There's no clear winner like there was last year with Kanye West's masterclass, but there was still a ton of great music! Alternative Rock especially had a great year, re-surging with artists seeking perfection in the genre, and actually finding it. Plus, it gained some mainstream success. There's also a couple cover albums (I'm really into covers if you can't tell), and even a few surprises. And remember, the only rule is that the album had to come out this year.
10. Appetite For Destruction by Ruby Isle:
Covering one album, and a Guns N' Roses album at that. Except it's all Electropop. Mark Mallman showcases the strengths of the genre, all while creating both danceable anthems and making "Sweet Child O' Mine" a slow-dance love song. No small feat to be sure.
9. Turtleneck & Chain by The Lonely Island:
It's hard to make me Laugh Out Loud at a comedy music album, but this did it, multiple times. What they do is incredibly stupid, but they do it incredibly well. It improves over their first album, with both the Digital Short songs being great, as well as the original tracks such as the increasing absurdity of a song like "No Homo," which is honestly what I'd blast out a Chevy Suburban if I was a complete asshole to humanity because I owned a damn Chevy Suburban.
8. Camp by Childish Gambino:
For indie rap fans, it's a dark, introspective album full of excellent one-liners. For more mainstream rap fans, it's a depressing piece of work that rips off Kanye West. I lean more on the Indie Rap side. Which is a shame because it makes somebody like Drake look utterly sophomoric in comparison, since they go after very similar territory in almost the exact same way. Difference is that the ever-talented Donald Glover doesn't need any guests on his album, and Drake leans on his more than any artist should.
7. Soul Punk by Patrick Stump:
Perfect for these trying economic times, Stump can create a song about Bernie Madoff and make it danceable. And in light of Family Force 5 sucking this year, we needed somebody to create an inventive party album. This is pretty much it.
6. Passive Me, Aggressive You by The Naked & Famous:
Sure, it came out in New Zealand last year, but it just reached us this year. And boy am I glad it did. Every song seems to explore a different sub-genre in Alternative Rock. Think a female-lead U2, with more of a indie pop/rock streak.
5. Muppets: The Green Album by Various Artists:
The Muppets have never gone without a song following close behind. And with this album, you really realize how awesome their songwriters apparently were. Completely prime for a sing-a-long, it plays more like the Great American Songbook than a kids album. And that's because they're songs for all ages, excellently reinterpreted here. Note: Sorry that I only have a sampler video here, but the folks at Disney are kind of being assholes in deleting every video that contains more than what's shown here. Still, I won't let it get me down! These songs are too damn good for that!
4. Thank You, Happy Birthday by Cage The Elephant:
Expanding on their rock sound, the band expands their musical tastes, lyrical horizons, and just plain greatness. They explore darkness, but ultimately find their light in optimism. Solid work all the way around for what was for a long time, my favorite album of the year.
3. 21 by Adele:
Basically, Adele is going to have one of the best-selling albums in years here. And for good reason. When I first heard Rolling in the Deep on the radio, I thought I had accidentally turned it to the Oldies station. Pop radio just doesn't find a home for classic singers like this anymore. But yet Adele is here, staying in our hearts, basically creating the soundtrack for the most EPIC breakup in the history of mankind. That, and it's good for a good cry and eating our feelings.
2. What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? by The Vaccines:
There's no bad song. NONE. It's all indie pop/rock perfection. If only more people would realize the joys of Amanda Norgaard...
1. Torches by Foster The People:
I always love it when a good group does something great and actually wins recognition for it. And that Mark Foster and his group did and have. Releasing quietly but then gaining traction on the complete surprise success of "Pumped Up Kicks," everybody discovered the Alternative masterwork created here. They combine original-sounding songs compiled of eclectic sounds and catchy beats. But you know what really makes this album stand out from all the rest? The lyrics. Mark Foster draws on his demons in making this album, and it shows. He pines for lost relationships, tries to get through one with a mental patient, gets deep into the mental state of a school shooter, and struggles with his darker side, which could involve suicide. Foster takes familiar aspects that you might find with MGMT songs, then takes them to the next level. iTunes says I've listened to the songs on the album a combined total of 320 times, which in my case, is pretty good.
