Friday, January 7, 2011

Favorite Music of 2010 (Part 1)

Since 2010 is now over I thought I would try to share some of my favorite music from the past year. Honestly, this year has been different from past ones in that I have not dedicated myself as much to exploring new music. Yes, I have been finding things here and there but I haven't been as consistent as previous years. Nevertheless, 2010 has proved to be a great year in music. New stuff from familiar names, an array of good hip hop, and an abundance of new artists to enjoy. Here is some of what I listened to this year.


The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio (album: High Violet) - Possibly my favorite band right now. Everything they put out is amazing and this is no exception.


Yeasayer - Madder Red (album: Odd Blood) - This wasn't high on a lot of lists this year. It was dismissed as being contrived and overproduced. Yes, a couple of the songs bordered on cheesy but the rest was great. I couldn't stop listening to it.


Big Boi - Aint no Dj (album: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty) - First of all, this gets my vote for album title of the year. Second of all, it's a great album. Enough said.


Kanye - Runaway(part) - album (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) - On the top of a lot of end-of-year lists, Kanye proved that he is still at the top of his game. I thought this was a great album but I found myself enjoying peoples reactions to it almost as much as the music itself. Hailed as brilliante and genius by some and shallow and beyond arrogant by others, for me it was somewhere in the middle. I loved a lot of it, but not all of it. Maybe not even the best hip hop album of the year.


Janelle Monae - Cold War (album: The ArchAndroid) - A revelation. One of my favorites of the year. I'm excited to see what she does next.




Crystal Castles - Not in Love (feat. Robert Smith) - The Crystal Castles are one of my guilty pleasures. Their second album definitely improved on their previous work.


The Morning Benders -Excuses (album: Big Echo) - I saw the Morning Benders live in Provo when they toured with fellow San Franciscan John Vanderslice. I thought they were good but not terribly memorable. Big Echo has put them on the map. Great album.


Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (album: The Suburbs) - Another great album from these indie mainstays. Solid work all around.

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