Music 2010
I promised the Blue Devil that I'd post on music this weekend. My list of 20 is as follows and in no particular order:
July Flame - Laura Viers
Home - Glasser
Shameless - Groove Armada Featuring Bryan Ferry
Stylo - Gorillaz
Murder Weapon - Tricky
ZOL! - BLK JKS
Hammock - MillionYoung
Heaven's On Fire - The Radio Dept.
Numbers Don't Lie - The Mynabirds
Sorrow - The National
You Must Be Out Of Your Mind - The Magnetic Fields
The Ghost Who Walks - Karen Elson
One Day - Sharon Van Etten
Always - Junip
Empty Room - Arcade Fire
Bushwick Blues - Delta Spirit (my song of the year)
The Devil In Stitches - Bad Religion
Six Legged Man - Black Francis
Let's Get Out Of Here - Les Savy Fav
I Need A Dollar - Aloe Blacc
I'd be happy to burn up a cd for anyone who wants one. Let's have your picks too.
posted by gooner71 @ 11:28 AM
6 Comments:
I went to see shows more often than in the past few years. The memorable ones included The Magnetic Fields at Lisner Hall, Frankie Rose and the Outs at Comet Ping Pong, Junip at the Black Cat, Seu Jorge, and the Hold Steady with Wintersleep at the 9:30 Club, The Bad Plus at Wolf Trap Barns, Laura Viers, with the Watson Twins, and Rickie Lee Jones at the Birchmere. I had dropped out of attending shows, but found I missed it and hope to continue this trend.
This year again was a year of songs, and I expect that my days of buying the number of records I once did are over. Still, several of my favorite artists and ones new to me put out very good records. Arcade Fire’s, “The Suburbs,” the Magnetic Fields’ “Realism,” The Nationals’ “High Violet,” Junip’s “Fields,” Versus’ “On The Ones And Twos,” and Best Coast’s “Crazy For You” were all excellent.
I’d also recommend a compellation of Brazilian post-Tropicalia called “Brazil ‘70” issued on the superb Soul Jazz label, and a massive series of obscure American soul recordings called “Eccentric Soul” on the Numero Group label. This multi-disc series compiles songs from tiny shop-front labels from all over the country from the early sixties through the mid-seventies. There were a ton of top-notch writers, singers, and producers left over once you looked past the Motown, Stax, and Atlantic labels, and this series is almost overwhelming proof.
I’m starting my list of songs this year with an artist that I was lucky enough to see live. “July Flame” was a standout song from the show, and a bit of a departure in form from the rest of Laura Viers’ songs. She’s settled into being a modern folkie singer-songwriter, but this song has a propulsive groove not found in most of her more root-oriented work.
The press about Glasser references Bjork most often, but I think she owes a debt to Kate Bush in nearly everything that she does. She’s got a big voice like the Icelandic sprite, but her studio knob twiddling reveals that she has the Hounds of Love record somewhere in her collection. I narrowly chose “Home” over something from Florence & the Machine, another Kate Bush disciple, because I think Glasser is more inventive.
I think the coldly seductive voice of Bryan Ferry was born to work with the Groove Armada guys. He vamps it up over a moody groove with killer beats and piano fills. I also think the female cooing is a homage to his Roxy Music Avalon days. This is especially great nighttime driving music.
How could you not succumb to a band put together by Blur oddball Damon Albarn consisting of the Clash’s Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, and voiced by Bobby Womack with Mos Def’s brainy rapping? Their performance of “Stylo” on the Colbert Show is one of my TV highlights of the year.
Next, I loved Tricky’s playful take on the Peter Gunn theme. “Murder Weapon” uses that classic riff, while he tells you a very scary tale.
You know, the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was only the tip of FIFA’s misdeeds. Equally idiotic was to ignore the South African band BLK JKS and “ZOL!” for this past year’s World Cup. This is fantastic song and should have been the tournament’s anthem.
(cont.)
I love the juxtaposition of the hypermelodic strings with the dry, punchy percussive beat on Millionyoung’s “Hammock.” I was surprised to see how often I punched this song up on my iPod this year. A lot.
Prefab Sprout was one of my favorite New Wave bands back in the day. Sweden’s Radio Dept.’s “Heaven’s On Fire” reminds me of “Appetite.” See if it doesn’t do that for you.
The Mynabyrds are the phoenix born of the ashes of one of my favorite DC pop bands, Georgie James. The female half of the band, Laura Burhenn has returned where she left off, crafting great pop songs like “The Numbers Don’t Lie.”
The National put out another terrific record this year. They are on one heck of a run, first Alligator, then last year’s Boxer, and now this year’s High Violet. These guys are making some of the loveliest gloomy grown up music out there now, and “Sorrow” is proof of that.
I’m a late convert to the Magnetic Fields but like most converts, I’m mad keen on them now. I’m trying to catch up on their back catalog, and I saw them live this year, and this wickedly funny record “You Must Be Out Of Your Mind” is a great example of how clever and melodic Stephin Merritt’s songs are.
There’s a lot of Jack White’s influence on Karen Elson’s record “The Ghost Who Walks.” That’s because the former model is his wife. She wrote the songs on her debut record and this one is gorgeous.
Another woman singer songwriter that I’m pretty crazy about is Sharon Van Etten. Her voice is pretty and fragile and is showcased best in this song, “One Day.”
(cont.)
Jose Gonzales released a great solo record 2 years ago, and he’s been fronting a band in his native Sweden for almost a decade. Junip released a record that continues the intimate solo record’s feel, but sounds more fleshed out with Motorik type drumming patterns and psychedelic folk guitars.
Arcade Fire released my favorite record of the year. It’s not chock full of singles, but I love the verve and drive of “Empty Room.” I could have picked any of the rest of the songs, but settled on this one. I have to get out and see them live before they have to start playing arenas and lose that sense of theatre that is so big a part of what I love.
One in a while a song takes me back to the joy I had discovering music when I was a teenager. A couple of years ago it was John Doe’s “Golden State.” This year I found the Delta Spirit’s “Bushwick Blues.” They’ve recorded a slower, rootsy version but this balls-out take is my favorite. My love IS strong, but my heart IS weak.
Bad Religion and Black Francis keep my appreciation for punk rock keen. “The Devil in Stitches” and “Six Legged Man” sound fresh while keeping true to original punk.
Les Savy Fav’s “Let’s Get Out Of Here” is another slow burner on my iPod. I love how the chorus has the feel of a football chant. I play this a lot.
Finally, Aloe Blac’s “I Need A Dollar” is my favorite R&B record of the year. His voice is terrifically soulful, and the combination of call and response, and walking rhythm is irresistible. He showed up on Jimmy Fallon’s show backed by the Roots, and blew this mother up.
Whew, congratulations to anyone wading through this verbal.
Thanks to Gooner for starting this thread. I had the same feeling a couple of years ago that Gooner mentions about albums becoming some obsolete. I reckon that the generation that I'm teaching feels the same way. Indeed I had a conversation with my nephew about Beatles albums where he said that very thing. Think of that - the Beatles are now an iTunes download band and albums like "Rubber Soul" are irrelevant!
I'm not there yet; in fact, there were a number of artists who put out fine CDs this season, including one or two "concept albums!" Now - that does take me back. Here were my favorite albums of 2010:
1. Laura Veirs - July Flame
2. Gorillaz - The Plastic Beach
3. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
4. Stacey Kent - Raconte Moi
5. The National - High Violet
6. The Roots - How I Got Over
7. Belle and Sebastian - Write about Love
8. Brad Mehldau - Highway Rider
9. Tracey Thorn - Love and its Opposites
10. Broken Bell - The High Road
Honorable Mentions
* Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
* Massive Attack - Heligoland
* Paul Motian Trio - Lost in a Dream
* Robert Plant - Band of Joy
Back with Songs of 2010 later.
Just a reminder that you can find Someone Said's very literate list of Music from 2010 on his blog here:
http://theblogofmystery.blogspot.com/2010/12/21-cool-songs-from-2010_12.html
Here's my extended playlist of songs from 2010, which as Gooner mentioned, I'm very willing to burn for anyone who's interested:
1. Massive Attack - Paradise Circus
2. Gorillaz - Stylo
3. Robyn - Dancing on My Own
4. Cee-Lo - Fuck You
5. Stars - Fixed
6. The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
7. Arcade Fire - Sprawl II
8. Belle and Sebastian - I Want the World to Stop
9. Best Coast - Boyfriend
10. Broken Bells - The High Road
11. Charlotte Gainsbourg - Master's Hand
12. Spoon - Written in Reverse
13. Seapony - Dreaming
14. Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out
15. Erykah Badu - Window Seat
16. MillionYoung - Hammock
17. Lindstrom and Christabelle - Lovesick
18. The Roots w/John Legend - Wake Up (Arcade Fire cover)
19. The Roots - The Day
20. Family of the Year - Chugjug
21. Little & Ashley - Stole My Heart
22. Dessa - Children's Work
23. Yeasayer - Ampling Alp
24. Sally Seltmann - Dream About Changing
25. The Radio Dept. - Heaven's on Fire
26. She & Him - Home
27. Teenage Fanclub - Baby Lee
28. Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks
29. Junip - Always
30. Stacey Kent - Les Eaux de Mars
31. Sufjan Stevens - I Walked
32. Morcheeba - Even Though
33. Robert Plant - Angel Dance
34. Mavis Staples - You are Not Alone
35. Dylan LeBlanc - Low
36. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Come Undone
37. Clem Snide - Denise
38. Laura Veirs - July Flame
39. Ray Lamontagne - For the Summer
40. Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill
41. Spain - I'm Still Free
42. Tracey Thorn - Long White Dress
43. J. Tillman - Three Sisters
44. Brad Mehldau - John Boy
Post a Comment
<< Home