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

but srsly my answer is those with enough disposable income...

a demographic which is skewing even older and whiter than usual lately

point made.

A couple Bachar Mar-Khalife track's. The whole album is not as proggy as this first track, and the second one here is best at the end. I don't completely love the distorted vocals on it, but they are okay, I guess:

Bachar mar-Khalifé - Distance
Bachar mar-Khalifé - Distance

(I wish they would have posted "Democratia.")

all the HARDCORE MUSIC OBSESSIVES that Drugs A Money knows are the ones buying Susan Boyle CDs

#1 on my list

(actually it was the fact that the article mentioned her that struck my ire in the 1st place and led me to say 'right on deej'. I wasn't even thinking about illegal downloads/Youtube hits/last.fm at all; I was just annoyed that the author seemed to want to see Boyle and BEP at the top of these lists...)

though, if you want to talk about Youtube hits...

drugs & rev have already nailed this shut, but since i already typed it out:

I'm pretty sure a lot of casual music fans I have come across though are downloading 9/10ths of the music in their possession.

― Ned Rag & the Evil Olive Gardens (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, December 30, 2010 1:30 PM (42 seconds ago) Bookmark

understanding that anecdotal experience is just that, perhaps meaningless in any larger sense, i have found that most seattle people in my "crowd" (largely white, middle class, indie culture 20-to-40-somethings, passive to avid music fans) buy music. they buy a lot of it. and they're kind of uncomfortable, a lot of them, with the idea of illegally downloading it. i buy a lot of music myself, but i also steal audition it, and i think i'm more rare in that than those among my peers who pay for most everything they listen to. this attitude, and the relative affluence behind it, is part of the culture, my culture.

but i'm kind of old, thus isolated, out of touch with younger fans and music cultures. wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that kids are much more likely to steal music than to buy it, or that things are different in other demographic niches. it's probably true, however, that if thug rap was (still?) crossing over to my peer group, it'd be selling more.

i said it before but you really can't underestimate the normal/average people casual/impulse starbucks/best buy/walmart/etc $7.99 ON SALE! purchases that people make. cuz people still buy stuff like that all the time. and thats a big chunk of album sales too, i'll bet. most people don't even walk into chain or non-chain music stores unless they are fanatics. lots of casual folks buy CDs at the drugstore and the convenience store. along with DVDs and large bottles of yoo hoo.

(largely white, middle class, indie culture 20-to-40-somethings, passive to avid music fans)

this is still just a fraction of like "white 20-to-40-somethings," let alone the rest of americs

oh yeah, no doubt, not claiming to speak for anything but my small circle of friends

my world of people

vinyl selection at this best buy (wherever it is) is kinda cool

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/.a/6a00df351e888f883401348896f76e970c-800wi

and more astutely curated then the newbury comix store near me. as far as nostalgia/impulse vinyl buying goes.

continuing...

but i do think that the group i'm speaking for (and other vaguely similar groups, a cluster of overlapping circles) buys a LOT of music and, in seattle at least, drives the city's most visible music culture. what they're interested in gets played on KEXP, gets booked at sasquatch and other high-profile festivals, gets prominent display in high-traffic stores, sells. sucks that it's mostly the arcade fire and the national or whatever, but i'd think they'd be an attractive target audience for anyone wanting to actually, you know, make money via music sales.

I went to Best Buy and they were selling Rihanna's Loud on vinyl for $40 (FORTY DOLLARS). I was thinking to myself "who the hell would pay that much for that," and then two girls passed by me, saw it, and were like "OOH I WANT THAT"

xxp Yeah, I would totally cop some Pac & Bad Brains vinyl if they were in front of me and the right price.

(Oops, second link I posted was for Marée Noire. scott seward, I think you would like those Bachar Mar-Khalife tracks.)

Haha so much for "the right price".

shocked that vinyl display is at best buy.

not so shocked b/c everything there is at least $30

it is a pretty great little pocket lesson on how to sell vinyl to best buy shoppers

It doesn't look too difficult after all.

i listened to that thing you like, Rudi the Rockist. i don't know what to make of it yet. i will listen again. kinda liked it more before the beats came in. but i'm at work and listening to *Fairy Cakes For Tea (Fairytales Can Come True Vol.2) - 20 Previously Uncomped Popsike Gems 1966-71* at the moment too and that might have coloured my opinion of the youtube thing.

I should have quit while I was ahead, "Manos Arriba 2.0."

Top 10 Reggae Songs from Large Up: http://largeup.okayplayer.com/2010/12/30/toppa-top-10-top-reggae-singles-of-2010/

I may actually listen to all those! #2 on that list made my Pazz & Jop ballot, and the guy who did #4 put a single on my Pazz & Jop ballot last year. So maybe my reggae tastes are not stupid after all.

Anyone been in an Urban Outfitters recently? Their vinyl selection looks a lot like that Best Buy display.

i did some lists:

http://alexmacpherson.tumblr.com/post/2540857715/top-30-albums-of-2010
http://alexmacpherson.tumblr.com/post/2540874379/top-111-tracks-of-2010

when i had a hipster gen x underground store in philly in the early 90's urban outfitters would come in and take pictures of the place and buy our hipster stuff. they were pretty good at cool hunting back then. we took it as a compliment. don't know about now.

http://www.thesilentballet.com/tsbt/2010/40_31.html

I only heard one of this batch.

lex's albums list is fantastic -- i've heard 14 of those and love almost every note, not a dud in the bunch -- which means i'll def be checking out the rest as i find the time

i made a big list of albums/songs i liked in 2010, with youtube links

http://tinyurl.com/ilxor2010

redirects to facebook

feel free to "friend" me if that's yr thing (& of course, if we are already friends, i've probably sent this to you already)

Slate:

Albums

Actress, Splazsh (Honest Jon's)
Big Boi, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (Purple Ribbon/Def Jam)
Das Racist, Sit Down, Man (mixtape, Greedhead/Mad Decent)
Fabolous, There Is No Competition 2 (mixtape, Gangsta Grillz)
Glasser, Ring (True Panther/Matador)
Joanna Newsom, Have One On Me (Drag City)
Earl Sweatshirt, EARL (mixtape, Odd Future)
Vampire Weekend, Contra (XL)
Wavves, King of the Beach (Fat Possum)
Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Def Jam)

Singles

Arcade Fire, "We Used to Wait"
Lloyd Banks feat. Juelz Santana, "Beamer, Benz or Bentley"
Beach House, "Zebra"
Justin Bieber, "Runaway Love"
James Blake, "Measurements"
Chris Brown feat. Drake, Fabolous, Kanye West, T.I., and Andre 3000, "Deuces (Remix)"
Drake feat. The-Dream, "Shut It Down"
Lil B feat. Messy Marv, "Hannah Montana"
Lil Wayne, "Six Foot Seven Foot"
Nicki Minaj, "Did It On 'Em"
Rick Ross feat. Gucci Mane, "MC Hammer"
Salem, "Redlights" (King Night version)
The-Dream, "F.I.L.A."
Yeasayer, "Ambling Alp"
Young L, "Young L-E-N"

I think it's just Jonah Weiner's list.

you said weiner.

so here's my top 50 albums of the year:

http://narrowcast.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-50-albums-of-2010.html

1. Butch Walker & The Black Widows - I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart (One Haven Music)
2. Diddy-Dirty Money - Last Train To Paris (Bad Boy/Interscope Records)
3. My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Reprise)
4. Jazmine Sullivan - Love Me Back (J Records/Arista)
5. Nice Nice - Extra Wow (Warp Records)
6. Styles P. & DJ Green Lantern - The Green Ghost Project (Invasion Music Group)
7. Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli (1017 Brick Squad/Asylum/Warner Bros.)
8. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding (Merge Records)
9. Floored By Four - Floored By Four (Chimera Music)
10. Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik (DJ Burn One)
11. Casual Curious - Casual Curious (self-released)
12. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang (Side One Dummy)
13. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty (Purple Ribbon/Def Jam)
14. Ted Leo/Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks (Matador Records)
15. Freeway & Jake One - The Stimulus Package (Rhymesayers)
16. The Nels Cline Singers - Initiate (Cryptogramophone Records)
17. Jaguar Love - Hologram Jams (Fat Possum Records)
18. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) (Universal Motown)
19. Gucci Mane - Mr. Zone 6 (DJ Drama)
20. Mike Watt - Hyphenated-Man (Parabolica Records)
21. Jonathan Richman - O Moon, Queen Of Night On Earth (Vapor Records)
22. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Hawk (V2 Records)
23. Fat Joe - The Darkside Vol. 1 (Terror Squad/E1)
24. Medications - Completely Removed (Dischord Records)
25. Trans Am - Thing (Thrill Jockey Records)
26. The Posies - Blood/Candy (Rykodisc)
27. Nels Cline - Dirty Baby (Cryptogramophone Records)
28. The Living Sisters - Love To Live (Vanguard)
29. Elvis Costello - National Ransom (Hear Music/Universal)
30. Young Jeezy - Trap Or Die II: By Any Means Necessary (Don Cannon)
31. The-Dream - Love King (Radio Killa/Def Jam)
32. Ne-Yo - Libra Scale (Def Jam)
33. Scarface - Dopeman Music (Facemob Music)
34. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
35. Raheem DeVaughn - The Love & War MasterPeace (Jive/Zomba)
36. The Toadies - Feeler (Kirtland)
37. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns (Warner Bros.)
38. JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys - Fidelity! (Rocket Science)
39. Sade - Soldier Of Love (RCA/Epic)
40. UNKLE - Where Did The Night Fall (Surrender All)
41. The Bird & The Bee - Interpreting The Masters Volume 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall And John Oates (Blue Note Records)
42. Fabolous - There Is No Competition 2: The Funeral Service (DJ Drama)
43. The Roots - How I Got Over (Def Jam)
44. The New Pornographers - Together (Matador Records)
45. Ciara - Basic Instinct (LaFace/Jive)
46. The Superions - Destination... Christmas! (Fanatic Records)
47. Rasputina - Sister Kinderhook (Filthy Bonnet Co.)
48. Pimp C - The Naked Soul of Sweet Jones (Rap-a-Lot)
49. Lil Boosie - Incarcerated (Trill Entertainment/Asylum/Warner Bros.)
50. ROVA Saxophone Quartet & The Nels Cline Singers - The Celestial Septet (New World)

the posies!

that is a cool and weird fucking list. are you the only person on earth who knows what that number one is? rasputina! holy toledo.

elvis costello! who knew?

ha great list but i think theres a reason i prefer al's genre-specific ones, theres something sorta wacky to me about being like "so how does this fat joe compare to this year's elvis costello"

http://www.besteveralbums.com/yearstats.php?y=2010

Taken from all the main lists apparently

i like the year-end things cuz then i can say stuff like: superchunk are still a band!?

I thought you didn't actually like Kanye's album...?

x-post

I've wanted to hear that Butch Walker album since I heard him the NYT Popcast, but haven't gotten around to it.

I thought you didn't actually like Kanye's album...?

― Indolence Mission (DJP), Friday, December 31, 2010 5:22 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i talk about it in the actual list i linked, but basically a) i treat those lists as a 'yearbook' and obviously am not seriously recommending all 50 of those as unequivocally great albums, b) #34 is not that high and c) if you think an album is just OK and everyone else is giving it 5 stars yeah you end up in kind of an adversarial position toward it and downplay what you enjoy about it but i never said i hate everything about it

the posiestoadies!

MIXMAG’S TOP 100 TUNES OF 2010
1. Tensnake, “Coma Cat” (Permanent Vacation/Defected)
2. Art Department, “Without You” (Crosstown Rebels)
3. Jamie Woon, “Night Air” (Cadent Songs) [Ramadanman remix mentioned]
4. Soul Clap, “Extravaganza” (Wolf + Lamb Black)
5. The Chemical Brothers, “Swoon” (Parlophone) [Lindstrom & Prins Thomas remix mentioned]
6. Caribou, “Odessa” (City Slang)
7. Tinie Tempah, “Pass Out” (Parlophone)
8. The Count & Sinden ft. Mystery Jets, “After Dark” (Domino)
9. Katy B, “Katy on a Mission” (Rinse)
10. Magnetic Man, “I Need Air” (Columbia)

11. Nicolas Jaar, “A Time for Us” (Wolf + Lamb)
12. Swedish House Mafia, “One” (Virgin)
13. Aeroplane, “We Can’t Fly” (Wall of Sound)
14. Duck Sauce, “Barbra Streisand” (3 Beat/AATW)
15. Breakbot, “Baby I’m Yours (Aeroplane Remix)” (Ed Banger)
16. Jamaica, “I Think I Like U 2 (Buffalo Bunch Remix)” (Cooperative)
17. Guy Gerber, “Hate Love” (Supplement Facts)
18. Jamie Jones, “Ruckus” (Hot Creations)
19. Gathering, “In My System (Jef K System Remix)” (Silver Networks)
20. Maceo Plex, “Vibe Your Love” (Crosstown Rebels)

21. Birds & Souls, “Birds & Souls” (Spectral)
22. James Blake, “CMYK” (R&S)
23. Ripperton, “Random Violence” (Green)
24. Groove Armada, “Paper Romance” (Cooking Vinyl)
25. Bakers Dozen (Simon Baker), “Piano Lessons” (Foot and Mouth)
26. Underworld, “Scribble” (Cooking Vinyl)
27. Jozif, “Chicago” (Wolf + Lamb)
28. Rusko ft. Amber Coffman, “Hold On (Sub Focus Remix)” (Ram/Ministry of Sound)
29. Kenny Larkin, “Glob (Claude von Stroke Remix)” (Planet E)
30. Ramadanman, “Work Them” (Swamp 81)

31. Robert James & Burnski, “Malibu” (Hot Creations)
32. Addison Groove, “Footcrab”/“Dumb Shit” (Swamp 81)
33. Gorillaz, “Stylo” (EMI)
34. Hot Natured, “Equilibrium” (Culprit)
35. Azari & III, “Reckless with Your Love (Tensnake Mix)” (Permanent Vacation)
36. Lee Foss, “U Got Me” (Hot Creations)
37. Cassius, “99 (Tim Green Mix)” (Cassius)
38. Larry Heard, “Déjà Vu (Musaria Mix)” (Innervisions)
39. Monarchy, “Love Get Out of My Way (Tim Goldsworthy Dub)” (Monarchy)
40. Jon Hopkins, “Vessel (Four Tet Remix)” (Double Six)

41. Chase & Status ft. Dizzee Rascal, “Heavy” (Mercury)
42. Redlight ft. Ms. Dynamite, “What You Talking About” (Digital Soundboy)
43. Nalin & Kane, “Beachball (Joris Voorn Remix)” (Supra)
44. Crystal Castles, “Celestica” (Fiction)
45. N/A ft. Rosina, “Fables & Fairytales (Deniz Kurtel Remix)” (Crosstown Rebels)
46. Above & Beyond & Gareth Emery Presents Oceanlab, “On a Good Day (Metropolis)” (Anjunabeats)
47. MJ Cole, “Sincere (Neroremix)” (Viper)
48. Boys Noize, “Yeah” (BNR)
49. Flight Facilities ft. Giselle, “Crave You” (Bang, Gang)
50. Japanese Popstars ft. Green Velvet, “Let Go” (Virgin/EMI)

51. Booka Shade, “Regenerate” (Get Physical)
52. Robert James, “Sleep Moods” (Culprit)
53. Four Tet, “Angel Echoes” (Domino)
54. The Revenge ft. Danielle Moore, “Just Be Good to Me” (Needwant)
55. Drop the Lime, “Sex Sax” (Trouble and Bass)
56. Radio Slave, “I Don’t Need a Cure For This (Kenny Larkin Remix)” (Rekids)
57. Shit Robot, “I Got a Feeling” (DFA)
58. Marc Romboy vs. Blake Baxter, “Muzik” (Systematic)
59. Chilly Gonzalez, “Never Stop (Erol Alkan Rework)” (Phantasy Sound)
60. Lenzman ft. Riya, “Open Pate” (Metalheadz)

61. Rank 1 & Jochen Miller, “The Great Escape” (High Contrast)
62. Tiefschwarz, “What You Want” (Souvenir)
63. Girl Unit, “Wut” (Night Slugs)
64. High Rankin, “Duncan’s Disco Dirt Box Disaster” (Suicide Dubs)
65. Gyptian, “Hold You” (Levels)
66. Deadboy, “If U Want Me” (Numbers)
67. S.A.S. (Subb_an & Adam Shelton), “In the Candy Store” (Foot & Mouth)
68. James Blake, “Limit to Your Love” (Atlas)
69. Midnight Magic, “Beam Me Up” (Permanent Vacation)
70. Thugfucker, “Disco Gnome (Tale of Us Remix)” (Barraca)

71. Chrisophe, “Make a Mark” (Redux)
72. System F, “Out of the Blue (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix)” (Premier)
73. Floating Points/Shark Chase, “People’s Potential” (Eglo)
74. Mason, “Runaway” (Animal Language)
75. Don Diablo, “Who’s Your Daddy (A. Skillz Remix)” (Sony)
76. Giuseppe Ottavani ft. Faith, “Angel” (Vandit)
77. Crystal Castles/Robert Smith, “Not in Love” (Fiction)
78. Mr. Sofalumpkins, “Day the Funk Died” (Geniuskills)
79. Paul Maddox, “Endangered” (Tidy Trax)
80. Wolf + Lamb, “Keep Me Up All Night (Dancing)” (Wolf + Lamb)

81. Ali Wilson, “Pandora” (Incharge)
82. Massive Attack, “Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix)” (Rcrd Lbl)
83. Two Bears, “Curious Nature” (Southern Fried)
84. Loco Dice, “Definition” (Desolat)
85. Noisia, “Machine Gun” (Vision)
86. Yeasayer, “O.N.E.” (Mute)
87. Technicolour & Komatic, “Skyline Boulevard” (Technique)
88. Gareth Emery ft. Lucy Saunders, “Sanctuary” (Garuda)
89. Four Tet, “Sing (Floating Points Remix)” (Domino)
90. George Lenton, “Sorry” (Wicky Lindows)

91. James Devlin, “Suplex (Andy Farley Remix)” (Devotion Dance)
92. Underworld, “Bird 1” (Cooking Vinyl)
93. The Aiku, “Just Can’t Sleep (Mighty Mouse Remix)” (Abracada)
94. Factory Floor, “A Wooden Box (Stephen Morris Mix)” (Blast First Petite)
95. Jamie Jones & Ghadi Mizrahi, “Nasty Things” (Wolf + Lamb)
96. Yolanda Be Cool & DCup, “We No Speak Americano” (AATW/Sweat It Out)
97. Actress, “Maze (Long Version)” (Honest Jon’s)
98. Quest, “Smooth Skin” (Deep Medi Musik)
99. DJ Koze, “Blume Der Nacht” (Pampa)
100. Joker, “Tron” (Kapsize)

i talk about it in the actual list i linked, but basically a) i treat those lists as a 'yearbook' and obviously am not seriously recommending all 50 of those as unequivocally great albums, b) #34 is not that high and c) if you think an album is just OK and everyone else is giving it 5 stars yeah you end up in kind of an adversarial position toward it and downplay what you enjoy about it but i never said i hate everything about it

I guess different strokes for different folks; if I was making a list, I would stop when I ran out of albums I was enthusiastic about.

I think there were probably 25 albums that came out this year that I loved; I would rather enthuse about them for longer than pad the list out with 25 more albums that I thought were adequate.

i'm glad al makes big lists because i like his writing

Odd that Bromance is not on the Mixmag list, was def one of the biggest tunes this year along with One, Barbra Streisand and No Speak Americano.