As usual, I'm going to start with music. After a very lackluster year of music in 2009, in which I could only muster up 10 albums to put on my list (with even that seeming like a stretch), I was very pleased to see that 2010 was much more exciting for music. Artists I've loved for a while offered great releases and I also found several new artists who gave me some hope for the future of music. So let's dive right into it.
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15. She & Him-Volume Two/Belle & Sebasatian-Write About Love
It's hard for a modern band to successfully recreate the sound of a previous generation. There are several bands now who think that recreating an '80s feel simply means putting on makeup and putting some synths on your songs. So when a band understands that recreating an old sound has more to do with recapturing mood and style, the result is much more enjoyable. That's the case with these two albums. She & Him, aside from being proof that Zooey Deschanel's skills extend beyond acting and looking good, just captures a strong '60s feel. The songs have a nostalgic, innocent style that transports one to a time when listening to music wasn't about clicking a few tracks on an iPod, but putting the needle down on the record player and getting lost. Similarly, Belle & Sebastian's first album in 4 years, continues the band's tradition of nostalgic minimalism, using subtle touches such as strings, horns or a specific kind of harmonizing to just create a feeling of being back in a previous era.
KEY TRACKS:
She & Him-"Over It Over Again"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfScLmVkJNs
Belle & Sebastian-"Write About Love" (featuring Carey Mulligan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDTUAgMu6VU
14. Rogue Wave-Permalight
I was very disappointed in Rogue Wave's previous album, Asleep At Heaven's Gate. It wasn't bad, it just seemed a little aimless, with no unifying sound to the album. Thankfully, the band's newest album is a wonderful return to form, managing to capture the quiet acoustic beauty of Descended Like Vultures, while adding a new poppy element that, while turning off some fans, adds a lot to the overall tone of the album.
KEY TRACK:
"Good Morning (The Future)"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhZEoNWZ5fU
13. Vampire Weekend-Contra
It's hard to find bands these days who are relatively unique in their sound; that is, a band that isn't either a cookie-cutter of several other bands out there, or one that is just copying an older sound. While you can definitely find influences from older music in Vampire Weekend's music, more than anything, they feel like a breath of fresh air for music. As enjoyable as their self-titled debut was, their sophomore album is a huge step-up, really solidifying their sound with a very cool mix of world music, indie, pop and some electronic. The final result is just a bright, feel-good album that really lifts the spirit.
KEY TRACK:
"Giving Up The Gun"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bccKotFwzoY
12. OK Go-Of The Blue Colour of the Sky
I've been a huge fan of OK Go since their self-titled debut in 2002. With their first two albums, they built themselves as a very creative guitar driven pop-rock band. Then they disappeared for five years, leaving me wondering what their next album would sound like. The result was something that couldn't be further removed from their old sound, but all the more satisfying because of it. OK Go more or less ditches their rock sounds and instead tackles Prince-like R&B and funk. This could have easily gone very wrong, but instead ended up being an album that I've revisited nonstop throughout the year. The band retains their fun style and creativity while evolving and showing off their amazing instrumentation.
KEY TRACK:
"Before The Earth Was Round"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7frEFnt9CKU
11. Childish Gambino-Culdesac/Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
I'll be honest; I'm not a huge rap fan. I understand the appeal and certainly appreciate the talent it takes to do it, but I've just never been able to connect with any rap, aside from on a level of novelty. This changed in 2010 with these two releases. I got into Childish Gambino first through the intrigue of hearing Donald Glover, a comedian I'm a huge fan of, do a rap album, and then hearing his two I Am Just A Rapper mixtapes early in the year, in which he raps over indie songs. I enjoyed Glover's unique perspective of what he rapped about; I hadn't really heard his point of view in rap before. When his full-length album was released, complete with original music, I was blown away and knew that Childish Gambino was a legitimate rap act. Glover not only creates some amazing backing music and beats, but has extremely clever raps and rhymes that cover everything from growing up a nerd to writing for 30 Rock. In the case of Kanye West, I hated him for years. Aside from the obvious complaints about him being an egotistical douchebag, I didn't think his music lived up the constant praise he received. That all changed with his new album. Every single track matches fantastic samples, beats and music with brilliant lyrics and guest appearances. West is nothing but open on the album and there's a raw honesty present that just draws you in. Say what you will about his public persona, but anyone denying the epic ambition of the album is really missing out .
KEY TRACKS:
Childish Gambino-"Hero"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPmA6u-3Rt0
Kanye West-"All of the Lights"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uayey2PSGpA
10. Brandon Flowers-Flamingo: Deluxe Edition
For some reason, The Killers have received a fair amount of scorn from critics in the past few years for their bombast. Brandon Flowers has always believed in the "go big or go home" approach to music, so it's only appropriate that he'd fully embrace this on his first solo album. He manages to carry over the grand sound he has with The Killers while still forming his own unique sound to differentiate his solo work from his band work. The album becomes a great epic of storytelling through songs as Flowers uses his ambitious sound to tell stories of sad, broken people. It's also worth nothing that the Deluxe Edition of the album is one of the only instances where the bonus tracks don't feel like tacked on studio extras, but essential songs to the full experience of the album.
KEY TRACK:
"Hard Enough" (featuring Jenny Lewis)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiazd3YJldY
9. Motion City Soundtrack-My Dinosaur Life
I've always felt a strong connection to Motion City Soundtrack. Justin Pierre has such a specific, honest writing style that I can really relate to. He deals with very universal topics (heartbreak, feeling like an outcast), but does so with such a smart, cynical yet funny point of view. On top of that, the band just creates fun, energetic music. But honestly, the second the band made a reference to Veronica Mars, I knew there was no way this album wouldn't be a favorite of the year.
KEY TRACK:
"Her Words Destroyed My Planet"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC_HwM5nSYU
8. Weezer-Hurley
If there's one thing that's inevitable with me and music, it's that if Weezer ends up releasing an album, I will end up loving it. No matter what they do, I am an unapologetic fan. Their music just speaks to me on a very deep level that's hard to explain. Everybody has an artist for whom they feel presents a musical equivalent of how they feel and view the world. Weezer is that band for me. Having said that and presenting my obvious bias, I do believe that Hurley is Weezer's best album since Pinkerton, which is generally considered to be their masterpiece. There is just an undeniable raw energy that Rivers Cuomo seems to have reclaimed while making this album that shines through on every track. He is still doing what he has done on all of his albums; great hooks and melodies, clever yet self-deprecating lyrics, yet it just seems stronger than it has on years on this album. The key example comes with Rivers' voice; on nearly every track, you can almost hear his voice crack with the amount of power he puts behind it, which is something I personally was thrilled to hear the return of.
KEY TRACK:
"Ruling Me"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1u10XiwwI4
7. My Chemical Romance-Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
Following up a hugely ambitious, successful album is always difficult. There is an extremely intimidating amount of expectations that the band must meet. As good an album as Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown is, it's hard to deny that it's essentially American Idiot 2. My Chemical Romance faced a similar challenge in having to follow-up The Black Parade. They took the smart approach by taking a few years to make the album they wanted to make, even going so far as to dump an entire album's worth of songs when they weren't completely happy with them. The final result is the most fun, energetic album I heard in 2010, and one that couldn't be more different than it's predecessor. The dark, gothic Queen-style rock of The Black Parade is replaced with a fast, furious energy that is an absolute blast to listen to countless times. The band digs into what worked on their previous albums, while adding a bunch of new elements that prove how talented they truly are.
KEY TRACK:
"Planetary (GO!)"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBBDuIpct5o
6. Sleigh Bells-Treats
This one is hard to describe in why I love it so much. It's even hard to describe what their "sound" would classify as. Noise punk? Garage dance rock? It's hard to say. All that I know is that at only 32 minutes, the album acts like a fantastic sonic assault, full of speaker bursting drums, screeching guitars and distorted vocals. It's unlike anything I've ever heard and I love it more and more because of it.
KEY TRACK:
"Crown On The Ground"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViBt55HRkXw
5. Marina & The Diamonds-The Family Jewels
Despite the enormous popularity of Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift or countless others, it seems like real female performers are really underrepresented in music today. There are tons of talented female singer/songwriters working, but they are largely overlooked outside of the indie scene. The times this frustrates me the most is when I hear someone like Marina & The Diamonds, the musical project of London singer/songwriter Marina Diamindis. She has such a creative, unique voice and musical style, a mix of Sparks meets Kate Bush with a good dose of '80s pop, yet she remains largely unknown. The album sticks with you and stays in your head the more you listen to it. Marina & The Diamonds should be huge. Let's hope this change soons.
KEY TRACK:
"Are You Satisfied?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h4dGDtanio
4. The New Pornographers-Together
The New Pornographers is a band I got into in a big, bad way this year, and their newest album was my introduction to their endlessly satisfying brand of power-pop. I just love everything about the band and this album is a great representation of why. Whether it's the insanely catchy melodies, the expert musicianship or the strong appeal of all four of the band members who sing on the album (A.C. Newman, Neko Case, Dan Bejar and Kathryn Calder). This is the album that introduced me to what is now one of my absolute favorite bands and I will forever love it for that.
KEY TRACK:
"Crash Years"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KZANuDcRO4
3. Ben Folds & Nick Hornby-Lonely Avenue
When I first heard that Ben Folds would be collaborating with author Nick Hornby on his latest album, I was intrigued, yet a little disappointed. I'm a big fan of Hornby's writing, but Folds has such a great lyrical style, that it was hard to imagine him singing anyone else's words. Turns out, my concerns were unnecessary as the two are a perfect match. Hornby crafts wonderful lyrics, focusing on different characters, while Folds writes the perfect melodies and brings them to life. When put together, it becomes the musical equivalent of sitting down with a terrific book of short stories.
KEY TRACK:
"Doc Pomus"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3WWnpfcYhE
2. Arcade Fire-The Suburbs
If I had it my way, Arcade Fire would be the biggest band in the world. Their huge, epic sound, injecting a filmlike orchestra sound with indie rock gives the band a sound that's simply astonishing to listen to. Every single member of the large ensemble adds to the overall experience of listening to Arcade Fire's music. It doesn't have the intimate appeal of Funeral, but that's because the band has grown beyond that; they've evolved into something completely different and rare, a band that is instantly recognizable and impossible to replicate. With 16 tracks and a running time over an hour, The Suburbs is certainly long, but in the process, it becomes an experience while listening to the album. It becomes more than an album you can just pick random tracks from; it becomes like a movie, demanding you sit down and enjoy the whole experience from start to finish.
KEY TRACKS (couldn't pick just one):
"Rococo"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az_2oiccZNo
"Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_7_XRfTMs
1. Steel Train-Steel Train
It was hard to choose what my #1 would be, and while I think Arcade Fire might actually be the best album of the year, Steel Train released what is my personal favorite album of the year; an album that connected with me instantly and just continued to speak to me and grow on me every single time I revisited it. Steel Train have figured out the way to write a perfect pop rock song. It has to be both small and intimate, yet big and epic, and they achieve it. All of the songs have a huge sound to them, yet maintain a very welcoming sound with great energy and wonderful melodies. Opening with the grand "Bullet" and ending with the achingly beautiful "Fall Asleep", Steel Train's self-titled album that never fails to transport me and let me get completely lost in the music, which is what music is really all about.
KEY TRACKS (again, couldn't pick one):
"You and I Undercover"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0qNKxqVkBw
"Fall Asleep"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9reoq82ZWg
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And with that, my Best of 2010 is underway. Tomorrow I'll be sharing my favorite television of last year. I highly recommend you seek out the albums I've mentioned here. They all spoke to me in different ways and I'd love to share that with anyone reading.
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