Rollo & Grady :: Best Albums of 2010
We normally post our favorite albums of the year in early December, but we’ve held out til now. It’s crazy how some sites’ “best of” lists start to pop up in mid-November. It seems a bit premature, but the majority of noteworthy albums are usually released prior to November (sorry Kanye – 11/22).
While we worked on our site this month, we’ve taken the opportunity to check out other blogs and publications’ “best of” lists for 2010. While compiling our list, we cheated twice: We revisited the Broken Bells album based on Patterson Hood’s list; it is truly a phenomenal album that would not have cracked our Top 20 if Patterson hadn’t put it back on our radar. For our “Artists Pick Best Albums of 2010″ feature, we noticed a ton of the bands chose Demon’s Claw’s Defrosting Of as a favorite album. We were already familiar with the album, and we ended up listening to it non-stop for a week. It is worth the hype and I strongly recommend checking it out – if kick-ass garage-rock is your thing.
2010 was, however, a disappointing year for the full-length album. The reality is that people no longer download full digital albums and that CDs, of course, are dead. This is not a shocking revelation, but the interesting trend now is that indie bands are releasing free EPs on Bandcamp. Some of the best music that we’ve heard this year came from Bandcamp artists. These musicians are truly working the DIY model; they just want their music to be heard. Music blogs and Tumblrs are making this happen for them.
I don’t miss the days when CDs were my primary source for music consumption. Still, when I used to buy that lovely CD for $17.99, I normally took the time to listen to the whole album, and eventually most songs clicked. These days, the majority of people, including myself, download tracks à la carte . Why buy a track that doesn’t personally move you within the first few seconds you listen to it? It’s sad, but true.
You will not find Arcade Fire, Janelle Monae, Beach House, Caribou, Sleigh Bells, LCD Soundsystem, Big Boi, or Cee Lo on our list this year. Big Boi put out a great album, but it made me miss Outkast, especially Andre 3000, who I think is far more talented than Big Boi. Same goes for Cee Lo: killer album and the single of the year “Fuck You”, but it made me miss Gnarls Barkley’s debut album. I understand the appeal of Beach House and Caribou; it’s just not my cup of tea this year.
I loathe Kanye West. Not for his endless publicity stunts, like the ones with Taylor Swift, Matt Lauer, and George W. Bush (although he may have had a point there). The problem with Kanye is that he’s a spoiled brat. He is the epitome of a sellout and basically an all-around asshole. That being said, he put out a damn fine album. Still, I have about 100 other albums that I’d rather listen to than his.
Don’t get me started on Sleigh Bells. I consider their “music” headache-inducing noise. Many people that I respect think the record is a masterpiece, but… that just makes me not trust those people.
2010 was the year of Bradford Cox. In my opinion Halcyon Digest is in a class of its own. It’s a beautiful album and one of Deerhunter’s best. Bradford “gets it.” In November, Cox unleashed four volumes of new Atlas Sound material on his blog, for free. That generated massive media attention and some unwanted attention from Sony Records. There are 20+ quality tracks on the Databank sessions.
I cannot say enough good things about Paul Cary: He’s a white boy who plays nasty blues. I love the entire album. Sharon Jones: we are blessed to be able to witness a soul goddess in her prime. Calibro 35 is beyond sick. Spend some time with the album. They blow my mind.
I would love to hear your feedback on our selections.
Disclaimer: Goes without saying, but I do not recommend blindly downloading any of the albums on the list.
1. DEERHUNTER – HALCYON DIGEST (BUY)
Deerhunter – Desire Lines
2. ATLAS SOUND – BEDROOM DATABANK VOL. 1 – 4 (FREE)
![Atlas_Sound_Bedroom_Databank_Vol_4 []](http://www.rollogrady.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Atlas_Sound_Bedroom_Databank_Vol_4-1.jpg "Atlas_Sound_Bedroom_Databank_Vol_4 []")
MP3: Atlas Sound – Mona Lisa
3. PAUL CARY – GHOST OF A MAN (BUY)
Paul Cary – The Curse Of China Bull
Paul Cary – Angel From Heaven
4. BROKEN BELLS – S/T (BUY)
5. SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS – I LEARNED THE HARD WAY (BUY)
6. LOWER DENS – TWIN-HANDED MOVEMENT (BUY)
Lower Dens – Tea Lights
7. THE BLACK KEYS – BROTHERS (BUY)
8. THE NATIONAL – HIGH VIOLET (BUY)
The National – Afraid of Everyone
9. HARLEM – HIPPIES (BUY)
Harlem – Gay Human Bones
10. PHOSPHORESCENT – HERE’S TO TAKING IT EASY (BUY)
Phosphorescent – The Mermaid Parade
11. CALIBRO 35 – RITORNANO QUELLI DI… (BUY)
Calibro 35 – Calling All Units to Broccolino
Calibro 35 – A Fistful of Lead
12. WHITE DENIM – LAST DAY OF SUMMER (FREE)
![last-day-of-summer-575x575 []](http://www.rollogrady.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/last-day-of-summer-575x575-.jpg "last-day-of-summer-575x575 []")
White Denim – If You’re Changing
White Denim – Our Get
13. DEMON’S CLAW – THE DEFROSTING OF WALT DISNEY (BUY)
Demon’s Claws – Trip To The Clinic
Demon’s Claws – You’ll Always Be My Friend
14. THE BUDOS BAND – III (BUY)
The Budos Band – Black Venom
15. WILD NOTHING – GEMINI (BUY)
Wild Nothing – Confirmation
16. TAME IMPALA – INNERSPEAKER (BUY)
Tame Impala – Solitude Is Bliss
17. WOODS – AT ECHO LAKE (BUY)
Woods – Blood Dries Darker
18. DEAD GHOSTS – S/T (BUY)
Dead Ghosts – How the West Was Fun
19. THE SPLINTERS – KICK (BUY)
The Splinters – Mysterious
20. AVI BUFFALO – S/T (BUY)
Avi Buffalo – Remember Last Time
21. CLIVE TANAKA Y SU ORQUESTA – JET SET SIEMPRE NO. 1 (CASSETTE) 22. ALOE BLACC – GOOD THINGS (BUY) 23. WILLIAM TYLER – BEHOLD THE SPIRIT (BUY) 24. SHARON VAN ETTEN – EPIC (BUY) 25. TWIN SHADOW – FORGET (BUY) 26. LAURA MARLING – I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN (BUY) 27. SONNY & THE SUNSETS – TOMORROW IS ALRIGHT (BUY) 28. THE LIMINANAS – S/T (BUY) 29. DR. DOG – SHAME (BUY) 30. FUTUREBIRDS – HAMPTON’S LULLABY (BUY)
![canvas-front-cover []](http://www.rollogrady.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/canvas-front-cover-.jpg "canvas-front-cover []")
Clive Tanaka y su orquesta – International Heartbreaker
Aloe Blacc – Hey Brother
Lee Fields – Truth, Deception, & Lies (Aloe Blacc Remix)
William Tyler – The Green Pastures
Sharon Van Etten – Don’t Do It
Twin Shadow – Shooting Holes
Sonny & The Sunsets – Too Young to Burn
The Limiñanas – Je Suis Une Go-Go Girl
Dr. Dog – Jackie Wants A Black Eye
Futurebirds – Johnny Utah
December 17th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
And The Wild Nothing are winners of my Album Cover of the Year vote
December 17th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
There’s a few on here I haven’t even heard of. Look forward to digging in, as always.
And happy to see Sonny & The Sunsets up there. I didn’t put them on my list as I counted it as a 2009 release, but I literally play that a few times every week on vinyl. Dude can’t write a bad song.
December 17th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
I agree with you on Sonny & The Sunsets. Some of the tracks have been floating around for several years. But he didn’t have a proper release last year, so I’m giving him some love this year. Some of Avi Buffalo’s songs are over 3 years old. Check out William Tyler, he’s like a new school Michael Hedges. You can find a digital copy of the album at the Limewire store.
December 17th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
No Soft Pack? Or, was that last year?
December 17th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
This year. I didn’t care for the album. There were several killer songs – “C’mon” and “Answer To Yourself. That was about it for me.
December 17th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Love Twin Shadow and Wild Nothing. I never got into AVI B. I guess I should try again. No Phantogram? What’s up with that?
December 19th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Glad to see Aloe Blacc make your list. Very nice album. His cover of “Femme Fatale” is incredible.
December 20th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Nice to see the inclusion of both Calibro and Budos on here. To echo your opening sentiments, this was indeed a weak year for the full-length. I had to leave off a lot of artists I really dig as they either released via the EP format and/or put out uneven LPs. Having said that I think I may have listened to more music that ever before this year.
BTW, liking the new banner up top.
December 21st, 2010 at 7:11 am
Loved your comment about Sleigh Bells. Summed it up perfectly.
I disagree with your comment about the album being dead, however. Maybe for mainstream music, but I’m finding indie bands staying true to the concept of an album and I don’t find it difficult to pony up for an LP vs. singles. Perhaps it’s because I’m bent to alt-country/Americana – maybe those are more prone to a full listening experience.
I simply don’t buy singles. I only buy digital, but I also only buy full albums. If a band doesn’t have a purpose beyond 5 minutes, I don’t have the desire to listen. It may be purist, but I truly appreciate band’s that put together a full experience w/ ebbs and flows. I think that’s why I fell in love with The Moondoggies.album Tidelands this year. Not the most groundbreaking stuff, but a cohesive album that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
December 21st, 2010 at 8:51 am
Oz:
I hear what your saying. I’ve just changed my music consumption habits. I haven’t purchased a CD in roughly 3 years. I get the majority of my “singles” from other blogs. I tend to pay for compilations and rare albums. Justin brought a good point; I’ve listened to more music this year than the last two years combined. Thanks for commenting.
December 21st, 2010 at 8:52 am
Justin:
Thanks for banner props.
January 4th, 2011 at 7:16 am
about n.11 in chart … for those who like the music of italian 70’s crime movies , this is my compilation . Give a try !
http://www.mixcloud.com/artlife/pizza-connection/player/
January 7th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Hooray for picking the best albums AND hating Kanye West. You’re now officially my favorite music blogger!
xo
Amanda, frightenedbybees/swap meet
January 7th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Where have you been? Are you in Portland or Philly?
January 8th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
I’m in Portland now. We’re in the same time zone! I’ve been posting some stuff for Swap Meet here and there and I’m *trying* to get into a regular routine of working on Frightened by Bees. My job is a major time/energy drain.
January 29th, 2011 at 3:22 am
while I agree with many of the albums you have on here, or disliking Kanye as a spoiled brat (I happen to think so myself), you can not make a best of year list without his album being on it somewhere. I listened to about 23 of the albums on here last year. I can not pick 5 albums that were better. I am also surprised that I Darkstar’s North, Exile’s Radio AM/FM, Gil Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here, Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach, Groove Armada’s Black Light, Massive Attack’s Heligoland, How To Dress Well’s Love Remains, Jose James’ Blackmagic, and Mount Kimbie’s Crooks & Lovers somehow do not find a way to make your list. One of those albums should have made this list somewhere. I do like your musical tastes a lot, and often come here to see what you are listening to. I liked a lot of the albums you listed. I am a bit appalled that none of the ones I listed made it anywhere near your list.
January 29th, 2011 at 11:12 am
Hey Inkspot: Thanks for your feedback. If I had to add any of the albums you mentioned, I would have chosen Gil Scott-Heron or Plastic Beach. My picks shouldn’t be surprising based on the artists and albums I covered in 2010. Kanye’s album just doesn’t do it for me. Hopefully you are enjoying some of our 2011 music suggestions. Take Care – R&G