Top 10 albums by Shane Danaher

1. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
These guys are very good at creating pop music. Their work is slick, occasionally funny, insightful and packaged in an ethos that is all the more attractive for reeking of marketing division tinkering.

2. Marnie Stern – This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
Ms. Stern gets a whole load of ink dumped on her axe-wielding abilities, which, commendable as they are, manage to get consistently outdone by her AD- paced songwriting and brilliantly twisted re-imaginings of rhythm.

3. The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
These boys haven’t taken so much as one solitary step away from their 21st-century Springsteen posture and oh holy hell is it only getting better with practice.

4. Starfucker – Starfucker
The debut release from these local garage synth-poppers shows restraint and a brilliant proclivity for melody at the same time. With any luck these guys will rise to much deserved prominence.

5. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
This hotter-than-poo electro duo lets a much-needed violence grease the gears between the Nintendo bleeps of their songs. These might be dance cuts but there’s going to be at least one person leaving the floor with a black eye.

6. These United States – These United States
It’s hard to be a folk band in 2008 without walking in some well-established footsteps, but These United States manages this feat with deft ease. 

7. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus!!! Dig!!!
This is how I hope to be in my middle years: lecherous, angry and loud.

8. Parts & Labor – Receivers
If there’s one thing Brooklyn’s good at it’s making noise, and Parts & Labor match their natural proclivity to some excellent rock instincts and a helpful dose of synthesizer.

9. Don Hellions – in yer underwear
I’m pretty sure there are about three people who even know this band exists, so in the interest of promoting excellent local music and well-thought-out experimental pop in general, it’s going on the list.

10. Guns N‘ Roses – Chinese Democracy
The fact that this album even exists should be enough to put it on every Top 10 list in existence. As Chuck Klosterman pointed out in his excellent review of the LP, this might be the last group of songs that are ever really looked at as a “capitol A” Album. Beyond this there are only mp3s and bankrupt record companies and god knows what else. It’s the end of several eras, pick the one that most applies to you and enjoy. Brian’s Picks