Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Top 25 Albums of 2010
This was a tough exercise this year. Plenty of interesting music throughout the year. Lots of familiar favourites surfaced alongside some new artists and some who are just catching stride.
Hopefully I can write some short reviews for the top 5-10, but in the meantime, after much re-ordering and over thinking, this is my favourite 25 albums from 2010.
Hopefully I can write some short reviews for the top 5-10, but in the meantime, after much re-ordering and over thinking, this is my favourite 25 albums from 2010.
| 25 | Well Done Europe | The Chap |
| 24 | ..Are The Roaring Night | The Besnard Lakes |
| 23 | Big Echo | The Morning Benders |
| 22 | Magic Bullets | Magic Bullets |
| 21 | The Suburbs | Arcarde Fire |
| 20 | One Life Stand | Hot Chip |
| 19 | How I Got Over | The Roots |
| 18 | High Violet | The National |
| 17 | Olympia | Bryan Ferry |
| 16 | This Is Happening | LCD Soundsystem |
| 15 | Business Casual | Chromeo |
| 14 | Record Collection | Mark Ronson |
| 13 | OMNI | Minus The Bear |
| 12 | Shadows | Teenage Fanclub |
| 11 | Acolyte | Delphic |
| 10 | Barking | Underworld |
| 9 | Man Alive | Everything Everything |
| 8 | Gemini | Wild Nothing |
| 7 | TSOL | Shad |
| 6 | Forgiveness Rock Record | Broken Social Scene |
| 5 | The Drums | The Drums |
| 4 | Total Life Forever | Foals |
| 3 | Majesty Shredding | Superchunk |
| 2 | Swim | Caribou |
| 1 | Odd Blood | Yeasayer |
Friday, December 3, 2010
100 Best Songs of 2010
I was going to wait a couple more weeks for this, but life is way too busy and no amount of waiting is going to help me get this right, since there really is no wrong.
Some ground rules:
- I like Kanye West a lot, but not to the crazy bananas degree that he gets to be on top of my list the same way he will be on top everyone else's in the weeks ahead.
- If you wonder why Hanson has a song on this list and your favourite band does not, it probably means Hanson are better than your favourite band. Live with that.
- My bread and butter is well put together songs, with good hooks, clever lyrics and listenability, generally at 4 minutes or less. I don't tend to discriminate as to whether said songs are electronic or guitar based.
- No list in the world gets sequencing right. Lists are fun, not accurate. I hated this 2 minutes after I finished it. I have reworked it 50 times and it's still not perfect, but that's cool.
- It was nice to reflect and see that Canadian independent artists are still writing some quality, world class calibre songs amidst a lot of shiny over produced mainstream foolishness. We hold our own well out there.
- I get the impression more people stop by this site than used to be the case. Thank you for visiting. I would love to hear what you think and even more importantly other music you are listening to that I may have missed or just didn't quite make the list. Please feel free to leave comments. It's cool if you do not agree with my take on things. You are allowed to be wrong.
100 Synthetic Prince - Tesla Boy
099 The Drug - Royksopp
098 Waiting For This - Hanson
097 Midnight Lover - Kisses
096 Retard Canard - Born Ruffians
095 Superstar - Aeroplane
094 Norway - Beach House
093 Chaos - New Young Pony Club
092 A Side In A Bed - Love Is All
091 Fot I Hose - Casiokids
090 What We Do - Devo
089 Captive - Sarah Harmer
088 Being Gone - Poison Control Center
087 Small Talk - Faded Paper Figures
086 You're Taking All Of This Too - The Salteens
085 Running Out - Scissor Sisters
084 What's In It For? - Avi Buffalo
083 Vibrationz - Javelin
082 Slow - Twin Shadow
081 Big Difference - Tokyo Police Club
080 Divisive - We Have Band
079 Listenin' To The Records On My Wall - Skream
078 Blessa - Toro Y Moi
077 Still Windmills - Sky Larkin
076 You Stopped Making Sense - The Radio Dept.
075 Cousins - Vampire Weekend
074 Solid Gold - The Golden Filter
073 Isn't That Great? - Club 8
072 Circling - Four Tet
071 Riot Rhythm - Sleigh Bells
070 Dancing On My Own - Robyn
069 We Work in Bars - The Chap
068 Solitude Is Bliss - Tame Impala
067 Infinite Delay - Amusement Parks On Fire
066 I Feel Ya Strutter - Of Montreal
065 Rush Minute - Massive Attack
064 C'mon - The Soft Pack
063 Pull It Together - Club Feet
062 Good Morning - Rogue Wave
061 Echoes - Klaxons
060 Lying Around - Cassette Kids
059 Dreaming Of Another World - Mystery Jets
058 Girls FM - Happy Birthday
057 This Is The Life - Two Door Cinema
056 Albatross - The Besnard Lakes
055 Drugs - Ratatat
054 Laredo - Band Of Horses
053 AM / FM - !!!
052 I Want To Stop the World - Belle and Sebastian
051 Nice Guys - We Are Scientists
050 Stay Close - Delorean
049 Shooting Stars - Bag Raiders
048 Ghost Pressure - Wolf Parade
047 Heart Is Strange - School Of Seven Bells
046 NY City Moves to The Sound Of LA - Funeral Party
045 So Caroline - The Posies
044 Alive - Goldfrapp
043 The Ghost Inside - Broken Bells
042 Fireworks - Tender Trap
041 Wait & See - Diamond Rings
040 Runaway - Kanye West
039 It's Automatic - The Go Find
038 Fixed - Stars
037 Barricade - Interpol
036 Let Me Take You Out - Class Actress
035 Stylo - Gorillaz
034 Everybody's Hip - Jaill
033 Go Do - Jonsi
032 Your Hands (Together) - The New Pornographers
031 Nothing Like You - Frightened Rabbit
030 Shutterbug - Big Boi
029 Stay Lit - Holy Fuck
028 Pretend & Descend - Magic Bullets
027 Confirmation - Wild Nothing
026 One Life Stand - Hot Chip
025 You Can Dance - Bryan Ferry
024 Better Than Love - Hurts
023 Boy - Ra Ra Riot
022 Excuses - The Morning Benders
021 Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
020 Doin It Again - The Roots
019 Ready To Start - Arcade Fire
018 The Lost Estate - Delays
017 Digging For Something - Superchunk
016 One - Yeasayer
015 Tightrope - Janelle Monae
014 Night By Night - Chromeo
013 Always Loved A Film - Underworld
012 Baby Lee - Teenage Fanclub
011 All I Want - LCD Soundsystem
010 Rose Garden - Shad
009 Trouble - Spoon
008 My Time - Minus The Bear
007 Doubt - Delphic
006 This Orient - Foals
005 Schoolin' - Everything Everything
004 Me and The Moon - The Drums
003 World Sick - Broken Social Scene
002 Bang - Mark Ronson & The Business Intl
001 Odessa - Caribou
Some ground rules:
- I like Kanye West a lot, but not to the crazy bananas degree that he gets to be on top of my list the same way he will be on top everyone else's in the weeks ahead.
- If you wonder why Hanson has a song on this list and your favourite band does not, it probably means Hanson are better than your favourite band. Live with that.
- My bread and butter is well put together songs, with good hooks, clever lyrics and listenability, generally at 4 minutes or less. I don't tend to discriminate as to whether said songs are electronic or guitar based.
- No list in the world gets sequencing right. Lists are fun, not accurate. I hated this 2 minutes after I finished it. I have reworked it 50 times and it's still not perfect, but that's cool.
- It was nice to reflect and see that Canadian independent artists are still writing some quality, world class calibre songs amidst a lot of shiny over produced mainstream foolishness. We hold our own well out there.
- I get the impression more people stop by this site than used to be the case. Thank you for visiting. I would love to hear what you think and even more importantly other music you are listening to that I may have missed or just didn't quite make the list. Please feel free to leave comments. It's cool if you do not agree with my take on things. You are allowed to be wrong.
100 Synthetic Prince - Tesla Boy
099 The Drug - Royksopp
098 Waiting For This - Hanson
097 Midnight Lover - Kisses
096 Retard Canard - Born Ruffians
095 Superstar - Aeroplane
094 Norway - Beach House
093 Chaos - New Young Pony Club
092 A Side In A Bed - Love Is All
091 Fot I Hose - Casiokids
090 What We Do - Devo
089 Captive - Sarah Harmer
088 Being Gone - Poison Control Center
087 Small Talk - Faded Paper Figures
086 You're Taking All Of This Too - The Salteens
085 Running Out - Scissor Sisters
084 What's In It For? - Avi Buffalo
083 Vibrationz - Javelin
082 Slow - Twin Shadow
081 Big Difference - Tokyo Police Club
080 Divisive - We Have Band
079 Listenin' To The Records On My Wall - Skream
078 Blessa - Toro Y Moi
077 Still Windmills - Sky Larkin
076 You Stopped Making Sense - The Radio Dept.
075 Cousins - Vampire Weekend
074 Solid Gold - The Golden Filter
073 Isn't That Great? - Club 8
072 Circling - Four Tet
071 Riot Rhythm - Sleigh Bells
070 Dancing On My Own - Robyn
069 We Work in Bars - The Chap
068 Solitude Is Bliss - Tame Impala
067 Infinite Delay - Amusement Parks On Fire
066 I Feel Ya Strutter - Of Montreal
065 Rush Minute - Massive Attack
064 C'mon - The Soft Pack
063 Pull It Together - Club Feet
062 Good Morning - Rogue Wave
061 Echoes - Klaxons
060 Lying Around - Cassette Kids
059 Dreaming Of Another World - Mystery Jets
058 Girls FM - Happy Birthday
057 This Is The Life - Two Door Cinema
056 Albatross - The Besnard Lakes
055 Drugs - Ratatat
054 Laredo - Band Of Horses
053 AM / FM - !!!
052 I Want To Stop the World - Belle and Sebastian
051 Nice Guys - We Are Scientists
050 Stay Close - Delorean
049 Shooting Stars - Bag Raiders
048 Ghost Pressure - Wolf Parade
047 Heart Is Strange - School Of Seven Bells
046 NY City Moves to The Sound Of LA - Funeral Party
045 So Caroline - The Posies
044 Alive - Goldfrapp
043 The Ghost Inside - Broken Bells
042 Fireworks - Tender Trap
041 Wait & See - Diamond Rings
040 Runaway - Kanye West
039 It's Automatic - The Go Find
038 Fixed - Stars
037 Barricade - Interpol
036 Let Me Take You Out - Class Actress
035 Stylo - Gorillaz
034 Everybody's Hip - Jaill
033 Go Do - Jonsi
032 Your Hands (Together) - The New Pornographers
031 Nothing Like You - Frightened Rabbit
030 Shutterbug - Big Boi
029 Stay Lit - Holy Fuck
028 Pretend & Descend - Magic Bullets
027 Confirmation - Wild Nothing
026 One Life Stand - Hot Chip
025 You Can Dance - Bryan Ferry
024 Better Than Love - Hurts
023 Boy - Ra Ra Riot
022 Excuses - The Morning Benders
021 Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
020 Doin It Again - The Roots
019 Ready To Start - Arcade Fire
018 The Lost Estate - Delays
017 Digging For Something - Superchunk
016 One - Yeasayer
015 Tightrope - Janelle Monae
014 Night By Night - Chromeo
013 Always Loved A Film - Underworld
012 Baby Lee - Teenage Fanclub
011 All I Want - LCD Soundsystem
010 Rose Garden - Shad
009 Trouble - Spoon
008 My Time - Minus The Bear
007 Doubt - Delphic
006 This Orient - Foals
005 Schoolin' - Everything Everything
004 Me and The Moon - The Drums
003 World Sick - Broken Social Scene
002 Bang - Mark Ronson & The Business Intl
001 Odessa - Caribou
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