Best Albums of 2010 (so far)?

Misspelt Yoof wrote:

Mr_K wrote:

ukkonen wrote:

Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid

I had not heard of Janelle Monáe, but I've had a look on t'interweb and I'm intrigued. I'm now spotifying the album. Initial impression - Andre 3000's much smarter, even more idiosyncratic sister? And boy, can she sing! I'm really enjoying this - thanks ukkonen.

Big Boi features on the Janelle Monáe album. His album new album is also well worth Spotify-ing while you're at it.

And to advance on this a bit more (since I'm a bit late in responding to all of this anyway), she is also featured on OutKast's Idlewild album. Big Boi didn't sign her, so now Diddy gets all the credit, shame! She's really lovely and a talented performer. Definitely a female version of Andre 3000, but I think she does a better job at blurring genres than he is capable of. Listening to her first EP is a must if you're interested in the storyline, by the way.

Phantom Band - the Wants

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Vex'd - Cloud Seed
Fuzzy Lights - Twin Feathers
Menomena - Mines
Aloe Blacc - Good Things
Besnard Lakes - Are the Roaring Night
Erland and the Carnival - s/t
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
Paul Weller - Wake Up the Nation

people, listen to this record:


Phantom Band - the Wants

it's just simply amazing!

Hmm, time to revisit this thread as the year's almost gone! I still love Odd Blood by Yeasayer. Just a killer album. Also still enjoying The Suburbs from Arcade Fire, Go by Jonsi, and Vampire Weekend's Contra. More recently, I'd add Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter, Lisbon from The Walkmen, and even though it's only been out for a short while, the new Girl Talk set, All Day. I liked the new Cee-Lo Green LP but don't think it really cuts it for "Year's Best" honors, although F**k You is hands down THE song of 2010. And I agree with Dano...Ted Leo and the Pharmacists' The Brutalist Bricks was excellent, too.

EDIT: Holy cheese, did I forget to mention Dark Night of the Soul, the collaboration project between Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse and several other artists? I did? Man, I'm an idiot. AMAZING album, that.

My top 10 in no particular order:

We Are Scientists - Barbara
Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
Mt. Desolation
LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Erland and the Carnival
The Coral - Butterfly House
I am Kloot - Sky at Night

ChrissieInFL wrote:

I liked the new Cee-Lo Green LP but don't think it ,

I ordered it yesterday. I really like the single and other two songs that i listened to.

Laura Marling was the Sunday Times No 1 for the year at the weekend.

Lets hope we'll have another great Elbow album to play very soon... what a way to start the best albums of 2011 thread

I second all the votes for Beach House, The Coral, Janelle Monáe and LCD Soundsystem (do 2 great songs make a best-of-year album? In the case of All I Want & I Can Change, yes!). All very good stuff.

Also Total Life Forever by Foals has got to be worthy of consideration, as has Steve Mason's Boys Outside - a lovely album. An honourable mention for Teenage Fanclub's Shadows too. And Erykah Badu. And The Manics.

Finally for something completely different and very un-elbowy - Body Talk by Robyn! I've posted about this before so won't witter on, but it shows that poppy dance music can be fun, adventurous and have something to say - and it's nice to see it making quite a few best-of-year lists.

I would hate to be a muso journalist at this time of the year!
I can only get my list down to about 30 albums, but yep Beach House, The National, Tame Impala, Black Keys....hard hard hard choices!

My top 5 in order would be...

'Teen Dream' Beach House
'Acoustic Sessions' The Chameleons
'Total Life Forever' Foals
'Butterfly House' The Coral
'Runaway' Magic Numbers

I hate Beach House. don't hate me .

Top 4 that stand out for me:

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
2. I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
3. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
4. Villagers - Becoming A Jackal

Then in no particular order:

5. Jonny Kearney & Lucy Farrell - The North Farm Sessions
6. Beach House - Teen Dream
7. The Coral - Butterfly House
8. The Besnard Lakes - Are The Roaring Night
9. Warpaint - The Fool
10. The National - High Violet

Favourite gigs were Arcade Fire, Teenage Fanclub, I Am Kloot and Villagers

My Bury Vest wrote:

My top 5 in order would be...

'Teen Dream' Beach House
'Acoustic Sessions' The Chameleons
'Total Life Forever' Foals
'Butterfly House' The Coral
'Runaway' Magic Numbers

The last album, sigh, they will love you for that, it's been a tough year!
'Once I had' is just immense live!!

My top 10...

1) Beach House - Teen Dream
2) Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
3) David Ford - Let The Hard Times Roll
4) I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
5) Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
6) Villagers - Becoming a Jackal
7) Vampire Weekend - Contra
8) These New Puritans - Hidden
9) Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks
10) Hot Chip - One Life Stand

Avi Buffalo, Admiral Fallow and Darwin Deez all just missed out.

Can't see past High Violet but The Suburbs would be close. Saw them both live in the space of a fortnight. Oh and Echo And The Bunnymen in between

My top 25 of 2010, been a wonderful year....

1. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
2. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
3. Anaïs Mitchell - Hadestown
4. Frightened Rabbit - The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
5. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
6. Röyksopp - Senior
7. Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms
8. The Pineapple Thief - Someone Here Is Missing
9. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
10. The National - High Violet
11. MGMT - Congratulations
12. Eels - Tomorrow Morning
13. Gayngs - Relayted
14. Emma Pollock - The Law Of Large Numbers
15. Massive Attack - Heligoland
16. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
17. WarPaint - The Fool
18. Vampire Weekend - Contra
19. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
20. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
21. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
22. Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart
23. Eivør - Larva
24. Cyaneed - Dr. Daniel
25. Pete Molinari - A Train Bound For Glory

My final top ten:

1.Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
2.Phantom Band - The Wants
3.Giant Sand - Blurry Blue Mountain
4.Vex'd - Cloud Seed
5.Besnard Lakes - Are the Roaring Night
6.Jaga-Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
7.Shearwater - The Golden Arcipelago
8.Menomena - Mines
9.Ted Leo and The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
10.The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

I couldn't manage ten!

1. Beach House - Teen Dream
2. Sea of Bees - Songs For The Ravens
3. The National - High Violet
4. I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
5. John Grant - Queen of Denamrk
6. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
7. The Magic Numbers - The Runaway
8. LCD Soundsytem - This Is Happening
9. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
10. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
11. The Walkmen - Lisbon

Wow, for me it's definitely The Suburbs, of Arcade Fire. It's not their best one (it's probably the worse) but I haven't got tired of it and I listen to its songs almost every day. Really really love "The Suburbs", "Modern Man", "Month of May" and "Wasted Hours". Their concert was amazing.

Then I would say... Plastic Beach, of Gorillaz, is so good too. The Fall is interesting but it is not that good.

I also listened a lot to Screamworks (HIM) (yes it's my guilty guilty guiiiilty pleasure! haha) but I wouldn't name it the best record of 2010.

Interpol's one was so good, I really digged it. And the same for Congratulations (MGMT).

So, here's the ranking:

1. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
2. Interpol - Interpol
3. Congratulations - MGMT
4. Plastic Beach - Gorillaz
5. Screamworks - HIM) / The Fall - Gorillaz... just to put 5 albums.

The problem is that almost every record I've listened to this year is not from 2010...

^And I think The Fall counts as 2011 since it will be physically released then

^ Yes, I thought about it, but although it's going to be printed on 2011 it was officially released this December so... well I don't know. Anyway it's something like a "bonus" in my rank :p

my top 10 of 2010 -

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
2. The National - High Violet
3. Jonsi - Go
4. Interpol - Interpol
5. Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love
6. Beach House - Teen Dream
7. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
8. The Walkmen - Lisbon
9. Cherry Ghost - Beneath The Burning Shoreline
10. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

:-)

Postcards From A Young Man by The Manic Street Preachers is a pretty, damn good album.

Lesley Gilks wrote:

Postcards From A Young Man by The Manic Street Preachers is a pretty, damn good album.

Yup - not quite a classic, IMO, but a joyous listen nonetheless. The title track is both bombastic and moving, a cry of disillusionment and yet a shout of defiance. Bloody brilliant! It was great to see them enjoying themselves so much live as well. And it looks like they might have another album out this year, yay!


PS
Their gig at Blackwood Miners Institute tomorrow evening (27th January) is being broadcast on the Beeb.
Click here for details

I'm not very good at making lists, but will have a go at my personal favourites
(In no particular order)

I Am Kloot - Sky at Night
Smoke Fairies - Through Low Light and Tress
Kristin Hersh - Crooked
Massive Attack - Heligoland (or was that 2009?)
Sieben - Star Wood Brick Firmament
Sarah Kirkland Snider with Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond,the Decembersist) - Penelope
Martha Tilston - Lucy & the Wolves
Misery Guts - More Human than Human EP
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat the Devil's Tattoo
The Dolly Rocker Movement - Our Days Mind the Tyme

And finally... almost a month into 2011 ( ) and I think I'm just discovering my favourite album of 2010 - The Devil and I by Lone Wolf. Amazing music and brilliant songwriting. Have a listen here.

Oops, mustn't forget Peter Gabriel's Scratch My Back - that seems like so much more than a year ago!