9 Favourite Albums of 2010

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's the middle of March and I'm just posting my favourite albums of 2010.  I had a bit of a tough time coming up with the order of this list which is why it's taken me so long.  Also, I'm a lazy procrastinator.  I've rated these albums based on my enjoyment and how many times I've listened to them.  The numbers are essentially arbitrary as the top 3 or 4 could easily slot into the number one spot at any given moment but that's why I've given a fair bit amount of weight to how often I listened to each album.  The more listens, the higher ranking basically.

9.  Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

 

If there's one thing I want from a band I really love it's that they get better with each album.  Arcade Fire have done that, releasing their most complete album yet.  This isn't a record of singles, it's one meant to be taken as a whole.  Much like Pink Floyd's The Wall I see The Suburbs as one long song, separated into multiple tracks.  Listening to a single song it's hard to see how good this album is but when you hear it from start to finish its brilliance is apparent.

Favourite Song:  The entire album as one

8.  Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

 I'd been hearing about Ariel Pink for about a year before this album came out but I never bothered to check the music out.  That was stupid.  If you're a fan of bland, simple-formula music not only will you not like Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, you simply won't get it either.  It's not like it's difficult or tough to get into or anything, it's just kind of out there.  It's lo-fi, high-creative.  Awesome stuff.

Favourite Song:  Fright Night

7.   Die Antwoord - $O$

Is it all an act?  Yes, most likely.  Characters, acting, whatever you want to call it, the act is brilliant.  They can rap too, so that helps.  Ninja and Yolandi put on an act that is completely fucked up, insane, wacky, silly, childish and most importantly, entertaining.  I saw them in concert in 2010 and it was the most surreal and strange concert experience I've ever had.  And I enjoyed the shit out of myself.  Die Antwoord first blew up on the internet when their video for Enter The Ninja went viral.  They used the internet to their advantage in crafting their image and popularity and put out a badass hip hop album.  You can have your L'il Waynes and Eminems, I'll take outside the box creativity any day of the week.

Best Song:  Evil Boy

6.  Black Keys - Brothers

 The follow up to 2009's Attack & Release is not as good.  Let's get that out of the way first.  Despite that it's still a killer album.  The Black Keys are refining their sound and are getting a solid mainstream following in the process.  That's pretty amazing for a rock n' blues two-piece in this day and age of glitter, glam and over production.  The Black Keys rock, plain and simple.

Best Song:  Tighten Up

5.  Ramona Falls - Intuit

 This one sneaked up on me late in the year.  I checked this disc out randomly, with no knowledge whatsoever of the band and it floored me.  It's deep, it's mellow, it's melodic and it's memorable.  It's headphone music.  Put this album on your headphones when out in public and the world around you melts away.  Ramona Falls are one of my top bands to keep my eye on in the near future.

Best Song:   Melectric

4.   Beach House - Teen Dream

Victoria Legrand's voice is angelic.  The musical textures throughout invoke pure happiness.  I love this album.  Love.

Best Song:  Silver Soul

3.  Vampire Weekend - Contra

 Both Vampire Weekend albums get regular plays in my eardrums.  This is a case of a band exploding onto the scene with a brilliant album and then following it up with something equally artistic and enjoyable.  There has bee no sophomore slump with these guys, crafting upbeat, happy, poppy and catchy rock tunes.  All with a smile and a smirk.  This is party music.  This is dance music.

Best Song:  Cousins

2.   The National - High Violet

 The National make sad music.  That's not to say their music isn't enjoyable, it is, it's just sombre as fuck.  Thing is they are so talented at crafting beautiful songs that you can't help but want to keep listening.  Bullshit "romantic" music like James Blunt has nothing on this stuff.  You listen and you feel things, and that's what the best music does; it makes you feel.  The National make you want to keep feeling.

Best Song:  Little Faith

1.  Yeasayer - Odd Blood

  This has been my favourite album of the year for the entire year.  It came out early in 2010 and remained my favourite all the way through.  It's fun and catchy and inventive and just goddamn enjoyable from start to finish.  This album begs for you to turn it up and sing along.  I love that.  That kind of music has always been tops for me.  Yeasayer make the kind of music that captures my imagination and makes me fantasize about being a rockstar.

Best Song:  Ambling Alp; Rome; Love Me Girl

Incredible News! OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!

Phil Collins says he is retiring from music. The sixty-year-old pop singer says it's a good time for him to stop, saying, "I don't think anyone's going to miss me."

Collins noted that his physical ailments from a lifetime of drumming—including hearing problems, a dislocated vertebra and nerve damage in his hands—have contributed to his decision and noted, "I look at the MTV Music Awards and I think: 'I can't be in the same business as this.' I don't really belong to that world and I don't think anyone's going to miss me. I'm much happier just to write myself out of the script entirely. I'll go on a mysterious biking holiday and never return. That would be a great way to end the story, wouldn't it?" 

Yes Phil, yes it would.  Please leave.

In The Air Tonight, yeah sure, it's a decent song but that's all he's got.  Don't give me any bullshit about Sussudio, that song sucks.  Genesis is better with Peter Gabriel at the helm.  Of course there will always be Phil's catalog of music being played in movies and on radio until the end of time but the prospect of there not being anymore new music from the ugly old bastard is such good news.