Albums Of The Year

Web Designer And Music Fan

I like music and i like to design webpages. Over the past 5 years I have decided to combine the two together. This site does not monetarily benefit me in any way shape or form. It is used as a personal project with the hope of expanding the musical tastes of others by exploring current artists.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

http://www.fatherjohnmisty.com/

"Who is Father John Misty? He’s nobody. I like mischief and I saw this very elegant gag that after making seven or eight records under my own name that say little to nothing about myself, I could write really explicitly about myself and call it whatever I wanted."

UNCUT INTERVIEW

http://www.plantsandanimals.ca

"Plants and Animals have proved themselves to be a band full of interesting ideas and the songwriting chops to bring those ideas to fruition. The End of That finds them sounding more mature and comfortable than ever before, signaling perhaps not an end at all, but rather a new beginning."

PASTE MAGAZINE ALBUM REVIEW

http://www.alabamashakes.com

"Brittany Howard thinks of herself as a soul singer the same way she thinks of the late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott as a soul singer. "Dude had something to say and he had a way of saying it, getting his point across, making people go through what he was going through," says the 23-year-old singer and guitarist for Alabama Shakes. "That's soul singing. It doesn't have to be '60s R&B to be soul music.""

USA TODAY - MEET THE ALABAMA SHAKES

http://www.thetallestmanonearth.com

"Kristian Matsson first became well-known as the Tallest Man on Earth for the simple power of his performances. He seemed a pure troubadour of the venerable American folk tradition, performing alone on stage with just his voice and guitar."

ALBUM REVIEW

http://www.mapsandatlases.org

"Beware And Be Grateful injects just enough focus and fluidity to make the songs fun, without compromising to the point of becoming another arty, African-inspired Vampire Weekend rip-off."

ALBUM REVIEW

http://www.grizzly-bear.net

"The Brooklyn four-piece make pop music with an ear for the ambient, asking us to notice the importance in detail, the beauty of texture, and the foregrounds that exist all across our spectrum of perception."

PITCHFORK ALBUM REVIEW

http://www.japandroids.com

"Let's make this one a little more cruising down the highway, and a little less doing crystal meth on New Year's. So there you have it. 1 year, 8 songs, 35 mins. Not bad. "

BAND BIO

http://www.fiona-apple.com

"The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do"

BILLBOARD

http://www.tameimpala.com

"As soon as a band is labeled “psychedelic” they are thereafter ascribed, fairly or not, a certain set of characteristics. That band will have meandering, dreamlike song arrangements. There will likely be some found-sound. Tube amps will abound. Marijuana will be encouraged. These may indeed be applicable to the majority of psychedelic bands but it is an unfortunate lens through which to analyze psychedelic music. So it is fitting then that Kevin Parker’s excellent take on psychedelic rock music – which reaches its apex on Lonerism – is as much about borrowing from his fore bearers as it is about discovering something fresh."

PRETTY MUCH AMAZING

http://www.jackwhiteiii.com/

"When you put something out there into the world, there's all these words you don't want to hear, that you hope people don't say. I don't anything that starts with "re" — like retro, reinvent, recreate — I hate that. It's always like living in the past — copying, emulating. I hate the word "collaboration." It's like, if I produce a record with Tom Jones, I'm not collaborating with Tom Jones. It makes you think you're up in a cabin collaborating together. Anyways, I love when you hear different things from different people, then you know you're getting somewhere."

HOW I MADE BLUNDERBUSS

http://www.marklanegan.com/

"Undoubtedly, the crowning culmination of Mark Lanegan's life's work, the darkly majestic Blues Funeral offers further evidence that, for an addict, there is never any freedom from addiction."

THE INDEPENDANT UK

http://www.shovelsandrope.com/

"It seems that wherever ones goes in the southeast these days, they are soon to encounter a Shovels & Rope fan. It’s with good reason, as the husband and wife duo of Michael Trent and Carry Ann Hearst have toured relentlessly over the past few years, either behind their solo ventures or their first joint release."

INDIE MUSIC REVIEWER

http://www.wintersleep.com/

"While Wintersleep might have been known to some as moody, haunting, and/or downright ominous, the evolution of their sound becomes very apparent in this album. Moments are seldom with the aforementioned emotional qualities, and the majority of the work plays out colourfully."

SPUTNIK MUSIC REVIEW

http://www.theshins.com/

"Port of Morrow immediately hooks the listener and holds on tight right up until the last few seconds. The Shins’ pop sensibilities and Mercer’s stunning way with words shine brighter on this album than ever before."

PASTE MAGAZINE REVIEW

http://www.drdogmusic.com/

"Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog has been churning out jangly, earnest pop with a less-than-subtle nod to classic influences such as Neil Young, The Band, The Beach Boys, etc. for six records. And on its seventh, it seems, the group seems content to continue down that same path."

PASTE MAGAZINE REVIEW

http://www.mumfordandsons.com/

"Mumford And Sons have distanced themselves from media-based comparisons to Coldplay. The band is doing well on both sides of the Atlantic and has recently matched a record set by The Beatles in 1964 with a whopping six songs in the Billboard 100. When asked how he feels about being given 'the next Coldplay' tag he replied: "Oh, God. Is that appealing? Not really.."

ULTIMATE GUITAR INTERVIEW

http://www.ofmonstersandmen.com/

"After taking SXSW by storm, Of Monsters and Men hit the US top 10, a feat that has eluded fellow Icelanders Björk and Sigur Rós. The reasons for their success are simple: terrific songs that combine the folky with the epic, and instantly infectious choruses big on "la la la"s and "hey hey"s."

THE GUARDIAN REVIEW

http://www.adamarcuragi.com/

"One of today’s fastest-rising folk/alt-country troubadours, Adam Arcuragi, has been reeling in addicted fans on both sides of the Atlantic, with the music that some call “Death Gospel.” Born in Georgia, Arcuragi [pronounced ärk; er; āh; jēe], grew up listening to his grandparent’s collection of old country records and Southern hymns, and upon moving to Pennsylvania with his family, he began composing music and formed his first band in the mid 2000s."

SXSW ARTIST INFO

http://www.yeasayer.net/

"Fragrant World may initially come off as messy, even chaotic. But the trio of Anand Wilder, Chris Keating and Ira Wolf Tuten are on to something worth absorbing all the same."

CHICAGO TRIBUNE REVIEW

http://www.titusandronicus.net/

"Titus Andronicus has emerged over the past seven years as a formidable punk rock unit—both live and on tape. And whether Stickles likes it or not, he’s become somewhat of a modern-day working-class hero. With Local Business, he again does us proud."

PASTE MAGAZIBE REVIEW

http://www.bobdylan.com/

"“I ain’t dead yet, my bell still rings,” he sings on “Early Roman Kings”, and how loud and bright and strong that clarion toll yet sounds. Nothing about it suggests a swansong, adios or fond adieu."

UNCUT MAGAZINE REVIEW

http://www.myanimalhome.net/

"Centepede Hz is somehow both futuristically innovative and welcomingly accessible. Amid the obscurantism caused by white noise and radio interference are strong choruses likely to get any form of life dancing."

CLASH MUSIC

http://www.thelumineers.com/

"The general expansiveness of sound on songs like "Ho Hey" make this young group's eponymous debut uniquely American in all the best ways: gritty, determined, soaked in sweat and love and drive. There's nothing precious or affected here, just three dedicated artists opening their hearts."

AUSTIN CHRONICLE

http://www.johnfrusciante.com/

"As one of the world’s most respected guitarists in one of rock’s most commercially successful bands, John Frusciante seemingly had it all figured out. So when the famed alternative guitar guru opted out of his second stint as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2009, many racked their brains for an explanation. But listening to PBX Funicular Intaglio Zone, it’s clear that Frusciante had an itch that the Peppers couldn’t scratch. A record as sprawling, layered, and flat-out bizarre as its title would suggest, reveling instead in an eclectic mix of electronica, funk, free jazz, and krautrock."

CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND REVIEW

http://thewoodenskymusic.com/home/

"Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun needs to catch you at the right time. It will seem tiresomely weary to the hotfooting hurried – but souse in these suds, and just shy of an hour, you’ll step from the spell, happier, wrinklier and ready for bed."

THE LINE OF BEST FIT REVIEW

http://www.mattmays.com/

"[Matt Mays'] been on some sort of spiritual-musical quest that has taken him from Dartmouth to New York to Mexico, searching for his groove or muse or something, slowly building a body of songs."

CBC MUSIC

http://www.menomena.com/

"Moms is an album that you will probably end up liking, and liking a lot, though it is also conversely an album that is hard to enjoy with its heart-on-its-sleeve sentiment and the realization that its creators might not be the most affable guys on the planet."

POP MATTERS REVIEW

http://www.murderbydeath.com/

"The fifteen tracks that make up the record are soul shaking, dark, emotive and moving in a way that would have Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits sipping their whiskeys in agreement."

BLURT MAGAZINE

http://www.website.com/

"Soul searching suits John Mayer well. It's an honest, and oftentimes compelling, statement on his road to redemption."

BOSTON GLOBE REVIEW

http://www2.norahjones.com/

"Brian Burton should work with everybody. The artist also known as Danger Mouse brought the best out of James Mercer after years collaborating together as Broken Bells, and now pulls Norah Jones out of her long slumber as the darling of adult contemporary with Little Broken Hearts. This Norah Jones is damaged, dangerous and vulnerable, and Burton's mastery of sound helps deepen the relationship between listener and song. "

EXCLAIM MAGAZINE