Best of 2010: 25-21

This is my first year end list, so I went into sorting and ranking my favorite albums without any preconceived notions or arbitrary criteria. I was not even sure what amount of "best" albums should even make the list. Rather than choose a number and force myself to whittle down my favorites to ultimately eliminate some really great artists and their work, I let my what I felt was the most deserving set the value at 25. Of course, even the last spot was difficult to decide and could easily have been one of a few albums in my Honorable Mentions. As far as my criteria for ranking the best albums, I tried to place them based not only how much I liked the work and how much I found myself listening to each album in it's entirety, but tried my darnest to quantify the album's staying power. Trying to predict what you would like in the future is not so easy, but it is strangely comforting. Music is always changing and evolving. As a critic, staying grounded in the present while having my eyes on the future and my consideration on the historical lineage from the past is the only way to do this properly. Enjoy the list as I enjoyed making it!

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Honorable Mentions : 20-16 : 15-11 : 10-6 : 5-1

#25  The Chemical Brothers - Further

Purchase Further here.

Read my original review here. 

Their first album came out in 1995 and they were dropping 12 inches as far back as 1989, but Tom and Ed of The Chemical Brothers have never sounded so fresh and vital as they did on this year's release. Sure, these Godfathers of Big Beat paved the way for the mainstreaming of electronica (for better or worse), but they always were weighted with all star vocalists and syrupy samples that stood out over the music itself. The feel of Further is like the shackles have been released and The Bros. took a gamble on exploring new territories. Look no further than the quirky squelch in "Another World", the joyous club pleaser "Swoon" or the 12 minute centerpiece "Escape Velocity" to see what I mean.

Chemical Brothers - Further (full album as one track)

#24  Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon

Purchase Maximum Balloon here.

Read my original review here.

Dave Sitek's side project from TV on the Radio received a lot of hype sporting big name guest vocalists and major label cred. The album sounds more like a singles collection and never aspires for a theme or common thread. Instead their is a varied abundance of indie pop songs that, at their best, challenges with Sitek's aggressively futuristic style. Look to the two tracks with his TV on the Radio bandmates on vocals for the buzzing "Absence of Light" and neo-soul of "Shakedown" for the most powerful pieces. He makes strong statements with his female guest vocalists on "If You Return" and "The Lesson" allowing the sweetness to seduce as the music slithers around, gripping tighter as the sirens whisper.

Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon (full album)

#23  Matthew Dear - Black City

Purchase Black City here.

Read my original review here.

Definitely taking a dark turn, Black City is quirky and uncomfortable in comparison to 2007's (and one of my favorites) Asa Breed. Still, the beats are compelling and motivated on singles "Soil To Seed", "I Can't Feel" and the epic "Little People (Black City). Yet the other surrounding tracks fluctuate between somber and eerie either as the prey of a seductive black widow on "You Put A Smell On Me", the slinky Beatles bassline grab of "Shortwave" or the last gasping breaths on "Slowdance". Claustrophobic and ominous is what Matthew Dear was going for on Black City. In my eyes, his mission was surely accomplished.

Matthew Dear - 4 Tracks from Black City

#22  Small Black - New Chain

Purchase New Chain here.

Read my original review here.

This is what chillwave should sound like. Of course it should be thick with hazy synths and icy beats with shadowy reminders of pop's 30 year long legacy. However the vocals, although nuanced with reverb, should be clear enough, just enough, to decode the lyrics while basking in their steely breeze. The 80's inspired hooks are especially strong on "Search Party", title track "New Chain", "Crisp 100s" and the single "Photojournalist". It is the first full length album for Small Black, making the list for ones to watch in the new decade.

Small Black - 7 Tracks from New Chain

#21  Teenage Fanclub - Shadows

Purchase Shadows here.

Another throwback to the late 80's still making waves in the new millennium, Teenage Fanclub has never gained more than a cult following, including me as an early member. I was suckered in by the shimmering power pop magic of their 1991 LP Bandwagonesque before I knew who Big Star even was. Now almost 20 years on, I have the requisite historical perspective to trace the characteristics to those 70's touchstones. In that time, I realized that Teenage Fanclub would never repeat perfection. Luckily so did they as the simplicity in Shadows allows this collection of soaring harmonies and folk-tinged guitar strums stand out like a lost classic from some obscure rock n' roll legend that no one else knew about but vinyl geeks. Listen to tracks like "The Fall", "Into The City", "Shock and Awe", "Today Never Ends" and the song given below and you will understand.

Teenage Fanclub - Sometimes I Don't Need to Believe in Anything

My Top Albums Of 2010 (So Far)

After a groundbreaking decade for music in sound, production, distribution, listening devices and expanding community, such as the 2000's were, the 2010's have a hard act to follow. The stage is set for endless possibility, with new avenues to be explored, old roads to be rediscovered and endless combinations to be unlocked. Also, many questions are posed; what will be the new direction of Indie? Of Pop? Of Hip Hop? Of Electronica? How will these genres diverge and intertwine? Will the dinosaurs of music's past (major labels, open air radio stations, physical distribution of music) finally become extinct or reinvent into a more adept species? Will the savvy younger generation embrace the future of music or get suckered by new marketing techniques pushing the same old rubbish?

For the first six months of this year and decade, I feel the indie influence has regressed rather than progressed.That statement sounds wholly negative, but it is meant to express the sound of now as influenced by the past, with all of its steps forward and back. One example of what is getting pushed in indie circles is a garage revival, a stripped down antithesis to the qualities of the digital age. Although four track recordings of distorted, tin can vocals and unfiltered guitar riffs has its definite charms, the most important and universally agreed aspect is the quality of the songs. Bands like Male Bonding, Dum Dum Girls and The Smith Westerns have bright spots and some solid tracks, yet don't make me forget (or even reflect upon) the great heights of such bands as Sebadoh, Guided By Voices and early Dinosaur Jr.. Lately, there is lots of love for the sounds of the past. Beach Boys chamber-pop, neo-80's synthesized pop and the heavy percussive influence of world music has cross-pollinated with the indie aesthetic to make new subgenres. These upstarts still have not stamped their movements with the head-turning album that defines it all in one front-to-back listen. There are torch bearers that stand out (Japandroids comes to mind) but this new decade needs more groundbreakers.

So, my top albums of 2010 includes (save Avi Buffalo) artists established in the last decade (and two beginning in the 1990's) building on their well rooted foundation and branching into new directions. Some of my personal favorites (The National, Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, Broken Social Scene) were consistent or even emboldened, while artists Beach House, Tokyo Police Club and The Besnard Lakes released efforts that show the beginning of an intriguing future. Even though my heart lies in rock, three of my favorites albums so far this year are electronica, hopefully representing my unwillingness to be turned by the influences of indie tastemaking as well as the quality of their efforts. Hey, it is one guy's opinion. Enjoy it for what it's worth and debate away.

The list in alphabetical order is given below. I tried to eliminate make it a list-friendly ten albums, but could not break the ties. Again, my blog, my rules. All artists are available below for listening and download. Hopefully I will find the time to write more about these deserved albums.

Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
Beach House - Teen Dream
The Besnard Lakes - Are The Roaring Night
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
Caribou - Swim
Chemical Brothers - Further
Four Tet - There Is Love In You
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
The National - High Violet
Sleigh Bells - Treats
Spoon - Transference
Teenage Fanclub - Shadows
Tokyo Police Club - Champ

Avi Buffalo - What's It in For


Beach House - Norway


The Besnard Lakes - Albatross


Broken Social Scene - World Sick


Caribou - Sun


Chemical Brothers - Full Album


Four Tet - Love Cry


LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change


The National - Sorrow


Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill


Spoon -Written In Reverse


Teenage Fanclub - Sometimes I Don't Need To Believe In Anything


Tokyo Police Club - Wait Up (Boots Of Danger)

Album Review: Chemical Brothers - Further, Stream The Entire Album Here

Call it techno. Call it club music. Call them dance tracks. There are many generic terms for the masses to tag the music of the crossover electronic artist. These lucky souls have successfully bridged the divide from their music having limited mass exposure in late night venues to alternative radio play, music video popularity, hired remix duty and, most lucrative of all, licensing to commercials and feature films. If they are truly deserving, they can stand at the top of the heap while retaining their club credibility (God bless you, Daft Punk) or, sadly, releasing unadventurous product while hoping for the public to latch onto their attempts to return to glory (I am looking at you, Moby).

For some time, The Chemical Brothers were taking that path into slowly fading obscurity, putting out uneven albums, selling their music to the first available beer maker and basically grinding their once successful formula into dust. Since no one was interested in listening to the past in electronica's ever revolving door of ready now music, Tom and Ed made the decision to embrace other influences and reinvent their sound for the fan of today.

Their new album Further is to be released June 22 on Astralwerks. The sounds of the 90's Chemical Brothers has been cherry picked or altogether flushed. Most notably, there is an absence of their signature big-name guest vocalists. Although a guarantee in record sales, it was a necessary loss for The Chemical Brothers to grow. The new influences are from the past and present here, drawing from sources such as brightly lit chamber-pop, gauzy shoegaze, arms-length ambient, and blownout electroclash. Although the album has eight tracks, the songs run overlap with only the stylistic change alerting the listener to the new track. After the joyous bleeps open up "Snow" with the thankful chorus: "Your love keeps lifting me higher", the highlight track of Further "Escape Velocity" begins sounding like the opening of a BBC documentary from the 1970's. Then beat kicks in, and it all hands in the air for about 10 minutes. My earlier review of this song had me thinking about "a remix of Boards of Canada by Underworld in their prime". Although its roots are firmly in The Chemical Brothers Big Beat past, the song is fresh, fun and undeniable.

Although the album's payoff comes early, Further still reveals nuggets of electronica gold. Muffled beats and vocals burst and twinkle on "Another World". Disco bass reign supreme on "Swoon". "Dissolve" sounds like a forgotten but worthy holdover from their classic LP Dig Your Own Hole. Even Further's most derivative track "Horse Power", with its horse whinny samples and stomping drumbeat, has its hokey charm. Where we were used to a collection of good to great songs on the best Chemical Brothers LP's, Further plays like a proper full length with crests and valleys that carries the listener to the very end.

Tracklist

1. "Snow"
2. "Escape Velocity"
3. "Another World"
4. "Dissolve"
5. "Horse Power"
6. "Swoon"
7. "K+D+B"
8. "Wonders of the Deep"

Buy the album here.

The New Chemical Brothers Song Is Really Good, New Album Out June 8

Yeah, I admit it. I was surprised.

The Chemical Brothers had their place and time. In the Pantheon of 90's Big Beat Electronica, they stood tall. Always with their tongues in their cheeks and a nod to drug culture, they were the rave standard. However, the 90's are at least a decade ago and Electronica has moved on to a smarter and more varied template.

Instead of drawing from the same decade old well, they give us this jawdropper. This track below titled "Escape Velocity" is an excellent blend of the new and the same. I am thinking a remix of Boards of Canada by Underworld in their prime. Equal parts spacey, glitchy and rave-y, this 12 minute epic is full of anthemic claps and crescendos that will keep your feet moving and head bobbing for its sweaty entirety.

The new album from The Chemical Brothers is due June 8 on Astralwerks.I am thinking this site will have some more info soon. Meanwhile, enjoy this YouTube stream.