We’re saying goodbye to 2010 with an exclusive new track from Eric & Magill called “The New Year Is So Near.” If you haven’t heard Eric & Magill’s beautiful debut album, All Those I Know, please go here to download the whole thing for free. Happy New Year!

MP3: Eric & Magill – “The New Year Is So Near”

Happy holidays! Sporadic postings will continue until next year. Here’s some stuff we thought you’d want to read, watch, and listen to. Stay warm!

We highly recommend the KEXP video session with Sharon Van Etten. We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating that her album, Epic was one of our favorite releases of the year.

NPR premiered a new video from David Wax Museum

Over the holidays I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jay-Z’s new book, Decoded

Our podcast partners at 91.7 WMSE share their DJ’s favorite albums from 2010.

The Dallas Observer lists “Four Folk Acts To Follow in 2011,” including Strand of Oaks.

It could be argue that no band had a bigger year than the Black Keys, whose album Brothers absolutely exploded the group’s popularity. You can pick up the whole album digitally for only $3.99 at Amazon.

Some great concerts in Milwaukee have been announced recently including a two-night stint of Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson at the Northern Lights Casino Theater on March 2nd & 3rd.

School of Seven Bells will perform a free show at Turner Hall Ballroom on Sunday, January 23rd.

The Greenhornes and Hacienda hit the Cactus Club in Milwaukee on Tuesday, March 29th.

Please Join us for both of our 6th Anniversary showcases next month. On Friday, January 14th we’re excited to welcome Sat. Nite Duets, Golden Coins and more to the Cactus Club in Milwaukee. The following night, Saturday, January 15th we’re excited to welcome S. Carey (of Bon Iver) and Conrad Plymouth to Club Garibladi. You can get tickets to the latter here.

Other than that, I’ve been listening to Dylan’s Time Out of Mind almost every day. Most days it’s multiple times through.

We’re big fans of Sharon Van Etten, whose Epic was one of our favorite releases of the year. Please have a listen to her World Cafe session that just went up today. So good.

Previously: Video: Broken Harbors :: Sharon Van Etten

MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “Love More”
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “I Couldn’t Save You”
++
Buy: Sharon Van Etten – Epic

[photos by Kate Ehle via nyctaper]

Our friends at Hometapes put together a beautiful collection of Christmas tunes courtesy of their amazing artist roster. Here you’ll find Megafaun, Pattern Is Movement, All Tiny Creatures, Slaraffenland and many more bring the holiday vibes. Download the whole thing for free here.

(Sad Songs & Waltzes is a recurring feature on Muzzle of Bees, where artists share their favorite sad songs. Previous contributors include Megafaun, Delta Spirit, Damien Jurado, Conrad Plymouth, Frontier Ruckus, and Roadside Graves.)

By Ben Weaver:

One morning my son said to me, “Dad, when you are sleeping you can see your dreams.” Sad things make me happy, and happy things make me cry, and crying does not always mean I am sad. So what is a sad song? When I was working in the restaurant, every Wednesday these inner city kids would come in and sell us produce from their garden. They grew beautiful stuff and I always got choked up when they came in. Their interest in growing food instead of playing xbox overwhelmed me. I prefer the notion that things can be beautiful without being pretty, and I can’t understand how a beautiful thing could be made up of anything less than equal parts of good and bad, pretty and ugly, happy and sad. In trying to think of what songs make me cry I realized that it is not always a sad song that makes me cry as much as it is a true song. So hear is my list of sad-true songs that have the potential to make me scream from the bridge as I ride my bike over the river in the middle of the night.

Chris Bell – “I Am The Cosmos” (listen)
I remember listening to this song driving around the neighborhood when I was growing up. We had this tree that we would hang out under especially in the fall. Smoking cigarettes and being tragic. Something about the idea, particularly in the fall, of telling ourselves stories and watching them go up in smoke while singing the line, “Every night I tell myself, I am the Cosmos,” compounded the invincibility into to perfect melancholy.

Doris Duke – “I Don’t Care Anymore” (listen)
“I met a man who treated me like he bought me by the pound.” From what I know she has disappeared and I heard something about her being a maid in a Toronto hotel. This song is from a record called, I’m a Loser and is by far one of my most treasured finds. Personally I think she puts Aretha to shame.

The Replacements – “Sadly Beautiful” (listen)
Again this takes me back to high school. Growing up in Minneapolis. Feeling like an adult in a teenager’s body. Swearing to god you had it all figured out. That the answer was somewhere out there in the dark and even though no one else believed it, at least Paul Westerberg did.

Jeff Mitchell – “Let’s Leave Her Here” (listen)
This is one of my favorite songs. In my mind its brilliance lies in the fact that he could be singing about a million different things and every one of them would be what the song was about. Each line has an individual story. I miss Jeff.

Neil Young – “On The Beach” (listen)
“I need a crowd of people, but I can’t face them day to day.” No one could sum it up better.

Randy Newman – “I Miss You” (listen)
Halfway through this song, when the drums come in I always start to loose my shit. I know the production leaves a lot to be desired and it’s a bit of a cliché to write someone a love song 20 years too late, but still something gets me every time. Maybe it’s that you can always hear New Orleans in every dam note he plays.

Roscoe Holcomb – “The Hills of Mexico” (listen)
When I hear his voice and banjo I have to stop doing whatever I’m doing. I don’t know what it is exactly, some ultimate truth, every needle in every haystack, the high and the low. It’s all there in his playing and singing.

Townes Van Zandt – “Marie” (listen)
“I got to get Marie some kind of coat, were heading down into fall.” This time of year that line enters my brain on a daily basis. The song speaks for itself.

Blaze Foley – “Clay Pigeons” (listen)
“Smoking cigarettes in the last seat, try and hide my sorrow from the people I meet and get along with it all.” I put these two back to back because Townes once said that Marie was not inspired directly by Blaze but that he did put a lot of Blaze’s derelict nature into the song. I guess Blaze favored sleeping under pool tables to a bed.

MP3: Ben Weaver – “East Jefferson”
++
Buy: Ben Weaver – Mirepoix & Smoke

I’m happy to present my favorite albums of the year. This year, I did away with trying to rank these selections. These albums are individually too special for me to rank any above or below the rest. I wholeheartedly love each of these 20 records and couldn’t recommend each of them more. There were a lot of great releases and new discoveries this year. I felt overwhelmed and excited at the same time. I missed a lot of stuff, but I’ll get to those eventually. Please check out the selections from our contributors at the end of this post. Their ears are as trusted as any I know and their recommendations have always served me well. I hope our favorites provide you with some new musical discoveries. Please drop a comment with your favorites if you’re so inclined. Thanks for reading.

The Tallest Man On Earth | The Wild Hunt (buy)
A beautiful record that was in constant rotation all year long. Between this record, his captivating live shows, and the equally beautiful Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird, 2010 was a landmark year for the Tallest Man On Earth.
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth – “Burden of Tomorrow”
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth – “King of Spain”

Strand of Oaks | Pope Killdragon (buy)
I thought it would be hard to top last year’s gorgeous debut, Leave Ruin, but Strand of Oaks knocked it out of the park on this release. It’s a dark narrative full of imagination and triumph.
MP3: Strand of Oaks – “Bonfire”

Breathe Owl Breathe | Magic Central (buy)
One of my favorite discoveries of the year. I saw them live three times this year and each show was an absolute treasure. If you like what you hear on this record make sure to catch up on their back catalog too.
MP3: Breathe Owl Breathe – “Across The Loch”
MP3: Breathe Owl Breathe – “Own Stunts”
MP3: Breathe Owl Breathe – “Swimming”

The National | High Violet (buy)
It’s not surprising to see the National delivering one of my favorite albums of the year. They’ve taken the top spot in previous years with Alligator and Boxer and continue to be one of my absolute favorite bands.
MP3: The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”

Yellow Ostrich | The Mistress (buy)
A free release that instantly blew me away. The benefit of a location change, this former Wisconsin artist finds the outlet he needed in New York. Recommended for fans of Sufjan Stevens and Grizzly Bear.
MP3: Yellow Ostrich – “WHALE”
MP3: Yellow Ostrich – “Libraries”

Deerhunter | Halcyon Digest (buy)
This album dominated the second half of the year for me. It’s been getting daily listens for a long time. I’ve started a lot of days with this record. If you’re looking for an introduction to this band make it this record.
Video: Deerhunter – “Desire Lines”
Video: Deerhunter – “Helicopter”

Eric & Magill | All Those I Know (download)
Amazing output from Milwaukee. One listen is all it takes. It travels many genres from folk to electronic under a warm blanket of guitar fuzz. Pick it up now as a free download.
MP3: Eric & Magill – “All Those I Know”
MP3: Eric & Magill – “You Make It So Good”

Megafaun | Heretofore (buy)
A six-song release that contains some of their best penned material to date. I had the good pleasure of seeing the band play this material several times over the year and it was the material on this release that got me the most excited.
MP3: Megafaun – “Volunteers”

Sharon Van Etten | Epic (buy)
Heartbreaking and beautiful. Sharon leaves no emotion untouched on this album. These songs are absolutely stunning live. I expect that 2011 will be a big year as these songs begin to spread their wings.
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “Don’t Do It”

Sat. Nite Duets | All Nite Long (download)
If you’ve got Pavement and Silver Jews records in your collection, you’ll want to find a place for these guys alongside them. Take the time to listen to the tracks below for a great introduction, then grab the entire EP for free on their website.
MP3: Sat. Nite Duets – “All Nite Long”
MP3: Sat. Nite Duets – “Peel Away”

Conrad Plymouth | Conrad Plymouth EP (buy)
I enjoyed and believed so strongly in the songs on this release that I started a label just to put it out. I could go on for paragraphs, but I think that sums it up.
MP3: Conrad Plymouth – “Fergus Falls”

Damien Jurado | St. Bartlett (buy)
One of Jurado’s finest releases. I could argue it may very well be his best. It seemed that it got completely overlooked elsewhere this year. From start to finish it’s simply perfect. Hearing these songs live was a real treat too.
MP3: Damien Jurado – “Arkansas”

Roadside Graves | You Won’t Be Happy With Me (buy)
One of my favorite live band put out their best release with this EP. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, make this the first thing you dig into. I’m sure you’ll call yourself a fan after one time through.
MP3: Roadside Graves – “Liv Tyler”

Juniper Tar | The Howl Street EP (buy)
A favorite from the beginning of the year that still holds up in a big way here at year end. The bands finest work to date and provides a glimpse into the great things these guys have in store for everyone when their full-length record is released next year.
MP3: Juniper Tar – “Birds In Trees”

Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore | Dear Companion (buy)
Another early year favorite that held up all year for me. Sollee and Moore play to their strengths and the presence of My Morning Jacket’s Jim James is all over too.
MP3: Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore – “Something, Somewhere, Sometime”

Common Loon | The Long Dream Of Birds (buy)
A great record from this Champaign, IL two-piece that I’ve been listening too all year. The spoken word ending of “Mexico” is my absolute favorite part on the record.
MP3: Common Loon – “Dinosaur vs. Early Man”

Gayngs | Relayted (buy)
After seeing the band live this fall, I haven’t been able to get these songs out of my head. It’s a late night record around the house.
MP3: Gayngs – “The Gaudy Side of Town”
MP3: Gayngs – “Faded High”

Junip | Fields (buy)
This was the last minute addition to my list after it completely monopolized my ears since Thanksgiving. I’m not sure why it took so long, but right now there’s nothing I’d rather listen to than this on repeat.
Video: Junip – “Always”

Frontier Ruckus | Deadmalls and Nightfalls (buy)
Another new discovery for me this year. I played this record constantly. It’s never left my car. It immediately draws you in and holds you there all the way through.
MP3: Frontier Ruckus – “The Upper Room”

Phosphorescent | Here’s To Taking It Easy (buy)
Without a doubt the strongest release by Phosphorescent. My only complaint is that I never got to see the band perform any of these songs live this year. “Mermaid Parade” is one of my favorite songs of the year.
MP3: Phosphorescent – “The Mermaid Parade”
MP3: Phosphorescent – “It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)”

__________________________

MUZZLE OF BEES CONTRIBUTORS FAVORITES OF THE YEAR

Jon Stone

The National | High Violet
The Tallest Man On Earth | The Wild Hunt
Punch Brothers | Antifogmatic (buy)
Delta Spirit | History From Below (buy)
Justin Townes Earle | Harlem River Blues (buy)
Nathaniel Rateliff | In Memory of Loss (buy)
Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore | Dear Companion
Laura Veirs | July Flame (buy)
Local Natives | Gorilla Manner (buy)
Arcade Fire | The Suburbs (buy)
Chatham County Line | Wildwood (buy)
Mumford & Sons | Sigh No More (buy)
Land of Talk | Cloak and Cipher (buy)
The Walkmen | Lisbon (Lisbon)
Mynabirds | What We Lose in the Fire, We Gain in the Flood (buy)

+++++++++++++

Alex Schaaf

1. Sufjan Stevens | Age of Adz (buy)
2. Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (buy)
3. Joanna Newsom | Have One On Me (buy)
4. The National | High Violet
5. Titus Andronicus | The Monitor (buy)
6. Sharon Van Etten | Epic
7. Dirty Projectors + Bjork | Mount Wittenberg Orca
8. Beach House | Teen Dream (buy)
9. The Morning Benders | Big Echo (buy)
10. LCD Soundsystem | This is Happening (buy)

+++++++++++++

Ed Oliver

The Black Keys | Brothers
The Tallest Man on Earth | The Wild Hunt
She and Him | Vol 2 (buy)
Cee Lo Green | The Lady Killer (buy)
Arcade Fire | The Suburbs
The Walkmen | Lisbon
Hot Chip | One Life Stand (buy)
Sharon Van Etten | Epic
LCD Soundsystem | This is Happening
Dum Dum Girls | I Will Be

+++++++++++++

Erik Ljung

1. Beach House | Teen Dream
2. Twin Sister | Color Your Life (buy)
3. Arcade Fire | The Suburbs
4. Breathe Owl Breathe | Magic Central
5. Dum Dum Girls | I Will Be (buy)
6. The Black Keys | Brothers (buy)
7. Here We Go Magic | Pigeons (buy)
8. Jaill | That’s How We Burn (buy)
9. Tobacco | Maniac Meat (buy)
10. Strand of Oaks | Pope Killdragon

+++++++++++++

Daniel Brielmaier

The National | High Violet
Superchunk | Majesty Shredding (buy)
Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Arcade Fire | The Suburbs
Menomena | Mines
Deerhunter | Halcyon Digest
Jonsi | Go
Spoon | Transference (buy)
Grinderman | Grinderman 2 (buy)
The Tallest Man on Earth | The Wild Hunt
Sufjan Stevens | The Age of Adz
Sharon Van Etten | Epic
Strand of Oaks | Pope Kildragon
Breathe Owl Breathe | Magic Central
Avi Buffalo | Avi Buffalo (buy)
Damien Jurado | St. Bartlett
Dum Dum Girls | I Will Be
Justin Townes Earle | Harlem River Blues
Beach House | Teen Dream
The Fall | Your Future Our Clutter (buy)

ep’s
Megafaun | Heretofore
Juniper Tar | The Howl Street EP
Conrad Plymouth | Conrad Plymouth
Girls | Broken Dreams Club (buy)
Sufjan Stevens | All Delighted People (buy)

+++++++++++++

Jeff Kollath

1. Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore | Dear Companion
2. Jonsi | Go
3. Kort (Kurt Wagner and Courtney Tidwell) | Invariable Heartache (buy)
4. Titus Andronicus | The Monitor
5. Marty Stuart | Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions (buy)
6. Mavis Staples | You Are Not Alone (buy)
7. The Black Keys | Brothers
8. Delta Spirit | History From Below
9. Sam Quinn | The Fake That Sunk A Thousand Ships (buy)
10. Mumford & Sons | Sigh No More

Top Reissues:

1. …Next Stop is Vietnam: The War on Record, 1961-2008 (13 disc Bear Family box on the music of the Vietnam War – it’s grad school in audio format) (buy)
2. Syl Johnson | The Complete Mythology (6 record, 4 disc Numero box on the great unsung Chicago R&B hero – amazing stuff) (buy)
3. Gov’t Mule | Mulennium (Complete 12/31/99 concert – the original trio’s finest hour with great covers and guests – play it LOUD) (buy)

+++++++++++++

Josh Miller

1. Delta Spirit | History From Below
2. Blitzen Trapper | Destroyer of the Void (buy)
3. Dr. Dog | Shame, Shame (buy)
4. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers | Mojo (buy
5. Mark Olson (of Jayhawks) | Many Colored Kite (buy)
6. The Morning Benders | Echo
7. Samantha Crain | You (Understood) (buy)
8. AM | Future Sons and Daughters (buy)
9. Junip | Fields
10. Damien Jurado | Saint Bartlett