Has it been a good year for Alternative and Indie Rock? Who cares. It's been a good year for these albums -- in the sense that they have found their way to my ears, and my mind and heart are happy that such is so. Point being, if the below haven't found their way to your ears, I recommend you take actions in order to remedy that crime. Why? Because these are the best. Of the year. That I reviewed. And I know from best. Really.
John Vanderslice: "Emerald City"
(C) John Vanderslice & Barsuk Records
This 6th solo collection by San Francisco's John Vanderslice is as dark, disconnected and brooding as anyone who is aware of the state of the world should be. But it's also realy pretty (like the world is, folks, like the world). And I can't really think of an album that has stuck with me more--or felt more "part" of my 2007 experience--then this one. So even though '07 is done and gone, this music isn't. Check it out to re-experience a bit of what the past year was all about. Or felt like. Or suffered from. (Did I mention it's pretty?). Go forth, music-lover, and Vanderslice.
Deerhoof: "Friend Opportunity"
The only way to describe the Bay Area's Deerhoof is to say they are unique and experimental much in the way of Blonde Redhead or Yo La Tengo -- but like those bands, they don't really sound like other bands, including those bands. Is that clear? Back with their eighth album Friend Opportunity, Deerhoof have created a sound that is both jarring and easy to sing along to, surprisingly exact and wildly surprising. Friend Opportunity is great pop music that'll spin you on your heels; experimental indie rock that'll inspire new ways of thinking; an odd listening experience that will never bore you. Timelessness in 2007--still great through 2008.
Sophe Lux: "Waking the Mystics"
Cups overflow in operatic pop group Sophe Lux's debut album Waking the Mystics. What, you don't know what operatic pop is? Well, think the heart of Queen with the mindset of a Renaissance Fayre. But then add in some unusually catchy melodies, a delightfully smooth production and a punchy, quirky sense of story--are you with me yet? No? Well, this Portland, Oregon band has an original vibe and if you like a bit of kink with your melodic indie pop, you'll like Waking the Mystics. Think a female-fronted The Darkness circa 1968. Or the Tiger Lillies with a contemporary indie rhythmic thrust. Or... well, Sohpe Lux.
Aqueduct: "Or Give Me Death"
Essentially the solo project of Seattlite David Terry, Aqueduct has been patching together off-kilter pop gems since sometime before 2003. The band started with self-released "mini-LP" that year (Power Ballads), a 2004 EP (Pistols At Dawn), and 2005 full-length (I Sold Gold). They were variously described as "textbook indie-rock" and "quirky." Now, however, they have released an album of firmer stature and more original voice.
The new record, Or Give Me Death, still manages to retain some of the bedroom casualness of Terry's early work, but it also manages to take laid-back in a surprisingly intense direction. And an awesome one. And one that you would be a fool to ignore in 2008--especially if you have already in 2007.
The Besnard Lakes: "The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse"
Like everything else these days, The Besnard Lakes comes from Montreal. The band, The Besnard Lakes, are related in certain ways to Wolf Parade, Islands, Sunset Rubdown and Stars. George Donoso III from The Dears, Chris Seligman from Stars, Sophie Trudeau from Godspeed/Silver Mt. Zion and Jonathan Cummins from Bionic/Doughboys all took part in the making of the new album (the band's sophomore release). Oh, and it really doesn't sound much like you'd expect it to--if you assumed it'd be the sum of all those parts, or a meeting point between all the Montreal brethren.