And here it is, finally, the end of the year, and my Top 20 favorite albums of 2010. What a strange and wonderful year this has been, and all of these albums have touched me and stayed with me in beautiful and mysterious ways. Here is hoping for nothing but joy and happiness to each of you over the coming year.
20. Antony & The Johnsons - Swanlights
Not as strikingly perfect as their first two albums, Swanlights wears its imperfections well, and keeps burrowing into your heart and mind. Simultaneously joyous and somber, the songs veer from the upbeat "Thank You For Your Love," to the haunting and moving elegy "The Spirit Was Gone,;" all are bound to each other by Antony Hegarty's fantastic, otherworldly voice.
20. Antony & The Johnsons - Swanlights
Not as strikingly perfect as their first two albums, Swanlights wears its imperfections well, and keeps burrowing into your heart and mind. Simultaneously joyous and somber, the songs veer from the upbeat "Thank You For Your Love," to the haunting and moving elegy "The Spirit Was Gone,;" all are bound to each other by Antony Hegarty's fantastic, otherworldly voice.
19. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Announced by James Murphy as LCD's last album, This Is Happening is one hell of a way to go out. Most of the songs are over 5-6 minutes long and are given space to breathe. From the slow build of "Dance Yrself Clean," to the Berlin era Bowiesque "All I Want," Murphy shows a mastery of pacing and drama. And I was lucky enough to see them perform twice last year, and seeing the songs live made them all the more special.
18. Jonsi - Go
Unlike the more somber material from his band Sigur Ros, Jonsi's debut Go is buoyant and giddy, bouncing around with sublime instrumentation and a hopeful outlook. The complete change in scope and mood was nothing short of a revelation.
Unlike the more somber material from his band Sigur Ros, Jonsi's debut Go is buoyant and giddy, bouncing around with sublime instrumentation and a hopeful outlook. The complete change in scope and mood was nothing short of a revelation.
17. Delphic - Acolyte
Ok, technically I was listening to this album way back in 2009, but it wasn't officially released here until 2010, so it is now making its way onto my list. Channelling synthpop stalwarts such as New Order, OMD, and Depeche Mode and mixing it with more electronic leaning artists like Orbital and Chemical Brothers, Delphic put their own special spin on the music, and creates their own genre, call it ravepop if you will. Completely infectious and guilt free.
Ok, technically I was listening to this album way back in 2009, but it wasn't officially released here until 2010, so it is now making its way onto my list. Channelling synthpop stalwarts such as New Order, OMD, and Depeche Mode and mixing it with more electronic leaning artists like Orbital and Chemical Brothers, Delphic put their own special spin on the music, and creates their own genre, call it ravepop if you will. Completely infectious and guilt free.
16. Mount Kimbie - Crooks & Lovers
Deceptively lowkey, Crooks & Lovers is a record that takes time to unveil its considerable charms. Moving effortlessly between different genres of electronic music, be it the Boards of Canada-like pastoral soundscapes ("Adriatic"), modernized two-step ("Carbonated"), or full on dubstep swagger ("Blind Night Errand"), Mount Kimbie show surprising depth in a genre not known for taking on a full length record. While the music may feel lowkey on initial listens, it long stays with you, and your finger will be hitting that repeat button over and over.
15. Belle and Sebastian - Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
I tend to forget how amazing Stuart Murdoch and Co. are. Unlike most of my favorite bands, when I hear of a new Belle and Sebastian album coming out I don't get excited and thrilled and anxious to hear it. I usually say to myself, "oh, there is a new B&S album, I'll get it sometime." Then I hear it, and I have to ask why I waited so long. Of course, the trend continued with Belle and Sebastian Write About Love. I waited until the last couple of weeks to listen to it, and now, predictably, I can't stop playing it. I will actually venture to say this is one of their strongest albums, even better than The Life Pursuit, which was almost flawless. Full of charming and wry lyrics, and some of their sunniest, most agile melodies, this album is the perfect antidote to a grey day.
14. Darkstar - North
Once one of dubstep's most accomplished production duos, Darkstar change gears, adding a vocalist, and reinventing themselves as a downtempo synthpop act. They take icy digital synths and cold mechanical drumbeats and bend and shape them into something warm and human. On lead single "Gold," a cover of a rare Human League B-Side, what initially seems like indifference turns to haunting tenderness. Their ability to make you feel the emotions through all the electronic machinery is breathtaking.
13. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
The Summer Album of 2010. This is the highest of high praise from me. Each year I try to find one album that I can play at top volume with the windows down in my car and forget all my troubles. Big Boi's album was it in spades.
The Summer Album of 2010. This is the highest of high praise from me. Each year I try to find one album that I can play at top volume with the windows down in my car and forget all my troubles. Big Boi's album was it in spades.
12. Baths - Cerulean
Will Wiesenfeld, a.k.a. Baths, is one of the new breed of electronic artists/producers/remixers from the Los Angeles area like Flying Lotus and Nosaj Thing that defy categorization, flowing seamlessly through glitch-hop, chillwave, dubstep, or any number of different permutations of current electronic music. What is defining them is a restless nature, never staying too long in one genre and never settling into a niche; and also amazingly technical and physical live shows, manipulating and forming their pieces on the fly with tons of signal pads and software programs. Cerulean is a fascinating debut, one that has me keeping a close eye on what he does next.
Will Wiesenfeld, a.k.a. Baths, is one of the new breed of electronic artists/producers/remixers from the Los Angeles area like Flying Lotus and Nosaj Thing that defy categorization, flowing seamlessly through glitch-hop, chillwave, dubstep, or any number of different permutations of current electronic music. What is defining them is a restless nature, never staying too long in one genre and never settling into a niche; and also amazingly technical and physical live shows, manipulating and forming their pieces on the fly with tons of signal pads and software programs. Cerulean is a fascinating debut, one that has me keeping a close eye on what he does next.
11. Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise
Hendrick Weber, who records under the moniker Pantha Du Prince, makes deceptively simple music. Most of the tracks begin with a very simple drum track and melody, but just as the track threatens to become aural wallpaper he changes tack and it evolves into something wondrously complex. The first track "Lay In A Shimmer" embodies this approach to a T. Building off of found sounds: street noises, crowd sounds, tuning instruments; the music builds off a twinkling synth pattern into a muffled drum pattern and droning bassline. All of the pieces coalesce into a beautiful whole, no one element dominating, each playing off each other perfectly. A gorgeously sublime album.
10. Robyn - Body Talk Pts. 1-3
Ok, I will have to admit that separately, I don't really care for the individual eps/albums Robyn released under the Body Talk name. I wished she had taken a harder edged editorial ear and released the best tracks as one cd. Instead, there were a lot of highs and a lot of filler in the project. With all that said, the highs were so high, that I couldn't discount them. Her songs are infectious, wonderful, and just plain fun. Live, she is full of insatiable energy, and can work a crowd better than anyone. So with Body Talk, get all the pieces together and edit the songs you like into the classic album that I have playing on my iPod.
Ok, I will have to admit that separately, I don't really care for the individual eps/albums Robyn released under the Body Talk name. I wished she had taken a harder edged editorial ear and released the best tracks as one cd. Instead, there were a lot of highs and a lot of filler in the project. With all that said, the highs were so high, that I couldn't discount them. Her songs are infectious, wonderful, and just plain fun. Live, she is full of insatiable energy, and can work a crowd better than anyone. So with Body Talk, get all the pieces together and edit the songs you like into the classic album that I have playing on my iPod.
9. Massive Attack - Heligoland
Heligoland is not a leap forward as most of Massive Attack cds have been. This isn't the brilliant trip-hop manifesto that Blue Lines heralded, nor is it the tense, paranoid futurescape that Mezzanine portended. But neither is it the unsure Protection or the stilted 100th Window. It is clearly a work by a band unsure of where it wants to go, however, that tension and insecurity led them to create one of their most dramatic and consistently exciting albums.
Heligoland is not a leap forward as most of Massive Attack cds have been. This isn't the brilliant trip-hop manifesto that Blue Lines heralded, nor is it the tense, paranoid futurescape that Mezzanine portended. But neither is it the unsure Protection or the stilted 100th Window. It is clearly a work by a band unsure of where it wants to go, however, that tension and insecurity led them to create one of their most dramatic and consistently exciting albums.
8. Twin Shadow - Forget
Mining the 1980s new wave for its pure pop hooks and melodies, Twin Shadow is no mere nostalgia trip. Evoking a pained childhood, the songs flow into each other like a font of memories looked back on from the comfort of age and experience. Working with a limited range of instruments, primarily analog synths, tinny drum machines, and rudimentary guitars, Twin Shadow, along with producer Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, forges a wonderful debut that constantly unearths hidden treasures upon each listen.
Mining the 1980s new wave for its pure pop hooks and melodies, Twin Shadow is no mere nostalgia trip. Evoking a pained childhood, the songs flow into each other like a font of memories looked back on from the comfort of age and experience. Working with a limited range of instruments, primarily analog synths, tinny drum machines, and rudimentary guitars, Twin Shadow, along with producer Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, forges a wonderful debut that constantly unearths hidden treasures upon each listen.
7. Forest Swords - Dagger Paths
Dagger Paths just doesn't sound like anything else out there right now. Forest Swords is UK Producer Matthew Barnes who allows his music to breathe; lets his music get into your head, almost hypnotically, before changing into something else as the song mutates. Of the 6 tracks on Dagger Paths (each of them well over the 5 minute mark), I don't think one of them ends the way it begins. Barnes has a uncanny ability to know when to move on, subtly catching you off guard. Each track is a soundtrack to a hallucinatory dream. His re-imagining of Aaliyah's "If Your Girl Only Knew" is nothing short of transcendent.
Dagger Paths just doesn't sound like anything else out there right now. Forest Swords is UK Producer Matthew Barnes who allows his music to breathe; lets his music get into your head, almost hypnotically, before changing into something else as the song mutates. Of the 6 tracks on Dagger Paths (each of them well over the 5 minute mark), I don't think one of them ends the way it begins. Barnes has a uncanny ability to know when to move on, subtly catching you off guard. Each track is a soundtrack to a hallucinatory dream. His re-imagining of Aaliyah's "If Your Girl Only Knew" is nothing short of transcendent.
6. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Yes, Kanye West is a complete douchebag, but he is also the most talented artist on the hip-hop scene. If he keeps releasing albums like this, he can continue to be a Class A douchebag. His mouth is definitely writing checks his butt can cash.
Yes, Kanye West is a complete douchebag, but he is also the most talented artist on the hip-hop scene. If he keeps releasing albums like this, he can continue to be a Class A douchebag. His mouth is definitely writing checks his butt can cash.
5. Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle
Moving a million miles away from their no wave past, and venturing forward to a more electronic, dream-pop realm, Blonde Redhead released the most surprising album of 2010. Relying more on drum machines and gauzy washes of synths, punctuated only by hints of treated guitars, the songs on Penny Sparkle radiate warmth and an inner world so detailed, it is sometimes painful to witness.
Moving a million miles away from their no wave past, and venturing forward to a more electronic, dream-pop realm, Blonde Redhead released the most surprising album of 2010. Relying more on drum machines and gauzy washes of synths, punctuated only by hints of treated guitars, the songs on Penny Sparkle radiate warmth and an inner world so detailed, it is sometimes painful to witness.
4. Beach House - Teen Dream
Teen Dream was not a natural choice for my top 4 album of 2010. On paper the band would seem to be something I would scorn as being too precious and twee. But Beach House, led by Victoria Legrand on keyboards and vocals and Alex Scally on guitar and programming, turn out to be surprisingly muscular and dense. They supplement the fragile nature of their sound with bigger sounding drums in addition to the dime store drum machine they normally use, and a more complex and swirling mix. Of course, none of this would matter if the songwriting were not so strong. Teen Dream, which on the periphery seems to suggest nostalgia and an upbeat nature, has a sad and searching heart. Whether it's the lovers parting ways on "Walk In The Park," or the centerpiece track "10 Mile Stereo," which looks at the mental and emotional anguish the singer goes through wondering why another relationship has failed, each song is like a short-story. I recall so fondly standing in a crowded tent at Coachella seeing them live, and the amazing connection the 3000 people felt with each other and the band as they sang the haunting refrain:
"It can't be gone/we're still right here
It took so long/can't say we heard it all
"Limbs parallel/we stood so long we fell
Tear a moment from the days that carry us forever."
and there was not a dry eye in the house.
Teen Dream was not a natural choice for my top 4 album of 2010. On paper the band would seem to be something I would scorn as being too precious and twee. But Beach House, led by Victoria Legrand on keyboards and vocals and Alex Scally on guitar and programming, turn out to be surprisingly muscular and dense. They supplement the fragile nature of their sound with bigger sounding drums in addition to the dime store drum machine they normally use, and a more complex and swirling mix. Of course, none of this would matter if the songwriting were not so strong. Teen Dream, which on the periphery seems to suggest nostalgia and an upbeat nature, has a sad and searching heart. Whether it's the lovers parting ways on "Walk In The Park," or the centerpiece track "10 Mile Stereo," which looks at the mental and emotional anguish the singer goes through wondering why another relationship has failed, each song is like a short-story. I recall so fondly standing in a crowded tent at Coachella seeing them live, and the amazing connection the 3000 people felt with each other and the band as they sang the haunting refrain:
"It can't be gone/we're still right here
It took so long/can't say we heard it all
"Limbs parallel/we stood so long we fell
Tear a moment from the days that carry us forever."
and there was not a dry eye in the house.
3. The National - High Violet
The National are never going to hit you over the head with an original sound, but that is really not the point. What they do, and do very well, is craft excellent songs that fit well together in the context of an album, and silently grow on you. Their last two releases, Alligator and The Boxer, were so subtle I never even realized how much I loved them until well down the road. The songs sneak up on you and get lodged in your brain to where you find yourself humming them throughout the day. High Violet, their latest and in my mind their best, is almost too subtle for its own good. It takes almost three songs in before there is an actual drumbeat to get the toes tapping. When I listened to High Violet the first few times, I thought it was good but not great and set it aside. Somewhere in the back of my brain, the songs had taken root and I couldn't get them out to save my life. The album appears to be about facades and how we all go through life hiding out true selves, either through societal trappings or not wanting to disappoint family and friends. Matt Berninger and company are like a modern day Mad Men, chroniclers of the middle class way of life, and its pitfalls and trials.
These New Puritans first album, Beat Pyramid, was a just another entry in the crowded field of bands like Franz Ferdinand who were influenced by angular post-punk guitar bands from the 80s like Gang of Four and PiL. Taking a monstrous leap forward, These New Puritans released Hidden, which plays like a modern, more industrial take on Talk Talk's ambient rock. Working with organic and more classical structures, the album as a whole feels like a symphony; along the typical guitar, bass, drums setup, there are woodwinds, horns, orchestral percussion, and it is all filtered through a modern, electronic lens. Although my description of their new sound sounds clinical and boring, it is far from just some orchestral exercise; all of the songs have energy and drama, and are breathtaking in their genius.
1. Interpol - Interpol
I am probably more surprised than anyone that this is my favorite album of 2010. When it was released it received a decidedly cold reception from critics as well as fans. For some reason, it spoke loudly to me. From the first listen, I could not stop hitting repeat. Interpol will likely be seen as a transitional album for the band as it is the last one featuring Carlos D on bass. The album is full of lyrics about recriminations, doubt, insecurity, and dread, but what could have been a cold slog through a somber morass, is elevated to a human, emotional, and ultimately cathartic experience.
1. Interpol - Interpol
I am probably more surprised than anyone that this is my favorite album of 2010. When it was released it received a decidedly cold reception from critics as well as fans. For some reason, it spoke loudly to me. From the first listen, I could not stop hitting repeat. Interpol will likely be seen as a transitional album for the band as it is the last one featuring Carlos D on bass. The album is full of lyrics about recriminations, doubt, insecurity, and dread, but what could have been a cold slog through a somber morass, is elevated to a human, emotional, and ultimately cathartic experience.
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