Top Ten Albums 11-19-09

I had to finish writing chapter 6 before winter break and do some analysis of a couple international elections. So I slacked on these lists a bit, but they are back. Next weeks will be even better, I promise.

1. "Say Anything" by Say Anything
Not really fair since Max Bemis is a genius. While the album is a bit sappy, since he just got married, its still great. And the Say Anything crew added strings and such. Big win for them. "Do Better" is amongst their catchiest work and combining strings and drum machines has never been done with such finesse. Beyond the additional layers, Bemis returns to his snarky sing/talk fusion. Not rapping, talking. Also, it is a bit strange that the album teeters from angst to pure adoration and back again. Most played: "Death For My Birthday", "Do Better", "Less Cute", and "I Love You More Than I Hate My Period"
2. "Kaleidoscope" by DJ Tiesto
While a house DJ isn't my usual bag, he partnered up with a bunch of indie rock superstars. Sigur Ros, Tilly and the Wall, Bloc Party, Tegan and Sara, and Metric all show up here. Yeah, I KNOW RIGHT? Great electronic music being sung by some of the best in the game instead of just dull beats. Most Played: "You Are My Diamond" (feat Kianna of Tilly), "Feel It In My Bones" (feat. Tegan and Sara), "It's Not The Things You Say" (feat Keke Okereke of Bloc Party)
3. "The Midnight Organ Fight" by Frightened Rabbit
A flashback to my finding this wonderful break-up album while in the throes of one myself last winter break. While not in the same mood, this is by proxy for a couple friends. Beyond that, it is simply a great, if not a little haunting. Sadly "Keep Yourself Warm" and its great line "it takes more than fucking someone you don't know to keep warm" did not top my list this week. Most played: "Old, Old Fashioned", "Poke", and "The Modern Leper"
4. "Sainthood" by Tegan and Sara
While not the tops this week, still up there. Got a couple more bonus tracks, and can't understand why they were left off the album. Most played: "Sentimental Tune", "Sheets", and "Wrists"
5. "For Blood and Empire" by Anti-Flag
Feeling like some good old fashioned punk rock, and there is none better than that from Anti-Flag during the Bush era. This one was originally conceived as a joke (the song "War Sucks, Let's Party especially), but even so it is as biting as the times required. They even manage to eviscerate Monsanto and ADM and their genetically modified, pesticide required crops for good measure. Most Played: "Press Corpse", "Depleted Uranium Is A War Crime", "1 Trillion Dollar$" and "The WTO Kills Farmers"
6. "This Gigantic Robot Kills" by MC Lars
Maybe my favorite "rapper", I put it in quotes since he has an English degree from Stanford. Every album features a rap about a famous literary work. This time it's Macbeth (previously Moby Dick and The Raven), and features the line "Laertes is too pugnacious" Besides that there is a song about Naomi Klein and a level of sardonic humor not found quite anywhere else. Most Played: "Hey There, Ophelia", "It's Not Easy (Being Green)", and "No Logo"
7. "Raditude" by Weezer
More than anything else they've done in a long time this album reminds me of Pinkerton. Even with "Can't Stop Partyin'". I think it has something to do with the personal nature and expansiveness in style, like Pinkerton. It also takes a while to grow on you, this may explain similarly slow sales. When I say this keep in mind some of the most Pinkerton songs are bonus tracks, so if you can find them. Most played: "I Don't Want To Let You Go", "The Girl Got Hot", and "The Prettiest Girl in Whole Wide World"
8. "Intimacy" by Bloc Party
I'm tired of effusing about this album, so get it and save me the trouble. One of the best electronic albums in a decade, maybe a generation. The album is so good you don't even realize it's about a break-up unless you are told. Most Played: "Your Visits Are Getting Shorter", "Trojan House", and the purely epic "Zephyrus" chanting and all.
9. "Alter the Ending (Deluxe)" by Dashboard Confessional
I know you are probably sick of seeing "deluxe" or "bonus" in the album titles, but in this case it is important. The second disc is entirely acoustic and even though the concept was done first (and better) by The New Amsterdams on "Killed Or Cured", it's still worth your time. Most Played: "Belle Of The Boulevard", "Water and Bridges", and "Everybody Learns From Disaster" (I left which are acoustic versions, fyi)
10. "African Elephants" by Dead to Me
Another album that hits that melodic hardcore sweet-spot in my brain. The guitars sound like Rise Against, but singing is pure Strike Anywhere. Most played: "Modern Muse" (by a big margin), "California Sun", and "Fell Right In"