Saturday, June 19, 2010

Best Albums of 2010 (so far)

The word "best" is a positive one, unless one uses it to describe "best terrorist plot", "best oil spill" or "best dumpster stench". I have not been "up with people" lately, so I thought I would do something positive with my first post after a week burrowing out of the soul searching trenches. I'm gonna kick start my sorry ass back into the world of semi-music journalism by stealing a page from two of my favorite critics, Jim Derogatis and Greg Kot from Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions.

They do TWO best albums of the year lists and one falls in June to celebrate the heralded releases up to the halfway point. The December version may or may not stay the same...lots of time left in the year(hell, yes there is...I'm absolutely positive some years are longer than others...2001, 2008 and this one for example.)

Their lists went like this:

Jim
LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening
Gorillaz- Plastic Beach
Broken Bells- self titled
Yeasayer-Odd Blood

Greg
V.V. Brown- Traveling Like the Light
Dessa- A Badly Broken Code
The Besnard Lakes-The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night
Janelle Monae-The Arch Android


I love these guys, but I think they forgot that guitars have been around for centuries. Too much chill, not enough thrill. YAWWWNNNN. At least they didn't include that horrible XX record..maybe that was the biggest overhyped mess from last year.
Hey Greg, are you finally getting in touch with your inner R and B? That Janelle Monae record is so overhyped. I'll take a pass, shake my fist instead of my ass. And Jim- you actually said on the show that the Gorillaz record became more relevant to you because of the oil spill....must be the black, thick greasy substance blocking your hearing cuz that record wakes up dead people just to put them back to sleep again.

My list has a few titles I've never even mentioned here before. What gives? I'll tell you what. Sometimes my research takes me underground to shady libraries, or my listening space(usually the car) is full of 4 year old distractions and I forget shit.

Here goes:

1) The Black Keys- Brothers: I didn't think they could top Attack and Release, but "Next Girl", "I'm Not the One" and "Sinister Kid" are slick greasy blues genius.

2) High On Fire- Snakes For the Divine- So beautifully, crushingly loud and Matt Pike has never sounded better...no, not his 9 string wizardry..the dude can sort of sing now. I'm feelin' his pain. "Bastard Samurai" and the immense "Fire, Flood and Plague" have taken me there. Makes me feel like grabbing my rusty mace and saying "Hey bloodthirsty demigod, you wanna take this outside?"

3)Blitzen Trapper-Destroyer of the Void. The bizarre title really belongs in the Surf/Skate/Gamer/80s metal category...but this second release from the Oregon boys really taps into the blissful laid back rhythms of a hike into the wilderness of a wandering soul.

4) Ted Leo- The Brutalist Bricks- Ted's taut set of unglossy but brainy power pop is tasty aerobics for lazy hipsters.

5) Dillinger Escape Plan- Option Paralysis : Aggressive lessons from Jersey Mathcore masters. Vocalist Greg Puciato is unstoppable in delivery and range.

6) Deftones- Diamond Eyes- blasting back from oblivion after the near death of their bass player Chi Cheng, the Sacramento quintet deliver a stunning array of dreamy beauty and a maelstrom of massive riffage to let anybody know that what didn't kill them made them stronger.

My other Favs so far:

7)Midlake- The Courage of Others: into the woods we go.
8)Howl-Full of Hell: deep dungeon breaths of brutal truths so heavy they could knock the sun down.
9)Stone Temple Pilots: These guys still make perfect radio rock songs, without the cheese covering.
10) Iwrestledabearonce- indescribable "_____core" with one of a kind vocalist Krysta Cameron channeling Bjork from the depths of hell.

So its almost July, and I'm glad these albums were introduced to me at a tough time in my life..music soothes the savage beast in all of us..I'm really looking forward to new releases from The Sword, Early Man, Danzig, Night Horse and Dead Confederate coming real soon.


10 comments:

  1. Hey Sean, great list, what about the soundtrack to Glee?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:47 AM

    The new Bon Jovi "the Circle" was fabulous. A big hit on the jersey cougar circuit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous8:50 AM

    Hi, i love your blog. Great work. I would like to advertise on your site. I sell penis extenders..they fit over the head of your penis like a dildo attachment..makes your dick bigger..turn down the lights and your girl will never know. comes in a variety of melanin shades and ethnicities...hitz me up

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous8:52 AM

    i love how you liberals always have to include an "oil spill comment" like its a bad thing. Don't you know environmentalists set off those rig explosions to bring attention to themselves?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Been way into the Blitzen album, and Midlake needs more love from people.

    I'd have to say 2010's been a good one so far for music. Three albums of note that I've loved, in no order are:

    LCD Soundsystem - "This Is Happening" - James Murphy may be this generations Bowie, he's cool without overly trying, and loves (and respects) all music.

    Woods - "At Echo Lake" - This album simply makes me happy, it's as if acoustic Neil Young and GBV's Bee Thousand met @ a party, got drunk, and a made a psychedelic baby. Perfect for these summer months.

    Harlem - "Hippies" - Austin 50's inspired garage rock brings a lot of fun to the table. I feel like this is an ALBUM - and songs are best to enjoy as a whole. It's punk and DIY in vein - but possibly bratty enough to text your friends about.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dude, you KNOW you're being read when your five comments include a pseudo spam for penis enlargements and a anti-liberal accusation/bashing. Nice work! The new Rush single (Caravan) is pretty good too. Very heavy...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Isorski, I am "anonymous". Anonymous is me. I am leaving my own comments now. Splitting myself into many personalities and leaving comments to my own posts. More to come.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha.....u r sew funnnnny!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8:03 PM

    Damn, Seano, you shouldn't have revealed that you are "anonymous" after only two posts...ya shoulda let it ride for a while...anyway, cheers! The Outlaw

    ReplyDelete
  10. I felt like a total music philistine when I read this blog today...like I don't know what the hell is happening in music at all...If it doesn't happen on KBCO then I don't know what the hell you are talking about...so I am thankful for this list- I will go now...or maybe not now..but soon...or maybe in a few weeks...or maybe when you post your next list...and I will be sure to download and listen to each and every one...because I respect your taste in music...and I, like many other bleeding heart liberals, am so jazzed about the oil spill...I can't wait for the next big man made natural disaster. ("man made natural disaster"...like "jumbo shrimp" or "luxury budget inn")

    ReplyDelete