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30) Titus Andronicus – The Airing of Grievances (Troubleman Unlimited)

As much as I’ve wanted to, I just can’t get into the Pogues. The whole Irish Punk-Folk sound just never resonated with me.  Titus Andronicus, on the other hand, wield Irish folk like a dagger rather than a broadsword, and bring it into a context I can enjoy. Mixing Irish elements into grandiose self-loathing, post-hardcore laments about suburban dissolution just makes perfects sense to me, the cover for this album however does not. This is New Jersey’s answer to Bright Eyes (And I don’t mean that in a bad way!).

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29) Marnie Stern – This Is It… (Kill Rock Stars)

This album is straight out of the good ol’ days of Helium & Sleater Kinney, with some serious guitar heroics for good measure. If you’ve ever seen the term “angular” used to describe a band or an album and wondered what that meant, then listen to This Is it…. It’s like being caught in a geometry daydream. The full title, This Is It & I Am It & You Are It & So Is That & He Is It & She Is It & It Is It & That Is That alone will give you those geomotry quiz jitters.

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28) Blood on the Wall – Liferz (The Social Registry)

It saddens me to think that this is probably the last BOTW album we’ll ever get. This band and every album they’ve ever put out reminds me exactly why I fell in love with indie rock. Liferz plays like that old battered T-shirt in your closet that is always a perfect fit, no matter your mood or the occasion.

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27) The Virgins – The Virgins (Atlantic)

This album was a real departure from the Strokes-esque, stripped-back EP and the band’s earlier demos. I think the super glossy production really suits the band well, proving the songs were more suited for AM radio rock than DIY indie–kind of like an American version of Phoenix. These guys and this album were supposed to be H-U-G-E by now, and I’m not really certain why they aren’t, but this album has all the tools to make it happen.

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26) Ellen Allien – Sool (BPitch Control)

While IDM, electronica, and minimal techno have never been personal favorites of mine, I’ve always been a fan of Ellen Allien. Everything she does is so lush and deceptively intricate. Unlike with most electronic music, I never get bored of her albums only two songs in. Her songs just build and pace themselves so well. Sool is no exception, except that it’s darker & more subdued than her previous work. Sool sounds like the soundtrack to Ray Bradbury’s “Kaleidoscope”.

You know the drill, be here tomorrow for parts 25-21!

• For albums 35-31 on the list click here!

• For albums 40-36 on the list click here!

- My Pal the Crook