The Tracklist's Top 20 Albums of 2010

It seems like just yesterday I was ranking the best albums of 2009 and here we are again. Last year's list was a tall task. I had just started this blog in July '09 and had a very broad idea of what I wanted to do here. This year I felt I was able to hone in on the genre and overall feel of the music I wanted to cover; thereby leading to a much clearer year-end list.

Without any further ado, here are my Top 20 Albums of 2010.


20. Sleigh Bells - Treats


19. Matt & Kim - Sidewalks


18. Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love


17. She & Him - Volume Two


16. Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP


15. Band of Horses - Infinite Arms


14. The Morning Benders - Big Echo


13. Best Coast - Crazy For You


12. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz


11. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach


10. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening


9. The Black Keys - Brothers


8. Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life


7. Weezer - Hurley


6. Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard


5. The Drums - The Drums


4. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy


3. Vampire Weekend - Contra


2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs


1. Beach House - Teen Dream

Sufjan Stevens "The Age of Adz"

Sufjan's second release of 2010 after All Delighted People in August (read about it here). I really liked that record but The Age of Adz is something else entirely. I'll be the first to admit I don't know all the nuances of Electronica -- at times the bleeps and bloops just seem random -- but if Sufjan loses the listener in places, he never loses himself. Yes, this album is rife with experimentation but you can still hear Sufjan's orchestration. As a composer, his songs are always building, building, building. He does lose some of the intimacy he shared on previous records but the melodies continue. And I must mention 25 minute closer "Impossible Soul". It is a symphony unto itself featuring movements, themes, and a storyline all it's own.

Must hear: Too Much

(Release Date: 10/12/10)

Mike Posner "31 Minutes to Takeoff"

Someone I work with has been asking for this review for awhile. He likes Mike Posner's back story of how he was recording demos in his dorm room and got signed to a major label and then just blew up.

By now everyone should have heard his worldwide hit "Cooler Than Me". Lyrically, the rest of the album is quite similar to this track. It almost acts as a diary of his college experiences. Musically, the record covers a variety of sounds and influences. However -- amazingly -- at no point does it seem like it is covering new ground.

Must hear: Cooler Than Me

(Release Date: 8/10/10)

Girls "Broken Dreams Club EP"

Girls released their debut album late last year and it earned a lot of praise from a lot of people (including me). While we all eagerly await Album #2, Girls has whet our appetite with this 6-song EP entitled Broken Dreams Club. You can tell immediately from the similar album cover that it won't be deviating far from its predecessor.

While there are certainly some similarities, this is a great step forward. You can sense a different production value about it. Much more instrumentation on these tracks -- a wider array of sounds and textures. Lead singer Christopher Owens sounds more confident as a musician and songwriter, while still crafting lyrics that charmingly lack confidence. This small glimpse shows that Girls is on the right path and it certainly raises the bar for what their second full-length could accomplish.

Must hear: Heartbreaker

(Release Date: 11/22/10)

N.E.R.D. "Nothing"

N.E.R.D. is well beyond the stage in their careers where they sell 100,000 records in one week. They're past the initial lovefest when everyone is jumping on their bandwagon as the next great thing. Truth be told, the hope for this group was always based on Pharrell and Chad Hugo's production skills as The Neptunes. But then the world heard Pharrell's falsetto and girls everywhere swooned and people mistook popularity for quality.

Of course the adoration wasn't completely undeserved. In Search Of... is one of the greatest debut albums ever and Fly or Die had a huge hit in "She Wants to Move". But then Pharrell went down the solo path recording with Snoop Dogg ("Beautiful") and putting out his own album. When the boys got back together 4 years later there was no longer a market for them.

Nothing has kind of an old-timey feel to it. Could be an interesting concept when done correctly but with these guys you expect groundbreaking and this is far from it.

Must hear: Hot-n-Fun (f. Nelly Furtado)

(Release Date: 11/2/10)

Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (ADVANCE)

It's amazing how regardless of the shit storm Kanye has been in throughout this past year it always comes back to the music. And order is restored. And all is forgiven.

First and foremost -- lest this be forgotten -- Kanye is an artist. He's creative, quirky, crazy. But these are the tools he uses to create his art. And what's nice about it is that it's not just still life; it's performance art. He doesn't just rap his verses, he lives them. And he is exactly who we want him to be. Which is to say that the bravado, the cockiness, is justified because of the end result. It's unfair not to take the good with the bad as they both make him who he is.

Let's talk about Taylor Swift. Fully knowing it's only the MTV VMA's, how can she win the Best Female Video category and Beyonce win the overall Best Video category? C'est impossible. Kanye was drunk, yes. Kanye is bff's w/ Jay & B, yes. Taylor Swift is "an innocent", yes. BUT THIS IS KANYE. Nothing he does should surprise us because he's been up front about it the whole time. Check out this line from "Stronger":
"You should be honored by my lateness / That I would even show up to this fake shit / So go ahead go nuts, go ape shit."

He's saying that to paying customers at his concert! He doesn't give a fuck about us as a consumer, only as fans. He's all about the music and he just wants us to focus on his music and let him do whatever he needs to that keeps letting that creativity come out.

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But let's get to the task at hand. "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is very G.O.O.D. (See what I did there?) Even though only the clean/edited version has leaked it really doesn't feel lacking except for a few key spots where some adult language is missing.

I went in expecting it to be overkill hearing songs that he already released as G.O.O.D. Friday tracks. They weren't singles played on the radio but they had heavy rotation on my iPod. The big surprise is that most of them are different mixes and have either little tweaks ("Monster") or an extra verse ("Devil in a New Dress") or a 3 minute outro ("Runaway"). They really freshen up the songs and keep you wanting to come back and study them even more sonically and lyrically.

Must hear: Runaway (f. Pusha T)

(Release Date: 11/22)

The Drums "The Drums"

The Drums have been getting a lot of buzz as one of the best new bands of the year. They have a very distinct guitar pop sound. It's almost a social experiment, in a sense. The crunching of the guitars overwhelm our senses because we are so accustomed to -- and even expect -- lighter sounding pop songs. It's a rebellion against the pre-packaged B.S. the major labels release and radio stations play, and it is a desperately needed breath of fresh air.

But lyrically it's pop through and through. Catchy little songs with numerous repetitions to get stuck in your head. But again, you can't assume the lyrics are soft because of the "pop" label. The opening line of the album is, "You're my best friend but then you died." This should tell you everything you need to know about what The Drums are trying to accomplish.

Must hear: Me and the Moon

(Release Date: 6/7/10)

Matt & Kim "Sidewalks" (ADVANCE)

One year after their breakout hit Grand (and it's ridiculously fun single "Daylight"), Matt & Kim are back with another high energy, dance-tastic treat in Sidewalks. It's upbeat, it's fun and it's rocking. Check out lead single "Cameras" below. One of my favorite lines from that song, "My water comes straight from the tap / And those bottles are all just for show" proves that their recent success hasn't exactly gone to their heads.

Must hear: Cameras

(Release Date: 11/2/10)

Belle & Sebastian "Write About Love"

Belle & Sebastian's long awaited follow up to their breakout hit The Life Pursuit. Not a lot of risks here; it's another collection of mid-tempo, old-timey pop songs. Certainly not the game-changer some expected but the formula wasn't broken in the first place. The guitars still jangle and the vocals still harmonize.

Must hear: I Want The World To Stop

(Release Date: 10/12/10)

Marina & the Diamonds "The Family Jewels"

Not to be confused with the similarly named Florence & the Machine, Marina's debut release came just 4 months after Florence's. Marina & the Diamonds is like a dance pop version of Regina Spektor -- similarly known for her piano prowess, soaring vocals and oddball lyrics. I'm only 2 sentences into this review and have already used the word "similarly" twice. Normally the kiss of death but this really is like nothing else out right now. It's easier to describe as a variation of something that already exists. Here's one more -- she's like a warmer, more inviting La Roux. Nevermind, just have a listen.

Must hear: Hollywood

(Release Date: 2/15/10)

Sleigh Bells "Treats"

I'm not late to the hype, just late to the bandwagon. I heard about these guys early this year... probably around SXSW. Except I found their sound to be abrasive and didn't understand how people were classifying them as "pop". The only song I heard that I liked was "Rill Rill" which is sort of the black sheep of the album.

What really turned me onto these guys was a mashup album created by DJ O-Face called Jay Bells. That's right, Jay-Z and Sleigh Bells. I had never considered the "abrasive" beats they sang their "pop" songs over are like hip-hop beats. The best mashup on the record is "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" rapped over "Crown On The Ground". It absolutely owned my soul for a couple weeks.

So I went back to Treats and that's when it all fell into place. The songs made sense and it was a fun listen. Impossible not to get into.

Must hear: Rill Rill (& Dirt Off Your Crown by DJ O-Face [#6])

(Release date: 5/11/10)



DJ O-Face Presents: Jay Bells (Jay​-​Z vs. Sleigh Bells) by Hypetrak

Weezer "Hurley" (ADVANCE)

Ladies and gentlemen, I have good news. Hurley is better than the album cover would make you think. Reports of the forthcoming apocalypse seem to be unfounded, as Hurley takes Weezer back to where they were before the 2 very wrong turns of The Red Album and Raditude.

The Red Album was a challenging concept that didn't lend itself to mainstream acceptance. Raditude was much too sophomoric for the now 40 year old Rivers Cuomo to get away with. As a matter of fact, Rivers seems to be through his mid-life crisis and is finally acknowledging his age; this record is bookended by the songs "Memories" and "Time Flies".

It sounds like Rivers has found his voice again. These new songs harken back to Weezer's heyday. It is a brand of enjoyable, intuitive power pop-rock. Even the 4 bonus tracks on the Deluxe Edition (including a cover of Coldplay's "Viva la Vida") are top notch.

Must hear: Ruling Me

(Release Date: 9/14/10)

Brandon Flowers "Flamingo" (ADVANCE)

Much like Julian Casablancas and (to a lesser extent) Dan Auerbach last year, the lead singer of a reputable rock band has decided to release a solo album. Brandon Flowers, if you don't know, is the frontman of The Killers. Flowers is a showman, first and foremost, and with the Killers he usually knocks it out of the park. But without having to listen to input from other band members it can really let an ego run wild and prevent the best possible song from being made.

These were my thoughts going into it. Most lead singers fail solo. It's the Beyonces that are the rare cases. Casablancas' solo turn was a complete 180 from the Strokes. They're garage rock and he went electronic. Flowers also went in the opposite direction of his main band. The Killers are heavy synthpop so Flowers went for a more straightforward rock sound.

It's actually not bad. A little preachy at points but he does well to stay away from anything that would make you think "this is a Killers song." The biggest issue I have is that he buried the lead single "Crossfire" as the 8th track on this 10 song set. You want to grab the listener quickly with something they are familiar with and presumably like. Now, it's a rookie move making it the first track but it needs to fall between songs 2-4. A petty point sure but something that is awkwardly noticeable.

Must hear: Crossfire

(Release Date: 9/14/10)

Ra Ra Riot "The Orchard"

Ra Ra Riot's sophomore release takes the mid-tempo, baroque pop they introduced on their debut and expand it into something more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, The Rhumb Line had its moments but it's mostly downtrodden.

The Orchard opens up with the strings-heavy title track, the lead single, and a possible future single. The middle third loses focus and is uninteresting until the tail end of "You And I Know", which really sets up the rest of the album to go out in a blaze.

Now anyone who discusses Ra Ra Riot is contractually obligated to mention Vampire Weekend so I will make this my final point. I think Contra is one of the best albums this year and was a huge step forward for VW. I am willing to put The Orchard right up there as a gem of 2010 and the most complete album RRR have made.

Must hear: Boy

(Release Date: 8/24/10)

Beach House "Zebra EP"

Beach House's Teen Dream is still in the lead for my year-end rankings, so when I heard they had put out an additional EP, I had to take a listen. It consists of 4 tracks: a radio edit of "Zebra" (from Teen Dream), a remix of "10 Mile Stereo" (also from Teen Dream), and 2 new songs.

"Zebra" was one of my favorite songs off their full-length release but I am not a fan of this radio edit. It is probably fine if you have never heard the original, but they cut out a full minute and it loses a lot of ambiance. I also didn't care for the "10 Mile Stereo" remix. They totally lost the original song in there.

The real treat for me was one of the new songs, "The Arrangement". It is just as good as anything on Teen Dream and would have fit in nicely on that album. Either way, it's a treasure as a B-side.

Must hear: The Arrangement

(Release Date: 4/17/10)

Sufjan Stevens "All Delighted People EP"

While people have been debating which state was getting the Sufjan-treatment next, after the huge success of Illinois and Michigan, Stevens has kept busy. In 2009 he wrote a symphony about New York's Brooklyn-Queens Expressway entitled The BQE and performed it at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera House. Later in 2009 he released a new version of his Enjoy Your Rabbit record rearranged for strings and re-titled Run Rabbit Run.

So it should be of some surprise that Stevens had time to create, and that no one was even expecting, a brand new album. All Delighted People was released on his website just yesterday; completely out of the blue and with no marketing buzz. Yet by late afternoon he was the #1 trending topic on Twitter. It's really an amazing story and we don't need to wait for the sales numbers to say that it was a success.

The real gem on this release is the title track. It's an 11 minute epic that culminates in a rising fury of strings. The other songs are classic Sufjan: folk, storytelling style, religious allusions, etc. A must for any music fan.

Must hear: All Delighted People (Original)

(Release Date: 8/20/10)

Best Coast "Crazy for You"

Best Coast is a special brand of lo-fi surf pop; and on this, their debut release, they lay the groundwork for something special. It's funny, I remember having a similar sentiment to last year's Girls' album.

Depending on your generation, the term surf pop either makes you think of the Beach Boys or Jack Johnson. But JJ is a bit mellower than Best Coast and early Beach Boys consisted mostly of pop anthems. This album made me think of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys. I know, I know - blasphemy. What I mean is it's more based in reality. It's not bubblegum pop. It's "Wouldn't It Be Nice" yearnings to be with someone. It's "Sloop John B" yearnings for the comforts of home. Serious matters presented in an easily identifiable package of pop music.

I think the lo-fi aspect of the recording is what really sets it apart. If it was just another clean cut, perfectly produced, shiny ribbon on top assortment of pop songs then it wouldn't have the impact that this collection does.

Must hear: Boyfriend

(Release Date: 7/27/10)

Arcade Fire "The Suburbs" (ADVANCE)

The Arcade Fire are back! 3 years after the release of Neon Bible and 6 years after their world-changing debut, Funeral, the band re-introduces themselves with The Suburbs.

The Suburbs reminds me of the already classic film Inception. It is heavily layered. There's the main theme throughout the record; namely, growing up in the suburbs. But then there are additional themes within each song. Also like Inception, one of the first songs/images you see reappears at the end. In this case, the titular song opens the record and also closes it but with a sparser, orchestral mixing.

There are a lot of standout tracks here. Some of my favorites include The Suburbs, Modern Man, Rococo, Month of May, Sprawl & Sprawl II. And it's a much more diverse Arcade Fire than I'm accustomed to. They have the usual expansive strings, some real steam train rockers, and one electronic surprise.

Must hear: The Suburbs

(Release Date: 8/2/10)

The Constellations "Southern Gothic"

The Constellations self-released this album in 2008 but now that they have latched on with a major label they are getting a proper debut. Other than a wider marketing campaign, the only difference from their self-issued version is the addition of the song "Weighing Me Down" in lieu of "Remurder is a Lovemix".

These guys play with a lot of different sounds and genres from rock to hip-hop to soul to electronic. Very eclectic and yet it all feels like it fits together. And that's no small task.

The band has set out to make a record about their hometown Atlanta. It's more The Hold Steady (bar rock) than it is Outkast (ATLiens) but there is definitely something here to build on. It's singable, it's danceable, it's all-around enjoyable.

Must hear: Felicia

(Release Date: 6/22/10)

The Roots "How I Got Over" (ADVANCE)

So Questlove has been blowing up my Twitter stream about his new album 'HIGO' so I had to give it a listen. I have ZERO history with The Roots, other than knowing they are one of the pioneers of Hip-Hop and R&B and that their music is a fusion of Funk, Soul, and Jazz. It's a delicate balance yet they manage it incredibly well.

The music on this album is light enough to allow you to pay attention to the rhymes being dropped over it but simultaneously captivating enough to entertain you fully during the transitions. It's really incredible to listen to a band who is both politically charged and technically sound. The fact that they are great musicians just adds to their message.

Must hear: How I Got Over

(Release Date: 6/22/10)