End of year extravaganza

It's just over a month away, and so I'm starting to get into gear for our infamous 'Best Of Year' lists. I'm a democratic kinda chap so if anyone wants to comment/e-mail me (theclickofalight@gmail.com) a list of your 10 favourite albums and/or 5 favourite EPS then please feel free to. Two rules that my friends who have been doing this for me seem to ignore - it has to be from 2010 (obviously) and NO REISSUES. Anything else goes though - live, demo, compilations, whatever.

Pip x

Indiana Jones Theme Song

Don't ask.

Also, I genuinely think Short Round is an amazing character:

"Hey, lady! You call him Dr. Jones!"
"Hang on lady, we going for a ride!"
"He no nuts, he's crazy!"
"I keep telling you, you listen to me more, you live longer!"

See, he's such a bad-ass!

Cobson - Cobson (2010)

French band Cobson may only use two guitars and a drum kit (with a piano sometimes used in place of a bass guitar) but their music is anything but simplistic. True, it's certainly not innovative or groundbreaking, but it's very enjoyable - absorbing influence from a number of post-punk bands from the past 20 years, they almost sound like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs; having a female singer who oozes sex, talent and passion will certainly not help with the comparisons.

MySpace

American Football - American Football (1999)

The only album from this Chicago trio, who counted Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc and The One Up Downstairs among their former bands. Lead singer Mike Kinsella, now of Owen, would later form Owls, whose album I posted a few weeks ago; if you liked that you'll love this - just really nice chilled-out perfect math-rock pop songs.

American Football - American Football (1999)

William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops (2002-2003)

During the summer of 2001, prolific ambient composer Basinski attempted to transfer recordings he had made in the 1980s from magnetic tape to digital; as they slowly crumbled in the machine, he recorded what came out, and it's bloody (albeit accidental) brilliance. Basinski claims to have finished the project on the morning of 9/11, and he sat listening to the material on the roof of his NY apartment building with friends as the Towers collapsed around him. Whether you believe this story or not is a moot point; just listen to four albums worth of absolute pleasure.


The Disintegration Loops I
The Disintegration Loops II
The Disintegration Loops III
The Disintegration Loops IV

Masta Ace - Disposable Arts (2001)

Masta Ace's second solo album, his first in six years, which managed to cement his place as one of hip shop's greatest ever MCs. Disposable Arts is a concept album about a man being released from prison. The production is tight, the rhymes are sick, and the abum is just an absolute treat from start to end.

Masta Ace - Disposable Arts (2001)

Beirut - The Joys Of Losing Weight (2001)

An early demo album, self-produced by the then fifteen-year-old Zach Condon. Fans of his earlier folky work will be surprised - hopefully pleasantly, as I was - by the electronic elements of this album.

Beirut - The Joys Of Losing Weight (2001)