On the Turntable…

My Ipod and fresh music list is in dire need of help. Lately I have found myself letting my daughter play dj in the car because I haven’t taken the time to find new tunes. This is why the “On the Turntable” section of my blog has been on hiatus. It’s time for a comeback. To help  get the music in motion, another resolution for the year will be listening to one new album a week and to help kickstart this resolution I give you the top 10 albums I have not listened to yet, but should:

10.  The Magnetic Fields, “Distortion” – I haven’t noticed them since their beloved trilogy “69 Love Songs” (Brilliant)

9. Lupe Fiasco, “The Cool” – Hip hop is normally out of character for me, but Lupe is so unique to the genre that he draws attention from us indie snobs

8. Bonnie Prince Billy, “Ask Forgiveness” – It is true. Will Oldham has had a new album out for awhile now. It is true. I have seen Will in concert over 5 times and listened to him pretty exclusively for about a year. It is true. I have not gone near this album for no good reason. Shame on me.

7. Radiohead, “In Rainbows” – One of those bands I have tried to get into over and over because of their pretty unanimous pedestal status. I’ve not caught the bug so far, but I’m persistent.

6. Of Montreal, “If he is protecting our nation, Then who will protect big oil, Our children?” – Another band I was so smitten with and just let drop off the face of the planet. Time to catch up.

5. Grizzly Bear, “Friend EP” – They’ve been on my “to be heard list” for awhile and the reviews say this is a good place to start.

4. Iron and Wine, “Shepherd’s Dog” – Always exceeding expectations, I&W does not disappoint.

3. The National, “Boxer” – These folks are supposed to have a striking resembelance to Joy Division (a lofty comparison), but they carry a good dose of praise from credible sources, so need to be checked out.

2. Spoon, “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” – I’ve enjoyed Spoon on and off through out the years. They stayed consistent in my book, but never crossed over into the regular listening stage for me. Judging from the critics, this album may push them into A-list status.

1. Panda Bear, “Person Pitch” – Pitchfork awarded them best album of 2007. My favorite bands have reached that honor in the past, so this should be a sure thing.

I’ll keep everyone posted on the best of the best from these and more. If you have more recommendations, be sure to share.