top of 2010

2010 surprised and disappointed me. i looked forward to new releases from spoon and arcade fire and tho' everyone else loved it, i didn't. they both obligatorily make my top 20 list because of some great tracks, but neither lived up to prior efforts. uber-dj marc ronson also made his return with a retro-80s album that is a great retro 80s (and perhaps case study for his new duran duran) but is just that, a great retro 80s album. its not nearly as good as his 1st two releases.

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

What my ipod liked in 2007

2007 came to a close, and like everyone else, I feel the obligatory need to share my top listens of the year. I decided the best way to determine what made the top of the list, was to let my ipod tell me - what songs were from 2007 and most played? Admitedly, the songs which were uploaded to the ipod earlier in the year got more play than more recent additions.

Here's who made the cut.

Most played song: Ruby by Kaiser Chiefs (from Yours Truly, Angry Mob). Ruby is a great song and it surprised me, and pleased me, that it made the top of the list. Kaiser Chiefs is the latest in a hot string of the newest wave out of England. Ruby has a sharp guitar riff with some some la-la's in the beginning followed by a deep crooning Morrissey-like voice that reminds me more of The Smiths than much of his own recent work, especially with lyrics like "Due to lack of interest, tomorrow is cancelled." Then that chorus of "Ruby ruby ruby ruby" kicks in and it's so much fun. Right behind Ruby, ironically, is Dashboard by Modest Mouse (from We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank) with Johnny Marr, formerly of The Smiths on guitar. Maybe I just miss The Smiths?

Rounding out the top plays for 2007:

Weapon Of Choice - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Baby 81). Catchy, fun, and I played it all summer.
Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen (Magic). Certainly not Bruce's best, but a great throwback to some '80s Jersey rock (did I mention that I am from exit 9?)
Running Away - Polyphonic Spree (The Fragile Army). See post below, I love it, my kids love it.

Keep The Car Running - Arcade Fire (Neon Bible). In the next post, I'll tell you why I think this is one of my two favorite albums of the year, and the best band I've heard in years. This song was top of my play list for so long and proved that The Arcade Fire still had the ability to awe and inspire with their sophomore release.

Stop Me - Mark Ronson featuring Daniel Merriweather (Version). With so much hype about Amy Winehouse, the overlooked hero was her album's producer (her Phil Spector if you will) English DJ and producer Mark Ronson. This cover (of a Smiths song no less) made my top 10 in downloads and has the same groove and the same horn section (Brooklyn's own The Dap Kings) that made Amy Winehouse a household name. If you liked the Winehouse, you'll love this.

Bodysnatchers - Radiohead (In Rainbows). Simply stunning. See the albums of the year post.

Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John (Writer's Block)
(F)lannigan's Ball - Dropkick Murphys (The Meanest of Times)
Take Me to the Riot - Stars (In Our Bedroom After the War)
Please Read The Letter - Robert Plant & Alison Kraus (Raising Sand)
Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band (Live In Dublin)
Toxic - Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra (Hits The Hits)

Next posts - my favorite albums from 2007 with some surprises, some overlooked gems, and some really great albums; my favorite tracks and albums for the whole family.