so, as the year wore on (and it wore on this year) i sought out something that really grabbed me. for the first time in a long time, my top picks were suggested by good friends and i became the recipient of music, which is a great treat.
all told, when i created my "best of" playlist formula i was pleasantly pleased to see what showed up and became a great best of playlist - but sadly, not a best of album list. so i await 2011 with hope.
2010 albums
there are a few great must buy albums, however, none of which i am ready to call "album of the year"
Pickin' Up The Pieces - Fitz & The Tantrums
i love this sound. i've been waiting for something fun for so long, and it fell into my lap courtesy of Doug - great call. a touch of daryl hall meets sharon jones meets a lounge in a remake or sequel to swingers. what a fun album of just cool music to groove to. the standout is MoneyGrabber but the whole collection is great. here's to 2011 and my hopes that they can cut their rate and play the BCAC 25th Anniversary Gala. Check out their sound (and even download a free mp3 of MoneyGrabber) here
The XX
technically a 2009 release, but the self titled The XX is a terrific disc. It's atmospheric without being boring; it's engaging without being overwhelming; it's familiar but also fresh. its a great listen. Intro and VCR keep catching me over and over again and i really love the album. Thanks Scott for the recommendation. check it out here
The Five Ghosts - Stars
While Arcade Fire and Spoon disappointed, Stars snuck in with a new release that stayed true to formula and just found its way into my heart. it's a tender pop album with all the hooks and harmony that makes them a unique sound with touches of the smiths and the cure and enough melancholy to make you smile. this disc i can listen through start to finish and just want to hear it again. Enjoy the melodramatic pop here
Contra - Vampire Weekend
VW's new release opened 2010 and makes me smile. they retained the great hooks from the first disc yet expanded the sound to be even more global and fun. bits of the clash, talking heads, paul simon and any best of africa disc make its way here. truly enjoyable and worth listening to loud. try it out here
Dark Night of the Soul - DangerMouse & SparkleHorse
This technically came out in 2009 but was never released. Like DangerMouse's epic and illegal Grey Album you had to find it and download it and like the grey album it was worth the hunt. Finally released in 2010, it stands as the final work of SparkleHorse who collaborated with a group of some dark twisted David Lynch like artists (including David Lynch) to put out a real freaky collection. Guest vocals by Flaming Lips, Frank Black, Iggy Pop, and the like complete the dark sound. It's challenging but it's great. Visit the website http://www.dnots.com/ and sample the music and explore a brilliant site that works like an ancient pop up book with pull out tabs, mini movies, and all sorts of beautiful weirdness.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
Haters, say what you want, but the critics are right in this one - this is a brilliant album. kanye's ego is overblown here and it comes out all over this album which will standout among many releases for years to come. this is no ordinary rap album, its much more. everyone guests on it and it comes together in some monumental movie like production. tracks like Power and All of The Lights are outstanding and among Kanye's best. You can hear it anywhere, but explore his ego filled site here and download even more Kanye for free.
Honorable Mentions
I liked The Fall - Norah Jones which came out towards the end of 2009. it has some great hooks, it shows a strong evolution as a musician and fills out her catalogue and a sunday morning nicely. i love the lead single chasing pirates, if only because it's a blatant rip off of miss you by the rolling stones which i immediately downloaded as well. Hear tracks from The Fall and her new duets re-release here
I just downloaded The Lady Killer - CeeLo Green which will be great, but i haven't heard it all yet. And i've just discovered lungs - florence + the machine which after listening to it stream all day in my office, i just need to go buy. it' s like tori amos meets arcade fire, but in a good way, really. listen here
Songs of 2010
sure, i downloaded plenty of kei$ha and katy perry and some of that other stuff that has come to be known as my children's music. it's fun, it gets played all the time in the car and that's all we'll say. if you do want the best of that sound which i don't share with the kids, download Uffie (featuring Pharrel Williams) ADD SUV. it's an addictive trashy club song that npr suggested and is worth the .99 cents.
Top Songs
Fuck You / Forget You - Cee Lo Green
Harold T. Wilkins, or How to Wait for a Very Long Time - Fanfarlo
Money Grabber - Fitz & The Tantrums
All of The Lights - Kayne West
Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson
Chasing Pirates - Norah Jones
It Happened Today - R.E.M.
Dead Hearts - Stars
Hey, Soul Sister - Train
VCR - The XX
Ready To Start - Arcade Fire
Levi Johnston's Blues - Ben Folds & Nick Hornsby
Tighten Up - The Black Keys
The High Road - Broken Bells
Little Girl - DangerMouse, SparkleHorse and Julian Casablancas
Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine
American Slang - The Gaslight Anthem
Empire - Jukebox the Ghost
All I Want - LCD Soundsystem
The Sound of Sunshine - Michael Franti
Angel Dance - Robert Plant
Horchata - Vampire Weekend
