2011 is right around the corner, and it is high-time I make my 2nd annual Top Albums of the Year list. As I have gone through the albums that have been put out this year, all the new artists that have grabbed my attention, and all my old favorites who have continued to blow me away, it has become glaringly obvious that we have ended the decade on an incredible musical high-note (unintended pun). Yes, yes, Pitchfork has put out their famous top 50 list (as have others such as Stereogum, Rolling Stone, NME, etc.), and I have to say I think there has been a tendency in within these publications of ranking based more on hype than on quality (for example, who didn't see it coming that Kanye made #1 on almost every list?). Not to say the hyped albums weren't good, I just personally think the order in which they were ranked wasn't purely based off of musical excellence... but I digress. The list below reflects my 50 personal favorites of the year and subsequent recommendations of the tracks that I think should be paid special attention to from each respective album. Let me tell you it was NOT easy to rank these, there truly was so much incredible music put out this year. A few of the records listed more or less overlap with other lists, a bunch are albums I see as being underrated gems of the year, but all 50 have one thing in common: they made a huge contribution to the music culture of 2010 will go down in history, at least I hope so, as some of the greatest records the 21st century has produced. So without further ado, consider this list my toast to a fantastic year in music.
#50: Four Tet- There is Love in You
listen to: Angel Echoes, Plastic People, She Just Likes to Fight
#49: Yeasayer- Odd Blood
listen to: Madder Red, O.N.E., Ambling Alp
#48: Klaxons- Surfing the Void
listen to: Twin Flames, Cypherspeed
#47: Of Montreal- False Priest
listen to: Famine Affair, Coquet Coquette, Hydra Fancies
#46: Marina and the Diamonds- The Family Jewels
listen to: I Am Not A Robot, Oh No!, Are You Satisfied?, Numb
#45: Uffie- Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans
listen to: ADD SUV, Art of Uff, Pop The Glock (Mirwais Pop Remix)
#44: Belle and Sebastian- Write About Love
listen to: I Want the World to Stop, Write About Love, I Can See Your Future
#43: Dum Dum Girls- I Will Be
listen to: It Only Takes One Night, I Will Be, Yours Alone
#42: Charlotte Gainsbourg- Irm
listen to: Time of the Assassins, Dandelion, Master's Hands
#41: Lissie- Catching a Tiger
listen to: Worried About, When I'm Alone, Record Collector
#40: Best Coast- Crazy For You
listen to: Our Deal, Boyfriend, Crazy For You
#39: Neon Indian- Psychic Chasms
listen to: Terminally Chill, Should Have Taken Acid With You, Psychic Chasms
#38: Titus Andronicus- The Monitor
listen to: A Pot In Which To Piss, A More Perfect Union
#37: No Age- Everything in Between
listen to: Glitter, Positive Amputation, Life Prowler
#36: The National- High Violet
listen to: Anyone's Gone, Bloodbuzz Ohio, England, Terrible Love
#35: Baths- Cerulean
listen to: Animal, Rafting Starlit Everglades, <3
#34: Wavves- King of the Beach
listen to: King Of The Beach, Green Eyes
#33: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim- Here Lies Love
listen to: Here Lies Love, Please Don't, Never So Big
#32: Surfer Blood- Astro Coast
listen to: Floating Vibes, Twin Peaks
#31: Frightened Rabbit- The Winter of Mixed Drinks
listen to: Swim Until You Can't See Land, Living In Colour, Skip The Youth
#30: Die Antwoord- $O$
listen to: Wat Pomp?, Evil Boy, Rich Bitch
#29: Warpaint- The Fool
listen to: Undertow, Set Your Arms Down, Shadow
#28: Small Black- New Chain
listen to: Search Party, Photojournalist, Camoflauge
#27: Twin Shadow: Forget
listen to: Castles In The Snow, Slow, Forget, I Can't Wait
#26: Peggy Sue: Fossils and Other Phantoms
listen to: February Snow, Yo Mama, Fossils
#25: Robyn- Body Talk Pt. 1
listen to: Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do, Dancing On My Own
#24: Janelle Monae- The ArchAndroid
listen to: Wondaland, Tightrope
#23: Laura Marling- I Speak Because I Can
listen to: Rambling Man, Devil's Spoke, Blackberry Stone
#22: Johnny Flynn- Been Listening
listen to: Barnacled Warship, Lost And Found, Been Listening
#21: The Bird and the Bee- Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1 (A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates)
listen to: I Can't Go For That, Rich Girl, Maneater, Private Eyes
#20: Matt Costa- Mobile Chateau
listen to: Witchcraft, Next Time, Can You Tell Me
#19: Crystal Castles- Crystal Castles (II)
listen to: Vietnam, Intimate, Empathy, Celestica
#18: Deerhunter- Halycon Digest
listen to: He Would Have Laughed, Earthquake, Helicopter, Desire Lines
#17: She & Him- Volume Two
listen to: In The Sun, Ridin' In My Car, Thieves, Lingering Still
#16: Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
listen to: Lost In The World, Power, Monster
#15: Matt and Kim- Sidewalks
listen to: AM/FM Sound, Cameras
#14: Jenny and Johnny- I'm Having Fun Now
listen to: Animal, Big Wave, Highs and Lows of Being #1
#13: Ratatat- LP4
listen to: Neckbrace, Bilar, Grape Juice City, Party With Children
#12: Kate Nash- My Best Friend Is You
listen to: Do-Wah-Doo, Paris, Mansion Song, I've Got A Secret
#11: Arcade Fire- The Suburbs
listen to: Rococo, We Used To Wait, Month Of May, Sprawl II, The Suburbs
#10: Local Natives- Gorilla Manor
listen to: Airplanes, Wide Eyes, Sun Hands, World News
#9: Maps & Atlases- Perch Patchwork
listen to: Solid Ground, Pigeon, Israeli Caves
#8: M.I.A.- Maya
listen to: Lovealot, XXXO, Believer, Space
#7: LCD Soundsystem- This is Happening
listen to: I Can Change, Drunk Girls, Dance Yrself Clean
#6: Mark Ronson and the Business Int'l- Record Collection
listen to: Bang Bang Bang, Introducing The Business, Sound Of Plastic
#5: Vampire Weekend- Contra
listen to: Giving Up The Gun, California English, Diplomat's Son, Run
#4: Glasser- Rings
listen to: Mirrorage, Home, Apply, Temper On
#3: Sleigh Bells- Treats
listen to: Riot Rhythm, Tell 'Em, Run The Heart, A/B Machines, Treats
And, seeing as I am completely at a loss for the second year in a row and cannot make up my mind for a definitive #1 album of the year, I have chosen 2 to tie. The two #1 albums of the year are...(drumroll please)
#1a: Beach House- Teen Dream
listen to: Silver Soul, Zebra, Walk In The Park, Used To Be, 10 Mile Stereo
#1b: The Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards
listen to: Blue Blood Blues, Old Mary, I Can't Hear You, Hustle And Cuss, The Difference Between Us
Happy New Year, and here's to what's to come in the music world in 2011!
