Best Local Albums/Songs of the Half-Decade (2010-2015)

Halfway through this crazy decade, we thought we would gather our thoughts on what we’ve like so far. Below you will find Reviler contributors opining on their favorite local (Minnesota) albums and songs from the last five years. Want to add in your voice? Send us an email to be a Reviler contributor!
Jon Jon Scott, @soundverite1
1. Muja Messiah – God Kissed It The Devil Missed It
2. Greg Grease – Born To Lurk Forced To Work
3. I Self Devine – The Sound of Low Class Amerika
4. Polica – Shulamith
5. K. Raydio & Psymun – LucidDreamingSkylines + K. Raydio & O.D. – One Drop
6. Buffalo Moon – Machismo
7. The Stand4rd -The Stan4rd
8. Marijuna Deathsquads – Music Rocks 1 & 2
9. Def Kith (Dosh/Ghostband)
10. Crimes- Good Hope

Sam Gerard, @SRV_Hands and two-time picked to click champion.
1.False-False
2.Blood and Sun-White Storms Fall
3.Claps-Wreck
4.Teenage Strangler-Dark Sun
5.Total Trash-Demo
6.Whatever Condominium singles came out in the past five years
7.Teenage Moods-Mood Ring
8.Principality-Glass
9.Mordwolf-Demo
10.Frankie Teardrop-Raiders

Adam, Reviler
1.Dante & The Lobster – Wonders
2.STNNNG – Smoke Of My Will
3.False – Untitled
4.CLAPS – Wreck
5.Dreamless – All This Sorrow, All These Knives
6.Mother Of Fire – s/t
7.Thunderbolt Pagoda – Second Ascension
8.Animal Lover- Guilt
9.Buildings – Melt Cry Sleep
10. Gay Beast – To Smithereens

Songs
1. Dante & The Lobster – Marine Life
2. CLAPS – Book Of Love
3. Teenage Moods – Tulip Tattoo
4. Cloak Ox – Prison
5. Rupert Angeleyes – Painters Mixing Paint
6. Brute Heart – Blindfolded
7. The Blind Shake – Garbage On Glue
8. Low Forms – Cherry Tigers
9. Skoal Kodiak – Teapot
10. Teenage Strangler – Wheel Of Pain

Jon, Reviler
1. Bruce Heart – Lonely Hunter
Never did understand why Brute Heart never got much traction outside the local scene. In my mind they were one of the best bands the TC has produced.
2. Food Pyramid – Mango Sunrise
Another band I perennially expected to break out – but instead just keep producing great underheard record after great underheard record. This is a fave.
3. Tender Meat – Ripper’s World
Tender Meat blows my mind. Sometimes I forget and then I hear them again and its like “how are these guys not famous”?
4. Dark Dark Dark – Wild Go
I have a serious soft spot for DDD – especially this record which has some really beautiful songs.
5. The Blind Shake – Seriousness
I decided that the Blind Shake were my favorite local band right around the time I started photographing shows. And it has not changed.
6. Brother Ali – Mourning In America & Dreaming In Color
There are a number of popular local rappers I think are a bit overrated. Brother Ali, however, is not one of them.
7. Morly – In Defence of My Muse
This is pretty brand new (just out this year) but its so shockingly good that its already making my list.
8. Mother of Fire – S/T
No longer around but one of the coolest and most original bands I have heard.
9. STNNNG – Smoke of My Will
Great album by longtime greats STNNNG. Plus it features an album inser with a photo by yours truly!
10. Leisure Birds – Tetrahedron
If we were calling out best local artists of the half decade, Cole Weiland would be on my list for sure.
11. (tie) Breakaway – Postcarious
A young an exciting artist – really excited to hear what this guy makes next
11. (tie) Night Court – Law & Order

Josh, Reviler

1. Dante and the Lobster – Wonders
2. Toki Wright and Big Cats! – Pangaea
3. Food Pyramid – III (or II, or I, or Mango Sunrise, or Arp Navigators, or Ecstasy & Refreshment, etc etc)
4. American Cream – Nathan
5. Mother of Fire – S/T
6. Brother Ali – Mourning in America
7. Daughters of the Sun – Ride or Die + Ghost with Chains
8. Brute Heart – Lonely Heart + The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
9. Audio Perm – Audio Perm in Full Effect
10. Skoal Kodiak — Kryptonym Bodliak
Best Compilation: Regolith Vol. 1 (Moon Glyph)

(Honorable Mention: Kill the Vultures – Carnelian, Mally – Color of Black, Mr. Hide – Gettin’ Hide, Animal Lover – Guilt, Lighted – Kingdom, Tender Meat – Live at the Ritz, Steven Palmer – Unblinking Sun, Claps – Wreck, Dosh & Ghostband = Def Kif, M.anifest – Immigrant Chronicle II: Coming to America, Marijuana Deathsquads – Oh My Sexy Lord, Leisure Bird – Globe Master)

Songs (not on top albums)
1. Sleeping in the Aviary – Talking Out of Turn
2. Greg Grease – C.R.E.A.M Dreams
3. Guante — Until There’s Nothing Left w/ Toki Wright, Crescent Moon
4. Blind Shake – I’m Not an Animal
5. Dead Gurus – Starflower/Serpent Flower
6. Allan Kingdom – Blast / Oh Deer
7. Red Pens – Next Summer
8. Retribution Gospel Choir – Working Hard / Hide It Away + Low – Witches
9. Capricorn Vertical Slum – Palatial Estates in Wallpaper
10. Zuluzulu – Let it Go

(Honorable Mention: Night Moves – Country Queen, Private Dancer – Into the Dark, Muja Messiah – Gary Coleman, Buffalo Moon – Iowa’s Got A New Strip Club (Cat Song), Andrew Broder/Crescent Moon – Ritual)

Enjoy what songs are on Spotify from our best songs list:

josh keller

Writer / co-founder