Generally a good year all in all. There's lots of burn out from some of that chillfiglosurfwave stuff. It got a lot of listen in the summer, but not a long shelf life as expected, yet fun enough while it lasted. Spoon was a solid return but got blindsided by Cotton Jones, which captures a bit of Americana dreaminess in an evening haze while sipping on the porch. Free Energy is what it is. The Drums never left the rotation with virtually no filler harkening back to the 80's but staying their own. Silver Seas was a kicker towards the end of the year. It satisfies my early Jackson Browne itch and replaces Josh Rouse, who gave up on being good.


2010
Kept me listening
1. Cotton Jones - Tall Hours in the Glowstream
2. Spoon - Transference
3. Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing
4. The Drums - The Drums
5. Silver Seas - Chateau Revenge!
6. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
7. Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
8. Phosphorescent - Here's to Taking It Easy
9. Frankie Rose & the Outs - st
10. The Clientele – Minotaur ep
11. Shout Out Louds - Work
12. The Limiñanas - Trouble in Mind
13. Sharon Jones And the Dap Kings - I Learned the Hard Way
14. Wild Nothing - Gemini
15. Surfer Blood - Astrocoast
16. Fitz and the Tantrums - Pickin' Up the Pieces
17. Crocodiles - Sleep Forever
18. Secret Colours - st
19. Twin Sister - Color Your Life
20. Dom - Sun Bronzed Greek Gods

Had the stuff just not quite enough
21. Stephanie Finch & the Company Men - Cry Tomorrow
22. Beach House - Teen Dream
23. Lower Dens - Twin-Hand Movement

Generally surprised based on not liking their previous efforts
24. Arcade Fire - Suburbs
25. Vampire Weekend – Contra



Good album but not my favorite of theirs, still glad they’re managing to put out some music . . . Glossary - Feral Fire

These 4 I’m liking but I just haven’t had the time with them as needed if they’re going to off something in the top 20.
• Aloe Blacc - Good Things
• Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before today
• Junip – Fields
• The Volebeats - st

Nice. They're good people.

I wasn't too into that Sharon Jones until public radio played a live performance where about half the tracks were from that one and half from 100 days. That performance sold me.

completely forgot about that cotton jones, I like that album a lot.

I got that impression from seeing them interviewed. You met them or know them?

I'd like to hear that. When our tastes overlap, its usually on good shit

Nice list dude! Quite a few of my favs.

i forgot about that dom ep. i would've added it to my list.

Yeah, this Cotton Jones is pretty good shit. It's a little like Phosphorescent - Atmospheric country. Very hazy indeed. Thanks for sharing, Tommy.

I agree. Glad you liked it.

Man, I didn't know The Shout Out Louds put one out last year. I tried with the one before that one but man, just sophomore slump city.

What are The Drums all about? I've seen them on a few lists now....

The Shout Out Louds album got panned by a lot of people. I could see why when I sampled it and hated it but came back months later and was surprised how good it was. Its much better than Our Ill Wills, instruments being more interestingly textured and better lyrics.

That Drums, very 80's British campiness in the vein of early Cure, Echo, Simple Minds, but stripped down and made poppier. Good description below also music relates to John Hughes films

"The rest of The Drums makes it even clearer that the band isn’t afraid to be pop with a capital P, and that the Drums know and love every trick in the pop handbook. The album is drenched in glossy reverb and awash in handclaps and harmonies, all of which help unite the band’s fetishes for spindly ‘80s indie guitars, innocent ‘50s melodies, and tinny drum machines and synths."