Well, oh shit, 2010 is coming to a close. I had mixed feelings about this year in music but the more I rummaged through my iTunes collection, the more I realized how much good music was released. So why did I have a hard time compiling this? I weeded out EPs and realized that due to the “good” albums, the “great” albums had become difficult to score.
My “scoring system” should be explained. Don’t worry it’s real easy to understand. If I found myself listening to an album longer than a week, then it goes on my top 15 list. It’s that simple. This is music we’re talking about. If we were discussing films, I couldn’t use this standard. How many times will I seriously see Paranormal Activity 2? I’ll answer it for you — once. Music is more of an emotional earthquake. Great albums are like Kennedy or Lincoln assassinations or 9/11 scenarios — I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it. Movies? Take a guess because you only have two choices. Either the movie theater or at home…most likely at home.
This is just a long way of explaining that I put no sophisticated technique into these selections. There’s no scientific breakdown. They just are. I’m as simple as my scoring method. Here we go (and in no particular order):
1. O. Children — O. Children
This album is special. I mean really special. I couldn’t possibly name this the best album of the year but if you yanked my toes and pulled my hair then I might name it that. This post-goth, post-80s (ugh…adjectives) album is dark but surprisingly uplifting. They’re not well known in the States yet but this London-based band will soon make their crossover to this side of the ocean. If not, I will choke to death on bullshit.
2. Violens — Amoral
This is one of the albums I listened to while trolling through the outskirts of the French Quarter, getting lost in huge cemeteries. I used this as part of my soundtrack because it’s not all rotting black roses…there’s the pop factor, intricate guitar work, and gut-slacking rhythm so eloquently and tenderly displayed on Amoral. Have you heard “Acid Reign” or “Generational Loss.” No? Okay, stop reading this and go find these songs. Go buy their album. Then come back to read the rest of my choices.
3. Weekend — Sports
I went to their last show in NYC with a pair of friends who both disagreed with my comparison of Weekend to a lost child of A Place to Bury Strangers and Black Angels but I will maintain this as accurate. Songs like “Age Class” or “End Times” are the two songs that best define Sports. It’s lush, aggressive, and rhythmic. You don’t need to understand what the singer is singing. You know what he means.
4. Ceremony — Rocket Fire
Once upon a time, there was a band called Skywave and they were in the frontline of the shoegaze momentum in America. The band split up, birthing two bands. One became A Place to Bury Strangers and the other became Ceremony. Although the bands are sonically similar, there are key differences, such as Ceremony remaining closer to their shoegaze roots. This album, released earlier this year, was led by the single “Stars Fall.” The band isn’t quite as famous as their brethren but there’s no reason that they shouldn’t be recognized for the truly beautiful music they compose.
5. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti — Before Today
Ugh…I hope WD writer, Peter Kelly doesn’t get a hold of this list. I nearly laughed at him when he told me he wanted to review this album. Really? I thought. Ariel-fucking-Pink? That was before I came to my senses and understood the point black, crystal fucking clear genius behind Ariel Pink’s music. This album in particular.
6. Crystal Castles — Crystal Castles (2010)
At times, the album seems like it’s all over the place. Soft, melodic, and lush on “Celestica” then twitchy, screaming lunacy on “Doe Deer.” I think this album caused some controversy this year. Some people didn’t know what to think about. Others hated the hell out of it. I couldn’t get this one off of my playlist for a while. Maybe it’s because I’m as fucked up and schizoid as the band but the album, in all of its splendid chaos, made sense to me.
7. Delorean — Subiza
An admission: The boys from Spain sound silly on this album. The Spanish accent doesn’t work for me unless I’m drunk and careless but at least they made the effort to sing in English so good for them. The music, however is really well orchestrated. It’s like a, dare I say it, Animal Collective but pop and more sensible (not that non-sensible is bad). I really am looking forward to hearing more from this band in the coming years.
8. Wild Nothing — Gemini
Another Admission: I think Wild Nothing sounds too much like other bands I’ve heard.
It’s Okay: I still really enjoyed this album. Sure, I’ve had my playlists on shuffle and mistook Wild Nothing as another band but when it happened, I said it like, “Who the fuck is this? Is this [so-and-so]?” It’s always been exciting.
9. Major Lazer + La Roux — Lazerproof
I’m not into mashup albums. Girl Talk does nothing for me. It’s certainly requires talent to be able to do it well but it’s like bubble gum for me — it’s only good for a few minutes and afterward all I really want is another piece, leaving me perpetually unsatisfied. But not on this album. In fact, Major Lazer can do whatever they want and I will like it. I enjoyed the mixes, the remixes, and having La Roux on board for this…well, it was too good to be true but it ended up being true.
10. The National — High Violet
I’ve enjoyed the music of The National since Alligator but I thought this one was better. The band gave us a Southern, folk, indie album but added some tantalizing beats with a set of lyrics that tells their audience how they’ve been and where they’ve been since their last effort.
11. Arcade Fire — The Suburbs
Rarely has a band met the high expectations of its fans and critics with such an explosive album. The band continues their growth that began on Funeral. This apocalyptic vision and warning of life in the suburbs has graduated the band from a two-album hopeful to timelessness. If they, rock gods forbid, quit before the next release, its members can be proud of the music they’ve endowed upon us.
12. The Black Keys — Brothers
This isn’t just one of my favorite albums of the year, it’s also my favorite Black Keys album. The band has had a streak of albums that didn’t show much change between each release. On Brothers, the band let all of the good mojo spill on top of every note, every song. It’s a classic rock album that people will listen to 30 years from now. I will, at least.
13. The Soft Moon — The Soft Moon
This album is dark. Not Cannibal Corpse dark but dark like in, something about the soul is reviewed and reconsidered while listening to this collection of synth-wave songs. There are several artists on this list hailing from San Francisco, which tells me that there is something reinvigorating going on out there on the West coast.
14. Warpaint — The Fool
It took a couple of tries to get into this album. I was hooked on their recent EP like bee on bee’s wax (???) but couldn’t really dig this release but then the miracle of “shuffle” happened, which forced me to re-investigate this this truly fine piece of work. I enjoyed many of the transitions within the songs as well as their continued exploration of their own sound.
15. Maximum Balloon — Maximum Balloon
Maximum Balloon is the solo work of producer, David Andrew Stiek who has worked with bands such as Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs and remixes for Nine Inch Nails. He’s been in the scene for a long time so chances are you’ve run into his work some time or another. This album features many of the artists he has previously worked with such as Karen O and has compiled their talents into a fine assortment of beats and hooks.
