The best albums you missed in 2010

According to the BBC. Janelle Monae was criminally under-rated, Gonjasufi and These New Puritans over-rated. The Mount Kimbie album is well worth a listen as well, and I'll admit to not having heard the records from I Am Arrows or Steve Mason.

Top Ten Albums of 2010

Another stellar year for music, full of innovation and fresh direction. My friends have been debating and discussing this for the past few weeks, and here are our intelligent conclusions on the best albums of 2010:

10) Wild Nothing – Gemini
Slightly fuzzy, kinda dreamy, very chilled-out shoegaze-garage pop from this one-man project. I've run out of genres to compare this record to, but trust me, this album is damn good.





9) Best Coast – Crazy For You
Having churned out handfuls of EPs and 7" singles over the past eighteen months, Best Coast managed to somehow step it up a gear in 2010 with their debut album, which is thirteen tracks of perfectly-crafted summer pop.




8) Gil Scott-Heron –
I'm New HereGil Scott-Heron triumphantly returned in 2010 with his first studio album in 16 years. Incredibly personal, the album interludes consist of Scott-Heron poetically and beautifully informing the listener with moving tales of his childhood and the grandmother who raised him, returning Scott-Heron to his roots as a spoken-word performer. Combine this with excellent covers of Robert Johnson and Bill Callahan, and you have a bloody fantastic record.

7) Deerhunter – Halycon Digest
Despite their prolific output, Deerhunter seem fresher than ever, effortlessly and expertly combining a number of very different musical styles - surf, punk, garage, 60s psychedelic pop, shoegaze and even ambient - into their best album to date.




6) Beach House – Teen Dream
Like the Wild Nothing album, I'm struggling to describe this album - words can't do it justice, you really have to listen to truly appreciate the dream pop excellence that is Teen Dream.





5) Janelle Monáe – The Archandroid
Ah, the flaws of democracy! This album should have placed higher, but a lot of my friends either missed out on the album when it first came out, or failed to recognise its brilliance. Yes, it's flawed, but what debut album isn't? Yes, it runs out of steam a little bit towards the end, but again, what albums truly don't? Ignore these minor errors, and you're left with an incredibly interesting, complex and innovative album that seamlessly moves between hip-hop and pop.

4) Four Tet – There Is Love In You
His best album yet, as Kieran Hebden finally manages to perfect his own brand of laid-back instrumental electronica. Beautiful, beautiful stuff.






3) Caribou – Swim
Moving firmly away from the glitchy electronica that he made under his 'Manitoba' moniker, Daniel Snaith has got himself a band and, with the fuller sound possibilities that this has given him, produced a complex abum that spans the genres of electronic and indie music, and also suits any mood - whether I'm wanting to party or just looking to relax, Caribou is more often-than-not the first thing I think of.


2) Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
Further evidence of the flaws of democracy. Yes, it's a good album, but not one which will pass the test of time. I loved this album when it first came out, had the vinyl on repeat for days, but now I can't stand to listen to it. Newsom's vocals - extraordinarily beautiful on first listen - have become whiny, and that bloody harp just does my head in.



1) Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
By far the best album of 2010, Kanye's magnum opus (though watch this space for his 2011 collab with Jay-Z) grabs you by the throat on the very first play and just won't let go. His production is tighter than ever, his lyrics are both funny and poignant, and his choice of samples is sublime. Just a fucking incredible album that you need in your life NOW.

Top Five EPs of 2010

As the internet continues its dominance of modern life, the concept of 'longevity' is fading - people want a quick thrill, and they want it now. As such, the EP is seeing something of a resurgence, and 2010 saw a collection of very fine examples - here are the top five, as voted for by you:

5) The Samps – The Samps
As the side-project of one of Ariel Pink's guitarists, big things were expected of The Samps, and they do not disappoint. Yes, we have the weird pop of Ariel Pink - this album sounds like the theme to an 80s cop movie, and that's no bad thing - but I also got a sense that these guys have been listening to as much Flying Lotus as they have their freak folk sensei.


4) British Sea Power – Zeus
To be honest, I'm pretty neutral when it comes to British Sea Power - I don't love them, I don't hate them, I just don't get them. Consequently, I've not even bothered to listen to this album; however, I've been reliably informed by friends who have that it's BSP at their very best.




3) James Blake – CMYK
Released while in his final year at the prestigious Goldsmiths in London (notable albumni include Blur and Damien Hirst), James Blake's second EP managed to seem fresh in a year that was aleady full of interesting and original electronic releases.




2) Tennis – BaltimoreA husband-and-wife dream team making summer pop songs. Imagine a more mature Best Coast and you'd be pretty much spot on.






1) James Blake – Klavierwerke
Could it have been anything else? This EP has dominated the ever-growing electronic scene this year, and shows a new direction for James Blake. Much more minimal and down-tempo that CMYK, Klavierwerke also introduces the prominent use of vocals, which sound like an auto-tuned Antony Hegarty, much to the album's credit.

Chris Breuer - Haunted By Day (2010)

A fresh mix from Chris Breuer, described by the big man himself as "a little mix for the christmas season - slightly more downbeat and reflective than usual." Stellar stuff.

SoundCloud

Hype Williams - Untitled (2010)

Amazing hypnogogic pop on Carnival. Like James Ferraro, possibly less accomplished, but reaches higher highs when they nail it. The super limited vinyl sold out in some amount of time so small that only the large hadron collider could measure or whatever, so get your fill here.

Hype Williams - Untitled (2010)

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

Kyle Bobby Dunn - Rural Routes No. 2 (2010)

Combining elements of drone with neo-classical, New York-based Canadian composer Kyle Bobby Dunn manages to craft an extremely interesting little album. Clocking in at just over 20 minutes long, it always leaves you wanting more. Oh, and he's only two years older than me - fuck my life!

Kyle Bobby Dunn - Rural Routes No. 2 (2010)

ANNE

ANNE hail from Portland, Oregon, that amazingly creativly that has also produced Le Tigre and The Thermals, and also houses a number of American and British bands-in-exile such as Gossip and The Cribs. They blur the boundaries of shoegaze and new wave (shoe wave?!) and their recently released demo is freely available from the band. Also check out their MySpace for more info, and to see if they're hittin' up your hood in the near future.

!!! - Strange Weather, Isn't It? (2010)

I have never posted newly-leaked albums before, but my friend Chev (of Top Ten of 2009 fame) uploaded it for me, and it'll be a waste to not share it...or something. I've not even heard it yet - too caught up in the thrill of the leak - but Chev had this to say about it:

erm got it a few days ago its a beast, loving Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass

Nuff said. Enjoy.

!!! - Strange Weather, Isn't It? (2010)

MF DOOM - The Mouse & The Moustache EP (2010)

Some guy calling himself MF Borat (apparently Sacha Baron Cohen & Daniel Dumile, but I have my doubts) has remixed/reproduced or whatever a couple of MF DOOM tracks. Whatever the truth behind the story, this record is fucking incredible and that's all you need to know. I'm not patient enough to wait until the end-of-year Top Ten, so I'm sharing it with you now. Appreciate and enjoy.

MF DOOM - The Mouse & The Moustache EP (2010)