2010 in Review - Top 25 Albums

Here, at last, is the list of my 25 favorite albums of 2010 -- a .zip file containing a track from each of these 25 albums can be downloaded by clicking here:

1. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
I'm ashamed to admit that I'd never heard Janelle Monáe's music until her jaw-dropping performance of "Tightrope" on The Late Show With David Letterman in May 2010. I don't think I've ever downloaded an album more quickly. Monáe is a remarkably unique artist and The ArchAndroid is an amazingly ambitious album. That she has produced a work of such startling scope and originality at such a young age is a bit frightening, frankly.

Listen: Tightrope (Feat. Big Boi)


2. Field Music - Field Music (Measure)
Field Music -- and the Brewis brothers, individually -- have released a series of fantastic records over the past several years. They are extremely gifted multi-instrumentalists who can effortlessly segue from prog rock to power pop and back again within a single song. I was lucky enough to see them perform live twice in 2010 -- don't miss them if they visit your town.

Listen: Measure


3. Beach House - Teen Dream
On the surface, this is not the sort of album that generally makes my list. It's pretty and spare and slow and acoustic, and I'm all about the rock. Still, these melodies are undeniable. . . .

Listen: Zebra








4. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
The more James Murphy embraces that Bowie in Berlin sound, the more I like him.

Listen: All I Want








5. Zeus - Say Us
I haven't seen this tremendous record on any "Best of 2010" lists, and that is a tremendous injustice to these guys. I can't say enough about their songcraft and the wonderful sound of this album. Imagine a supergroup made up of members of The Zombies, Village Green-era Kinks, Big Star, Revolver-era Beatles and early ELO -- this is the record they would have produced.

Listen: Marching Through Your Head



6. Telekinesis - Telekinesis!
Yes, this record was released in 2009, but I didn't hear it until 2010. Indie pop of the first order.

Listen: Coast Of Carolina









7. Owen Pallett - Heartland
The Artist Formerly Known As Final Fantasy has produced his finest work under his own name. His live performance of "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" in the POURING rain at the Hillside Festival in Guelph is the stuff of legend. The true grandeur of his orchestrations is a thing of great beauty and power -- and that trumpet melody at the 5:22 mark in "Tryst With Mephistopheles" gets me every single time.

Listen: Tryst With Mephistopheles



8. Sleigh Bells - Treats
One guitarist - One singer. The massive sonic onslaught at the 1:52 mark in "Infinity Guitars" is so ridiculously over the top that it might be my favorite musical moment of the year.

Listen: Infinity Guitars








9. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Yes, he's insufferable. The quality of his work is undeniable. Plus: King Crimson sample!

Listen: Power










10. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
Ariel Pink has been releasing his genuinely weird records for years. Somehow or other, everyone -- myself included -- finally took notice this year. This is an eclectic, yet approachable, album for fans of 70s Rock and Guided By Voices-style lo-fi.

Listen: Bright Lit Blue Skies







11. Girl Talk - All Day
Gregg Gillis a/k/a Girl Talk has taken the mash-up to a new level with his latest album, All Day. It was nearly impossible to select a single song to represent this album, as every track is masterful. I particularly love the T'Pau (!) sample under Skee-Lo in "Jump on Stage" -- it's hilarious and awesome in equal measures.

Listen: Jump on Stage



12. Tame Impala - InnerSpeaker
70s-style psychedelic rock from Perth. Made to be listened to while wearing enormous headphones and bell-bottoms.

Listen: Desire Be Desire Go









13. Robyn - Body Talk
Robyn is the only artist to merit two songs on my list of the 50 Best Songs of 2010. She's quirky and genuine and nobody does melancholy dance music as well as she does. The three volumes of Body Talk that she released during 2010 combined to make one terrific record at the end of the year.

Listen: Hang With Me





14. Best Coast - Crazy for You
I wasn't a fan of earlier Best Coast music, but this record charmed me. It's messy and lo-fi and you might get a contact high from handling the jewel box, but there's something delightfully pure and free of artifice about Bethany Cosentino's songwriting.

Listen: Boyfriend






15. Arnaud Fleurent-Didier - La Reproduction
Ce disque est très français. Si vous appréciez Serge Gainsbourg ou Mathieu Boogaerts, vous apprécierez ceci, aussi.

Listen: Mémé 68










16. Wavves - King Of The Beach
As with Best Coast, earlier Wavves music didn't make much of an impression on me. The ramshackle charm and irrepressible spirit of King of the Beach made me a believer.

Listen: King Of The Beach








17. Twin Shadow - Forget
Terrific synth-pop which wouldn't have sounded out of place in the 80s. Just the way I like it.

Listen: When We're Dancing










18. Fang Island - Fang Island
Fang Island's music sounds like nothing else I heard this year -- anthemic, largely instrumental guitar-based rock that is immediately engaging and familiar. I love this record.

Listen: Daisy








19. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Steven Ellison a/k/a electronica artist Flying Lotus has released a series of outstanding records, and Cosmogramma may well be his best yet. I think he was criminally overlooked for a Grammy nomination this year -- an opinion he clearly shares.

Listen: Table Tennis (feat. Laura Darlington)






20. The New Pornographers - Together
The New Pornographers can do no wrong in my book. Even their lesser albums -- and I'm not convinced that Together deserves that description -- are jam-packed with hooks. Dan Bejar's songs on this record are some of my favorites, and that never happens.

Listen: Crash Years




21. Dungen - Skit I Allt
This is a quieter, more introspective Dungen than I was expecting. Still, it's fantastic and utterly original. I wonder what I'd think if I could understand the lyrics?

Listen: Skit I Allt







22. The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack
Ten perfect, snotty noise pop songs that whiz past in barely half an hour. Bliss.

Listen: C'Mon











23. Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner
Gold Panda is another of those guy-and-his-sampler artists -- but the emphasis is on artist in this case. Haunting downtempo electronica of the sort that Telefon Tel Aviv made before Charlie Cooper's untimely demise.

Listen: Snow & Taxis








24. Fol Chen - Part II: The New December
Fol Chen's avart-garde pop records sound like nothing else out there. Their thrillingly experimental sounds meld with accessible melodies and curious looping lyrics in an utterly original way.

Listen: In Ruins







25. Bombay Bicycle Club - Flaws
Last I'd heard, Bombay Bicycle Club were a thoroughly generic "Faux-asis" Britpop band. The fact that they released this out-of-left-field acoustic album that sounds as though they are channelling Nick Drake and Fairport Convention was completely unexpected and a minor miracle.

Listen: Rinse Me Down

Top 50 Songs of 2010

Here's a link to a .zip file of the entire collection - in alphabetical order by artist.

A link to a list of the Top 50 is available here.

Addendum: As last year, this collection includes a number of songs from records that did not make my Top 25 Records of 2010 list; likewise, several of those records are not represented in this collection.

2009 in Review - Top 25 Albums

1. Mathieu Boogaerts - I Love You
OK, this record was released in November 2008, but I didn't know about it until mid-2009. My Blog = My Rules. I've loved every one of Mathieu Boogaerts' records since my friend Justin first introduced me to his music a few years ago. It's catchy, charming, quirky and largely impenetrable to a non-French speaker such as myself.


2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
It took months and months for this record to finally work its hooks into me. Once it did, it was in constant rotation. This was the closest thing to a new Midlake record for me (and, having already heard a few tracks, I can guarantee that Midlake's upcoming release, The Courage of Others, will be on this list next year.)


3. Fol Chen - Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made
I can't understand why I haven't seen this record on anyone else's Best of 2009 list -- it is consistently catchy, brilliant, beautiful and surprising.


4. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Within the first five minutes of listening to this record in January 2009, I knew it was destined for a spot on my Best of 2009 list. Yep, here it is.


5. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - S/T
I don't know whether this record is calculated or sincere, but it really doesn't much matter to me. A delight from start to finish.






6. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I love the direction Phoenix has been going in the past few years, and this is their strongest record yet.








7. Passion Pit - Manners
This record has been in constant rotation, too. Fun, fun and more fun.









8. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Challenging and thrillingly original.











9. Röyksopp - Junior
Their first record, Melody A.M., is one of my all-time favorites. Junior is an outstanding effort, as well, with several memorable guest vocalists. Nearly docked a spot for the ugliest sleeve of the year.





10. St. Vincent - Actor
Eclectic and twisted, yet accessible.











11. the dodos - Time To Die
This record just barely missed my Top 10 -- melodies which will stick in your head for weeks and weeks.









12. Metric - Fantasies
Far stronger than their earlier records -- not a bad track to be found.










13. Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself
The saddest music news of the year for me was the unexpected death of Telefon Tel Aviv's Charlie Cooper just as this, their latest (and likely final) record, was released. It is lovely and elegiac and a fitting, if unintended, epitaph.




14. Royal Bangs - Let It Beep
ROCK in ALL CAPS. Noisy and fun.












15. The Thermals - Now We Can See
Their best record to date -- The Thermals have been consistently releasing the catchiest punk-pop of the decade. Great live band, too.






16. Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
So many of these records could easily have made my top 10 -- case in point: this one.










17. Tahiti 80 - Activity Center
I just adore Tahiti 80, and their latest release is every bit as bouncy and sugary as you'd expect.









18. The XX - xx
I really enjoy their minimalist Young Marble Giants feel.













19. Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plague Lovers
A remarkable return to form for the Manics. I'd more or less written them off for the past 13+ years -- nothing they'd released after Everything Must Go merited more than a single spin for me -- yet, this record is powerful, cohesive and thought-provoking. If you miss the sound of The Holy Bible-era Manics, this is the record for you. Docked a spot or two for Nicky Wire's dreadful lead vocal on the closing song, "William's Last Words."



20. The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules
This spot could easily have gone to Erlend Øye's other band, Kings of Convenience -- but I find I prefer his solo work and his work with The Whitest Boy Alive.







21. The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
Not quite the tour de force that their debut was, but I would listen to Inara George sing the phonebook.







22. Spookey Ruben - Mechanical Royalty
Thanks to my pal Dave for introducing me to this thoroughly insane Prog-meets-Power Pop record, which its creator describes as a 'concept album about a kingdom of robots who are attacked by the humans who originally created them because they possess a magnetic force that keeps harmony in society that the humans want back for themselves'!



23. Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I'm Tired Let's Wash Away
While I think it's unlikely that Mew will ever top their previous record, And The Glass Handed Kites, there's plenty to love about their latest effort. Plus they are the most dynamic live act out there.



24. Rickie Lee Jones - Balm In Gilead
A supremely lovely outing by one of the enduring talents of the past 30 years. Seeing her perform at World Cafe Live was one of the highlights of my year.




25. Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele - The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
More catchy melodies than you can shake his shtick at.






You can download all 25 tracks as a .zip file here.

Best of 2009

I'll eventually get around to writing about each track -- for now, here's a link to the entire collection.

Addendum: This collection includes a number of songs from records that did not make my Top 25 Records of 2009 list; likewise, several of those records are not represented in this collection. That's just the way it is.

Honorable Mentions - 2008 Edition

Narrowly missing my top ten for 2008:

#11 Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Call It A Ritual

#12 Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Lump Sum

#13 M83 - Saturdays = Youth

Kim & Jessie

#14 Santogold - Santogold
Penalized for having the most godawful cover art in recent memory.

Lights Out

#15 Young Knives - Superabundance

Terra Firma

#16 Girl Talk - Feed The Animals

Hands In The Air

#17 The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement

Standing Next To Me

#18 Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Long Division

#19 Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us

Now

#20 Inara George with Van Dyke Parks - An Invitation

Duet

Best of 2008

Plenty of great music to choose from in 2008 -- and many best-of lists have already honored several of these records -- here are the 10 albums to which I found myself returning most frequently this past year:

#1 - The Week That Was - The Week That Was
There was no competition for best album of the year for me -- this record contains everything I love about music. It's even better with headphones.

Learn To Learn

#2 - Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
I'm not convinced that I wouldn't find these guys insufferable in person -- but on record, they're sublime. Great bass playing throughout, too.

M79

#3 - Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Believe the hype. And Robin's only 22? Damn.

Quiet Houses

#4 - School of Language - Sea From Shore
Two Brewis brothers, two Top 4 albums on my list.

Disappointment '99

#5 - Friendly Foes - Born Radical
Can't understand why this album isn't on more Best of 2008 lists -- fantastic and fun from start to finish.

Full Moon Morning

#6 - Robyn - Robyn
I've included "Konichiwa Bitches" in my DJ set for years -- glad that this album finally received a Stateside release in 2008.

Konichiwa Bitches

#7 - Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
So so so good.

100 Yard Dash

#8 - Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
Wonderful, literate rock.

Can You Tell

#9 - Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster. . .
Raucous Welsh people.

Death to Los Campesinos!

#10 - TV On The Radio - Dear Science
It took awhile to grow on me, but this is a great record.

Dancing Choose

Bruce Thomas

Bruce Thomas, late of Elvis Costello's band, The Attractions, is one of my all-time favorite players. His work on the albums This Year's Model, Armed Forces, and Get Happy!!, in particular, is just spectacular. Drop the needle anywhere -- Bruce is doing something that will blow your mind. Frankly, I'd be hard-pressed to name a stronger band than The Attractions during their late-70s/early-80s peak. Just listen to Elvis' Attractions-free debut record, My Aim Is True, to hear how essential Steve, Bruce and Pete were to his sound.

There's nothing particularly flashy on this song, it's just one of my favorites -- I particularly love his playing in the bridge:

Accidents Will Happen

My old band did a cover version of this one -- what a great part!:

Lip Service

Mike Rutherford

Mike Rutherford of Genesis (and -- Shhhh! Not so loud! -- Mike + The Mechanics) doesn't get nearly the recognition he deserves for his brilliant bass playing. One of these tracks is from the Gabriel-era and one from the Collins-era, and both feature bass parts which ROCK:

Watcher of the Skies

No Reply At All

Horace Panter

Horace Panter, bassist for The Specials. I could not possibly love the bass playing on this song more than I do -- maximum awesomeness achieved:

Too Much Too Young

Graham Maby

Joe Jackson Band bassist Graham Maby's incredible chops reached out and grabbed me when Look Sharp! was released back in 1979. His playing is as much the focal point of the songs as Joe's piano. Something about his style and tone on this song reminds me of John Entwistle's solo on "My Generation".

I had the great good fortune to see Graham perform live with They Might Be Giants a decade or so ago -- man, can that guy play.

Baby Stick Around

John Munson

"Who?" I hear you asking. John Munson, late of Semisonic and Trip Shakespeare, is a fantastic player in the McCartney mold. His playing is always melodic and inventive, treating the bass as a lead instrument without overpowering the song. Here's a favorite of mine, from the first Semisonic e.p., Pleasure:

Sculpture Garden

Colin Moulding

OK, this next series of posts will feature my all-time favorite bass players. I think these guys (and a few ladies) have certain similarities, but each has his/her own recognizable style. Today's star is XTC's Colin Moulding, one of the most endlessly inventive and melodic players ever. These songs are a few of my favorites, but you really can't go wrong with any Moulding track.

Earn Enough For Us

Love On A Farmboy's Wages

The Mayor Of Simpleton

Lee Sklar

Here's the song that made me decide to create this series of posts. I hadn't heard this song in years -- back when I was in high school, my bass teacher gave me an assignment to learn the bass part to James Taylor's song, "Your Smiling Face" (bass by Lee Sklar). To this day, I believe there's no better way to truly appreciate a player's originality and musicianship than to transcribe and learn their part. Sklar played on so many sessions over the past four decades, it would be impossible to overstate his influence. His part simply makes this song for me - whenever I play it, I have to hit repeat.

Your Smiling Face

The First in a Series

That's right, I'm planning to post more than twice this year! This will be the first in a series of posts devoted to some of my favorite bass parts. Today's entry features two very different songs: Matthew Sweet's "Divine Intervention" from his 1991 album, Girlfriend, (bass by Sweet himself) and Traffic's "Freedom Rider" from the 1970 album, John Barleycorn Must Die, (bass by Steve Winwood). In both examples, the bass part is melodic and complicated without being unnecessarily busy. Enjoy -- I'll be back next week.

Divine Intervention
Freedom Rider

Also-Rans and Honorable Mentions

2007 was a great year for music, and my Best albums of 2007 post barely scratches the surface of what was new and notable during the year. Accordingly, here are 20 more songs that stood out for me -- yes, some of these tracks were available as imports (or even domestically) in 2006, but I'm not of a mind to quibble over release dates.

All I can say about the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest is that Sweden was ROBBED -- The Ark clearly had the best song in the competition, and performed it flawlessly on the night. It will be interesting to see whether the voting rules are changed in the coming years, as the overwhelming success enjoyed by certain, frankly, uninspiring Eastern European performers was nothing short of scandalous! -- The Worrying Kind

I don't find Art Brut's latest record to be as compelling as Bang Bang Rock & Roll, but it has its moments: Direct Hit

Bloc Party: Hunting for Witches
Burial: Archangel
Caribou: Melody Day
Datarock: Computer Camp Love
Deerhoof: The Perfect Me

Another favorite from the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest was this outrageously camp number from Switzerland's DJ Bobo: Vampires are Alive

Fujiya & Miyagi: Collarbone
The Go! Team: Doing It Right
Hot Chip: The Warning

I love the fact that Laura Veirs kept this song in a key which extends just slightly below her vocal range -- makes me think of Liz Phair (the out-of-her-range thing, that is, not the song): Cast a Hook in Me

I have adored Les Savy Fav for years -- and am delighted that they released a new record this year. I especially enjoy the legend on their website: "Les Savy Fav: Missing out on cashing in for over a decade": What Would Wolves Do

Mew: Apocalypso
Midlake: In This Camp
Pelle Carlberg: Pamplona

Like the Pipettes? You'll like Shitt Hottt: Tony Danza Dancetravaganza

Tokyo Police Club: Cheer It On
The Voyces: You're In Charge Of Driving The Narcotics Trolley, And You're Doing An Excellent Job

The Young Knives are an absolutely fantastic band -- and their bass player's name is "The House of Lords." I truly cannot recommend their (2006) album Voices of Animals and Men too highly: Here Comes The Rumour Mill

OK -- one more:

Erlend Oye can do no wrong in my book. His latest project is The Whitest Boy Alive: Golden Cage

Best albums of 2007

Sure, I like the Radiohead record and the LCD Soundsystem record as much as the next guy, but I've lost count of the number of year-end best-of lists which boast the 1-2 punch of In Rainbows and Sound of Silver. Enough already!

Here's a song from each of the 10 albums to which I found myself returning again and again during 2007:

Mer du Japon - Air - Pocket Symphony

Fucking Boyfriend - The Bird and The Bee - The Bird and The Bee

Fancy Footwork - Chromeo - Fancy Footwork

Sit Tight - Field Music - Tones of Town

Golden Skans - Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

Latchmere - The Maccabees - Colour It In

All the Things that Go to Make Heaven and Earth - The New Pornographers - Challengers

She's a Rejector - Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Don't You Evah - Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

See You at the Lights - 1990s - Cookies

Please consider doing one or more of these fine, hardworking artists a favor: if you like the song, click on the album link and buy the record!

Yes! It's been barely a year since my last post!

OK, I'll be brief: here are six songs I've been listening to lately -- four of them are new, two of them are from the early 80s -- enjoy!

Du Ska Inte Tro Att Det Ordnar Sig - Dungen
Enjoying Myself - 1990s
Top Secret Man - The Plastics
She's a Rejector - Of Montreal
I Hate Camera - The Bird and The Bee
Can't Keep Away - Sector 27

What I've been doing lately

How's this for awesome?

Difficult Pop

What? It's only been six months. Give me a break!

A couple of sterling examples of "difficult" pop music today by some fine purveyors of same:

Love Camp 7: Here's Dinah Shore (Is the Lesbian Next Door) from their outstanding (and out-of-print) cd, Where the Green Ends.

Cheer-Accident: A brilliant band -- each record sounds completely unlike its predecessor. Facialization is from their poppiest outing, The Why Album.

Enjoy, people -- see you in another six months.