6. To My Boy - Messages



This was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. I went to pick up To My Boy’s album kind of on a whim after hearing them compared to Sparks, one of my favorite groups ever. I was ecstatic to find a record brimming with quirky energy and punchy, fun songs. To My Boy are unlike anybody else out there and their strangeness will probably guarantee that they never find any real mainstream success, but that’s okay. They’re not a mainstream band. The album, though, is flawless. Every song is a winner, especially if you’re a fan of the eighties like me.

To My Boy - Talk

5. Private - My Secret Lover



Top five. We’ve entered the big leagues now, and Private is completely deserving. I’ve been a fan of Thomas Troelsen’s work (Junior Senior, Superheroes) for awhile now, but I never dreamed he’d be able to craft something this amazing. It’s like he took everything amazing about the 80’s, modernized it, and grafted it onto perfectly written songs. It’s a blast from start to finish, just like good pop music should be. It’s the comeback cd that Michael Jackson should have released as few years ago, and that’s saying a lot.

Private - Let’s Make Love (Underneath The Apple Tree)