Paste Magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2010

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:23 pm

Went home for lunch and their "Lifeline" email was in my inbox.

I'll post what they said about the Top 10 as well:

50. Marnie Stern: Marnie Stern [Kill Rock Stars]
49. Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma [Warp]
48. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor [Frenchkiss]
47. Yeasayer: Odd Blood [Secretly Canadian]
46. The Black Keys: Brothers [Nonesuch]
45. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest [4AD]
44. Swans: My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky [Young God]
43. Stornoway: Beachcomber’s Windowsill [4AD]
42. Wavves: King of the Beach [Fat Possum]
41. Anaïs Mitchell: Hadestown
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks]
39. Sarah Jaffe: Suburban Nature [Kirtland]
38. Josh Ritter: So Runs the World Away [Pytheas]
37. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty [Def Jam]
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge]
35. Grinderman: Grinderman 2 [Mute Records/ANTI-]
34. Girl Talk: All Day [Illegal Art]
33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void [Sub Pop]
32. Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig [Nonesuch]
31. The Roots: How I Got Over
30. She & Him: Volume Two [Merge]
29. Freelance Whales: Weathervanes [Frenchkiss]
28. Laura Marling: I Speak Because I Can [Astralwerks]
27. Vampire Weekend: Contra [XL
26. Lissie: Catching a Tiger [Fat Possum]
25. Various Artists: Preservation: to Benefit Preservation Hall [Megaforce]
24. Beach House: Teen Dream [Sub Pop]
23. Laura Veirs: July Flame [Raven Marching Band]
22. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt [Dead Oceans]
21. Jamey Johnson: The Guitar Song [Mercury Nashville]
20. Suckers: Wild Smile [Frenchkiss]
19. Elizabeth Cook: Welder [31 Tigers]
18. Cee Lo Green: The Lady Killer [Elektra]
17. Jónsi: Go [XL]
16. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone [Anti-]
15. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues [Bloodshot]
14. Band of Horses: Infinite Arms [Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia]
13. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way [Daptone]
12. Bruce Springsteen: The Promise: [Columbia]
11. The National: High Violet [4AD]

Link to list with blurbs on all the albums:

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/list ... -2010.html

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:26 pm

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10. Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks [Fat Cat]

On each of its first three albums, Frightened Rabbit’s ambition has grown. The Scottish band is still good at juxtaposing minimal passages with rousing dynamic swoops. But on The Winter of Mixed Drinks, their songs are sandbagged with sighing keyboards, screaming layers of melodious distortion, nested rhythms, choral harmonies—all the doodads that rock bands are liable to employ circa album number three. These more laborious arrangements occasion stirring moments on the epic scale of Coldplay or U2; this is burnished, stadium-sized, cloud-cover rock. The change is more one of scale than style. Hutchison’s earthy, inviting voice cuts through the vast instrumentation like a ray of sunlight. This is a different sort of intimacy: The Winter of Mixed Drinks is less of a breakup record than a post-breakup record, the more pathetic feelings having hardened into self-reliant moxie. Hutchison offers the usual wallowing introspection and off-kilter epiphanies (“She was not the cure for cancer,” he suddenly gleans midway through the album), but from a bird’s-eye view. On lead single “Swim Until You Can’t See Land,” which includes a string arrangement by labelmate Hauschka, the singer is a tiny, bobbing speck, way out past the waves, nothing but a sea of chiming guitars and swooning strings on all sides. Frightened Rabbit wrings a winning simplicity from all this august isolation. A cardiac pulse animates many of the songs, a mightily thwacking unison at the core of all the kaleidoscopic embellishment. Sprightly rhythms still canter through the drafty corridors.—Brian Howe

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9. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz [Asthmatic Kitty]

After Illinois made Sufjan Stevens something of a household name in 2005, he seemed to flee from the spotlight, willfully sabotaging the momentum built with a trio of records, Michigan, Seven Swans and Illinois that were tied together by an orchestral-folk style—a sound that only occasionally peeks through on the much noisier Age of Adz. But looking back further, those three album represent an unusual consistency in a career marked with experimentation, progression and, well, noise. In that light, The Age of Adz and the EP that preceded, All Delighted People, aren’t so much a departure as an amalgamation of all that’s come before—the chamber elements, the synthetic dissonance and the heart-rending lyrics. It’s as carefully orchestrated as The BQE, employing a series of movements and a vast array of instrumentation within even some of the shortest songs. Instead of straightforward vignettes tackling the human condition, the lyrics are more jumbled enigmatic pleas. While The Age of Adz has no single song that stirs me like the short stories of “Casimir Pulaski Day” and “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades,” its music is as equally layered and its poetry is often more complex. It’s what you hope for from your favorite artists in your best moments—evolution, a little difficulty and, especially, something new.—Josh Jackson

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:28 pm

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8. Phosphorescent: Here’s to Taking It Easy [Dead Oceans]

Last year, Phosphorescent braintrust Matthew Houck released a tribute to Willie Nelson featuring 11 well-chosen covers that avoided obvious hits and sentiments. He and his honkytonk band have obviously learned from that endeavor: The songs on their gorgeously sadsack follow-up Here’s to Taking It Easy evoke lost days and lonely nights with keen observations and road-weary melodies. “Baby, all these cities, ain’t they all startin’ to look all the same?” Houck laments on the rip-roaring opener “It’s Hard to Be Humble (When You’re from Alabama),” as the horn section roars ahead with trucker’s speed and the pedal steel somehow evokes both Junior Brown and My Bloody Valentine. All of Houck’s southern eccentricities remain gloriously intact, from his eloquently hangdog vocals to his minimalist songwriting on “Hej, Me I’m Light.” Best of all is “The Mermaid Parade,” an ode to a bicoastal break-up that’ll have you shedding a tear in your PBR.—Stephen M. Deusner

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7. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs [Merge]

At first listen, The Suburbs didn’t seem likely to bear the same iconographic heft as its predecessors. But swelling at 16 songs and an hour-plus runtime, it’s Arcade Fire’s most ambitious and concept-driven effort to date. Vast stretches feel tamped down, as if the album is sonically emulating its subject. Where past Arcade Fire songs built upwards, these unfurl flat and wide; the euphoric spikes that served as Funeral and Neon Bible’s beloved rallying points are strangely absent here, spaced farther and farther apart. Arcade Fire seems to be testing us, luring us down into the lowlands. A vein of emptiness and Beckett-esque waiting courses throughout; as so often in real life, these suburbs are a kind of purgatory with no exit in sight. But Chassagne’s vocal turn on “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” redeems. A disco backbeat and massive keyboard bassline blast skyward, achieving the sort of anthemic release Arcade Fire has perfected, a moment of catharsis that’s been brewing for nearly the entire album. As any kid bored to death in such cul de sacs knows, the only cure from the suburbs can be found in “shopping malls [that] rise like mountains beyond mountains,” and three minutes in, the song finds its own escape, attaining a euphoric release. She’s found hope in the darkness, even if it’s just neon and dim street lights beckoning with their irresistable clarion call: “Come and find your kind.”—Andy Beta

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:30 pm

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6. Sleigh Bells: Treats [Mom + Pop]

Treats, the debut effort from noise-rock newcomers Sleigh Bells, is the logical conclusion of the loudness war; it manages to challenge basic assumptions of how music can (and should) sound. You either buy the Brookyln duo’s central conceit or you don’t: bombastic synth-rock for bombast’s sake, with mixing cranked so high your speakers sound like they’re about to combust. It’s a preposterous juxtposition—Alexis Krauss’ way-past-sweet vocals as the sugary glaze on Derek Miller’s gritty and serrated riffing and beats—until the soaring power chords of opener and single “Tell ‘Em” kick off the album with a thunderclap, and you barrel through a 32-minute sonic rollercoaster that’s totally, gloriously, devoid of subtlety and restraint. Treats is engrossing, and urgent; Krauss and Miller toy with noise and listener expectations with Reznor-esque glee. It’s a supremely raw and visceral pop masterwork, one appropriate to rocking out with headphones on, windows-down bumping on car stereos, four-A.M. warehouse dance parties and countless other summer moments.—Michael Saba

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5. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor [XL]

If Bruce Springsteen sowed the seeds of small-town introspection, his fellow New Jerseyites Titus Andronicus are flooding the fields. The punk quintet deconstructed postindustrial life with its gut-wrenching debut, The Airing of Grievances. And the band’s sophomore LP, The Monitor, crushes the rosy spectacles of heartland rock, peeling away the façade of barroom camaraderie to reveal an entire generation inured to those highs. The comedown is a deeply pessimistic exploration of Americana and its now-quixotic quest for authenticity, loosely tethered to a fictional Civil War-era travel narrative spanning the trackless forests between New Jersey and Massachusetts. For Titus Andronicus, there are no more glory days to be had in Jersey, or anywhere else. “The enemy is everywhere” is The Monitor’s twice-invoked refrain, the central thesis of an album that’s both uncompromisingly bleak and impossible to ignore.—Michael Saba

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:31 pm

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4. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella]

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a nuanced, intimately personal record wherein even ostensibly boastful tracks are tangled with insecurities, both personal and professional. It’s also a much stronger work than anyone could have reasonably expected from West. His previous disc, the volatile, romantically despondent 808s & Heartbreak, found the artist in a uniquely unfocused state, as if he’d spent weeks in the studio with nothing expect his liquor and his confused, conflicted thoughts. Yet Heartbreak was patchy in execution, with lyrics that were hastily written and vocals that relied too heavily on Auto-Tune. The intervening years propelled West into a tailspin of isolation so severe that some wondered if he had another good record in him. But in 2009, West found his voice through a series of startling guest verses, upstaging great rappers like Jay-Z and Twista with a tightened confidence that he’d never quite exhibited before. Dark Twisted Fantasy is the logical next step: he handles these beats with poise and prowess. West has created a paradox that can be summarized thusly: It sounds like him, yet nothing like his previous work. It sounds like Chicago, yet retains an unmistakably universal appeal. It’s his fifth release, yet bustles with the bedazzled energy of someone aching to be heard for the first time. It oozes disdain, yet warrants empathetic listening. It is profoundly imperfect pop music, yet it is magnificent pop music. And in its many contradictions, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy—perhaps this century’s definitive portrait of torment, vanity, self-delusion, and pathos—has given way to stirring new possibilities.—M.T. Richards

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3. Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More [Glassnote]

Sigh No More flutters to life with an apology. In an ethereal four-part harmony, the British foursome intones Benedict’s line to Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing: “Serve God, love me and mend,” and then the voices swell in unison: “And I’m sorry.” It’s one of the only pastoral moments on the band’s hour-long debut LP, but the sentiment lingers. More than anything else, this is an album chock full of gorgeous remorse—and it’s bursting at the seams. The tired snivels of the spindly-armed strummer have no place here; it’s an amped-up, bass-heavy, banjo-picking pity party made of the same violent stuff that once inspired a lusty 17th-century cleric to demand of his deity: “Batter my heart.” From that first flowery track to “Little Lion Man,” where frontman Marcus Mumford croaks: “It was not your fault but mine, but it was your heart on the line,” to “Timshel,” where he laments “Death … will steal your innocence,” it’s wide-eyed, giddy yawp of an almost saccharine nature. Lyrical subtlety is not Mumford & Sons’ strong suit, and it doesn’t matter at all. Sign No More works because it’s commanding in all aspects of its presentation: The unashamedly universal themes are matched by the group’s booming sound and imagery that stretches out over space and time.—Rachel Dovey

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:33 pm

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2. Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid [The Wondaland Arts Society/Bad Boy]

At long, long last, Janelle Monáe dropped her full-length debut on the world in 2010. It only seems fitting to look back on the moment two years prior when we first encountered her: “‘This is a historic night,’ the emcee shouts to the crowd. Waving blue and white inspirational signs, the assembly chants louder. The excitement is palpable. The diversity of the crowd—young and old, black and white, male and female—is itself a sign of the hope offered. When the shouts reach a fevered pitch, the guest of honor emerges. Welcome Janelle Monáe.
Sure, it’s only a club show, but—Barack Obama allusions aside—it does feel historic. You can’t help but feel you’re watching the birth of a superstar. ‘I’ve just watched Prince, Michael Jackson, Anita Baker, Judy Garland and AC/DC all at once,’ a friend exclaims as we leave the show.
When I first saw the 23-year-old singer, I told my wife that I’d just had a Jon Landau moment—I’d seen the future of rock ’n’ roll. Monáe—barely five-feet tall and backed only by a guitar player and drummer—delivered a performance unlike any I’d ever seen.”—Tim Regan-Porter

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1. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening [EMI/DFA]

Over the course of three proper full-length albums and a smattering of singles, LCD Soundsystem—the oft-one-man-show of New York DJ, producer and DFA Records co-honcho James Murphy—has become an increasingly sure bet. After 2002’s “Losing My Edge,” an eight-minute takedown of rock ‘n’ roll posturing, the band avoided novelty-act territory with a helping of self-skewering; Murphy dressed himself down almost more than anyone else, stripping away all traces of preening entitlement and pretense, readying himself for a three-album run that would build on—not trade on—his cutting wit. The records have a wry take on certain social graces, toying with the kids packing underground bars and the same kind of house parties that probably wound up blasting the songs. This Is Happening is, in all respects, LCD’s best album. There’s a remarkable sustained energy to this collection; its electronic textures thrum and shimmy, and wall after sonic wall is built up and torn down with impeccable precision. But there’s an odd tension throughout; Murphy sounds both all-in and like he’s keeping one eye on the exit—in no small part, surely, because he intends this album to be LCD Soundsystem’s last. It’s not a swan-song, exactly—that would require some degree of sentimentality and forced closure that seems wholly absent from Murphy’s world—but it’s deliberate and no-nonsense; he doesn’t want to waste his time, or yours, or anyone’s. Instead, we get a handful of parting gifts: The insistently lovelorn “Change,” featuring Murphy’s most oddly sophisticated vocal delivery to date; the percolating piss and vinegar of “Hit” and its record industry shrug-off; the skittering, spoken-word discourse, snide asides and comic-book chorus of “Pow Pow.” It’ll be a shame to see LCD Soundsystem go—but you know, the coolest kids always ditch the party early.—Rachael Maddux

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

The ones I've heard

48. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor [Frenchkiss]: ok album
46. The Black Keys: Brothers [Nonesuch]: good album, in my top 20
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks]: good album, in my top 10
38. Josh Ritter: So Runs the World Away [Pytheas]: ok album
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge]: good album, in my top 20
35. Grinderman: Grinderman 2 [Mute Records/ANTI-]: own this but havent really listened to it yet
33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void [Sub Pop]: fair album at best
28. Laura Marling: I Speak Because I Can [Astralwerks]: like this one
22. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt [Dead Oceans]: good album, in my top 10 or so
21. Jamey Johnson: The Guitar Song [Mercury Nashville]: been listening to this a bit, like what I hear so far
15. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues [Bloodshot]: in my top 5
14. Band of Horses: Infinite Arms [Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia]: pretty terrible
12. Bruce Springsteen: The Promise: [Columbia]: awesome
11. The National: High Violet [4AD]: good album, in my top 20, but a step down from their Boxer
10. Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks [Fat Cat]: 3 or so really good songs and a bunch of bullshit
8. Phosphorescent: Here’s to Taking It Easy [Dead Oceans]: fair
7. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs [Merge]: sort of like this, but having a hard time getting into it...long and sort of boring in parts
5. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor [XL]: listened to some samples on amazon and wasnt that interested, but the evidence is piling up that I should give this a chance
4. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella]: own but havent listened at all yet
3. Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More [Glassnote]: have this, still digesting
2. Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid [The Wondaland Arts Society/Bad Boy]: have this but have yet to listen

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:05 pm

Liked that list better before I saw the top 10. Pretty good 1 & 2, though.

I guess a good list is one that makes me want to check out the stuff I don't already know. This one doesn't.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

Hey I've heard a few at least on this list:

40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks] : Like it: probably not top 10 but definitely top 20.
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge]: it's ok I guess. I used to think I really liked spoon but the older stuff doesn't resonate with me much now either.
21. Jamey Johnson: The Guitar Song [Mercury Nashville] : Not bad. I should probably listen to this more. I was expecting more based on all the obner buzz though. Definitely not as good as the new Mike Stinson.
16. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone [Anti-] : Surprised how much I like this as I think most of these new albums by older soul greats are just ok. Borderline top 5 for me.
15. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues [Bloodshot] : Big disappointment. Sounds like pretty generic singer songwriter stuff compared to his last couple. Still in the rotation though and hoping it will grow on me.

Kingfish · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:51 pm

The ones I've heard

46. The Black Keys: Brothers [Nonesuch] - Good, at least top 20.
42. Wavves: King of the Beach [Fat Possum] - Surprised how much I liked this - top 10
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks] - Top 10ish maybe higher. Really like it.
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge] - Like it but not sure where it fits in the year.
33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void [Sub Pop] - Not sure when's the last time I hated an album as much as I hate this one. Sounds like Bread but not as catchy.
11. The National: High Violet [4AD] - Nothing that really resonates with me like Alligator did. Disappointment.
8. Phosphorescent: Here’s to Taking It Easy [Dead Oceans]: I like this a good bit. Probably top 10 at least top 20.
7. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs [Merge]: I don't hear the genius in this. Pretty boring.
6. Sleigh Bells: This is just terrible. Music for people who don't like songs but like cheers.
5. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor [XL]: Hated this at first but its grown on me a little.
2. Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid [The Wondaland Arts Society/Bad Boy]: I think she's pretty awesome and I really enjoy this album.
1. LCD Soundsystem - 2 good songs but mostly sucks. Pow Pow is laughable.

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:19 pm

OK, I've heard:

21/50

49. Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma [Warp] - very good, among the best electronic stuff I've heard this year
48. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor [Frenchkiss] - some catchy songs but pretty forgettable
45. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest [4AD] - good, not their best, a little overrated
44. Swans: My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky [Young God] - good, not necessarily better than most of the Angels of Light albums
42. Wavves: King of the Beach [Fat Possum] - top 10 album, surprisingly great
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks] - good, fun record
37. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty [Def Jam] - best rap album I've heard in a while
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge] - way underrated, top 20 for me
34. Girl Talk: All Day [Illegal Art] - I don't like mash-ups, but this is OK sometimes
30. She & Him: Volume Two [Merge] - super meh
27. Vampire Weekend: Contra [XL] - OK, not as good as the debut
24. Beach House: Teen Dream [Sub Pop] - great, their best, top 3 of the year
22. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt [Dead Oceans] - really good record, "King of Spain" slays
11. The National: High Violet [4AD] - zzzzzzzzzzzz
9. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz [Asthmatic Kitty] - I don't know for sure yet, but I'm not really into this one
7. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs [Merge] - good album, much better than Neon Bible, but too long
6. Sleigh Bells: Treats [Mom + Pop] - one, maybe two good songs
5. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor [XL] - just not my thing, I guess, I dunno
4. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella] - one good song: "Monster", mostly bullshit
2. Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid [The Wondaland Arts Society/Bad Boy] - really good, imaginative pop
1. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening [EMI/DFA] - Murphy's best album, only one of his that I really care about

bort · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:39 pm

Some ok stuff, nothing that's making me think that I missed anything this year, though. Jonsi is in my top 5, and I think tentatively Vampire Weekend is at the bottom of my top 40.

I liked the singles (if they are even called that any more) off Free Energy, Wavves, Beach House, and Cee Lo, but the albums as a whole didn't really hold my ear.

hey look · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:46 pm

Paste's writing typically pisses me off, but I tend to like the way they blend country and shit with indie and pop - so it makes them a bit different of a publication when it comes to this list.

The top 10 bugs me, but lots of the other stuff is kinda cool. It's great that Elizabeth Cook is in the Top 20, but that album was a real pile of garbage compared to "Balls"

Stop Breathin' · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:51 pm

Kingfish Wrote:

6. Sleigh Bells: This is just terrible. Music for people who don't like songs but like cheers.

Likes cheers :wave:

robotboy · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:55 pm

surprised the latest superchunk album isnt on this list. its fucking awesome

mcaputo · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:10 pm

46. The Black Keys: Brothers - I like a few of the tracks
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing - Top 10
36. Spoon: Transference - Top 5
33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void - disappointing after their last one
30. She & Him: Volume Two - prefer it when it's just her and one/two instruments
28. Laura Marling: I Speak Because I Can - need to hear more
24. Beach House: Teen Dream - my wife loves it. I have issues
22. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt - prefer the other one, still a Top 25
16. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone - love the jeff tweedy penned title track
15. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues - prefer the other two, still better than most
11. The National: High Violet - first 'real' exposure. Top 15
09. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz - Ugh
08. Phosphorescent: Here’s to Taking It Easy - decent, but dislike the murky production
07. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs - No sir
03. Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More - my wife loves it. I have issues
02. Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid - haven't heard it

Kingfish · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:10 pm

Drinky Wrote:

OK, I've heard:

21/50

49. Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma [Warp] - very good, among the best electronic stuff I've heard this year
48. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor [Frenchkiss] - some catchy songs but pretty forgettable
45. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest [4AD] - good, not their best, a little overrated
44. Swans: My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky [Young God] - good, not necessarily better than most of the Angels of Light albums
42. Wavves: King of the Beach [Fat Possum] - top 10 album, surprisingly great
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks] - good, fun record
37. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty [Def Jam] - best rap album I've heard in a while
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge] - way underrated, top 20 for me
34. Girl Talk: All Day [Illegal Art] - I don't like mash-ups, but this is OK sometimes
30. She & Him: Volume Two [Merge] - super meh
27. Vampire Weekend: Contra [XL] - OK, not as good as the debut
24. Beach House: Teen Dream [Sub Pop] - great, their best, top 3 of the year
22. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt [Dead Oceans] - really good record, "King of Spain" slays
11. The National: High Violet [4AD] - zzzzzzzzzzzz
9. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz [Asthmatic Kitty] - I don't know for sure yet, but I'm not really into this one
7. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs [Merge] - good album, much better than Neon Bible, but too long
6. Sleigh Bells: Treats [Mom + Pop] - one, maybe two good songs
5. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor [XL] - just not my thing, I guess, I dunno
4. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella] - one good song: "Monster", mostly bullshit
2. Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid [The Wondaland Arts Society/Bad Boy] - really good, imaginative pop
1. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening [EMI/DFA] - Murphy's best album, only one of his that I really care about

Our opinions are surprisingly similar.

DumpJack · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:39 pm

Quote:

46. The Black Keys: Brothers [Nonesuch]
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge]
31. The Roots: How I Got Over
21. Jamey Johnson: The Guitar Song [Mercury Nashville]
13. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way [Daptone]
11. The National: High Violet [4AD]

This is all I've heard. I think need to re-listen to that Jamey Johnson record tomorrow.

hey look · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:04 pm

50. Marnie Stern: Marnie Stern [Kill Rock Stars] - her best but still not that interesting
49. Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma [Warp] - album of the year
48. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor [Frenchkiss] - shit
47. Yeasayer: Odd Blood [Secretly Canadian] - like 3 real good songs and then the rest are real bad
46. The Black Keys: Brothers [Nonesuch] - the best black keys album in a while
45. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest [4AD] - enjoyable but not essential
44. Swans: My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky [Young God] - should probably listen again
43. Stornoway: Beachcomber’s Windowsill [4AD] - wtf is this
42. Wavves: King of the Beach [Fat Possum] - really fun
41. Anaïs Mitchell: Hadestown - really shitty
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks] - these guys are funny but i cant listen for long
39. Sarah Jaffe: Suburban Nature [Kirtland] - no idea
38. Josh Ritter: So Runs the World Away [Pytheas] - i remember not liking it.
37. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty [Def Jam] - really great
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge] - meh. decent
35. Grinderman: Grinderman 2 [Mute Records/ANTI-] - really awesome, need to give it more time
34. Girl Talk: All Day [Illegal Art] - shit is fun for like 10 minutes max
33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void [Sub Pop] - i enjoyed it but yeah their csny stuff is better
32. Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig [Nonesuch] - easily their worst
31. The Roots: How I Got Over - pretty excellent
30. She & Him: Volume Two [Merge] - terrible
29. Freelance Whales: Weathervanes [Frenchkiss] - dunno
28. Laura Marling: I Speak Because I Can [Astralwerks] - overrated
27. Vampire Weekend: Contra [XL] - fun but not as good as debut
26. Lissie: Catching a Tiger [Fat Possum] - no idea
25. Various Artists: Preservation: to Benefit Preservation Hall [Megaforce] - want to hear
24. Beach House: Teen Dream [Sub Pop] - second best album of the year
23. Laura Veirs: July Flame [Raven Marching Band] - eh
22. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt [Dead Oceans] - really grew on me and love it
21. Jamey Johnson: The Guitar Song [Mercury Nashville] - too long but totally solid
20. Suckers: Wild Smile [Frenchkiss] - hated it
19. Elizabeth Cook: Welder [31 Tigers] - huge disappointment
18. Cee Lo Green: The Lady Killer [Elektra] - half good half bad
17. Jónsi: Go [XL] - need more listens
16. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone [Anti-] - worse than her last couple
15. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues [Bloodshot] - a little uneven but still decent
14. Band of Horses: Infinite Arms [Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia] - huge pile of shit
13. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way [Daptone] - like it better than the last one, still fun
12. Bruce Springsteen: The Promise: [Columbia] - legend
11. The National: High Violet [4AD] - my favorite of theirs

whatever top 10

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

so i should hear Wavves and perhaps give Beach House a shot even though I didnt love their last one...

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:49 pm

Kingfish Wrote:

The ones I've heard
33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void [Sub Pop] - Not sure when's the last time I hated an album as much as I hate this one. Sounds like Bread but not as catchy.

Agree 100%. Compounded by the fact that I tried to listen to it at least a dozen times just based on how much I liked the last one. Utter shit.

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:03 pm

46. The Black Keys: Brothers [Nonesuch] I like it but don't love it. loses a little steam in places.
45. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest [4AD] a couple of moments i like but mostly not
42. Wavves: King of the Beach [Fat Possum] still want to hear this
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks] thought i'd get sick of this but it's still around and pretty darn fun
38. Josh Ritter: So Runs the World Away [Pytheas] good record if a little ponderous
37. Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty [Def Jam] about half of this is fucking amazing. the other half is merely very good
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge] like
33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void [Sub Pop] terrible
30. She & Him: Volume Two [Merge] extra terrible
27. Vampire Weekend: Contra [XL] attached itself to my brain stem and wouldnt let go
24. Beach House: Teen Dream [Sub Pop] would like to hear this still as well
21. Jamey Johnson: The Guitar Song [Mercury Nashville] not as good as I would led to believe. in fact it's pretty boring and by-the numbers. meh
16. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone [Anti-] i really liked this and this has reminded me i need to listen to it more
15. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues [Bloodshot] it's just ok. i should probably give it a little more time
14. Band of Horses: Infinite Arms [Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia] i actually like about half of this record: the infinite arms ep i guess
13. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way [Daptone] pretty good at first but lost steam better overall than the last one though
12. Bruce Springsteen: The Promise: [Columbia] excellent
11. The National: High Violet [4AD] is making a bit of a second showing for me this fall. some of the songs are clicking (finally)
7. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs [Merge] too long but the good outweighs the bad
5. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor [XL] without the samples the first song would be one of the best of the year but this record has no depth or staying power for me. mehx20
3. Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More [Glassnote] my wife wants me to dload this. somebody hook it up
2. Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid [The Wondaland Arts Society/Bad Boy] is this as good as that review? havent heard it.
1. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening [EMI/DFA] need to play it some more but i found myself listening to a couple tracks and turning it off before.

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:04 pm

50. Marnie Stern: Marnie Stern [Kill Rock Stars] - Can't believe there are people willing to listen to this.
48. Local Natives: Gorilla Manor [Frenchkiss] - Typically limp indie version of garage rock
46. The Black Keys: Brothers [Nonesuch] - Did people really miss Bad Company this much?
45. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest [4AD] - Unfinished 50s style pop songs gussied up by a variety of effects in place of actual inspiration
42. Wavves: King of the Beach [Fat Possum] - Sounds better than the first album, but so does farting on a midget. Inept.
40. Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing [Astralwerks] - Superficial fun. The mix makes it.
38. Josh Ritter: So Runs the World Away [Pytheas] - Dull, boring, pointless white guy with acoustic guitar, or DBPWGWAG for short
36. Spoon: Transference [Merge] - Continuing their upward trajectory
34. Girl Talk: All Day [Illegal Art] - Stars on 45 pt. 5
33. Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void [Sub Pop] - Ha ha
32. Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig [Nonesuch] - Decent, I guess, but I just don't have the patience or the motivation to put myself through this kind of willed nostalgia
31. The Roots: How I Got Over - Surprisingly strong
27. Vampire Weekend: Contra [XL] - Ha ha
24. Beach House: Teen Dream [Sub Pop] - Did people really miss Velocity Girl this much?
23. Laura Veirs: July Flame [Raven Marching Band] - Female variant of the DBPWGWAG
18. Cee Lo Green: The Lady Killer [Elektra] - Attention-grabbing single and then not much else
16. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone [Anti-] - Old age symphonies to god (poor fucker gets all the worst shit aimed at Him)
15. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues [Bloodshot] - More interesting than his previous stuff, which was total DBPWGWAG
14. Band of Horses: Infinite Arms [Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia] - Ha ha
13. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way [Daptone] - Maybe my favorite of hers, less of the funk and more of the R&B, also stronger hooks
12. Bruce Springsteen: The Promise: [Columbia] - Pretty great for Springsteen, which means totally awesome for anybody else
11. The National: High Violet [4AD] - Eschews melody in order to feign importance, music made for shallow sophomores to feel deep
07. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs - Continue the downward trajectory. The premature embalming of Rock Music™
05. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor [XL] - Yet another indie band that has only a superficial understanding of Springsteen and rock tradition, but it doesn't matter because ditto go the critics
02. Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid - I can appreciate, occasionally like, but it's not something I ever consciously feel like listening to

shiv · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:41 pm

this list is way better than the Q magazine one but some of these comments are

Dalen · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:00 am

totally disagree with some of Rads comments (Beach House, c'mon), but fuck did they bring the lols, espesh 14 & 33.

Paste Magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2010

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