TOP 1O OF 2O1O

You have probably noticed that I've been pretty inactive on this blog. Nonetheless, I would be remiss to not announce Weekly Record Review's TOP 10 Albums of 2010.

But first...

Stinkers of 2010

MGMT - Congratulations
Another middle finger to the fans like this could cost them what was a promising career.

Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
In three albums they've gone from excellent to middling to execrable. 

The New Pornographers - Together
Much as I hate to put them here, it's been quite a while since they've done anything worth repeated listening.

The Hold Steady
Who would have thought losing a keyboard player would be such a major loss?

Runners Uppers of 2010

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

Strong songs (except "Chase Scene." Ugh.) but lacks the cohesive feel of previous albums.

The Walkmen - Lisbon
Just started listening to this one so it's not fully digested, but I really like it. (how's that for honest?)

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
A little bloated and lacking the killer songs that make "Funeral" essential, but solid nonetheless.

Girl Talk - All Day
Doesn't quite have the same punch as the previous two smush-ups. Switched up the formula a little bit not for the betterment, imo.

OK Go - Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Crazycool vidoes overshadowed a very solid album.

The Roots - How I Got Over
The Roots leave the angsty paranoid sounds of their last two albums for much more placid waters.

TOP 10 of 2010

10. Drummer - Feel Good Together

Five drummers form a band. No it's not a joke, it's Drummer featuring five skin-beaters who decided to form a band. The most prominent is from The Black Keys and here his side gig outshines his main one. Though it seems like no one else is paying attention.

09. Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Still looking for your fix of hipster rock/dance/pop after MGMT's middling 'Congratulations?' Fellow Brooklynites deliver big time on their sophomore release with rhythm-heavy, synth-soaked songs. 

08. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndriod

Songstress mixes every musical spice in the cupboard on her debut album. Blending classical, jazz, soul, r&b, funk, psych-rock with sheer talent, she could be poised for big things in the future.

07. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

The newest "new Dylan," The Tallest Man On Earth writes sometimes sober, sometimes jaunty acoustic songs. Nasally voice can take some getting used to, but they probably said the same thing about Dylan.

06. The Bird and the Bee - Interpreting the Masters Vol. 1 - A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates

I wouldn't count myself as a fan of 80's stalwarts Hall & Oates, but The Bird and The Bee update these 80's pop gems for the 20th century without any schlock. Eminently listenable with a Zero 7-type feel.

05. Hot Chip - One Life Stand

English electropopers/nerds drop another round of great dance songs. Not much of a depart from 2008's terrific "One Life Stand," but maybe a tad more upbeat and cleaner in sound.

04. Toro Y Moi - Causers of This

Part of the recent "Chillwave" movement that I've mostly ignored (maybe to my detriment), Toro creates reverb laden soundscapes as much as he writes songs. Bonus points for sporting this throwback nearly identical to mine.

 03. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

As lyrically on point as ever, "one half of the Outkast" dropped a funk soaked rap album sure to keep the heads bobbing and trunks rattling.Bonus points for using the talkbox instead of autotune.

 02. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

The years most talked about album, Kanye's opus is musically soaring and lyrically intimate. While it's really not leaps and bounds better than his previous work, the emotive force behind it is really what has everyone talking and listening.

 01. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

Without messing with the formula, James Murphy reunites the  soundsystem to deliver another stellar album full of revealing lyrics and groovable, uh, grooves. Mixes 90's quiet/loud dynamics with clinical disco beats. Sadly, Murphy says that this will probably be their last studio album. Sad, sad news but at least they go out being number 1.

My Two Cent(ence Reviews)

MGMT's album 'Congratulations' lacks anything approaching the holy triumvirate of Kids, Time to Pretend and Electric Feel. Is it the big middle finger we all should have seen coming when their followup to Oracular Specatular was Metanoia?

'Together' lacks the "power" in the power-pop that The New Pornographers previously excelled at. Nico Case is great, but in the context of the N.P.'s she's better utilized as a foil for A.C. Newman than as the centerpiece.

While 'World Sick' is world class, I'm not sure the rest of Broken Social Scene's new 'Forgiveness Rock Record' measures up to that song or their previous two l.p.'s. This one still needs some time to grow on me.

Lost in all the hubbub of owning the internet earlier this year, OK Go released a really good album in 'Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky.' I also had to miss this show when they came to D.C. but at least I got to see them on Colbert. (Ok, three versions of the same song may be excessive, but just check out the rest of the album.)

I have no idea how I heard of them but somehow but I ended up with Drummer's 'Feel Good Together' in my digital music library. Made up of all Ohio musicians, including the Black Key's drummer (bah-dum) on bass, the album is definitely a rhythm driven rock record, punctuated equally by guitars and synths.