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35 Best Albums of 2010
35. MGMT- Congratulations
Best Song: Flash Delirium
34. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- Before Today
Best Song: Bright Lit Blue Skies
33. Caribou- Swim
Best Song: Odessa
Best Song: The Gaudy Side of Town
31. The Tallest Man On Earth- The Wild Hunt
Best Song: King of Spain
30. The Roots- How I Got Over
Best Song: How I Got Over
29.Hot Chip- One Life Stand
Best Song: I Feel Better
28. Small Black- New Chain
Best Song: Camouflage
27. Twin Sister- Color Your Life
Best Song: All Around and Away We Go
26. The Walkmen- Lisbon
Best Song: Torch Song
25. Tame Impala- Innerspeaker
Best Song: Island Walking
24. Wild Nothing- Gemini
Best Song: Our Composition Book
23. Local Natives- Gorilla Manor
Best Song: Camera Talk
22. WAVVES- King of the Beach
Best Song: When Will You Come
21. Maximum Balloon- Maximum Balloon
Best Song: Groove Me
20. Avi Buffalo- Avi Buffalo
Best Song: Truth Sets In
19. Here We Go Magic- Pigeons
Best Song: Collector
18. Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Best Song: Lost in the World
17. Magic Kids- Memphis
Best Song: Sailing
16. The Black Keys- Brothers
Best Song: Tighten Up
15. Twin Shadow- Forget
Best Song: I Can't Wait
14. Sleigh Bells- Treats
Best Song: Rill Rill
13. Surfer Blood- Astro Coast
Best Song: Floating Vibes
12. Best Coast- Crazy For You
Best Song: When I'm With You
11. The Morning Benders- Big Echo
Best Song: Excuses
10. Broken Bells- Broken Bells
Best Song: The Mall and Misery
Without a doubt, one of the strangest collaborations of 2010 was between The Shins’ James Mercer and revered producer and Gnarls Barkley member Danger Mouse (A.K.A Brian Burton). Together they formed Broken Bells and made sweet pop music that seemed to have a tinge of everything in it. With spinning synths, cool beats, and Mercer’s melodic vocals, Broken Bells nailed a sound unique to themselves.
9. Beach Fossils- Beach Fossils
Best Song: Golden Age
The Beach Fossils proved that they are the Best Coast of the east coast in their self-titled debut. Every song on the album is layered to perfection with simple drum beats, buzzing basslines, surf-rock guitar riffs, and Dustin Payseur’s post-punk vocals. Beach Fossils has a certain flow to it that makes each song roll into one another with such ease and continuity. As Best Coast put a warm sound on the Pacific Coast in 2010, Beach Fossils put their own breezy sound on the Atlantic.
8. Miniature Tigers- Fortress
Best Song: Egyptian Robe
The Miniature Tigers changed styles pretty quickly in just 8 short months after their debut LP “Tell it to the Volcano”. Their debut features a slinky pop sound that at times borders on annoying. In late July, the Tigers released Fortress, a grab bag of fun jams that flaunt their range of sounds and styles. At first listen, they seem to be just miniature chameleons reverting to other groups styles; however, when Fortress seeps in, it gives off an extremely warm original feel with Charlie Brand’s sleek flowing vocals. Also, much credit should be given to Producer Christopher Chu of the Morning Benders who shines in his production debut.
7. Dr. Dog- Shame, Shame
Best Song: Unbearable Why
It’s often said that one must experience a live Dr. Dog show to see what they’re all about. The Dr. Dog live experience includes a rush of fast pace drums,tantalizing vocal harmonies and charming sing-a-longs. Previous to this year’s Shame, Shame, the shaggy Philadelphians have put out a handful of well-received studio albums that have yet to capture the electricity of their live show. With the addition of echoing vocals and spiraling guitars, Dr. Dog nailed their live sound in 11 head bopping tracks. Lead vocalists Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman howl out each word with passion and sincerity making Shame, Shame an utterly enjoyable album that is hard to put away after the first couple listens.
6. Beach House- Teen Dream
Best Song: Zebra
If one can stay awake through the first ten minutes on Beach House’s Teen Dream, the rest of the album will be sure to amaze. The Baltimore dream-pop duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally orchestrate beautiful and captivating melodies that transport the listener to a beach on a breezy August night. Beach House’s subtle harmonies and sedating vocals make for a glittery spectacle of an album. In a music scene dominated by electronic and lo-fi artists, Beach House continues to excel in their own genre by upping the bar for themselves.
5. Girls- Broken Dreams Club
Best Song: Carolina
Just by looking at its album cover, Broken Dreams Club appears to be a continuation of Girls’ debut “Album”. Throughout their debut, lead singer Christopher Owens repeats the words “I’m sick and tired of the way that I feel”. It is very apparent on the first track of Broken Dreams Club (Thee Oh So Protective One) that the San Francisco quartet aims towards a more upbeat cleanly produced sound; however, Owens’ songwriting still centers around melancholy heartbreak. With the same old flimsy guitars and handclaps, Girls add to their repertoire with the occasional horns and spanish-style guitar riffs. Being only an EP, Broken Dreams Club is a sure sign of good things to come for Owens and the gang.
4.Vampire Weekend
Best Song: Run
Ah, good old Vampire Weekend: so highly praised, yet so highly criticized. Regardless of the commercialism that they have endured, there is no doubt that the preppy Ivy-Leaguers still know how to make damn good music. From the hypnotizing xylophone in “Horchata”, to the irresistible hooks in “Giving in Up the Gun”, and even the auto-tune yelps of “California English”: VW continues to package everything they’ve acquired musically into an album. Ezra Koenig’s songwriting has stayed as witty as ever in Contra, what else could one expect from an English major? Sure, Vampire Weekend veered away from the chamber pop that made their self-titled debut so popular, but it’s admirable of them to experiment with different instruments and styles. Vampire Weekend’s confidence payed off on Contra, which helped them become one of the most beloved groups today.
3. Arcade Fire- The Suburbs
Best Song: Sprawl II
Fifteen years ago, Win and Will Butler were a couple of suburban teens looking for a way to express their thoughts about the entrapment of the suburban sprawl. Fast forward to 2004, Arcade Fire releases Funeral, which catapults Win Butler and friends to a juggernaut status in the world of independent music. Since then, Butler has established himself among the Springsteens and Bonos of rock music songwriting. There was no doubt coming into the summer of 2010 that The Suburbs was going to be a beautifully written album, but nobody could’ve predicted the nostalgia that Butler captures. Throughout the album, Butler and wife Regine Chassagne share vocals, exchanging their childhood memories in elegant verse. Since The Suburbs runs 16 songs long, it tends to lose the listener’s attention for a little bit in the middle. Right at track 15 the album seems to be winding down, and in come the slashing drums of Sprawl II. With 80’s disco beats and Bjork-esque vocals by Chassagne, Sprawl II wraps up every other track on the album into one magnificent gift. Arcade Fire’s ability to consistently construct an album from start to finish makes them a sure candidate for every year end list.
2. Deerhunter- Halycon Digest
Best Song: Coronado
It’s hard to find another musician as meticulous about their work than Deerhunter’s charismatic frontman Bradford Cox. In fall of 2010, Deerhunter graced music aficionados and critics alike with their fourth LP Halcyon Digest. Halcyon Digest mixes the band’s trademark dark, lo-fi sound with sweet pop hooks and jangly pianos, guitars, and even saxophone. Yes, saxophone, Halcyon Digest’s “Coronado” features a recurring sax riff, proof that Cox is willing to try just about anything to get his tunes sounding just how he wants them to. In comparison to other top albums of the year, Halcyon Digest manages to serve as a trademark album for Deerhunter and proves to be one of the best produced albums since Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest.
1. Yeasayer- Odd Blood
Best Song: O.N.E.
In 2007 Chris Keating and Co. graced listeners with the world-influenced and critically acclaimed All Hour Cymbals. In the Brooklyn-based collective’s sophomore effort, hints of 80’s pop, psychedelic folk, and tropical club beats mesh together in 40 minutes of pure musical bliss. Beyond the album’s painfully tough to listen to opener “The Children”, Odd Blood glistens as it’s tracks take the listener on a roller-coaster ride through the band’s vast arsenal of sounds. Stand-out tunes “O.N.E” and “Ambling Alp” showcase the new electro-pop samples that Yeasayer experimented with on Odd Blood. While in mellow jams “Madder Red” and “I Remember”, the band retreats to the tribal hymns that made them popular in 2007. As for album of the year though? Not a single other record this year demonstrated such a variety of sounds in 10 songs, let alone unify them to create a masterpiece that doesn’t bore throughout it’s entire runtime. If that doesn’t constitute a great record, what does?
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