Thao and Mirah - Eleven
Two singular artists pair their idiosyncrasies for a surprising cohesive album. They are aided on this single with production help from tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus.
Runners - up
Ryan Lott of Son Lux, agreed to write and produce an album in a month. Read about the project, listen to the music and look at the creation of the cover art here.
Hauschka - Ping
This classical pianist creates compositions using a prepared piano, which is a piano where objects (crews, paper clips, etc) have been inserted into the piano to change it's sound. On this album he took his inspiration from house music, making for a strange but delightful listen.
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - Livin' in the Jungle
Unlike other soul revival acts (see: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings) Black Joe Lewis is no recreationist, he only takes what he likes - and what he likes is fun.
Kevin Says:
Wye Oak - Plains
It's already late May, so I only have a few weeks to wrap myself in this downer jam before the glitz and glam of summer officially take over. Wye Oak take a dreamy and naturalistic take on the Nico-assisted Velvet Underground style, here guiding us on a search for meaning in a gray and unrelenting world ("Desperate clouds follow them out/Seeing the future cautiously answer/It's only the plains").
Runner-Ups:
Bon Iver - Calgary
It's new Bon Iver. And it's good!
Cut Copy - Need You Now
The excellent Zonoscope was released without much fanfare earlier this year. The album is packed full of energetic The Cure-esque pop, like opener and best track "Need You Now." Caution: the video is terrible.
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