* Album Stream: Ryan Adams - Ashes And Fire
* Album Stream: Blink-182 - Neighborhoods
* Album Stream: Mutemath - Odd Soul
* Sigur Ros have announced the details for their upcoming live album/film, Inni.
* Radiohead performed on SNL, performed on The Colbert Report, released the 7th and final remix 12” for streaming, plan to tour next year and Thom Yorke’s other band ‘Atoms For Peace’ are close to finishing an album.
* Wilco performed on Letterman.
* Minus The Bear have released their first 2 records (the EP ‘This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic’ and the album ‘Highly Refined Pirates’) on vinyl in honor of their 10th anniversary.
* She & Him have revealed the details for their upcoming holiday album, ‘A Very She & Him Christmas’.

* Album Stream: Death Cab For Cutie - Codes And Keys [Link]
* Album Stream: Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs [Link]
* Album Stream: Small Brown Bike - Fell & Found [Link]
* Album Stream: The Wooden Birds - Two Matchsticks [Link]
* Album Stream: Cults - Cults [Link]
* Album Stream: This Will Destroy You - Tunnel Blanket [Link]
* Album Stream: My Morning Jacket - Circuital [Link]
* Album Stream (with free download): Laura Stevenson & The Cans - Sit Resist [Link]
* Minus The Bear have released a new EP, Hold Me Down.  It features one track from Omni, the b-side from the Into The Mirror single, 3 live tracks, and a remix.  It is available for free on the band’s website. [Link]
* Bon Iver have released the first single from the new album for download.  Get ‘Calgary’ for the price of your email address. [Link]
* The Wooden Birds are giving away a three song prelude EP to Two Matchsticks [Link]
* Iron Chic have released the tracks from their two European tour releases as a pay-what-you-want download called Split N’ Shit [Link]
* Saves The Day have announced the release date for their new album Daybreak and released the first single ‘Living Without Love’ [Link]
* Godspeed You Black Emperor are working on new material [Link]
* Weezer have released a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Paranoid Android’ [Link]
* Pink Floyd are reissuing their entire catalog including expanded and vinyl editions of Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall [Link]
* Smashing Pumpkins are planning to reissue their back catalog over the next few years [Link]
* Stereogum’s Listomania: Radiohead’s Top 20 Cover Songs [Link]
* Stereogum’s Listomania: Bon Iver’s Top 10 Cover Songs [Link]
* Stereogum’s Listomania: Death Cab For Cutie/Ben Gibbard’s Cover Songs [Link]

I suppose this is slightly late, but here’s my list of best albums of 2010 in no particular order:


* Jonsi - Go
I was really surprised that I liked this as much as (if not more than) the last Sigur Ros record.  Even during its slower moments, it is such an energetic record.


* Iron Chic - Not Like This
My friend Troy recommended this record and I’m so glad he did.  I would describe this as some combination of Dillinger Four and Hot Water Music…in other words, it is punk rock at its finest and it totally rules.  You can listen to the entire album and buy it for whatever price you like over at the band’s Bandcamp page.


* The National - High Violet
I still can’t decide where I would rank this against The National’s last two records (Boxer and Alligator), but since I love both of those records, that’s no knock on it.


* Polar Bear Club - Chasing Hamburg
Another recommendation from Troy (he’s on fire!) who described the band as Hot Water Music meets Third Eye Blind (after that description, how I could I possibly not check them out?).  I have seen these guys in concert and they rock live just as much as they do on record.


* Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans - The Falcon Lake Incident
Any record featuring John K. Samson and the boys is worth checking out, and I’m glad I checked out this one.  Jim Bryson makes a great front man and The Weakerthans work well as a supporting band.  This record flies by and always leaves me wanting more.


* Far - At Night We Live
I’m always nervous about records by bands that broke up and got back together (see the upcoming Get Up Kids record), but this exceeded my expectations.  I have followed Jonah Matranga’s career for years, but it’s good to hear him howling in the context of a band again.


* Minus The Bear - Omni
Definitely not my favorite Minus The Bear record, but even at that, it’s a really good album.


* Vampire Weekend - Contra
I thought the first Vampire Weekend album was ok, so I wasn’t really planning on getting this until my friend Cory recommended it.  He said (and I agree) that it sounds quite a bit like Paul Simon’s Graceland.


* Lovedrug - EP Part I
I liked Lovedrug’s first album better than their second, and I liked their second album better than their third which wasn’t a good sign to me.  They have come back incredibly strong this year with the release of several EP’s, none better than EP Part I.  I am really excited about their yet-to-be-recorded fourth album, which should be out this year.


* Eric & Magill - All Those I Know
This album from Ryan Weber (of Decibully) and Eric Osterman sounds quite a bit like Decibully and features plenty of guests: Mike Kinsella (Owen, American Football, etc.), Erin Fein (Headlights), Todd Bell (Braid, Hey Mercedes), Davey Von Bohlen (Maritime, Promise Ring, etc.), and Chris Rosenau (Pele, Collections Of Colonies Of Bees, etc.).  You can listen to and download the album for free at the band’s Bandcamp page.

And finally, two honorable mentions to albums that came out in late 2009, but were in heavy rotation for me in 2010:


* Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
I first heard this band when they opened for Fanfarlo and I’ve loved them since that first listen.  Weathervanes is simply a fantastic record.


* Decibully - World Travels Fast
I still like the prior Decibully record (Sing Out America) better, but World Travels Fast is another solid outing from this Milwaukee outfit.  You can listen to and download the album for whatever price you like at the band’s BandCamp page.

Here are the latest music-related links that I enjoyed:

* Ryan Adams has released a new song available free for download [Link]
* Listen to Iron & Wine’s new single ‘Walking Far From Home’ [Link]
* Sufjan Stevens performed his song ‘Too Much’ on Fallon [Link]
* Listen to a new song from The Get Up Kids [Link]
* A new website breaks down all the samples on the new Girl Talk album [Link]
* Watch Freelance Whales perform at the Twitter offices [Link]
* Minus The Bear have announced their remix contest winners [Link]

I haven’t put up a post about the new music that I’ve bought in three or four months, so rather than putting up the whole list, I think I’ll just list the highlights.  Here we go:

* The National - High Violet [The fifth studio album from The National.  I have loved some songs since the first listen and I’m waiting on others to grow on me.  I don’t know where I would rank it in comparison to Boxer and Alligator, but those records are hard to top.]
* Jonsi - Go [This record is like Sigur Ros on speed.  I love it so much.]
* Minus The Bear - Omni [I remember when Minus The Bear was the weird new band from Botch’s guitarist.  I remember when Minus The Bear was the band with the really strange song titles.  Now I know Minus The Bear simply as a really great band and this new album only solidifies that reputation for me.]
* Far - At Night We Live [I don’t think anything that Far could release now would mean as much to me as Water & Solutions did a few years ago, but this new record is really solid.]
* Lovedrug - EP Part I [While I haven’t enjoyed everything that Lovedrug has released, I’m really enjoying this new stuff.  Part II comes out on June 8.]
* Decibully - World Travels Fast [I really liked Decibully’s album ‘Sing Out America!’, but I hadn’t heard anything from them in so long that I thought they had broken up.  Apparently they left Polyvinyl Records and self-released this new album.  It’s good to have them back.  You can download the album (pay what you want) from Listening Party.]
* Small Brown Bike - Composite, Vol. 2 [I like Volume 1 better than Volume 2.]
* She & Him - Volume 2 [I like Volume 2 better than Volume 1.]
* Cary Brothers - Under Control [I first heard of Cary Brothers from the Garden State soundtrack, which included his song ‘Blue Eyes’.  I liked that song, but for some reason I never bought anything else until this new record.  It’s a very listenable album and has a couple of really great songs.]
* The Weakerthans - Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre [John K. Samson and the boys tear it up in Canada on this live CD/DVD.  If you’re a fan of the band, this is definitely worth checking out.]
* The Get Up Kids - Simple Science [The first new songs from The Get Up Kids in a few years…these songs sound pretty much how I would expect them to sound.  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.]
* Peter Gabriel & Bon Iver - Flume & Come Talk To Me [Peter Gabriel covers Bon Iver and Bon Iver covers Peter Gabriel.  From what I heard of the new Peter Gabriel album, which consists of all cover songs, ‘Flume’ was definitely one of the better tracks.  I’m not familiar with Peter Gabriel’s song ‘Come Talk To Me’, but the Bon Iver version is really good.]
* How To Destroy Angels - How To Destroy Angels [Trent Reznor’s new band.  You can download the EP for free from their website.  I think it sounds like mellow Nine Inch Nails music with a female singer.  It’s worth checking out.]

Listen to, watch videos of, and download audio from the new Minus The Bear session on Myspace Transmissions.

Here are the latest music-related links that I liked:

* Download the song ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ from The National’s upcoming album, ‘High Violet’ (and also check out the tracklisting and cover art) [Link]
* Sunny Day Real Estate will be recording a new album [Link]
* Jonsi performed a cover of MGMT’s song ‘Time To Pretend’ [Link]
* Minus The Bear explained where their name came from [Link]
* Freelance Whales released a remix of their song ‘Generator ^ First Floor’ [Link]
* Ryan Adams will be releasing Orion, which he describes as a metal record [Link]
* Listen to the song ‘Diamond Eyes’ from the upcoming Deftones album of the same name [Link]
* John K. Samson talked about The Weakerthans new live album [Link]
* Bon Iver is releasing a split 7” with Peter Gabriel [Link]
* Listen to Jonny Greenwood’s latest composition ‘Doghouse’ as performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra [Link]
* Ryan Adams has apparently completed the collection titled ‘Blackhole’ [Link]
* The Menzingers have released a single for ‘I Was Born’, a song from their upcoming album ‘Chamberlain Waits’ [Link]
* Listen to the new Bright Eyes song, ‘Happy Accident’ [Link]

Here are the latest links that I enjoyed:

* Watch Thom Yorke perform some new songs at a recent gig [Link]
* Thom Yorke has named his solo band Atoms For Peace and they are going on tour [Link]
* Fanfarlo released a free live EP [Link]
* Jonah Matranga prepares to take on J-Lo? [Link]
* The National’s new album, High Violet, will be released on May 11 [Link]
* Wooden Birds (the new band from Andrew Kenny of American Analog Set) has released a free EP [Link]
* Far performed an acoustic version of a song from their upcoming album [Link]
* Stream the debut album from Broken Bells [Link]
* Stream Peter Gabriel’s new all-covers album, Stratch My Back (and download the Bon Iver cover for free) [Link]
* Download a song from the new Minus The Bear album, OMNI [Link]
* Band Of Horses will release their new album, Infinite Arms, on May 18 [Link]
* Stream the new Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach [Link]
* Nada Surf released the first song and the tracklisting for their covers album, If I Had A Hi-Fi [Link]
* Stream the new Cursive single, Discovering America [Link]
* Watch Freelance Whales perform live in a studio [Link]
* Download the song Thieves from She & Him’s upcoming album, Volume Two [Link]
* John Mayer recorded a cover of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Inner City Blues’ [Link]

Here are the latest music-related links that were of interest to me:

* Matt Pryor is releasing Confidence Man on vinyl, and more importantly, he has another album that he will be releasing at some point [Link]
* Deftones have a new album coming out on May 18 [Link]
* Small Brown Bike is releasing a new single on March 9 [Link]
* The Get Up Kids are releasing a new EP soon [Link]
* Pearl Jam will be performing on Saturday Night Live on March 13 [Link]
* Circa Survive have released a song from their new album [Link]
* Minus The Bear have signed to Dangerbird records and they will be releasing their new album on May 4 [Link]
* Feist recently performed a brand new song live [Link]
* Vampire Weekend have released a really silly video for my favorite track on Contra, Giving Up The Gun [Link]
* Imogen Heap released a new single to benefit a hospital in London.  You can listen to it and purchase it from this link. [Link]
* J. Robbins performed an acoustic set of songs that he wrote with Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Channels, and Office Of Future Plans.  You can listen to the entire set via this link. [Link]
* In a related note, J. Robbins did an interview about the Jawbox reunion and his new band, Office Of Future Plans [Link]

Minus The Bear - Absinthe Party At The Fly Honey Warehouse (from the album Highly Refined Pirates)

I went to see Minus The Bear a few weeks ago with my girlfriend and my friend Nate.  I’ve seen them four times and they have always put on a great show.  With that, I thought I would post one of my favorite songs by the band.  Enjoy!