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 Sons – Little Lion man
2) Cloud Cult – You’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 West – Runaway
full length film worth a viewing as well:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg5wkZ-dJXA
5) The Kissaway Trail – SDP
6) Florence and the Machine – Dog Days Are Over
7) LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
8) The National – Sorrow
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 Machine – Cosmic 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 Rabbits – The Loneliness and the Scream
video is too cool not to link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Lf7mriehU
22) Local Natives – Wide Eyes
video has a shark. Thats a must link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVt-DZdkOzw
23) Cloud Cult – Running with the Wolves
24) Broken Social Scene – All to All
25) Cee Lo Green – No Ones Gonna love you
See 21. Rabbits, Frightened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXiTwalPvuQ
26) CARIBOU – Odessa
27) The Jezabels – A Little Piece
28) The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
29) Arcade Fire – Ready to Start
30) Diamond Rings - You And Me
31) Jenny and Johnny – Animal
32) B.o.B - Don't Let Me Fall
33) Broken Bells – The Ghost Inside
34) Film School - Heart Full Of Pentagons
35) Local Natives – Sun 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 Keys – Too Afraid to Love you
The Walkmen - Angela Surf City
Tokyo Police Club – Bambi
Fran Healy –Anything
Mice Parade - Recover
The New Pornographers - Crash Years
Sufjan Stevens – Impossible 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 West – My 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 Stevens – Age of Adz
10) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
11) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
12) John Powell – How to Train your Dragon (Score)
Choice Sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CJ96LGGP6w
13) Broken Bells – Broken 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 Ross – Social 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.
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.
