Hey folks,
It seems I put out my favorite movie list a bit too early. I saw True Grit last night, and along with Black Swan, definitely would have made my list. I may have even had enough movies to fill out a top 10 instead of just a top 5. Oh well, too late for that.
Today I'll continue my year in review with my favorite albums of 2010. And it's in list form! Everyone's doing it these days.
It seems I put out my favorite movie list a bit too early. I saw True Grit last night, and along with Black Swan, definitely would have made my list. I may have even had enough movies to fill out a top 10 instead of just a top 5. Oh well, too late for that.
Today I'll continue my year in review with my favorite albums of 2010. And it's in list form! Everyone's doing it these days.
Best Albums of 2010
10. Brothers - The Black Keys
I'm always a tad skeptical whenever the Black Keys release a new album. Six albums in, is there really anything new they can do in the world of blues rock? However, they never fail to put out a good album. The Black Key's are great at incorporating new sounds and textures while still keeping the spirit and grit of blues rock. This album is full of great songs, including "Everlasting Light," "Tighten Up," and "Never Gonna Give You Up." No matter how skeptical I may get, The Black Key's just get better with every album.
I'm always a tad skeptical whenever the Black Keys release a new album. Six albums in, is there really anything new they can do in the world of blues rock? However, they never fail to put out a good album. The Black Key's are great at incorporating new sounds and textures while still keeping the spirit and grit of blues rock. This album is full of great songs, including "Everlasting Light," "Tighten Up," and "Never Gonna Give You Up." No matter how skeptical I may get, The Black Key's just get better with every album.
9. Crazy for You - Best Coast
One important aspect of music for me is the way it sounds. This may seem obvious, but music with smooth tones and such is more pleasant to listen too. Even with their minimalistic approach to music, Best Coast manages to create one of the best sounding records I have heard in a while. Bethany Cosentino has a gorgeous voice that lends itself well to the album's reverby production. And as a guitarist, I thought the guitar tones on Crazy for You were to die for. All that combined with simple, yet effective songwriting that anyone can get into.
8. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Every song on this album might as well be a hit single. James Mercer definitely has an ear for great pop melodies and Danger Mouse's production always brings something new and interesting to the table. I've yet to find anything done by Danger Mouse that I don't like. I was genuinely impressed by this collaboration and songs like "The High Road" and "The Ghost Inside" make for an extremely fun album.
7. Love - Angels & Airwaves
One important aspect of music for me is the way it sounds. This may seem obvious, but music with smooth tones and such is more pleasant to listen too. Even with their minimalistic approach to music, Best Coast manages to create one of the best sounding records I have heard in a while. Bethany Cosentino has a gorgeous voice that lends itself well to the album's reverby production. And as a guitarist, I thought the guitar tones on Crazy for You were to die for. All that combined with simple, yet effective songwriting that anyone can get into.
Every song on this album might as well be a hit single. James Mercer definitely has an ear for great pop melodies and Danger Mouse's production always brings something new and interesting to the table. I've yet to find anything done by Danger Mouse that I don't like. I was genuinely impressed by this collaboration and songs like "The High Road" and "The Ghost Inside" make for an extremely fun album.
I really am a sucker for guitar effects and soundscapes. There's one between nearly every track on this album and, frankly, I thinks its awesome. Angels & Airwaves' Love is one of the few guitar albums that caught my attention this year (metal doesn't count) and this album is filled with huge stadium rock songs with great guitar riffs and noises. I think Tom DeLonge's lyrics are a tad too broad in scope as evidenced by the album's very title (Love? *gag*), but nonetheless he creates an exciting album.
6. Congratulations - MGMT
I'm not going to lie, it took me half a dozen listens to this album before I could get a good grasp it. But that's kind of the whole point of Congratulations. To me, there aren't any obvious hit singles such as "Time to Pretend" or "Kids" from MGMT's last album. Instead, the album is filled with sprawling songs with subtle melodies and complex structures. This album shows off how much the band's song writing has evolved. Comparing Congratulations with Oracular Spectacular, I felt a huge difference in overall sound and texture, yet both albums are written in the same spirit. It almost makes Congratulations seem like an acoustic album, as the songs are sonically focused on the band as a whole, as opposed to big synth melodies. It's not that the synth isn't there, it's just not as in your face. Rather, it blends with the band's overall sound. On Congratulations, MGMT manages to build epic and advanced songs without sacrificing their great hooks (I still can't get "Brian Eno" out of my head).
Black Tusk is another great sludge metal band thats currently making music. While probably not as well known as Kylesa or Baroness, these guys can be every bit as brutal. The vocals are reminiscent of Black Cobra and the riffs are heavy and intricate, not unlike Mastodon. At the same time, Black Tusk brings a certain amount of hardcore energy that isn't always seen in sludge metal. Taste the Sin has some awesome tracks on it including "Embrace the Madness" and "Red Eye" that prove that Black Tusk deserves as much attention as their fellow sludge metal bands.
I can feel your eyebrows raising for putting this album this high on my list. Pretty much every review I've read for Weezer's latest album has been negative. But in my opinion, Hurley is one of the most fun albums I've listened to. Every song on here has a great melody and is easy to get into. Even though Weezer's songwriting can be pretty wacky at times, their songs are still fantastic. I've essentially grown up with Weezer, so listening to Hurley is like listening to a bunch of friends having a great time. I love the production on "Time Flies," with distorted drums and acoustic guitars, and "Ruling Me" (as I've previously noted) is one of the best feel-good songs of the year. Weezer has definitely been throwing some curve balls lately, but Hurley shows they've still got it where it counts.
I told you I wasn't going soft. High on Fire reclaims their title as the heaviest band in the world with Snakes for the Divine. This album is every bit as good as Death is this Communion or Blessed Black Wings. Th album's eponymous opening is an 8-minute epic that just keeps building, and the album never lets down from there. Every song has thundering riffs and crushing drums that create one of the most brutal albums of the year.
From the moment Snoop Dogg starts rapping on the Plastic Beach's first song, I knew this was going to be a great album. Plastic Beach is full of funky and electronic beats that create one of the most diverse and unique records of the year. This certainly album widened my perspective on how electronics and synthesizers can be used to make great music. This record is not as focused on rapping as the Gorillaz' previous albums, but when the rapping is there, it's still fantastic. Instead Damon Albarn, focuses on creating a world that sounds completely organic, even though the majority of the sounds are electronic. Songs like "Empire Ants," "On Melancholy Hill," and "Pirate Jet" have made me come to the conclusion that Albarn is one of the most versatile songwriters of my generation. A bold statement, but there, I said it.
For me, the number one album of the year was always an obvious choice. Everything Arcade Fire releases is no less amazing and I'm always impressed that they continue to live up to the high expectations set by their previous albums. The Suburbs is an album that manages to address growing old without being cliche or overstated ("I hate you dad!" was always so childish). Arcade Fire paints a picture of the way things used to be and how they have come to change. Every song builds off one another to create a mood that's depressing but somehow hopeful and the same time. And as usual, Arcade Fire continues to write some of the most beautiful music around (geez, I'm overdramatic).
Well, there you have it. It took me a while to decide on the order but I did my best. But while we're at it...
Extra awards! (that don't quite merit a whole countdown)
Favorite Video Game:
Halo: Reach
Most Anticipated Album of 2011:
Radiohead's new album (seriously, just release it already)
Favorite TV Show (New):
The Walking Dead
Favorite TV Show (Returning):
Tie between Metalocalypse and The Office
Most Fun Song to Play on Guitar:
Circle of Cysquatch - Mastodon
That's all for now. I can't wait to see what 2011 brings.
Happy new year!
No comments:
Post a Comment