Suzanne Baran’s Top Ten — August 17

by Suzanne Baran
17 August 2008

Not just indie all the time…

1. Silver Jews – Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)

   With lines like “Romance is the douche of the bourgeoisie,” Berman is back in full force with the Jews’ sixth album. It delights me endlessly.

2. Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer (Sup Pop)

   This LP is better than their previous effort, and the band is gaining popularity and recognition—FINALLY.

3. Shearwater – Rook (Matador)

   The frontman sounds surprisingly like Jeff Buckley, Sr. It’s uncanny and beautiful, touching, and the band’s lyrics are intellectually stimulating—all at once.

4. Foals – Antidote (Sup Pop)

   Pure fun.

5. Presets – Apocalypso (Modular Recordings)

   Perfect workout music. “If I Know You” is magical.

6. A Place to Bury Strangers – A Place to Bury Strangers (Killer Pimp)

   This group’s versatile cry is majestic.

7. Chromatics – Night Drive (Italians Do It Better)

   I’m still listening to this LP. I like to pop it in my car CD player while driving…”Night Drive” was written for such real-life moments.

8. Islands – Arm’s Way (Island Records)

   Post-punk, amped-up Weezer-with-an-edge rock.

9. Radar Bros. – Auditorium (Merge Records)

   Simply powerful indie rock.

10. The Honeydrips – Here Comes the Future (Sincerely Yours)

    They can’t be pigeonholed. Hypnotic, catchy, and tough-to-come-by-quality by today’s standards. Try their website for samples.