Summer Camp – All I Wonderful Christmas Is You

This is the best take I have ever heard on this song. I just love it. The “aahhhhss” are just fantastic. You could play this one for your grandparents and they would just think it was swell. This is also Summer Camp’s second year on the list. Those two must really like Christmas.

Beach House – I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun

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Here is a new one from Beach House. Good to hear some new music from one of my favorite bands from 2010. Thanks for adding jingle bells to this song or we might have mis-labeled it as the new single.

Passion Pit – All These Trees

This is a fun little ditty that Passion Pit put out last year. Man, can we get a new album already?

Los Campesinos! – Kindle A Flame In Her Heart

Here is one from last year. Nice tune definitely in the style you’ve come to expect from this band. The lead singers voice really gives you mixed signals when he wishes you were here.

Class Actress – Silent Night

Class Actress does a nice striped down rendition of this holiday classic. Toro Y Moi has a song called Promise Brings on this same compilation as well but like many of the songs on this compilation, it isn’t worth listening to. There is literally a cover song on this compilation of the barking dog songs from the 90s.

Winston Jazz Routine – Through the Snow

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The Winston Jazz Routine seem to have dropped off my radar lately, but I did find this nice Christmas song from a couple years ago. Great song and I wish these guys would put out some new stuff.

The Knife – Christmas Reindeer

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This has all the elements of a classic Knife tune. You might be thinking to yourself that you’ve heard this somewhere, but I assure you this is strictly a Christmas release (from last year I believe, but we had yet to include it, so here it is).

The Barr Brothers – Dear Mrs. Claus

The Barr Brothers are on tour with Muffin favorites Blind Pilot right now so they are okay in my book. This is a great song, very reminiscent of old 50s style Christmas songs. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me this was a Sam Cooke cover.

Chris Bathgate – Auld Lang Syne

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I don’t know if I have ever written about Chris Bathgate on the Muffin, I think I discovered his music on Pandora years after it had been released. Well, he is great, and his voice can’t be touched on this rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

Damien Jurado – Christmas Time Is Here

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Damien Jurado is probably in my top 5 of artists I have listened to the most in my life. It is not a hobby I share with others as much of his music is incredibly depressing. I mean, if you try playing your favorite Jurado tunes to your friends they are going to have an intervention. This Christmas tune somehow manages to be uplifting while maintaining his unique voice. His voice almost sounds unrecognizable in this style of singing. Here is a Dawes cover of the same song if you just can’t get enough.

Half-Handed Cloud – A Favorite Christmas Gag Gift

Half-handed Cloud is labelmate to Sufjan Stevens and the king of one minute songs. His Christmas song from a few years back is appropriatly titled to add a little humor to your Christmas listening.

LCD Soundsystem – Christmas Blues

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This one came out last year but too late for the list. Had to put this on the list. It isn’t very Christmas-y to tell you the truth, but it sure makes up for that in that it is LCD Soundsystem.

Lightspeed Champion – Christmas in Prison

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Okay, this one is from like four years ago, but did you know Lightspeed Champion put together a Christmas EP? It is called the XMas EP and you can find it at the Pirate Bay if you’re into that kind of thing.

Apollo Ghosts – Honky Tonk’s Blue Christmas

Once upon a time Train brought this amazing lo-fi group to our ears. They put out a weird little Christmas cover this year to remind you they still celebrate the Holidays in Brooklyn under trees made of PBR.

Fitz and the Tantrums – Santa Stole My Lady

Fitz and the Tantrums arrived in 2011 a little late to the party Mark Ronson started, but not without some fan fare. As far as original Christmas tunes go this is one of the better ones. The old school soul feel of the band fit perfectly for crafting a timeless-sounding song. This might be the best Fitz song I’ve ever heard.

My Morning Jacket – I’ll Be Home for Christmas

This one features The Head and the Heart and is part of a full EP of Christmas songs. I’m not a huge fan of this band, but if you are their straight-forward takes on the classics will surely be your cup of tea.

And to finish off the list here is a pretty dance-tastic Jingle Bells remix James Yuill did for Guiness.

October 18th on Mute, selected by Train

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is hands down my favorite album of 2011. From the minute it was announced I was playing a game of Hurry Up And Release This Album, We’re Waiting (see what I did there?), and once I got it in my hands and on the hard drive I was not disappointed. Majestic in scope and ambitious in sound, Hurry Up is an album not simply to be listened to, but rather experienced. And while I like this album because it is full of sonic delights, I love it because of how I listen to it. Yes, I realize that all of this makes me sound a little bat-shiza.

The M83 experience – what is it? Well, grab the nearest pair of headphones, turn the volume to one shade below ‘deafening’ and hit the streets. There is something about this album that complements the chilly NYC air, the passing by of strangers, the steam rising from the sidewalks, the rush of the traffic and, random sketchy people asking you for money. Okay, the last part not so much, but this happened to me a few days ago while I was in the throes of- chalk it up to city life I suppose. Still don’t believe me? Close your eyes and put on ‘Midnight City’. Now, picture your city waking up at dawn, office buildings crackling to life, rat-racers shuffling in sequence to the subway, the sun slowly readying itself for its closeup – there’s just so much potential for the day and hope packed into the opening 30 seconds of the song.

Wait, this is the worst review ever, I didn’t really talk about any of the songs. But you like good music (which is why you read The Muffin) and you’ve surely read about the soaring synths of ‘This Bright Flash’, the ghostly aura of ‘Another Wave Like You’ and the I-feel-like-I’m-in-an-Eighties-movie-and-I-kinda-like-it-ness of ‘Claudia Lewis’ – you don’t need me to tell you about it again. Instead let the album dance around in your surroundings, and in the words of Anthony Gonzalez himself, ‘Carry on, carry on’.

M83 – Midnight City

Train’s complete top 10 for 2011:

Yellow Ostrich – The Mistress

February 15th on Afternoon Records, selected by Frank

I was smart this year. I set up a Last.fm profile at the beginning of the year and attached it to all my listening devices.  So at years end I simply had to check my stats to see what I listened to the most, but I didn’t really need to look, it was going to be Yellow Ostrich.

Have you ever seen that image floating around the internet with the future-man exploring the cosmos and the caption says something like, “Sorry, you were born too soon”? I could care less about space travel, but I often sulk at the thought of missing out on what new sounds future bands will bring to the world. And every time I hear a band like Yellow Ostrich I mark a notch on the wall, I got to hear one new innovation before my time comes.

Yellow Ostrich uses acapella harmonies as their primary instrument. Yet, the instrumentation that is included is careful, perfectly selected, and you can’t imagine the songs any other way (even when multiple versions of a song appear on this debut album).

The kicker for me is the vocals and lyrical content of Alex Schaaf. He has one of those sweet voices that can best be described as ‘earnest’. Paired with songs about empathy for whales, a girl named Mary with a secret drug problem, and a positive outlook after a break-up I can simply listen to this album over and over again all day long.

Yellow Ostrich – Hold On

Frank’s complete top 10 for 2011:

James Blake – James Blake

March 22nd on Universal Republic, selected by Bootsy

It is pretty easy for me to declare my love for James Blake. This album – THIS ARTIST – is a standout for me in 2011.

I got to see him in a church in Austin Texas at SXSW, and it was a religious experience. I also stood in the back of a super packed Troubador, among rumors that Joni Mitchell stood somewhere in that same crowd, and I pressed my whole body up against the rattle of the wall so that I could literally vibrate with the warbling pan of The Wilhelm Scream. He passed through the KCRW studios and happily stepped away from the trenches of his dubby effects, and tickled out the most beautiful sounds on the same grand piano that has rung with the tunes of piano greats the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis.

In addition to these multiple magical experiences with James Blake in the flesh, believe me – there were soo many other moments with James Blake in my headphones that were equally phenomenonal. This collection of songs first landed in my eardrums in late December last year… and after 12 months of listening and allowing it shape and inspire my own musical explorations – it sounds just as fresh and beautiful as it did on day one.

The voice is clear and beautiful. The dubstep influence is modern and intelligent. The nostalgic nod to Jazz and to RnB are hefty, soulful and reverent. The auspicious use of vocal and synth effects, paired with a composition style that evokes the classical part of this classically trained pianist – all make up what is undoubtedly my favorite artist of 2011.

James Blake – Lindesfarne I & II

Bootsy’s complete top 10 for 2011:

Brown Bird – Salt For Salt

October 18th on Supply and Demand, selected by Baker

If you’re doing a music festival right, you’re probably leaving a few gaps in your schedule to hear some sounds you might not have heard before. Maybe it happens on a whim. Some guy is talking your ear off while waiting in line for the port-a-potty about an up and comer and you decide to check them out. Maybe you’re just walking past a stage something catches your ear, so you hang back for a second and check out this band you’ve heard of but aren’t really familiar with. Maybe you like them, maybe you keep walking.

That’s not what happened to me. I just didn’t know everything was going to align like it did. On the second day of the 2011 Newport Folk Festival, damn near every band we wanted to see that day was playing at the same stage. Cave Singers, Mountain Man, The Head and the Heart, Chris Thile & Michael Daves, Civil Wars… This was not the day I was expecting to become infatuated by new sounds because I already knew my picks were solid. It was the smallest stage at Newport, but I still got there an hour before the gates opened and that put me in the third row an hour before this band called Brown Bird was supposed to start start.

I hadn’t even noticed the crowd that had gathered in the rows behind me, but when Dave Lamb and MorganEven Swain took the stage, that crowd’s warm welcoming cheer told me I was in the right spot at just the right time. From that point forward I was completely amazed at what I was hearing.

Brown Bird’s music instantly feels familiar, but always unique and their own. For the most part, it’s just him on guitar (or banjo) and a kick drum, her on a double bass, cello, or violin. Their 2011 release titled Salt for Salt, my favorite album of this year, is a studio reflection of their live set. No overdubs. Just a pair of skilled musicians with bare bone instruments making real music.

Lamb worked in a shipyard right up until their fall/winter tour this year. A lot of his lyrics tell stories of life at sea, the daily grind of working a manual labor job, and the desire to live a simple but productive life with someone you love. The lyrics aren’t always happy, but the music that weaves in and out of the story line always sounds hopeful His voice is honest and sounds as if he’s lived every single word he sings twice over. When Swain’s voice meshes with Lamb’s, I can’t help but envision a ray of sunlight shining a light on whatever situation their lyrical subject is laboring through at that moment.

Brown Bird just completed their nationwide tour with The Devil Makes Three, so you probably missed them already. To hold you over until you get to see them in 2012, treat your self and pick up Salt for Salt.

Baker’s complete top 10 for 2011:

Portugal. The Man – In The Mountain In The Cloud

July 19th on Atlantic, selected by Kareem

These guys truly are the best thing to come out of Wasilla, AK since Sarah Palin. Actually they are way better and they got the hell out of there way before, so that was a stupid cliché. Beginning to end this album is refreshing. I has licks that remind you of the Beatles and the Pixies. It has a very retro feel to it mixed with modern style to build this psychedelic sound which is really quite beautiful even to average ears. My personal favorite song (which was damn hard to narrow down) on this seventh full length release is probably “You Carried Us” which is a nice display of the bands triumphant sound and singer John Gourley’s impressive range. This fine piece of work brings back memories of Weezer’s Blue album because I can listen from beginning to end and each song brings in something new. It all just works so well together. Thank you Portugal. The Man.

Portugal. The Man – You Carried Us (Share With Me The Sun)

Kareem’s complete top 10 for 2011:

Yacht – Shangri-La

August 30th on DFA, selected by Biddy Bopp

Yacht’s album, Shangri-La really gets your head bobbing to those funky electric beats. I really love driving around LA listening to this album, especially the title track Shangri-La. Though my favorite fun dancing song goes to Dystopia. I just think its a great song with badass quirkiness. I’ve been a Yacht fan for a long time, and this album doesn’t disappoint. Claire L. Evans’ voice really compliments founding member Jona Bechtolt. A beautiful harmony surrounded by synchronized computer melodies. All around its a really fun album to listen to and I think it’s a great follow up to their last album See Mystery Lights (2009).

Yacht - Dystopia (The Earth is on Fire)

Biddy Bopp’s complete top 10 for 2011:

Metronomy – The English Rivera

July 26th on Big Beat, selected by Dream

Close your eyes. Fill your mind with the imagery of the sun shining above crystal clear blue waters and the sound of waves crashing ever so gently with seagulls wafting above. Metronomy’s 3rd studio album, “The English Riviera”, simply put, will lead you down a yellow brick road with your booty shaking the entire time. As soon as I set foot in this adventure, I found myself captivated by the electro-synth-pop driven sounds. Kinda like that shade-wearing bunny that’s powered by energizer batteries, the pulse of this album is powered by its funky bass lines. The album has a very playful and innocent vibe to it with songs like “Corrine” and “Some Written”. Metronomy also has the capability of producing Santa Monica club bangers like “The Bay” and “The Look”. Metronomy has come a long way from their commodore computer synthetic sounding days. As much as I adore those “Archaic” sounds from the previous albums, the facelift and new additions Joe Mount (lead singer) has given the band, has paid off in huge dividends. Metronomy’s sound has evolved immensely since their last album. Fortunately for us, someone hit the warp speed button in the band’s evolution process. As a result, Metronomy produced the lushest musical creation of 2011. Enjoy.

Metronomy – Corinne

Dream’s complete top 10 for 2011:

St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

September 13th on 4ad, selected by Brian

When Strange Mercy was finally released, it didn’t grab me the way that Actor first did, and even Marry Me before that. The critics loved it, but at first I wasn’t on the same page. I wanted the energy of Actor, the quirky arrangements of Marry Me, the vicious shredding on the “Kerosene” cover that made the youtube rounds that melted my face, and the screeching guitar from the live performance of “Marrow” on Austin City Limits. Yet, there was something about Strange Mercy that kept me listening. I listened more and more, and slowly the songs seeped into my daily life. The next thing I knew it was my autumn soundtrack. For an album that I initially didn’t think would listen to for more than a week, it really made a dent.

The album is a slow burner, and its beauty lies in its restraint. Yet the deliberate restraint is a key ingredient to the complexity of these tracks. It’s definitely not as showy as her last two albums, but it’s so achingly personal. She’s never quite set a mood like this, a sensual atmosphere that only comes with artistic maturity. There’s really something to be said about an album that seems almost too simple on the surface but still reveals something new on repeat listens. This album is a bold move, and a masterful one. I also believe great albums can start a dialogue with the ones that came before it, only adding to the worth of the whole oeuvre. And Strange Mercy does just that. In the end, it works as the logical successor of the previous two albums, and it displays Annie Clark’s progress and maturity as an artist. I’m eagerly looking forward to what’s to come.

St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

Brian’s complete top 10 for 2011:

Has-Lo – In Case I Don’t Make It

May 3rd on Mellow Music, selected by Ben Waters

“It’s unavoidable. It just happens… When you grow up, your heart dies.”
–Allison Reynolds, The Breakfast Club (as sampled in “Limit”)

I think it’s fair to say that Has-Lo is having a rough time of it.

In what may be one of the most vulnerable and bleak hip-hop records I’ve ever heard, this 32-year-old rookie rapper from Philly shows a style that lays somewhere between east-coast rap and a slam poet. With a dramatic flair, his production of the album suggests that, if he were to ever look into another line of work, he might try putting together a really edgy NPR program that you’d only hear after 2 AM. He lays out almost his entire catalog of hip-hop heroes in “Untitled #2 (Conception to Procession)”, but that leaves out a wide array of his other influences, including the inspiration for that track’s semi-untitledness, Eliot Smith.

At one point he’s talking religion, the next he is Apollo raining down destruction. The end of the album sneaks up on you, bringing the pieces together with a cinematic chill. This track, “Untitled #1 (Hold On)”, actually almost had me misting up when I watched the video. These are not the typical feelings I get when listening to a hip-hop album. This is not your typical hip-hop album.

Ben Water’s complete top 10 for 2011:

Jan Driver – Amatilda

September 27th on Boysnoize, selected by Alex

While listening to “Amatilda”, the debut album from long time electro producer Jan Driver, it’s hard to imagine where he came up with the concept for the album’s theme. It’s as if he took whatever sound he thought was “cool” since the days of reading old sci-fi comics as a kid, set them up in an abandoned warehouse in outer space along with 10,000 drum kits and threw a party. Lasers. Satellites. The Mother Ship. All invited. And bring your chainsaws, cowbells and fishing poles, too.

When the five track preview – “AMT”- came out in August, I could barely wait to hear what else Driver had in store for the full length release. The clear standout track for me was “Raveyard”, which Boys Noize dropped a few days later during his set at HARD Summer, bringing fields of head bopping, teeny-something raver kids covered in dirt to their climax. I was all of a sudden obsessed with an artist I’d never heard of before last year, but who’s been producing music since 1993. I wanted more Jan Driver.

The day I finally got my hands on “Amatilda” (courtesy of my friends at Nodata.tv), I wanted to save the first listen for my drive home on the 134/101/405 freeways. I knew I’d have a good hour to get through most if not all of it from start to finish. After kicking off my journey with the heavy, grimy bass intro in “Blow”, to the drum solo on Red Bull in “Dozer”, I was completely hooked when “Roundabout” came on as I was circling on to the 405 S. It was how I’d imagine it’d sound inside my head, if I were forced to sit inside a playground tunnel after being tied to a merry-go-round for the last 15 minutes. Then “Tin Tin” got me shaking and twisting my shoulders like an epileptic fit. Before I knew it, I was singing along to the wah-wah-wah wah-wah wah-wah-wah in “Intruder” and realized I was going 65mph down Pico Blvd., bursting with excitement. I thought it was the coolest fucking track I’d heard in a long time, and to this day it still is.

Listen to Jan Driver.

Jan Driver – Raveyard

Alex’s complete top 10 for 2011:

Foster the People – Torches

May 23rd on Columbia, selected by Hot Dog

I’ll admit that I didn’t understand the craze with this album when Spotify launched. But after seeing all of my friends and their mothers listening to it, I slipped away from the Audiomuffin offices to give it a spin…and I loved it. Like Contra last year and Miike Snow the year prior, this has been my go-to album for months.

FRANK had a rule that no one could choose the same “top album” for the list, and I was the last one to the party so essentially, there were already like 10 albums chosen. I figured that’d leave me picking some kinda-shitty album like Watch the Throne, and then drinking too much wine and writing something unintelligible about it. But when I realized that no one else had chosen this album, I was just like “what the fuck, people?” If I’d had my drothers, I may have gone with Mistress or Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, but are either of those really as good as Torches? Not for me to decide, but I think they’re all worthy.

Plus, what band has a back-up vocalist with a name as cool as Cubbie Fink?

Foster the People – Pumped Up Kicks

Hot Dog’s complete top 10 for 2011:

One of the most interesting and powerful albums to come out in 2011 is the UK band Everything Everything‘s Man Alive.  The instrumentation mixes rock with electronic and catchy guitar riffs with Broadway musical song structures.  The singer sounds like he is constantly passing between different dimensions, trying to get the words out before the world collapses around him, with backing harmonies that would make Queen jealous.

The lyrics are mysterious and follow a strange, yet alluring dystopia.  The album begins with a song described by the band as their take on a 90s R&B song set in the middle of an apocalypse.  The album ends with the powerful repetition of “I know how it all ends.” The word “epic” tends to get overused a lot lately. And usually it conjures images from those dragon games online that people play when I hear it.  But to be honest, these tracks are truly epic. And I mean that in the least nerdiest way possible.

But let’s take a look at that first track, arguably also the best track on the album, MY KZ, UR BF (which stands for My Keys, Your Boyfriend).

Below is three versions of the song.  The first version is a demo version that I found in my inbox this morning.  Their Soundcloud page describes the reason this version was abandoned, and granted, the album version is better, but this loungy, drum-programmed track sounds awesome.  The third version is how I first was introduced to the band, Clock Opera takes the song for a vocal-sample whirlwind.

Everything Everything – Airstrike On Your Forehead

Everything Everything – MY KZ, UR BF

Everything Everything – MY KZ UR BF (Clock Opera Remix)

You can check out the full album on Spotify.

You may have noticed we have had the same ad banner on our site for a couple months (or if recent surveys are correct, you haven’t noticed ad banners since 2007).  GroopEase is basically the Groupon or Living Social for independent music.  And within the next week and half, they are going to be sending a pair of folks to Bonnaroo.

But before we get to the giveaway, I must tell you why GroopEase is rad.  First, believe it or not, the Audio Muffin does not really make any money.  Yeah sure, we get free tickets and album promos, but trust that we’re all still holding it down at our 9-6.  Basically, we have very little incentive to put up ad banners that make money, so we put up ad banners that we feel are worthy.

GroopEase is not just a group discount site, it is a professionally curated music newsletter, with music that just happens to be cheaper than normal.  And by that I mean that each artist they choose to feature as a deal has been hand-selected for the amazing album they have created.  It’s like a cd club, but you only have to buy the ones you want (like if one day there is a genre you’re not to into).  They also do a good job of LIYLing (listen if you like) the band, and giving free streams to make sure you’ll enjoy the album.  Okay, on to the giveaway…

Here are the details for entering the contest:

Flight: May 10 – May 24, 2011
Eligibility: New member – must sign up for GroopEase and ‘Like’ us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter

This contest is for new members only, current members are involved in a separate giveaway that started on May 5th

Prize: 2 pairs of 3-day passes to Bonnaroo June 9-12, 2011 in Manchester, TN (valued at $550 per pair)

There are the rules, go get you some.

And while we are talking about GroopEase, their artist of the day is Seven Saturdays.  If this name doesn’t immediately jump out at you, you might have still heard one of their songs on the Hype Machine.  In addition to a great album, they have been remixed by such awesome people as Teen Daze, Memoryhouse, and Millionyoung.  And like all GroopEase artists you can grab their album for five bucks.

Seven Saturdays – Seven Saturdays – Au Revoir (Memoryhouse Remix)

Seven Saturdays – True Romance (Teen Daze Remix)

We got duped like everyone else by one of the fake posters that floated around the internet.  I was gonna let it go until I realized 500 people liked our article on Facebook – whoops!  Here is the real lineup, straight from coachella.com.

The biggest difference in this poster versus the one we posted before is the substitution of Daft Punk with Kings of Leon.  I’m pretty excited for this change because I’ve never seen Daft Punk and kinda want to keep it that way.  And Kings of Leon, well they are just SO good live.

Sarcasm.

Yeasayer – Odd Blood

Did I say ‘no particular order’? Well I lied, Yeasayer’s sophomore album is hands down my favorite album of the year. I mean, I think I’ve listened to ‘ONE’ about 48 times today, and it’s only 8AM.  I have to admit though, when this album first came out I was very confused – I was looking for the same psych-folk stylings of All Hour Cymbals (another album I love) and didn’t immediately fall in love with the electro-synth laden songs on Odd Blood. But I kept finding myself coming back to the album and soon enough I was obsessed – to borrow (and slightly butcher) a phrase from Depeche Mode, “I just [couldn't] get enough.” I saw the Yeasayer gang in action a few times this year and each show replicated the energy and vitality of the album – it was dance party USA up in there every time. Hats off to you Yeasayer, your album helped define my 2010 in an amazingly awesome way.

Yeasayer – Ambling Alp

Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

This one is a little dicey – it was released in the UK in 2009, but I’m including it since it wasn’t released stateside until February 2010. I randomly saw Local Natives at CMJ 2009 and became an insta-fan the moment I heard ‘Sun Hands’ live.  I love the harmonies, I love the percussion – have you heard the drumming on ‘Wide Eyes’? The 1-2-3 combo of ‘Wide Eyes’, ‘Airplanes’, and ‘Sun Hands’ might be the best opening sequence of songs on any album this year. Wham. Bam. And here’s another Jam. ‘Who Knows Who Cares’ is just as beautiful to me on the 1000th listen as it was on the first listen. ‘Warning Sign’ appeals to the cover lover inside me – basically, there’s a lot to be excited about on Gorilla Manor. Also, at this point I think I’ve seen Local Natives more than any other band I’ve seen before, the shows are always a guaranteed good time, especially for a notorious air drummer such as myself. Just joking about the air drumming by the way. No I’m not.

Local Natives – Wide Eyes

Four Tet – There Is Love In You

You know those mornings (for me, every morning) when the sleep is still coating your eyes, you’re on your way to work and you just want to ease your way into the day? Well, this is the perfect album for those mornings, my go-to A.M. commute companion for 2010. There Is Love In You is fully instrumental (save for the ‘Hidden Track’) and is comprised of a beautifully serene tapestry of sounds – some songs are so sparse as to wander into minimalism, while others mix shimmering loops, strings and vocal samples into the sonic palette.  ’Angel Echoes’ kicks things off in a dream-gaze kind of way and from there the album slowly increases it’s momentum and tempo while still managing to never push things too far in the other direction. Throw this album on tomorrow morning and go walk on some clouds with Four Tet.
Four Tet – Angel Echoes

Suckers – Wild Smile

What a surprise this album was. I randomly caught Suckers when I wandered into their album release show in BK this summer and was immediately impressed – see Exhibit A.  After that show I bought their debut album, Wild Smile, and in true Train fashion, proceeded to listen to it obsessively over the course of the next six months.  As I mentioned before, I’m a sucker (ha!) for harmonies, and this album has them in spades. Also, you can just tell that a lot of the album cuts are made for alcohol infused sing-a-longs, an activity I happily participated in when I saw Suckers again in October. There’s not a bad track on Wild Smile, ‘Save Your Love For Me’ is a slow burner of an opener complete with falsettos, rhythmic harmonies and a sweet drum laced crescendo; ‘Roman Candles’ might just be the best whistled song of 2010; I love hearing the band scream “You love it when the riot’s rowdy//You never gave two shits about me” in ’2 Eyes 2 C’, and when ‘Loose Change’ transitions at it’s halfway point into jam city – well, let’s just say it’s a ride worth taking. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuckersssssssss!

Suckers – Loose Change

Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Yup, I’m putting this on there…and why wouldn’t I, Kanye made the best pop art album of the year. Now the album is far from perfect and I’m not giving it the 10/10 bestowed upon it by others, but it is still really, really, really good. Ye pushed hip-hop somewhere it has never been before with Fantasy and for that he gets a lot of respect from your boy Trizzy.  ’Runaway’ has elements of jazz in it, and you can’t tell me that the production on ‘All of the Lights’ isn’t just…..well, beautiful. But I’m not gushing solely because there are violin solos on a hip-hop album (certainly not the first time that’s happened btw), rather I’m gushing because there the music is magnificent and would be good on any album regardless of genre, knowhatImsayin?  Kanye’s rhymes are the only thing that hold the album back a little, but at the same time, he’s lyrically stronger than he’s ever been. Regardless,  I love his cadence and he fits himself into the complexity of his beats with ease throughout the course of the album. Egomaniac? Yup, and he’s pretty much embracing it at this point, see “I know damn well y’all feelin’ this shit’ on ‘Power’ and almost every other line on the album. But the production is lush and lavish and completely suits his personality and verses. Also, when’s the last time you heard half of an album before it was released and STILL got excited to buy it come release day? Maaan, this shit is Fucking. Ridiculous.

Kanye West – Monster

I also took this opportunity to check out some other blogs year end lists and dig into some bands that I kinda passed on earlier this year.  Two stand-outs that still didn’t make my list but were impressive were Beach House and Deerhunter.  Before you ask how did I skip on Beach House until now, I’ll tell you I saw them open for Vampire Weekend at the Hollywood Bowl and they damn near put everyone to sleep.

I also did a lot of polling to my friends who know good music.  If you have been to a bar with me in the last few weeks and I was pestering you about your top albums for 2010, now you know why.  The main thing I learned from this exercise is that I still don’t understand The National.  Anyways, here we go…

1. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
Sufjan Stevens – I Walked

The number one spot this year was a close race.  But in the end, Derek and a live concert convinced me Sufjan was the winner.  If you have seen Sufjan’s latest tour than you know exactly what I mean, best show I’ve ever seen.  And the show really opened my eyes to the amazing story that was being told through some of the most cutting edge music made this year.  Believe it or not, this may be one of the most beautiful break-up albums ever made.

2. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West – Runaway

I’ve been a big fan of Kanye since his first album.  And I think, in a way, to truly appreciate what we have here, you’ve had to have listened to each of his albums a dozen times.  For a few albums he was making the hottest beats in hip-hop, then he made 808′s and Heartbreaks, which although arguably not as good, was helping push the envelope of music in general. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy combines everything he has learned plus a ton more.  There is so much going into each one of these songs, the closer you listen the more you’ll think his Twitter feed must be ghost-written.

3. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
Yeasayer – O.N.E.

I predicted earlier this year that Yeasayer’s Odd Blood was going to be the best album of the year.  I wasn’t too far off, and some of the mechanics that Yeasayer employed still seem way ahead of their time.  For a band that is constantly genre-cised as “experimental” they made some of the funnest music of the year.

4. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
LCD Soundsystem – You Wanted A Hit

LCD Soundsystem’s previous album, Sound of Silver has been my go-to album when I want to feel good about the world.  But coming out in 2007, the album sort of lived in isolation.  But as 2010 began I followed James Murphy’s tweets religiously with promises of a new album.  And when it arrived, with it Coachella and what a Coachella it was.  Almost all of my best friends from different stages of my life converged on a rented house in the desert, and This Is Happening was the soundtrack.

5. Vampire Weekend – Contra
Vampire Weekend – I Think Ur A Contra

This is another one that came out earlier in the year and was a joy to re-visit.  I really liked Vampire Weekend’s first album, but it was on this album that their status as “masters” come to fruition.  Just a really fun album with so much perfection.  This is what indie music is all about.

Stay tuned through the rest of December as other Audio Muffin authors lay out what they felt was great in 2010.

We also have the pleasure once again to have a nice cover for this mix for those of you who are planning on making physical versions for your Christmas festivities.  The design was done by two-time Muffin Christmas artist Bregan Hubbard of The Lead Chandelier.  She has some cool stuff at her little shop, but is always tinkering with new stuff, so don’t be afraid to ask her about what’s new if you like her style.

And now for the tunes!

I don’t know too much about Jenny O., but of all the Christmas music I sifted through of bands I hadn’t heard of, this one was my favorite.  It’s pleasant, simple, and is a nice opener to subtley ease you into Christmas music listening time.  This song is featured on a free bunch of Christmas songs from Target.

Jenny O. – Get Down for the Holidays

Best Coast and Wavves also teamed up to put a track together for Target.  Okay, this is the last song from that album, but serious kudos to Target for making the best Christmas album this year and for giving it away for free.

Best Coast & Wavves – Got Something For You

I was first introduced to The Boy Least Likely To from their amazing cover of George Michael’s Faith.  Their music is just so happy, and they don’t disappoint with this jolly tune about Christmas longing.

The Boy Least Likely To – Christmas Isn’t Christmas

I’m not going to lie, I put a lot of work into finding Christmas songs.  I spent a good amount of time just searching the internet for bands I liked and seeing if maybe they had done a Christmas song.  That is how I came across this one from Fanfarlo that they recorded for NPR’s Tiny Desk.  What a beautiful rendition of War’s classic.  This one is for Bootsy!

Fanfarlo – Just Like Christmas (War Cover)

Jukebox The Ghost put out a bunch of great tunes this year.  They have just a weird nostalgic sound but somehow fit right in with many of the hot bands that see their way around the blogs.  Here is a nice little jam that fits their style perfectly.

Jukebox The Ghost – Mistletoe

I’m not sure who Summer Camp is, but hot damn they made one hell of a song.  Their take on the classic Waitresses’ song is very impressive.  This tune got me searching for more of their stuff and I suggest you do the same, you won’t be disappointed.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear a lot from Summer Camp in 2011.

Summer Camp – Christmas Wrapping (The Waitresses cover)

Florence + The Machine released this live Christmas song a year or so ago.  Personally, I like Florence best paired with The XX, but my friend Kate just can’t get enough, so this one is for her.

Florence + The Machine – Last Christmas (Wham! Cover)

I feel like every time I go looking for Local Natives songs, I find some “bonus” song I’ve never heard before.  This is apparently their holiday bonus, although I’m not sure where it was released.  You know it is Christmas because of the bell shakers.

Local Natives – We Come Back

For the last ten years or so Sufjan Stevens has recorded a handful of Christmas songs and distributed them to his friends.  The first six years he released as a box set, but… he kept doing it.  The last known volume was released in 2008.  This track is from that seven song disc.  Was there a 2009 edition?  Is there one this year?  Any information leading to the apprehension of this music will be greatly rewarded.

Sufjan Stevens – Do You See What I See

Here is a nice little song from The Swell Season that was recorded for a Daytrotter session.  This is a regular song of theirs that they make super Christmas-y around the middle.

The Swell Season – Star Star

I asked Bootsy to help me find some songs this year.  And after I had come to the conclusion there were no more songs to find she found this little gem in Frightened Rabbit.  Just another great Christmas tune.

Frightened Rabbit – It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop

I know I shouldn’t do this, but I’m gonna add another Sufjan song to this list.  This one is also from the 2008 leaked Christmas disc.  Such a great original Christmas song.  I’m sorry if this double-artist post offends anyone.

Sufjan Stevens – Christmas In The Room

As a little bonus here is a sweet little New Years song by Regina Spektor.  I think she put this out last year for some iTunes benefit.  Really great song and proves she was using sound bites before Kanye.

Regina Spektor – My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)

If you liked these songs, you should check out last year’s indie Christmas songs.  It is another ten songs and they are also downloadable.

I was listening to All Things Considered yesterday and Robert Siegel happened to have a really cool interview with Matisyahu. Turns out with the lack of Hanukkah songs, Matisyahu decided to through his yamaka into the ring and created the song Miracles.

I’m a huge fan of Matisyahu, and although some of his newer stuff is a bit over produced, his voice is simply stunning.  And NPR was helpful enough to have Matisyahu perform the song acoustically for the show.  The song you’ll find on iTunes is great; the stripped down acoustic version?  Amazing!  You can find the video for the full song below.

Matisyahu – Miracle (Acoustic Version)

I have no idea why the formatting is so messed up on this article. I’ll try and fix it for next time – that is, if you think this is fun and worth a next time?

Simon and Garfunkel – The Only Living Boy In New York

The Hood Internet – Two Weeks of Hip-Hop