themselves. They lost a little of the lo-fi crackle between then and now, but each song on Libraries has that same lazy summer haze feel to it. Album opener "Pedals" explodes from a sultry slow burn into a starburst of sound behind the prettily plaintive vocals of ringleader Stuart McLamb. "Brittany's Back" brings the Carolina backyard dance party vibe like nobody's business. "Summer Dust" and "Anthrophobia" were made for slow dancin' and "Heart To Tell" just screams dancefloor frolics. Libraries also boasts one of the best lines of the year: "I'm no sailor/I want to rock the boat" (from "Heart To Tell"). Classic. McLamb's wonderful lyrics abound, proving once more than he has a knack for the forlorn and the lovesick. Just call him the patron saint of the lovelorn. Libraries is utterly, totally swoon-worthy.

mp3: Heart To Tell (The Love Language from Libraries)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #5 - Beach House

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Right from the get-go, Teen Dream is gorgeous. “Zebra” opens the record in magnificent fashion, dreamy and transcendent, probably the most glorious song ever written in homage to one of nature’s most unique creatures. Not only do I love this song, but I love Beach House for writing a song inspired by those brilliant stripes. “Silver Soul” is languidly seductive, with that warm, glowing guitar and gentle, steady beats. It’s a song to which a boy should catch the gaze of his beloved from across the room at a house party, in slow-motion, of course. Totally, incomprehensibly, spectacularly hypnotic. I just love the layers, the beautiful, decadent sonic layers that comprise each and every song on this record. It comes at you from all angles, wrapping around you in a heavenly swirl, creating an utterly disarming and magical effect. Listening to Teen Dream is somewhat akin to listening to musical interpretations of the best days of your life captured on record by people you’ve never met, yet who hit the nail on the head with exquisite accuracy. “Walk In The Park”, for example, took my breath away the first time I heard it. It’s stunning, simple as. And “Used To Be”? It’s just about alive with a glittering, gossamer glory. Is this a record wherein life is but a dream, and everything comes up roses all day every day? Of course not. But the music, o the music. It sure could fool you into thinking we do indeed live in a perfect world. I hereby testify that this record is a little slice of heaven, believe you me. Teen Dream is a thing of beauty, my friends. But then, you probably already knew that. I might be a little slow on the draw, but I am here today to sing the praises of Beach House from sea to shining sea. If you, like me, were a little behind the times when it comes to Beach House, do not despair. The mere acquisition of Teen Dream will make it all ok. (SEE MORE)

mp3: Norway (Beach House from Teen Dream)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #6 - Beach Fossils

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Beach Fossils has a lo-fi feel to the production, reminding me a little of those great albums that came out of New Zealand and the UK in the early 80s. In fact, Beach Fossils at times remind me just a touch of The Clean, seminal Kiwi indie popsters. At times there’s a whole lotta Flying Nun coursing through this record. The guitar on opening track “Sometimes” is drenched in retro, slightly reminiscent of a less brutal Beat Happening, and sets the stage for just how impossible it’ll be to resist the onslaught of shimmery, twinkling noise to come. “I don’t know just what I feel but I feel it all tonight,” goes second track “Youth”, a wonderfully sweet little song with a kicky bassline and drum-machine taut drums. “Twelve Roses” is glorious, jangly and washed in gentle fuzz. Consider it a favorite. Same goes for the song right after it, the equally killer “Daydream”. There’s something so optimistic about this music, it puts me in a good mood no matter what. And the guitar gets me every single damn time. I absolutely, positively, unequivocally love this record. It’s almost too good to be true. From start to finish, it’s divine. (SEE MORE)

mp3: Twelve Roses (Beach Fossils from Beach Fossils)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #7 - Crocodiles

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Crocodiles run rampant all over the Nile. A different kind of Crocodiles runs rampant all over my affections. Odds are they don't bite quite as hard as their toothy namesakes, but on Sleep Forever the band showcases a beautifully biting sonic crocodile smile. To me, they occupy an ethereal middleground between the retro-infused shoegaze shenanigans of those rascally Raveonettes, the Jonestown-ian drone and the noisy walls of sound built so magnificently by LET faves A Place to Bury Strangers. Crocodiles calls to mind all of that and yet so much more. Listening to Sleep Forever was for me a near trance-inducing, transcendental experience each and every time. I'm not sure where this band has been all my life, but I sure am glad they're here now. This record, dear loves, is so good that I almost can't stand it.

mp3: Stoned To Death (Crocodiles from Sleep Forever)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #8 - Darker My Love

Why I Decree it to Be So:

When I last saw Darker My Love in the flesh up in Baltimore a few months back, their set was heavy with tunes from their fine, fine new record Alive As You Are. The songs struck me then as quite a departure from the swirling, dreamy nouveau psych concoctions I'd initially loved, and the record too steers this new, electric countryland course. But here's the thing about Darker My Love that y'all need to know. Be it the "Rubber Soul" meets Laurel Canyon meets Syd Barrett meets twang with pistols at dawn vibe of Alive As You Are or the heady retro rush of their older records, the end result is ultimately the same: A collection of absolutely killer songs played by a group of incredibly gifted musicians. Alive As You Are gets better with each and every listen, and it was pretty fucking fantastic to begin with.

mp3: Dear Author (Darker My Love from Alive As You Are)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #9 - Archie Bronson Outfit

Why I Decree it to Be So:

The odds of being fatally wounded by a falling coconut are about 1 in 250 million. In comparison, the odds that you’ll fall madly in love with the third Archie Bronson Outfit record, Coconut, are substantially higher. I first fell in love with ABO back in 2004, upon the release of their debut Fur. It was a dark, heady, big bastard of a bluesy rock record, the kind of album that’s drenched in boozy sweat and reeking of ciggies and mornings after. In short, it was fucking brilliant, and I was in fucking love. Derdang Derdang, the second Archie Bronson Outfit record, left some of the filthy blues behind it, relying more on sheer size and scope and noise to see it through. It was sharp and severe, and it was another fine, fine record. Sure, we all expect fine things from bands signed to Domino, but even so, it was a fantastic record. And then, to my chagrin, the boys seemed to vanish. For years there was not a peep, and I feared the worst (i.e. a breakup). Happily, though, this wasn’t the case. And I’ll tell you what, my lovelies, the wait for Coconut was well worth it. Right from the start, this record blew my mind. Once again, ABO turned their sound on its arse, and oh my heavens it’s amazing. “Magnetic Warrior” is choc-full of sordidly tribal drumming, charmingly muddy vocals, and a whole lot of noise. Oh, and it’s frighteningly loud (and sounds best played at deafening volume). Upon hearing it I knew in an instant that I was in for a treat. And it gets better, friends. Single “Shark’s Tooth” is painfully good. The chilling, razor’s edge of the guitar, the maddening noisy swirl, the overwhelming feel of fucked-up love that’s come to be so familiar in Archie Bronson songs…it’s nigh on breathtaking. They don’t let up, because next comes “Hoola,” a groovy little song with a more than slightly bawdy bassline that makes me want to do all sorts of bad things. But wait, you say, that’s typical Megan. Well, friends, what can I say, the ABO just brings out the extra saucy in me. (SEE MORE)

mp3: Shark's Tooth (Archie Bronson Outfit from Coconut)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #10 - LCD Soundsystem

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Thank goodness for James Murphy and the many seasons of his discontent. Were it not for his multitudinous complaints about life in the scene, my music collection (and probably yours, too) would definitely be missing a certain something. You might give me the stink eye here, but in my humble opinion This Is Happening is the best LCD Soundsystem album to date. It’s got everything you could want and expect from Mr. Murphy, and then some. It’s pretty much the best dance music for the disaffected you could ask for. If loving this here record is wrong, well I don’t wanna be right. It’s a damn fine dance album, and without question has some of the best lyrics you’ll hear all year. It’s funny and sad and way more poignant than you’ll want to admit. And I love it. (SEE MORE)

mp3: Drunk Girls (LCD Soundsystem from This Is Happening)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #11 - Phosphorescent

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Sometimes, sweet friends, I get a hankering for a good old, tumbling dice, jingle jangle morning kinda record. Something awash with the carefree attitude of a time more innocent and much less frantic than that in which we live today. Something full of deliciously rollicking rhythms, sweetly whispered love songs, and the sound of many instruments melding together to form sonic divinity. As it happens, these days I don't have to put the needle down on Skynyrd or The Band or Leon Russell to get that feeling. Phosphorescent (Brooklyn via Alabama's Matthew Houck with the help of some amigos) creates the warm glow of days gone by on Here's To Taking It Easy with an easy abandon. The album is full of big, beautiful songs bringing together pieces of the aforementioned with a hint of that doomed brilliance of Gram Parsons (minus the doomed thing) for a truly timeless sound. For example, "We'll Be Here Soon" offers up a syrup slow sway, Houck's voice rich and commanding against the tender tones of the glorious instrumentation. "I don't care if you like me," he proclaims in the splendid "I Don't Care if There's Cursing," but maybe that's because he knew all along that it would be impossible not to love this record. Song after song is a triumph, a golden shimmering triumph. A must-have record.

mp3: It's Hard To Be Humble (When You're From Alabama) (Phosphorescent from Here's To Taking It Easy)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #12 - Eternal Summers

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Roanoke, O Roanoke. Something wonderful goes on down there, y'all, I kid you not. Eternal Summers is the latest head to sprout from the mythical being that is the Magic Twig Community, and this record of theirs, Silver, is quite a grand old time. The pairing of Nicole Yun on guitar and vocal duties and Daniel Cundiff on drummery and the odd vocal outing hither and thither proves a charmingly perfect fit. Their take on surf meets shoegaze meets twee is heavenly. Yun's voice is breathy and adorable, and the record's lo-fi production is just fuzzy enough. Just try to resist them after hearing the languid lullaby and heavenly harmonies of "Eternal," or the playful sass of "I'll Die Young for Rock n Roll," or the kaleidoscopic, magical frolic that is "Silver." You might as well just go ahead and give up now. Throw up your hands, throw on Silver, and send me a thank you note at your convenience.

mp3: Pogo (Eternal Summers from Silver)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #13 - Die! Die! Die!

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Those of you who have been around the old LET block a few times are familiar with my love for the New Zealand trio Die! Die! Die!. For years now their visceral, cutting angularity and savage brand of brash art punk have been firm favorites of mine, so it's only natural that I greeted the arrival of their latest record, FORM, almost like a national holiday. On the surface, perhaps, the record is slightly less seething with aggressive vitriol than its' predecessors. But after a few spins round the turntable (or, in my case, incessant listening, because I just couldn't stop myself), the old familiar menacing attitude is there in all its' angsty glory. "We Built Our Own Oppressors" is raucousness personified, choked with vicious guitar, unrelenting basslines, and ridiculously tenacious drums. My favorite track, "Pacquin," has possibly my favorite guitar play of the entire year, a fiery slide into darkness so very beautiful. Alternating between favored themes of social commentaries and personal disappointments, FORM is one hell of a record. It shows a continued maturation in the band's sound, without losing that unhinged, hellraiser feel which first drew me in.

mp3: We Built Our Own Oppressors (Die! Die! Die! from FORM) (via Einstein Music Journal)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #14 - Violens

Why I Decree it to Be So:

A couple years back, I saw MGMT play down at The National in Richmond. They brought with them another New York band, a band that totally blew my mind more than did the headliner. That band, o lovelies, was Violens. Happily, in the many months that have elapsed since that show, they've been busy little bees. This here record of theirs, Amoral, is positively dynamic. The band produces a well-groomed, glossy yet gritty 80s synth pop incarnate sound that is immaculate and insanely awesome. On Amoral you'll hear big beats bouncing alongside heavenly smooth vocals and lascivious basslines on songs like "Acid Reign" and "Full Collision," whereas "Violent Sensation Descends" pairs a jarring intro with some early 60s-esque harmonizing and an overwhelming air of uncompromising infectiousness. You really might want to add Amoral to your record collection, and sharpish.

mp3: Violent Sensation Descends (Violens from Amoral)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #15 - Interpol

Why I Decree it to Be So:

I had concerns about this one initially, y'all. Here was Interpol 2.0, and I was a little dubious about whether that old sinister magic would rear its marvellously menacing head on Interpol. Obviously, I was just being silly. Interpol the record is yet another fine effort by Interpol the band, full of that old familiar dreamy darkness and the slick sharpness that hallmarks the Interpol sound. For me, it's always been about that voice, the magnetic, commanding tones of Paul Banks. On Interpol, his honeyed slink is at its' seductive, Christopher Lee vampire-eyes mesmeric best, and the aural assault of each multi-faceted song is as battering as you could hope for. "Lights" is a standout, on par with the best of Interpol's best, all biting guitar and sexy swells of noise. I'm not sure they'll ever match the electric brilliance of Turn On The Bright Lights, but with Interpol they hit upon something wonderful in its own right.

mp3: Lights (Interpol from Interpol)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #16 - Woven Bones

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Who the bloody hell does this here band think they are? Who asked them to make one of the best records of the year? How is it that they could come out of nowhere and rock my world so very much? I’ll tell you what, these saucy little Austinites have made a killer, killer record, my friends, and it seriously has my knickers in a twist. 9 songs is all it takes Woven Bones to wrap me around their collective little finger. In and Out and Back Again is delicious from start to finish. And a little perplexing, too. You see, the first time I listened to it, I wasn’t sure when the hell this record had been made. It reminded me more than a little of bands like The Dream Syndicate and The Nectarine No. 9, both bands tangled up in muddy, magnificent fuzz with a rather aggressive attitude resonating through their music (the peak music being made in the late 70s-early 80s). So too with Woven Bones, who while relative neophytes in that pseudo post-punk meets shoegaze meets the garage playground, certainly don’t act like new arrivals. Hot damn, In and Out and Back Again has swagger. It’s all over the place, wrapped around the distortion, giving extra bite to the slightly monotone sneer of the vocals. Basically, little darlings, this record is without a doubt one of the best I’ve heard, or am likely to hear, this year. It totally blew me away, and if you give it a chance it might just do the same to you. I’m converted to the ways of Woven Bones, I’ve seen the light, and there’s no goin’ back. (SEE MORE)

mp3: Your Way With My Life (Woven Bones from In and Out and Back Again)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #17 - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Why I Decree it to Be So:

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and I go back quite a long way. I’ve been a fangirl since the early days, swooning initially over their deliciously droning nouveau gaze and then embracing each subsequent incarnation with open arms (I’m particularly fond of the Howl era, as well). As far as I’m concerned, BRMC has been one of the most consistently great bands of the past decade, and with newest release Beat The Devil’s Tattoo they prove they’ve still got it. I’ll admit, I’m probably predisposed to love any record they release, but I’m pretty sure you’ll find that this album is worth all the gushing I’m about to do. Beat The Devil’s Tattoo makes me a one heck of a happy gal, because it’s a return to both the sensational southern-fried, gospel-tinged honey blues that were so prevalent on the glorious Howl record, and the black-clad distortion and drone of their debut. The whole record absolutely crackles with electricity, and it’s charged with this energy that not many bands can match. Even though I expected to adore Beat The Devil’s Tattoo, I was a little taken aback at just how much I ended up loving it. If you’ve not yet fallen in love with BRMC, this album might just do the trick. They’ve got their mojo workin’, and it sure is workin’ on me. (SEE MORE)

mp3: Beat The Devil's Tattoo (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club from Beat The Devil’s Tattoo)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #18b - Pomegranates

Why I Decree it to Be So:

I already really, really liked me some Pomegranates, y'all. Heck, they might already have been my favorite Ohioans. But then they went and made One of Us, and damned if this record didn't blow my mind, rock my boat, and shiver my timbers. My smit was instantaneous, with title track "One of Us"'s sophisticated swirl and undeniable shimmy thawing my cold black heart. It sounds to me like what might happen if Sound Team and The Spinto Band got drunk while listening to the Jesus & Mary Chain, which basically means lotsa fearless fuzz and poppy cuteness. The divine "50s" is deliriously, dizzyingly addictive, madcap quick and irrepressible with a very John Hughes-ian sweetness to it. But really, there's not a song here that isn't sensational. Talk about putting the Oh (hell yes/shit fire/holy hell/mercy/sweet Jesus) in Ohio.

mp3: 50s (Pomegranates from One of Us)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #18a - Thee Oh Sees

Why I Decree it to Be So:

As soon as I started listening to Warm Slime for the first time, I felt an overwhelming urge to pull an Easy Rider; hop onto a hog and drive into the desert for some crazy days and crazy nights (minus the whole redneck issue, of course). With Warm Slime, Thee Oh Sees concoct a bewitching bevy of songs that are pretty far fucking out in their intensity and intricacy of composition. Their nouveau psychedelic lusciousness knows no bounds, and it's so very big and beautiful and beatific. Whether it's 14 minutes mindfucks like title track "Warm Slime" or the catchy as all hell dancefloor ditty (and perpetual repeated track around my house) "I Was Denied," Warm Slime is one heck of a trip.

mp3: I Was Denied (Thee Oh Sees from Warm Slime)

Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #19 - White Fence

Why I Decree it to Be So:

I must admit, I was a little predisposed to like White Fence’s new record before I even heard it. After all, the man behind the White Fence is a familiar face around these parts: Tim Presley of LET favorites Darker My Love. On first listen, you might ask yourself which long-lost gem of a 1968 record you might have stumbled upon. But no sir. No ma’am. It’s just the good works of Tim Presley. Tim’s definitely been listening to his Syd Barrett records, and has managed to create a really great sound here, evocative not only of Syd’s solo work but with glimpses of Pavement, The Fall (particularly on “Baxter Corner”), and overtones of obscure 60s bands that very few people are fortunate enough to know about. The album is more than a little lo-fi, crackly and muddy and sounding a lot like a basement or bedroom recording. And I’ve got to say that in this case, that’s a wonderful thing. It’s very atmospheric, very exposed, and very, very good. You production snobs might not agree, so if you’re looking for super slick look elsewhere. In the meantime, the rest of us will enjoy the beauty that a little roughness around the edges can provide. Listening to this record, and it’s not a short one, you feel like the whole thing is done before it’s barely begun. And at that point, you’ll just wanna keep listening. And listening. And listening. (SEE MORE)

mp3: The Love Between (White Fence from the White Fence) (via Rollo & Grady)