Looking back over 2010 the first thing I noticed is that this year didn't have the same quantity of amazing songs and albums that previous years offered. That's not to say the albums that did make the list weren't deserving. There were some great tracks and it made narrowing the list down much easier. So with that here are my tops songs and albums of 2010.
Top 10 Songs
Kanye West - Power: The first minute of this song gets the adrenaline flowing. Try as I might to dislike Kanye's ego and bravado this song is just really good. Plus his Saturday Night Live performance was pure spectacle.
Broken Bells - The High Road: I expected a lot more from this album which I found, on the whole pretty underwhelming. That said, this song is solid.
Foster The Kids - Pumped up Kicks: Not knowing much about the band, this song crept out of nowhere to leave an impression.
Tegan and Sara - On Directing: This one song encapsulates all the things that make this duo great.
Beach House - Zebra: Emotionally this track means a lot to me. I've played it a lot over the year and expect to hear it a lot in 2011.
Arcade Fire - Rococo: There's something oddly affecting about the repetitive chorus and swelling stomp of this one. I can't help but love the depiction of how naive we are as teenagers thinking we know what life is all about.
The Black Keys - Tighten Up: Such an amazing groove and the whistling at the start gets me every time.
Broken Social Scene - Meet Me in the Basement: I thought this song was good after hearing it on the album. I thought it was amazing after seeing the video, post-G20 Toronto riots.
Ok Go - WTF: Just watch the video and try not to be amazed.
Sleigh Bells - Infinity Guitars: My favourite song for 2010 and with blazing guitars and screeching vocals, it should be evident why.
Top 5 6 albums
Beach House: Teen Dream: It's a simple well written album that evokes so much emotion (as mentioned above). I'm so eager to hear what they come up with next.
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record: I couldn't stop listening to this album all summer. There's virtually no missteps; so solid from start to finish.
Sleigh Bells - Treats: After hearing Infinity Guitars I had to see what the rest of the album was like. No two songs are alike and everything is short, sweet and to the point. I fully expect the track Rill Rill to catch a lot of people's attention very soon.
The Black Keys - Brothers: Dirty, dirty old school rhythm and blues. Indie music's hardest working duo.
Karkwa - Les Chemin De Verre: There were some people scratching their head when Karkwa won the Polaris Prize this year. But one listen to this haunting and beautiful album should explain why the were so deserving.
Arcade Fire - Suburbs: I hated Arcade Fire's last album Neon Bible. I thought it was the height of pretension and all that was wrong with indie music. So I went into this album expecting more of the same. I was so wrong. Arcade Fire have produced a personal yet epic sounding album that flows perfectly and hits all the right notes. You can consider me a fan once again.
Honourable Mentions - Ok Go - Of The Blue Colour of the Sky, Wintersleep - New Inheritors
Biggest Flop
Kings of Leon - Radioactive: I won't get to deep into how big a fan I was and how the first two albums exist in a very sacred place for me. I don't want to sound like one of those snobbish people who constantly go on about how great a band was when no one else was listening. But, this song (and the album) is terrible. The video is awkward and forced, the band has shed all the urgency and desperation that made them great and traded it in for the polished, top 40, gosh-I-wish-we-could-be-on-Glee commercialism that ruined bands like U2 and Coldplay.
No comments:
Post a Comment