Yep. That’s it. Just a pic. Go see them. It’s only $5. Okay, maybe there’s a track below. But still, just go see them.

Wait, one more thing. They will be joined buy The Winter Sounds – the hardest working, most under appreciated band that you haven’t heard but should. There. That’s enough. Now go already.

The Head – Old Coins
The Winter Sounds – Trophy Wife

The suburbs deserve good music too. This became all too clear when we recently brought one of my old pals from New York to visit our Decatur home. He said something along the lines of “this is a nice little suburb.” We were obviously aghast – as like most Decaturites, we like to think of ourselves as “in-towners.” As we drove back home after dropping our friend off at his downtown hotel, reality came crashing down on us. We may have Eddie’s Attic and Decatur CD, but gosh, we might live in the suburbs after all. Fortunately, this episode happened weeks ago and we have recovered (mostly).

All of this to make the point that two great bands that you are more likely to see at urban clubs like the Drunken Unicorn or the Earl will be playing the ‘burbs this weekend – Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun and the Winter Sounds.

It has been far too long since we have mentioned either of these bands. We are excited to hear the new TTMTTS record, Wildfire, due in May and still consider The Winter Sounds’ Church of the Haunted South one of the best indie rock records we have heard in recent years. Check them out this Saturday at the North River Tavern in Sandy Springs.

We Were Wild by TodaytheMoon

Some bands can be hard to keep track of for a variety of reasons. Some bands get a big label push that unexpectedly disappears just as quickly as it appeared. Some bands are always on the road, proverbially homeless and playing any gig any where they can find the space. Some bands suffer from sudden personnel changes that toss tours and recording schedules akimbo. It’s hardly unique, but the longest lasting bands survive all of these and more, usually bound together by a core dedicated to nothing but the music.

That could be story of The Winter Sounds. Singer-songwriter Patrick Keenan and bassist Clayton Taylor are the core that keeps this indie-pop band on the road and moving forward.

They released a fantastic record last year, Church of the Haunted South, which got much less attention on this site than it deserved, and yes, it is largely influenced by Margaret Mitchell’s epic novel. These guys are not afraid to reach.

They are on the road again and have plans to release a new record before the end of this year. We can’t wait to hear it. Until then, check out these tracks for a sample of what you can hear tonight at the Drunken Unicorn for only $5.

Listen: The Winter Sounds – Trophy Wife

Listen: The Winter Sounds – O’Fear

Lots of good new stuff will be forthcoming from our newest feature for new music from new places – The Telephone Game – but before we get there here’s a special Xmas/Holiday edition.

These folks sent us their holiday tunes and we’re just passin’ ‘em along.  Seems like a classic re-gift scenario to us.  Note that the first one is worth keeping, but we’re sharing nonetheless.  Guess the spirit must have overtaken us.  We’ll see ya’ after Christmas.

MP3: The Winter Sounds – The Anthem Is A Gift

MP3: Luna Versus You – Christmas Isn’t What It Used To Be

MP3: The Very Foundation – All Lit Up (For Christmas)

MP3: AM Taxi – The Worst Noel

MP3: Rondo Brothers – Jingle Bells on Crack

This was really hard for me this year. Spending more time with this project (i.e., the blog), intentionally listening to more music, and talking to more people about music, exposed me to more music in the past twelve months than I think I have ever heard in that same period of time in my entire life which, for better or worse, is long enough to mean something. (Did I mention it was more?)

I heard all kinds of great sounds from all kinds of bands – some on record, some on MP3, some on CD and some only on stage. As I spent the last few weeks thinking about this list, it kept getting longer and longer. Finally, I realized (or simply resigned myself to the fact) that a year-end best of list is really supposed to be just that – only the best. I had to make a cut.

Of course, just like last year, the only criteria we really have for determining what is a “best record” is to think about how many times we listened to it. We returned to all of these albums repeatedly and excitedly throughout the year. What’s more, they were albums we listened to thoroughly. Which is to say we think there’s a lot more than just one good song on them. We hope to put out a short list of best songs of the year to recognize some of those artists who captured our imagination with a tune or two, or maybe make a record that just missed this list, but that’s next – not now.

Right now, I’m going to start the list by borrowing three from Alex’s List – Wilco (the album); David Bazan, Curse Your Branches; and Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – and tell you that had he not listed them already I would have. (Yeah you can call it cheatin’, but once again I am the one footing the bill for the economy server package around here.)

Thanks to Alex’s head start, I came up with 11 more albums that we think you might want to hear this year.

11. Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band – Outer South

Mr. Oberst’s best work of the year.

10. John Doe & the Sadies – Country Club

Having been on the front edge of the American punk scene, John Doe seems no longer interested in doing something new. What he did here was take some old songs and remind us how much we love that classic country sound – especially the Bakersfield sound. We actually got around to reviewing this one. Read about it here.

9. Those Darlins’

We wrote a little bit about this record when they were headed to town this fall, that’s here. We love it. They’re coming right back, January 15 at the EARL.

MP3: Those Darlins – DUI or Die

8. Sea Wolf – White Water, White Bloom

Alex Brown Church does this sound as well as, if not better than, anybody else out there.

7. The Winter Sounds – Church of the Haunted South

I spent half the year meaning to write about this record. I think I listened to it almost every day in August. I even chatted with band member Clayton about the grand ideas behind the record, and still intend to capture that conversation in advance of their next visit to Atlanta (hopefully early next year), but for now let me just say I think it was an easy choice for this list.

MP3: The Winter Sounds – Trophy Wife

6. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

This record grew on us over the course of the year eventually climbing into the rarified air (?) of this list. Really, it’s a great record.

5. Band of Skulls – Baby Darling Doll Face Honey

Made this list like a bullet. I can’t stop listening to this disc.

4. Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing

These local boys crushed the sophomore slump with this record. Powerful (in every meaning of that word) from front to back.

3. Metric – Fantasies

One of our first record reviews! Read it here. Still love it.

MP3: Metric – Gimme Sympathy

2. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

I wrote about this record in my answer to Alex’s Short & Skinny column. It’s called Abbreviated Attention (Span). Check it out here.

1. The Decemberists – Hazards of Love

This was the easiest pick of all for us. We loved the record, loved the performance at the Tabernacle, loved the new video on iTunes. Great stuff.