Albums

I hate lists. I also have a really terrible memory. Let’s see if we can reconcile these two issues to give you some semblance of what I listened to in 2010.

My tastes in music are semi-mainstream. I tend to have a few records that enjoy success as critical darlings (LCD Soundsystem) and some that achieved mainstream success (Black Keys/Vampire Weekend). I also still like electronic music a bunch (65daysofstatic/Glitch Mob) but no longer conventional techno/trance save for one ridiculously corny over the top breakbeat record (Hadouken!). Indie hip hop made a few appearances (Hoodie Allen/Chiddy Bang) and verily so did some indie rock (Minus the Bear/Dead Confederate/Two Door Cinema Club).  

And fuck it, that shitty rap-rock outfit everyone hates made an appearance too (Linkin Park). Unapologetically. 

65daysofstatic “We Were Exploding Anyway” “Heavy Sky” - I absolutely love this. Thematic vocalless electronic music with rock and prog elements. This was my favorite record of the year. Christ, what was I saying about mainstream tastes?  Robert Smith shows up on “Come to Me” an eight minute song with three lines repeated and distorted from the Cure frontman. That’s not what you call maximizing your returns. Lush atmospheres and frenetic beats. This could have been the score for Tron. The companion EP was a wonderful B-side that extended the life of the original as well.  Dance Dance Dance

The Black Keys “Brothers” - You and me both liked this record. It’s not reinventing the wheel. It’s just excellent rock n’ roll. Constantly on repeat in the car, the best test of re-playability. Howlin For You

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club  ”Beat the Devil’s Tattoo” -  Same sentiment. Excellent rock record. A little directionless towards the end, but man the first five songs kick your ass. This was in heavy rotation the first few months of the year. Beat The Devil’s Tattoo

Chiddy Bang - “The Preview” - The samples were smart, the lyrics were upbeat and clever. Ideally you’d hope they’ll able to craft more stories and less soundbyte-y material. Cohesive narratives will take this duo even further in the future. All in all, a huge surprise when I listened to this in November. Opposite of Adults

Dead Confederate “Sugar” - Another solid rock record from these guys. A little less grungy, but still heavy and dark and layered. J. Mascis and Ben Wigler show up and give it even more depth.  This probably took the spot of BRMC later in the year.  Run From the Gun

Delphic “Acolyte” - Last year I put Bad Lieutenant on my top 10 list, a throwaway record from Benard Sumner, proving that I will love anything related to New Order. This record is the closest thing to that band. Unapologetically I like this record because it reminds me of Electronic, truth be told.  Doubt

The Glitch Mob “Drink the Sea” - This is how hip hop/idm/electro sounds when you fuck with it. I suppose this is an evolution on BT’s stutter stuff I loved so much, with a grittier sound. It’s not exactly ground breaking, but it’s consistently good, delivering on several different fronts. Instrumental music isn’t easy to build, but damned if this wasn’t the best “sounding” record I listened to all year. Drive It Like You Stole It

Hadouken! “For the Masses” - This is just a straight up techno-breakbeat album circa 1993. Same conventions, same 808, same tricks, same call and response bullshit, same science fiction drop. I don’t care at all. I felt like I was 13 again. Wonderful corny/cheesy dance music for a kid who grew up listening to the cheesiest/corniest techno Chicago had to offer (Percolator, anyone?) BTW, the band is named after the fireball Ryu/Ken shoots in Street Fighter II. That should tell you to stop reading this list immediately, I suppose. M.A.D.

Hoodie Allen “Pep Rally” - Woah! a mixtape! Wonderful pop culture references (The playoffs, I treat them like Mora did) and nothing but indie music for the backdrop. A bright shiny record that is literally nothing but wordplay and cute music, it’s shelf life surprisingly longer lasting that anything I would have expected. Positive, fun, interesting. That’s how I enjoy my dorky white MC’s. Words of Wisdom

LCD Soundsystem “This is Happening” - He’s easily the best lyricist in current music. The music being awesome only helps the cause, but I don’t think it matters whats happening behind James Murphy’s vocals. Pitchfork wrote a heaping of praise much better than I. Drunk Girls

Linkin Park “A Thousand Suns” A. Fuck you. B. No, seriously! Fuck you. Sure, it’s got a lot of filler. It’s got a handful of ballads. The last song was a horrendous mistake that I’m not sure they even intended to leave on the record. That aside: They still write nothing but hits. Deceptively hooky songs without a true chorus and odd time signatures (The Catalyst)? Yes. Fantastic production values? Yes. Same woe is me, us v. them, take it to the man junior high lyrics? Sadly, yes. They continue to grow and evolve musically, but lyrically Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda have VERY LITTLE TO OFFER. These guys have the same career arc as The Beatles, but now that we are four albums in, these guys tread over the same lyrical material, while the beatles had moved on from “holding your hand” and dived in the psyche of elderly women sitting in churches. My analogy was looking good until this record. Still, this was my anthemic, must go run through a brick wall workout album. Unapologetically. The Catalyst

Minus the Bear “Omni” Liked it more than Planet of Ice, less than Menos El Oso. That’s what happens when your favorite band puts out a record. You look at it less as “how does this sound” and more “comparably speaking.” Makes the list because I spent the summer with it. It was a good summer record, but Minus the Bear is starting to sound very predictable, like a copy of Minus the Bear. My Time

Queens Club “Young Giant” - It’s a pop punk record on tooth and nail. This oddball was just really hooky and interesting. I’m good for one of these records every once in a while (See: Brandtson and Jonezetta). Are We, Will We?

Two Door Cinema Club “Tourist History” - Oh it’s just a Franz Ferdinand record in disguise. Hooky, good melody and slightly irreverent.  I Can Talk

Vampire Weekend “Contra” - Someone listened to Paul Simon’s “Graceland” a lot as a child. It’s probably why I enjoy this record so much. Fun, bright and cheerful record. Cousins