Best of 2010 -- Albums, Songs, Concerts

...2010
Wanna Make A Record of How I Felt Then
- The Arcade Fire

Even though the year is only about 86% done, it seems like just about every big release has come out and of course additions will be made as it gets closer to New Years. 2010 was a breakout year for independent music. The sheer number of incredible albums (many having commercial success) released this year and the ushering in of a whole new level of transparency between artist and fan in large thanks to Twitter has afforded adventurous music ravens with an embarassment of riches in the first year of the '10s (what are we supposed to call this decade?).  Before ranking the album list, now trimmed to a pool of 25 (intended initially to be 10-15, but not a single one of these is undeserving of some level of high praise), gonna have to go back and re-listen to a few of the records from the early months of the decade. There's only so much time in the year to listen to it all, so tell me what I've missed. You could combine the last three year's releases and it wouldn't compare with what we've seen in the music world in 2010.


Best Albums of 2010 - # 31-6


6. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach – Never been more than a casual Gorillaz fan until Plastic Beach, but this album is matchless as far as killer guests go, I mean Bobby Womack? Gimme a break.

7. Morning Benders - Big Echo – Who? These guys didn’t come across my radar until Big Echo, an outstanding and nearly flawless album mature beyond the years of the band members. Look no further than “Excuses” and “Mason Jar” for reasons why this one landed so high on this year’s list.


8. Yeasayer - Odd Blood – When I first heard Odd Blood, it was this time last year, as the album leaked out in early-December. I was already ready to crown it as 2010’s best album, giving little chance to any other album that would arrive to my iTunes in the coming year. “Madder Red” still remains one of the strongest songs of the year, and in any other year, an album like Odd Blood would probably be Top 4 or 5. Odd Blood, although not quite on par with All Hour Cymbals in my opinion, is a great stylistic leap forward for the band, adding more muscle to the band’s live show and an indicator that Yeasayer will be a band we’ll be probably be hearing about throughout the rest of the decade.


9. The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme – Out of nowhere these guys have quickly gained international recognition and also have become one of my personal favorite acts. Along with Alberta Cross and Anders Osborne, the Swedes seem to really know what they’re doing these days in the realm of rock-and-roll. Should prove tonic for a land still recovering from the Ace of Base stigma. Those were some pretty hot beats though…


10. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker – Arguably the best throwback album since Wolfmother’s 2007 self-titled debut. The good thing about Innerspeaker as opposed to Wolfmother is the fact that further replication/development of this sound won’t make me want to tear my ears out like Wolfmother’s successive releases have done.

11. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening - Sometime seeing is believing. Murphy’s oftentimes incessant blathering vocal style hadn’t won my over until hearing this album and seeing the band live shortly thereafter. Things really made sense after that, Murphy is a creative, comical and charismatic frontman and the band reminds me of the expanded latter-era Talking Heads. Disco-funk is back? Is this real life? Scary thought, but these guys do it well.

12. Futurebirds - Hampton's Lullaby
13. Marco Benevento - Between the Needles and Nightfall
14. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
15. Bonobo - Black Sands
16. Delta Spirit - History From Below
17. Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy
18. 7 Walkers - 7 Walkers19. The National - High Violet
20. Twin Shadow - Forget
21. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
22. Bibi Tanga and the Selenites - Dunya
23. Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer
24. The Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
25. Elton John and Leon Russell - The Union
26. ceo - White Magic
27. The Budos Band - The Budos Band III
28. The Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder
29. Wild Nothing – Gemini
30. Toubab Krewe - TK2
31. Dead Confederate - Sugar

Check back as the countdown continues...

                                                       Jay-Z at 'Roo 10
                                                       Dave Vann


Janelle Monae - Dance Or Die > Faster - Voodoo





Top 13 Concerts of 2010
1. Jay-Z - Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival - June 12, 2010 - Manchester, TN
2. Janelle Monae - Voodoo Experience - October 31, 2010 - New Orleans, LA
3. My Morning Jacket - Voodoo Experience - October 31, 2010 - New Orleans, LA
4. Yeasayer - House of Blues - October 9, 2010 - New Orleans, LA
5. Galactic - Tipitina's Uptown - October 29, 2010 - New Orleans, LA
6. Black Keys and Morning Benders - Ryman Auditorium - August 12, 2010 - Nashville, TN
6. LCD Soundsystem - Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival - June 11, 2010 - Manchester, TN
T-8. The Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon - Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival -  June 11, 2010 - Manchester, TN
T-8. Futurebirds - Gnat's Landing - July 4, 2010 - St. Simons Island, GA
T-10. Muse - Voodoo Experience - October 29, 2010 - New Orleans, LA
T-10. Galactic - Tipitina's Uptown - February 13, 2010 - New Orleans, LA
T-10. Felice Brothers - One Eyed Jack's - November 10, 2010 - New Orleans, LA
T-10. My Morning Jacket - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - April 24, 2010 - New Orleans, LA


Eligible Albums (those I've heard in full so far)
!!! - Strange Weather, Isn't It?
7 Walkers - 7 Walkers
Adam Haworth Stephens - We Live On Cliffs
Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer Performs the Hits of Radiohead on her Magical Ukulele
Anders Osborne - American Patchwork
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Avey Tare - Down There
Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
Bibi Tanga & The Selenites - Dunya
Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot The Son of Chico Dusty
Big Gigantic - A Place Behind the Moon
Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
The Black Keys - Brothers
Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart
Blitzen Trapper - Destoyer of the Void
Bonobo - Black Sands
The Books - The Way Out
Breathe Owl Breathe - Magic Central
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
The Budos Band - The Budos Band III
ceo - White Magic
Dead Confederate - Sugar
The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Delta Spirit - History From Below
Die Antwoord - $O$
Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame
El Guincho - Pop Negro
Elton John & Leon Russell - The Union
Dumpstaphunk - Everybody Want Sum
Four Tet - There Is Love In You
Futurebirds - Hampton's Lullaby
Galactic - Ya-Ka-May
Ghostland Observatory - Codename: Rondo
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Harlem - Hippies
Janelle Monбe - The ArchAndroid
Jenny & Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now
Joanna Newson - Have One On Me
John Legend - Wake Up!
Jonsi - Go
Kid Cudi - Maon On The Moon: The Legend of Mr. Rager
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Marco Benevento - Between Needles and Nightfall
Mark McGuire - Living With Yourself
The Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder
MGMT - Congratulations
Midlake - The Courage of Others
Mimicking Birds - Mimicking Birds
Morning Benders - Big Echo
The National - High Violet
Of Montreal - False Priest
The Orb feat. David Gilmour - Metallic Spheres
Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy
Prince Rama - Shadow Temple
The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
Ratatat - LP4
Royksopp - Senior
She & Him - Volume Two
Shooter Jennings and Hierophant - Black Ribbons
Sleigh Bells - Treats
Spoon - Transference
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Twin Shadow - Forget
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Various Artists - Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows - Tribute To John Prine
The Walkmen - Lisbon
The Whigs - In The Dark
Widespread Panic - Dirty Side Down
Wild Nothing - Gemini
Yeasayer - Odd Blood


Disappointing...
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown (even by newly low standards, at least this time we had fair warning)
Midlake - The Courage of Others
Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void
Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart (just not up to standard set by first two, although still solid)
The Whigs - In The Dark
The Orb feat. David Gilmour (granted, expectations were pretty much unrealistic)
Band of Horses - Infinite Arms


Reinterpretation of Old Songs
moe. - Smash Hits, Volume 1


Live Archival Release
The String Cheese Incident - Rhythm of the Road Vol. I - Incident In Atlanta


Weirdest
The Books - The Way Out


Best Original Lullaby
She & Him - If You Can't Sleep


EPs
Reptar - Reptar EP (best EP)
Cold War Kids - Behave Yourself EP
Memoryhouse - The Years EP


Top Songs of 2010 - More to Come, here's a few
MGMT - Siberian Breaks, It's Working & Song For Dan Treacy
Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You
Beach House - Take Care and Silver Soul
Dr. Dog - Where'd All The Time Go, Shadow People and Take Me Into Town
Anders Osborne - On The Road to Charlie Parker
Adam Haworth Stephens - Second Mine
Morning Benders - Excuses and Mason Jar
Yeasayer - Madder Red and Ambling Alp
Futurebirds - Johnny Utah and Yer Not Ded
Deerhunter - Helicopter, He Would Have Laughed and Revival
El Guincho - Ghetto Facil
Bonobo - Animals > Black Sands
Avett Brothers - Spanish Pipedream
The Books - Thirty Incoming
Ghostland Observatory - Time
Mark McGuire - Clouds Rolling In
7 Walkers - Louisiana Rain
Midlake - Children of the Grounds
Bruce Springsteen - Because The Night
Panda Bear - Slow Motion
She & Him - If You Can't Sleep
Robert Plant - House of Cards
Sufjan Stevens - Impossible Soul
The Roots (ft. Yim Yames) - Dear God 2.0
!!! - The Hammer
Jenny & Johnny - Scissor Runner
Janelle Monae - Locked Inside, Tightrope and Cold War
Delta Spirit - Ballad of Vitality and Devil Knows Your Dead
Deer Tick - 20 Miles
Broken Social Scene - Meet Me In The Basement
Broken Bells - Your Head Is On Fire & Trap Doors
Kanye West/Jay Z/CyHi Da Prynce/Swizz Beatz - So Appalled
Gorillaz - Empire Ants, Stylo, & Rhinestone Eyes
She & Him - Home and In The Sun
The National - Afraid of Everyone and Bloddbuzz Ohio
The Melvins - Electric Flower
LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change and Dance Yrself Clean
Bibi Tanga & The Selenites - It's The Earth That Moves
Jonsi - Grow Till Tall
Ben Cameron - Sun Will Shine
Avey Tare - Ghost of Books
Arcade Fire - Suburban War and Ready To Start
Black Angels - Telephone 
Of Montreal - A Girl Named Hello
Preservation Hall Jazz Band (ft. Tom Waits) -
Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing and Louisiana Fairytale (ft. Yim Yames)
Band of Horses - Factory
Royksopp - The Fear and Senior Living
Big Gigantic - Breaking Point
Big Boi - Shine Blockas (ft. Gucci Mane)
Black Mountain - Buried By The Blues
The Black Keys - Sinister Kid, Tighten Up, Howlin' For You & Never Give You Up
Reptar - Context Clues and Houseboat Babies
The Radio Dept. - Never Follow Suit & Heaven's On Fire
Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs - Beg, Steal or Borrow & The Man In Me (Bob Dylan Cover)
Prince Rama - Lightening Fossil
Amanda Palmer - No Surprises (Radiohead)
Galactic (ft. Irma Thomas) - Heart of Steel & Boe Money
Dead Confederate - Run From The Gun
Marco Benevento - Wolf Trap
Widespread Panic - Saint Ex
Twin Shadow - Forget & Yellow Balloon
Spoon - The Mystery Zone
Cold War Kids - Audience & Coffee Spoons
ceo - All Around
The Budos Band - Nature's Wrath
The Tallest Man On Earth - Love Is All
Tame Impala - Solitude Is Bliss & Runaway, Houses, City, Clouds


Past Lists:
Best of 2009 List
Best of 2008 List