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The 4Th Annual Tmd Music Awards
Posted by
Ta-metru_defender
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Mar 03 2012
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Holy snap, the fourth? This habit's getting legacy, man!
Welcome To The 4th Annual TMD Music Awards!
I'm not gonna bother with much of a prelude to the list here, just that all ten albums are really good. I got to the point where I had to tell myself that just because an album wasn't in, say, 4th place didn't mean that it wasn't a good album.
It was difficult to rank these, is what I'm saying.
Other Songs Worth Checking Out
"Walk" and "These Days", by Foo Fighters
"Honey and the Bee" and "How I Became The Sea", by Owl City
"Catapult", by Breanne Düren (and the rest of her Sparks EP, actually)
Honorable Mention
Is For Karaoke Pt. 1 & 2, Relient K
Relient K put out a cover album. Well, two cover EP's. Point remains. But what's in them, you ask? Covers of songs. From classics like Everybody Wants To Rule The World to the abomination that is Baby. All of it done in a way that's very much Relient K yet still saying true to the original songs. It's that equilibrium that so many covers seek to achieve.
And they made Justin Bieber's Baby sound like a really good song which alone should warrant them placing on any list.
This album's not on the list since it's all, well, covers.
Listen to/Download:
-Baby
-Motorcycle Drive By
-Africa
Top 10 Albums and EP's of 2011
10
Out For Blood, by Farewell Flight
Gotta say one thing for this band: they sound unique. It's a mix, really, a folksy round with a more traditional rock. Solid writing helps pull the album together, even if latter tracks do start to sound a little sameish.
Listen to/Download:
-A Lullaby For Insomniacs
-Sailor's Mouth
-Over
-Out For Blood
9
LOVE Pt. 2, by Angels and Airwaves
AVA follows up last year's, um, LOVE Pt. 1 with an album that picks up the same thread. Sounding the same and with similar themes, it goes hand in hand with the previous one, down to the theme of "life may suck sometimes, but it's still worth living to the full".
Listen to/Download:
-My Heroine (It's Not Over)
-Surrender
8
Along For The Ride EP, by Rookie of the Year
Another fine collection of music from Rookie of the Year. Though not as stellar as the previous year's album, it still stands out as a good collection of songs. Dunson sounds the same as in other albums, and that's always good. Same themes of love and heartbreak, and hey, it works.
Listen to/Download:
-Tonight
-Diamond Lights
-Light Years Away
7
Siberia, by Lights
This album is not The Listening. Gone is that sleek smooth poppy sound. This one's grittier, more industrial. And it is good. So good. The sound may be different, but Lights' songwriting's as strong as ever, her voice a wonderful accompaniment to the music. And she even drops a Mario reference in a song. Really, what's not to love?
Listen to/Download:
-Toes
-Peace Sign
-Everybody Breaks a Glass
-Flux and Flow
6
Own The Night, by Lady Antebellum
I still like Lady Antebellum, and I am still not ashamed. I take no guilt in my guilty pleasure. In any case, Own The Night is a stronger album than Need You Now. It's still countryish, but it's still countryish in that good way. And I like it. A lot. Yup.
Listen to/Download:
-Just a Kiss
-Friday Night
-Heart of the World
-Singing Me Home
-Wanted You More
-Actually, I could really list most of that album here.
5
Mylo Xyloto, by Coldplay
There's really no other way to say this. Coldplay's good, and Mylo Xyloto is an album brimming with hope and the joy of being alive and everything related. Nothing captures this more than Teardrop which is quite strongly vying for their best song.
Listen to/Download:
-Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
-Paradise
-Us Against The World
4
Barton Hollow, by The Civil Wars
It's a simple album, mostly just guitar and/or piano and the amazing duet from the singers. It's sorta country, but more folksy, but somewhere in between. It's beautiful melodies and deft songwriting. This is a band to watch out for.
Listen to/Download:
-Poison and Wine
-To Whom It May Concern
3
His+Hers, by The Hawk In Paris
This is a unique, special creation. The album mixes an 80's-ish synth with the masterful songwriting of Jars of Clay's Dan Haseltine. And it's wonderful, oh so wonderful. Oh so wonderful.
Listen to/Download:
-Put Your Arms Around Me
-Curse The Love Songs
-again, the whole album
2
The Way It Was, by Parachute
Parachute is not a complex band. Their songs are simple, romantic-y love songs. But what's so great about them is that they work. They're good, fun simple songs. Like Losing Sleep, still a windows-down-on-a-summer's-day sound. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Listen to/Download:
-Kiss Me Slowly
-What I Know
-Something To Believe In
-Philadelphia
-The whole darn album, man
1
Vice Verses, by Switchfoot
They've done it. Finally. Switcfoot has created an album whose contents give their entire previous library a run for its money. An album in which every song is absolutely amazing.
The songs are similar to its theme: vice verses. That is vices and verses; your struggles and your highs, about yearning for more than just what you see. The song Thrive is a plea to be more than just alive, Souvenirs captures the transience of those memories we hold dear, The War Inside about the constant conflict we all face. The title track itself is a beautiful prayer asking why is the world the way it is, asking why am I the way I am.
Hello Hurricane was about the storms of life, pressing through them. Vice Verses is about after the storm. The rest of life and, as Where I Belong so beautifully captures, the end.
Not only is this Switchfoot's best album, it's one of the best albums in my 180+ album collection. Period.
Listen to/Download:
-Where I Belong
-Vice Verses
-Souvenirs
-The War Inside
-I'm not gonna bother listing the whole tracklist so just go buy the whole album
Welcome To The 4th Annual TMD Music Awards!
I'm not gonna bother with much of a prelude to the list here, just that all ten albums are really good. I got to the point where I had to tell myself that just because an album wasn't in, say, 4th place didn't mean that it wasn't a good album.
It was difficult to rank these, is what I'm saying.
Other Songs Worth Checking Out
"Walk" and "These Days", by Foo Fighters
"Honey and the Bee" and "How I Became The Sea", by Owl City
"Catapult", by Breanne Düren (and the rest of her Sparks EP, actually)
Honorable Mention
Is For Karaoke Pt. 1 & 2, Relient K
Relient K put out a cover album. Well, two cover EP's. Point remains. But what's in them, you ask? Covers of songs. From classics like Everybody Wants To Rule The World to the abomination that is Baby. All of it done in a way that's very much Relient K yet still saying true to the original songs. It's that equilibrium that so many covers seek to achieve.
And they made Justin Bieber's Baby sound like a really good song which alone should warrant them placing on any list.
This album's not on the list since it's all, well, covers.
Listen to/Download:
-Baby
-Motorcycle Drive By
-Africa
Top 10 Albums and EP's of 2011
10
Out For Blood, by Farewell Flight
Gotta say one thing for this band: they sound unique. It's a mix, really, a folksy round with a more traditional rock. Solid writing helps pull the album together, even if latter tracks do start to sound a little sameish.
Listen to/Download:
-A Lullaby For Insomniacs
-Sailor's Mouth
-Over
-Out For Blood
9
LOVE Pt. 2, by Angels and Airwaves
AVA follows up last year's, um, LOVE Pt. 1 with an album that picks up the same thread. Sounding the same and with similar themes, it goes hand in hand with the previous one, down to the theme of "life may suck sometimes, but it's still worth living to the full".
Listen to/Download:
-My Heroine (It's Not Over)
-Surrender
8
Along For The Ride EP, by Rookie of the Year
Another fine collection of music from Rookie of the Year. Though not as stellar as the previous year's album, it still stands out as a good collection of songs. Dunson sounds the same as in other albums, and that's always good. Same themes of love and heartbreak, and hey, it works.
Listen to/Download:
-Tonight
-Diamond Lights
-Light Years Away
7
Siberia, by Lights
This album is not The Listening. Gone is that sleek smooth poppy sound. This one's grittier, more industrial. And it is good. So good. The sound may be different, but Lights' songwriting's as strong as ever, her voice a wonderful accompaniment to the music. And she even drops a Mario reference in a song. Really, what's not to love?
Listen to/Download:
-Toes
-Peace Sign
-Everybody Breaks a Glass
-Flux and Flow
6
Own The Night, by Lady Antebellum
I still like Lady Antebellum, and I am still not ashamed. I take no guilt in my guilty pleasure. In any case, Own The Night is a stronger album than Need You Now. It's still countryish, but it's still countryish in that good way. And I like it. A lot. Yup.
Listen to/Download:
-Just a Kiss
-Friday Night
-Heart of the World
-Singing Me Home
-Wanted You More
-Actually, I could really list most of that album here.
5
Mylo Xyloto, by Coldplay
There's really no other way to say this. Coldplay's good, and Mylo Xyloto is an album brimming with hope and the joy of being alive and everything related. Nothing captures this more than Teardrop which is quite strongly vying for their best song.
Listen to/Download:
-Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
-Paradise
-Us Against The World
4
Barton Hollow, by The Civil Wars
It's a simple album, mostly just guitar and/or piano and the amazing duet from the singers. It's sorta country, but more folksy, but somewhere in between. It's beautiful melodies and deft songwriting. This is a band to watch out for.
Listen to/Download:
-Poison and Wine
-To Whom It May Concern
3
His+Hers, by The Hawk In Paris
This is a unique, special creation. The album mixes an 80's-ish synth with the masterful songwriting of Jars of Clay's Dan Haseltine. And it's wonderful, oh so wonderful. Oh so wonderful.
Listen to/Download:
-Put Your Arms Around Me
-Curse The Love Songs
-again, the whole album
2
The Way It Was, by Parachute
Parachute is not a complex band. Their songs are simple, romantic-y love songs. But what's so great about them is that they work. They're good, fun simple songs. Like Losing Sleep, still a windows-down-on-a-summer's-day sound. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Listen to/Download:
-Kiss Me Slowly
-What I Know
-Something To Believe In
-Philadelphia
-The whole darn album, man
1
Vice Verses, by Switchfoot
They've done it. Finally. Switcfoot has created an album whose contents give their entire previous library a run for its money. An album in which every song is absolutely amazing.
The songs are similar to its theme: vice verses. That is vices and verses; your struggles and your highs, about yearning for more than just what you see. The song Thrive is a plea to be more than just alive, Souvenirs captures the transience of those memories we hold dear, The War Inside about the constant conflict we all face. The title track itself is a beautiful prayer asking why is the world the way it is, asking why am I the way I am.
Hello Hurricane was about the storms of life, pressing through them. Vice Verses is about after the storm. The rest of life and, as Where I Belong so beautifully captures, the end.
Not only is this Switchfoot's best album, it's one of the best albums in my 180+ album collection. Period.
Listen to/Download:
-Where I Belong
-Vice Verses
-Souvenirs
-The War Inside
-I'm not gonna bother listing the whole tracklist so just go buy the whole album
1. There are indeed a bunch of bands and albums here I've never heard of. I expected more unknowns, though, honestly.
2. I actually found Relient K's cover of "Baby" a little scary -- I mean, they made the song sound good when I disliked it so.
3. I didn't expect Mylo Xyloto to be on the list, but when I did see it, I wondered if Switchfoot's Vice Verses (one of my favorite albums at the moment) would be on the list, too. I was not disappointed.
I'll try listening through the other recommended songs on the list someday, hopefully soon.