Monday, 23 Aug 2010
I realize that we’re well beyond the halfway point of 2010, and that other blogs have already chimed in with the record’s they’re loving this year, but I was thinking about my favorite albums of the year today and decided to put them out here for everyone to see. There’s plenty of year left, so it will be interesting to see which albums stick with me until the end of December. So here goes, in no particular order, my favorite releases (thus far) from 2010.
Frontier Ruckus | Deadmalls and Nightfalls (buy
Video: Frontier Ruckus – “How Could I Abandon?”
Strand of Oaks | Pope Killdragon (buy)
MP3: Strand of Oaks – “Bonfire”
Breathe Owl Breathe | Magic Central (buy
MP3: Breathe Owl Breathe – “Own Stunts”
Titus Andronicus | The Monitor (buy
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part One)
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part Two)
The National | High Violet (buy
MP3: The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
Juniper Tar | The Howl Street EP (buy
MP3: Juniper Tar – “Birds In Trees”
Arcade Fire | The Suburbs (buy
Video: Arcade Fire: “Ready to Start”
Sam Quinn | The Fake That Sunk A Thousand Ships (buy
MP3: Sam Quinn – “Suite Motown”
MP3: Sam Quinn – “Gun”
Phosphorescent | Here’s To Taking It Easy (buy
MP3: Phosphorescent – “The Mermaid Parade”
MP3: Phosphorescent – “It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)”
Conrad Plymouth | Conrad Plymouth EP (buy)
Free Download: Conrad Plymouth EP
Delta Spirit | History From Below (buy
Video: Delta Spirit – “White Table”
Damien Jurado | St. Bartlett (buy
MP3: Damien Jurado – “Arkansas”
Broken Social Scene | Forgiveness Rock Record (buy
Video: Broken Social Scene – “Love Sick”
Nathaniel Rateliff | In Memory Of Loss (buy
Video: Nathaniel Rateliff – “Shroud”
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & The Cairo Gang | The Wonder Show of the World (buy
Video: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – “The Sounds Are Always Begging”
The Tallest Man On Earth | The Wild Hunt (buy
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth – “Burden of Tomorrow”
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth – “King of Spain”
Roadside Graves | You Won’t Be Happy With Me (buy
MP3: Roadside Graves – “Liv Tyler”
Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore | Dear Companion (buy
MP3: Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore – “Something, Somewhere, Sometime”
Common Loon | The Long Dream Of Birds (buy
MP3: Common Loon – “Dinosaur vs. Early Man”
Discuss: What are your favorite releases of 2010? What’s yet to be released that you’re anticipating? How does this year’s releases stack up against 2009?
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:39 pm
My votes are: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals self-titled; Chatham County Line’s “Wildwood” and Farewell Drifters “Yellow Tag Mondays.” But then again, I mostly listen to bluegrass.
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Great list Ryan! High Violet is currently topping my list and that Juniper Tar EP is also right up there too.
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Anson – thanks, I haven’t checked any of those records out. Gonna use up my eMusic creds diggin into em.
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Top of the list so far this year: the Black Keys, Woodpigeon, Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed & the True Loves, the Gaslight Anthem and Josh Ritter. The new Drive-By Truckers, the new Tim Barry, and “High Violet” are high on the list as well.
August 23rd, 2010 at 10:18 pm
I’ve been listening to Laura Veirs’s _July Flame_ for most of the year and have been meaning to blog about it here for as long. I still should–it’s a lovely record full of beautiful and haunting tunes. Jim James sings backup on several songs, Decemberists/Black Prairie guitarist Chris Funk plays guitar on it, and it was produced by her husband, the amazing Tucker Martine. It’s a fantastic record and will be high on my list at the end of the year.
August 23rd, 2010 at 11:49 pm
All good stuff.
My list would have to include these:
Menomena – Mines
Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
Tame Impala – InnerSpeaker
Sleigh Bells – Treats
Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo
She & Him – Vol. 2,
Gorillaz -Plastic Beach
RC Kouba – Real Love
August 24th, 2010 at 2:56 am
Menomena’s “Mines” for absolute certain.
As for 2009 vs. 2010…
2010 had 09 crushed before July.
So much good material.
August 24th, 2010 at 8:34 am
Tame Impala I can definitely see rising on my list. How could I forget the old RC Kouba?
August 24th, 2010 at 9:01 am
1. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
2. The National – High Violet
3. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
August 24th, 2010 at 9:13 am
Great list Matt. But you left out the Black Keys’ Brothers! But I can pretty much agree with everything else you’ve got.
August 24th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Ha, no idea why I wrote Matt…Great list Ryan.
August 24th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Very surprised you left off the Black Keys (Brothers) and Mumford & Sons (Sigh No More).
Will need to check out some of these others though.
August 24th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Nice list. I still have to check out a few of those. My favorites…
Tier 1:
The National – High Violet
Delta Spirit – The History From Below
Futurebirds – Hampton’s Lullaby
Tier 2:
Spoon – Transference
Midlake – The Courage of Others
Phosphorescent – Here’s to Taking it Easy
Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – The Wonder Show of the World
Tier 3:
The Black Keys – Brothers
Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Tier 4:
Nathaniel Rateliff – In Memory of Loss
Joe Pug – Messenger
August 24th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Arcade Fire
Beach House
Breath Owl Breathe
Damien Jurado
Jonsi
Menomena
The National
Spoon
Strand of Oaks
Sufjan Stevens (EP)
Whenever You Are Ready..waiting patiently
Jens Lekman
Sufjan Stevens (LP)
The Wrens
August 24th, 2010 at 11:25 am
I agree with a lot of these really awesome choices!
But we’re forgetting about some underdogs here…
Old Earth- “uncollected voices, on the Orchard moan”
Future Islands- “In Evening Air”
Wavves- “King of the Beach”
Mt. Eerie- “Song Islands, vol. II”
The Books- “The Way Out”
Baths- “Cerulean”
Mountain Man- “Made the Harbor”
August 24th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
@Dan – I forgot about how much I love that Jonsi record.
@Travis – good suggestions. A lot of those, esp. The Books have come to me recently so I’m guessing I’ll grow even fonder of them as the year goes down.
Lots of Black Keys love/questions. I LOVE the band, but this one hasn’t done much for me. I guess I owe it a few more spins.
August 24th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
@ryan
and I forgot Juniper Tar’s Howl St. EP.
It’s excellent, & I can’t wait for the long player.
Maybe they’ll play some new ones tonight at Chill on the Hill. Hope so.
August 24th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Nice list.
Here are some of my favourites that are not on your list:
The Acorn – No Ghost
Del Barber – Love Songs For The Last 20
Josh Ritter – So Runs The World Away
Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
Shad – TSOL (my guilty hip-hop pleasure)
Spoon – Transference
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
Tallest Man On Earth – Wild Hunt
August 24th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
That Arcade Fire album is lame.
August 24th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Titus Andronicus is just about a lock for #1 for the year.
Other favorites so far:
Ted Leo & the Pharmicists – The Brutalist Bricks
DBT – The Big To-Do
Josh Ritter – So Runs The World Away
Look Mexico – To Bed To Battle
The State Lottery – When The Night Comes
The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
Against Me! – White Crosses
Off With Their Heads – In Desolation
Backyard Tire Fire – Good To Be
Alkaline Trio – This Addiction
The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
August 24th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
I’m positively addicted to the Nathaniel Rateliff record… thanks for blogging about him! And I’m with everyone else who mentioned Local Natives & The Black Keys. Looking forward to seeing the former in concert next month.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
I agree with most others…… I forgot Delta Spirit has a new one, I must liisten.
Suprised by High Violet, I think it’s OK.
Couple people here mentioned The Gaslight Anthem? Really? I can’t listen to that.
I sure do like that Beach House release….
August 25th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Menomena – Mines
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks
The Black Keys – Brothers
Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
Murder By Death – Good Morning, Magpie
The Goodnight Loving – The Goodnight Loving Supper Club (so much better than Jaill – really upset about that band breaking up)
The State Lottery – When the Night Comes
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Gut Reactions – s/t (really sad to see that band go as well)
Icarus Himself – Mexico
And a SLEW of others – INCLUDING the new Screaming Females LP that’s due out later – which is pretty fantastic.
I’m willing to wager that The Thermals’ “Personal Life” will end up on this list later as well.
August 26th, 2010 at 11:37 am
In no particular order, here are a few of my absolute favorites….
The New P(orno)graphers – Together
Beach House – Teen Dream
Yeasayer – Odd Blood
The more time I spend with the new School of Seven Bells, Klaxons and Hurts albums, the more I feel they’ll end up on my year-end list, too!
August 26th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Medications – Completely Removed
(underrated DC band)
August 27th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
I am glad “History From Below” is on there. That album is phenomenal and I can’t believe it hasn’t gotten the attention that these other overrated albums are getting. Look, Arcade Fire’s time has passed. This isn’t the desperation tinged years of 2005-2008, this is a time where you gotta make music that counts, music that is humble, yet stands on it’s own. Now, I know this comment is going to get taken to task, but the arcade fire have missed the point. They aren’t the center of attention anymore and I think most people (except SPIN) have gotten over their initial doomsday charm. The National’s first two albums are exceptional as well, but “High Violet” really isn’t that good. I think it’s TRYING to be “that good”, but really there isn’t much there. “Terrible Love”, “Bloodbuzz” and “vanderlyle” are the only good songs.
On the other hand, Delta Spirit’s “History From Below” is incredible on all accounts. It has EXCELLENT production, strong vocals, great lyrics, friendly melodies as well as jagged, buzzing, layered stomps (“White Table”). The passion coming from that band beginning with “911″ and ending with the last lyrics of “Vitaly” is astonishing, in my opinion. I really hope this album continues to attract fans of all music genres, because it is just THAT good.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Nice list with some cool things to explore. Stoked to see Frontier Ruckus up there, as I share that same passion for their post-urban Americana reckoning.
I also second all the props to the new Delta Spirit album. Phenomenal sophomore release from those rhythmic SoCal roots rockers.
Here’s two bands that you may also want to check out, as both are vying for spots amongst my top five sleeper CDs of the year:
Gentle Guest – Cast Off Your Human Form (Amble Down)
http://www.myspace.com/thegentleguest
Pearly Gate Music (a.k.a. Zach Tillman) on Barsuk
http://www.myspace.com/pearlygatemusic
November 12th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
two records this year have really done it for me:
frontier ruckus – “deadmalls and nightfalls”
icarus himself – “mexico”
and come nov. 27, i have high hopes for…
sleeping in the aviary – “great vacation!”