Best of 2010 #1: Parallels - Visionaries

I picked Parallels as a front runner for album of the year as soon as I heard it. Crisp, dark synthpop with cold distorted vocals, this sounded like 80s classic synthpop mixed up with the best elements of industrial. The fact that it was made a good 15 years after the best industrial went out of style and with it still sounding fresh was a testament to the musicianship here. From Toronto, the band is fronted by an ex-member of Crystal Castles who felt that CC was too noisy. CD had a good year too, but this is a towering acheivement in cold, distant electronics.

Best of 2010 #2: Cygnets - Bleak Anthems

I fell in love with Edmonton's Cygnets the first time I heard them. I was hard pressed not to put this at #1 because I loved this band's sound so much. Edmonton has a fine tradition for stellar new wave, over the past year giving us the pounding retro-electro-funk of Shout Out Out Out Out and the solid new wave rock of The Floor, and now the electro-romanticism of Cygnets. This album sounds like it was recorded in 1984 and it rattles along very nicely. I normally don't track my favourite singles of the year, but if I did, "Sycophant Girls" would be my pick for #1.



The girl dancing is absolutely adorable.

Best of 2010 #3: Caribou - Swim (Merge)

Canada's Dan Snaith, aka Caribou, has successfully reinvented himself at least four times so far. His last three albums have shifted deliberately from one form of electronic music to another. Swim is awash with psychedelic pop vibes and rave style electronica. "Sun" is a perfect example of what Snaith has produced for his latest project:

Best of 2010 #4: Women - Public Strain (Flemish Eye)

Calgary's Women did a nice job of reinventing themselves in 2010. Their first self-titled album was a nice, noisy affair. Their follow up was washed in shoe-gazing guitar and whispered vocals. I liked their first album, but I loved their second

Read my review of this album here.

Best of 2010 #5: Efterklang - Magic Chairs (4AD)

I first discovered Denmark's Efterklang back in 2007 with their Parades album they put out on oddball electronic/indy pop label Leaf. I was interested in what they were doing, but it seemed their sound hadn't fully come together yet. With their 2010 album, Magic Chairs, the band has pulled out more of the pop hooks and added them to their already loopy electronics. This album flew under the radar of a lot of critics, probably because it was released back in February. I think it's wonderful.

Best of 2010: #6 - Kele - The Boxer (Glassnote)

Britain's Bloc Party have had so much success, I guess it was time for lead singer Kele Okereke to try a solo project. This debut solo album is almost as good as the first Bloc Party album, and allowed Kele to try some more electronic-based songs. The album is a solid mix of driving electronics and spacy noise-rock.

Best of 2010: #7 - Suuns - Zeroes QC (Secretly Canadian)

A welcome addition to the Canadian indy rock scene, Montreal's Suuns play a dark and spacy form of indy rock, equal parts Mogwai and To Rococo Rot. Zeroes QC is their debut full length, produced by Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes.

Best of 2010: #8 - Devo - Something For Everybody (Warner)

Without question, this was the album I was most looking forward to. Back in 2008, Devo announced they were working on a new album scheduled for 2009. That got pushed back to 2010, and it was finally released in the summer. Devo are one of my most favourite musical acts. I love them for there playfulness, sarcasm and innovation. Something for Everybody was Devo's first album in 20 years, and it's not exactly vintage Devo, but it's pretty close. There are 7-8 solid tracks on the album and it holds together as an album, rather than just a collection of songs. It's good enough for #8 on my best of 2010.

The first single, Fresh, is excellent, but the best track on the album is What We Do.



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Best of 2010: #9 - Yeasayer - Odd Blood (Secretly Canadian)

Brooklyn's trio Yeasayer's second album Odd Blood was a bold step forward for the band. Their first releases in 2007 were noodly, spacy indy rock with experimental influences. Odd Blood adds more electronics to the mix and gives the band a much fuller sound. The next album will be the test for this band, to see where they take their sound next.

Warning: Creepy video ahead:

Best of 2010: #10: !!! - Strange Weather, Isn't It (Warp)

For the next couple of weeks, I'll be taking a look at some of my favourite albums of the past year. At #10, it's !!!

Yes, the band is called !!!, pronounced usually as chk-chk-chk. Their last album, Myth Takes, was one of my favourite albums of 2007 and this album is their first since the tragic and unforeseen death of drummer Jerry Fuchs in 2009. Strange Weather, Isn't It sees the band still making slinky, playful electro-funk, but the sound is slightly more subdued, slightly less angular. Just slightly more mature. This isn't the same back that recorded "Pardon My Freedom", but it's pretty close. The band sounds more focused and seem poised to make a step into something bigger.

My Top 20 Albums of 2010

1) Parallels - Visionary (Marigold)
2) Cygnets - Bleak Anthems (Independent)
3) Caribou - Swim (Merge)
4) Women - Public Strain (Flemish Eye)
5) Kele - The Boxer (Glassnote)
6) Efterklang - Magic Chairs (4AD)
7) Suuns - Zeroes QC (Secretly Canadian)
8) Devo - Something for Everybody (Warner)
9) Yeasayer - Odd Blood (Secretly Canadian)
10) !!! - Strange Weather, Isn't It? (Warp)
11) Glasser - Ring (True Panther Sounds)
12) Apollo Ghosts - Mount Benson (Independent)
13) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening (DFA)
14) Fond of Tigers - Continent and Western (Drip Audio)
15) Twin Crystals - Twin Crystals (Needs More Ram)
16) Fine Mist - Public Domain (Independent)
17) Iron Kim Style - Iron Kim Style (Moonjune)
18) David Byrne/Fatboy Slim - Here Lies Love (Nonesuch)
19) The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream (Blue Horizon)
20) Turzi - B (Record Makers)

Onion A/V Top whatevers for 2010

Onion A/V Club:

25) Spoon - Transference
24) Four Tet - There is Love In You
23) Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
22) Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
21) Baths - Cerulean
20) Dessa - A Badly Broken Code
19) Yeasayer - Odd Blood
18) Call Me Lightning - When I am Gone My Blood Will Be Free
17) Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
16) Arcade Fire - The Surburbs
15) Wavves - King of the Beach
14) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
13) Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
12) The Black Keys - Brothers
11) Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks
10) Robyn - Body Talk
9) Vampire Weekend - Contra
8) Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
7) Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot
6) Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
5) The Roots - How I Got Over
4) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
3) The National - High Violet
2) The Walkmen - Lisbon
1) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

!exclaim Top 20 for 2010

From !exclaim Magazine:

1) The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
2) Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter
3) Teen Dream - Beach House
4) Meet Me at the Muster Station - PS I Love You
5) Heartland - Owen Pallett
6) Crazy for You - Best Coast
7) High Violet - The National
8) The Age of Adz - Sufjan Stevens
9) Transference - Spoon
10) Public Strain - Women
11) Special Affections - Diamond Rings
12) Have One on Me - Joanna Newsom
13) Lisbon - The Walkmen
14) Forgiveness Rock Record - Broken Social Scene
15) Before Today - Ariel Pink's Haunted Grafitti
16) Treats - Sleigh Bells
17) Expo 86 - Wolf Parade
18) Wilderness Heart - Black Mountain
19) American Slang - Gaslight Anthem
20) The Monitor - Titus Andronicus

It Begins - Best of 2010 Lists

From UK's Q Magazine:

50. Steve Mason - Boys Outside
49. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
48. Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep
47. Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History
46. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
45. Cherry Ghost - Beneath This Burning Shoreline
44. Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
43. Skream - Outside The Box
42. Tom Jones - Praise & Blame
41. Belle And Sebastian - Write About Love
40. Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back
39. I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
38. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
37. The Coral - Butterfly House
36. The Roots - How I Got Over
35. Everything Everything - Man Alive
34. The Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards
33. Tricky - Mixed Race
32. The Drums - The Drums
31. The Chemical Brothers - Further
30. Brandon Flowers - Flamingo
29. Interpol - Interpol
28. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
27. Midlake - The Courage Of Others
26. Klaxons - Surfing The Void
25. Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown
24. Bryan Ferry - Olympia
23. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
22. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
21. Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms
20. Take That - Progress
19. Grinderman - Grinderman 2
18. Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man
17. John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up!
16. Foals - Total Life Forever
15. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
14. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
13. Beach House - Teen Dream
12. Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
11. The Black Keys - Brothers
10. MGMT - Congratulations
9. Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation
8. The National - High Violet
7. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
6. John Grant - Queen Of Denmark
5. Vampire Weekend - Contra
4. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
3. Plan B - The Defamation Of The Strickland Banks
2. Robert Plant - Band Of Joy
1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs