The Top 10!!!
Consolation Prize - Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty
After so many years of working on this record it just had to be good, right? Well that sort of logic is not always applicable. It is funny that there seemed to be a preconceived notion that this album wouldn't be that good or wouldn't be as good as an album done by Andre 3000. When you think about it, such a notion is just silly. Listen to the Speakerboxxx, Big Boi's contribution to the hit double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and you will hear an album that may not have to top 40 singles that The Love Below had but was a fantastic hip hop ride to Andre 3000's more ambitious but sometimes unbalanced work. Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty sounds a bit like an Outkast album but is also a response, reaction and improvement on the current state of hip hop. Hard to remember a hip hop record that was this fun and hip then easily converts to smart and philosophical and back again with ease. With a killer production team that includes Lil' Jon, Andre 3000 and others this album was well worth the wait.
10. Delorean - Subiza
Electronic music can often be overrun by club ambitions. They have 9 minute tracks, can be a bit repetitive, and promote a certain type of escapism where one can throw hands in the air and party like you just don't care. Subiza is enjoyable because it is accessible while still containing certain Balearic qualities. Ibiza is at the heart of this record with it's trance like rhythms and piano led hooks. Subiza is simply a wonderful. Subiza might be the perfect summer record that isn't a reggae record. It is also a pretty good driving record. With the breezy vocals, piano hooks that come right out of the early 90's, chimes, bells and whistles, a sample here and there, big but simple bass booms, Subiza is a fun, fun, fun record that is suitable for any rave, on or off the beach. Preferably on the beach.
9. Sleigh Bells - Treats
Is it pop music if there are really aggressive guitars and drums, a combination of booty shake and marching band, with angelic vocals? It seems a little calculated, possibly the miracle of great studio work but Treats is a fascinating record. This noise pop, dance punk duo from Brooklyn compose frantic noise grounded with sweet vocals in around 2 minutes. The juxtaposition of the vocals and music creates an effect like no other in music today. Derek Miller is responsible for the sound and Alexis Krauss is in charge of the vocals. It can be an off putting record or it can be a sing a long record that will later cause soreness in your neck from the crazy head knocking you've done. I tend to side with the latter. Plus any band willing to sample Parliment for the track "Rill Rill" is A-okay with me!
8. The Roots - How I Got Over
How are The Roots not considered the hardest working Band in America? They are are the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and are routinely the best part of the program. They released their own album How I Got Over and then a couple of months later released an album with John Legend featuring cover songs of soul and funk classics from Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye. The played the Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear. They also made appearances across the country for various concerts and festivals. Questlove is also a mad fiend on the twitter feed. Not to be forgotten is how good How I Got Over is... it's superb. Black Thought sadly continues to be one of the most underrated MCs ever. He displays a somber quality on tracks like "Dear God 2.0" and defiant on the title track and "The Fire." On the album Phonte and Blu contribute seamlessly to The Roots family, while Joanna Newsom's contribution to "Right On," helps create bounciest Roots track since the Things Fall Apart days. For their 11th album and who makes great albums for their 11th? Not many. Here, The Roots made their best album since Phrenology and most consistent album since Things Fall Apart. The hardest working band in America doesn't sound worn down but tighter than ever!
7. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
This outfit from West Palm Beach, Florida sounds like a combination of the Beach Boys, 13th Floor Elevators and 90's rock. The track "Swim" that generated all the hype in the beginning of the year, sounds like a track that would have gotten the Buzz Worthy nod from an early 90's MTV station that still played music videos. Astro Coast is a great guitar record. It's a great guitar record because it relies on the guitar to create most if not all the hooks for the album. The surf ready "Take It Easy," the 50's guitar lick of "Catholic Pagans," and post punk finger picking of "Harmonix," work to varying degrees but all successful. What also helps are the additional elements of keyboards and additional percussion to certain songs adding a different twist to certain songs. For example, the Cure like synths at the end of "Floating Vibes," the flute and additional percussion in "Twin Peaks" create a fuller and more playful sound to Surfer Blood's songs concerning the confusion of romance, friendship and the future.
6. Beach House - Teen Dream
This dream pop outfit from Baltimore does an impeccable job of seeming like a very cold distant record while at the same time being a warm, comfortable and heart broken. The looming keyboards that at times sound as lonely as a dial tone are a perfect match for Victoria Legrand's vocals. Legrand's voice doesn't sound like Nico, Mazzy Star or Sade but it is just as magnetic. With those ladies, they could pull you in with the beauty of their voice. As if, instrumentation was/is almost unnecessary. That is not the case with this record. I am not suggesting that Alex Scally's music is worthless. The guitar pacing creates an atmosphere of forced enclosed contemplation on "Zebra," and "Silver Soul."Keyboards create a similar effect on, "Walk In the Park" and piano on "Lover of Mine." Do you ever replay thoughts in your mind, they never escape or you never express them clearly but eventually they build and build until your mind is ready to explore? That is Teen Dream.
5. Mavis Staples - You're Not Alone
Even though Mavis will be 72 this summer, she has not lost command of her voice. In 2007, she worked with Ry Cooder on We'll Never Turn Back, an album full of civil rights anthems that were given new meaning during the Bush-era politics. On her current album, Jeff Tweedy is at the helm to rework some of Pops Staples gospel classics, along with John Fogerty, Randy Newman classics, a few traditionals and possibly the most beautiful song of the year as the title track, written by Tweedy. "You're Not Alone" is such a beautiful song that is inspirational and comforting but confronting. Every year it seems like a legend makes a record that is well made and thoughtful. This year Mavis Staples made that record. It isn't going to flip the country, blues, folk, gospel or soul world upside down but applause should be given for making a dam good album. You're Not Alone is a testament to the human condition and spirit that pulls us through the very hard times we are facing.
4. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Why isn't Damon Albarn discussed as a musical genius? Out of all his contemporaries... the Gallagher brothers, Jarvis Cocker, Thom Yorke and several other blokes don't have the legacy Albarn has. The Gorillaz seemed like a cute little side project that grew into something more and should be talked as the most intriguing musical project of the past decade. Let's not forget the other side projects and all the years as the head of Blur. Now the Gorillaz are finally coming into their own. The Gorillaz first album was produced by Dan the Automater and it sounded like it. The second by DangerMouse and it sounded like it. For Plastic Beach Albarn took charge of the production and their sound is becoming more and more distinct. Here they combine the dub, indie hip hop experiments of the first record, the spaghetti western samples and trip hop of the second album, and explore Krautrock and electro-funk for the third. This time around the hip hop segments gel with greater fluidity than previously on the first two albums. It also worth noting that with all the guest stars on each Gorillaz album, Albarn composed the best Gorillaz song solely for himself. "On Melancholy Hill," is just a prime example of Albarn somber tone over zippy keyboards and catchy harmonies. These songs range from beautiful, "Cloud of Unknowing," to frantic, "Glitter Freeze" or somewhere in between with, "Empire Ants." No other record this year has as much range.
3. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Thank goodness James Murphy put to rest the notion that this would be their last album. Thank goodness! This Is Happening has all the trappings that the last LCD Soundsystem explored such as NYC club culture, Bowie/Eno influence and punk-funk. We do get some new twists on this record such as the conga drum monologue beginning of "Dance Yrself Clean." Depeche Mode wishes they could write a song like, "I Can Change" and the Devo touches on "Drunk Girls" is just euphoric. On this album Murphy seems perplexed by his fame, the lack of fame, the pressures to produce a hit record, and the stance his band has on the musical landscape. Murphy has a knack for song crafting and his vocal flexibility allows him to not only play with genre but mimic Bowie's vocal styling on "All I Want" or sound like an American Shaun Ryder. It seems that with little doubt Murphy can mimic whatever vocal styling he so chooses. From cagey whisper to brooding vocal, to high pitch yelp and spoken word. Murphy is like the master of ceremonies on each album and each album a clear image of what fascinates, disturbs and motivates him.
2. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
Thematically, it's a dystopia. Musically it's Prince, Outkast, trip-hop, electro, with 60's pop and soul. Monae looks like some 80's soul temptress with a fixation on 30s/40s big band posterity. She is a vivacious performer that can move like James Brown. With a vastly underrated voice, Monae's record is inspired by science fiction cinema as much as it's inspired by Prince's Sign 'O' The Times. The ArchAndroid is part 2 of a 3 part series. A huge concept that includes an Ep released last year and a highly anticipated future release. The album almost feels like a soundtrack to elaborate science fiction musical ripe with action sequences, a party, and balladry. Her debut album clearly separates her from the pack, not simply because of her ambition but because it's really fucking good.
1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Never mind that "Power," "Runaway," "Monster," "All the Lights," have the capability of being classics. Yes, classics. Not just for 2010 but in more general terms as from today to who knows when and then again and again. Kanye West might be an ass but if their were less assholes making music we'd be missing out on a lot of great music over the history of time. I don't think anyone can examine the demons within with the same insight, humor, craftsmanship, outrage and admiration as West. West was agitated by the moderate response to his experimental 808's and Heartbreak album. On that record he tried to sing but he can't really sing, the music composition was a bit flat and frankly, where was all the experimentation? Even though West is back to rapping and not singing, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is more of a dare than anything West has ever done before. Conflict runs throughout this album, the loss of innocence, societal pressures and many faces of Kanye at war with one another, making for great theater and a fantastic album.
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