Honeytiger's Top 5 Albums of the Decade
Honeytiger is a two-piece rock band that records what they can play live as two people playing instruments, no loops. They thrive in catchy alt-rock, dark-indie rock, and broken-hearted slow-motion car crash songs. Their latest LP, Brain on the Wall, was released in October 2019.
The National - Trouble Will Find Me (2013)
Josh Glauser, percussion
The National were always one of those bands that I kind of liked, knew I should probably like more, but never really dove in to. Then Trouble Will Find Me came out. Not only did I love it on first listen, but it made me reconsider their entire discography. Now, they’re one of my favorite bands and Bryan Devendorf’s drumming has been a huge influence on my own drumming. The National have a career that I envy, going strong after so many years with no signs of stopping. Standout songs include “I Need My Girl” and “Don’t Swallow The Cap.”
The Districts - A Flourish and a Spoil (2015)
Josh Glauser, percussion
There are a lot of great Philly bands. If they all went away tomorrow, but The Districts stuck around, you’d still have to say Philly has a great music scene on that alone. I debated back and forth on whether to include this album or Popular Manipulations, but in the end I had to go with the first album of theirs that really showed me The Districts are a force to be reckoned with. If you’ve never seen “Young Blood” live, stop what you’re doing, find the nearest Districts show, and go. That song and this album are filled with so much passion and energy you feel like you’re going to explode at any moment. I’m constantly wondering why The Districts aren’t the most famous band in the world.
St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (2011)
Josh Glauser, percussion
Oh boy, I feel like this entire list could just be all the albums St. Vincent released this decade, because they are all incredible. Strange Mercy is perfect start to finish, combining pop melodies with Annie Clark’s shredding guitar. The hooks are infectious and the subject matter is as relevant as ever almost ten years later. Standout tracks include the whole damn album, but give “Cruel” and “Strange Mercy” a listen.
Honorable mentions:
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie and Lowell (2015)
Arctic Monkeys - AM (2013)
Isaac Clark, guitar & vocals
Following the career of Arctic Monkeys, there's an obvious culmination of their climb from rambunctious 'here's the thing' kiddos to slow motion pose coolsters that turn people into posers because who else can pull off that pose, but Alex Turner? That culmination ended up being what is in my opinion the greatest rock album of the last 10 years. AM reminded me how truly 'cool' rock'n'roll can still be in its death. It combines glamour with humor and sex that rarely works so well. That along with incredible sound engineering put me in a trance since the record came out. Arctic Monkeys were always a big band, but AM made them absolute rock stars and I'm so happy for them because as songwriters and musicians, they deserve the attention. If you only know the big hits, check out Knee Socks.
The Voidz - Virtue (2018)
Isaac Clark, guitar & vocals
The Voidz are a polarizing band and most of my friends can't stand them and Josh probably is pissed that I'm including them in a combined list, but I'm doing it anyway because I think it’s an incredible record. Virtue spans genres in a way I hadn't heard much before (partially because I listened to AM way too much and missed some other stuff), going from metal to baroque to rock to industrial and lots of other things that are hard to explain. It was a record that challenged me musically and messed with my brain, for now, it is a goopy mess of broken neon bulbs as you might see from what Honeytiger has become. “Pink Ocean,” “Lazy Boy,” and “Pyramid of Bones” are standouts, but it's a record that (if you can get through it) is a trip start to finish.
Honorable Mentions:
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange (2012)
Olafur Arnalds - Living Room Songs (2011)