2010 Magazine's Albums Of The Year Thread For Posting Lists and Discussion

shrug it out with whiney g

What big UK or US publications lists are we waiting on?

Cokemachineglow's Top 50 Albums of 2010

50 :: Glasser - Ring
49 :: No Age - Everything in Between
48 :: Pop Winds - The Turquoise
47 :: Velella Velella - Atlantis Massif
46 :: Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
45 :: Baths - Cerulean
44 :: Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. Wuz Here
43 :: Salem - King Night
42 :: Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
41 :: Ikonika - Contact, Want, Love, Have
40 :: Villagers - Becoming a Jackal

39 :: New Pornographers - Together
38 :: Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
37 :: Wolf Parade - Expo 86
36 :: Books - The Way Out
35 :: Owen Pallett - Heartland
34 :: Oneohtrix Point Never - Returnal
33 :: Walkmen - Lisbon
32 :: Four Tet - There is Love in You
31 :: Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

30 :: Gonjasufi - A Sufi and a Killer
29 :: Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli
28 :: Grass Widow - Past Time
27 :: Freddie Gibbs - Str8 Killa EP
26 :: Robyn - Body Talk
25 :: Curren$y - Pilot Talk / Pilot Talk II
24 :: Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
23 :: Drake - Thank Me Later
22 :: Black Milk - Album of the Year
21 :: Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

20 :: Warpaint - The Fool
19 :: Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
18 :: Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
17 :: Future Islands - In Evening Air
16 :: Yellow Swans - Going Places
15 :: Grimes - Geidi Primes / Halfaxa
14 :: Sharon Van Etten - epic
13 :: Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here?
12 :: Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
11 :: Menomena - Mines

10 :: Blue Hawaii - Blooming Summer EP
9 :: Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
8 :: Teebs - Ardour
7 :: Das Racist - Sit Down, Man
6 :: Women - Public Strain
5 :: Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
4 :: Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
3 :: Beach House - Teen Dream
2 :: Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
1 :: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

http://www.cokemachineglow.com/feature/5816/top50albums-2010?pg=5

are there any lists without kanye west & big boi?

xps Krishnan Guru-Murthy seems to have done a good job triangulating his list between Mondeo pop, boring indie, and token hip hop. Kudos!

and beach house

the cokemachine write-up for kanye is crazy lol

Do critics who vote in these things every year just look at what everyone else is voting and do the same so that they just don't look out of the loop with what the critical consensus is that year?
The past few years all the lists look the same just in a slightly jumbled up order.

the thesis is flawed re: its analysis of 808s but this is kind of OTM:

The doubters on CMG staff question how much of this album’s strength is dependent on what we know of Kanye versus how much is intrinsic. To which I can only respond: does it matter? Kanye West loves the living shit out of music, and if you can’t hear that in every meticulously arranged note and gleefully tossed-in guest appearance (even in a misplaced Rick Ross), then you will never hear it.

You know, I hate conflict of all types but Nostradumbass is pretty funny.

haven't looked over the guardian list in much detail, just a cursory glance at the list, but the janelle monae blurb is *fantastic* and really serves to capture her appeal, i think

http://m.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/dec/16/albums-2010-janelle-monae-archandroid?cat=music&type=article

it's also old
xp

Kanye West loves the living shit out of music, and if you can’t hear that in every meticulously arranged note and gleefully tossed-in guest appearance (even in a misplaced Rick Ross), then you will never hear it.

also, this is true -- but could easily apply just as well to, say, nickelback; are they not passionate about their music as well?

"he's passionate about his music" = "points for trying hard"

also, this is true -- but could easily apply just as well to, say, nickelback; are they not passionate about their music as well?

Yes they are, and they aren't actually as terrible as everyone says they are.

Kanye feat. Chad Kroeger = "We Love It"

exactly; it says absolutely nothing about quality!

xp to lex

also, this is true -- but could easily apply just as well to, say, nickelback; are they not passionate about their music as well?

Yes they are, and they aren't actually as terrible as everyone says they are.

― Tina Tina Cheneuse (DJP),

oh yes THEY ARE

14 :: Sharon Van Etten - epic

glad to see this finally making into a couple lists, she's really great

the janelle monae blurb is *fantastic* and really serves to capture her appeal

otm great blurb

lex i'm really glad you voted for K. Michelle high in the Guardian.

I tried to get it in the lower regions of the FACT list but it wasnt really happening. havent seen it in any other lists :(

Nickelback are passionate about writing songs that are radio-ready enough to offend the least amount of people and make the most amount of money from shallow masses.

thanks for waking us up to the truth, bra

lex i'm really glad you voted for K. Michelle high in the Guardian.

I tried to get it in the lower regions of the FACT list but it wasnt really happening. havent seen it in any other lists :(

my attempts to make k. michelle happen this year may have been one of my hugest failures ever

The K Michelle mixtape has some terrific songs on it but the sound quality is kind of poor which makes for a frustrating listen. She could put out an amazing record when she gets round to recording a proper album.

Sad to see lack of The Books in most of these.

"he's passionate about his music" = "points for trying hard"

― lex diamonds (lex pretend), Friday, December 17, 2010 10:22 AM (51 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

seriously. don't any other critics deal with tiny talentless no-names who are SO SERIOUS about their music to the point that they realize how little the artist's enthusiasm and dedication really matters as far as separating the good from the bad?

I don't know, I like to listen to music that sounds enthusiastic.

pretty much every album i'd rep for this year sounds "enthusiastic" in its own way.

my attempts to make k. michelle happen this year may have been one of my hugest failures ever

at least her *fantastic* collab w/ r. kelly on his new album may heighten her profile a bit, no?

thing is, the overwhelming majority of the artists listed in this thread, regardless of how you feel about them, are really enthusiastic about their music and obsess over it every chance they get. that's the baseline of how most records of any value get made, not a virtue unto itself. Kanye's only kind of a standout in a genre where a lot of the biggest artists kind of cultivate a not-giving-a-shit image (but still work hard and make a ton of music).

"he's passionate about his music" = "points for trying hard"

― lex diamonds (lex pretend), Friday, December 17, 2010 10:22 AM (51 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

seriously. don't any other critics deal with tiny talentless no-names who are SO SERIOUS about their music to the point that they realize how little the artist's enthusiasm and dedication really matters as far as separating the good from the bad?

i have n-thusiasm about bbcode

Also, DJP, please relax gurl

dan's shortening dude's "kanye loves music" argument into something less ridiculous than it is.

Kanye West loves music. Only someone who loves music with every fiber of their being could put every fiber of every music they’ve ever loved into the music they make and have it make such ineffable sense. These six-minute bangers are haikus. Kanye West loved music better than any other artist this year and I loved his music better, too.

These six-minute bangers are haikus.

Eight syllables, doesn't fit the form.

Kanye West loves the music I love and his music possesses its communicants, wholly. Himself, included. Pinch yourself halfway through the orchestral El-P transmission that is “So Appalled” with all its invoked ciphers to make sure you’re awake, because Ye sure isn’t. Dude’s unconscious.

rofl

Pusha T’s surreal “invisibly set, the Rolex is faceless” on “Runaway” is the line of this young decade, cracking asunder its lush surroundings like some bolt of divine inspiration.

Now this is how you troll ILM.

Ladies and gentlemen, the gangsta Wilco (The Album) is here.

“Gorgeous,” for instance, is W.E.B. Du Bois-relentless in dropping knowledge, evidenced as much by Kanye’s torrential rapping as by the mere presence of Raekwon.

I really need to pay more attention to the writing of Chet Benz.

sorry, Chet Betz.

is that black milk record worth checking? i never even knew dude dropped anything this year. and even though i love tronic, i find it very hard to be enthusiastic about him

Anthony is right re: me abbreviating dude's argument; he goes to ridiculous extremes shortly thereafter which no one in their right mind would defend (aside from allowing for subjective reactions). The main point I agreed with is that if you don't think the album sounds like Kanye slaved over it or you don't find the amount of work he put into it impressive, no amount of listens will change your mind.

Also, DJP, please relax gurl

I have no idea what this is in reference to...?

the music crit pen name of Chester Bennington (xpost)

just noticed that Cokemachineglow put Yellow Swans at #16 on their year-end list, thats a great f'ing album

is that black milk record worth checking? i never even knew dude dropped anything this year. and even though i love tronic, i find it very hard to be enthusiastic about him

it doesnt really hold a candle to Tronic (which i love) -- haven't listened to it a lot, though

did anyone post the new york times critic lists

caramanica
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/arts/music/19caramanica.html?_r=1

pareles
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/arts/music/19pareles.html

raitliff
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/arts/music/19ratiliff.html

chinen
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/arts/music/19ratiliff.html

Also, DJP, please relax gurl

I have no idea what this is in reference to...?

― Tina Tina Cheneuse (DJP), Friday, December 17, 2010 11:58 AM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark

Any Owen + Lex synthesis. It's not gonna happen.

awww youd be a cute couple doe