The Best Albums of 2010
It’s that time of year again when the annual “Best Of” lists start to appear like bad analogies written by blog writers past and present. This year presented a bumper crop of releases that were solid and which would have caused me to have a fit if I tried to whittle the list down to a simple “Top 10.” Ventvox’s “Best Of” is presented in an almost alphabetical order and comprises 30 current releases as my smaller and personal tribute to the ever fantastic Casey Kasem.
1. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti : Before Today
“Before Today” is a sublime and surreal blast of psychedelia and soft rock. Ariel Pink and Haunted Graffiti conjure both images of Nuggets era garage rock and “Best of Bread” material often in the same song.
2. Arcade Fire : The Suburbs
Arcade Fire successfully encapsulates the adolescent drama of “The Suburbs” on a sprawling album that returns them to their roots after the Springsteen malaise of “Neon Bible.”
3. Beach House : Teen Dream
“Teen Dream” is a slab of gauzy pop coated in time-worn melodies that could effectively be the aural equivalent of a sigh.
4. Belle and Sebastian : Write About Love
“Write About Love” is a consistent return to form that sounds more like a greatest hits compilation rather than a new album. A welcome surprise from the veteran band that merges “Tigermilk” with “If You’re Feeling Sinister.”
5. Black Breath : Heavy Breathing
“Heavy Breathing” is an oppressingly intense hardcore/metal debut from the Pacific Northwest quintet who never seem to tire or relent. Black Breath offers a fresh take on a genre that is quickly becoming saturated with soundalikes.
6. Black Mountain : Wilderness Heart
The hoary rock troupe returns on a blast of Zeppelin and Sabbath inspired tracks that find the band treading towards a more pop oriented groove. Highlights include the proggy “Old Fangs” and the Bowie influenced, “The Space of Your Mind.”
7. The Body : All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood
“All The Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood” might be one of the strangest combinations of post-rock and doom metal ever. The Body is essentially a stripped down two-piece that trade in extreme heaviness and effortlessly push the limits of the drone genre.
8. Brian Posehn : Fart and Wiener Jokes
Brian Posehn’s “Fart and Wiener Jokes” is an hour of nerd related humor that focuses on metal, strip clubs and black action figures. Check it out if you’re into the idiocy of iTunes genius selection or just a fan of stories of marital bliss.
9. Caribou : Swim
Dan Snaith switches gears on Caribou’s “Swim,” a dance oriented follow-up to “Andorra.” On “Swim,” Snaith affixes both a dark mood and textures to melodies and takes the listener for a ride through varying soundscapes. Highlights include the opener, “Odessa” and “Bowls.”
10. Charlotte Gainsbourg : IRM
Beck helped Charlotte Gainsbourg produce “IRM” about her recent hospitalization and his assistance is literally all over the album. You could almost argue that “IRM” is an extension of “Modern Guilt.” The soft psychedelia infused “Time of the Assassins” and the shuffling “Dandelion” are two personal favorites.
11. Cut Chemist : Sound of the Police EP
While other DJ’s might be struggling by coming up with material (see DJ Shadow), Cut Chemist has seemingly risen like a phoenix. On “Sound of the Police” Cut Chemist takes a bunch of Latin and African records and cuts them into two epic tracks that he performed live at Mochilla’s Timeless series on February 1st, 2009. Crate diggers will find much to love in this short blast of turntablism.
12. Dylan LeBlanc : Pauper’s Field
Dylan LeBlanc sounds like an old soul as he inhabits his songs on his debut “Pauper’s Field.” “Pauper’s Field” is chock full of finely crafted Americana with assistance provided by Emmylou Harris. Tracks like “Emma Hartley” and “Coyote Creek” emphasize that LeBlanc is someone to keep an eye on in the years to come.
13. Fresh & Onlys : Play It Strange
San Francisco’s Fresh & Onlys have crafted a pop gem with their debut “Play It Strange.” “Play It Strange” sways from Kinksian opener, “Summer of Love” to R.E.M-like heights at the drop of a hat. Along the way, the Fresh & Onlys also manage to drop some psych and Ennio Morricone flavored gems.
14. The Gaslight Anthem : American Slang
The Gaslight Anthem channel a more soul and punk oriented Bruce Springsteen on “American Slang.” “American Slang” is full of belters like the title track, “Stay Lucky” and the Van Morrisonesque “The Diamond Church Street Choir.” All is forgiven after I unfairly called them mall punk. Eating crow is sometimes hard to do.
15. Girls : Broken Dreams Club EP
Girls carry on their winning streak with “Broken Dreams Club EP.” Imagine if Elvis Costello was able to stop his crooning spell and replace it with some memorable tunes. Country lament, “Broken Dreams Club” captures the sarcasm and wit of this young band while the fuzz drenched closer “Carolina” demonstrates there is more to Girls than previously thought.
16. Glasser : Ring
Cameron Mesirow is artist known as Glasser and “Ring” is a competent debut. Picking up the torch from Bjork, possibly in the weirdness factor, Mesirow has crafted an album that successfully spreads itself over various dance subgenres of sonic adventure.
17. Gorillaz : Plastic Beach
Damon Albarn’s eclectic Gorillaz returned on the enigmatic “Plastic Beach” offering everything from Snoop Dogg to Lou Reed all within a blink of the eye. Props to Mr. Albarn for bringing Bobby Womack out of the ether and the curious find of pop chanteuse Little Dragon.
18. White Hills : White Hills
Like a trip through some hazy basement in the Seventies, “White Hills” perfectly nails the stoner and drone rock crowd with dense psych and swirling melodies. The krautrock audience might find stuff to like here as well with the track, “Glacial.” Other standouts include “Dead” and the swirling “Counting Sevens.”
19. Grinderman : Grinderman 2
Nick Cave and his group of badder seeds return on a sexy and swarmy romp through the decadent mind of its principle. Grinderman 2 is the sound of Howlin’ Wolf going off the hook, a bluesy blast of unadulterated rock and roll. Yes, this is what a rock band should sound like in the 21st century – witty, sweaty and noisy as hell.
20. Howl : Full of Hell
Unrelentingly brutal, Howl is a driving, take-no-prisoners metal band and I’m using quite a bit of clichés when I write that. Recommended if you like Entombed or Cookie Monster vocals and not for the feint of heart. Howl has one foot in classic metal riffage while another lingers in post hardcore and if that’s your thing, you’ll dig it.
21. LCD Soundsystem : This Is Happening
On LCD Soundsystem’s farewell album, lead James Murphy references just about every seminal post punk musician into his dance-laden odes to failed relationships and record industry kiss offs. What more could you for from a man-child who seems to have finally matured and gotten the elusive “it?”
22. The National : High Violet
On “High Violet,” The National have written their most thematically diverse and musically expansive album which might also be one of their most immediate. “High Violet” is occasionally a challenge but rewards on repeated listens and with headphones, thanks to its dense production.
23. Neil Young : Le Noise
The veteran guitar slinger returns with the help of Daniel Lanois’ sonic assistance on his best album since 1994’s “Sleeps with Angels.” Neil Young’s familiar themes of love, loss and political debate are evidently on the old folkie’s mind but a new technique dubbed “Folk Metal” is presented here in spades.
24. No Age : Everything in Between
“Everything in Between” is a sprawling, shoegazey, lo-fi album of pop bliss. There’s a ton of hidden gems here and if you could scrape the sonic debris off the track you might have something akin to what the NY scene was churning out in the 1970’s. Then again, you might just find more noise, hey whatever…maybe it’s just me.
25. Pantha Du Prince : Black Noise
“Black Noise” is an album based on atmosphere and esoterics and it is wildly successful in its pulsing and grinding electro that it churns out. “Black Noise” almost borders on monotony in its drollness but it is some of the best electronic music currently being produced.
26. Purling Hiss : Public Service Announcement
“Public Service Announcement” is like taking a spin in a beat up Camaro while driving through the desert with a broken radio in the middle of the night. Has there ever been a lo-fi album that has sounded like the ultimate classic rock tribute? Highest recommendations go out to Purling Hiss and his secret affection for looped Van Halen insanity.
27. The Soft Pack : The Soft Pack
San Diego-based band The Muslims changed their name but not their sound and offered one of the most refreshing debuts in quite some time. Breezy, unpretentious garage and pop-punk done with a bratty sense of humor which is sorely missed in the ultra serious indie rock world.
28. Kanye West : My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a lengthy and partially schizophrenic set from the man known as Kanye West. I don’t believe it’s the perfect 10 that Pitchfork claims it to be but nonetheless, it’s an engaging album that offers a glimpse of Kanye’s takes on the cautions of fame, heartbreak and ego.
29. Weekend : Sports
“Sports” is a meticulously crafted, darkly hypnotic album of shoegazing noise and poppy melodies reminiscent of a screeching combo of Joy Division and R.E.M. If you enjoy A Place To Bury Strangers or any of the myriad of Slumberland releases then this album is definitely your bag.
30. Warpaint : The Fool
Warpaint hail from Los Angeles and present themselves as the sirens of post-punk. They weave their entrancing spell through delicate and intricate guitar lines and woozy melodies. You could play spot the references on this one, but that would detract from its narcotic allure.
If you made it through my ramblings, be prepared for the top reissues of the year posted sometime soon.
admin Reply:
December 1st, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Yeah, schizophrenia can be characterized as significant social or occupational dysfunction as evidenced on several tracks like “Monster” or “Power.”
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