My top 10 alums of 2010

Happy New Years to my small group of followers.

Personally, 2010 was nowhere near 2009 in terms of music, so it was harder than imagined to really put this list together. But of course there were a select number of stellar works.

10. Zola Jesus-Stridulum

A haunting EP with some gnarly sounds, Zola Jesus is supremely young and talented. Her massive wail is super reminiscent of Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees.



9. Beach House-Teen Dream

Sort of psychedelic, sort of pop, but really good. Each tune is thoughtful with carefully crafted lyrics, and "Teen Dream" puts you into a realm of heartfelt emotions.



8. Lady Gaga-Fame Monster

If you like music, tell me you didn't thoroughly enjoy this EP from start to finish? So damn catchy, if a bar, club, dance party, etc... dropped a Gaga track in 2010 everybody was on the dance floor. Lady Gaga uses all the tools of being a musician to push her vision to its fullest--the song, the video, the performance--and that may be the highest compliment you can give an artist. She kills everything.



7. Dom Kennedy-From the Westside with Love

Ssmmmooootthh as hell!!!! '90s old school hip-hop beats, and a nice flow, put this mixtape head and shoulders above what so many other rappers put out in 2010. Some rappers have good beats, but a bad flow with shitty content. Some rappers have good flow and good content, but with shitty beats. Dom has good content, a good flow, and them beats issss soooo ssmmoooottthhhh.



6. Caribou-Swim


This is the type of music you can dance to, or drive to, or relax to, or work to, and that makes it damn good music. You can't say that about a lot of music, but you sure as hell can say that about "Swim."



5. Best Coast-Crazy for You

Pop perfection. "Crazy for You" just makes you warm when you listen to it. Surf rock made a huge comeback this year, and Best Coast continues reviving the glory of the '60s by reminding us that an album can just be simple and catchy.



4. Fang Island-Fang Island

Pop punk is back--sort of. This album combines the speedy drums/guitars of say Blink-182, but uses a wider arsenal of instruments/sounds, and much more harmonized vocals, to craft a massively fun album. "Fang Island" makes you feel happy as hell when you listen to it. A lot of albums this year were filled with morose, but not many of them were better.



3. Francis and the Lights-It'll be Better

Phil Collins? Peter Gabriel? Genesis? I don't know, but this is damn fine indie pop music. This seems like the kind of music that college kids are going to love, and the type of music that you may hear in a romantic comedy montage in three years. Those could both turn into bad things, but right now it's simply saying that "It'll be Better" is full of super lovable jams, and songs that people are going to want a piece of. This is the type of album that you hear, and you just want to keep hearing. Also frontman Francis Starlite, is all about dancing his ass off!




2. Arcade Fire-The Suburbs

Arcade Fire continues to establish themselves as our generations seminal band. Nobody's sound drives at you like AF's does. They're music is so relentless, and it stays in your soul long after you've stopped listening to it. "The Suburbs" examines our "adult" lives that we so strive for, and begs us to re-think it.



1. Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

It's Kanye West, and every other rapper.

Kanye's album is dark and honest, and whether you like the content or Kanye himself, you can't deny it's brilliance. No other rapper expertly expresses himself lyrically and sonically like Yeezy does. What Kanye has done in this album is not easily done in the hip-hop genre, and never has it been done with such breadth. He takes you into his emotions/fantasies/thoughts with his flow and his beats. This album isn't about making hits, it's about personal expression. "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" expands what hip-hop can be, and even though all of the albums on this list are good, this album is the only one you can say evolves a genre.