It's been another great year for our dearly-beloved radio format known as Triple A (Adult Album Alternative), which mostly means great music presented to you by WFPK. It has not been easy to have to choose from so many fantastic albums. Please keep in mind that we are inundated with hundreds of records all year long, so for a few to get through the mazes of CDs that cover our desks at all is quite extraordinary! Here are my picks:
10. Landline - Greg Laswell
I have loved all of Greg's albums so far but especially liked the female vocalists he employed for backup on this record including Sia, Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles.
9. Mirage Rock - Band of Horses
Check out A Little Biblical and Knock Knock. Aw heck, check out the whole thing!
8. Some Nights - fun.
The ever-inventive band fun. returned with another brilliant album this year with perhaps what could be the anthem for a generation We Are Young.
7. Maraqopa - Damien Jurado
The whole album is amazing but Museum of Flight steals the show.
6. Boys & Girls - Alabama Shakes
Great Southern rock and soul made this little young band one of the most talked about artists of the year. Check out Hold On.
5. Making Mirrors - Gotye
He's from Belgium. No, wait, he's from Australia. No, wait, he's from both! Wally De Backer is his real name. Who cares?! His album is one of the best of the year with each song very different from the next and we played many of them many times! Check out Somebody That I Used to Know.
4. Half-Made Man - Ben Sollee
Our Kentucky boy on his bike pulling a Cello behind it has stolen our hearts once again on his best record to date. It's raw and jam packed with emotional and thoughtful lyrics plus superb instrumentation. Check out Unfinished and The Healer.
3. Blak and Blu - Gary Clark, Jr.
Jimi who? Perhaps the next greatest guitarist of all time has emerged and is Gary Clark Jr. Don't believe me? Listen to his version of Third Stone From the Sun then get back to me, okay?
2. Fear Fun - Father John Misty
Former drummer for Fleet Foxes goes virtually unnoticed by not only the public but the band itself to reveal pure genius on his solo debut. Everyone is shocked! J. Tillman is Father John Misty and he's coming to town on Jan. 9th at Headliners. Don't miss it!
1. Bear Creek - Brandi Carlile
What do you get when you cross folk, country, calypso, rock, reggae, classical, soul and disco? Either one heck of a mess or a beautiful hybrid like Bear Creek turned out to be. This album is perfect for the one with A.D.D. in your life who also loves great singing, harmony, gorgeous melodies and superb songwriting. Yes, it's all over the map in terms of tempo, styles and arrangements but Brandi's voice along with The Twins she co-writes and sings with keep it consistently entertaining from one song to the next. I'm not even going to recommend one song. Get the whole thing!
