musicforants.com's Best Songs of 2010

(photo by cubagallery)

Best songs of the year is typically the most difficult list to make but also the most rewarding. There’s nothing more indicative of a year in music then it’s greatest songs, and evident from the tracks listed below, I’d venture to say 2010 was a pretty great year.

To add some perspective and keep my head from exploding due to too much writing (it could happen), I asked Matt to help with the list this year. We combined our favorite songs (carefully removing any artist overlaps) and came up with a definitive 50 best songs of 2010, presented in highly unscientific ordered list form. My songs have a “-TJ” next to them and Matt’s are marked with a “-MG”. Simple enough, right?

There’s a link by each song choice where you can download/hear the song, and you can download complete zip of all the songs listed below by clicking this link. If you like a song, do the right thing and go buy music by that artist. I hope you enjoy these 50 songs just as much as we do!

50. Pure Ecstasy – Easy MP3
“Easy” is some perfect pop melancholy wrapped in a blanket of fuzz. That might make Pure Ecstasy sound like hundreds of other bands right now, but these guys have it down better than just about everyone else. Now if only we could get a full-length, or at least a singles collection. -MG

49. Phantogram – Mouthful of Diamonds MP3

“Mouthful of Diamonds” hooks you in immediately with it’s old-school drum loops, irresistibly buzzy synths, and Sarah Barthel’s seductive vocals. The duo specializes in addicting, well-crafted electro pop and there’s no better example then this exquisite tune. – TJ

48. Lindstrom & Christabelle – Lovesick MP3

Lindstrøm dropped this song early in the year, but it stayed in heavy rotation for the next 11 months. “Lovesick” sounds like some alternate universe future disco, complete with piano stabs Christabelle cooing over everything. Also, it sounds like she’s saying “caramel empanada”. -MG

47. Japandroids – Younger Us MP3

One of my favorite tracks last year was Japandroids thrilling garage-punk anthem “Young Hearts Spark Fire” and this year’s single, “Younger Us” is a perfect continuation of the song’s passionate, nostalgic lyrics and explosive, fuzzed-out guitar riffs. -TJ

46. Gorillaz – Some Kind of Nature (ft. Lou Reed) Y2B

Picking just one song from Plastic Beach was hard, but I found myself going back to this one featuring Lou Reed rather than something more obvious. I don’t know how Damon Albarn managed to make the wily Reed sound at home so far out of his comfort zone, but it totally works. -MG

45. Cults – Go Outside MP3

Cults splashed onto the indie scene this year with nary more than a random press photo and a couple of exuberant throwback pop songs and now look how far they’ve come. I said: It really shows how far an infectious sing-a-long chorus and some glockenspiel will go when put in the right hands. The band has used some simple elements and made one of the most charming, joyous tracks of the year. – TJ

44. Gil Scott-Heron – Your Soul and Mine MP3

I’m New Here has no shortage of great tracks, but they’re all good for different reasons. “Your Soul and Mine” encapsulates the entire album, the sparse production providing accompaniment to Scott-Heron’s despondent prose but still somehow coming off as completely beautiful. -MG

43. Delorean – Real Love MP3

“Real Love” is one of the most cathartic tracks of the year and, as evidenced by their live show, also one of the funnest to dance along with. Mixing fluttering vocals with swirling bursts of synths and a vibrant house beat, the song is one breathtaking high after another. – TJ

42. Matthew Dear – You Put A Smell On Me MP3

Was there a song this year that sounded as filthy? You can almost taste the sweat dripping off of this jam. The songs blasts with the right kind of dark bombast to turn it into the soundtrack to any number of lascivious behaviors. -MG

41. Fang Island – Daisy MP3

I said: “Daisy” is an incredibly dense, nosiefest of a song that beats even Los Campesinos! in it’s excess and musical unrestraint. Comparisons are really mute though, because in all honestly this doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard before, all I know for sure is that I really like it. Prepare for yourself for time-signature changes, outrageous guitar solos, and finely-tuned vocal harmonies. – TJ

Follow the jump below to see the rest of the list!

The F-Bomb Mix

When Sufjan Stevens’s new album Age of Adz hit the web, apart from the auto-tune section in “Impossible Soul”, the most talked thing about the album was the multiple F-bomb drops in the song “I Want To Be Well”. Rewind a couple months back and Cee-Lo’s delightful anthem “F*** You” was making waves for it’s incessant usage of the word. So, inspired by the recent upswing of F-bombin’, I’ve made a mix of my favorite uses using the notorious word in song (with the lyric in question highlighted below). Let me know some of your favorites in the f***ing comments.

MP3 Sufjan Stevens – I Want To Be Well
“I’m not f***ing around I’m not, I’m not, I’m not f***ing around”

MP3 The Antlers – Two
“Daddy was an asshole, he f***ed you up”

MP3 MC5 – Kick Out The Jams
“Right now, Right Now, Right Now, I think it’s time to…KICK OUT THE JAMS MOTHERF***ER!”

MP3 Vampire Weekend – Oxford Comma
“Who gives a f*** about an Oxford comma?”

MP3 Cee-Lo Green – F*** You
“I see you driving ’round town with the girl I love and I’m like, F*** you!”

MP3 Bright Eyes – Lover I Don’t Have To Love
“I want a lover I don’t have to love / I want a girl who’s too sad to give a f***”

MP3 UGK – Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)
“My partner yellin “Too soon! Dont do it! Reconsider! Read some litera – ture on the subject. You sure? F*** it”

MP3 Broken Social Scene – Cause = Time
“They all want to f*** the cause”

MP3 Islands – Don’t Call Me Whitney, Bobby
“f*** what you heard, you were lied to”

MP3 The National – Mr. November
“I won’t f*** us over, I’m Mr. November”

MP3 Wilco – Ashes of American Flag
“I wonder why we listen to poets and nobody gives a f***”

MP3 MGMT – Time To Pretend
“I’ll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and f*** with the stars”

MP3 Ryan Adams – Come Pick Me Up
“i wish you would come pick me up, take me out, f*** me up”

MP3 Titus Andronicus – Theme from “Cheers”
“And now that I’m older, I look back and say, ‘What the f*** was it for anyway?'”

MP3 Rilo Kiley – Spectacular Views
“It’s so f***ing beautiful”

"Hipster music."

This video is slightly unrelated. I just didn’t have a picture to go with this post/wanted to make you all jealous. We were standing right underneath the Commerce Bank sign.

Last weekend, my co-worker/friend Dan and I ventured down to Columbia, Missouri to catch the Flaming Lips. It’s interesting that Dan decided to join me, since he had never actually heard the Flaming Lips, doesn’t go to concerts, and is not really interested in music. I think his main reason for wanting to tag along was to hang out with some people we knew down there. But since we were going to be spending 8+ hours in a car together, I had an idea. I decided that I was going to play Dan a bunch of songs from this year, and have him give me his thoughts on them. I thought it might be interesting to get opinions on some of my favorite stuff of the year from someone who recently un-ironically purchased Will Smith’s Greatest Hits. Once we were finished, I asked him to give me his overall impression of modern music based on what I played him. I wasn’t trying to discern some greater truth using an unbiased party, I just thought it would be fun to get an outsider’s view of something I really love.

Broken Social Scene – Live @ Pitchfork

Since the last time that I saw Broken Social Scene they’ve stripped down the membership to the core essentials and released a solid new album, Forgiveness Rock Record. Although this set wasn’t quite as outstanding as the Lollapalooza performance which I saw previously, it was still great to see Kevin, Brendan and the gang on stage again. The band played a great selection from all their proper albums including “Stars and Sons” and the always magnificent “Cause=Time” from their debut, “7/4 Shoreline” (with vocals from the now-frontwoman Lisa Lobsinger) and “Fire Eyed Boy” from their self-titled second album, and “World Sick”, “All in All”, “Forced to Love” and “Texico Bitches” from their newest. 

While some rightfully claim that Broken Social Scene are a sloppy live band, the loosely-held-together chaos of their show is part of the appeal for me (Kevin mentioned by having the word “Broken” in the band name, it’s guaranteed them that their equipment would never function quite right). You also have to give them props for the amount of local talent they bring to the stage to fill out their massive sound. This included Tortoise / Sea and Cake’s Jon McEntire on percussion and an array of other Chicago-based instrumentalists on violin, cello, sax, trumpets and trombones which made huge songs like “Shoreline” and “Ungrateful Little Father” all the better.

The band ended with the anthemic instrumental “Meet Me In The Basement”  which doesn’t quite meet the epic sprawl of “It’s All Gonna Break” but is about is pretty damn close and provided perhaps the biggest highlight of their set. The climatic moment saw about a dozen people on stage playing their hearts out including a strings, percussionists, horns, keyboards and loads of guitar. Biggest dissapoint: Brendan Canning shaved his beard. Come on man, the beard and the funky tank tops (still there thankfully) is your trademark!

MP3 World Sick

Follow the jump for more Broken Social Scene pictures. Click here to see the full set.

Best Albums of 2010 (so far)

photo via sunbeam17

Click here to view updated Best Albums of 2010 list

Six months of 2010 have passed which means it’s time for the annual mid-year recap of the best albums of the year so far. It’s already been a very exciting year for music and with scheduled releases from Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Belle & Sebastian, of Montreal in the upcoming months it look just as great. In the past I have done twelve and half albums for these mid-year lists but there’s so many albums I love this year that I’ve bumped it up to an even 15. So here they are, listed in chronological order (no ranking till the year-end list), the best albums released in 2010 so far.

Laura Veirs – July Flame (January 12, Raven Marching Band)
When there’s so many great albums released in a year, sometimes it’s easy to overlook artists like folk singer Laura Veirs who has made the sleeper album of the year with July Flame. Each song is lovingly crafted to perfection, seasoned with wistful strings, piano, acoustic guitar and Laura’s captivating vocals. It’s a extremely rewarding album and one that find myself returning to again and again.

MP3 Summer Is The Champion
MP3 Wide-Eyed Legless

Spoon – Transference (January 19, Merge)
Spoon is one of America’s greatest rock bands, indie or otherwise, and their consistency is one of the main reasons so it’s no surprise that they’ve made a great album, they’ve been doing it every year or two for the last decade. Transference features a more cerebral, experimental Spoon then the impeccable pop songwriting of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and it allows them to play around with texture and melody a bit more. It results in a slightly less accessible but ultimately incredibly satisfying album.

MP3 The Mystery Zone
MP3 Written In Reverse

Hot Chip – One Life Stand (Februrary 9, Astralwerks)
With One Life Stand, Hot Chip have succeeded in becoming more heartfelt and musically accomplished then ever before without ever losing any of their dance-floor appeal. The focus on more straightforward pop songwriting while still having those huge club-banging climaxes bursting with cascading synths and flurried disco results in the band’s most consistent and overall best album yet.

MP3 Thieves In The Night
MP3 One Life Stand

Local Natives – Gorilla Manor (February 16, Frenchkiss)
This L.A.-based quintet seem destined to be 2010’s Fleet Foxes or Grizzly Bear. They’ve made arguably the best debut of the year filled with dynamic, well-crafted songs that matches intricately-arranged harmonies with a frentic rhythm section and lush instrumention. I assume by the end of the year they’ll also be soundtracking VW commercials.

MP3 Wide Eyes
MP3 Camera Talk

Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me (February 23, Drag City)
Joanna Newsom’s last album took a little while to grow on me but this time I knew what to expect and the Have One On Me blew me away on first listen and has only gotten better over time. The album is overwhelming in it’s scope and ambition and full of beautifully woven and masterfully performed songs like “Good Intentions Paving Company” and “Baby Birch”.

MP3 Good Intentions Paving Company

Shearwater – The Golden Arpichelago (February 23, Matador)
Shearwater continues to make gorgeous baroque-pop that specializes in hauntingly beautiful melodies and meticulous instrumental arrangements, marked by Jonathon Meisburg’s striking, dramatic vocals. Songs like “Black Eyes” and “Castaways” are some of their most magnificent of their career.

MP3 Castaways
MP3 Black Eyes

Owen Pallett – Heartland (March 2, Domino)
Owen Pallett has already created an impressive body of work at his young age whether it’s the lovely albums he created under then name Final Fantasy or the string arrangements he composed for Arcade Fire. This album though is his magnum opus, mixing grandiose, classically-inspired instrumentation and addictive pop melodies to create gems like “Midnight Directives” and “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt”.

MP3 Lewis Takes Of His Shirt

Titus Andronicus – The Monitor (March 9, XL)
After a solid debut titled after a Seinfeld quote, Titus Andronicus have made a hugely ambitious Civil War-themed epic that’s succeeds on nearly every level. The band is generous in its sprawling guitar shredding, passionate angst-ridden vocals, rowdy bar-rock piano and anthemic, sing-a-long choruses. It’s a fully immersive listening experience that leaves a lasting impression taking you through breathtaking highs and crushing lows.

MP3 A More Perfect Union
MP3 A Pot In Which To Piss

Jonsi – Go (April 6, XL)
As the lead singer of Sigur Ros, Jonsi helped produce some of the most beautiful, ethereal music of the past decade, and with his first solo album, Go, he continues to excel. The album is a culmination of all of Jonsi’s pop sensibilities, showcasing the artist at his most exuberant and accessible. His music is flourishing with piccolos, strings, guitar and piano both triumphant and awe-inspiring.

MP3 Go Do
MP3 Boy Likoli

Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (April 27, Glassnote)
Two Door Cinema Club have been one of my favorite finds so far this year. Their debut album, Tour History, is a glistening collection of addictively catchy dance-rock that makes for a genuinely exhilarating listen from start to finish. The band follows in the footsteps of their label / tour mates Phoenix in mixing crisp, sunny production with irresistible pop hooks like on the enthralling single “Something Good Can Work”.

MP3 Something Good Can Work
MP3 This Is The Life

Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record (May 4, Arts and Crafts)
On Forgiveness Rock Record, Broken Social Scene has trimmed their line-up to seven members which has resulted in more focused and accessible album (with some help from John McEntire’s stellar production). The album still contains all the expansive orchestration, mesmerizing ballads and triumphant hooks that you would expect from the band, plus a few surprises like the delightful mariachi horns on “Art House Director”.

MP3 World Sick
MP3 Art House Director

The New Pornographers – Together (May 4, Matador)
Together is the latest in a long line of enthralling power-pop from this ever-growing collective (Will Sheff, Annie Clark, and Zach Condon all contributed to this album). The band is full of experts at writing lively, infectious pop songs and this album features some of their best work to date ranging from the gorgeous harmonizing of “Crash Years” to the crunchy guitar riffs of the title track.

MP3 Crash Years
MP3 Your Hands (Together)

The National – High Violet (May 11, 4AD)
There’s so many things that make this album exceptional, it’s hard to know where to start. Whether it’s the Matt Beringer’s engaging lyrics, the gorgeous instrument arrangements, the massive, anthemic choruses, those mind-blowing drum fills, or just the fact that this is the third spectacular album in a row from a band that is deservedly becoming recognized as one of the best in the world, there’s honestly not a single thing I don’t love about High Violet.

MP3 Bloodbuzz Ohio
MP3 Afraid of Everyone

LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening (May 18, DFA)
After LCD Soundsystem’s groundbreaking 2007 album, Sound of Silver the expectations for the band’s third and reportedly last album have been stratospheric and with This Is Happening, James Murphy and co. have delivered in a big way. For how great the hard-hitting electro beats and addictive guitar riffs are, the album really comes down Murphy’s uncanny songwriting and introspective lyrics and in those departments he knocks it out of the park over and over.

MP3 Dance Yrself Clean

Wolf Parade – Expo 86 (June 29, Sub Pop)
Expo 86 begins with a relentless guitar riff, piercing synths, and Spencer Krug yelping about hammocks, dream-catchers, and minivans, and the album doesn’t ever let up after that. Both Krug and Boeckner have grown monumentally as artists and the tunes found on this album like “Little Golden Age”, “What Would Your Lover Say”, and “Yulia” stand among the most electrifying and passionate rock anthems these intensely creative songwriters have crafted.

MP3 What Would Your Lover Say
MP3 Yulia

Just Missed:
Janelle Monae
Free Energy
The Hold Steady

Honorable Mentions:

Gorillaz
Surfer Blood
Yeasayer
Tokyo Police Club
Love Is All
The Tallest Man On Earth
Phantogram
Suckers

Leave your favorite albums so far this year in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Summer (Or What It Sounds Like)

Photo taken by the amazing Linus Lohoff – Flickr

What is all this talk about Vitamin-D being a natural source of energy? In terms of getting anything outside of work done, this has honestly been the most unproductive month of my life (unless you count running after the bus). I may have even resorted to compiling a mix because I couldn’t decide on which half-written review I’d like to finish… but I’ll never tell–sometimes it’s better that way. Here’s my first real attempt to let the music speak for itself. Yes, I may be jippin’ you of some sticky intellect, but believe me when I say that I put a lot of time and thought into the song order. Enjoy, and throw some D’s on that…

MP3 Frightened Rabbit – Not Miserable
MP3 Neon Trees – Animal
MP3 The Black Keys – Everlasting Light
MP3 Foals – This Orient
MP3 Broken Social Scene – All to All
MP3 Dr. Dog – Unbearable Why
MP3 Band of Horses – Dilly
MP3 Local Natives – Camera Talk
MP3 The Temper Trap – Fader
MP3 Phantogram – Turn It Off
MP3 Two Door Cinema Club – This Is The Life
MP3 Delorean – Real Love
MP3 Yeasayer – O.N.E.
MP3 Toro y Moi – Low Shoulder
MP3 Surfer Blood – Swim
MP3 The Joy Formidable – Whirring
MP3 Free Energy – Bang Pop
MP3 The New Pornographers – Your Hands (Together)
MP3 The Radio Dept. – David
MP3 The National – Lemonworld
MP3 The Morning Benders – Excuses

Spotify Playlist: Summer (Or What It Sounds Like)

50 Albums of the Decade

(photo by dcdead)

I told myself I wasn’t going to do a decades album list. I mean how can you really rank all your favorite albums over a period of ten years that isn’t even completed yet? Over the last couple of months though, I found myself slowly beginning to compile a list of my albums from the 00’s that I loved and I then I began chiseling the list down to around 50 albums. I guess my love for making lists got in the way of the logic and reasoning I had for not making a list. Also since, I started this blog around the middle of the decade I thought only fair that I share this list to acknowledge those great albums that I wasn’t around to write about or put into a fancy EOY list.

A few words of about this list, firstly, these are my personal favorites of the decade and not the end-all be-all of decade-end lists. I realize that some genres (ahem, hip hop) are being woefully underrepresented because of this. Secondably, I would have liked to do full-scale reviews for each album but life kept getting in the way so instead for each album I’ve linked reviews that I feel capture the spirit of the album (click the album cover to go to there). Scroll all the way down to see some albums that “just missed” and some per-year stats (if you want to know which year is best, it’s between ’02 and ’05). So without any further ado, here’s the top 50 albums of the decade according to me. Feel free to dispute or agree with my choices in the comments. Enjoy!

music for kids who can’t read good presents: 50 Albums Of The Decade

Key track: “Beautiful Dreamer”

Key track: “Two Weeks”

Key track: “Postcards in Italy”

Key track: “Hotel Yorba”

Key track: “Consolation Prizes”

Follow the jump to see the rest!

T.A.I.S.T.M. (The Acronym In Song Titles Mix)

Occasionally I like to make mixes that highlight eccentricities in song titles, and one of these that I come upon ever so often is songs with acronyms in or as their song title. I found nine songs, all of which I very much enjoy, that uses this unique titling method. I only counted ones that actually have a meaning (unfortunately that excludes D.A.N.C.E.). You can download the songs and see what the acronym means below.

Fun fact: The term “acronym” has only been around for a little over 50 years but acronyms are at least as old as the Romans, who would abbreviate the ancient Roman government (Senatus Populusque Romanus in Latin) as SPQR.

of Montreal  – Requiem For O.M.M.2

“of Montreal Mark 2” is a term used by of Montreal purists to describe the second line-up of the band which began after Aldhil’s Arboretum.

MP3 The Flaming Lips – The W.A.N.D.

“Will Always Negates Defeat”.

MP3 Outkast – B.O.B.

You know this one. “BOMBS OVER BAGHDAD” YEAH!

MP3 Wilco – ELT

“Every Little Thing”. (also Wilco is short for “will comply”, a radio term)

MP3 Justice – DVNO

DVNO is short for “El Divino”, which is the name of any night club where you have to be wearing a white shirt to get in.

MP3 Broken Social Scene – TBTF

As the chorus states this means “to beautiful to f–k”.

MP3 TV on the Radio – DLZ

Although not stated officially, but it’s been speculated it stands for “Designated Launch Zone”, a military aviation term.

MP3 Interpol – PDA

“Public Display of Affection”

MP3 Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M.

“Cash Rules Everything Around Me”, dolla dolla bill y’all!

***

If you have any more good acronym song titles, post them in the comments…

Album Cover Look-Alikes Mix

Inspired by the whole U2-ripping-off-our-album-cover controversy (if you haven’t already heard, read about it here), I’ve decided to make a mix featuring album covers that have striking, and seemingly accidental, similarities to one another.  It’s like that movie where the Olsen twins run into each other at summer camp and discover they are “identical strangers”.  Except none of these albums feature the talents of Steve Guttenburg and Kirstie Alley, which is disappointing to say the least.  So here you are.  Enjoy!

MP3 Explosions in the Sky – Your Hand in Mine
MP3 Stars – Ageless Beauty

MP3 Broken Social Scene – Ibi Dreams Of Pavement (A Better Day)
MP3 Parts and Labor – Fractured Skies

MP3 Mountain Goats – Cubs in Five
Youtube: Coldplay – Shiver

MP3 Radiohead – Knives Out
MP3 Interpol – NYC

MP3 Ratatat – Wildcat
MP3 Against Me! – Borne On The FM Waves

MP3 Feist – Mushaboom
MP3 Eagle*Seagull – Your Beauty is a Knife I Turn on my Throat

MP3 Massive Attack – Teardrop
MP3 Flying Lotus -Parisan Goldfish

Credit to this message board thread to many of these finds. If you have some more oddly similar album covers I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments…

And hey I got a new post up at MTVU on Lily Allen.  Go, read now.

Favorite Live Shows of 2008

With everything that’s been going on in my life this year, graduating college, getting married, starting a new job, I didn’t make it out to as many concerts as I have in the past.  The shows I did see this year though, stand among the music experiences I’ve ever had. These are the 15 performances I loved the most in 2008. Make to sure to follow the read more… link to see the whole list, and visit Pictures For Kids Who Can’t Read Good to check out all my concert pictures from this year. Have a very festive Christmas season!

15. Caribou Courtyard Café (Urbana)

Caribou completely jammed the Courtyard Cafe with their bright, psychedelic sound and trippy lights.  Sinkane, who now plays for Of Montreal, made a special guest appearance on the drums at this show.

MP3 Caribou – Melody Day

14. British Sea Power / 1900’s Canopy Club: Void Room (Urbana)

British Sea Power tore up the stage at the Canopy Club Void Room with some wonderful opening support from folk-collective 1990s.

MP3 British Sea Power – Waving Flags

13. Kanye West Lollapalooza (Chicago)

Kanye West’s homecoming performance at Lollapalooza was an extremely enjoyable and memorable show. He performed all his greatest hits and had a spectacular stage presence.  We even got a speech that compared his music to making an iPhones.

12. The Roots Summer Camp (Chillicothe)

The Roots are talented performers and fantastic musicians.  ?uestlove’s drum solo during their 10 minute version of “Masters of War” was unforgettable.

MP3 The Roots – The Seed

11. Yo La Tengo Krannert Center (Urbana)

Yo La Tengo headlined Pygmalion Festival with a performance at the Krannert Museum Theatre. From classics like “Autumn Sweater” and “Tom Courtenay” to the extended jamming sessions of their latest album, they put on an awesome show.

MP3 Yo La Tengo – Autumn Sweater

Click the below link to see my top ten!