2010

Here are my 20 favorite releases of the year.

20. Field Music - Field Music (Measure) Their live show made me really hostile toward them, but I couldn't tell you why. Still has some jams.
19. Nada Surf - If I Had A Hi-Fi The Go-Betweens cover kinda makes the whole thing worthwhile. I hope it doesn't mean we have to wait another two years for a proper album.
18. Sun Araw - On Patrol
17. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
16. The Vaselines - Sex With An X Can't deny that this was kinda disappointing, but it's not entirely a waste.
15. Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms 2010 kinda felt like 2005. Nice to see bands who write actual songs put out albums instead of only bands who try to sound cool. Lo-fi is a dead horse beaten.
14. New Creases - About Last Night 7" Perfect little 3 piece punk band from Columbus.
13. Art Museums - Rough Frame Throwback to the new romantics/fuzzy Style Council.
12. No Age - Everything In Between How is it that an album that sees a band getting "better" in every way kinda feels like a step backwards?
11. Spoon - Transference What would happen if the second half was as good as the first? Would everyone just stop making music?
10. Teenage Fanclub - Shadows
09. Women - Public Strain
08. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks Ted almost makes up for his last two albums here. As good as Hearts of Oak.
07. Forgetters - S/T 7"
06. Wild Nothing - Gemini & Golden Haze EP Which is better: the LP or the EP? "Chinatown" or "Your Rabbit Feet?" Doesn't matter; 18 songs that sound like this means everyone wins. 
05. Big Troubles - Worry I can tolerate trendiness if the songs are there, and these guys wrote some of the best songs this year.
04. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs I'm not even sure if devoting an entire blog post would be enough space to talk about this album. Just ask me about it sometime. I love it, and that love is hard-earned.
03. Tyvek - Nothing Fits I thought this was lacking at first, but it really turned out to be the lack of quirk that made Nothing Fits smoother and more legit than last year's self-titled. I would guess that next year, this will be my favorite 2010 album.
02. Real Estate - Out Of Tune/Reservoir 7" It's only two songs, but they're both perfect, and they really helped define 2010 for me.
01. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today Nothing came close to touching it.

 

Overrated 
Beach House - Teen Dream Fine, just totally bland. I know this is gonna end up as one of everybody's faves, it just sounds like Josh Groban to me.
Best Coast - Crazy For You Foremost evidence that there's something wrong with the biz. Not bad at all, just very safe and sterile, and unbelievably overrated. How is this any different than a hundred other lo-fi bands who sang about the beach? Seems like a cash-in.
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest I have a really hard time understanding how anyone could feel passionately about this band. They are the musical equivalent of a meaningless blank stare.

Worst
Crystal Castles - S/T I never actually heard this. I'm just guessing.
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening Ugh...always ugh.
Sleigh Bells - Treats One of the absolute worst things I've ever heard. Ever. Just totally offensive to me in every way. This is Satan's favorite band (and not cool "Danzig Satan" either. The real Satan. Bieber Satan).

Discoveries/Revelations 
Not completely literally, just my favorite older albums that I was into this year. The first half of this year was an amazing time where I was finding a perfect album once a month and spending just the right amount of time with it before moving on to a new perfect album.

8. Jesus & Mary Chain - Darklands (1987)
7. Galaxie 500 - Today (1988)
6. Teenage Fanclub - A Catholic Education (1990) 
5. My Bloody Valentine - Ecstasy & Wine (1987)
4. Jonathan Richman - I, Jonathan (1992) 
3. Husker Du - Everything (I know I mentioned them last year, but my infatuation with them this fall blows that away).
2. Eugenius - Mary Queen Of Scots (1994)
1. Gin Blossoms - Dusted (1989)

TV
Bad year for TV and me. I generally preferred syndicated sitcoms to any new shows. My favorites from this year were SNL, Louie, The Simpsons, Eastbound & Down, and The Real World: New Orleans, which was probably the best season and best cast of a reality show I've ever seen. I also liked it more than everything else.

Movie
I didn't even see Inception. I think I only saw one movie, Scott Pilgrim, and it was awesome.

2011
The Feelies!!!!!