Honorable Mentions
50-46
45-41
40-36
35-31
30-26
25-21

20

The Builders and the Butchers – Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well

I’m really getting into this goth country/folk thing. I think the darker songwriting and arrangements really give bands that do it an extra punch. The Builders and the Butchers get compared to The Decemberists a lot, but I have to assume that is just because of geography. This band isn’t nearly as steeped in pretention as the Decemberists are. The vocals are similar, but the content and songwriting is drastically different. This is whiskey in a dark corner music. The Decemberists are pretending to know and like wine music.

19

Bat for Lashes – Two Suns

If you would have told me after Fur and Gold came out that, two years later, I would be putting a Bat for Lashes CD on my top album list I would have made this face at you :| but I guess never say never. I thought the first CD was such an art pop mess. I heard somebody at National Mechanics call it “folktronica” once. I had to go to the doctors to get a perscription for my douche chills after that. I really didn’t understand the hype at all. Luckily, this release has actual songs on it, mind blowing I know. Not only that, but the songs are pretty damn great. Kind of sounds like if electronica, indie pop, and Tori Amos all had a crazy lesbian baby. Plus, seriously, what a freakin’ voice.

18

Be’lakor – Stone’s Reach

I don’t even know. Monolith Deathcult meets Insomnium? Awesome meets Kick ass? This is melodeath at its absolute finest. And I should point out, once again, that I love the pun in calling it melodeath. This is the catchiest death metal is ever going to be, and Be’lakor pulls it off without compromising any of the deathy bits. One of my favorite CDs in this genre.

17

Loma Prieta – Dark Mountain

I don’t know if I would even have this CD on the list if I didn’t accidentally stumble upon them playing a show a few years ago. The live show is a site to behold, and it transfers to the CDs well. Chaotic, discordant, frenzied, all the good adjectives. They get in and get out in about 15 minutes, but the length doesn’t hurt it. Like all your ex girlfriends have always said to comfort you- “it isn’t the length, it is how you use it, now stop crying and get the fuck out.”

16

Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing

This band is going to blow the fuck up. I don’t mean an explosion, I mean they are going to make a trillion dollars soon. These guys just might be the most intense indie band out there, and there songwriting skills absolutely shine. The Jesus thing is a little bit of a turn off, but I figure if I like power metal bands who sing about dragons and magic, I can tolerate an absolutely fantastic indie band that also happens to sing about something entirely made up too.