By Alex Brenner

I have been a huge fan of Blind Pilot for over a year now so I was pretty excited when I saw they were playing a cozy club like the Earl. For those of you who do not own their debut 3 Rounds and a Sound, it’s amazing.

First up was Providence, Rhode Island band The Low Anthem. It’s rare when the opening act is just as good, if not better, than the headliner. I had seen their name around, but I was not very familiar with this band at all. By the third song my jaw was on the floor. They must have switched instruments 20 times during the set: moving from drums to pump organ, to upright bass, to French horn, to you name it.  It was unreal. Singer Ben Knox Miller’s voice was a gorgeous falsetto with a gentle whisper over tremolo drenched guitar. Along with bassist Jeff Prystowsky and Jocie Adams, this band sounded huge for just three people. From bluesy stomps to tender ballads, this band was on fire and had the sold out crowd going wild. The Earl may be dirty rock club but during the ballads people were dead quiet hanging on to every word. I bought their record the next day and it’s awesome. You can tell they are winning over fans one show at a time.

Next up was Blind Pilot.  As mentioned earlier, I am a super fan of this band. Touring as a six piece with banjo, horn/organ, upright bass and xylophone, they played many songs off their record and also played a few new tracks. What’s great about this band is that they are a no frills honest band that relies on great songs rather than gimmicks and they don’t sound like your typical singer/songwriter band which I found very refreshing. Singer Israel Nebeker’s gentle voice had the crowd hooked while the band played flawlessly – even earning applause after every trumpet solo. While their material is quite calming, the songs seemed more upbeat and immediate live. Their new material was really strong but what really brought down the house was their killer cover of Gillian Welch’s “Look at Miss Ohio” [from one of Alex's top 10 albums of the decade] and the shout out to Atlanta in that song was a clever crowd pleaser.

The crowd stomped and screamed for an encore and man did we get one. With the opening chords of “One Red Thread”, the Blind Pilot owned that stage.  They reminded me a lot of Josh Ritter if you’ve ever seen him live. Great show. I was super hung over the next morning, but it was totally worth it.

MP3: Blind Pilot – One Red Thread

MP3: The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin

By Alex Brenner

[All the cool kids are doin' it, so we decided to do it too - the best albums of the decade.  We've called in our resident music maker and record reviewer to give us his perspective on this trending topic.  We dropped a couple sample tracks in there too.  Enjoy. - Rube]

Jets to Brazil – Four Cornered Night (2000)

From the ashes of the seminal punk band Jawbreaker; JTB’s second album is nothing but pure pop punk heart with some country flourishes as well. Front man Black Schwarzenbach is one of the most underrated songwriters of our time.

Gillian Welch - Soul Journey (2003)

So many great songs here, “Look at Miss Ohio”, “Wrecking Ball”…. Truly one of the only great talents Nashville has to offer right now.

MP3: Gillian Welch – Look At Miss Ohio

Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003)

Red House Painters singer Mark Kozelek reinvents himself with this debut album. Songs range from country shuffles to fuzzed out mayhem while still keeping that trademark “I wanna kill myself” feel to every song. Sometimes feeling bad never felt so good.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

Jeff Tweedy is still one of the most amazing performers of our time. This record took me awhile but now I think it’s become a must have.

MP3: Wilco – Heavy Metal Drummer

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (2005)

Okay yeah, this is their mainstream album but it has a lot of great songs on it that were not hits.  Despite their recent work, which I was not a fan of, this Death Cab record has shown they are an indie act that is built to last.

MP3: Death Cab for Cutie – Crooked Teeth

The Gaslight Anthem - The ’59 Sound (2008)

Spot on pop punk with heart, no one does the “we-gotta-get-outta-here-while-we-still-can” thing better than singer Brian Fallon. A punk classic in the making.

MP3: Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound

Hey Mercedes - Everynight Fire Works (2001)

From the ashes of post punk legends, Braid, came this band. With jagged chords and clock work drumming Hey Mercedes knew how to write great songs. Classics like “Our Weekend Starts on Wednesday” and “Eleven to Your Seven” still sound amazing today.

Nada Surf – The Weight is a Gift (2005)

No better way to bounce back from being a one hit wonder than with a string of great records. This record put them back on the map as a talented band with songwriting chops for miles.

MP3: Nada Surf – What Is Your Secret

Hot Rod Circuit – Sorry About Tomorrow (2002)

Another great indie band that put hooks and great songs at the forefront. With this release it just goes to show the third time is a charm.

David Bazan – Curse Your Branches (2009)

The first full length solo record for former Pedro the Lion front man David Bazan. Unbelievable songwriting and hooks that make you doubt your own existence.

MP3: David Bazan – Curse Your Branches