Best Records of 2010

[Kalle]

Might be a bit early, but most magazines are putting out their lists now, Paste Magazine's Top 50 is below. Post yours!

 

1. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

2. Janelle Monae: The ArchAndroid

3. Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More

4. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

5. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor

6. Sleigh Bells: Treats

7. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

8. Phosphorescent: Here's To Taking It Easy

9. Sufjan Stevens: The Age Of Adz

10. Frightened Rabbit: The Winter Of Mixed Drinks

11. The National: High Violet

12. Bruce Springsteen: The Promise

13. Sharon Jones: I Learned The Hard Way

14. Band Of Horses: Infinite Arms

15. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues

16. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone

17. Jonsi: Go

18. Cee Lo Green: The Lady Killer

19. Elizabeth Cook: Welder

20. Suckers: Wild Smile

21. Jamey Johnson: The Guitar Song

22. Tallest Man On Earth: The Wild Hunt

23. Laura Veirs: July Flame

24. Beach House: Teen Dream

25. Various Artists: Preservation: An Album to Benefit Preservation Hall

26. Lissie: Catching a Tiger

27. Vampire Weekend: Contra

28. Laura Marling: I Speak Because I Can

29. Freelance Whales: Weathervanes

30. She & Him: Volume Two

31. The Roots: How I Got Over

32. Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig

33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void

34. Girl Talk: All Day

35. Grinderman: Grinderman 2

36. Spoon: Transference

37. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

38. Josh Ritter: So Runs the World Away

39. Sarah Jaffe: Suburban Nature

40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing

41. Anaïs Mitchell: Hadestown

42. Wavves: King of the Beach

43. Stornoway: Beachcomber’s Windowsill

44. Swans: My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky

45. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest

46. The Black Keys: Brothers

47. Yeasayer: Odd Blood

48. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor

49. Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma

50. Marnie Stern: Marnie Stern

[howdjadoo]

 

 

 

 

[RainDogToo]

[GtrPlyr]

I've only heard a 1/3 of those on the Paste list. I bought way more older records and reissues this year than new stuff.

 

Some favorites from 2010:

 

Dr. John and The Lower 911 - Tribal

Spoon - Transference

The National - High Violet

Sharon Jones - I Learned The Hard Way

 

 

Some Favorite 2010 Reissues (in no particular order):

 

Bob Dylan - The Original Mono Recordings

David Bowie - Station to Station

Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights

Bruce Springsteen - The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge of Town Story

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.

Lou Bond - Lou Bond

Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg - Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg

Lô Borges - Lô Borges

Pastor T.L. Barrett - Like A Ship (Without A Sail)

[tinnitus photography]

one of these:

 

 

Sun City Girls - Funeral Mariachi

Marc Ribot - Silent Movies

Boston Spaceships - Our Cubehouse Still Rocks

Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here?

Grinderman - 2

White Hills - S/T

[choo-choo-charlie]

Favorite [new] music of 2010 - in no particular order:

 

Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void

The Black Keys - Brothers

Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill

The Dig - Electric Toys

Miniature Tigers - Fortress

Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone

Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

Futurebirds - Hampton's Lullaby

J Roddy Walston & the Business - J Roddy Walston & the Business

Robert Randolph & the Family Band - We Walk This Road

The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack

Soulive - Rubber Soulive

Tift Merritt - See You on the Moon

Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises

Spoon - Transference

Drive By Truckers - The Big To-Do

Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks

David Karsten Daniels & Fight the Big Bull - I Mean to Live Here Still

Gold Motel - Summer House

The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever

The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards

Robert Plant - Band of Joy

[choo-choo-charlie]

Oh - and Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O.

[bleedorange]

Good to see Suckers on that Paste list.

[Synthesizer Patel]

hmmm. i can't come up with 50, so here is 12 in order, plus a little youtube video for each

 

01 Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

 

02 Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

 

03 Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

 

04 El Guincho - Pop Negro

 

05 Midlake - The Courage Of Others

 

06 Dolorean - Subiza

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=OdcGyzTuxYU

 

07 Caribou - Swim

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=V1nJSjYrheI

 

08 The Morning Benders - Big Echo

 

09 Harlem - Hippies

 

10 The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pHe-C1sO9LM

 

11 Beach House - Teen Dream

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=ITOAtVwF5Wc

 

12 Yeasayer - Odd Blood

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=G0BHLPlidI4

[PopTodd]

I don't know that I've heard enough new music to really make a comprehensive list. But, of the albums that I have heard, here are my (tentative) rankings:

 

1. Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now

2. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

3. Tom Zé - Estuando o Bossa

4. Ty Segall - Melted

5. Os Mutantes - Haih Ou Amortecedor

6. Best Coast - Crazy For You

7. Damian Marley & Nas - Distant Relatives

8. Cleaners From Venus - English Electric

9. Jarvis Humby - Assume the Position, It's Jarvis Humby

10. Ha Ha Tonka - Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South

 

disappointing:

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two

 

Still need to give more listens to:

• Beach House - Teen Dream

• Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

(But both of those are really good and either could rapidly climb my charts.)

[marino13]

#1 The National - High Violet

 

Next Cut:

Black Keys

New Pornos

 

Next Cut after that:

Arcade Fire

Spoon

Jenny and Johnny

Frightened Rabbit

Avett Brothers - Live Vol. 3

Mumford and Sons

Tallest Man - Wild Hunt

[choo-choo-charlie]

hmmm. i can't come up with 50, so here is 12 in order, plus a little youtube video for each

 

07 Caribou - Swim

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=V1nJSjYrheI

 

 

Another good one.

[cryptique]

It boggles the mind that no one has mentioned this one yet:

 

 

I still haven't thought about my list, but this will probably be #1.

[anthony]

My Top Ten:

 

1. Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People (NOT Age of Adz!)

2. Mumford and Sons - Sign No More

3. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

4. Avett Brothers - Live Vol. 3

5. The Black Keys - Brothers

6. Spoon - Transference

7. The National - High Violet

8. Tift Merritt - See You on the Moon

9. Drive By Truckers - The Big To-Do

10. The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever

[brianjeremy]

Man, I'm gonna have to think about this and listen to more of my stuff from 2010. So far, I guess the Arcade Fire, No Age or Beach House would be at the top of list for me...Beach Fossil and the Wild Nothing albums were also really good this year but I haven't really revisited them much over the past few months.

[spongebob]

Sorry to offend....but would Mavis be on anyone's list if it were not for Jeff Tweedy as far as this site is concerned? Really? It is a good record, but listen to The Staple Singers and get back to me about where this album falls. Even Pa would be sad with the blind following.....pre J.T., nobody on this site gave them credit for anything. Just because Jeff is involved doesn't make it the "best". It is good, but I am getting bored by the fact that if Jeff is involved it becomes the "best of". I guess I have become out of tune........

[GtrPlyr]

Sorry to offend....but would Mavis be on anyone's list if it were not for Jeff Tweedy as far as this site is concerned? Really? It is a good record, but listen to The Staple Singers and get back to me about where this album falls. Even Pa would be sad with the blind following.....pre J.T., nobody on this site gave them credit for anything. Just because Jeff is involved doesn't make it the "best". It is good, but I am getting bored by the fact that if Jeff is involved it becomes the "best of". I guess I have become out of tune........

I only see 1 person with this on their list so far. Not sure who this rant is aimed at.

 

As for would she be on anyone's list if it not for Jeff Tweedy. I don't know about others, but I've been a fan of Mavis' a lot longer than I have been of Jeff's. I could care less if Jeff had anything to do with her record, I would still have checked it out as I have done with her other solo records.

[solace]

Sorry to offend....but would Mavis be on anyone's list if it were not for Jeff Tweedy as far as this site is concerned? Really? It is a good record, but listen to The Staple Singers and get back to me about where this album falls. Even Pa would be sad with the blind following.....pre J.T., nobody on this site gave them credit for anything. Just because Jeff is involved doesn't make it the "best". It is good, but I am getting bored by the fact that if Jeff is involved it becomes the "best of". I guess I have become out of tune........

 

you sound rather bitter.

 

and fwiw, the album just snuck in my top 20, it's very good, and one of my favorite things Jeff has done since AGIB, but i agree it's not amazing. as for being interested without Jeff having worked on it, i can only speak for myself, but I've seen Mavis 4 times now, so yeah, certainly would be interested/a fan of the album without his involvement.

[Moss]

This is about where I am at for the year right now:

 

• Beach House – Teen Dream
• Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
• Black Keys – Brothers
• The National – High Violet
• Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
• Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
• Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
• Marc Ford – Fuzz Machine
• Ariel Pink – Before Today
• Besnard Lakes – Besnard Lakes are the roaring night
• Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart
• Delta Spirit – History from Below
• LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
• Ted Leo and the pharmacists – The Brutalist bricks
• Spoon – Transference
• Drive by truckers- The big to-do
• Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
• Stone temple pilots – Stone temple pilots
• The Roots – How I got over
• Broken Bells – Broken Bells

[LouieB]

Sorry to offend....but would Mavis be on anyone's list if it were not for Jeff Tweedy as far as this site is concerned? Really? It is a good record, but listen to The Staple Singers and get back to me about where this album falls. Even Pa would be sad with the blind following.....pre J.T., nobody on this site gave them credit for anything. Just because Jeff is involved doesn't make it the "best". It is good, but I am getting bored by the fact that if Jeff is involved it becomes the "best of". I guess I have become out of tune........

I don't know if it is best of the year or not, but we have had a long discussion about Mavis' other recent solo work on the thread about the recent album. The Staple Singers put out tons of records, certainly many uneven.

 

These best of lists are usually just about everything anyone has heard during a year.

 

LouieB

[Moss]

 

These best of lists are usually just about everything anyone has heard during a year.

 

LouieB

 

I did manage to trim my list from 30+ down to 20 but yeah, it really should be a top ten list or something.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

The Roots – How I got over

My #1, easily. Nothing comes close for me. Outstanding record.

[Oil Can Boyd]

1. Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People (NOT Age of Adz!)

It's funny. I don't think Age of Adz would have been in my top 10 until I saw him play most of it live. I like the album so much more having seen the show last month.

[Vacant Horizon]

nothing really blew me away. stuff i was interested in...

 

le noise-neil young

the promise-springsteen

big to do-dbt

many colored kite-mark olson

[Vacant Horizon]

Favorite [new] music of 2010 - in no particular order:

 

Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void

The Black Keys - Brothers

Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill

The Dig - Electric Toys

Miniature Tigers - Fortress

Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone

Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

Futurebirds - Hampton's Lullaby

J Roddy Walston & the Business - J Roddy Walston & the Business

Robert Randolph & the Family Band - We Walk This Road

The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack

Soulive - Rubber Soulive

Tift Merritt - See You on the Moon

Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises

Spoon - Transference

Drive By Truckers - The Big To-Do

Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks

David Karsten Daniels & Fight the Big Bull - I Mean to Live Here Still

Gold Motel - Summer House

The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever

The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards

Robert Plant - Band of Joy

 

i liked tift merrit's first few albums but man, these last two she has just become so syrupy.