Ellen Allien - Thrills. From the moment the wiggly tremolo sounds of the first track, "Come", begin it is clear that Ellen Allien's record is the perfect blend of minimal techno and modern pop music. Moody and intriguing throughout I cannot rate this album high enough. Allien has a distinct sound that is immediately warm and ingratiating. It will at turns remind you of your favorite New Order record (though not as much as the Radio Dept.; see below), your favorite 808 State track, the ongoing saga of your life. Good driving music as well. A billion stars.
Mobius Band - The Loving Sounds of Static. This is yet another band that XLR8R magazine's monthly Incite CD turned me on to (including Ellen Allien, Caribou, and Annie). The single "Twilight" drips with the irony of a country track and may sound a little dubious upon repeat listens but if it gets you to buy the album it will have done its job. The vocalist occasionally sounds a bit like Rufus Wainwright but with less pomp and circumstance. This record convinced me there are still a few good indie rock bands out there.
The Clientele - Strange Geometry. Any band that consistently remind me of how much I enjoy Felt and the paisley jangle sound is a winning formula. But The Clientele are starting to exceed my expectations. "Impossible" is the stand out track for me and the production on "Since K Got Over Me" shows the band are honing their sound. I'll buy anything they do the minute it comes out and I can count the bands that meet that criteria on one hand.
Broadcast - Tender Buttons. I was very nervous that this album would be disappointing after hearing that the band had slimed down. But this took the band in a new direction, reminiscent of the Adventures in Stereo and it all worked out in the end. "Goodbye Girls" is my favorite track for that mean organ sound.
Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger. This is one up tempo record. It reminds me a lot of the Frank and Walters undoubtedly because the vocalists in both bands have a distinct Geordie accent. Both bands also have a knack for writing endearing tracks with a lot of energy. Plus, they are label mates with Broadcast on Warp records which is an unmistakable stamp of cool. I feel like a sucker for constantly falling for all this anachronistic post-punk but, I can't help but enjoy it. I can even forgive Maximo Park for aping the Robert Longo cover style.
Radio Dept. - This Past Week. Soft and fuzzy music that will make you feel sad. They cleaned up their sound a bit on this EP, striping away the super distorted guitar. The end result has them in the Field Mice camp (I think they borrowed the Mice drum machine) but, with less of the super earnest, tender-as-an-open-wound lyrics. "Deliverance" is how New Order should sound today if they were not embarrassing themselves doing whatever it is they do now (just stop and enjoy the afterglow Barney!).
Fabric 24 - Rob da Bank. Really I could have put Fabric 22, 23, or 24 on my favorite list but, I'm picking one for the sake of brevity. Fabric had three consecutive releases this year from Adam Beyer, Ivan Smagghe, and Rob da Bank that pretty much define for me what is good about DJs. The track selections are amazing and the mixing is superlative. Rob da Bank especially turned me on to stuff that I was sleeping on like Vitalic and the Fiery Furnaces. The first track, "Balkan Hot Step", is accurately described and a good start. Eventually the mix does settle into some excellent burbling minimal tech-house with the Nathan Fake tracks being the stand outs. Subscribing to Fabric is only a few bucks a month and well worth your investment.
Hood - Outside Closer. Hood have long been an experimental outfit worth taking a listen to. This new record is possibly their most approachable. There is a healthy does of skittering beats which their drummer pulled off live with astonishing aplomb. Though I almost didn't list this record here because it did fall off my radar after seeing them live. The live rap from a guy in a hipster country and western shirt with as much flow as a cement block was a deal breaker for me. But otherwise Hood are headed in a good direction.
Some of the tracks mentioned above are available on my iTunes Music Store iMix. There are a few extra tidbits there as well. For example, Caribou's "Yeti" and "Brahminy Kite". Caribou are working the Krautrock stylie with a fair amount of Mercury Rev and the Silver Apples mixed in. It is a little too obvious for me but those two tracks are worth a listen. Also, Jonas Bering is quickly becoming a favorite and his "Down to Big Sur" track, though not released this year, is a must. More good driving music.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention The Cure reissues that came out this year. Essential.
