1.Matt Bauer - The Island Moved In The Storm
This record captures a moment that is fragile and dark like a poisonous dragonfly wing, and weaves a narrative like a surgeon with a cotton loom. An excellent balance of sound and texture; precise, yet rustic.
2.Soltero - You're No Dream
Witty, wry, romantic and true, this is a loner's album who is through with being a loner. "Prick on the Prowl" sums it all up. Plus, Soltero huge in France, and they know a thing or to about aloofness.
3.Cat Power - Jukebox
An exercise in blue tone and the low gear-groove. Her finest hour frozen in timelessness, and with an A+ band, to boot. Her version of The Highwaymen's "Silver Stallion" is the stripped-down high point.
4.Icy Demons - Miami Ice
This is a band that is ingenious, playful and compositionally colorful, and Miami Ice takes a trip through diamond shaped Sun Ra astral projections without a single sitar drone.
5.Deertick - War Elephant
Having versions of these songs on demo cdrs, it has been a pleasure to listen to the evolution. These are growers, and with more hooks than a pirate arm-wrestling convention. When heart worn songs like these come from such a young man, you can't help but realize they are being channelled through him by the greats.
6.Windy & Carl - Songs for the Broken Hearted
A powerful undertow of subtle mood, the simultaneous wash of longing and contentment. It makes doing the dishes a cinematic experience.
7. Mount Eerie - Lost Wisdom
Julie Doiron's voice on this album balances out how weird this guy makes me feel when I listen to his music. I like that. He's prolific and strikes a sweet spot just left of the bull's eye.
8.Castanets - City of Refuge
Dark, haunting, comforting. This is the late night desert music, or early morning alone record. Perfect balance of abstraction and technique, and a voice that rings truth, that lonely can be ok when the scrape of skin against strings is your only company.
9.Rio en Medio - Frontier
She's challenging the folk genre with layers of minimalist collage. Superb yet subtle instrumentation and the sweetness of angelic vocals is balanced by unexpected melodies and interesting electronic bits.
10. Nico Muhly- Mother Tongue
10. Nico Muhly- Mother Tongue
This record makes driving in NYC feel like Phillip Glass' Koyaanisqatsi on morphine; slow, whimsical and playful. A contemporary soundtrack , an urban experience of incidentals.
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