Best records from other years that I listened to in 2010
I’ve definitely never made one of these lists before.
I spent a lot of this year not listening to new music. I’d look at my playlist of unlistened albums, and, with a few exceptions, just not be excited about them. I spent a large chunk of the year listening to nothing but old twee indie pop, and a brief spell listening to a lot of black metal.
At any rate, here are a few albums I discovered (or rediscovered in earnest) this year that I feel compelled to share. I ranked these (okay, really just the first three) in order of how important they are to me right now. And if I’m being honest, this list is more about the past three months or so than the year as a whole, but oh well.
1. Lemuria - Get Better
This record sounds practically like it was made for who I am right now. It does a lot of what Alkaline Trio’s “Goddamnit!” does for me, but without being kind of embarrassing to admit loving. (sidebar - “Goddamnit!” is a great record which I am a huge fan of, but I will acknowledge that being that pop-punky, and the vocal stylings on it, are maybe not for everyone.) There’s catharsis, tenderness, non-heteronormative narratives, male/female vocals… and all wrapped up in a tight, lean album full of hooks. Seriously catchy, and the song structures are just a little peculiar - enough to be interesting, not alienating. Basically the only thing I don’t love about this album is how short it is, which is amplified a bit by the fact that the songs run together a bit (which fact I otherwise love). I haven’t even been listening to this all year, and yet it’s easily topped my last.fm listening stats for the year.
2. Jawbreaker - Dear You
The good thing about getting into Jawbreaker years after they’ve broken up is that none of the bullshit scene politics that might have stopped me from liking “Dear You” are relevant anymore, and I can just enjoy an excellent album. The first time I listened to this record was because I remembered hearing “Fireman” on the radio years ago, when it was released as a single, and liking it a lot - that should probably say something about how catchy this record is. It’s also an extremely sad record about depression and heartbreak and loss, but for that, it is extremely uptempo and hooky, which makes for a great combination. Favorite song: tied between “Accident Prone” and “Jet Black”.
3. Madeline - The Slow Bang
I heard an EP of Madeline’s years ago, liked it, and then promptly forgot about her. Then over the summer, I saw her play at a house party, and realized she’s been putting out fantastic records for years now. This record is almost exclusively just guitar and her voice (there’s piano and other vocals occasionally), and it’s recorded such that you can really hear the rooms she’s in (including crickets sometimes!), but it’s wonderful. Her voice is so lovely, and her songs so beautiful and sweet, with smart, memorable lyrics. She had an album in 2009, “White Flag”, that is quite good and would have been a contender for my amendments to that year’s best of list, but frankly, this album is so much better that it’s a little hard for me to listen to “White Flag” and not think about how good “The Slow Bang” is.
6. Hey Marseilles - To Travels and Trunks
I’m guessing that when these guys next release an album, they’re going to get big. Simple, emotive pop songs, with a bit of that Beirut-esque eastern European influence. Seeing them live is fantastic, as well: it’s a big band, with lots of instrument swapping and the kind of jamming that’s fun and engaging, not boring and masturbatory.
6. I Farm - Sincerely, Robots
Pop-punk meets mathcore. As in, weird passages in off time signatures, followed by danceable 4/4 punk. A kind of strange mashing together, but it works nicely. I’m not honestly sure this is best of the year material, and I haven’t really been listening to it all year or on loop, but I’m definitely into it right now.
6. Incredible Force of Junior - Let the World Fall Apart
An indie pop record that stood out in my mind. The vocal style reminds me a little of Jad Fair, but a little more conventional sounding. Just a nice little catchy record.