Finally I have come to the end of the end of the year list. This actually went a lot faster than I thought it would. I guess I could have dragged it on longer but 10 albums a day is good. I hope you all have enjoyed my lists, and I can't wait to do it next year. So without further ado here are my top 10.
50-41
40-31
30-21
20-11
10. Thursday - No Devolucion
Thursday are one of those bands that I listened to back when I was in middle school for the first time and didn't really like too much. But as I grew older, and my musical tastes matured I began to like Thursday more and more. In fact they are among my top favorite bands of all time. Their sound is unique and they have paved roads for many bands on the scene today. I recently sat down and listened to all of their albums in order. And what I can say is that this band has matured in sound, but the same basic formula is in each album. They don't have a bad song or a bad album. I was fortunate enough to see them at the beginning of the year for the first time, and now they are on hiatus. What was unique about that show was they played their album Full Collapse in its entirety for its tenth anniversary. No Devolucion is among their best in their catalog. Favorite Song: Turnpike Divides
9. O' Brother - Garden Window
When I went and saw Thrice a few months ago, I really didn't know who the opening bands were except for La Dispute. The other two bands were Moving Mountains (who appeared on my list) and O' Brother. That show will go down as one of the best concerts I have ever witnessed because of the talent that I saw that night. O' Brother absolutely killed it on stage, the guitars were perfect and the vocals were amazing. There are singers that have amazing vocal abilities today. One that comes to mind is Tommy Rogers of Between The Buried and Me. Front man Tanner Merritt should be in the same breath as other great singers. His vocal range is incredible and to do it live too is outstanding. I can't say enough about these guys. Favorite Song: Lay Down
8. Eric Church - Chief
Eric Church is interesting to me. I started off by avoiding this album because I claimed that I didn't like his voice. Of course I was basing this off what little I have heard of his older albums. Then I heard the lead single Homeboy. I was like, hey this is a decent song. But wait I can't like him, I've said I don't. Then I heard Drink In My Hand; dammit, now I like this guy. I went on my computer and put his name into Spotify and clicked on Chief and hit play. I was blown away. This album is at number 8 for a reason. It is the best country album of the year in my opinion. Every song is infectious and has you coming back for more. I had this thing on repeat for the longest time in my car. Especially the song Springsteen. What a great song to drive to and sing at the top of your lungs. Favorite Song: Springsteen
7. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones
Frank Turner is a man with an amazing voice. That is all you need to know for this album. I originally came across this album earlier this year, but never gave it a listen just because I got lazy. Then as I was reading some end of the year lists that were coming out I saw him come up a few times. I thought hey I need to hear this album if it is so good. Well it is a good thing I did. It is an album that is a fun listen overall and tells some great stories. There are a lot of relatable songs as well including my favorite If Ever I Stray. I would love to see him live in England at a smokey bar full of drunken banter and a group full of people singing along. Good times are sure to be had, much like the good times that are to be had listening to this album. Favorite Song: If Ever I Stray
6. The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum (Complete)
It takes a genius band to pull off an immense record project all at once. Often times when a band decides to release more than a double album the quality starts to fade as the project goes on. Which is probably the reason most bands tend to stay away from concept projects like this. The Color Spectrum is 9 mini EPs of music put together as one item. Every EP has their own dynamic and style and each is named after a different color. It is an interesting listen to go through because everything is different than before. For example, Red has some hard hitting tracks while Indigo is a little more laid back and ambient in nature. All in all a great listen that has something for everyone in it. Favorite Song: We've Got A Score To Settle
5. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
Ahhh Manchester Orchestra. I love this band so much, I can't stop listening to all their albums. I have to say that the songs on this album sound a lot better live, but it is still a damn good listen. I'm still up in the air as to whether this album is as good as their previous efforts or not. Maybe it's because I love their old stuff so much. Also I think I built up the hype a little too much on this album for myself. Either way there are still great songs to be heard and is a marvelous record all around. Favorite Song: Pensacola
4. The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
A growing trend for me is to get tickets to a concert for a band I like, and not really know who some of the opening bands are. It happens a lot because opening bands are trying to make a name for themselves. A few years ago I saw Rise Against and one of the opening bands was The Gaslight Anthem. I fell in love with their sound. They have a mix of 1950s gritty rock and modern alternative. Then I heard of this band The Horrible Crowes. Again I didn't know who they were till I saw the singers name: Brian Fallon. Fallon is the singer of The Gaslight Anthem. I knew I had to hear this. Thankfully I did because it is a wonderful experience to listen to. His voice is unique and raspy and I can say he is one of the best in the business. I recently got back into this album and listened to it quite a bit in the past month. Favorite Song: Behold The Hurricane
3. Childish Gambino - Camp
One of my favorite shows on television is Community. It is hilarious and smart all in one which is pretty hard to find now a days. Actor Donald Glover plays Troy Barnes on the show, one of the best characters. On top of acting, Donald Glover also raps. And he does it very very well. When I found out about this album I thought hey I'll check that out because I like what he does on TV. This album is one of the best rap albums that I have heard in a while. I don't listen to a whole lot of rap and hip hop, but I do like some stuff. This album is easily accessible and is a great listen. The problem I have with a lot of rap now is that all they do is talk about money and women. This album touches on that a little bit, but ultimately he sticks to talking about growing up in the projects and striving to be successful. I love this album a lot and I think it should be included in everyone's list of albums to listen to. Favorite Song: Sunrise
2. Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors
Fair to Midland impressed me with their first commercially available album Fables From A Mayfly. That album came out back in 2007 and I listened to it constantly when it came out. But like most bands that make incredible music, they tend to take a while in between albums (I'm looking at you Tool). Then 2011 came along and Fair To Midland decided it was time to release some new music for us all. What we got was Arrows & Anchors. As much as I loved their last album, this one just blows it out of the water. Words can't describe the music that these guys are able to create. And again the vocals and the range is something to be awed over. Vocalist Darroh Sudderth is amazing. I saw them live for the first time this year too and it is an experience that everyone should take part of. Darroh is one of the best live front men out there. Favorite Song: Golden Parachutes
1. Thrice - Major/Minor
It will probably come as no surprise that my favorite album of the year comes from on e of my favorite bands of all time. Thrice has been all over the map with their music. Starting out as a punk band then moving slowly into indie sounding rock with their Alchemy Index project. The back end of that project gave us Beggars and now we have Major/Minor. The album cover is fitting, it is a very basic brown on beige hue. I say it's fitting because with this album Thrice has gone back to basics. For instance my favorite song off the album "Anthology" has a riff that could be placed on any of their first three albums. My favorite album by them is the one that got me into them, which is The Artist In The Ambulance. I would say with confidence that Major/Minor is right up there with that album. They are currently on hiatus after their most recent tour (which I saw) and if this is their swan song for now it is one hell of a way to go out. Favorite Song: Anthology
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