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Recommended: The Jim Ivins Band
The Jim Ivins Band
For Fans Of: Jack’s Mannequin
The Jim Ivins Band is a pop rock band hailing from Richmond, Virginia. In 2010, the band worked with Ace Enders, releasing a self-titled EP with Ace as producer. Their brand of acoustic pop rock is highly accessible and honest, driven by the earnest and consistently open lyrics of frontman Jim Ivins, strongling resembling the vocal delivery of Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate. The backing instrumentals of The Jim Ivins Band are slightly less pronounced than that of Jack’s, but the softer, more acoustic sound complements Jim’s voice well. If you’re a fan of heartfelt, honest pop rock, be sure to check out The Jim Ivins Band.
Their newest project, a three-track charity compilation entitled Songs Of Life: The Kathy Ivins Project, is dedicated to the mother of Jim (vocals) and Jack (drums), who lost her life to melanoma last July. The new compilation will benefit the Kathy Ivins Fund, which aims to promote fitness and wellness programs.
Listen to “Moving”, one of the three songs from Songs Of Life: The Kathy Ivins Project, below. For more music, head on over to the band’s website.
End of the Year Coverage: 2010
Ah, 2010. What a great year it has been. (Unfortunately, I’m a poet and I don’t even know it. There I go again…) The following lists, written by our staff writers and beloved guests, serve as a mere glimpse into what we have enjoyed this past year. They are, in no way, shape or form, a complete image of what we have listened to, but hopefully, they guide you towards albums that you may have missed throughout the year. The following lists are also not a list of the “best” albums of the year, but our favorites.
So without further ado, bring on the awards and the lists!
Frank Wu
Featured Stream: Angus & Julia Stone – “Draw Your Swords”
Staff Album of the Year:
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Whether you believe it’s over-produced, over-excessive, over-reliant on guests or just over-the-top Kanye, there is no doubt in our minds that Kanye West, the man with his ego in a Luis Vutton bag, has released the Album of the Year with his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. From the obscure but incredibly fitting sampling in “Dark Fantasy”, Kanye’s blaring self-image in “Power”, Nicki Minaj’s biting verse in “Monster”, Chris Rock’s comedic “Yeezy Taught Me” skit in “Blame Game”, to Gil Scott-Heron’s preaching in “Who Will Survive In America”, there really isn’t anything left to be said about this album that hasn’t been said already. Kanye has not only crafted his own masterpiece but has probably created an album to be remembered for decades to come. (Pardon the melodrama.)
Tait Gu
Biggest Thank You:
Drake – Thank Me Later
Thanks Drake! You didn’t even have to ask.
Best Album Art:
Caribou – Swim
This Is An Award To The Most Direct Album Art.
The Black Keys – Brothers
Frank Wu
Albums of the Year
1. Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way
2. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
3. Jimmy Eat World – Invented
4. The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
5. Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager
6. The National – High Violet
7. Shad – TSOL
8. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
9. HoneyChild – Nearer The Earth
10. Steel Train – Steel Train
11. Drake – Thank Me Later
12. The Roots – How I Got Over
13. Hellogoodbye – Would It Kill You?
14. Vampire Weekend – Contra
15. 65daysofstatic – We Were Exploding Anyway
16. Valencia – Dancing With A Ghost
17. Jónsi – Go
18. Anberlin – Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place
19. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
20. Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
Honorable Mentions
Aziz Ansari – Intimate Moments For A Sensual Evening
B.o.B – B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
Beach House – Teen Dream
Best Coast – Crazy For You
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot The Son Of Chico Dusty
The Black Keys – Brothers
Caribou – Swim
Curren$y – Pilot Talk
Curren$y – Pilot Talk II
Das Racist – Shut Up, Dude
Das Racist – Sit Down, Man
Dessa – A Badly Broken Code
Eminem – Recovery
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
House of Heroes – Suburba
Julia Stone – The Memory Machine
Minus The Bear – OMNI
Motion City Soundtrack – My Dinosaur Life
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Neon Trees – Habits
Portugal. The Man – American Ghetto
Rooney – Eureka
Sage Francis – L(i)fe
The Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt
Wakey!Wakey! – Almost Everything I Wish I’d Said The Last Time I Saw You…
The Wonder Years – The Upsides
Xiu Xiu – Dear God, I Hate Myself
You, Me, and Everyone We Know – Some Things Don’t Wash Out
EPs of the Year
1. Lydia – Assailants
2. Atmosphere – To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP’s
3. Looking For Alaska – Everything We All Wish We Could Be EP
4. Heinali and Matt Finney – Conjoined EP
Mixtapes of the Year
1. Wale – More About Nothing
2. J. Cole – Friday Night Lights
3. Kid Cudi – Cudder Is Back
4. XV – Vizzy Zone
Hardest-Working Artist of 2010
Kanye West
Top Songs of the Year
Angus & Julia Stone – “Draw Your Swords”
B.o.B – “Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams)”
The Dangerous Summer – “Good Things”
HoneyChild – “The Father”
Jimmy Eat World – “Invented”
Kanye West – “Runaway (feat. Pusha T)”
Kanye West – “Gorgeous”
Kid Cudi – “MANIAC (feat. Cage & St. Vincent)”
The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
Wale – “The Eyes of the Tiger”
Yeasayer – “Madder Red”
You, Me, and Everyone We Know – “Shock and Awe”
Most Anticipated for 2011
Angus & Julia Stone
The Dangerous Summer
Death Cab For Cutie
Foo Fighters
Kanye West and Jay-Z
louellen
Manchester Orchestra
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Patrick Stump
The Strokes
Yellowcard
Tait Gu
Albums of the Year
1. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
3. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
4. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
5. Sleigh Bells – Treats
6. No Age – Everything In Between
7. Vampire Weekend – Contra
8. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles II
9. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
10. MGMT – Congratulations
11. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
12. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
13. Avey Tare – Down There
14. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
15. Caribou – Swim
16. Curren$y – Pilot Talk
17. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
18. Wavves – King of the Beach
19. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot The Son Of Chico Dusty
20. Girl Talk – All Day
Songs of the Year
Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”
LCD Soundsystem – “Dance Yrslf Clean”
Gorillaz – “Empire Ants”
Flying Lotus – “Do the Astral Plane”
Avey Tare – “Laughing Hieroglyphic”
Beach House – “Walk in the Park”
Crystal Casltes – “Celestica”
Deerhunter – “Desire Lines”
Kanye West – “POWER”
No Age – “Chem Trails”
Vampire Weekend – “White Sky”
Sleigh Bells – “Rill Rill”
MGMT – “Congratulations”
Cee-Lo Green – “Fuck You”
Big Boi – “Daddy Fat Sax”
Most Anticipated for 2011
Panda Bear
Radiohead
The Strokes
Gorillaz
Cut Copy
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
Kevin Miao
Albums of the Year
1. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
2. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
3. MGMT – Congratulations
4. The Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme
5. Kid CuDi – Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager
6. The National – High Violet
7. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
8. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
9. Free Energy – Stuck on Nothing
10. Sleigh Bells – Treats
11. A Great Big Pile of Leaves – Have You Seen My Prefrontal Cortex?
12. Freelance Whales – Weathervanes
13. Tokyo Police Club – Champ
14. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
15. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
16. Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
17. LCD Sound System – This Is Happening
18. Beach House – Teen Dream
19. The Wonder Years – The Upsides
20. Deadmau5 – 4×4=12
Mark Johnson
Albums of the Year
(In no particular order)
1. Letlive – Fake History
2. Proceed – Curious Electric
3. Underoath – Disambiguation
4. Tides of Man – Dreamhouse
5. Chiodos – Illuminaudio
6. E.S. Posthumus – Makara
7. Pierce the Veil – Selfish Machines
8. Brightwood – Elementals
9. Lights – Acoustic EP
10. Funeral for a Friend – Young and Defenceless
11. Trophy Scars – Darkness, Oh Hell
12. Emarosa – Emarosa
13. Circa Survive – Blue Sky Noise
14. Conditions – Fluorescent Youth
15. The Bled – Heat Fetish
16. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
17. The Great American Beast – Domestic Blood
Christian Corless (Louellen)
Albums of the Year
(In no particular order)
1. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
2. The Walkmen – Lisbon
3. M.I.A. – // / Y /
4. Ryan Adams and The Cardinals – III/IV
5. Bob Dylan – The Witmark Demos
6. The National – High Violet
7. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
8. Interpol – Interpol
9. Sufjan Stevens – The Age Of Adz
10. She & Him – Volume Two
Most Anticipated for 2011
The Strokes
Richard Picot (Louellen)
Albums of the Year
1. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
2. Interpol – Interpol
3. The National – High Violet
4. The Walkmen – Lisbon
5. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
6. The Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt
7. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
8. Blonde Redhead – Penny Sparkle
9. No Age – Everything In Between
10. Four Tet – There Is Love In You
Kyle Huntington (7Ravens and AbsolutePunk.net)
Albums of the Year
1. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
2. The National – High Violet
3. Bombay Bicycle Club – Flaws
4. Warpaint – The Fool
5. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
6. Theophilus London – I Want You
7. Four Tet – There Is Love In You
8. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
9. Sleigh Bells – Treats
10. Crocodiles – Sleep Forever
Most Anticipated for 2011
The Maccabees – TBA
Bombay Bicycle Club – TBA
Laura Marling – TBA
The Vaccines – TBA
louellen – Union EP
The Strokes – TBA
The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar
Feist – TBA
Yuck – Yuck
Chapel Club – Palace
Death Cab For Cutie – TBA
Heinali and Matt Finney
Albums of the Year
1. The National – High Violet
2. The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
3. Whirl – Distressor
4. Superman Revenge Squad – Dead Crow Blues
5. Yawning – Noah
6. Bad Books – Bad Books
7. Black Swan – In 8 Movements
8. Murmuure – Murmuure
Most Anticipated for 2011
1. This Will Destroy You – Tunnel Blanket
2. Sleepmakeswaves’ New Album
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