2010: my favorite albums!

Ok, so every year when I sit down to make my best-of the year list, I fall into this trap where I start wondering if the albums I'm picking are REALLY the INCONTESTABLE BEST ALBUMS of the year, and it's a pretty bad way to go about making a list.  This year I'm trying to take it a little bit easier- this list is not what I'm saying are the BEST albums that will stand the test of time, just a bunch of albums I liked that happened to come out this year.  In fact, only my top 6 records do I feel belong in any really top ranking- the rest of the list could have fallen in a completely different order, were I to assemble this list last month or next week or even right now.  Anyway, I enjoyed all of these albums in different ways, so let me know what albums were your stand-outs this year!

read the rest!

30. The Alps - Le Voyage
29. Neil Young - Le Noise
28. Sun Araw - On Patrol
27. Danny Paul Grody - Fountain
26. Afrirampo - We Are Uchu No Ko
25. Arp - The Soft Wave
24. Pocahaunted - Make It Real
23. Abe Vigoda - Crush
22. Aboombong - Asynchronic
21. Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here?
20. Avey Tare - Down There
19. Zola Jesus - Stridulum
18. Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz -Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz
17. Nite Jewel - Am I Real?
16. Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
15. Nice Nice - Extra Wow
14. Julian Lynch - Mare
13. C V L T S - L V S T (review)
12. Salem - King Night
11. Nobunny - First Blood (review)

10. Die Antwoord - $O$
I think this is one of those things that if you are sick of the joke, you HATE IT.  Some people were sick of the joke the second these guys came out.  I still think its funny.  I'm probably going to be embarrassed I picked this next year.

 09. †‡† - CDR

Speaking about making picks that will be embarrassing next year.... witch house!  This has all of the overwrought epicness of Salem without the incredibly shitty constant drum machine hand claps.

 08. Sex Church - Six Songs By Sex Church
 (review)
Now that I'm actually writing these blurbs, I can't really justify why I felt this album/EP needed to be ranked so high.  I really dig the downer garage shoegaze schtick though.

 07. Wild Nothing - Gemini
 (review)
True, this album is super derivative, but it does it so well!  I think 2011 might be the year that I decide I have too many shoegaze bands in my life, however.

 06. V/A - Three Years Ahead: The Cloud Rap Tape
 (review)
Not technically a proper album, but rather a mixtape made by a blog.  But who cares, this would make the top 10 on the strength of the Lil B tracks alone (actually, it pretty much did).

 05. How To Dress Well - Love Remains
 (review)
I didn't really think I liked this album so much when I started listening to it, but the more I dug in the more I found I really enjoyed it.  So damaged and pretty.

 04. Beach House - Teen Dream

This album leaked last year!  But it actually came out this year.  It was a good way to start 2010.  Such a warm and comfortable sound, for warm and comfortable times.

 03. Moon Duo - Escape

Moon Duo are kind of like a rehash of Wooden Shjips (the band they share members with), except better.  There needs to be more music from this group soon!

 02. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

Amazing to me that Ariel Pink managed to pull this off so successfully- who is so joyfully catchy and head-scratchingly fucked up and weird at the same time?

 01. LA Vampires & Zola Jesus - LA Vampires & Zola Jesus
 (review)
Is this actually better than any of the other albums that came out this year?  I don't know if I could defend that claim, but its definitely the album I feel the most excited about calling #1.  The best thing either of these artists have produced!  So effortlessly cool.