2013 | Kyle’s Top Records 10 – 6

10. Caitlin Rose – The Stand In

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOipdIcoiNI[/youtube]
[C]aitlin Rose’s record the Stand In is not only one of the best country records put out this year, but also one of the best records of the year. From top to bottom, this record hits on everything, the songwriting, the music, the sugary sweet vocals, and for god sakes, the hook… on every song, there’s a great hook, that will have you coming back again and again. Rose is a budding songwriter, who is doing everything right here, oh and did I mention her voice is fantastic? The Tracks > Old Numbers, Dallas

Buy The Stand-In

9. Har Mar Superstar – Bye Bye 17

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouuqJ0pkWvU[/youtube]
[A] kid in a suburban shopping mall had dreams of being a superstar, and Har Mar Superstar was born, Sean Tillmann, put together one amazing soul record that is undeniably groovy, soulful, and a total joy to listen to. Tillmann might be a Ron Jeremy look-a-like, and he may have the wildest stage antics of anyone in music, but this record contains maybe his greatest songs, certainly to date. I’d be shocked if he could write a better song than “Lady You Shot Me,” and his voice is remarkably perfect for this style. I can only hope this is a continued direction for him. The Tracks > Lady You Shot Me, Restless Leg

Buy Bye Bye 17

8. Night Beds – Country Sleep

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iljkaDZvyw[/youtube]
[T]he solo project from Winston Yellen is going to blow your damn mind. At least it did for me. This ten-track debut is a sweeping collection of songs, that hit right on the feeling of getting lost and possibly finding your way back again. As Yellen spent his time writing and traveling across the country sleeping in his car, you can hear the influences from quiet nights alone, in remote areas. Yellen’s voice is that of angel, its light, and soars across the soundscape of this record, and you can just tell it is something very special. The Tracks > Even If We Try, Borrowed Time

Buy Country Sleep

7. Mikal Cronin – MCII

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=074wHh44p10[/youtube]
[G]arage rocker Mikal Cronin’s MCII puts the listener in a great place, with opening tracks like “Weight, and Shout It Out,” two bombastic tracks that remind me quite a bit of Ben Kweller’s Sha Sha era, this record is hard to turn down. It’s his most accessible music, a more pop style with a much more aggressive edge, but steered away from the feedback, and screamed vocals. MCII employs a more laid back approach, a bit more California, then California Garage. It’s instantly likeable, fun to listen to, and begs to be repeated again and again. The tracks > Shout it Out, See It My Way

Buy Mc II

6. French Camp – Odd Particle

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BU-8vsN2z8[/youtube]
[O]wen Beverly, French Camp’s songwriter, sent me their record quite a long time ago, and it immediately grabbed me. Not ina traditional way of a song stuck in your head, or highly repetitious hooks, its actually quite the opposite. This record may be the band’s most sophisticated work to date, its a hypnotic work of science fiction pop music that is a great listening album. Beverly and bandmates have found a way to fuse their southern roots with a sophisticated sci-fi / space pop style. The Tracks > The Midway, Cover Girl

Buy Odd Particle