Top 2010 Sounds

[Mike]

Off the top of my head here is my top 10 albums of 2010 in no particular order. Lots of samples on Amazon and elsewhere for you to get a feel for the sound if you’ve not heard them before.

Arcade Fire – Suburbs, not been a huge fan before, but this album wins me over a real diverse sprawling collection of sounds, upbeat and dark it’s got it all.

Foals – Total Life Forever, the classic 2nd album which often makes or breaks a band, this one is a really confident self assured sound which takes them in new directions.

Villagers – Becoming a Jackal, classed as Irish indie folk by some but god knows why, either way it’s a terrific debut album.

Two Door Cinema – Tourist History, kept hearing a track on a Sky advert and tracked them down via the internet, a really good indie pop sound with lots of catchy stuff on it.

The Black Keys – Brothers, I’ve always liked their music but this album opens them up to a wider audience, some of it produced by Dangermouse but his influence is all over the album giving them a modern twist to their traditional bluesy swamp R&B sound.

Broken Bells – Broken Bells, talking of Dangermouse here he is again with a Shins collaboration. Great production just a good all round album.

The Drums – The Drums, this band caught me out I thought I was listening to a UK band but they hail from the US. Really like their infectious 80s retro style, not sure where they go from here but for now it’s a good sound.

School of 7 Bells – Disconnect From Desire, love the sisters vocal sounds on this album.

The National – High Violet, like Arcade Fire not been a huge fan before but this album surprised me, played it a lot this year and I’m liking it.

Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard, elements of chamber pop at its best, falsetto vocals aren’t usually my thing but this album wins me over.

Cheers
Mike

[Hyfi]

Hi Mike!

Unfortunately, I have not heard of any of your listed bands.

[Mike]

Granted most don't have a lot of exposure but you must have heard of Arcade Fire or The Black Keys...?

Cheers
Mike

[Hyfi]

Granted most don't have a lot of exposure but you must have heard of Arcade Fire or The Black Keys...?

Cheers
Mike

I'm still stuck in the 70s or listening to jazz/fusion and prog. Not too much indy or current mainstream for me.

[Mike]

I'm still stuck in the 70s or listening to jazz/fusion and prog. Not too much indy or current mainstream for me.

Nothing wrong with the 70's I must admit I still have a liking for that period, a recent find for me has been JJ Grey and his Southern blues R&B inspired sounds.

Cheers
Mike

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks for the list Mike! Great to see you around here. I've always found your recs to be right up my alley. I still credit you for introducing me to The Kaiser Chiefs and Maximo Park, two of my favourite bands.

I'll definately be checking out some of the bands on your list. Although I'm not a fan of Arcade Fire, and I already have that Broken Bells disk. Some of the others that you mention are new to me.

Cheers!

[Swish]

In no particular order;

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away

The Morning Benders - Big Echo

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs Mike - I don't like this as much as Funeral but way more than Neon Bible

The National - High Violet Not as good as Boxer, but still very good

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

Spoon - Transference

Les Savy Fav - Root for Ruin

[Slosh]

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/Slosh_album/2010YEC.jpg

[Rae]

Torrent icon in yr system tray, Sloshy! Busted!!

~Rae

[Rae]

This is too early for me to play... but whatever. I haven't bought all that many records this year anyway. Here's five that I unabashedly loved:

http://www.roughtrade.com/site/product_images/332013L.jpghttp://t1.stooorage.com/thumbs/593/1238834_512yd2cowbl.jpghttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oLB6Otdlcs/S35yX-IL_qI/AAAAAAAAGT4/eqwIip8573o/s200/First+Aid+Kit+-+The+Big+Black+And+The+Blue.jpghttp://vvoice.vo.llnwd.net/e10/brute-heart-brass-beads.4085888.40.jpghttp://www.rileybushman.com/images/releases/trbra005a.jpg

~Rae

[3LB]

Wow, Mike, our lists are perty close

excluding prog:
Arcade Fire-The Suburbs
Foals-Total Life Forever
Broken Bells-s/t
The National-High Violet
Minus The Bear-Omni
Broken Social Scene-Forgiveness Rock Record
The Morning Benders-Big Echo
Zues-Say Us
Three Mile Pilot-The Inevitable Past...
Spoon-Transference

let downs:
The Bluetones-A New Athens
Land Of Talk-Cloak and Cipher
The Hold Steady-Heaven Is Whenever
Band Of Horses-Infinite Arms

best surprises:
Heart-Red Velvet Car
Gorillaz-Plastic Beach
The Gaslight Anthem-American Slang

I actually think High Violet is better than Boxer

[Mike]

Errr how could I forget Spoon which features in a couple of your top 10's, I suppose it came out early in the year which seems a long time ago now. Also Morning Benders is a grower.

Thanks for the heads up on 3 Mile Pilot, Wayne Robbins and John Vanderslice.

And hi FA, I think you might like Ra Ra Riot, The Villagers and The Foals.

Cheers
Mike

[poppachubby]

Here's my list, they are all hot linked with reviews...enjoy!!


http://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Monster_Magnet_-_Mastermind_Rock_artwork-300x300.jpg (http://www.allmusic.com/album/mastermind-r2019145)http://www.thepointchurch.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Broken-Social-Scene-FRR.jpg (http://www.allmusic.com/album/forgiveness-rock-record-r1746151)http://musosguide.com/public_html/musos.wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/janelle-archandroid-cover-300x300.jpg (http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-archandroid-r1784379)

http://musosguide.com/public_html/musos.wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Arcade-Fire-The-Suburbs-300x297.jpg (http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1834079)http://www.track4-info.de/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Christian-Scott-_Yesterday-You-Said-Tomorrow_cover-300x300.jpg (http://www.jazzreview.com/cd/review-21005.html)http://fatherfigures.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/jasmine.jpg (http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=36360)

http://www.abstractlogix.com/xcart/images/T/daveholland_pathways.jpg (http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=35645)http://planetill.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/00-Murs_and_9th_Wonder-Fornever-2010-N04H-01-300x299.jpg (http://www.411mania.com/music/album_reviews/135591)http://musosguide.com/public_html/musos.wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/The-Roots-How-I-Got-Over-Album-Cover-300x300.jpg (http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1585589)

http://static.boomkat.com/images/334609/333.jpg (http://www.allmusic.com/album/ethnic-expressions-r1791774/review)

[poppachubby]

The Roy Brooks was originally released in the 70's, but has been impossible to obtain until 2010's reissue. So yes, I am celebrating it like a new release.

[noddin0ff]

Tnx poppa, checked out a few samples of Dave Holland. Sounds like a winner, sort of forward and backward looking at the same time (as far as I can tell from web snippets), which is what I like in the larger ensembles. I'll have to hunt down the album. Most of the band is relatively new to me. I have Chris Potter's Underground, which is a decent listen.

[Slosh]

Torrent icon in yr system tray, Sloshy! Busted!!
Busted? :confused: I preview everything. If I like, I buy (often on vinyl if available). If not, well, I wouldn't have bought it anyway so no artist is losing money and in fact I end up buying a ton of albums I wouldn't have otherwise if I hadn't the chance to hear them first.

About the screen shot above: Permalight flat-out sucks (other than the opening track) and Destroyer of the Void isn't much better. I was just too lazy to type out a list yesterday. The rest of those albums are winners, though.

[ForeverAutumn]

Here's my list, they are all hot linked with reviews...enjoy!!

That Monster Magnet album cover is awesome! That's the kind of cover that would convince me to make a blind purchase. I'll have to check them out.

[nobody]

I've been crappy about keeping track of best ofs and all that and have pretty much given up on lists. I do really like the Black Keys record though and also really like the Sleigh Bells record and one by Kontext called Dissociate. Vermillion Sands is good, Dum Dum Girls, Unwelcome Guests: Don't go Swimming I have listened to a ****load, Tim Barry: 28th and Stonewall is really good, Unnatural Helpers has a couple songs on it that makes the whole thing worth while, Surfer Blood, the new Shonen Knife, some of the Dubstep stuff like Scuba and Rusco and Benga, Royksopp's Senior is a great mellow electronic record, the new Roots album is pretty good, Reverend Peyton's Big Ass Band is fun, Pantha du Prince, OFF! is a great old style hardcore album with keith Morriss and guys from Red Kross, Nobunny and Mark Sultan both had solid garage rock albums, Good one from Jim Jones review. Hamid Drake & Binduu's Reggaeology album...the Batusis EP, new group featuring Cheetah Chrome from the Dead Boys and Sylvain Sylvain from the New York Dolls....

damn, I'm rambling now...I'll stop. Now that I think on it, some pretty good stuff this year for me anyway.

[Rae]

also really like the Sleigh Bells record

Aw yeah, I listened to that one a ton too but some of the samples are too wholesale for me to really endorse it unreservedly. It's easily one of the most fun records of the year, though, and definitely was one of my top 5 concert experiences of 2010...

~Rae

[nobody]

Yeah, they really were fun live. I liked the record pretty well, but was probably more excited by seeing them. They may be a bit of a one-trick pony, but that's never bothered me if it's a good trick.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Well Pops, I'm with you on the Dave Holland and the Keith Jarret. I'm still checking out your other picks and everyone elses. Here are a couple of my new finds this year

7651

7650

[atomicAdam]

cant believe some of u have broken bells in best of the year. but hey, that is what makes the world go round.

[poppachubby]

Tnx poppa, checked out a few samples of Dave Holland. Sounds like a winner, sort of forward and backward looking at the same time (as far as I can tell from web snippets), which is what I like in the larger ensembles. I'll have to hunt down the album. Most of the band is relatively new to me. I have Chris Potter's Underground, which is a decent listen.

The Holland is a great album. In general I don't like ensembles that are that large, but this one is special.

I must say, the Roy Brooks is a more important pick up. It's been an elusive, impossible to own LP for years. The reissue sounds great and is priced affordably, a must have.



That Monster Magnet album cover is awesome! That's the kind of cover that would convince me to make a blind purchase. I'll have to check them out.

In all honesty, if any one album DOESN'T belong on my list, it's this one. It's a good album, but not great. I am just a big fan, and happy to see Wyndorf still rockin. I would rec Dopes to Infinity as a must own, and their best album IMO.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61TOR5AWw2L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[poppachubby]

Busted? :confused: I preview everything. If I like, I buy (often on vinyl if available). If not, well, I wouldn't have bought it anyway so no artist is losing money and in fact I end up buying a ton of albums I wouldn't have otherwise if I hadn't the chance to hear them first.

About the screen shot above: Permalight flat-out sucks (other than the opening track) and Destroyer of the Void isn't much better. I was just too lazy to type out a list yesterday. The rest of those albums are winners, though.

+1. Torrent has put the power into the consumers hands. Catchy radio/video tracks can no longer fool us into buying an album of filler. And the other end of the spectrum, we can hear something new and head to the shops if we like.

[atomicAdam]

+1. Torrent has put the power into the consumers hands. Catchy radio/video tracks can no longer fool us into buying an album of filler. And the other end of the spectrum, we can hear something new and head to the shops if we like.

I so need an external drive.... and to reformat my laptop.... Maybe I'll clean up the disc tonight - see if I can squeeze some more space out of it.

[Swish]

I so need an external drive.... and to reformat my laptop.... Maybe I'll clean up the disc tonight - see if I can squeeze some more space out of it.

If you need more than 1000 gigs of storage, buy two of them lol!

[jonnyhambone]

http://vvoice.vo.llnwd.net/e10/brute-heart-brass-beads.4085888.40.jpg
~Rae

^ I totally love this album too...going to see them at the Cedar on Wed. (w/ Dark Dark Dark).
I just posted my Best Of 2010 list on my blog, with commentary, some good lil' links and stuff...

jonnyhambone's Best of 2010 list (http://www.jonhamilton.blogspot.com/)

in short:
Joanna Newsom
BruteHeart
Grinderman
Mogwai
Charlie Parr
Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs
Superchunk
James Blake
Deerhunter
Sun City Girls
White Sands/Badlands
The National

[Rae]

Haha, whitesands/badlands. Awesome.

~Rae

[nobody]

<a href=http://guadalupeplata.bandcamp.com/><img src=http://www.lomejordelrockestatal.com/wp-content/uploads/images//20101101103231-001006_1.jpg></a>
<b>Guadalupe Plata</b>

Damn, just came across this thing and it ****ing kills. Nasty swampy bluesy trash from Spain. Recommended for fans of stuff like the Gun Club or anyone interested in dirty grimy blues.

[Mr MidFi]

My Top 10 this year is dominated by bands that are either Canadian (e.g. Arcade Fire, Besnard Lakes) or who sound like they should be (e.g. Broken Bells, The National). Overall, it’s been a decent year… but nowhere near as good as last year (for reference, see http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?p=309485 ). Anyway, here goes…

1. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
This one captivated me right from the get-go, and has continued to hold my interest with each successive listen. Musically, it’s really got a lot going on. And I mean that in a good way. Lyrically, it speaks to me on a very personal level. This is an album I could have written. No, strike that… this is something I should have written, but didn’t. And that pisses me off.

2. Broken Bells
As I type this, I am still groggy after having seen them at the Vic Theater in Chicago last night. Nice show, no doubt, but at its best it was merely recreating the sound of this remarkable album. I think I like this better than anything these two guys have done separately, before. And that’s a bold statement. “Mongrel Heart” is my song of the year.

3. The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night
A remarkable mix of art-rock, shoegaze, riff-rock, espionage and romance, held together with an oddly Brian-Wilsonesque production sensibility. Took a few listens to grow on me, but grow it did.

4. Spoon – Transference
This is Spoon, man. You know if you like them or not. As far as Spoon albums go, it’s not quite up to the same standards as the last two (IMO), but arguably that’s an impossibly high standard to live up to.

5. The National – High Violet
That’s three excellent releases in a row from these guys now. Like The Boxer, it reveals its pleasures deliberately, and on its own terms.

6. The New Pornographers – Together
Look, another Canadian band! I really like what these guys do, and this is a good album. That said, being merely “good” makes this the worst album they’ve ever released.

7. Band of Skulls - Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
At first, this sounds a lot like Jack White’s latest side-project. But then, it turns a couple of corners. By the end, it almost sounds like someone’s mixed disc of songs by 4 different bands. Note: I’m still getting used to it, and it may well move up the list in time.

8. Black Keys – Brothers
I really like these guys in small servings. And there are a lot of songs to like on this disc. But it seems a bit much after 15 songs in a row.

9. The Hold Steady – Heaven is Whenever
If you took the best bar band playing in downtown Chicago on a given Friday night and put Graham Parker in front of them, it would sound a lot like this. And sometimes, that’s exactly what I want to hear.

10. (cheat) Company of Thieves – Ordinary Riches
This one was actually released in 2009, but I’ll include it here. Chicagoan Genevieve Schatz stole my heart at Lollapalooza, and I bought this disc the next day. It’s like, I dunno, if Bjork had a knack for songcraft. Or if Regina Spektor could rock. Or if Fiona Apple was interesting to anyone but herself.

It’s worth noting that, out of this list of 10 bands/artists, I saw 7 of them live within the past year. That’s not bad, man.

Disappointment of the Year:
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ Mojo album was hailed as a “return to form” by the press. And I had high hopes after downloading a couple of pre-release songs that sounded pretty good. Unfortunately, that turned out to be about 66.7% of the good songs on the disc.

[3LB]

I so need an external drive.... and to reformat my laptop.... Maybe I'll clean up the disc tonight - see if I can squeeze some more space out of it.
I bought a 500g portable harddrive from Ratshack for $79.99 (sale). All I put on it is music

[dean_martin]

All I know is i'm diggin' Slosh's YEC. I picked up a couple of albums represented thereon. I'd have more (and his belated recommendation for Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter) if it weren't for Christmas and the need to shop for others.

[Jim Clark]

I am a bit surprised that I didn't see any love for LCD Soundsystem. Nice to see The Drums garner some love though. The Foals second escaped me and I'm gonna have to fix that today seeing how I still listen to Antidote. Thanks for the tip, as always.

jc

[Jim Clark]

Yep, sure enough I'm really liking the Foals disc. Thanks for the rec!

Your recs have a tendency to work out pretty good for me. Keep up the good work.

jc

[Rae]

A late addition to my 2010 jams:

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/69/l_eb4c1bbcdf934ad6b570a2fcd5217060.jpg

Thunderbolt Pagoda - Second Ascension

Pretty great space/prog/psych, very dark and heavy. I casually know some of these guys... would I have picked it up if it wasn't a local record by folks I know? Probably not. Am I enjoying it since I did? Hell yes.

I don't know how to speak the jargon of this particular genre, but I can describe that it's very well recorded, lots of mellotron, the first side has about 4 tracks that are all pretty uptempo (kind of locked into a heavy groove), the second side is one long moodier track. I wish I had some sound clips.

If this is yr type of thing, you can order it here for 15 bones (http://www.mutantmusic.com/catalog.htm)... well worth it since it's nice and heavy (both the music and the literal platter, 180g) and limited to a run of 500 copies.

~Rae

[Swish]

All I know is i'm diggin' Slosh's YEC. I picked up a couple of albums represented thereon. I'd have more (and his belated recommendation for Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter) if it weren't for Christmas and the need to shop for others.

Hmmm. I didn't have him pegged for that one.

[dean_martin]

Hmmm. I didn't have him pegged for that one.

Ok, I'm retracting that statement. It was YOU, Swish! (I looked back at the thread you started.) I musta been off my meds. Sorry 'bout dat.

A vinyl copy is on my musicdirect wishlist. It'll be in my next order.

[Swish]

Ok, I'm retracting that statement. It was YOU, Swish! (I looked back at the thread you started.) I musta been off my meds. Sorry 'bout dat.

A vinyl copy is on my musicdirect wishlist. It'll be in my next order.

I just didn't recall Slosh jumping on board for that disc, so I went back and checked other threads and wondered what I missed. Maybe he'll see that and wonder if he's missing something? Nah.

[atomicAdam]

pitchfork released their top 100 of the year - here is from 10-1

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7895-the-top-100-tracks-of-2010/10/

[Rae]

Thanks for linking that Pitchfork list, Adam. It's been a long time since I've looked at that site but the James Blake song they put at #8 is ruling my world right now. I even decided to throw it on a tape I was just making for a friend of my favorite jams of 2010.

~Rae

[Rae]

Here's the track listing of said tape if anyone is interested... I'd be happy to send it out but it's gonna be on non-audiophile 60-minute cassette... pm me yr address.

A1. Sex Bob-omb - "We Are Sex Bob-omb"
A2. Superchunk - "Learned to Surf"
A3. Wavves - "King of the Beach"
A4. Marnie Stern - "For Ash"
A5. Dom - "Bochica"
A6. Sleigh Bells - "Tell 'Em"
A7. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - "Bright Lit Blue Skies"
A8. Crash & the Boys - "I'm So Sad, So Very, Very Sad"
A9. OFF! - "Now I'm Pissed"
A10. White Wires - "Did You Forget My Name?"
A11. The Walkmen - "All My Great Designs"

B1. James Blake - "I Only Know (What I Know Now)"
B2. Shahs - "Loose Ends"
B3. Omar Souleyman - "Labji Wa Bajji Il Hajar"
B4. Goatflowr - "Wunderkat [first take]"
B5. Brute Heart - "Skritch Skratch"
B6. Nina Nastasia + Giddy Motors - "What's Out There"
B7. First Aid Kit - "Heavy Storm"

~Rae

[atomicAdam]

Thanks for linking that Pitchfork list, Adam. It's been a long time since I've looked at that site but the James Blake song they put at #8 is ruling my world right now. I even decided to throw it on a tape I was just making for a friend of my favorite jams of 2010.

~Rae

Cool - I heard the James Black CMYK EP and was none too impressed. Maybe I missed something or I need to play it louder.

[Jim Clark]

12. M.I.A. – Maya - This was some horizon expansion that ended up sitting pretty well with me. I do have some objections to the content as would be natural with a stick in the mud like me but I was diggin it anyway.

11. Vampire Weekend – Contra - I wasn't too impressed at first. Actually my first comment after listening was "those guys sure listened to Graceland a lot", to which my young friend replied with a "huh?". Still very cool and entertaining afro-pop.

10. The Drums s/t - More proof that the 80's will never die (yeah!)

09. Deer Hunter – Halcyon Digest - me too!

08. Alphaville – Catching Rays On Giant- speaking of the 80's...I was checking out the itunes playlist from Spin magazine and saw a track that I thought was from Alphaville. Quickly downloaded the tracks from Spin only to realize that the song was called Alphaville, not the band (doh!). so I decide to go the Alphaville website to see what if anything they had going on. I was very surprised to learn that they had a new album coming out the following month anyway. I love it, you won't.

07. Abe Vigoda – Crush - With a name like this, how can you go wrong? This album rocks.

06. Junip – Fields - My last grab of 2010. Indie band from Sweden? This usually have a way of working out for me. This is an awesome disc and every indie fan should seek out the samples online. I ended up with everything I could find from this band. Amazing! It should probably be higher on the list but since I just got it...

05. Grinderman – Grinderman 2 for some reason I've never been a fan of Nick Cave, had I known going in that this was Nick Cave I may have passed on the listen and it would have been a mistake. This album rocks and some of the remixes available, especially Worm Tamer, will scramble your brain.

04. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter Of Mixed Drinks - These Glasgow bands tend to keep doing it for me too, must be something in the water over there. this album roolz.

03. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening- Again, a bit surprised I'm by myself on this one but I love it, and that's what matters. : )

02. Arcade Fire – the Suburbs- One of the two best bands out there and they didn't disappoint.

01. The National – High Violet - The actual best band out there. The only thing I listened to more than this over the past year was an FM recording of the tour. The bootleg had the added bonus of including "About Today", the song they forgot to play in KC.

I tried to keep track of the albums this year and this is what I ended up with,

2010 CDs
The Drums s/t
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
Matthew Dear – Black City
Broken Bells – s/t
Clinic – Bubblegum
Alphaville – Catching Rays On Giant
Vampire Weekend – Contra
Abe Vigoda – Crush
Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night Of The Soul
No Age – Everything In Between
Of Montreal – False Priest
Junip – Fields
Stars – The Five Ghosts
BSS – Forgiveness Rock Record
Gemini – Wild Nothing
Grinderman – Grinderman 2
Deer Hunter – Halcyon Digest
Massive Attack – Heligoland
The National – High Violet
Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here
Interpol – Interpol
Devo – Something For Everybody
The Walkman – Lisbon
M.I.A. – Maya
Frightened Rabbit – The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
Tricky – Mixed Race
Yeasayer – Odd Blood
Minus The Bear – Omni
John Grant – Queen Of Denmark
Josh Ritter – So Runs The World Away
De/Vision – Popgefor
Arcade Fire – the Suburbs
Caribou – Swim
Four Tet – There Is Love In You
LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
Sleighbells – Treats
Paul Weller – Wake Up The Nation