Letters Home From Camp

Top Ten Blog Moved!

2011-11-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

The Milwaukee Top Ten Blog is no longer located here and has moved to:

top10albumsoftheyear.blogspot.com

go there instead!

Eric Top 10 of 2010

2011-01-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Now that the year is over, here is my list for the best releases of 2010. Enjoy!

10.

Wolf Parade "Expo 86"

Great followup to At Mount Zoomer. All of the things that make Wolf Parade great are still there, with a great mix of Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug songs. On At Mount Zoomer I found myself gravitating toward Dan's songs, while on this album I leaned more towards Krug's awesome Bowie-esque jams.

9.Grinderman "Grinderman 2"

Love me some Grinderman. Nick Cave at his absolute dirtiest. Cave snarls some of his most disturbing lyrics over crashing drums, pulsating bass and some seriously messed up guitar. Saw them at the Riviera and it was one of my personal highlights for the year

8.The Black Keys "Brothers"

I have to admit, I came seriously late to the Black Keys party, and anyone who knows me knows that I'm seriously skeptical of two person blues-ish bands. I gave the Keys a chance this year and fell in love, however. Their show at the Aragon at the end of the year really sealed the deal on them for me.

7The National "High Violet"

At first this album was a real disappointment for me. Right off the bat, we're hit with the absolute terrible production of "Terrible Love" which really set a sour note for me for the album when I first got it. Fortunately, songs like Bloodbuzz Ohio, Lemonworld and Runaway get back to what makes the National great.

6.Big Boi "Sir Lucious Left Foot, the son of Chico Dusty"

I know it loses more and more of its luster every time someone calls Big Boi Outkast's underappreciated secret weapon, but its really true. Big Boi takes a backseat to no one in terms of rhyming skills, and we see once again that Outkast's groundbreaking sonic inventiveness and production are more that Andre 3000.

5.Cee Lo Green "The Lady Killer"

Full disclosure, I'm a huge fan of pretty much everything Cee Lo does, and I think an argument can easily be made he's the most sonically adventurous artist in the hip hop genre. But even that does his overall sound a disservice. Jumping everywhere from 80's electro synth pop to doo wop soul to rock, Cee Lo does it all effortlessly. Everyone knows about the ridiculously catchy "Fuck You," but "Bright Lights Big City" may be just as good.

4.Jim Jones Revue "Burning Your House Down"

Vocals distorted by old school channel distortion? Check. Frontman with the best chicken walk this side of Mick Jagger? Check. Barroom piano? Check. Amped up blues riffs? Check. All wrapped up in a rockabilly-punk sandwich? Count me in. Jim Jones is a blast of old school rock and roll that makes you want to reach for the pomade and watch the Outsiders. I love it.

3.The Arcade Fire "The Suburbs"

This was another album from one of my favorite bands that initially disappointed me. Slow to start and 18 songs long, its not an album that readily invites you in and it really took me 5 or 6 listens to come around. Once you delve into the deceptively simple arrangements, however, the results are quite rewarding.

2. Vampire Weekend "Contra"

I totally forgot this album came out this year until I saw it on Matt's list. Not only have I listened to it so much, but its such an effortless album to get into, that it just seems like i've had it forever. Its hard to call any of this terribly original if you've ever listened to Paul Simon, but Vampire Weekend write such great songs it really doesn't matter.

1.The Walkmen "Lisbon"

Yet another album that I might not have given enough of a chance if it wasn't anchored by such a great song in the middle that it demanded I come back to it. "Angela Surf City" was my favorite song of the year and it wasn't even close. Its a perfect capsule of what makes the Walkmen so awesome. Slightly off beat drums, an absolute tidal wave of a chorus and Hamilton Leithauser's half drunk croon in the verse turned blood vessel exploding scream in the chorus. What really comes out though is the stylistic differences throughout. Besides the rockers like Angela, Victory and Woe is Me to an extent, there's the playful Juveniles to open, and the almost country beat of Blue Blood. What really stands out, however is the hushed restraint shown throughout. Songs like Follow the Leader, Torch Song and the closer Lisbon show that well the Walkmen can still pull off a great rocking single, there is more depth left for them to mine.

Honorable Mention:

Gaslight Anthem: American Slang

Black Angels: Phosphene Dream

MIA: Maya

Gorillaz: Plastic Beach

Jeff Bentoff's Let's Not Do This Too Early Top 10 Albums of 2010 List

2010-12-31T16:37:00.000-08:00

1. "High Velvet" - The National

2. "Together" - The New Pornographers

3. "The ArchAndroid" - Janelle Monae

4. "The Suburbs" - Arcade Fire

5. "Tomorrow Morning" - Eels

6. "Intriguer" - Crowded House

7. "Le Noise" - Neil Young

8. "History From Below" - Delta Spirit

9. "The Lady Killer" - Cee-Lo Green

10. "The Outsiders Are Back" - Kings Go Forth

Several others that I really liked included:

* "Sir Lucious Left Foot" - Big Boi

* "Lived and Moved" - Trapper Schoepp & The Shades

* "One Nite Only" - Sat Nite. Duets

* "You Are Not Alone" - Mavis Staples

* "Brothers" - The Black Keys

* "Wisco: A Wisconsin Tribute to Wilco"

* "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" - Bruno Mars

* "Grace Potter & The Nocturnals"

* "III/IV" - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

Big thanks to Matty for again hosting this annual blog and party. I wish I could've made the soiree this year.

James Gapinski's Top Ten Albums of 2010

2010-12-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

Since I was unaware of this blog last year, I'll just start by saying that there were a lot of good releases this year, but 2010 is still eclipsed by some of last year's amazing albums. In 2009, Au Revoir Simone's “Still Night, Still Light” provided some of the best electro dream-pop of the decade, Anti-Flag returned to an independent label and old-school punk sound with “The People or the Gun,” Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard's album “'Em Are I” redefined anti-folk, and Schwervon!'s “Low Blow” blended grunge with a beautiful assortment of other artistic styles. The year 2009 bore witness to true artistic innovation on the aforementioned albums and many others—a tall order for 2010's releases to top.

And without further adieu, here is my digressional list:

1. Kate Nash: “My Best Friend is You” - Even with a long-awaited freshman release from The Bundles, Kate Nash's sophomore album deserves the number one spot on the list. This young artist continually revises her sound, and she never disappoints in every genre attempted. Naturally, she does revisit tried and true stylistic directions on some tracks. Nash's early lo-fi proclivity for acoustic recordings reemerges, as does some of the pop influence from her previous studio album. However, many songs on “My Best Friend is You” are faster, louder, and yet contradictorily more polished and mature than her subtler work. On this new release, fiery spoken-word segments, fuzz-box guitar pedals, more complex drum beats, and increasingly passionate lyrics highlight a musician with immense promise and a willingness to take chances in her work.

2. The Bundles: “The Bundles” - The Bundles first began nine years ago as some ad-hoc collaboration between Jeffrey Lewis and Kimya Dawson. In 2010, these impromptu jams finally led to an official album release. The debut self-titled record delivers some of what you'd expect from these anti-folk greats, but it also explores new ground. The Bundles is perhaps better described as “experimental” than anything else. In the album's delightful mix: playful keyboards, unexpected drum interludes, syncopated guitar riffs, and occasional idiosyncratic vocals make for a truly unique listening experience.

3. Adam Green: “Minor Love” - Adam Green's “Minor Love” feels like less of a studio album than his previous “Sixes & Sevens” album. The music returns to the more minimalistic vibe of Green's early solo career and his work with The Moldy Peaches, leaving behind some of the pseudo-blues influence and harmonization exhibited on “Sixes & Sevens.” On the other hand, lyrics and vocals continue in the eccentric vein of “Friends of Mine” and “Sixes & Sevens,” with poetic refinement and a subtle melody fully appropriate for the album's subject matter.

4. Emmy the Great: “First Love” - This first album from London singer/songwriter Emma-Lee Moss features lyrically poignant tunes that speak with an authority and prophetic wisdom beyond Moss' young age. The fingerstyle guitar is all that's needed to make the songs pop with an airy delicacy that juxtaposes nicely against heavier themes of love, lust, and loss. It's best to sit down when you listen to “First Love,” because it has the capacity to floor you.

5. The Hundred in the Hands: “The Hundred in the Hands” - The Hundred in the Hands' self-titled release navigates the breadth of psychedelic-pop's potential, delivering danceable up-tempo house beats on a few tracks, and softer tracks reminiscent of Lykke Li or Röyksopp on others. In short, it's really good.

6. Wild Nothing: “Gemini” - When I started assembling my picks for 2010, this album was not initially in the top ten. Perhaps I was just really hesitant to bump Frightened Rabbit's amazing album “The Winter of Mixed Drinks” off the list to make room for “Gemini.” Regardless, once I moved Wild Nothing onto the list, I found it continually rose as I weighed it against other contending albums, until finally reaching a respectable sixth place. “Gemini” grows on you symbiotically the more times you listen. This debut album by Wild Nothing has such a good ebb and flow; it has memorable staying power even on endless repeat. Each listen-through makes the melodic riffs and soothing vocals more pronounced. “Gemini” provides a modern take on the dwindling shoe-gaze genre, mixing it with overt touches of indie and dream-pop: it's an amalgamation that works on many levels.

7. The Cribs: “Ignore the Ignorant” - With former The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr in the band, it's no wonder that this contemporary alt-rock group has released several albums that recapture the very best characteristics of the 1980s post-punk sound encapsulated by The Smiths, The Psychedelic Furs, and The Cure. “Ignore the Ignorant” strips some of the pop and electronica influence from post-punk for a progressive take on the genre.

8. Laura Marling: “I Speak Because I Can” - Like Laura Marling's “Alas, I Cannot Swim,” “I Speak Because I Can” retains a bare-bones vibe, but still throws in subtle backing sounds that provide a new experience every time you listen to a track. At first glance, her music is redolent of what you'd expect to hear from Marling as a wonderful busker or coffee shop act. But upon closer inspection, occasional embellishments catch your ear for a near-symphonic experience packed within a handful of carefully selected tones, an acoustic guitar, and Marling's beautiful vocals. “I Speak Because I Can” is the perfect merger of lo-fi realism and hi-fidelity complexity.

9. Lightspeed Champion: “Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You” - On his second release as Lightspeed Champion, Devonté Hynes displays the breadth of his compositional abilities. Hynes musical career is mostly one of background contribution—among his many musical accomplishments, Hynes composed songs for Florence and the Machine's debut album “Lungs,” and he showed his versatility with work on techno and trip-hop songs for The Chemical Brothers. When playing in the forefront, Hynes offers rich baroque-pop piano riffs, funky guitar parts, and soft vocals. “Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You” gives listeners a taste of the true potential of this talented composer.

10. Wavves: “King of the Beach” - When you're dealing with a garage-band-esque sound, the messy tracks have a choreographed beauty to them—this was definitely the case with the Wavves' 2008 self-titled release. “King of the Beach,” however, is noticeably less sporadic and gritty than the 2008 incarnation. Fortunately, the change doesn't hinder the listening experience for this band. “King of the Beach” manages to deliver what few records can: sidewalk sound with studio cleanliness. The album is noise-pop at its finest, rivaling early 1980s contributions from trailblazers like Jesus & Mary Chain.

All things considered, 2010 had plenty of its own artistic innovation. I'm still not sure if these releases top last year's, but does it really matter? The assortment of captivating 2010 albums is nothing to sneeze at. And perhaps more relevantly, four of these albums are freshman albums, and another three are sophomore releases—there was a lot of really good music from relatively “new” bands in 2010, and I suspect these artists will continue to impress in years to come.

Some Honorable Mentions (in rank order)

- “The Winter of Mixed Drinks” by Frightened Rabbit

- “White Crosses” by Against Me!

- “Darwin Deez” by Darwin Deez

- “Flaws” by Bombay Bicycle Club

- “Oh Little Fire” by Sarah Harmer

Scott M's improbably long top 10 list

2010-12-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

Let's get down to it.

10. Sleigh Bells: Treats

Sleigh Bells certainly aren’t the first band to marry incredibly abrasive tracks to catchy melodies and a sweet voice (Alexis Krauss is up there with Cosentino and Janelle Monae for my favorite voice discovered this year). But as opposed to most noise pop, which I don’t particularly care for, there’s something ingratiating about the clattering percussion and highly distorted, highly compressed guitars. I also like the fact that, as I’m typing this, the album is causing my cat to flatten her ears against her head like she might have to attack the speakers. It hasn’t prompted her to move from her perch next to me, but she is on her guard. It seems somehow apt.

9. The Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

The Arcade Fire never want for scope or sentiment (n: an attitude or opinion; the feeling or emotion conveyed by words as distinct from the words themselves) on their albums, and so the emptiness of suburban sprawl seems like a logical choice. And as a logical choice, it works. But I have to admit; the album’s placement on the list is as much a nod to the fact that I LOVE the band’s albums after a while as an indication of how much I like it now. That is, I know that it took me about five months to like all of Funeral, and a similar amount of time to like all of Neon Bible, so I’m guessing in a few months and a dozen more spins it’ll click in a way that it doesn’t quite yet. I like it now, but I know I’ll love it sooner rather than later.

8. Girl Talk: All Day

There’s a legitimate argument to be made that the quality of mash-up albums owes as much or more to the people who wrote the original songs as the DJ playing Dr. Moreau. Crap music is crap no matter what you do with it. But I’ve been to enough parties where the amateur DJ fancies himself on a par with Gregg Gillis because he has as much wax in his ironic moustache as he does on his turntables at any given moment to think that there’s a real skill in creating an enduring playlist that retains appeal beyond the immediate need to shake one’s moneymaker. There’s a playfulness and humor and even emotion to the juxtapositions in All Day that makes it work every time I listen, not entirely unlike a favorite TV episode where I know all the jokes and character beats but watch it again and again anyway.

You can also make the argument that there’s no progression to Girl Talk’s oeuvre, and that’s also at least partially true. If you asked a naïve listener to, for example, guess the chronology of The Beatles catalog based on how they sound, they’d get it more or less right. I’m not sure you can do that with Girl Talk- Night Ripper, Feed the Animals, and All Day are all pretty same-y in how they are constructed and end up sounding. But if you’ll indulge me in a food analogy, mash-up albums are like hamburgers. They’re not haute cuisine; they’re mostly constructed to satisfy base, immediate needs. And however you specifically adorn them, they’re basically the same thing every time. But- and here’s the key- bad ones are a horrible, terrible experience. Good ones, on the other hand, are a reliable comfort you enjoy returning to. Such is Girl Talk.

7. Best Coast: Crazy For You

This album hits a ton of my pleasure points. It’s sunny and the melodies owe a huge debt to the Motown/Spector schools of girl-group pop. It has the honest, naked emotion and low-fi sound of Exile in Guyville (minus about 90% of the raunch). Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, Bethany Cosentino has a clear, pure Neko Case-like voice that cuts through the music like a clarion, unable and unwilling to be subsumed by the reverb that drenches it throughout the album. I cannot convey how stunned I am by how her voice comes across- reverb is generally used to make the singer sound far away and isolated, but on speakers or headphones it still sounds as if she’s right next to me. Instead of sounding like she’s on the opposite end of an unfinished hallway from the microphone it’s more like having a conversation in a racquetball court- the echo is more incidental.

6. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty

Okay, stay with me here- is Outkast the new Uncle Tupelo? Uncle Tupelo was a critically acclaimed act that had two focal members (Farrar and Tweedy), both of whom were seen as good artists in their own right and essential contributors to the whole. But, when Uncle Tupelo broke up, an examination of the discography led most people to believe that Farrar would have the better career; he was the innovative one and a more accomplished songwriter while it was assumed Tweedy would put out good, if unspectacular albums. Fast forward fifteen years and the critics were wrong. Tweedy led Wilco to be one of the best, most capital-I Important bands of his era. He pushed the envelope sonically, expanding outwards from Summerteeth through the indescribably superlative YHF and into A Ghost is Born and beyond. If you’re reading this blog, chances are I don’t need to go further. Meanwhile, Farrar’s Son Volt had a very good debut album, and nothing of real note after that.

For comparison, let’s take Speakerboxxx/The Love Below as a pair of solo albums, as Outkast intended. Now, to address the elephant in the room, neither Farrar nor Big Boi have had anything quite so good as “Hey Ya,” a pop song that would make Plato scream about how Forms aren’t supposed to exist in any material sense. But The Love Below is secretly not that great an album otherwise. Sonically innovative, yes. But not really great, or even good (“Roses?” Really?!). Meanwhile, Speakerboxxx has no fewer than six songs I listen to often. It sounded a lot like Outkast, but not quite. Now Sir Lucious Left Foot… continues that forward progress. It’s front-to-back good, with multiple high-water marks (“Daddy Fat Sax,” “Shutterbugg,” and “Tangerine” to name three). It’s similar to what he’s done, but the production is subtly different. It’s not all as densely packed as proper Outkast tracks, with different production and sampling tricks instead of, on top of, and generally in addition to the stuff that attracted everyone to the duo in the first place. The album is great, and sets up higher expectations for the next one. I’m pushing this in part because I desperately want to hear what Big Boi’s YHF would sound like. I’m also pushing this in part because, on the infinitesimal chance that Andre 3000 reads this and cares what some white Jewish academic thinks, he gets of his ass and proves me wrong by releasing a damn solo album already.

5. Janelle Monae: The ArchAndroid

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this album, beyond the fact that I love it. It’s endlessly varied, with sonic rabbit-holes to tumble down at every turn. I get that it’s part two of a planned multi-release opera about android-human love (or so I’m told). Just typing that makes me think “Domo arigato Mr. Roboto.” But the album resits being laughed off like an overwrought and ponderous Styx rock-opera. It’s too thoroughly well constructed to be dismissed. Even if you go into the album skeptical, “Cold War” will slap you so hard you’ll have a handprint on your cheek. If Beyonce or Rihanna decided they wanted that song, it would reside comfortably atop the Billboard charts. It’s also a reminder that as sex- (and to a lesser extent, love-) obsessed as funk and R&B have traditionally been, they are versatile genres that can support the wild and/or far-reaching ideas so long as the groove is good and the voice has passion.

4. LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening

I hope that this isn’t the last LCD Soundsystem album. I know a lot of people don’t care, because it’s not as if James Murphy is retiring. But LCD Soundsystem was always more of a band than it’s given credit for. Murphy may be the lyricist, but the music is always credited to “LCD Soundsystem.” And the music is as much why the album(s) are great as Murphy’s wry, funny, pointed, moving lyrics. This album also seems to find the band really hitting its stride after (and this is not a knock on either) the singles-and-filler debut and heavily indebted Sound of Silver (“Get Innocuous” is more-Eno-than-Eno, while “New York I Love You” sounds like a piano cover of something that got bumped from a Velvet Underground album). Much like some bands continue to surprise, some bands continue to top themselves. And though nothing on this album quite matches the “Someone Great”/”All My Friends” pairing, the work as a whole is somehow even better. Beyond that, I’m at a loss for words. This is just simply a good album, and the best yet from the band.

3. Robyn: Body Talk

I am unabashedly, unashamedly pro-Robyn and have been since I spend a month (and $25) tracking down an import of her previous album because I didn’t want to wait to see if it would get an American release. So if you’ll permit me to climb up on my soapbox for a moment…

In an ideal world, Robyn would be one of the biggest pop stars in America right now. Really, the only female artist who compares is Beyonce. Both women boast a cannon of ungodly catchy songs that proffer an image of the artist as a strong individual whose womanhood is at once essential and incidental. They’re sexual without being whorish. If you’re not down with who they are, they don’t need you. OK, so Robyn is more dance music than modern R&B, and Robyn writes the majority of her songs while Beyonce only some. But- as unqualified as I probably am to assess this- they are strong role models. And I am qualified, at least in my own mind, to point out that they are responsible for infinitely better music than most other solo artists, female or not. Robyn makes Katy Perry sound less coquettish and more like a harlot- compare “Daisy dukes bikinis on top/Sun-kissed skin so hot we’ll melt your popsicle” with “Keep at me all you like/I came to dance not socialize.” Taylor Swift rakes it in peddling heartbreak, but she sounds like (and is) a high-school naïf compared to the Swede. “You Belong With Me” and “Dancing on my Own” express similar sentiments, but Robyn’s effort would eat Swift’s simply because it was bored.

I don’t mean to focus on Robyn as a woman- to compare her simply to other female solo artists glosses over the fact that her music is great on its own terms. But in music female solo artists seem to exist in a semi-hermetic environment, where they are as much pin-ups as singers and as much role models as artists. If this seems uncouth, remember that Susan Boyle has a good voice. The shock value came from the fact that she’s an ugly, forty-something spinster, a circumstance that has nothing to do with art. End of rant.

2. Vampire Weekend: Contra

This seems to be every kind of second album at once, depending on what you wanted it to be. Is it more of the same as their debut? Neither “White Sky” nor “Diplomat’s Son” will disabuse you of that notion. Are they expanding their sound while retaining keen pop instincts and a distinctive style? I submit for your consideration “Giving Up the Gun.” Did you want them to alienate those annoying teen robots who put the album on their i-Pod sandwiched between Coldplay and Katy Perry because MTV deemed them worthy of attention? Then you must have loved “Cousins.” If you were one of those teen robots, “Taxi Cab” is probably one of your two favorite tracks. Do they annoyingly co-opt musical styles that over-educated white boys have no business using? The horns on “Run” must have really pissed you off. If you thought “Oxford Comma” epitomized how pretentious and over-hyped they were, then “California English” will make you nod knowingly.

I don’t know if the band is necessarily as polarizing anymore as they were doomed to be (at least at first) from the music-critic hype. Personally, I think enjoying Vampire Weekend is similar to enjoying pizza or a good back rub- they’re just pleasurable experiences that don’t really speak to any part of an identity. Koenig is a solid songwriter who knows his way around a hook. They’re more sonically adventurous than the average band, but mainly so because Americans seem to forget that much of the world makes music that isn’t essentially descended from European classical music via American folk and blues (and don’t be mistaken- VW’s music is firmly rooted in these I-IV-V chord traditions). Contra is just really good music, and it would be with or without their self-titled debut. It can be analyzed musically, and it can be analyzed culturally, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s some of the best kind of music, the kind that just seems to exist a-contextually.

1. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Honestly, I’m not sure what I can say about the album or the artist that hasn’t been beaten to death, then revived using extraordinary measures just so it can be beaten to death again. So let’s just agree that “Kanye West” is sine qua non for Kanye West’s music. He’s emotional, fragile, narcisstic, funny, and inventive, an inveterate navel-gazer and someone who- not unlike the best football coaches- refuses to stop thinking about possibilities; the fact that something might work means its worth trying not once, but until it’s right or all possible permutations are exhausted. I don’t know how many people would think to have Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver on the same track (or even album), but I do know that if I had to pick one person to make it work I’d pick West. Cracked recently had an article that had probably the best take on Kanye I’d seen in a long time. The gist, if you don’t want to click over, is that because he plays out his neuroses so publicly people forget he’s a great musician. They then compare him to Brian Wilson, who was similarly crazy but much less public about it. I don’t know about the relationship between madness and genius, but Wilson and West both opened up their heads and exposed that madness in ways that made for sonically and lyrically interesting music. Frankly, if Kanye turns out to be Brian Wilson at his core, I wouldn’t be shocked.

Rich Mars Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-29T12:57:00.000-08:00

This is far from a definitive list. I haven't listened to all the new CDs released this year and I don't want to. This is really more a list of my favorites and stuff I thought was super cool.

In no particular order....

Bobby Bare Jr. -- A Storm - A Tree - My Mother's Head. Bobby's most consistent and rewarding album in a while. Backed by My Morning Jacket. Funny and deep and not serious and good.

Drive By Truckers -- The Big To-Do. If this world was right, this would have been a smash hit. A classic album with a variety of styles and great lyrics all in the general arena of DBT's gothic southern rock.

Black Angels -- Phosphene Dream. Best psychedelia from Texas since Roky Erickson. Loud and proud.

The Goodnight Loving -- Supper Club. These guys grow on me more all the time. Jangly and homespun. Their most consistent effort to date.

Galactic -- Yakamay. Live the funk. Feel the funk. Organic and modern all at once with variety of guest vocalists.

The Fall -- Your Future Our Clutter. Who woulda thought Mark E. Smith had this in him -- the brains to work with a kick-ass band that rocks its arse off while he warbles about ex-pats and other stuff.

Neil Young -- Le Noise. You either love Neil or you don't get him. If you love Neil, this features some might fine gee-tarr chords and nifty songs. New approach thanks to producer Daniel Lanois.

Deerhunter -- Halcyon Digest. Every tune I've heard on this is expertly crafted and delivered. Bradfod Cox rox.

Jaill -- That's How We Burn. I'm looking like a homer here with two Milwaukee bands on my list, but the first three tracks on this release were one of the best starts to any CD I heard this year. A few other gems on here, too. Straight ahead alt rock.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club -- Beat the Devil's Tattoo. This one doesn't jump out at you like some of their previous works, but after numerous listens, it's got some great material.

Honorable mentions: Gil Scott-Heron, Clinic, Walkmen, Sleigh Bells, Black Keys, Dum Dum Girls

Thomas Peppel Top Albums of 2010

2010-12-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

In no particular order

Lönndom-Viddernas Tolv Kapitel-2010

Forgotten_Tomb-Vol._5_1999-2009-2CD-2010

Dropkick Murphys-Live On Lansdowne, Boston MA-2010

Deftones-Diamond Eyes-2010

Karma To Burn-Appalachian Incantation-2010

Burning Love-Songs for Burning Lovers-2010

Alcest-Écailles de lune-2010

Umberto-From The Grave-2010

VA-Cani Arrabbiati - Opening Themes-2010

Library Tapes-Like Green Grass Against A Blue Sky-2010

Shiny McShine's Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

10. !!! (Chk Chk chk) - Strange Weather Isn't It?

9. Twin Shadow - Forget

8. WarPaint - The Fool

7. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

6. Four Tet - There Is Love In You

5. Girls - Broken Dreams Club EP

4. Beach House - Teen Dream

3. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

2. John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension - To The One

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Annie Blav's top 10 (+1) of 2010.

2010-12-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

11.) Best Coast: Crazy For You

10.) The Radio Dept: Clinging To A Scheme

9.) Surfer Blood: Astrocoast

8.) No Age: Everything In Between

7.) Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest

6.) Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

5.) Beach House: Teen Dream

4.) The National: High Violet

3.) LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

2.) Wavves: King of the Beach

1.) Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz

Tom's Top Ten Two Thousand Ten

2010-12-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

10. Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts

9. No Age - Everything In Between

8. Beach House - Teen Dream

7. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

6. The National - High Violet

5. Wavves - King of the Beach

4. Surfer Blood - Astrocoast

3. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

2. The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Honorable Mentions:

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II)
Beach Fossils - Beach Fossils
Wolf Parade - Expo 86

Maitre DK -- Mix-tape!

2010-12-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

Get at my mix-tape here. Visit, Download and Un-zip.

This is a 16 song compilation featuring a few of my favorite tracks from 2010.

_
Let me know if you like it!

Jason's Top 10 - It's Really Good

2010-12-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

My Top 10, in no particular order.

1. Grinderman - 2
Released: Sep 14, 2010

No shock here. Pure rock mayhem, Nick Cave style.

2. Robert Plant - Band of Joy
Released
: Sep 21, 2010

Really Robert Plant? Yes, really.

3. Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Released: Mar 9, 2010

Just a really great album from start to finish. Love the recording style on this.

4.
Oh No Ono - Eggs
Released: January 26, 2010

What a fun album.

5. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.
Released: September 28, 2010

Great producer + songwriter.

6. The Greenhornes - ****
Released: November 9, 2010

They're back! Well worth the 8 year wait.

7. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Released: February 9, 2010

Fir
st listen totally blew me away. Well done, chaps.

8.
AfroCubisim - AfroCubisim
Released: October 19, 2010

The original intention for Buena Vista Social Club. Happy these guys finally got it together.

9.
Archie Bronson Outfit - Coconut
Released: March 23, 2010

This is a fun one. Covers all the bases: Disco, Brit-Pop + Indie Punk

10. Autolux - Transit Transit
Released: August 3, 2010

Thank you Sonic Youth, opps, Autolux. You get the point. It's good.

Bonus!

11. Fout Tet - There Is Love In You
Released: January 26, 2010

Mood music. Listen to this one quite a bit while designing.

Honorable Mentions:

LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
!!! - Strange Weather, Isn't It?
Andrew Bird - Useless Creatures.
Dan Sartain - Lives
Rufus Wainwright - All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu
Mastodon - Cracke The Skye
Devo - Something for Everyone
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Liars - Sisterworld
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
MGMT - Congratulations
The New Pornographers - Together
Belle & Sebastian - Belle & Sebastian Write About Love
The National - High Violet
Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle
Metric - Fantasies
Klaxons - Surfing the Void
The Fall - Your Future Our Clutter
Owen Pallett - Heartland

Brian's Top Ten of Twenty-Ten (Not Two Thousand Ten)

2010-12-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

Procrastination has resulted in this bare bones Top 10 list. Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight.

10. Curren$y - Pilot Talk I/Pilot Talk II

9. Baths - Cerulean

8. Deerhunter Halcyon Digest

7. Vampire Weekend - Contra

6. Wavves - King of the Beach

5. Best Coast - Crazy For You

4. Warpaint - The Fool

3. The Walkmen - Lisbon

2. The National - High Violet

1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

(secret dj) Bill's Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

List songs available at http://hypem.com/#!/secretDJbill

Sleigh Bells "Treats"– (Deerhoof + Death from Above 1979)/M.I.A. = Sleigh Bells. "Crown on the Ground"
Band of Horses "Infinite Arms" – BoH get happy? All the elements that made their last two albums great are there, but there is an undeniable shift to several more up tempo songs. Opening for Pearl Jam earlier in the year and their own tour certainly exposed them to a lot more people. "Laredo"
The Drums "The Drums" – Fantastic album with several standout songs. "Let's Go Surfing"
Vampire Weekend "Contra" – Solid follow-up to their breakout first album, with the timely, commercial friendly “Holiday” standing out. "Holiday"
Infant Sorrow "Get Him to the Greek" – The best album by a fake band since “This is Spinal Tap”. Each song is hook heavy and filled with double and triple entendres. "Going Up" "Furry Walls" "The Clap"
M.I.A. "Maya" – Exactly the MIA album I expected, but after the success of “Paper Planes” I don’t think anyone else expected what came out. Elicited the jagged edges of her first album. "XXXO"
LCD Soundsystem "This is Happening"– I was a big fan of the single “Drunk Girls” and its video long before the full album came out. Another solid album, and like "Sound of Silver", will have many repeat plays. "Dance Yrself Clean"
Crocodiles "Sleep Forever" - I like "Hearts of Love"
The Black Keys "Brothers"- I was waiting for this album. A small let down but still great. "Tighten Up" "The Only One"
Arcade Fire "Suburbs" - My favorite AF album to date, though they could have cut 5-8 songs to tighten up the album as a whole in my opinion. "We Used to Wait"

Other

Most Disturbing Video - Lots of contenders here (see 12 Most NSFW videos of 2010), Along with Crocodiles homage to the Manson family, the uncensored Russel Brand video (making the censored version funnier) "anti" drug video "Just Say Yes", but for me it was the hostage situation in the Spike Jonze video for LCD Soundsystem's "Drunk Girls"

Safest Rap Album for White Hipsters to like - Lots of contenders here also. I had to include this after Lil' Wayne was on so many lists a couple years ago. Kayne West album has to be at the top, appeared on a lot of "best of" lists, but veering into such unique territory his album is barely rap anymore. Big Boi's album finally came out and is good, but 6 years after OutKast's "Love Below/Speakerboxx" it sounds a bit dated. Drake? Disqualified because he's Canadian. If I must I would choose Big Boi's "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty".

Biggest Disappointment - While albums could be listed here, I'm going to say the non-release of a new Santogold album.

Who Will Still Be On the Radio in 5 Years: Ke$ha or Gaga? - Classically trained, I vote Lady Gaga

Best of 2011 (leaked by the band) - Deerhoof "The Merry Barracks","Super Duper Rescue Heads" - & - Yuck "Rubber"

Most Ubiquitous Use of an Effect - Echo. Remember when it was auto-tune? This year it was all about capturing the sound of recording in a huge, empty hall. This album list has plenty of examples. Don't believe me? Listen to your own list of albums and damn me for ruining your enjoyment.

You Missed it Last Year (2009) - White Denim "I Start to Run" - & - Tinariwen "Tenhert"

Alex B's Top 10 2k10

2010-12-26T14:20:00.001-08:00

Just missed the list: Beach House "Teen Dream," Arcade Fire "The Suburbs," Sleigh Bells "Treats," Sufjan Stevens, "All Delighted People," Aloe Blacc "Good Things."

10. Cee-lo Green, "The Ladykiller"

Cee-lo sneaks onto my list if, for nothing else, on the basis of his ubiquitous single, “F*&k You” (or “Forget You” as the kids on “Glee” call it). And what a single it was--right up there with Outkast’s “Hey Ya” as a song to get the whole room jumping in a hurry. That said, the rest of the record is really worth a look for it’s eclectic tour through various shades of soul, hip hop, and even country music. Another major highlight here is Cee-lo’s take on Band of Horses’ “No One’s Gonna Love You” where he finds a brooding (though not oppressive) side to the original song.

9. Kings Go Forth "The Outsiders are Back"

Kings Go Forth “The Outsiders are Back” meticulously captures the sound and soul of driving soul and funk performances of the late 60s and early 70s. Much of the album was recorded on vintage amplifiers, mics, and tracks, giving the record a fuzzy warmth worthy of superfly or harder-edge Marvin Gay. Even more importantly though, KGF recognize that the best parts of music of the era they so faithfully recreate were in the energy and sense of unpredictability that came with that music’s spontaneity. Consequently, the best moments of “The Outsiders are Back”-- tracks like “One Day” and “Don’t Take My Shadow”--have a loose, even messy quality.

8. Broken Bells "Broken Bells"

This much-anticipated collaboration between Danger Mouse and Shins lead singer Dan Mercer is that rare project that really synthesizes hip-hop and indie rock in a convincing way. The electronic clicks and beeps of Mouse’s slick production turns out to be the perfect balance to Mercer’s quirky sensibilities and Beatlesque vocal harmonies.

7. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings "I Learned the Hard Way"

Sharon Jones has been well known for her dedicated recreations of Motown style soul. And for good reason: In the past she’s been something like a cross between James Brown and Aretha Franklin their respective primes. This new record adds a subtlety and depth to Jones and the Dap Kings’ music that makes her sound all their own. New to Jones’ music is a tense balance between fatigue and rage in Jones’ voice. The best songs—“I Learned the Hard Way” and “Mama Don’t Like My Man” are down-tempo laments about inner-city heartache and anger. While it’s always a risky move to affect “life in the ghetto,” it feels less like schtick or mere nostalgia than an authentic appeal.

6. Vampire Weekend "Contra"

Honda ads aside, Vampire Weekend delivers a record that unabashedly pronounces its odd mixture of Ivy League privilege, African polyrhythms, a sugary pop sensibility. I think this is at its best in hard-driving tracks like “Giving Up the Gun” where Vampire Weekend meshes carnival-organ orchestration with hard-driving rock.

5. Best Coast "Crazy for You"

I would agree with just about everything that’s been said here about Best Coast’s sun-drenched pop-rock record. It’s a reliable formula and Beth Conentino & co. pull it offer really well. I think the only thing I’d like to add is that, what makes this album seem to work so well is interplay between young and old sensibilities: Consentino perpetually seems like a thirty-five-year-old remembering (and misremembering) what it was like to be a precocious, angst-y teenager.

4. Kanye West “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”
In an interview Kanye West recently said, without irony, that, even though he can’t sing, dance or play an instrument well, he aspires to be the greatest entertainer of this generation. This record seems to back up that reckless kind of talk. “My Beautiful Dark Fantasy” pushes against a lot of typical hip hop conventions both in terms of its epic scope (could we call this prog-hop?) and its over-the-top arrangements. Throughout all of this, West plays with proverbial fire: He vacillates from gospel choirs to 70s cop themes to sinister imaginings of African conjurations to proclamations of himself as “Malcolm West.” Throughout, I can’t help but think that West might not be in control of his own God complex. And this element of danger is precisely what makes Kanye perpetually rewarding.

3. The National "High Violet"
This record is the refinement of the National’s subtle, brooding sound. It also seems to me that it seals Matt Birninger’s status as the successor to figures like Jeff Tweedy and Leonard Cohen who seem to a find an exhilarating sense of pleasure in self-loathing. On “Bloodbuzz Ohio” Birninger croons over his ambivalence over his disgust for Midwestern social manners while recognizing those very qualities in himself. In the meantime, songs like “Conversation 16” take self-loathing into the territory of the absurd as he admonishes his lover to stay away, fearing that he may transform into a brain-eating zombie. All this is delivered in a dead-pan that leaves us guessing whether Birninger is sincere or just burying the punchline.

2. Belle & Sebastian "Write About Love"
On “Write About Love” Stuart Murdoch returns to the twee-pop orchestration that made Belle & Sebastian a mainstay of indie music through the 1990s and 2000s. But this seems more a return to form than a rehash of old ideas. Sure, the old formulas are all there—the sparkly guitars and chirping vocals--but they’re laced with a new sense of adventurousness and a sense that the surface could fall away at any moment revealing rock and pop sensisbilities. Take for instance, the first and best track on the album, “I Didn’t See It Coming,” which opens with a slight, anonymous female voice singing over a drumbeat, building through the course of the song to a crescendo in which Murdoch crows over a moog synthesizer. Another gem is the bittersweet duet with Norah Jones on “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John.”

1. Janelle Monae "The Archandroid"

“The Archandroid” is the two middle suites of a four-part story based loosely on the classic sci-fi film Metropolis. But to reduce the album to its high-flown concept would be to sell Monae short. To me, it's much more significant as a musical statement. Monae draws from a palette that stretches from James Brown to the Flaming Lips to the schmaltzy Disney films to create what seems less like an album than a full-scale theatrical experience. The result is a record in which every track pushes the musical envelope while delivering an immediate classic pop single. In this sense, it is no exaggeration to compare it to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Lauryn Hill’s “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” or The Beatles’ “Revolver.” Like these records, “The Archandroid” introduces us to (clichéd and trite as the term has become) a true “superstar.”

Laura's favorites from 2010

2010-12-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

10. The National- High Violet:

Charming and polished songs that grow
with every listen

9. Jonsi- Go:

It's like a happier, speedier version of Sigur Ros.
Jonsi made a lot of bold choices both on the album and on tour

8. Yeasayer- Odd Blood:

Their set may have been the highlight of my
Lollapalooza and the album has a pretty long shelf, still not tired of
this odd one

7. The Delta Mirror- Machines that Listen:

I'm a sucker for an album about chronic illness or death. Each song takes place in a different
hospital room; it is haunting and sweet

6. Arcade Fire-The Suburbs:

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Delightful story telling, privileged yet self-aware

5. How to Dress Well- Love Remains:

For those who love lo-fi looping
and falsettos as much as I do

4. Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark and Twisted Fantasy:

I love almost every moment of this album, and I haven't found anyone that can't
connect to something here

3. Phantogram- Eyelid Movies:

This album gets most likely to played on
repeat. I've clocked more hours with this one than anything else this
year

2. Beach House- Teen Dream:

Beautiful song writing, warm fuzzy lullabies

1. Gayngs- Related:

It's a tongue and cheek soft rock album that
works, it's really unlike anything I'd ever heard before

Matthew Webber's 11 Favorite Albums of 2010

2010-12-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

I used to write hundreds and thousands of words, on music and myself and their Venn intersection, but now I just tweet to my tens or ones of followers. I’ve never stopped listening, I listen all the time, but these are the albums that made me want to speak. These are the albums whose chords struck a chord. This is the music that made me miss writing, the music that left me more awestruck than articulate. The music that deserves more than 140 characters.

1. Kaiser Cartel – Secret Transit

She sang into my ear like a lover. I fell.

2. Kate Miller-Heidke – Curiouser

The smart girl who’s wilder than anyone suspects (& also loves your favorite bands).

3. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

A gryphon & a sexbot walk into a club…

4. Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue

Top 5 desert-island rocker/author mixtapes. Go!

5. Taylor Swift – Speak Now

31 y.o. man seeks country/pop ingenue. Must love singing, journaling, avenging.

6. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Where the wild things rock out; Canadian beauty.

7. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

What: A party. Who: Everyone. When: Now. Why: Why not?

8. Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid

Concept album? Androids? Nope. Just love songs.

9. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh

Part two? Ankhs? Nope. More love songs.

10. Rufus Wainwright – All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu

The diva’s throat catches. (His eyeshadow sparkles.) The notes plummet earthward, then ascend to greater mysteries.

11. The Roots – How I Got Over

“Matthew Webber’s Daily Commute: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”

Matt Brusky’s top albums (& EP's) of 2010

2010-12-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

10. Guards EP – Guards
Resol ut i on of One

9. Jungle/Surf - Pill Wonder
Wishing Whale

8. Wise Blood EP – Wise Blood
STRN SRN

7. At Echo Lake – Woods
Blood Dries Darker

6. Everything in Between - No Age
Glitter

5. Brothers – The Black Keys
Next Girl

4. Young EP- Summer Camp
Round the Moon

3. The Monitor -Titus Andronicus
A More Perfect Union

2. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Sprawl II

1. Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter
Desire Lines

Next 5
11. Contra – Vampire Weekend
White Sky
12. Search – Herzog
Paul Blart and the Death of Art
13. Play it Strange – The Fresh and Onlys
Tropical Island Suite
14. Shame, Shame – Dr. Dog
Jackie Wants a Black Eye
15. Melted – Ty Segall
Caesar

Top 10 songs

1. I was Denied – Thee Oh Sees

2. Marathon – Tennis

3. Put the Days Away – Sun Airway

4. Paul Blart and the Death of Art – Herzog

5. Tighten Up – The Black Keys

6. Go Outside – The Cults

7. Cascades – The Mantles

8. Bricks or Coconuts – Jacuzzi Boys

9. Ghost Train - Summer Camp

10. Stephen – Veronica Falls

Top Video

Party Machine – Bruce Haack

2010-12-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

JOE M. top four loko... i mean top ten

2010-12-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

10. Call Me Lightning - When I Gone My Blood Will Be Free

GET RAD!!!!!!!!

9. Beach Fossils - Beach Fossils

danelectros. for justin.

8. Like Pioneers - Piecemeal

for my friends in chicago.

7. Teen Daze - Four More Years EP

cool to skateboard to.

6. Happy Birthday - Happy Birthday

chad didn't like them at the pabst.

5. No Age - Everything in Between

dance randy, dance

4. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

it's still us against them.

3. Women - Public Strain

girls are pretty cool too.

2. Wavves - King of the Beach

dank.

1. Lower Dens - Twin-Hand Movement

true grit

R.I.P. Cougar Den

Mel's Top 10 Albums of 2010

2010-12-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

10. Girl Talk – All Day
It was this or Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas II You. Both albums I am equally excited and embarrassed about. Deal with it. This album is great running music, and it’s apparently a great album to dance to when you’re blackout gin-drunk (or so I’ve been reminded).

9. Great Lake Swimmers – Ongiara
A friend gave this album to me a couple months ago, and since then it’s gracefully made its way into my normal rotation of mellow albums I listen to while working. Wikipedia (I know, shut up) compares GLS to Nick Drake, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine and Neil Young – all of whom I love dearly.

8. The Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt
There’s something about Kristian Matsson’s voice I can’t get over. I love this album.

7. Cold War Kids – Behave Yourself EP
The only thing I have to complain about is that this was an EP and not a full-length album. It still had great songs on it to tide me over until the next release. They put on a great live show.

6. Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
Nothing, in my opinion, will compare in greatness to their Cease to Begin album, but I still enjoyed the new tracks included on Infinite Arms.

5. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
I heard all the hype way before I actually downloaded this album, but I’m glad I did. I like their style, and the way they incorporate twangy harmonies into their folk rock à la The Avett Brothers.

4. The National – High Violet
The National could sing the phone book and I would still enjoy it. It isn’t my favorite album they’ve released, but it was one of my top albums of the year.

3. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
I generally dislike Kanye and his shenanigans, but this album is legitimately great. I love the songs featuring guest artists, especially his cover of Bon Iver’s “Woods” (titled “Lost In The World” on MBDTF).

2. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
I maintain my belief that this album is better than Neon Bible. I agree to disagree with the people who say otherwise.

1. The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You
I didn’t immediately love this album compared to the group’s earlier releases, but it grew on me the more I listened to it. I can safely call this my favorite and most-listened-to album of 2010.

@melwhalen
forever-insatiable.tumblr.com

Tarik AKA the Architect's Top 10

2010-12-26T01:02:00.000-08:00

I do love to procrastinate. Here is my top 10 albums of 2010.

10. Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon

I have to say this has to be one of 2010's most overlooked albums. How can you go wrong with an album by TV On The Radio's producer Dave Sitek. The album is an impressive mixture of sounds and genres with an guest vocalist roster. David Bryne, Little Dragon, Karen O, Theophilus London, Tunde Adimpe and others brings Dave Sitek productions to a whole new level.

Highlight Tracks:

"Young Love" feat. Little Dragon

"Communion" feat. Karen O

"Apartment Wrestling" feat. David Bryne

"Groove Me" feat. Theophlius London

9. Gayngs - Relayted

Next up is the midwestern supergroup Gayngs. I couldn't get their sultry, sex-filled sounds out of my head. Seeing them live at Turner Hall secured them in my top 10 of 2010. Also the fact that I played a show with its founder Ryan Olson's former band Digitata when I lived in Minneapolis.

Highlight Tracks

"Faded High"

"The Gaudy Side Of Town"

"No Sweat"

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8. Big Boi - "Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty"

This has to be best hip hop album of 2010. Big Boi did not stray from his Atlanta roots on this album. Big Boi's delivery skills is one of the most underrated.

Highlight Tracks:

"Fo Yo Sorrows" feat. George Clinton, Too Short & Sam Chris

"Daddy Fat Sax"

"Turns Me On" feat. Sleepy Brown, & Joi

"Shutterbug"

"General Patton"

"Tangerine"

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7. Andreya Triana - "Lost Where I Belong"

When I first heard the lovely, talented Andreya's voice it was on Flying Lotus' track "Tea Leaf Dancers." The song blew me away and it was on repeat in 2008. Her debut release is one of the best and most refreshing soul releases of 2010. Produced by one of my favorite producers Simon Green aka Bonobo.

Highlight tracks:

"A Town Called Obsolete"

"Draw The Stars"

"Lost Where I Belong"

"Far Closer"

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6. Sleigh Bells - Treats

One of the most hyped duo of 2010, and they definitely lived up to that hype with their crunchy, hip hop infused sound. The duo's background is also interesting. One is from a girl pop band and the other from a punk band - a match made in heaven.

Higlight tracks:

"Rill Rill"

"Kids"

"Crown On the Ground"

"A/B Machines"

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5. Quadron - Quadron

Who would have thought that such an amazing futuristc R&B record would come from Denmark. This duo created a lush and sensual record. Quadron's singer Coco voice should be a contender for best soul or jazz vocalist at the Grammy's. It is an album you can play all the way through many times over.

Highlight Tracks:

"Pressure"

"Slippin"

"Herfra Hvor Vi Star"

"Buster Keaton"

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4. Cee Lo Green - Lady Killer

Cee Lo just can't do know wrong. He is the second artist from my hometown of Atlanta. From his days with Atlanta's Goodie Mob to being part of the very successful Gnarls Barkley, Cee Lo is one of the most versatile artists in the 21st century. He is probably the only artist that could take a four letter word and make it fun for all. Lady Killer is what a pop album should be.

Highlight Tracks

"F*ck You"

"Bright Lights, Bigger City"

"No One's Gonna Love You" (Band Of Horses Cover)

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3. James Blake - CMYK & Klavierwerke EPs

He is electronic music answer to Bon Iver. He produced one of my favorite tracks of 2010 called CMYK, which used samples of Aaliyah and Kelis. His productions are minimal, lush, and soulful all at the same time. He not only produces, but he has an amazing voice that conjurs the haunting voice of Justin Vernon. His forthcoming debut album is one the most anticipated releases for 2011. Check out his cover of Feist's "Limit to Your Soul."

Highlight tracks:

"CMYK"

"I Only Know"

"Footnotes"

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2. Janelle Monae - "The Archandroid"

What can I say about this album other than DAMN!!! I have been following Janelle since her single "Lettin' Go" that appeared on Big Boi's "Purple Ribbon All-Stars" back in 2007. An another Atlanta artist that is breaking the mold. Archandroid is soul record with a broadway musical foundation. Then it is her live shows that solidifies her place in history. Think Bjork meets James Brown.

Highlight Tracks:

"Dance or Die" feat. Saul Williams

"Tightrope" feat. Big Boi

"Cold War"

"Come Alive"

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1. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

2010's best album of the year comes Alice Coltrane's nephew Steve Ellison aka Flying Lotus. He brings a jazz sensiblities to electronic music and hip hop for that matter. Cosmogramma is one of the most original releases in 2010 that will be look upon as a classic many years from now.

Highlight Tracks:

"Do the Astral Plane"

"...And The Wold Laughs With You" feat. Thom Yorke

"Satelllliiiiiiiteee"

"Computer Face/Pure Being"

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Top Ten Party Dec 26

2010-12-25T16:57:00.001-08:00

don't forget! The Top Ten Party is tomorrow night December 26 downstairs at Milwaukee Ale House 233 N Water St at 8pm!

Make sure to bring:

-Your List!
- Your mix cd or link to your online mix
-A non perishable food item or cash donation for the AIDS Resource Center of WI Food Pantry
-Your appetite for Milwaukee Ale House Food
-A healthy willingness to talk LOTS of music!!

see ya then!!

-matt

rachael ann's top ten 2o1o

2010-12-25T15:55:00.001-08:00

there was a day this year when i looked in the mirror and saw cycles and spirals flailing downward over me... i had a new dream, awoke and knew i had to leave. here is to the music snobs that have shaped me... i miss you dearly... and to my favorite snob who forever possesses a piece of my heart. this is the music that got me here and got me through...

10. how to dress well... love remains.
09. the tallest man on earth... the wild hunt.
08. broken bell... broken bells.
07. tie: sleigh bells... treats and best coast... crazy for you.
06. ariel pink's haunted graffiti... before today.
05. janelle monae... arch android.
04. kanye... my beautiful dark twisted fantasy.
03. warpaint... the fool.
02. the walkmen... lisbon.
01. the national... high violet.

peace and sweet dreams in 2011!

Shanimal's Top Ten of Twenty-Ten

2010-12-25T15:35:00.001-08:00

Please forgive for the lack of writing or technology, My computer is defective. So I'm actually doing this via phone. I will gladly talk to you about it at the party tomorrow! Merry Christmas everyone!

10. Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame
9. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
8. Best Coast -Crazy For You
7. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
6. Warpaint - The Fool
5. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
4. The Black Keys - Brothers
3. Beach House - Teen Dream
2. Los Campesinos- Romance is Boring
1. The National - High Violet

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Maitre DK -- 2010

2010-12-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

15. Delorean: Subzia

Tastes great, less filling. I kept coming back to this dance album. These dudes are young and I am looking forward to their next.

Favorite tracks:
--Stay Close
--Simple Graces*

14. Mgmt: Congratulations

This is a cerebral, measured follow-up to their first. I love this album solely for the title track "Congratulations".

Favorite tracks:
--Congratulations*
--Siberian Breaks

13. Titus Adronicus: The Monitor

Titus Adronicus is one of the most interesting personalities in indie rock. Their Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Grizzly Adams brand of punk rock is both intriguing and bad-ass. You either love it or hate it.*

Favorite tracks:
--Four Score and Seven
--To Old Friends and New
--Theme from "Cheers"

12. Vampire Weekend: Contra

An excellent follow-up to their first, Contra offers an evolved version of their debut.

Favorite tracks:
--Giving Up the Gun
--Diplomat's Son
--I Think Ur a Contra

11. Matthew Dear: Black City

Matthew Dear offers up a dark, mysterious brand of ornate dance music that combines musical and theatric traditions of the following three Davids: David Byrne, David Lynch, and Fame-era David Bowie. But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself!

Favorite tracks:
--You Put a Smell On Me*
--Little People (Black City)*

Note:If you squint and use your imagination you can see my girlfriend and I in the bottom left corner of these videos.

10. Robyn: Body Talk (1, 2 & 3)

With her Body Talk series, Robyn has placed a pop-music kamikaze blitz, full-court press, and sideways supplex on us this year. Her Scandinavian sensibilities command you to the dance floor. The songs have mass-appeal, but are written with the honesty and authenticity that is missing from top-40 radio.

Favorite tracks:
--Don't fucking tell me what to do
--Dancing on my own*
--Hang with me
--You should know better (featuring Snoop Dogg)
Note: This is the best collaboration Snoop has done since "Ain't nothing but a G thang". Snoop's steez pairs great with Robyn's lazy delivery and these space-age Nordic beats.

9. Sleigh Bells: Treats

Guitar stabs and samples are stitched together to create a cacophony of sound that is contrasted dangerously with syrupy-sweet, sing-song lyrics. The result is exciting and got you amped in 2010.* Can this sound grow?

Favorite tracks:
--Rill Rill
--A/B Machines

8. Beach House: Teen Dream

The sleepy spell this Baltimore duo casts is gentle and dreamy. The album is confident, strong and has an intangible quality that leads me to believe my children will own it (or will have at least downloaded it.)

Favorite tracks:
--Zebra
--Silver Soul
--Walk in the Park*
--Used To Be

7. Tame Impala: Innerspeaker

This is the perfect album for staring at the sun. New-comers Tame Impala fits the year's trend of beach friendly psych-out jams. They, however, do-so with effortless genuine honesty and without the self-aware wink that accompanies many of their contemporaries' songs.

Their vocals sound like John Lennon reincarnate and their bright, ambling guitars are accompanied by loping, enthusiastic drums.

Favorite tracks:
--It's not meant to be
--Lucidity
--Solitude is Bliss*

6. LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening

LCD's third album is a succinct set of nine patient Krautrock jam-outs. These measured, calculated dance beats maintain their organic, improvisational mores and pleasantly pair with the soulful crooning, conversational ramblings and dry humor of veteran soundsmith James Murphy. It is an expertly executed album.

Favorite tracks:
--Dance Yrslf Clean*
--All I Want
--Pow Pow*

5. Hot Chip: One Life Stand

Hot Chip writes heartfelt, soulful songs with undertones which are both quirky* and tender*. You can enjoy this album equally dancing or stewing in bittersweet satisfaction.

Favorite tracks:
--Thieves in the night
--Hand me down your love
--Alley cats

4. Deerhunter: Halcycon Digest

This Deerhunter album is their most accessible, pop friendly album to date. It is a surreal, introspective collection of pop-music soundscapes. Bradford Cox is the hardest working man in the indie rock universe and in concert, or on album, he shares his infectious, genuine joy for musical exploration and the development of his craft.

My favorite Halcycon Digest moment is the heavy, wailing rhythm & blues saxophone on Coronado. Its one of those moments where an artist takes a certain sound (this of which I've always associated with over-produced, over-the-hill rock-n-roll) and breathes new vitality into it.

If you enjoy this album you should also check out the four volumes of demo albums Bradford Cox released this year as Atlas Sound. They are called the Bedroom Databank albums and were made available to download for free on Bradford's blog*. My favorite tracks include the loopy, sample-based song "New Romantic" and the cover of Bob Dylan's "This Wheels on Fire" on Volume 1.

Favorite tracks:
--Coronado*
--Don't Cry
--Desire Lines

3. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

My first opinion was jeezy's newest was good, but not "pee your pants good". Upon retrospection, I may need to reverse this statement. Kanye is definitely on "some-other-shit" and has crafted an album that, in this guy's opinion, is the best mainstream rap album since Stankonia. It is both dirty and delicate, aggressively authentic and beautiful.

Favorite tracks:
--Runaway**(!)
--Dark Fantasy

2. Gorillaz: Plastic Beach

Damon Albarn has again collected a misfit group of collaborators to demonstrate mastery of pop-music and compose the newest chapter in Gorillaz's prolific mythology. The rich, colorful voices combine with broad musical traditions to spin a yarn of melancholy and poignant optimism.

My only criticism is with such a wide-range of collaborators and special guests the sum of the album may feel more like a lengthy compilation rather than a cohesive album.

Favorite tracks:
--Some kind of nature (featuring Lou Reed)* and my see my view here.
--On Melancholy Hill
--Plastic Beach*
--Broken
--Pirate Jet

1. Yeasayer: Odd Blood

Yeasayers psychedelic, rhythmic wall-of-sound evokes grandiose landscapes, epic in scale. It encourages the listener to shed all clothing and dance, with arms raised to the rain, beneath the pale moon-lit skies of some ancient alpine valley.

Favorite tracks:
--The Children
--Ambling Alp*
--O.N.E.
--Love me girl

Note:

* -- don't miss these selections.

Andy Nelson's TOP TEN of 2010

2010-12-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

10) Grinderman - "Grinderman 2"

Gasoline Hip Thrust. Nick Cave just made a new music genre and it's called "Gasoline Hip Thrust."

For those of you that do not know "Grinderman 2" is the second installment from Nick Cave's side project. Almost the same lineup as Bad Seeds but this sound is FASTER and HARDER.

Nick Cave has been rocking 20+ years more than the rest of the artists on my list. I can feel it. As Cave says in their first single, Heathen Child, "you think your great big husband will protect you - you are wrong - you think your little wife will protect you - you are wrong - you think your children will protect you - you are wrong - you think your government will protect you - you are wrong." This Grinderman record has completely taken me over and I imagine it has a lot to do with his 50 something year old prowess.

The guitars on this album are like shovels - digging a dirty manly grave for you to have sex in. I love every minute of it.

Rock n Roll never left, Nick Cave just brings it out when he wants to.

9) Dinosaur Feathers - "Fantasy Memorial"

Fans of Vampire Weekend, Mates of State, Dirty Projectors will love elements of this band. It's as if a zombie Buddy Holly was backed by the Animal Collective dudes. Smart/Dancy/Fun.

This LollyPop Rock Trio from Brooklyn has quite the interesting line-up. Andy Dick plays the drum machine and keys. Kevin Smith (aka Silent Bob) is on bass. Alex Winter from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is on vocals and acoustic guitar. Each member in this band looks like a Hollywood actor and it's hilarious. Seriously, it adds a lot to the experience of seeing them live. They've come to Milwaukee three times now (twice at Club Garibaldi and once in a basement with the Fatty Acids). Don't miss them the next time they come around!

Frontman, Greg Sullo's jangling guitar and high soaring vocal harmonies is mixed in with these huge hip-hop sized beats. I hope this band doesn't get lost in all the somewhat similar bands coming out of New York these days, but I believe their creativity sets them apart. I'm very interested to see what this band comes up with next.

8) Arcade Fire - "Suburbs"

Arcade Fire are gods among men. This is the only band on this list I KNOW I'll still be listening to when I'm 75. They could offer me farts in shrink wrap and I'd respond, "Mmm that sounds good, I'll have that." Enough said.

7) Beach House - "Teen Dream"

Dream pop at it's best. I love a good haunting sound. Beach House will “hushhhhh” you to sleep and then slit your throat with a broken plastic sand shovel.

Doesn't Victoria Legrand sound like she's a 45 year old cougar that smokes too much? I have no idea how old she is. 25? Nobody cares. In any case, I can't help but be swooned by this cougar. There's something very magical about Beach House's sound. There last album, Devotion, was good but I think they've reached a whole new level with Teen Dream.

However, truth be told, I've always been a bigger fan of Bat For Lashes who hold a similar sound. Beach House has won me over with this recent album. We'll have to see what Bat For Lashes comes back with in 2011. Jury is still out.

6) Junip - "Fields"

This album provides the perfect backdrop for a Wisconsin winter. Throw some headphones on, bundle up, and go for a walk through Milwaukee this winter while listening to Junip. It's beautiful.

Shame on you if you missed Junip's concert this summer at Turner Hall. Learn to trust anything Jose Gonzalez lends his unique voice to. That voice. That voice is so haunting yet as comforting as your mother singing you to sleep.

However, don't let me mislead you, this is not a Jose Gonzalez band with a couple of dudes behind him. This is a solid 3-piece band from Sweden.
Gonzalez and Elias Araya (drums) have been playing together since they were 14. The two met Tobias Winterkorn (keyboards) attending hardcore shows in Sweden in the mid-90s. That familiarity comes across on this album. Jose's voice is unmistakable but the music on this album is a totally different ride. Tobias and Elias have helped give Jose a new layered and darker edge.

I had the immense honor of taking the band out after their show at Turner Hall and two things stick out about their personalities and I think the same can be said about their music. They are, especially Jose, three of the kindest and thoughtful people I've ever met. They are also, especially Tobias, very very strange. They're strange in a Bjork kind of way and I love it. Whatever your past experience with Jose Gonzalez, give Junip a listen. This is a whole different animal.

5) Conspiracy of Owls - "Conspiracy of Owls"

Fans of Pet Sounds era Beach Boys will love this record.

Jaill recommended this band on their facebook page over the summer. Who knew I'd end up liking their record more than Jaill's. Conspiracy of Owls is a side project of the Detroit based band The Go. Both projects are on Burger Records.
Burger Records have ownership of my favorite "sound" of the year. Black Lips, Jaill, Happy Birthday, and Harlem are all on or were on Burger Records. Brian Wilson is a huge influence on Conspiracy of Owl's only single of the album and their best song, "Ancient Robots." But instead of surfer girls they’re talking about robots. Robots is a topic that resonates more with me anyhow - no offense Mr. Wilson.

With that said, don't think that this is a straight Beach Boys remake. A large portion of this album is a mix of new wave and psychedelic and a light coat of grunge. Think Julian Casablanca backed by the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band but they're young, full of life, inventive and playing at a dark, sweaty CBGBs and it's 1993 and Joe Jackson is definitely in the crowd somewhere, tapping his white shoes in approval. Now that sounds like a run on sentence – I mean good concert. Wouldn't it be nice?

4) Girls - "Broken Dreams Club"

6 songs? 6 fucking songs! These Girls are such a tease. I really just look at this record as a welcomed extension of their self-titled debut from 2009. Not much has changed and I, for one, have no problem with that. It's the same droopy eyed, Macaulay Culkin looking, Buddy Holly sounding, swooning about the ladies and drugs and pain in his life. Unfortunately, it seemed with the immediate buzz and acclaim of Girls debut last year brought on some sort of hatred from many indie-music lovers. That's a shame. However, I'm confident that over the years people will rediscover this band as something far more innocent and deserving than originally perceived. Broken Dreams Club helps that movement. It's six extremely heavy songs sung lightly and honestly. "Substance" is my favorite song off of this album. It's a great example of what Girls does best. Broken Dream Club is more sorrowful that the last album as a whole, but still packs an upbeat pop-punch.

3) Eddy Current Suppression Ring - "Rush To Relax"

This Australian post-punk band has swapped shows with Milwaukee locals The Goodnight Loving over the past couple years. They've yet to carve much a niche here in the states however.

I heard Alejandro Escovedo say a couple months ago that, "I Wanna Be Your Dog by The Stooges is the perfect example of a true rock n roll song." Eddy Current Suppression Ring has made an album in that same light.

Eddy Current recorded this entire album in less time than a regular work day. Six hours... "rush to relax," I guess. This album has many crescendos and pits and drunken falls till your smashing your head against some jagged brick wall. (Finally a band that kicks you in the face but they do it in such a catchy way!) This album is honestly somewhat exhausting but after multiple listens it is sort of beautiful and complete and it's own beast. You go on this punk adventure with the band for nine songs and you end up at my favorite song on the album, the title track, "Rush To Relax." It starts with a big fast beat and goes into their familiar jangly guitar and loud rambles, but this trip is different. He starts to calmly say "slow down before you fall down," over and over. You start to hear waves mixed in with the rhythm of the song until it morphs into only that. Just waves crashing up against rocks and the occasional seagull for an extended 20 minutes on the end of the record. There is a certain mantra and continuity to this album that I haven't heard on previous Eddy Current albums. It's another true testament to the punk artistry of this band.

2) Avi Buffalo - "Avi Buffalo"

This is my “Debut-Band of the Year.” Much has been made about their age. They're only 19. This only makes me excited for the future of this band. What will lead singer, Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg, do with a few more years of life under him? His age is evident in his lyrics, but not in a bad way. The lyrics are intelligent and poetic, but age appropriate as he writes about being horny, summer cum, and sings about having "too much time to die." Somehow with all this self-inspection he never manages to take himself too seriously. There's a certain tongue-in-cheek feel and playfulness to a number of the songs on the record that I love. Frank Zappa was the King of this and I think Avi has a little of that in him - even if he can't grow a mustache yet. That baby face in overalls can sure as hell play the guitar though. His playing seems to be so quick, like Brandon Jennings but without the broken foot. I had a chance to talk briefly with Avi when they were in town opening up for Blitzen Trapper at Turner Hall, we spoke mostly about the strangely beautiful Talking Heads movie "True Stories," but the whole time he gave off this aura of confidence. Not in a dick way, but just self-assured. He doesn't seem too nervous of the future because he has no reason to be. I have no idea what kind of music he'll be putting out ten years from now. I wouldn't be surprised if he was screaming in a heavy metal band or crooning in a smooth jazz band. Either way, I'll be listening.

1) Kanye West - " My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

We will not have a more polarizing artist in our lifetime than Kanye West. Let me get one thing out of the way, dude is an asshole (he does refer to himself as a D-bag on "Runaway"). But he is so much more than that. Much has been made about how many collaborators he has on this record. Let's be clear, they are only support. This is the Kanye West show. However, you do need a good team around you. He explains this on the first song "Dark Fantasy," "Too many Urkels on your team, that's why your Winslow." OHH! I love it. There is a whole Chicago feeling to this record. It's big city but hard working and blue collar. It's cold but so hot. It's big beats but so smooth. As a whole, I like the "Graduation" album a little better but this album has something on that album, the song "Monster." "Monster" is the best hip song since Mos Def's "Casa Bay," a couple years back. "Monster" is exactly what it’s title suggests. It is utter excitement, surprising you at every corner. Your 30seccommerical/Twitter/ADD/FastFood brains try to runaway from this song but it snatches you back every time and takes a big bite out of your brains for 6 minutes and 19 seconds. Just to give you a bloody taste of the complexity of this song: at 4:57 Nicki Manaj screams "I'M A MOTHER-FUCKING MONSTER!" and then at 5:18 Justin Vernon comes on and starts singing. Underneath all this is Kanye, as always. Take six minutes right now, throw this song on, and try NOT to dance.

Before you dismiss Kanye, remember who you're dealing with. This 33 year old rapper from Chicago and son of a Black Panther and Professor of English, has been behind all our favorite Hip Hop / Pop music for the past ten years - from Jay-Z to Alicia Keys to Mos Def to Nas to Janet Jackson to Ludacris to Dr. Dre to Talib Kweli. He also has his own label, GOOD music with features the best in the game, Kid Cudi, Common, and John Legend. This man knows talent and how to make it better. That includes himself as it seems he just keeps getting better and more diverse.

"The same people that try to black ball me, forgot about two things - my black balls."

Annie’s Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

#1 - Jim Jones Revue – Burning your House Down: If music hadn’t evolved since 1958 but just kept getting louder, it would probably sound a lot like this. These guys evoke Little Richard and get the joint jumpin’. It takes you back to a time when rock n’ roll was dangerous and danceable. Their live show is as fun and intense as it gets. I was fully impressed by their keyboardist – he never sat down, he just crouched in front of the piano and went to town. High Horse Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJJTFuFlUtE Your ballet slippers are not immune to Jim Jones’ infectious energy.

#2 - Grinderman - Grinderman 2: There is so much frantic energy to the record that it’s always walking the fine line between madness and brilliance. Ultimately it settles on the latter category but just barely. Like the album, the live show bordered on the weird but Nick Cave proved that his frontman skills have only improved with age.

#3 - The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards: Jack White projects always have an unfair advantage on my list, but truly this group proved that they are no fluke with this second outing. As a white girl, I can attest that we do indeed trip when Jack sings at Sunday service.

#4 - Gorillaz – Plastic Beach: I was iffy on this record until their live show at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. When they brought out the string and horns sections for the intro, I knew we were in for something really special and Albarn & co did not disappoint. The crowd was on their feet the whole show with guest after guest nailing their parts and looking like they were having an excellent time visiting the candy colored world of the plastic beach. It truly transported you to a magical place. However, the art took a backseat to the music on this disc and as a longtime Gorillaz fan, I missed the pureness of the original concept a bit.

#5 - The Black Keys – Brothers: I finally just discovered these guys this year and wondered, as I’m sure everyone reading this blog is, where the hell had I been? Clever lyrics and gritty songs, this is listenable as hell. I am already making up for lost time on the iPod and gradually picking up the rest of their earlier material. Very much looking forward to their show at Aragon next week.

#6 - Hillbilly Casino – Tennessee Stomp: We saw these guys open for Jim Jones Revue and I was immediately hooked. One part country and one part rockabilly, this is a great record to kick off your summer trip up north.

#7 - Slash s/t: This living legend just schooled basically every whippersnapper guitarist/songwriter out there, and it sure doesn’t hurt that he had his pick of vocalists to compliment the tracks he came up with perfectly. I even enjoyed the songs with vocalists who I detest in their day jobs (see: Fergie), but the real treats are the tracks where he’s teamed up with his rock equals like Ozzy, Lemmy and Iggy. My favorite track has to be the appropriately titled instrumental “Watch this” with Dave Grohl and Duff McKagan. This disc has already probably had more spins on my iPod than Chineese Democracy...

#8 - How to Destroy Angels s/t: Like Jack White, Trent Reznor projects are shoo-ins for my list. Trent has written some lovely songs for this EP, but what really upsets me about this new project is that all the songs sound like Nine Inch Nails but instead of Trent there’s some chick singing them. I get that he wants to include the wifey, but I don’t think Mariqueen Maandig’s vocals really lend anything new or better to what are essentially NIN songs. However since I still love NIN songs this EP still makes the cut.

#9 - Zodiac – Electric Six: Another group I can’t get enough of. These guys have been churning out the fun for a long time now - keep it coming, please. The only reason this isn’t higher on my list is this some parts got a little self indulgent, and last year’s Kill was a very tight record whereas this one has a few questionable tracks. They’ve put out a record a year for the last half decade, but they might do themselves a favor by slowing down a bit and self-editing to only release their best.

#10 - Evelyn Evelyn s/t: Let’s hear it for the return of the sea shanty! Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley team up as a fictional pair of conjoined twins and really flush out the back story on this disc which is a mix of storytelling and songs from the Evelyn twins’ first person perspective. The live show really put this content over the top when they played the whole set literally joined at the hip, even going so far as playing piano one hand each. It goes from haunting to childlike joy, but the one downfall is too much talking, not enough music. They could have left the storytelling in the liner notes. My favorite video of the year goes to them –

Honorable Mentions: Scissor Sisters – Night Work, Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue, Cee-Lo – The Lady Killer, M.I.A. – MAYA, Vampire Weekend – Contra, Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Best Covers Album - Amanda Palmer Plays the Popular Hits of Radiohead on her Magical Ukulele: Stripped down to their barest elements, these Radiohead tracks are still touching and resonant.

Best Live Album - Under the Great White Northern Lights: Every White Stripes show I’ve been to has been mind-blowingly good and this album is full of gems which really take on new dimension live.

Soundtrack you’d think would be crap but is actually great - Twilight Eclipse: I know what you’re thinking – isn’t this just teenybopper Paramore or My Chemical Romance tracks? With new material from Vampire Weekend, Dead Weather, Beck and many more, this album is actually a shockingly great compilation of tunes from bands you wouldn’t have expected to sign up for this particular franchise.

RuPaul Von Smaxwill's Top 10 Records of 2010

2010-12-22T17:48:00.000-08:00

1.) Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom

2.) High Violet by The National

I can't waste anymore of everyone's time talking about The National.

3.) Brothers by The Black Keys

"Everlasting Light". Best Track One, Side One of 2010. Maybe. I didn't hear them all.

4.) Transference by Spoon

"Who Makes Your Money" is worth the price of admission alone. Thoroughly enjoyed this album all year long after three records from them that I didn't see as exceptional, unlike most critics and seemingly the general public.

5.) Lisbon by The Walkmen

The horns on "Stranded" just kill me and the simple lines are getting belted all over the place. The Walkmen lines that get rooted in your brain.

"I am a good man by any count/and I see better things to come."

"You're one of us/or one of them."

"You don't want me/ You can tell me/ I'm the bigger man here/ Oh, it's true."

Like Matt Berninger, it's usually a conversation with Hamilton Leithauser, and I always imagine that the person they are saying these things to just won't respond. The difference between the two is that Berninger has calmed and isn't making a scene, while Leithauser can't stop yelling about it. When will he learn?

6.) Epic by Sharon Van Etten

Two releases and two Smaxwill Top 10 Lists for SVE. Epic is a carnival ride compared to her debut. She picks up a band and a little bit of production on this one. In fact, with a slicker production, a song like "One Day" could be a big hit. Colbie Caillat has hits. Sara Bareilles has hits. Sharon Van Etten deserves hits.

7.) The Suburbs by Arcade Fire

Funeral: The Teenage Years. The "Tunnels" kids grew up and have shopping malls to contend with now. I don't really know how they feel about the suburbs. I don't really know how I feel about the suburbs anymore. The suburbs made this album possible. Can they be that bad? Also, "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)." Best song of the year.

8.) Relayted by Gayngs

Behold the wonder of the slowjam. A one-of-a-kind album that has the type of timeless, hazy, familiar quality that will keep it a consistent source of material for themed mixtapes forever. Could have easily sounded like a novelty thing, but it's loose and playful without sacrificing all of the sincerity inherent in the catalogue's of the members primary bands. I don't remember where I read it, but Bon Iver Thugs n' Harmony was a pretty decent moniker, too.

9.) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West

Holy shit! The songs we'll be hearing for the next two years (as with any Kanye release). And two years won't be enough to appreciate how sprawling and perfect this record is. Not a single misstep, which is a hard thing to accomplish when your record features 7,396 guest artists.

10.) Expo 86 by Wolf Parade

If the side projects weren't so good, I would be more upset about Wolf Parade's recently announced hiatus. Splits the difference between their much loved debut record and the moodier, Isaac Brock-less At Mount Zoomer. "What Did My Lover Say (It Always Had To Go This Way)" at P4K in July was as emotive a performance as any I saw this year. Too bad they are done for now.

12 BEST LIVE SHOWS--2010:

1.) Wolf Parade @ Pitchfork Festival, Chicago, 07/17/2010

2.) The National w/ Antlers @ Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, 08/04/2010

3.) LCD Soundsystem @ Sasquatch Festival, George, WA, 05/30/2010

4.) Of Montreal/Janelle Monae @ Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, 09/24/2010

5.) Hole @ Vic Theater, Chicago, 07/14/2010 (No shit)

6.) Avett Brothers w/ The Low Anthem @ Riverside Theater, 03/06/2010

7.) Sharon Van Etten w/ Daniel Knox @ Cactus Club, Milwaukee, 01/20/2010

8.) Joanna Newsom w/ Robin Pecknold @ Pabst Theater, 04/02/2010

9.) St. Vincent w/ Wildbirds & Peacedrums @ Turner Hall, 02/18/2010

10.) Neil Young w/ Bert Jansch @ Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, 07/30/2010

11.) Passion Pit w/ Smith Westerns @ Congress Theatre, Chicago, 04/22/2010

12.) New Pornographers w/ Dodos, The Dutchess & The Duke, 06/12/2010

Erin Wolf's Top Albums of 2010

2010-12-22T08:09:00.001-08:00

Crocodiles: Sleep Forever

I've liked this band since first-hearing their 'Summer of Hate' release last year...catchy in a Jesus and Mary Chain way: melodic, punk-y, angular, fuzzed-out and pretty. What more could a bleeding heart shoegazer want? Seeing them live, twice, at CMJ 2010 sealed it. Crocodiles are intense, talented and translate above and beyond to a stage setting.

Land of Talk: Cloak and Cipher

Such a pretty album. Singer/guitarist Elizabeth Powell's voice floats above out of breath guitars where the drums take on the role of the hook. 'Cloak and Cipher' would be easy to dismiss as another pretty female-fronted album unless the listener had a chance to fully absorb it and crank it up. It's got a lot of weight and downplays this quality, much like the earlier days of angular indie-girl group, The Sundays.

Javelin: No Mas

This album reminds me of summer and that's good enough for me.

Archie Bronson Outfit: Coconut

Unsettling, weird and amazing. Yes, there's a lot of fuzz, feedback, canned vocals and probably lots of drugs, too, but when the paranoia ABO creates sounds this all-encompassing, it's impossible not to dive in. Throw in weird kitschy elements of glam and ABO comes off as the oddball in the room with the seriously twisted sense of humor.

Sharon VanEtten: Epic

Such honest songwriting by someone who knows her own voice front and back. VanEtten isn't shadowing any ghosts.

LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening

Man, I love this band so much, and James Murphy pulled another genius-move with 'This is Happening'. "Dance Yrself Clean" is such a jam! Possibly my favorite song of the year.

Gayngs: Relayted

In the spectrum of love/hate, I fell in love with this album based on listening to it countless times while biking to work. On purpose. It's definitely an album to be listened to song-to-song-to-song, and without this symbiosis of entirety, it kinda falls on its ass in some spots. BUT, this didn't leave my biking-to-work-headphones for almost an entire month, so that's gotta be worth something.

Jaill: That's How We Burn

SO pleased that one of my long-running favorite local bands is getting some serious recognition, and they didn't change one sound-iota for their big (Sub Pop) label debut. "Snake Shakes" is my favorite track, hands down.

Cotton Jones: Tall Hours in the Glowstream

This album reminds me of late-summer, its songs acting as lazily-blinking fireflies on this hazy and dreamy album. It made me want to run out and buy an omnichord.

Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest

Stripped-down and expansive, 'Halcyon Digest' is even more welcoming (in its more obvious shying away from introversion) than its predecessor, 'Microcastle'. Its variance in sound and lack of pedal manipulations encircles the listener in, to experience epically-classic pop compositions that are timeless and capable of melting away knee-jerk adaptations to pretension.

Carl's top 10 of 2010

2010-12-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Heya folks... so here's my Top Ten. Pretty sure you'll see some different stuff on it. Hope you enjoy!!

10. Cypress Hill - Rise Up -- Ganja smoking hip hop icons. They come out with their 8th studio album and some crazy collaborations with RATM's Tom Morello.

9. Janelle Monae - Arch Android -- Didn't really intend for this to be this low on the list. Amazing front to back album you really need to listen to as such. Also crazy intense live show.

8. BRMC - Beat the Devil's Tatoo -- I don't ride a bike nor am I affiliated with any biker gangs... listening to this album kinda makes me want to do both.

7. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - I Learned the Hard Way -- Amazing show, commanding stage presence. SJDK puts out a great soulful album here.

6. The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream -- Haunting vocals, distorted guitar, errie classic black metal-ish sound. Love it.

5. Gogol Bordello - Trans Continental Hustle -- One of my many regrets of this year was missing their show at Turner Hall. High energy gypsy punk that doesn't disappoint. Try not to tap your toes and/or dance to this.

4. Deftones - Diamond Eyes -- One of my favorite hard rock groups since high school. Reminds me of "Around the Fur" and some earlier, heavier sounds of theirs.

3. Aloe Blacc - Good Things -- One of the best suprise finds of the year for me. Can't help but think of the classic Motown artists of the 60's & 70's listening to this.

2. The Roots - How I Got Over -- Hip hop innovators who somehow found time away from a nightly gig as Jimmy Fallon's late night house band to put out their 9th studio album.

1. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach -- Snoop Dogg on the opening track and the catchiest song of the year in "Stylo"... great album front to back.

***Honorable mentions***

Drake - Thank Me Later -- Actor turned rapper. Sounds like Lil Wayne.

The Black Keys - Brothers -- Bluesy, classic rock-esque. Dig it.

Buddy Guy - Living Proof -- A blues legend, "74 years young".

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -- Public personality aside, a pretty darn good hip hop album.

das top ten von abby beeeee!

2010-12-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

better late than never, yeah? COMING ATCHU IN REVERSE STYLE!

10. sleigh bells - treats

jingle jangle.

9. beach house - teen dream

meet me in montauk.

8. belle & sebastian - write about love

right about love.

7. the black keys - brothers

also for sisters.

6. the arcade fire - the suburbs

because i live there.

5. best coast - crazy for you

love it til the very end.

4. sufjan stevens - the age of adz

fan of swears.

3. basia bulat - heart of my own

she's adorbs. ♥

2. sufjan stevens - all delighted people EP

ohnoshedidn't OH YES I DID.

1. joanna newsom - have one on me

long and lovely as joanna's golden waves.

also pretty good: the fresh & onlys - play it strange

jam of 2010 to the maximum: "over" - drake (thank me later)

drake, you didn't make the list but that's because "over" was so catchy i barely listened to the rest of your album. but ♥ anyway.

here's to 2011 (i'm looking at you, decemberists)

Marshall's Top 10 of 2K10

2010-12-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

1. Beach House - "Teen Dream"

Standout Tracks: Silver Soul, Walk in the Park

2. Surfer Blood - "Astro Coast"

Standout Tracks: Floating Vibes, Anchorage

3. Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs"

Standout Tracks: We Used to Wait, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

4. Best Coast - "Crazy For You"

Standout Tracks: The End, I Want To

5. The Walkmen - "Lisbon"

Standout Tracks: Juveniles, Stranded

6. Band of Horses - "Infinite Arms"

Standout Tracks: Dilly, Older

7. Basia Bulat - "Heart of My Own"

Standout Tracks: Heart of My Own, The Shore

8. The Soft Pack - "The Soft Pack"

Standout Tracks: Pull Out, Parasites

9. Deerhunter - "Halcyon Digest"

Standout Tracks: Desire Lines, Coronado

10. Aloe Blacc - "Good Things"

Standout Tracks: I Need a Dollar, Green Lights

Disappointing:

Belle and Sebastian - "Write About Love"

Blitzen Trapper - "Destroyer of the Void"

Delta Spirit - "History from Below"

Erv's Top 10 'o '10

2010-12-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

So here goes nothing. Hope you all enjoy the list. It took me awhile to make it this year as there were a lot of good releases. As usual I spent most of this year digging through older music and exploring where my favorite new bands/artists get their influences from, so I didn't have a TON of brand spanking new music. I also noticed that somehow, Mos Def creeps into my list every year lately with all the collaborations he's been doing. haha.

10. Jónsi - "Go"

This album is a nice pick me up. Lots of energy all the way through. Honestly, you wouldn't really expect any less from the Sígur Ros frontman. I almost feel like this is the album they should have released after "Takk".
The live show that he put on for this album was stellar! Probably one of my favorite live shows of the year as well.

9. The Dead Weather - "Sea Of Cowards"

This album made me start appreciating the genius that is Jack White. I honestly feel that he can do no wrong at this point. My only real complaint about this album is that I never know when it's done. It always just ends. "Sea of Cowards" puts her hooks in you right away and then just like a falcon, it drops you without warning to kill you and break your neck. I'm always disappointed when it's done and I usually have to listen to it one or two more times right away.
It's also one of my favorite albums to just crank with the windows down!

8. The Get Up Kids - "Simple Science"

Ohhhh The Get Up Kids are back!!! This album hasn't left my car since I put it in my iTunes. As soon as I saw this album, I started smiling. This album, even though it's only an EP, puts you through the normal TGUK experience. You have your poppier songs and your darker songs, all dealing with heartbreak and getting older. Just a little tease as to what's to come now that they are back. TGUK songwriting is back to the good ol' days of "Something To Write Home About". Seriously worth checking out!

7. Conrad Plymouth - "S/T"

My former bandmate plays keys in this band and he had been telling me to check them out for awhile. I'm glad I finally went to one of their shows because I've been a fan ever since.
This EP shows the bands versatility. It has made me very excited to hear the full length that they will release in the future.
The vocals are a beautiful match to the music. I love when bands understand how to play to the strengths of their singer. They lyrics are deep, sometimes dark, but always from the heart and so is the music that backs it. If you haven't checked out this local band yet, get off your ass and do it!

What They've Become by partyhouse
6. Party House - "S/T"
This is another band that I know that released an EP this year as well. This is the only album that I struggled figuring out where I should put it on the list. I wanted to put it higher because I've listened to this EP so much, but I couldn't justify it because it's only an EP.
All that being said, I'm excited for these guys to release a full length as well. When this was recorded they were still just a 2 piece, they have since added one more member.
These guys have mixed Shoegaze with Pop hooks, without coming off as cheesy, and the vocals are haunting, yet soothing at the same time. Check out the song I posted with this, you will not be sorry!

5. Spoon - "Transference"

What a way to start of 2010! This album does not have a bad track on it. I remember the first time I listened to it, I thought it started off really slow, but then track 4 "Who Makes You Money" started with that droning bass line. I was hooked. The whole album made sense from that point forward. I also dig the demo feel of track 7 "Trouble Comes Running". According to the liner notes they recorded it back stage one night, and they liked the sound of it so much, they didn't really change it that much, and used parts of the demo. This is also another one of those albums that hasn't really left my car. It'll pick you up and calm you down. Love it!

4. Mumford & Sons - "Sigh No More"

I could go on and on about this album. It's strong the whole way through. My only complaint is that the very beginning of the album is very very very quiet.
This is another example of a group that plays to the strength of their vocals. I love the way they all harmonize as well.
This album always makes me smile, no matter how down I'm feeling as well.
I'm glad these guys came around, and I'm excited to hear what they put out in the future!

3. Rocky Votolato - "True Devotion"

I'm always disappointed in Milwaukee when it comes to Rocky. I've never understood why he doesn't do better here.
Rocky is one of the only musicians/bands to write a song that can make me cry. When Rocky sings, you feel what he is singing about.
This album is perfect, from front to back. I really can't explain it, it's just one of those albums you have to listen to.
Get off your asses Milwaukeans and finally start paying attention to Rocky V!

2. The Black Keys - "Brothers"

I'm honestly not sure what I can say about these dudes that haven't already been said.
This is a strong follow-up to their last album "Attack and Release". They also seemed to learn a lot of new tricks when they did the BlakRoc project. The groove that they started with that has totally carried over to this album, which is great.
All in all, it's a solid album, from a solid band, and I've listened to the shit outta this!

1. Gorillaz - "Plastic Beach"

I've honestly listened to this album more times this year than I have listened to anything else at all, new or old.
I was instantly hooked. I mean, how could you not be. Especially once Snoop comes in!
Mos Def is also on a few tracks of this album as well, and well, the guy can do no wrong in my opinion.
They have come so far since their first S/T album, but every step for them has been logical and led up to this point.
There really is something for everyone too, which is a feat in and of itself. I wish I was a better writer so I could explain the awesomeness of this album better, but I'm not. Just listen, and you'll know.

Cassies favorite albums of 2010

2010-12-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

10. Deadmau5 “4x4=12”

This is a guilty pleasure for me. I just needed to get it off my chest. I feel much better, thanks.

9. Broken Bells “Broken Bells”

This reminds me of this summer. I would scooter down by the lake listening to this album in headphones.

8. Best Coast “Crazy for you”

“I cant do anything without you. I cant do anything with you. You drive me crazy but I love you. You make me lazy but I love you.” I couldn’t have said it better myself

7. Vampire Weekend “Contra”

I can cut a rug to this entire album. And I have.

6. Blitzen Trapper “Destroyer of the void”

I’m pretty sure that if these guys ever wrote a book, it would be my favorite.

5. The Arcade Fire “Suburbs”

If I were stuck in an elevator and all I had was this album to listen to, I can safely say I would be fine for 58 minutes and 90 seconds. After that, I’d probably lose my shit.

4. The National “High Violet”

I take a shower with my ipod on shuffle. When the song “Bloodbuzz Ohio” comes on it puts a new meaning to shampooing and conditioning. Interpret that however you want to.

3. Surfer Blood “Astro Coast”

This whole record doesn’t just make me want to air guitar the whole thing. It makes me think that if I had a real guitar that I could actually play it.

2. Dr. Dog “Shame Shame”

I will sing every word to every song from this album for you right now. I will also probably mimic the bass notes and play the air tambourine. My eyes will be closed the whole time. The love I feel for this band is unconditional.

1. Delta Spirit “History from Below”

I’ve never felt so connected to an album before. I can dance and sing and sit and cry in the same hour. The song “Ballad for Vitaly” is the saddest but most beautiful song I have ever heard. The first time I heard it was live. It felt like I was alone in this huge space. I’m going to go and polish my boots and wait for the next time they come to town.

Side note: Cassie's favorite live shows from 2010

10. Gayngs @ Turner Hall MKE Sept. 29th

9. The Heavy @ Turner Hall MKE Nov. 14th

8. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Pabst MKE June 7th

7. Slash @ The Pabst MKE Sept. 5th

6. Pavement @ The Pabst MKE Sept. 14th

5. Jimmy Eat World @ The Pabst MKE Oct. 5th

4. Blitzen Trapper @ Turner Hall MKE July 28th

3. Delta Spirit @ Turner Hall MKE Nov. 19th

2. Langhorne Slim @ Turner Hall MKE July 24th

1. Dr. Dog @ Turner Hall Oct. 22nd

Jay's Top 10 Albums of 2010

2010-12-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

10. The Besnard Lakes-The Besnard Lakes are Roaring the Night -The Besnard Lakes are no longer the “Dark Horse” on their latest release they come out guns blazing, cannons sounding explosions, and painting the sky red. Or to put it modestly they created a really great rock record. This came out very early in the year and when I started putting this list together this album always stuck in my mind. “Like the Ocean, Like the Innocent Pt 1 and 2 are phenomenal opening tracks (they really are the same thing, they run into each other). It gives you a terrific idea of what to expect throughout the rest of the album. Soaring soundscapes that combine atmospheric dueling vocals from husband wife duo, Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, (Lasek has a very commanding falsetto while his wife provides smooth soft vocals). With thunderous drumming and extensively long and fuzzy guitar work. The album works well in building exciting momentum throughout each song, starting with soft piano or guitar work and ending with anthem like solos. The only knock on the record is there are not a lot of hooks in the writing, but what they lack in creating catchy pop hooks, they replace with well constructed rock songs, which in this day in age seem to be lacking.

9.The Morning Benders-Big Echo- This album honestly took me a little while to get into. This was on my list this year of top albums to look forward to. Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear was producing, and as a huge fan of Grizzly Bear, I was naturally excited. It’s a pop record, but the hooks and melodies don’t pop out at you. It takes a bit to digest, but the more you listen the more you appreciate the subtle catchiness of the record. Like on the opener “Excuses” the “la la” chorus eventually wins you over and gets stuck in your head. Plus the more you listen to it you notice the complex instrumentation that goes into the song, something I‘ll bet Taylor had a great hand in. It‘s very similar for other songs on the record such as “All Day Day Daylight” it’s combo guitar and keyboard riff is fantastic as it pulls you in, but it’s the straight up AM Radio Gold chorus that blows you away. Both “Cold War” and “Promises” are also similar for the their delightful choruses and guitar work. The album has a very hazy west coast vibe, but not in a sunny, energetic way. It has more of a, let’s go sit at the beach and stare at the ocean and enjoy our time together while the sun goes down. Very mellow pop record from a band with hopefully greater things to come.

8.Black Angels-Phosphene Dream-Finally, someone got dirty sexy rock right! Pretty much showing all the posers (Kings of Leon, Crash Kings etc.) how it’s done. The Black Angels have orchestrated a dark, scary, and deeply fun record. Channeling a great deal from 60’s and 70’s psychedelic rock, the album starts out with a frighteningly dark and catchy vibrato guitar and organ rhythm, followed by a sinister guitar riff and Alex Maas snarling vocals. The album opener “Bad Vibrations” like the rest of the record, is very powerful and in your face type of material that forces you to listen with full attention. “River of Blood” just sounds evil with it’s dark tones and deep drumming. Not everything is gloomy however, “Yellow Elevator #2” with it’s fun organ riff and the catchy single “Telephone” are examples of how they can mold their sound into something accessible for anyone’s ear, very much like The Animals or Jefferson Airplane. In fact “Entrance Song” is being used in some car add that I saw last night. It’s a great, sexy rock record that really succeeds conceptually where a lot of main stream acts seem to fail.

7.Band of Horses-Infinite Arms-Band of Horses are in my top ten favorite bands of the decade. Everything All the Time combined dream pop with al-country which was perfectly matched with Ben Bridewells lush reverb filled vocals. Their debut album reminded be of a much more mellow My Morning Jacket. Their follow up, Cease To Begin, was similar but a little more focused and rocked a little more. I was extremely excited for this to come out and then disappointed that critics panned it. I almost did as well when I first heard the record. Gone are the lush reverb sound they displayed so wonderfully on the previous records, and the record is filled with more slower mid-tempo numbers then rockers. However, my mind was changed when I saw them live, they are a ferocious live band! They are as excellent as they come. This forced me to take another listen, and I was surprised and upset that I wrote this album off so quickly. The reverby echo is replaced with wonderful harmonies that really shine and create very vibrant choruses like on “Blue Beard” and title track “Infinite Arms.” They also still managed to throw some great hook filled rock songs in the mix such as “Laredo” and NW Apartment” which is very reminiscent of “Weed Paty” from their first album. The change in direction could be contributed to the fact that Bidewell opened the floor to the other guys in the band. The songwriting was more of a collaborative process, unlike the other records when it was jut himself. The change is nice, the more you listen the more complete of a record it sounds, and it’s honestly not that drastic of a change. But it’s just enough to notice that the group is growing and will more then likely continue to make great music.

6.Strand of Oaks-Pope Killdragon- The most beautifully sad and tragic record of the year. Each song forces you to hang on every word and melody as Timothy Showalter, who is Strand of Oaks (who also happens to look like a lost member of Lynard Skyard), pours out buckets of emotions through brilliantly written folks songs. Although Pope Killdragon is by far and large a somber record that is similar to his previous release Leave Ruins, there are striking differences in the both the songwriting and production. For one, Leave Ruins, was a very personal record, the album was about a failed relationship combined with Showalter’s house burring down. Pope Killdragon’s songwriting is more based on fictional characters and stories from Showalter’s hometown. Tracks such as the powerful “Sterling” and the legend like tale of “Alex Knoa” are fantastic examples of the strength and emotion Showalter put’s into his writing of characters. They are all tragic and lead sad circumstantial lives, but they all take accountability for themselves. Not once does Showalter ask the listener to pity them, maybe share in their sadness, but never the emotion of pity. This is exemplified the most on “Daniels Blues” in which the song takes the narrative perspective of Dan Akroyd right after John Belushi killed himself. Akroyd conveys greif, “Oh who will I call/Chevy’s an ass and Gilda’s got a cold” (Gilda Radner was battling cancer during this time). He even pictures himself finding the dealer and killing him, but instead of hate and grief, Akroyd realizes he has to move on. Sonically, the album mixes traditional acoustic folk sounds with twangy telecasters and sometimes cheesy synthesizers. However, Showalters voice is the real weapon, as he shifts between soft and tender, to commanding and direct. A fantastic record that avoids the sophomore slump and deserves to be put in the same category as Bon Iver‘s For Emma Forever Ago. Showalter admitted in an interview that he feels he has written enough sad songs, and it was time to do some happy tunes. Being newly married and having a new home might spark some great material for a third album that is sure to capture more fans.

5.Peasant- Shady Retreat-Pennsylvanian high school dropout Damien DeRose’s sophomore effort is filled with heart on your sleeve songs about heartbreak and friendship, but lacks a lot of the emotional clichés associated with the genre. Unfairly compared to Bon Iver, DeRose sounds more like a stripped down Blake Sennette from the Elected. His songs have a very sunny 60’s pop quality, in that they combine very simplistic guitar and piano chords with with bright vocal melodies and catchy arrangements. Recorded in multiple locations but mainly in the attic of a 200 year old farmhouse, the album has a very organic feel. Nothing seems over produced or flashy. It’s an extremely easy album to listen to and get through, and you immediately want to hit play again. The album sounds like an open diary being read aloud as Derose conveys his thoughts and emotions in very vivid imagery. “The End” is a great example of how Damien can pour his heart out while the listener can enjoy a great pop song without feeling apathy or sorrow for the narrator. A skill that Damien uses in his writing that is refreshing for genre known for artists using the forum to openly display personal tragedies in their lives.

4.Best Coast-Crazy for You- I am declaring these guys have album cover of the year! It’s sort of cheesy and ridiculous, but that damn cat is so cute and out of place it just makes the cover pop. I randomly discovered these guys reading an interview by Bill Murray, who stated he was really digging them. So, I downloaded their record and found, pretty much what every music geek found, that this album is addictive as it is excellent! Best Coast mix their lo-fi distorted garage sound with a sunny California feel. The songs about boyfriend and break-ups have a very bubblegum feel, but Bethany Costentino’s vocal styling add levels of both sincerity and cynicism. The lyrics are the most simplistic I have heard in a long time, they’re very straight forward and lack depth, “Boyfriend” being a really great example, but it’s filled with insanely catchy guitar hooks as well as a sing-a-along chorus. Great summertime record that was in my constant rotation this year. It will be interesting to see how Best Coast follow this record up, as their sound is very specific and I can’t see a follow up record with the same sound being super successful, but as opposed to worrying about that I will enjoy the excellence of this record as I usually enjoy every moment of my short summers in Wisconsin.

3.The National-High Violet- One of the most emotional records that I have ever listened to. To be frank, I really didn’t care for Boxer. I attempted to get into it, but it just seemed very downtrodden and boring. I feel the exact opposite with High Violet, the album is filled with energy and explosiveness. It’s a sad record that is filled with themes of coping with adulthood while losing friendships and lovers along the way. How it differs from Boxer is that it seems more accessible and pleasing to the ear. Matt Beringer has tamed his low tone, bellowing vocals to carry the songs as opposed to weigh them down. The songwriting is really sharp as well. “Blood Buzz Ohio” is a striking song that seems to always tends to make me sort of contemplative when I listen to it. I think a lot about life, my friends, family, that’s a powerful thing for a song to do, make you think of so many aspects of your life, as opposed to just being relatable to the material. But all of the tracks tend to do this, they make you think inwards and evaluate life. One aspect of the record that I don’t think gets talked about enough is the drumming. It’s thunderous, spastic, and carries the melodies perfectly. Overall, a fine album that has helped the group truly transcend from indie darlings to a band that commands respect out of the entire musical world.

2.Land of Talk-Cloak and Cipher- A truly great rock record that combines a 90’s alternative sound, with hints the current rock sound. The album has received little to no intention, and very little press, which is surprising, considering not only how the good the record is, but the fact they are on the Saddle Creek label, a fairly prolific indie label. Not to mention the guest stars on the album which includes members from fellow Canadian bands such as, Starts, Arcade Fire, and Besnard Lakes. I honestly would not have known about this record if it weren’t for my girlfriend who discovered them. The album is also interesting when you consider that lead vocalist Elizabeth Powell was diagnosed with a hemorrhage in a vocal polyp in 09‘. She could not speak let alone sing for six months which drove her absolutely crazy. But during the time period she used it to write and record Cloak and Cipher. The final product is outstanding, one of the best front to back pop rock records I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Powell’s strong writing and vocal styling is what carries the weight of the record. Very reminiscent of Chrissy Hynde from the Pretenders, she shows the power and range in her voice from gentle and melodic, like on “Goaltime Exposure” and the beautiful dreamy single “Quarry Hymns” to powerful and violent, “The Hate I Wont Commit” and “Swift Coin.” An awesome record that doesn’t disappoint the listener no matter what direction they go musically. Also, it’s very refreshing to hear a band take chances and mix different styling’s and have it gel into one cohesive unit, that in the end turns out to be one fantastic record.

1.Walkmen-Lisbon- The Walkman have become one of my favorite bands of all time. They are consistent as they are ambitious in their music, and Lisbon is no different. What the Walkmen do so wonderfully is combine the sounds they are known for, swirling atmospheric keyboards, spastic and thunderous drumming, jangley guitar chords, and Hamilton Leitheiser’s dominating Dylan esq vocals, with layers of other musical influences and genres. For Lisbon, the guys scale back a bit and strip down their sound to showcase their strengths, this time not borrowing from other genres as much. However, the writing is the real strength o this record. The album comes off as quite powerful and gives the listener a stranger in a strange land feel, even though you are familiar with your surroundings. The music and lyrics have this very lost and unfamiliar feeling, despite the fact you recognize all the faces and places you are seeing. But The Walkmen are the best at lamenting. Gone are the days of Bows and Arrows, where the group angrily reflected on the downfalls of post college life and bad break-ups. Most of the group members are now married and some have kids, but it doesn’t change the fact that the group is still resisting and lamenting on adulthood. “Juveniles” starts out right away by asking “Your One of us/Or one of them.” They draw a line in the sand stating they want to retain their youth and freedom, and not fall into the predicable rut of marriage life that becomes stagnant and routine over time. But they know full well that this line doesn’t really exist. For example “Victory” has this triumphant sound, but Leitheiser sounds defeated and beaten into submission. “Stranded” may be even a better example, the horns mixed with Leitheiser’s short and scattered lyrics paints you a picture of a man that knows exactly where he is, but feels lost and alone in the changes that are happening in his life. However, by the time we get to the very melodic guitar only “While I Shovel The Snow” which you could make a really strong case as the album closer, as to the second last song on the record. The group starts to become okay with their surroundings. They are still reflective, but there is some solace in the fact that you know what is going to happen tomorrow. Plus knowing the first half of your life was so unpredictable, it’s nice to know that the second half has some stability. In Lisbon, The Walkmen may start out a as snotty, defiant juveniles, but in the end slowly become familiar and accept the future state they are in. Which, in truth, turns out to be a nice place after all.

Honorable Mentions:

Broken Bells
Vampire Weekend-Contra
Sujan Stevens-Age of Adz
Stars-Five Ghosts
School of Seven Bells-Disconnect From Desire

Andrew Meddaugh's list of ten albums for you to hear at some point soon, or if you have already listened to them I'm sure you've enjoyed them (maybe.)

2010-12-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

10. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
-So wait, was he the reason I liked Outkast? (I guess so.)

9. Curren$y - Pilot Talk
-fantastic lyrics, fantastic sounds... (and I thought I was too old for hip-hop.)

8. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
-makes me feel dirty (it's the feeling I got from listening to the Strokes a decade ago.)

7. Of Montreal - False Priest
-toned down a bit from Skeletal Lamping (and that's a very good thing.)

6. Vampire Weekend - Contra
-sophomore slump? (no.)

5. Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void
-southern prog-rock (for people that hate southern rock and prog-rock.)

4.Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love
-my expectations were out of control for this album (and they almost met them.)

3. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
-this might not make sense but they sound like a comfy chair (that I've sat in a thousand times.)

2. Black Keys - Brothers
-Put it on when you're having a party, put it on when you're by yourself (this translates well for any audience.)

1. The Arcade Fire - Suburbs
-Somehow they did it again, and I'm not even an Arcade Fire fanboy... (they just nailed it.)

CJ's Top Ten of Twenty Ten

2010-12-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

10. Gold Motel - Summer House

9. Tokyo Police Club - Champ

8. Land of Talk - Cloak and Cipher

7. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

6. Crocodiles - Sleep Forever

5. The National - High Violet

4. Delta Spirit - History from Below

3. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

2. Kisses - The Heart of the Nightlife

1. The Radio Department - Clinging to a Scheme

Honorable Mentions

• Vampire Weekend - Contra

• Beach House - Teen Dream

• The Black Keys - Brothers

• Bonobo - Black Sands

• The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

Erin Heath's Top Ten, 2010

2010-12-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

So, after years of validating art as communication in papers, case studies, and research, I'm now more interested in validating art by using it as communication. For each album on my list, I chose a song and "responded" to it artistically, as art therapists would say, from a few seconds to a few minutes. After seeing Cloud Cult last week, I was reminded just how harmonious music and visual art can be when created simultaneously. Must we always review our favorite music with words? Communication, my friends, comes in many forms. Here's mine:

...hands, art, colors, music, smears, beats, water, lines...

1. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- Before Today

2. Beach House- Teen Dream

3. Warpaint- The Fool

4. The Walkmen- Lisbon

5. The Radio Dept- Clinging to a Scheme

6. Best Coast-Crazy for You

7. Caribou- Swim

8. Twin Shadow- Forget

9. Deerhunter- Halycon Digest

10. Toro y Moi- Causers of This

la lista de chad

2010-12-16T23:26:00.001-08:00

La Lista de Chad
haiku descriptions top ten
albums of the year

1. Beach House- Teen Dreams

like surfing at night

psychedelic dreamy pop

Balitmore M.D.

2. Star Slinger- Volume 1/various remixes

remix everything

synthesizer's new best friend

"gimme" funky beats

3. Deerhunter-Halcyon Digest

whispy dreamy dark

arranges tones from nothing

would you believe it

4. Twin Shadow- Forget

recorded alone

haunting melodies transform

castles in the snow

5. The National- High Violet

I'm on a bloodbuzz

get mistaken for strangers

the sound of lonely

6. Matthew Dear- Black City

dance with me get down

repeating dub illusions

little black city

7. Waaves- King of the Beach

faded out vocals

acid infused spaced out rock

baby say goodbye

8. Best Coast- Crazy for You

drums, guitars, vocals

wish she was my girlfriend

she sings about weed

9. Four Tet- There is Love in You

rocket number nine

plastic people resident

there is love in you

10. Toro Y Moi- Causers of This

me gusta dancer

creo vous consentirez

stream of consciousness

Matthew Phillip Mentele's Top Ten Albums of the Year Extravaganza

2010-12-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

I'm not good at writing these things but I'll do my best. Not ranking, went with alphabetical.

Arcade Fire-Suburbs
3 for 3 is the count for me. I have legit loved each record. Tried to avoid this one for a bit until after the hype died down. But I couldn't, all my friends were on me to give it a listen. Glad I did, it's still very solid.
BEST TRACK: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).

Black Keys-Brothers
This is a band I have the right to be a snot about. I saw them at the MAD PLANET years ago I think right before the Rubber Factory release. Now selling out the Aragon Ballroom, 5k capacity, in Chicago. Damn. The thing about Black Keys is there are always 2-3 songs that are just amazing off each record. Some records of theirs I'm not too hot on but it always has at least a few kickin' tracks. How much longer can my Akron boys do it? Maybe they get out their terrible songs on their shitty side projects:)
BEST TRACK: She's Long Gone

The Dead Weather-Sea of Cowards
I said it before and I'll etc etc. Ima sucker for Jack White. Horehound was better and this album is probably just a collection of B-Side of songs they didn't use for it. However, Blue Blood Blues, might be the best song of the year in my book. I think Jack White is the Elvis Costello of our generation.
BEST TRACK: Blue Blood Blues

Drive-By Truckers-The Big To-Do
Long after shortstop Ozzie Smith passed his prime, he kept sneaking into the All-Star game, even in the years he wasn't starting. Fans vote for players for the All-Star game and you just kind of kept voting for him because his name was still there and you thought "yeah I like him." I think Drive-By Truckers might be my Ozzie Smith here. I like this album however it's clear they are getting worse by the release.
BEST TRACK: Santa Fe

Grinderman-Grinderman 2
How is this band popular? A guy like Nick Cave is supposed to be "underground" right? I thought this as I saw Grinderman perform here at the Riviera Theatre to a couple thousand fans. The most rag tag mix of people, young and old, as I've seen in a long time. My theory; his songs are really fucking good. Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man is bad ass and much like track one of the last record, Get It On, it has an awesome build and climax.
BEST TRACK: Heathen Child

Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
It took me a while to get into this. I was not feeling it at first. In the past I would usually hear a Kanye single long before it came out. So I would hear "Stronger" or "Gold Digger" and go, "this is a great song I gotta get this album." I did not hear a single this time and went into it cold, nothing grabbed me right away. But after a few listens I can't put it away (or I guess nowadays we should say "can't stop clicking")? I like my artists crazy and driven. And Kanye might #1 in both those categories.
BEST TRACK: Lost in the World

LCD Soundsystem-This is Happening
It takes a lot to get me to dance. Growing up in Wisconsin, half-Irish, half-German. Not exactly blessed with good rhythm. But as I saw LCD Soundsystem kill live at The Riviera Theatre a few months back I couldn't help but look at a venue full of people just like me, who can't dance, DANCING THEIR ASS OFF! And not caring. It was fun as hell. One of the best shows I've seen in a long time. I hate house music and avoided LCD because that's what I thought it was. But it's so much more. Great lyrics and emotion make this the most played album this year on my ipod.
BEST TRACK: Home

Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin-Let it Sway
These guys are consistent. Every release to date have been a solid collection of indie-pop at it's best. Though I still like Pershing best, this is a great album.
BEST TRACK: All Hail Dracula!

Spoon-Transference
I really like this album......how many more do I have? I'm getting tired writing my thoughts.
BEST TRACK: Written in Reverse

Vampire Weekend
Now I have avoided this band for years. Did not listen to the first album. Too much hype! The thing about hype is it ruins art for most. When a movie is pumped up to you for years to the point you think you'll literally have an orgasm while watching it, it's a disappointment when it's just a good movie. So I have two categories for things that are hyped to me, The Godfather, because the movie is amazing and comes through on all levels, and Scarface, which, come on, straight up sucks. So, I hear someone at a bar play "Giving up the Sun" on the jukebox. I loved it right away, "who is this" I queried. "Vampire Weekend" was the replay. Son of a bitch! Congrads VW, you are in The Godfather category.
BEST TRACK: Giving Up the Gun

Most used words in this post; good, bad, sucks, awesome. And this is why I'm not a writer.