Top 10 Local Albums of the Year

THE WARS OF 1812, Status Quo Antebellum

The nine tracks on this year's effort by the Wars of 1812 always go by too fast—a good sign that these young, burgeoning musicians know their way around a pop hook. After what was originally meant to be a one-off recording session, the four musicians in the Wars of 1812 decided that the album sounded so good that they had better form a band. Given their shared love of pop melodies and their solid list of influences (Wilco, Spoon, Paul Simon, and of course the Beatles), we're glad they did. —Andrea Swensson

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More About

• Haley Bonar
• Andrea Swensson
• Doomtree
• David Hansen
• Kristoff Krane

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Atmosphere, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

Heiruspecs, Heiruspecs

Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, Orange Peels and Rattlesnakes

Maps of Norway, Die Off Songbird

Jeremy Messersmith, The Silver City

Adam Svec, Enemy Swimmer

Unicorn Basement, We Are the Mages of Beauty