Hops' Top 5 Albums of 2010

Best Albums of 2010

1) "Veckatimest" by Grizzly Bear


















2) "Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well " by The Builders & The Butchers


















3) "Hopsice" by The Antlers


















#4) "Dear Lover" by Matthew Ryan


















#5) "Street Sweeper Social CLub" by Street Sweeper Social Club

Hops' Top Ten Albums of 2008

1) @#%&*! Smilers by Aimee Mann
Buy here
Sample Track: Phoenix (mp3)

2) Dear Science, by TV On The Radio
Buy here
Sample Track: DLZ (mp3)

3) The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
Buy here
Sample Track: Fast Blood (mp3)

4) American Hearts by A.A. Bondy
Buy here
Sample Track: Rapture (Sweet Rapture) (mp3)

5) Stay Positive by The Hold Steady
Buy here
Sample Track: Stay Positive (mp3)

6) Matthew Ryan vs. The Silver State by Matthew Ryan
Buy here
Sample Track: American Dirt (mp3)

7) The Slip by Nine Inch Nails
Download the entire album for free (legally) here

8) At Mount Zoomer by Wolf Parade
Buy here
Sample Track: Call It A Ritual (mp3)

9) Asking For Flowers by Kathleen Edwards
Buy here
Sample Track: I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory (mp3)

10) Loyalty to Loyalty by Cold War Kids
Buy here
Sample Track: Welcome To The Occupation (mp3)

Oops: This original Top 10 Album was actually released last year. I'm just out of touch I guess:
Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters by The Twilight Sad
Buy here
Sample Track: Cold Days From The Birdhouse (mp3)

All You Need Is Hops Episode 21: Top of the Hops '07

All You Need Is Hops Episode 21: Top of the Hops ‘07 is now available! This show is my annual end of the year special where I play some (but not all of course) of my favorite tracks of the year including selections from my Top 5 Albums of 2007.

As always you can download the show via the Hopscast links on the right side of this page, by clicking the title of this post or just clicking here. Right clicking allows you to save the file as an MP3; left clicking lets you stream the show in your browser. The full set list can be found on the Hopscast page though I'd prefer if you listen before peeking. Of course I’d be happy to burn a show onto a CD and mail it to you if you just email me. You can also subscribe to the Hopscast via iTunes. Instructions can be found on the blog here.

Top 5 Albums Of 2007

It’s my obligation to bring you my Top 5 Albums of the year. And I wouldn’t let my Hops fans down. Here they are:

The Top 5 Albums of 2007

1) Neon Bible by Arcade Fire - I think a lot of people dismiss them because they're suddenly trendy but those people are being foolish. This album gets better every time I hear it. I played it on “All You Need Is Hops” more than any other album this year. I don’t think it can be overstated how difficult it must have been to put out and album this brilliant on the heels of Funeral. Amazing stuff that will last a very very long time.

2) Boxer by The National – The National are simply brilliant. If Neon Bible wasn't so damn good this would be an easy #1 pick. But unfortunately they come up short for the 2^nd time in 3 years. That said this was a great year for the band and this album is completely deserving of all the press they received. It brings out such a range of emotions by relating to everyday life and the daydreams that fill in the cracks of your day.

3) Cassadaga by Bright Eyes – Definitely his best work yet. "First a mother bathes a child, then the other way around, the scales always find a way to level out" might be the line of the year. The more I take time to soak these songs in the more they are impossible to ignore.

4) In Rainbows by Radiohead - Difficult for them to exceed the massive expectations I always have of them. This album appeared simpler on the surface but there is way more there than I first heard. If you own it listen to it more and you’ll get more out of it. In some ways the method of distribution for In Rainbows is detracting from the quality of music they actually released. Over time I expect that to change and people to realize how much good stuff is on the record.

5) Saltbreakers by Laura Veirs - The top four albums were easy picks for me but the #5 slot was much tougher. However, I keep coming back to this album. It’s so easy to listen to yet it is more complex than it seems. Every few weeks I put it back on and I have a tough time taking it off. Why don’t more people talk about her? She deserves better.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails, Our Love To Admire by Interpol, Shepherd's Dog by Iron & Wine, Easy Tiger by Ryan Adams, Sky Blue Sky by Wilco, One Man Revolution by The Nightwatchman, Cease To Begin by Band of Horses, From A Late Night High Rise by Matthew Ryan and Emerald City by John Vanderslice

You can hear selections from the Top 5 Albums in the next Hopscast.

Don't Look Back

A look back

Before I post my Top 5 Albums of 2007 I wanted to take a moment to look back to my favorites from the past two years and see how they still stack up. Here we go.

Hops’ Top 5 Albums of 2005

1) Z by My Morning Jacket – I still absolutely love this album. When I first heard it I knew it would be something that I’d be listening to for quite a while. Two years later my theory has been confirmed. Long live My Morning Jacket.

2) Alligator by The National – My boys have all grown up since being named the #2 album of 2005. I struggled between this and Z for the top spot at the time and to be honest I still struggle to say which is better. Alligator remains nothing short of a masterpiece and probably should be tied for #1. In 2005 I didn’t want to wimp out and not name a clear winner, now I remember why debated it for so long.

3) Silent Alarm by Bloc Party – I still like Bloc Party, but I don’t listen to this as much anymore. It still stands up and is definitely enjoyable but a bit of overexposure and lots of copycats didn’t help entice me into repeated listens.

4) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-titled) – Like Bloc Party I was disappointed with their follow up album in 2007 which spoils their debut just a bit. However, the energy and incomprehensibility of this album remains. I don’t listen to it very often but enjoy it when I do.

5) Apologies to the Queen Mary by Wolf Parade – I never was totally in love with this album, and I’m still not. Some days I completely loved it and some I just wasn’t in the mood. I don’t know why. I still think it’s a good album overall and many of the songs still get me fired up. It’s very comparable to the Bloc Party and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah albums on this list. All have great energy but none have tremendous depth. I guess that just was my mood in ’05. That said if I were to rank these again this album would probably get pushed up above Bloc Party and Clap You Hands Say Yeah.

FINAL VERDICT: Z and Alligator are epic albums worthy of the top 2 slots any year. The other three albums on this list are all very good, but not something I expect to be lasting the test of time.

Hops’ Top 5 Albums of 2006

1) Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio – Mrs. Hops and I just put this on the other day and then we both scolded one another for not listening to it more. It still is leaps and bounds better than most music you can find and there is still so much to hear in it every listen.

2) Everything All Of The Time by Band of Horses – I played this album more than any other last year and that unfortunately made me listen to it less recently. That said, when I do put it on its still as enjoyable as it was back then. There 2007 follow up was good, but it was pretty difficult to exceed the expectations they set with Everything All Of The Time.

3) Modern Times by Bob Dylan – On further listen some of the songs on here shine even brighter when I first heard them. Some are a bit duller. Overall, from start to finish this album still works. I think it would be in my Top 5 if I did it all over again, just maybe not at #3.

4) The Eraser by Thom Yorke – Hearing the new Radiohead album, In Rainbows, you can see how this Thom Yorke effort really set the stage for what was to come. I don’t think I quite appreciated the subtlety and beauty of this the first time around. I was too fixated on the beats and the fact it wasn’t a Radiohead album. Upon further review it’s even more impressive.

5) Every Waking Moment by Citizen Cope – Citizen Cope is still fantastic. I don’t think I can listen to this album and not enjoy it. Its also one of the few albums I can universally recommend. If anything it should be higher now that a year has passed.

FINAL VERDICT: All five of these of these albums still deserve repeated listens today. Return To Cookie Mountain still stands out from the bunch and I feel very good about giving it top honors last year.

Hops' Top 5 Albums of 2006

You know you’ve made it in the music business when you’ve received a nomination as on of Hops’ Top 5 Albums of the Year. On the latest Hopscast (Episode 10: Top of the Hops) I’ve played a track from every album on this list. For more information about why I included these tracks check out the extended set notes from Episode 10 on the Hopscast page (click here). I highly encourage you to check it out as it contains some things I forgot to mention on the show. But for now here it is:

Hops’ Top 5 Albums of 2006

1) Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio

2) Everything All Of The Time by Band of Horses

3) Modern Times by Bob Dylan

4) The Eraser by Thom Yorke

5) Every Waking Moment by Citizen Cope

There were a bunch of other great albums that could be considered for Honorable Mention, but I’ve played something from most of them throughout the year on the show. I hope you check out samples from each of these albums on the latest Hopscast and run out and buy them.

For a recap of my favorite albums from last year click here.

Top 5 of 2005

I mentioned my favorite albums of 2005 list, but I forgot to post it on here. So here it goes:

The Top 5 of 2005
1) Z by My Morning Jacket
2) Alligator by The National
3) Silent Alarm by Bloc Party
4) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-titled)
5) Apologies to the Queen Mary by Wolf Parade

Honorable Mention Goes To:
Give Up by The Postal Service - not in the Top 5 because it wasn't actually released in 2005
Kicking Television by Wilco - awesome album but it's tough to put on here over original material
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard by Paul McCartney - because its pretty suprising I'd really enjoy a new Paul McCartney album