Monday, February 14, 2011

Otherwise Known as: A.B.'s 2010 Music Blog

Jesus H Christ I am glad 2010 is over. Everyone got a little older but, ahem, ladies, you don’t look it. Or at least that's what I'll tell you in the back booths at the Blind Pig. But I digress... In spite of continued petty political divide, the yet to rebound economy, and some little oil spill back home, 2010 was a hella year for music.

So in what has now become an annual review of what I thought, and thereby, was good in the world of music in 2010 I am now stealing your time yet again to tell you what you should be listening to. If it did not make the list, it means I did not get a chance to listen to it, or it sucked. It is entirely possible that some music got by me this year. It is more likely that the music I did not listen to was not listenable and therefore sucked. See a trend here?

In all seriousness, this is a compilation of 60 or so songs and 20 albums that were released in 2010 that got a lot of play in the many places where I listen to music. And for those of you that aren't hiding my facebook feed by now you too are quite familiar with most of these.

So sit back and peruse the gentle musings of what made my musical pants go crazy this year.













Top Tracks of 2010--
(consolidated list as shown on the daily facebook feed)
1) Mumford and SonsLittle Lion man
2) Cloud CultYou’ll be bright
a.must.watch.video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCg8DsJv-t4
3) Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait 
www.wildernessdowntown.com 
4) Kanye WestRunaway
full length film worth a viewing as well:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg5wkZ-dJXA
5) The Kissaway TrailSDP
6) Florence and the MachineDog Days Are Over
7) LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
8) The NationalSorrow
9) Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
10) Small Sins - Why Don't You Believe Me

11) Sleigh Bells Infinity Guitars
12) Mumford and Sons - The Cave
13) Gorillaz On Melancholy Hill

is any Gorillaz video NOT epic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_-zEHaVOkQ
14) Deerhunter Desire Lines
15) Crystal Castles- Not In Love Ft. Robert Smith
16) Jónsi - Boy Lilikoi
17) Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
18) Florence and the MachineCosmic Love
19) Jarrod Gorbel - Each Breath
song not found on grooveshark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7AFhcDQQFw  
20) Kid Cudi Scott Mescudi vs the World Feat Cee Lo Green
21) Frightened RabbitsThe Loneliness and the Scream
video is too cool not to link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Lf7mriehU
22) Local NativesWide Eyes
video has a shark. Thats a must link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVt-DZdkOzw
23) Cloud CultRunning with the Wolves

24) Broken Social SceneAll to All
25) Cee Lo GreenNo Ones Gonna love you
See 21. Rabbits, Frightened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXiTwalPvuQ
26) CARIBOUOdessa

27) The JezabelsA Little Piece
28) The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
29) Arcade FireReady to Start
30) Diamond Rings - You And Me
31) Jenny and JohnnyAnimal
32) B.o.B - Don't Let Me Fall
33) Broken BellsThe Ghost Inside
34) Film School - Heart Full Of Pentagons
35) Local NativesSun hands


Top 35 Playlist
(be sure and turn off the default playlist at the top right 1st)


5 Tracks that would be higher if I redid the list today:
35) Local Natives – Sun hands
27) The Jezabels  A Little Piece 
26) CARIBOU  Odessa
21) Frightened Rabbits  The Loneliness and the Scream
15) Crystal Castles- Not In Love Ft. Robert Smith

 













Last  5 Cut: 
Angus and Julia Stone - I’m not Yours 
Los Campesinos  - The Sea is a good Place to Think of the Future 
Kanye West  Power 
Freelance Whales - Generator  ^  First Floor 
Cee-Lo Green - Fuck Yo

Honorable Mention
(In no particular order)

Black KeysToo Afraid to Love you
The Walkmen - Angela Surf City
Tokyo Police ClubBambi
Fran HealyAnything
Mice Parade - Recover
The New Pornographers - Crash Years
Sufjan StevensImpossible Soul
of Montreal - Coquet Coquette 

Ra Ra Riot - Boy
Florence &The Machine - Howl
Deerhunter - Helicopter
The Morning Benders - Excuses
Beach House - Norway

Kissaway Trail - Friendly Fires
Jónsi - Kolniður
Mumford & Sons - White Blank Page 
Kid Cudi - Mr. Rager
Margot &The Nuclear So & So's - Let's Paint our Teeth Green

Last Cuts and Honorable Mention Playlist


Some Top Track Stats:

Multiple Entries -- 
Mumford & Sons #1, #12
Cloud Cult #2 and #23
Florence & The machine #6 and #18
The National #8 and #28
Local Natives #35 and #22
Cee Lo Green  #25 and vocals on #20

R&B/Rap Tracks -- 4 on top 35 and 3 Honorable Mention
Acoustic Tracks -- 3 on top 35 and 3 Honorable Mention (very down from years prior. Although some things could be stretched to be labeled Acoustic)
Electronic/Indie Pop--8 on top 35 and 4 Honorable Mention (my new favorite 'Genre')
Number of times I commented on my own link before anyone else: 35 for 35











Top albums of 2010 --

1) Mumford and Sons- Sigh No More
2) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

3) Florence and the Machine - Lungs
4) Kanye WestMy Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
5) The Kissaway Trail - Sleep Mountain

Yet another Kissaway sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMGBEZgddcE&feature=related
6) The National - High Violet
7) Cloud Cult - Light Chasers
8) Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
9) Sufjan StevensAge of Adz
10) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
11) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
12) John PowellHow to Train your Dragon (Score)

Choice Samplehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CJ96LGGP6w  
13) Broken BellsBroken Bells
14) Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
15) The Jezebels - Dark Storm
16) Jarrod Gorbel - Devi's Made a New Friend
17) Jonsi - Go
18) Frightened Rabbits - The Winter of Mixed Drinks
19) Los Campesinos - Romance is Boring
20) Trent Reznor and Atticus RossSocial Network (Score)

Choice Sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yczul_609Gg














Most Overrated Albums of 2010 --
Best Coast - Crazy for You: You may be hot but your LP is not. And the whiny track of "Boyfriend" sounds like one of the wenches from "My Super Sweet 16" complaining why Billie won't take her to the sock hop. Or whatever kids go to these days.

Joanna Newsome - Have One On Me: Sure harps are cool and you're talented. But so are soccer players. I have a feeling I won't give a shit about either anytime soon. 

Vampire Weekend - Contra: I get it. You're all clever in your neatly pressed khakis and pastel polos and read F. Scott Fitzgerald but where dear god do you actually branch out into something meaningful in your music? And I make excuses for bands like this all the time as long as you can be catchy and fun, and despite being a HUGE fan of the self titled album this goes beyond pretentious and into what should be self depreciating hipster lore. I even bought this the day it came out. My car CD changer proceeded to die the following day. My Prius is genius.


Das Racist - Sit Down, Man: You'd think with 'Racist' in his name I'd be all over this but unfortunately the only redeeming and somewhat clever part of this album for me was when I got to 'segregate' it from the actual good music I was listening to. I tried really hard to give R&B a chance this year and many albums surprised me. This is more of the trite bullshit I was expecting.  Sit down, man indeed.