Hope everybody has an amazing 2011.
The Fiery Furnaces Create Track For Art Project
Horror & Romance on Another Planet
Songs and Music Inspired by Stefanos Rokos’ Exhibition
The “Horror & Romance on Another Planet” compilation is the result of an idea that was born in the Spring of 2008, mainly by Stefanos Rokos’ need to express his love for music by combining it with his own art.
Having experienced similar creative collaborations in the past, he approached some of the Greek or foreign musicians and bands that he deeply admired and had been somehow related to before (either as a friend, either by working with them or participating in the organization of music events along with Kormoranos, the production group that he’s been working with for various sorts of projects since 2002) and asked each one of them to record a music track inspired by his new series of paintings.
The only “restriction” was that they would have to mention the exhibition’s title –“Horror & Romance on Another Planet”– somewhere in the composition, in whatever possible way they wanted (directly, indirectly, as a whole, cutting it to pieces, changing it, in any language or not at all).
The feedback he got from the musicians was very positive, and –combined with some of the exhibition’s paintings’ photo representations– the material that was collected is published in 1700 numbered copies, both as an integral part of the exhibition as well as an independent work of art.
Calamus Root Magician Remixes Joanna Newsom
FROM Calamus Root Magician:
The Murthering Stake is the first installment in the Dread Contenders series: a trilogy of EP-length remix recordings by Calamus Root Magician. Each focuses on a separate musician or musical project and a separate recording medium.
1. in/funny sea
4. not undo
6. cosmia culpa
notes:
For The Murthering Stake, we chopped up the work of Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band from vinyl LPs. CalRoot has been a long-time admirer of her work since the morning in 2005 when he awoke to the sounds of "Peach, Plum, Pear" ringing from his roommate's chamber down the hall. "The Book of Right On" bass line even found a home on the very first full-length recording by against fidelity, and since The Roots tapped that vein (as well as a variety of other thirsty postmodern entities, both righteous and rapacious in nature), we figured it was high time to run an unauthorized chop of the entire catalog before some fair-weather fan with an expensive budget and long corporate fingers got permission to do so. Please enjoy responsibly.
Reasons this was a challenging project:
- Vinyl records all crackly from over-play (especially from spring 2010, right after Have One On Me came out). Eat it up, wax fanatics.
- Newsom is mad down-tempo. In the main, we wanted the recording to sound like the originals in terms of pitch (plus we didn't want the project to come out any chirpier than it already would, considering the tonality of the musician in question), so we eschewed bumping the tempo (except slightly on "ill quickie"). Check the squash-job on "not undo" and "suffice" for prime examples of how we chopped to get the tempo up without having to shift pitch.
- Not a lot of drums on these records. We had to bring in (steal) outside drumming for most of the tracks. Other than that, there's not a lot of extra-Newsomian instrument samples, though we did add a bit here and there (for better or for worse . . .). As far as cuts and scratches goes: we thought about it but ultimately decided that it would change the whole feel of the album--it would become more like a rap record riding samples that happened to be culled from Joanna Newsom, rather than an ode to Joanna Newsom posed in the genre. Whatever, add some scratches if you want. I don't own the shit.
- Anxiety over minutia.
Peace. And I mean that.
-Calamus Root Magician
The Best Live Concert Video Of 2010???
Backseat Sandbar is the Brooklyn Vegan of Louisville, KY and on Sunday they covered a massive Derby City concert that featured all of the towns favorites including Jim James of My Morning Jacket. The positioning, lighting, and energy from the event (all in support of local record store Ear-X-Tacy) all come together to create the best live concert video of the year. The sound peaks and is rough, but it kind of adds to the madness (the whole crowd singing along) and gives a weird positive quality to the video. Make sure to write a comment and share a link of your favorite live concert video of 2010 and enjoy this amazing visual treat:
WATCH IN 780 HD or HIGHER!!!
WATCH IN 780 HD or HIGHER!!!
Best Daytrotter of 2010
Over at our music blog'o the year, Largehearted Boy, they're offering up a real treat today -- the best Daytrotter Sessions of 2010 including Sharon Van Etten, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, and Mountain Man. Check it out here.
The Village Voice Names Its Worst Song of 2010
You may have guessed, it's Train - "Hey, Soul Sister." I didn't realize that that song was anything outside of a jingle for corporations. But just listening to the lyrics for the rest of the song dropped my IQ a couple points. For a scorecard on how stupid music is these days, check out the rest of the list:
The 20 Worst Songs of 2010:1. Train, "Hey, Soul Sister"
And read more at the article here.
Big Boi Meets The Black Keys (Mashup)
I suggest starting with "Black Bug" and then doing the other tracks.
(via Carl Gatti)
WLFY's Ten Best EPs of 2010
10.) Junip - Rope And Summit
09.) The Tallest Man On Earth - Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird
08.) Summer Camp - Young
07.) Active Child - Curtis Lane
06.) The Pass - Colors
05.) Sunglasses - Sunglasses
04.) Jonquil - One Hundred Suns
03.) Twin Sister - Color Your Life
02.) Highlife - Best Bless
01.) Slow Animal - Slow Animal
Best/Worst of 2010
BEST: 7" Record Labels
The only reason to start a 7" vinyl label is out of love for the medium. Pressing a run of 500 at 7$ is $3,500 and after pressing costs and giving the band/artist a kick back the label might be lucky to come out a few hundred ahead. This is what makes them special, they're working for nothing else other than to satisfy the needs of vinyl heads and to give bands an extra product to boost their visibility. As a music and vinyl fan, there is nothing more special than receiving a limited piece of wax from a band/artist you love. I encourage you to support these labels as they need you to continue. Three labels specifically have really impressed me with their dedication: Forest Family Records, Father/Daughter Records, and Jax Art Records.
WORST: iTunes Ping
The idea of having the musical equivalent of Facebook on iTunes is very appealing. To be able to view friends albums, rate records, share music, that's all great. The problem is Ping only applies to music bought on iTunes. This leaves off bandcamp and direct from the band purchases, vinyl rips, and most importantly free tracks/albums given away from bands. I buy records and use the free download code from the label, what do I do with those tracks? Having only bought a handful of albums of iTunes, an amazing idea like Ping is completely pointless.
BEST: Bandcamp
When Bandcamp didn't take a cut from album sales it was the most glorious invention for bands. Now, they take around %15 and it's still one of the best sites to gain popularity in 2010. With streaming capability, sleek layout, great stat meters, and and overall user friendly feel, Bandcamp is a must for any new band looking to host their albums/tracks. As a blogger, the embedding looks amazing and is simple. I typically will listen to anything sent to me on bandcamp as I know I can click, listen, and decide if I want to post or not within minutes.
WORST: Kanye West
This is not about his music, rather the person. I've never seen someone contradict themselves as much as West did in 2010. His immature behavior garnered a lot of press and he followed it up by going on an apology spree. This was short lived as he basically took everything back and made himself the victim of his own actions. Hearing Kanye explain anything is a headache as he talks in circles and then unjustly declares himself right. I have no sympathy for Kanye as all of his mistakes are self inflicted. Yet, he continues to repeat them over and over (mind you he crashed Justice at an award show before Swift). Is it that hard to sit and watch an award show? The last straw was his epic rant at a small show in NYC after the release of his hit album where he takes back every apology he made during the previous three weeks. To blame Taylor Swift for riding out the conflict is hypocritical because he created the drama and is just as guilty for riding it out. The problem is that none of his misguided actions will ever cost him professionally. People will buy his records at whopping numbers regardless of what he does. A friend summed up Kanye West the best when he called him a child. That's what he is, an immature person who behaves as if there are no social rules. People love his music and I wish he would focus solely on his craft and why people love him, rather then choosing to act like a hypocritical male diva instead.
BEST: Pitchfork TV
Love Pitchfork or hate them, it's really impossible to deny the amazing work they're doing in their music media section. With every band giving them first look exclusives on music videos and their own creating of exclusive content, Pitchfork TV is unmatched in the visual aspect of music journalism. I believe RJ Bentler is in charge of the section, and if so, congratulations for curating one of the best destinations on the web.
WORST: Live Show Etiquette
It seems like every year it's becoming more and more unbearable to go to concerts. Be it talking during a performance, texting, or trying to grab video of every song, it's been a rough year for shows. I have a few simple rules that I try to live by when attending a show. First, don't talk. If you have to talk, whisper and keep it short. Second, I understand that we live in a digital age and texting is your lifeblood, but if you have to text, go to the bar, outside, or somewhere that won't disrupt the performance for the people around you trying to enjoy it. Third, take a video or record a song, but only do one song. People are much more concerned with capturing an experience rather than actually enjoying the experience. If you want a digital memento to remind yourself you were there, take it, but then put away the phone and enjoy the show.
BEST: SXSW
I can understand if the corporate aspects of SXSW upset some people, but that one week in Austin is a dream come true for music fans. A ridiculous amount of bands from all genres populating a small area creates this amazing vibe that still hasn't left my mind. I've been to almost every major American music festival and none of them can compete with the magic of SXSW.
WORST: Altered Zones
I was actually excited when the announcement of Altered Zones was made. Pitchfork was becoming cluttered with all these similar sounding tracks and was overwrought by one aesthetic. A collective of some impressive bloggers added to the prospects of the new site. I'm not a huge fan of the sound Altered Zones promotes but I was excited that the people who loved that type of music would have their own professional resource to turn to. Shortly after it's launch it became clear that Pitchfork wasn't changing and Altered Zones was just a jumping link to what would eventually end up in the Forkcast. The only change is these bloggers who were getting to the tracks first before are now getting paid as staff. This is good, I'm all for people making money, but Altered Zones added nothing that wasn't already there and more importantly didn't free up any space on Pitchfork for bands not focused on the genre that Altered Zones was supposed to take over.
BEST: Record Store Day
I've never seen record stores so alive as they were on April 17th, 2010 (Record Store Day). With impressive exclusive releases and limited reissues, music fans proved that physical music is and could be relevant. I waited in line for hours to guarantee the purchase of specific limited goods and it reminded me of how much fun has been lost in music. Be it staying up late for a midnight release at a record store or listening to an album the day it came out (not months before), there are a lot of special moments lost when we turn our backs on physical music. This one day had an excitement behind buying physical music and it just felt right.
WORST: Marijuana Branding
In high school marijuana was taboo and this cool thing to talk about, but now we're adults and if you want to smoke weed, great, if you don't, also great. A personality should never be defined by something so juvenile as gloating about drug use. The most visible examples of this trend are Best Coast and Wavves where they tweet non-stop about smoking pot and even goes as far as selling weed grinders as band merchandise. Grow up and find something interesting to talk about. It's not just those two bands, a bunch of bands/artists are using drugs as a brand identifier which is just ridiculous. I'm for legalizing pot, but I'm also for making it illegal for any more bands to act like high schoolers and treat marijuana as the most important thing in the world. Smoke and shut up about it.
BEST: Kickstarter
Kickstarter is making it possible for bands to fund albums without any label interference. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of a lot of record labels, but what do those bands do that can't get signed? Fans of the band who donate are basically purchasing the album in advance which is amazing because it cuts off the loss of profit from illegal downloading. There are a lot of bands/artists out there who just want to create art or make an album that they would want to hear as a music fan themselves. Kickstarter allows for medium to low exposure bands to achieve this dream.
WORST: Reverb
Close to 90% of the bands I saw at CMJ would comically ask for more reverb during their soundchecks. At one showcase, four bands/artists in a row asked for more, when I finally heard the disgruntled soundguy mumble to his friend that everyone of these bands had the reverb all the way up on the soundboard. I understand that it's a tool and if it makes your music better than great, but music lovers should be aware that those bands going without reverb and exposing their actual talent as singers should be praised. I challenge the bands that don't necessarily need reverb to make an extra effort to go without.
BEST Of 2010: Daytrotter
Daytrotter is by far my favorite thing from 2010. It's one of the hair-brained ideas we all have but don't act on. Everything about the project is perfect. From the recordings, to the bands/artists they choose, to the free downloads, to the beautiful art...it's all perfect. I know they're probably making money, but it's one of the few projects of late this is actually helping music, bands, and artists. They're artists in their own right, creating these beautiful pieces for fans and music lovers to enjoy.
The Other BESTS:
The Other WORSTS
Lack Of Buying Physical Music
Fake genres
Myspace
Large Music Festivals Circulating The Same Lineup
The Amazing Musicians We Lost This Year
Hank's Top 25 Albums of 2010
25.) Woods - At Echo Lake
24.) Seabear - We Built A Fire
23.) The Pass - BURST
22.) Marnie Stern - Marnie Stern
21.) The Black Keys - Brothers
20.) Warpaint - The Fool
19.) Cheyenne Marie Mize - Before Lately
18.) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
17.) Wavves - King Of The Beach
16.) The Roots - How I Got Over
15.) Mountain Man - Made The Harbor
14.) The Morning Benders - Big Echo
13.) Sufjan Stevens - The Age Of Adz
12.) El Guincho - Pop Negro
11.) Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
10.) MGMT - Congratulations
09.) Sharon Van Etten - epic
08.) The National - High Violet
07.) Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty
06.) Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negro Jig
05.) Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & The Cairo Gang - The Wonder Show Of The World
04.) The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
03.) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
02.) Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
01.) Beach House - Teen Dream
Zach's Top 25 Albums Of 2010
25.) WAVVES - King Of The Beach
The best summer record of 2010. Nathan Williams matured as a musician and while he's not going to be considered a genius composer/artist anytime soon, he has a knack for aggressive and catchy hooks. I predict pulling out this record every summer and giving it a much deserved spin.
24.) Olof Arnalds - Innundir skinni
2010 was the year of ignored poetic music from singer/songwriters. This release from the Icelandic beauty Arnalds features both moments of bliss and complete devastation. This wide range of emotions centered around controlled and subtle production choices by producer Kjartan Sveinsson (Sigur Ros) culminates in a challenging yet satisfying listen.
23.) Cheyenne Marie Mize - Before Lately
A Louisville, KY staple for years as a backing musician for Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and every other need to know band/artist in the area, Cheyenne proves with this debut LP that she can shoulder the weight of her own release. The songs are natural, nature based, and everything comes across sincere. The math is simple with this record. If you have a stunning voice, overflowing talent at an array of instruments, and a strong point of view as a songwriter...you're going to make one hell of a record.
22.) Women - Public Strain
It's easy to make a track build to a nice climax, but Women build tension over the whole album. This is definitely not a sit down and listen to one of the tracks record, it's an album's album all the way. I'm not sure what the world considers art rock anymore, but this album could be considered the best example of sound as art in 2010.
21.) Owen Pallett - Heartland
Pallett writes film scores without the film. The album is so big, so epic, that it's sometimes hard to take in immediately. The album is an indie rock opera featuring one of the most talented musicians we have going right now. The most impressive quality Pallett displays is how his voice stands tall against these skyscrapers of arrangements that would swallow up most musicians.
20.) Baths - Cerulean
Everything about Will Wiesenfeld's project Baths is just clean. The album art, vinyl packaging, music video, and most importantly the tracks are all unpolluted by any unnecessary extras. Everything is perfectly understated which is the opposite of what one would expect from an electro beat maker. There is nothing aggressive about Baths, yet the music has a smart artistic edge. This is not just an album to nod your head to, it has a indescribable soul that lurks within each track.
19.) The Pass - BURST
Easily my favorite electro pop record of 2010. This is the common story of wrong place/wrong time for an album like BURST. 2003 through 2007 saw electro pop as one of the "hip" genres and now has faded into the background as lo-fi or anything remotely close to lo-fi as jumped into the spotlight. It's impossible to deny the amount of fun packed into these eleven tracks. The Pass have been called the next Passion Pit, Phoenix, Killers; but with their extensive jazz backgrounds and geeky love for knowing everything there is to know about the synth, this band makes music that is all their own. This was my go to record whenever I was ever in a slump or depressed and it would shoot me right out of that negative state of mind. They write dance music and won't apologize for it.
18.) Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty
Hip-Hop has lost its way. It could be my own personal taste, but to quote the great Dave Berman "it's been a slow education" since the 90's ended. There are some great hip-hop records in the 2000's but they weren't being released at the same rapid pace as in the late 80's and throughout the 90's. The bar was lowered and people began declaring the most mediocre pieces of hip hop instant classics. Anything to stop the bleeding. While I don't think Sir Lucious Left Foot is a masterpiece by any means, it's the first hip-hop record in a long time that reminded me why I first enjoyed hip-hop. Yes, Big Boi is guilty of using dumb pop culture references occasionally, but he saves his lyrics with his approach to how he says them. He constantly shocks me on this record with how he pronounces different words and chops up sentences to create new meaning. I've always been attracted to the poetry of hip-hop, and Big Boi is one of the best. This is far and away the best hip-hop record of 2010.
17.) The Books - The Way Out
The opening track says it all:
"Hello, greetings and welcome. Welcome to a new beginning, for this tape will serve you as a new beginning. That's right, a new beginning, as we're about ready to begin. On this recording, music specifically created for its pleasurable effects upon your mind, body and emotions is mixed with a warm orange colored liquid. Your body is now a glass container. You can smell the orange colored liquid, for the deeper you go, the deeper you go. And if there's extra saliva there, swallow it and take yourself down deeper and deeper. Deeper and deeper, and deeper, and deeper."
16.) Ty Segall - Melted
I've been a casual fan of Ty Segall's for a few albums but Melted just clicked. Regardless of what genre he's been lumped into, there are some amazing pop tunes on this record. The album is jam packed with nice surprises and bizarre but perfect choices. Be it the piano that comes in on the track Caesar or the psychedelic carnival freak-out at the end of Imaginary Person, choices that might not look right on paper work within his sound. I'm really excited where Segall goes next, with Melted he's been lifted to another level.
15.) Pomegranates - One Of Us
Have you heard this record? No? Go listen to it. The utter lack of 'buzz' around this album is shocking. They're not a new band. They're signed. They tour extensively. The Internet and blogs are getting weirder every year about what they get behind, but this record is accessible, smart, poppy, lo-fi, dramatic, upbeat, fun, artistic...it has it all. Just a solid record and I really hope you give it a spin.
14.) The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Excuses and Promises might be the best back to back tracks to kick off a record in years. When I give Big Echo a spin I'm always taken into the world they created and it's a very pleasant place. The Morning Benders mix nostalgic sounds with a new approach. It's clear these guys know their musical history but never stray from originality. In the year that brought us chillwave, I can't think of a better album than Big Echo to call chillwave (even though it has none of the musical qualities attached to the made up genre). It's just a mellow record that sits well in the ears.
13.) The Henry Clay People - Somewhere On The Golden Coast
Do you miss The Replacements? Pavement? The Henry Clay People's influences are pretty obvious, however, they're taking that style of songwriting and making good old fashioned rock and roll relevant again. We're really becoming trendy listeners which results in promoting whoever is making music that sounds now and not what is the best. It would be tough to list ten straightforward rock and roll records in 2010 that were not already big names years before. Joey Siara is not only the best live frontman going right now, he's the smartest rock and roll lyricist out there. His younger brother Andy is a genius on the electric guitar and the rest of the band is composed of talented member after another. This year California was sonically defined by Katy Perry and Best Coast. It's a shame because the best California export of 2010 is The Henry Clay People.
12.) The Magnetic Fields - Realism
This is an established indie hall of fame band that delivered on the promises of their past records with Realism. Several tracks off the album feel like 69 Love Songs B-Sides and I can't think of a greater compliment. Stephin Merritt is a better writer than anyone on this list or your list. He's already written his masterpiece, but the fact that he's creating solid pieces of art ten albums in is impressive. Maybe everyone forgot about this record due to the late January release date, but I couldn't imagine leaving this off my best of 2010 list.
11.) Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
We all love music because of how it makes us feel. This album makes me feel young and alive. Much like what I said concerning The Morning Benders, Avi Buffalo's self titled release just sits well. It's an easy listen that brings a smile every time. The album is strangely romantic which has brought me back for repeat spins. This record handles love like no other album I've heard. Be it comparing lips to pieces of bacon or writing a song called Summer Cum, the band approaches the subject of relationships in the same wide eye way we all did before we became experienced dating cynics or settled down for good. It isn't all roses on this record, there is heartbreak, but the idea is that love is worth exploring through different perspectives. As an added bonus, it wins my annual award for "best driving in the car at night with the windows down experience while listening to an album".
10.) SOARS - SOARS
One of the boldest new bands of 2010. This album is the soundtrack to David Lynch's nightmares. Their sound lurks in cold abandoned factories, yet has it's own precious moments as well. Layers and layers of thick sounds wrap around a gentle voice that results in one of the most unique sounding albums of 2010.
09.) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
It's not my favorite Deerhunter release, but Halcyon Digest is still the brainchild of Bradford Cox who is one of the most important musicians of the last few years. It's by far the most accessible Deerhunter release and displays all the qualities that made me fall in love with this band in the first place. From the start it's obvious that Cox has found a confidence as a songwriter that allows him to write music that both satisfies not only his desires as a musician, but the desire to connect with a large array of different listeners. Deerhunter continues to be the "lo-fi" band that has something for everyone.
08.) Mountain Man - Made The Harbor
The voices...oh, the voices. The three members come in and out with haunting vocals that creates a tapestry of sound that is simply majestic. It's as if they have an unlimited amount of faucets filled with beautiful singing and they turn them on and off over and over throughout the songs. Beautiful.
07.) Woods - At Echo Lake
There is something to be said about a band that can make simplicity seem grandiose. Woods are writing simple indie pop songs that belong in the 60's, but the result is unique to their specific band. The high voice, high guitars, scattered (yet brilliant) drumming, all these qualities seem familiar as individual choices, but original when put together. The album feels really short, but the journey, track by track is highly satisfying.
06.) The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
I'll be buying a bunch of copies of The Wild Hunt as stocking stuffers because it's one of the easiest albums of 2010 to fall in love with. Jean-Luc Godard once said "All you need for a movie is a gun and girl". There is something special about a guy/girl and a guitar, and nothing else. You're out on the edge of a cliff and bass, drums, keyboards, etc are not there to save you. A great singer/songwriter can make the material feel oddly specific to the listeners life. The Wild Hunt feels like the backing music to a montage of all my memories and emotions I felt at those times. If I were to recommend one album from 2010 for the collective tastes of the world it would be The Wild Hunt. I just can't image anyone not feeling the pure power of emotion that radiates from this record.
05. Hip Hatchet - Men Who Share My Name
There are countless artists who created very important art but were only recognized for it years after their death. Nick Drake took his own life way before his albums could reach an audience. Years after he was gone, VW put his song "Pink Moon" in a commercial and the world fell in the love with beauty of his music. I'm not saying this is what's going to happen for Hip Hatchet, but it could and it would be a shame. Hip Hatchet is Philippe Bronchtein and spending ten minutes with his album, the power he has as a songwriter becomes clear. His voice is a mixture of Nick Drake and Matt Berninger but his greatest tool is the pen. I'm a huge fan of lyrics and Men Who Share My Name has the best of 2010. The lyrics are honest, sad, funny, introspective, metaphorical, and ultimately poetic. Like Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits, Bronchtein mixes stripped down humor with honest self criticism. This is an introduction to the best new act of 2010. Hip Hatchet demands your attention. A talent like this only comes around so often, please don't let it drift away and forgotten.
04.) Sharon Van Etten - Epic
Sharon Van Etten is special. She has this aura that is indescribable. I remember the first time I saw Etten play live, with the first strum of the guitar all the air was sucked out of the room and all that was left was her powerful music. Epic captures this perfectly. Every emotion is put out into the foreground of the song and has this warming effect on the ears. You can't help but to follow her into the depths of her own creation. With Epic, Sharon Van Etten reaffirms everything I believe in music, its power and beauty.
03.) Beach House - Teen Dream
Much like The Tallest Man On Earth, I find it nearly impossible not to like this record. It's both simple and smart, accessible and artistic. The music is immediately likable and with repeat spins never becomes stale. I don't have much to say on Teen Dream other than it's just an amazing record that has been on constant rotation since its release in January. An album that can still excite after a year of listens must be doing something right.
02.) MGMT - Congratulations
Congratulations is the best example of how lost we are becoming as music listeners. Never has an album been so unfairly judged before its release. I hated Oracular Spectacular and constantly bashed MGMT. With the release of the awful artwork for their sophomore album and the buzz that the Congratulations was a flop, I sharpened my teeth ready to sink in for the kill. With all these pre-conceived negatives I sat down and listened to the album. To my surprise Congratulations ended up being the best pop record written in 2010. Any comparison to Oracular Spectacular is misguided as this is a whole different beast. I'm a huge fan of The Zombies and Joe Meek. Congratulations is the contemporary filling for anyone who loves 1960's psychedelic rock that leans a little to the pop side. It's not a rip off of these influences, rather a tip of the hat and reinvention of the sound to fit the contemporary musical landscape. I know this album was treated unfairly because I would constantly talk about it and push second/third listens on friends. It's always the same story, "Yeah, that new MGMT record sucks." After some investigation it comes out they only heard the record once. Spin it again and they're sold. Since it's release I've had over twenty experiences where people give this record a second chance and they're all shocked that they missed the brilliance of this album. It's not a tough listen, it's just a very different MGMT listen. Throw out all you know about the band, the album art, their sarcastic interviews...throw it all away and just listen. It's a psych pop masterpiece that will be remembered long after Oracular Spectacular is forgotten.
01.) Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
No other artist or band can compete with what Joanna Newsom created on Have One On Me in 2010. A three record set, six songs a record (18 songs), that clocks in right at two hours. Newsom has created the musical equivalent to David Lean's Lawrence Of Arabia. Anybody can do length but to craft an album that never has a misstep over two hours is breathtaking. I know Newsom is polarizing as the line is drawn between those who love her voice and those who hate it. I personally celebrate her vocal styling but even if you fall on the other side, listen to her instrumentation on this record, it's tough not to appreciate. Ys was a masterpiece but melodically I chalked that up to the great Van Dyke Parks working on the album. Newsom shut me up quick with Have One On Me which shows her complete mastery of music. With the alternation between harp and piano based songs, Newsom has propelled from "that girl who sings funny and plays the harp" to one of the most important musicians (if not the MOST important) of our current time. After hearing the record all the way through for the first time I tried to write a review for WLFY. I just couldn't do it. All I wanted to do is listen over and over and over again. To this day I still can't find all the right words. It's the most wonderfully epic piece of music created in 2010 and makes every other release seem insignificant in comparison.