The Civil Wars are a new guy girl duo made up of former CCM singer Joy Williams and John Paul White who’s been making music in various capacities for years. Their music could easily be described as country, folk, americana with a little bit of southern rock flair, but none of those genres really do it justice. The music on their debut album, Barton Hollow  is sparse, consisting mostly of acoustic guitar and piano, but what makes it stand out are the vocals. Williams and White create some of the most beautiful harmonies, their voices perfectly complementing one another. They have a kind of compatibility not often seen or heard in music. One can only hope this band will have a long fruitful career.

9) The Bell Brigade – The Bell Brigade

The Belle Brigade share a number of similarities with The Civil Wars. They too are a new guy girl duo, this time made up of siblings Ethan and Barbara Gruska. Their musical style definitely has a bit of a folksy, singer-songwriter vibe, but with plenty of pop rock thrown in for good measure. Similarly to The Civil Wars the Gruska siblings nail it on the vocals, harmonizing, perhaps only like siblings can. It’s often hard to tell who’s singing what and when. Each song is fun and full of energy and they do a great job lyrically, covering the ins and outs of life. The song “Losers” is particularly poignant as they defiantly reject the social norm of always trying to be better than everyone else.

8) Switchfoot – Vice Verses

Switchfoot’s new album Vise Verses sounds like what you’d expect from a band who’s been around a long time, written a lot of songs together and have honed their craft while still stretching themselves creatively. Vise Verses is probably Switchfoot’s hardest rocking album to date, though it features some softer numbers reminiscent of singer Jon Forman’s solo work. Additionally, there are a couple of tracks where the band explores sounds and styles they haven’t yet before and pull them off perfectly. The song “The War Inside” sounds like a straight up R&B song while “Selling the News” is a funky, almost reggae tune that has Forman delivering the verses with spoken word style vocals. Switchfoot have done it again and proved they are still relevant after 16 years.

7) Thrice – Major/Minor

Thrice’s previous album, Beggars was pretty much a straight rock album and Major/Minor picks up right where Beggars left off. Major/Minor is definitely their most aggressive album in a while. Beggars was very much bass driven, while Major/Minor is all about the drums, featuring drummer Riley Breckenridge’s best drumming to date. Of course there is plenty of Thrice’s signature guitar work, which rocks as hard as ever, while singer Dustin Kensrue’s vocals have really taken on a truly bluesy tone lending itself perfectly to the music. Kensrue also penned some of the best lyrics this year focusing a lot on grace and how it pertains to salvation, not to mention the song “Anthology” which contains a collection of past Thrice lyrics put together as a love song. Sadely Thrice recently annouced they are going on hiatius. Time will only tell, but this could be their last album and if it is they certainly went out on a high note, not to mention all the other amazing albums they’ve given us.

6) Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch the Throne

Last year Kanye West released one of the best albums of 2010 titled My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. This year he’s back, but this time with his buddy Jay-Z in tow. The production on Watch the Throne is superb. Listening through its interesting hearing the intricacies of how the samples, instrumentation and beats are assembled to create songs much like the way a rock band would arrange guitars, bass, keyboards and drums. Some of the samples include songs from Otis Redding, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and Nina Simone, just to name a few. Lyrically the album focuses mostly on fame and wealth, which provides an interesting insight into the lifestyle these two men obviously embrace, but who also aren’t afraid to point out its pit falls.

[Warning: This video contains language some folks might find offensive]

5) Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes

Lykke Li came back this year in a big way with the follow up to her 2008 debut Youth Novels. On her new album, Wounded Rhymes Lykke Li delivers the goods with more power, confidence and angst than ever. She somehow manages to create the most perfect pop songs while also remaining completely authentic. Wounded Rhymes is filled with emotion which is conveyed by songs that are over-the-top and bombastic and songs that are very stripped down. Lykke Li has proven she has staying power; it’s just too bad she isn’t topping the pop charts instead of the likes of Lady GaGa and Katy Perry.

4) Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

Laura Marling’s 2010 album, I Speak Because I Can was number 11 on my Top 25 albums of that year and this year she’s back, this time in my top 10. Marling is hands down one of the best singers and songwriters, male or female in music today. While Marling doesn’t consider herself a folk singer she certainly has a folky vibe to her music. However, on her latest album, A Creature I Don’t Know she ups the ante in terms of arrangements. There is much more to these songs than just her and her guitar. Electric guitar, piano and percussion are more prominent giving it a lush feel. Though ultimately at the core of this album is Marling’s beautiful voice and amazing song writing. It will be a joy to follow her career for many years to come.

3) Haley Bonar – Golder

Back in 2009 Haley Bonar left the Twin Cities for Portland and wrote her latest album Golder while there. However, she couldn’t stay away for long and returned in 2010 to record the album with a familiar cast of talented local Twin City’s musicians. The result is one of the best albums of 2011 and for Bonar, her first album that has a truely full band feel, as opposed to just a solo artist. Her band gives these songs depth and more of a rock sound. Bonar’s songwriting is better than ever. She’s able to write about sometimes heavy subject matter, but also has an innocent and childlike wonder to her writing. Many of the songs are just plain cheerful. I’d be remiss not to mention Bonar’s voice, which is delicate and charming, yet confident and so well controlled. I think I can speak for all Twin Cities music fans when I say, we are glad to have Haley Bonar back and can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.

2) St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

Annie Clark, the woman behind St. Vincent is a musical genius. She’s very calculated in the way she writes and records and seems have a particular focus musically with each release. Clark’s third album Strange Mercy is her guitar album. Anyone who knows her music knows Clark is a killer guitarist, but on this album she really lets it shine. Each song is driven by her electric guitar which is almost unrecognizable at times because of all the effects she uses. Clark uses and executes the effects so masterfully the result is nothing short of amazing. Her lovely vocals and the accompanying music balance perfectly with the guitar which is clearly at the forefront making for a really rocking album without being a rock album. There’s definitely jazz, classical and pop influences scattered throughout. And what really makes this album really stand out is Clark’s ability to not just compose great songs, but to compose an entire album. It’s the kind of album that works best listing from beginning to end, which is how an album should be.

1) Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

[For clairification about the the title of this album here is a note from the writer of a Pitchfork interview with Justin Vernon: "Ed. note: press materials and retail outlets refer to the album as Bon Iver, but Vernon has indicated that the title is Bon Iver, Bon Iver."]

Bon Iver is the brain child of Eau Claire Wisconsin native Justin Vernon. Back in 2008 Vernon released the first Bon Iver album titled For Emma, Forever Ago. The story behind that album is one of myth and legend and that along with it’s musical brilliance captured people’s hearts. In the years since the question has been, could Vernon follow up such a great album with even the slightest bit of success? It seems most people didn’t think he could. However, fans and critics alike underestimated Vernon, not just as a musician and songwriter, but as an artist and exceeding expectations he released the best album of 2011 and one that will likely hold up as one of the best albums of the decade.

Bon Iver, Bon Iver is a work of art. The arrangements are superb, swaying and swelling with a menagerie of instrumentation not found of the first album such as keyboards, steel guitar, various percussion, saxophones and excellent backing vocals. Vernon surrounded himself with wonderful musicians creating an almost orchestral full band sound as opposed to just a guy in a cabin in the woods. The production also lends itself well to the overall sound, a sound that isn’t what you’d call timeless but pays homage to genres from many eras such as 80s synth, folk, soul and experimental rock. In addition to the great music is, of course Vernon singing in his signature falsetto and in his rich soulful lower register, singing words that are poetic and perfectly matched to the vocals and melodies. Local musician Jeremy Messersmith described Vernon’s voice as a national treasure after a live performance here in Minneapolis. My wife and I happened to be at that show as well and it was simply phenomenal, further enhancing my love for this album (and the first album for that matter) and my appreciation of Vernon as an artist. I’ve written about a number of other great albums from 2011 but none of them really came close to Bon Iver’s sophomore effort. As soon as I heard it I knew it would be my choice for album of the year and I clearly wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Things didn’t change much as I got older. The only time I read was when it was required for school and even then I found ways to cut corners. By the time I graduated high school I’d probably only read a handful of books beginning to end.

In college I still wasn’t reading much and only went to the library for research. I didn’t mind the library at my college, but I started to rack up fines and found it difficult to find books on my own. This is when I started to hate the library. The card cataluge and dewy decimal system was a a joke and computers didn’t make it much easier. The fines were annoying, the librarians were mean and where did they get all those books anyway?

As my hatred of libraries increased, ironically my love for books did also. One of my problems was I didn’t know what I liked to read. Then I read Donald Miller’s book Blue Like Jazz the first non-fiction book I’d ever read on my own. I loved it and realized I loved non-fiction. This was just shortly after I graduated from college and I began to start reading more and more non-fiction. I also realized I enjoyed buying books, going to book stores and starting my own book collection. A collection of books kind of tells it’s own story, people can see what you’ve read and what you’re into. Plus, it’s nice to have those books if ever you want to reread them or loan them out.

Now nearly 8 years out of college I read constantly and my tastes have expanded to include fiction as well. I still love buying books, but in the past year things have changed. We’ve been trying to save money and pay off debt, which makes it harder to justify buying new books. We buy used when we can, but that can still add up. Then I discovered something. The library.

It started a few months back when I was trying to find a book we were to read for our book club. I didn’t want to buy it since I wasn’t sure if it was a book I’d want to keep, so I broke down and went to the library. To my surprise I found the book easily and as I was browsing I noticed a graphic novel section. I started getting into graphic novels a couple years ago, but found them to be very expensive. Now here I was at the library staring at a whole shelf of them. Over the next week or so I got onto the website for our county library system and learned how easy it is to request books online. They email you when the book is in and you go pick it up and check it out in a mater of minutes.

So over the past few weeks I’ve been requesting books like crazy (mostly graphic novels) and not only that but music and movies as well. And that is how I’ve come to love the library. I still enjoy buying books and probably always will, but the library provides an easy way to get books and media that I wouldn’t necessarily want to spend money on.

I’m going to try and post more here this winter, I just haven’t had much time with a new baby and all.

Darren

I tend to get frustrated easily, not one of my best traits. This has be been made particularly clear to me having a newborn. When my son Archer is red faced and screaming while I’m trying to put him to sleep, while I myself am very tired, it makes me mad at him and wonder why he’s doing this to me. Sounds pretty selfish, huh? I guess that’s what makes us human. So, I often find myself praying and asking God for patience, understanding and to be reminded that Archer is just a baby and doesn’t know any better and isn’t out to get me or Rachel. Although he did projectile poop on her once, so maybe he is out the get her. Thankfully she is much more patient than I.

The praying has helped, and I know God is working in both Rachel and I, changing us in ways we’ve never imagined. However, at first I couldn’t help but think, “hey God, you really could have done a better job at this whole baby thing, maybe you could have came up with a better form of communication than crying… just saying.” Sounds silly, I know, but I was serious. Then something struck me. I’m sure I read this somewhere at some point in some form, but what I realized is, if God made babies able to clearly communicate what they want and need, it would be, well, easy. Sounds great, right. The problem is, easy doesn’t require sacrifice and every good, healthy, meaningful relationship does. The core of who God is and at the heart of His story is relationship (okay I’m sure I’m steeling this from Donald Miller). And God made babies cry so we the parents would have to sacrifice ourselves for them, creating a deep bond and relationship like no other. In fact, it’s a pretty awesome reflection of God, both in marriage and then in parenting. With that In mind, I’m thankful. I’m thankful for God teaching me how to be more like him through my son and my wife and by extension showing others what God is like. It’s a beautiful thing.

Finally, I must say, parenting is also a lot of fun and brings a lot joy into Rachel and I’s life. God didn’t make it easy, but He threw some truly joyful moments to lighten the load. Archer is sleeping across from me now in his swing and he’s just amazing to look at. My favorite times are when Rachel and I are at home together and Archer is awake, happy and alert. We’ll lay him on the floor or on the bed and talk to him and he’ll put on a little show for us. God definitely knew what he was doing. Plus, how can you not love this face?

Our little boy Archer is now three weeks old! It seems like it has gone by fast, but also seems like an eternity since he was born. I have to say I love being a dad, Archer is so wonderful and I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity. It’s also been such a joy to watch my wife Rachel come into her roll as a mom, she’s doing an awesome job. It’s definitely challenging as well, but at the end of the day it’s totally worth it! I plan to write more about being a dad in the coming weeks. Until then here’s a recent picture of the little guy.

In music news I have a few items to share. The first is a video from an in store performance by Lykke Li. I haven’t gotten around to reviewing her new album Wounded Rhymes yet and just in case I don’t, I’ll just say, I highly recommend it! The video features the song “Sadness is a Blessing” from the album and the performance is just outstanding. Not to mention the video is incredibly well filmed, I suggest watching it in HD full screen.

Next up I wanted to highlight a couple of new songs I’ve been into lately. Ace Enders who currently performs under the moniker “I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business” recently self released a new alum titled Gold Rush. I haven’t pick up the album yet, but I’ve listened to some of the songs on his Band Camp site and there are two in particular I’ve been enjoying. The first is the title track and the second is called “Lame Duck.” Check them out!

Finally I just wanted mention something I’m very excited about. I had the opportunity to write a review of the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Codes and Keys for a website called Recovering Evangelical. Check out the review here: Codes and Keys Review. I hope to write more reviews for them in the future!

Well that’s about all I have for now. I’ll try to post more as I’m able.

Darren

Name: Archer Louis Johnson

Weight: 8 lbs 4 oz

Length: 21 3/4 in

Birthday: May 20th, 2011

More to come.

I saw Jenny Lewis live a few years ago at First Avenue. It was one of the most memorable shows I’ve been to for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons was a drummer named Barbara. Barbara played drums for the first opening act, Farmer Dave and played in Jenny Lewis’ band as well. Initially Barbara caught my eye because of her quirky boyish looks, but it wasn’t long before I realized she was an amazing drummer. She played her heart out and seemed to be having so much fun doing it. I love watching a good drummer play especially a good female drummer because it’s something you don’t see very often.  Part way through her set Jenny Lewis introduced her band and that’s when I learned Barbara’s name and she’s stuck in my mind ever since, but never really knew what became of her.

Recently on Facebook, of all places, I stumbled across a new band made up of a brother and sister called The Belle Brigade. As I started looking at some their photos I realized the sister was none other than Barbara. I was excited to see she was making music and I was really impressed by the couple of songs I heard. Last week I finally got around to picking up The Belle Brigade’s self-titled debut and it does not disappoint. It’s a pop infused folk rock extravaganza. Barbara and her brother Ethan share vocal, songwriting and instrument playing duties. The result is possibly the best album I’ve heard so far this year, definitely check this one out! Here is the music video for the song “Losers” which is honestly one of the most bad ass songs I’ve heard in a while. I’ve also included the video from their performance on Conan. Enjoy!

And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid

Stevens compares himself to Gacy, a man who raped and killed thirty-three teenage boys. He’s obviously not saying he committed similar acts, but I think he’s making a broader statement saying, we’re all human, we’re all broken and all live in a fallen world. This song came to mind in light of the recent death of Osama Bin Laden and I think Bin Laden could easily replace Gacy in this song. But despite our shared fallen nature we are so quick to condemn and rejoice at the death of someone we’ve deemed as evil. As a Christian that doesn’t sit right with me. I’m not saying I don’t believe in justice, I certainly do. However, I believe justice is in God’s hands not ours and that love and forgiveness go a lot farther than hate and revenge.

Here is the song titled “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” as mentioned earlier from Stevens’ Illinois album:

Sufjan Stevens = John Wayne Gacy Jr. = Osama Bin Laden = Me…

Martin Dosh is probably not a name most people are familiar with. He may be most well-known in connection with Andrew Bird, often co-collaborating with Bird and playing in his live band. However, Martin Dosh is also a solo artist who goes simply by, Dosh. When performing solo, Dosh is essentially a one man band playing mostly instrumental music.

Last Friday I had the opportunity to see him live for a second time and as I expected it was a sight to behold. That particular night he was playing The Whole and was set up on one side of the stage surrounded by his signature drum kit and Fender Rhodes electric piano. He also had a small sound board, a few electronic gizmos, a small synthesiser and a variety of pedals for looping, sampling and effects. And this is how Dosh creates music. He sits at his little station on stage and pieces together his songs from the bottom up, weaving and layering sounds along the way. It’s amazing to see someone do this on stage completely in their element, completely focused. There is so much for him to keep track of include mixing live on stage, but it doesn’t see to phase him. He’s like wizard in a way, working his magic as we the audience watch and listen, in awe. The result is a  mix of sounds and genres ranging from electronic, jazz, rock, dance and ambient. Dosh is easily in my top five best live acts of all time. He plays fairly often around the Twin Cities so if you get a chance I hight recommend checking him out. Here is a video to give you a little taste of what he does. In this video he’s playing with saxophone and bass guitar extraordinaire Michael Lewis. Enjoy!