Indie
Stephen Carradini
Man-Made Objects’ shoegaze and psych tunes rely heavily on songcraft, relegating reverb to an effect on guitar and vocals instead of the featured element.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
I lauded Emily Arin’s latest earlier this year because of its ability to seamlessly fuse disparate genres into one thing.

Folk
Stephen Carradini
Brandi Carlile’s singer/songwriter tunes subsist on two things: her powerful voice and pop sensibility.

Pop
Stephen Carradini
Having long enjoyed Roy Orbison’s radio singles, I’m glad to see a massive set of his tunes see a re-release.

Rock
Stephen Carradini
I am not the type to worship guitarists, as I prefer songwriting to epic solos.

Country
Stephen Carradini
Average must be the most frustrating thing to be labeled.

Folk
Stephen Carradini
I don’t like blues. I appreciate that it beget most music I listen to, but I just can’t stand to hear the repetitive form.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
I’m not sure why I’ve encountered large amounts of jazz-influenced post-rock this year, but I’ve heard so much of it that I’ve got Colin Stetson’s mindblowing “New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges” atop my current best of 2011 list.

Rock
Stephen Carradini
There is no substitute for a Boom Bang live show.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
Although Colourmusic spent a great amount of time talking about the sex-related aspects of “My _____ Is Pink” here, a secondary theme of the record is the most immediately noticeable part: Ryan Hendrix wanted to make an album that people could play when they work out.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
Not listening closely to “Tamer Animals” by Other Lives will cause you to miss most of what makes it so great.

Folk
Stephen Carradini
“Disappointment is everywhere,” an Unthank sister sings in “Give Away Your Heart,” one of the many highlights of The Unthanks’ new album, “Last.”

Indie
Stephen Carradini
“Movement One” is based in a slowly picked acoustic guitar and features distant drumming for energy. The music and passionate radio sample of an unnamed rock star’s deadly accident create a memorable point in the first cut. The whole thing is underlaid with an easy, noninvasive drone that pulls the multiple parts together.

Folk
Stephen Carradini
Close your eyes. Clear your mind. Turn on Chris Bathgate’s “Salt Year.” Let it wash over you. Don’t think about it — just do it.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
Wow. An Album of the Year Grammy, mega sales and sold-out tours almost made me forgot where indie rock came from.