Considering where you read the reviews for this release (ahem, Pitchfork) This was one of the most underrated releases of the year. This album features some of the best elements of 1980’s shoegaze, synth-pop and noise from the echoed drums of Jesus & Mary Chain to the lurking bass lines of early Cure
A side project of Sonny “and the Sunsets” Smith, set up as a guise of unearthed recordings from “Earth Girl” Helen Brown, a girl who grew up in a cult outside of Athens, GA, that was recorded in the early ’90s. Featuring SF mainstays Kelley Stoltz, John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees and Grace Cooper of the Sandwitches as Helen – it’s beach Pop w/ the dark humor story-telling one has come to expect From Sonny & the gang.
Ms. Jones and her guys squeak another record in at the end of the year to again make my top list! (Even though I’m sure they didn’t have me in mind.) Yet again, I am floored by sultry soul revival from this group, but this time there is much added funk to the mix. I don’t think there is anything this group can do wrong.
The garage-pop master from San Francisco is back again, this time with is first full length from Drag City. While last year’s “Melted” had lean, economical fuzz-pop; this record invokes the likes of John Lennon and Marc Bolan to create a cleaner sound while still maintaining his punk intensity.
It might be a little unfair to cast Mikal Cronin under the shadow of his colleague Ty Segall by calling this his debut self-release as the “Melted of 2011,” but the comparison is apt, and by no means negative. Full of layered garage pop tunes with sunny Beach-boy esque harmonies. Please keep releasing records like this, I just eat it up.
I think I can honestly say this was my favorite record of the year. or at least it’s the record that received the most spins from me. Do you remember that scene Back to the Future, when Marty McFly plays “Johnny B. Goode” at the 1950’s prom, and then ends up tearing up the stage? Take that image, mix it with a little bit of Ramones, Ronnie Spector and Beth Ditto – you get a sense of what Shannon & the Clams are all about.
This SF group is one of my favorites over the past couple years, but their prolific recording doesn’t always rub me the right way – case in point, “Castlemania” from earlier this year. Carrion Crawler/The Dream is different, it encapsulates the band’s live sound – which is I’m glad to know they realize that’s the best part about them. Killer intensity, rockin’ sound.
Merrill and the gang deserve to have much praise of their record this year. It is eccentric, funky, soulful and downright infectious. Their penchant for face paint is also delightful.
My most anticipated record of the year turned out to be what I had hoped for, as I was a fan of both Sleater-Kinney and Helium. I first saw Wild Flag this year at the 
Haters gonna hate, but I dig this record. A bunch of sunny, fun pop songs from the Sunshine State. Oh wait, that's Florida. Whatever. I can get down with Bethany Cosentino, seems like she likes the finer things in life. Hanging out, cats, smoking weed. Will this band be popular next year? Who cares, that's what year-end lists are for.
Quite possibly my favorite local band currently. CAN, Suicide, Wire, Joy Division all rolled up into one heavily distorted and repetitive bliss. Also, I love it when Brian Case goes "WHAAAAT!"
2010 had a lot of "girly" fronted bands and this one was at the top of the top. Great harmony, perfect pop songs. This record made me nostalgic for a time that was around before I was born, riding w/ my Johnny and his leather jacket. 
Yet again an artist that I would've never thought would ever be on my year end list had made the cut. Never really understood Joanna Newsom before. Her last record, Ys was too overblown for me and her voice grated on my eardrums. When I saw that her 3rd release was going to be a 3CD/LP set, I groaned. But this one grew on me. There was just enough instrumentation to make each song exquisite, and it seems like Joanna has finally grown into her voice, it's a lot more playful and melodic. This is a headphones record for sure. 
Awesome spaced out psychedelic record from California. I don't have much to say except give it a few spins real loud after a long bong hit. (It's even great without hallucinogens.) Produced by Bobb Bruno of Best Coast, who was rad before people started going crazy for his current band. 
Some people describe Benoit Pioulard as "bedroom pop." What does that even mean? I hope it means that he'll play some of his songs in my room someday, that would be pretty sweet. This is his third full length on kranky and definitely his best. Ambient loops act as buffers between lush, guitar ditties over his soft alto. Also, his name isn't really Benoit Pioulard, it's Thomas. But his stage name conjures up my imagination of a brooding existential French man, so that's all right with me.
2010 had its share of soul revival, but Sharon Jones has been doing it the hard way for a long time. Now in her 50s, she had several jobs including a prison guard before she started singing professionally a few years ago. The first time I listened to this record, I instantly replayed it a second time. I wish I could wail like her and have a backing band of studious looking brass-guys. Sharon Jones is my hero. 
Two super cute chicks from Melbourne, Australia that didn't even know how to play instruments before starting up this band made one hell of a rockin' record. It gives me hope for whenever I decide to finally pick up my guitar and learn to play. "Mess Around" is one of my favorites of the year, and a totally this decade's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
If you look at producing credits for garage records in 2010, there's a pretty good chance you'll see Ty's name on the cover. So it makes sense on why this is one of the well produced garage rock records of the year, and quite possibly ever. This guy knows how to write a pop song. He's also cute. I gotta big crush on him. 
I may be a bit biased, 'cause this is my favorite band. Their first record in nearly five years is something quite special. A well-done blend of their glossy newer songs mixed with the intimacy of their older ones. When I first heard "I Want the World To Stop" I nearly cried, cause it had been so long since they had written a song like that, and it's like they haven't missed a beat. Caitlin Lavin's Best of 2009
Throughout the month of December we’ll be posting lists of the best music of the year as determined by the volunteers that make CHIRP what it is. Today’s is from CHIRP DJ, Caitlin Lavin.
- Woods – Songs of Shame (Woodsist) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
If I was making some sort of pseudo-indie flick of nihilism and despair, sitting on my couch w/ the phone of the hook in a lobotomized state – “Military Madness” would be the background music. - Thee Oh Sees – Help (In The Red) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
The best description I’ve seen of Thee Oh Sees is “Mamas and the Papas” in a blender. This record is an amazing, rockin’ romp of tunes. Do you remember that scene in High Fidelity where they put on the Beta Band and someone asked who it was? That was my challenge at the Record Fair w/ “Ruby Go Home” …and it worked - Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest (Warp) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
A popular artist that I didn’t spend to much time with before, I thought they were too sleepy for me. Strive for perfection is apparent in this album, multiple layers, multiple voices – brilliant. “Two Weeks” is my song of the year – it puts a smile on my face every time I hear it. I especially love the “ooh-wee-ooh” doo-wop throw back vocals at the end. - Fresh & Onlys – Self-Titled (Castle Face) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
Colleagues of Thee Oh Sees, on John Dwyer’s label Castle Face. Another super fun garage rock album from San Francisco. “Peacock and Wing” makes me incredibly, blissfully happy. I wish someone would say to me “You should really be my fresh and only – You have a smile on my face that I can always see only…” Way to throw the band name in there, guys. - The Fiery Furnaces – I’m Going Away (Thrill Jockey) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
Let me preface this review that before I would never consider myself a Fiery Furnaces fan. Their angular-rock-pop never quite got through to me. So I would never imagine that one of their records would be on my end of year list. Just adding a little more fun, a little more melody and I think a bit of easy going made this record for me. After this record, I want to hang out w/ Charmaine Champagne, Johnny Ramero, and all the other characters mentioned in this album. - Dutchess & The Duke – Sunset/Sunrise (Hardly Art) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
Sunset/Sunrise is further testament that the 60’s were an amazing time for music. There is an obvious surge in psychedelic and garage rock revival, but the Dutchess & the Duke leans towards the pop balladry of early Rolling Stones and Velvet Underground. Influenced by the time when these bands were known as musicians and not for their reputations. Their lyrics are simple and straightforward, but not lazy. The sound is all too familiar, but still very new. - Bowerbirds – Upper Air (Dead Oceans) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
Quickly became one of my favorites of the year. I liked their last record 2008’s “Hymns for a Dark Horse” – and I thought this was a cult-ish folk family group, because it sounds like there were many singers and performers. I was surprised that the group is a trio, but perhaps they still are a folk family group all their own. This album is a little more subdued and pulled back from the last album, but that hesitation is still excellent. Can’t beat the lovely female vocals over accordion, either. - Sonny and the Sunsets – Tomorrow Is All Right (Soft Abuse) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
Is there anything that came out of San Francisco this year that wasn’t awesome? This release, featuring the works of Sonny Smith – is a collective featuring other SF mainstays like Kelly Stoltz, Tim and Shayde from Fresh & Onlys, and sometimes John Dwyer adds to the mix. This release is a little more poppy than the other garage-rock driven SF bands, with comical Jonathan Richman-esque lyrics. - Pisces – A Lovely Sight (Numero Group) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
The Summer of Love took place not in the Haight-Ashbury, or in the East Village, but in Rockford, IL. A never before released psych record from 1968 is one unsettling acid trip. Haunting and imaginative, how come this album was looked over? - Death – …For the Whole World To See (Drag City) Amazon / Insound / iTunes
Another fantastic record that was looked over during the time that it was recorded, never before released until this year. Three brothers from Detroit, were playing R&B in the early 1970s, but were inspired by proto-punk bands of the area – the Stooges and MC5. Together they created seven songs that were just as jam kickin’ as their peers. Apparently, they were rejected by the labels because of their name – but let’s be fortunate that the world is not nearly as narrow-minded now a day, so we can all finally “see” this record.
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