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Vince Gill - These Days

Most artists rely almost exclusively on their past catalog when putting together a box set compilation. Not Vince Gill, he recently released a four disc set of new material that pairs him with some of the other great voices in [tag]country, rock, gospel[/tag], and [tag]bluegrass[/tag]. Each disc has a theme that highlights the styles that Vince has been running circles around and through for the past twenty five years. He’s got a beautiful tenor voice that is only just beginning to show signs of age. Additionally, I firmly believe that Vince is one of the best living [tag]guitar[/tag] players. There is a short list of guitarists that are instantly recognizable by their style, [tag]Joe Walsh, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen[/tag], and Vince. Even if you aren’t necessarily a country music fan, I’m sure that you will find something in this set that will prove to you why this set made my list.

Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way

Perhaps I spoke too soon when I said I couldn’t pick a favorite from this year. I think it may be this incredible album from the [tag]Dixie Chicks[/tag]. It’s smart, sensitive, and blistering. Everyone knows the situation with the boycott, so I don’t want to dwell on that, but it is clear from the scathing “Not Ready to Make Nice” that the Chicks aren’t going to let us forget the shafting that they received. If you can listen to this song and not be emotionally engaged by the soaring bridge and climactic string crescendo, then you are a robotic sociopath. Yes, I said it. “Easy Silence,” “Baby Hold On,” and the super sweet “Lullaby” are my other favorite tracks on an album full of solid pop songs. Let country stations continue to boycott them, us pop lovers will welcome them with open arms.

Panic! At the Disco - A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out

Hot [tag]emo[/tag] boys in eyeliner + long rambling song titles that have nothing to do with the lyrical content + soaring anthems of angst = a puddle of Paul. While [tag]Panic! At the Disco[/tag] may not have invented the genre, they have certainly put a face and personality on emo rock. I’ve bought several albums this year that one could classify in the same general vein as this album, however when my iPod is shuffling, songs on this album stand out from the crowd and don’t require me to reach down and look to confirm the artist. I have my doubts that PATD will be able to follow up their success on their next album, but I have no doubts that they were among the best of this year.

Under the Influence of Giants - Self Titled

You’ll probably notice that my list does not include the [tag]Scissor Sisters[/tag]’ newest album Tah Dah. That’s because UTIOG did a much better job of writing the follow up to the Sister’s amazing self titled album of 2004. [tag]Under the Influence of Giants[/tag] took a hold of the 1977-meets-2010 sound and completely owned it this year. “Mama’s Room” is a brilliant Abba-esque song with [tag]dark[/tag] Oedipal undertones that is entirely hum-able. “In the Clouds,” “Got Nothing,” and “I Love You” are equally well written, [tag]danceable[/tag], and leave you with that happy feeling that only a coked up night at Studio 54 could provide in the past.

James Blunt - Back to Bedlam

With his crystal clear falsetto and his heart on his sleeve, [tag]James Blunt[/tag] hit the US with a virtually unstoppable single, “You’re Beautiful.” While I enjoy the song, and have been known to sing along, it suffers from one of my personal pet peeves. He changes his lyrical voice several times in the song… one moment he’s singing to the listener, the next to the girl he’s so forlorn over. Just my personal issue with songs that do that… but I digress. There are some really solid tracks on this album. My favorite being “Wisemen” with its [tag]hooky[/tag] chorus and tale of friendship. While there’s no Summer Anthem Rocker on here, if you are a fan of thought-provoking [tag]singer songwriters[/tag], you’ll want to spend some time with this album.

Since there was such a long hiatus on this site, I decided to include my picks for all of last year here. I originally posted this on my personal site.

So many magazines, television networks, and other bloggers have been busy touting their lists of the best music from this past year and I’ve been mostly disappointed by the choices. I buy somewhere around 15 albums a month and definitely form my own opinions.

Seems like all these reviewers want to show off their knowledge of some obscure group that no one has ever heard of, and they bestow high honors upon them. While I do listen to some music that most people don’t know anything about, I prefer to stick to [tag]popular[/tag] artists, or at least, artists that you have at least a chance of hearing on the [tag]radio[/tag] or catching on [tag]tour[/tag].

That being said, I’d like to offer up my opinions on some of the best work of the year. I’m offering these in no particular order, mostly because I have a hard time choosing between genres and styles. You can click on the following items to purchase them from Amazon.

Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics

I, Paul, am officially declaring here and now that any and all comparisons between [tag]Britney Spears[/tag] and [tag]Christina Aguilera[/tag] need to cease immediately. I can certainly understand why they started, with the similarity in ages, background, Disney start, and basically interchangeable first albums… however, where some people have gotten married and crowned queen of the trailer park, others have gotten married and put out an incredibly sexy mixture of modern pop and 1930’s extravagance. It’s[tag] smart, classy[/tag], and her voice has never been better.

The Fray - How to Save a Life

If you have been living in a cave without a television or radio, you’ve probably missed the title track on Grey’s Anatomy or commercials. Like most songs that get used in this way, you may be burned out by it. Do yourself a favor and listen to the rest of the album. “Over My Head (Cable Car),” “She Is,” and “All at Once” are three minute pop masterpieces. [tag]The Fray[/tag] took a formula from [tag]Keane[/tag] and added their own special ingredient to make something especially tasty.

Blue October - Foiled

Reminiscent of one of my personal favorites, [tag]Peter Gabriel[/tag], this sophomore major label release is at times [tag]dark, romantic, sweet,[/tag] and [tag]acidic[/tag]. “Hate Me” was the big hit over the summer. “X Amount of Words” and “Congratulations” are stand out tracks, and “Into the Ocean” is the current ring tone on my cell phone. This is one of the disks that got a lot of playtime on the iPod that is almost always attached to my hip.

KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope

Who’s cute, [tag]Scottish[/tag], a talented [tag]songwriter[/tag], and a tremendous live performer? It’s this year’s best [tag]debut[/tag] artist, [tag]KT Tunstall[/tag]. You couldn’t escape “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” this year, and frankly, why would you want to? It’s the perfect pop song, complete with borderline-nonsensical lyrics open to interpretation, a great dance beat, and a sing along chorus that will get caught in your head for days. The rest of the album is solid and shows a wide range of influences. My favorite track? Definitely “Suddenly I See.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

What’s better than a new album by rock-funk veterans, [tag]Red Hot Chili Peppers[/tag]? That’s right, a DOUBLE album. There’s nothing especially new on this 28-song opus, but why fix something that isn’t broken? “Dani California,” “Snow (Hey Oh),” “Readymade,” and “Animal Bar” are standout tracks.

Elton John - The Captain and the Kid

While I am of the firm opinion that just about anything that [tag]Sir Elton[/tag] does is great, (even the admittedly [tag]schmaltzy[/tag] FM-Lite music of the past several years) this album proves why he will go down in history as one of the most important artists of modern times. This album was billed as the follow up to 1975’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, a [tag]concept album[/tag] about the oft-tumultuous relationship between [tag]Elton[/tag] and lyricist [tag]Bernie Taupin[/tag]. This newest release definitely sounds like it could have been released in 1977, picking up where they left off 30 years ago. If you’ve abandoned EJ since the “Circle of Life,” maybe it’s time to give him another chance.

I’ve only just scratched this list, I have more coming in the next post or two. What are some of your favorites?