By the way, I'm sticking strictly to my itunes, because I don't remember everything I heard this year.
SONGS
10. Not In Love - Crystal Castles (feat. Robert Smith)
This internet gem (I don't think it's on anything) is a brilliant marriage of Smith's haunting gothic sound and Crystal Castles arena filling techno.
9. Tighten Up -The Black Keys
The song has great lines and absolutely exudes the blues, but the perfect planting of whistling makes this an instant classic. The video is hilarious, too.
8. Madder Red - Yeasayer
This synth and drums is as 80's sounding Spandau Ballet, and it works like a charm. Theres something strangely stirring in lead singer Chris Keating voice.
7. Giving Up The Gun - Vampire Weekend
Preppy quirk pop at it's best; like David Byrne's little rich kids.
6. Dance Yrself Clean - LCD Soundsystem
This song is a testament to everything amazing about this band. The sounds settles you into a comfortable groove, before jolting you up with a musical power punch to the nads; then it makes you get up and thank it.
5. F**k You - Cee Lo Green
As much as I don't completely agree with such incredible vulgarity, I can't deny the power of a funky melody line and great backing vocals. Cee Lo is neck and neck with The Temptations with this one.
4. The Battle Of Hampton Roads - Titus Andronicus
My absolute favorite lyrics of the year. The miserable protaganist can't even seem to get black-out drinking right. The last words are screaming "Please don't ever leave me" dozens of times. And then it rocks for another five minutes. These guys (along with Ted Leo) are why I really started to love punk this year.
3. Trouble Will Be Gone - The Tallest Man On Earth
The song is completely beautiful, in it's words, melody, and vigor. I could listen to the guitar line for days on end.
2. A/B Machines - Sleigh Bells
This song is the complete reason for Sleigh Bells to exist. It's crunchy, its repetitive, it's too much for 90% of any speakers in the world, and it's fun in every since of the word (especially live).
1. POWER - Kanye West
The beat, the imagery, the reason for existence; It's all absolutely amazing, and it's the defining track of one of the most important musicians of our time. Argue all you want, Kanye has meant the world to music, both mainstream and underground.
(Kanye's PR team has been remarkably diligent in keeping all streaming of this album off the internet. If you want to hear it, you'll have to buy it. Kanye being Kanye.)
Honorable Mention
The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man On Earth
Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
Shutterbug - Big Boi & Cutty
Living In America - Dom
Sun Hands - Local Natives
Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons
Over - Drake
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Norway - Beach House
Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John - Belle & Sebastian
Everlasting Light - The Black Keys
Night By Night - Chromeo
Derezzed - Daft Punk
Little Lies - Dave Barnes
Blue Blood Blues - The Dead Weather
Find Your Love - Drake
Name Calling - Eli "Paperboy" Reed
Angel Echoes - Four Tet
Sing - Four Tet
I Feel Better - Hot Chip
Cold War - Janelle Monae
Tightrope - Janelle Monae
Hard Times - John Legend & The Roots (feat. Black Thought)
Go Do - Jonsi
Boy Lilikoi - Jonsi
Runaway Love (Remix) - Kanye West (feat. Raekwon & Justin Beiber)
Power (remix) - Kanye West (feat. Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz)
All Of The Lights - Kanye West (feat. Rihanna, Elton John, Fergie, John Legend, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, La Roux’s Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys and Kid Cudi.)
Lost In The World - Kanye West (feat. Bon Iver)
Mary - Kings Of Leon
Back Down South - Kings Of Leon
Superball - Magic Kids
Terminally Chill - Neon Indian
Lewis Takes Off His Shirt - Owen Pallet
Louisiana Fairytale - Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Yim Yames
Don't Need No - Punch Brothers
Rye Whiskey - Punch Brothers
Beg Steal Or Borrow - Ray Lamontagne
New York City's Killing Me - Ray Lamontagne
Right On - The Roots (feat. Johanna Newsom & STS)
Now Or Never - The Roots (feat. Phonte & Dice Raw)
In The Sun - She & Him
Riot Rhythm- Sleigh Bells
Tell Em' - Sleigh Bells
Infinity Guitars - Sleigh Bells
Favorite Colour - Tokyo Police Club
Holiday - Vampire Weekend
California English - Vampire Weekend
Ambling Alp - Yeasayer
ALBUMS
10. Go - Jonsi
Along with what I consider the best live show of the year, Jonsi has taken what could have been a pretty mediocre solo album, and filled an album with his imaginative flourishing soundscapes that contain both constant innocence and brilliance.
9. Brothers - The Black Keys
The Black Keys have really honed in on their blues-y rock n roll with Brothers, the duo's sixth studio album. They get major props for using whistling on a track too.
8. The Monitor - Titus Andronicus
The sophomore LP from New Jersey natives Titus Andronicus, The Monitor is a gritty punk tour through both the Civil War and the pathetic yet honorable lives in the band.
7. Contra - Vampire Weekend
With such a great debut, the whole world was ready for a second album that didn't quite live up to the first......it did.
6. Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son Of Chico Dusty - Big Boi
Big Boi long anticipated solo debut is chocked full of killer lyrics, a huge range of styles, and enough synth to fight the 80's with one hand.
5. This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem
Lead singer James Murphy says has gone from saying the band is absolutely over to stating that they might take a break. With an album so filled with some of the best music of their time, we can only hope these dance hall rebels keep things going.
4. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire has made an album that is not just spectacular in itself, but also in it's life cycle with the two albums before it; from childish wonder to middle aged "meh". The band might be the best of the of the last decade.
3. Treats - Sleigh Bells
Sleigh Bells debut Treats is the most fun album I have ever heard. Outright hardcore energy at it's finest.
2. The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man On Earth
The Wild Hunt manages to blow me away on every song using nothing more than a set of strings and the craziest vocals since Dylan himself.
1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
Kanye is the only artist that can put himself through hell and emerge with a brilliant musical retrospection that recognizes it's failures while displaying the greatness he can accomplish.
Honorable Mention
Teen Dream - Beach House
Write About Love - Belle & Sebastian
Sea Of Cowards - The Dead Weather
Come & Get It - Eli "Paperboy" Reed
Gorilla Manor - Local Natives
Memphis - Magic Kids
An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall - Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Odd Blood - Yeasayer
Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons
Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons
VIDEOS
I really hate that this medium has been kind of lost. It's one of the blankest canvas' in the art community to expand on, yet, people don't seem to find time for it. Their loss
10. Das Racist - Who's That? Brooown!
Although I didn't own many games that were in this style (old), it's still very easy to connect to and humor is pretty much non-stop. "You emerge with your life, but probably not your health."
9. Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun
It's a neat video in itself, but cameos from Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, possibly Daft Punk, RZA, and Lil Jon put this over the top.
8. Big Boi - Shutterbug
This video could have been great with just one of it's dozens of mesmerizing perks. The color changing car, puppets, and holding of his own face make this more than just your regular rap video.
7. Liars - Scissors
I love that this video is artsy and a bit Lost-esque scary until the very last few frames. Great song too.
6. Hot Chip - I Feel Better
I think this is the best idea for a video made this year. To top it all off, it had millions of 14 year old girls thinking that Hot Chip was a bunch of chiseled sexy boy banders.
5. The Black Keys - Tighten Up
As I've already mentioned earlier in this post, this video is hilarious. Comedy can evolve all it wants; lip syncing, when used right, can be comic genius. So can fighting. The 3:00 mark where he drops the kid gets me rolling.
4. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Bottled In Cork
This fairly obvious dig at Green Day's American Idiot The Musical stars Ted Leo and Paul F. Thompkins, has a cameo from John Hodgeman, and is directed by Tom Scharpling, all four of which (well not really Hodgeman) my dad is loosely friends with. Plus, IT'S AWESOME. Farce at it's best
3. Flying Lotus - Kill Your Coworkers
This is the prime example of how amazing music videos can be. It is funny, short, and very visually awe-inducing.
2. Ok Go - This Too Shall Pass
This could be a.) the best Ok Go video ever b.) The greatest Rude Goldberg machine ever and/or c.) The coolest waste of time ever.
1. Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait.
This isn't as much of a video, as a web experience, but it is a brilliant idea that fits with the song perfectly. Click the link and see what I mean (turn off your pop up blocker).
Honorable Mention
Gorillaz - Stylo
M.I.A. - Born Free
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand
Janelle Monae - Tightrope
Janelle Monae - Cold War
Kanye West - Runaway
Ok Go - White Knuckles
Ok Go - This Too Shall Pass (marching band version)
Lady Gaga - Telephone
Superchunk - Digging For Something
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls
Daft Punk - Tron (I SAY IT COUNTS)
Cee Lo Green - F**k You (Both Versions).
The Books - Man, I Didn't Know That
Insane Clown Posse - Miracles
Massive Attack - Splitting The Atom
I really hate that this medium has been kind of lost. It's one of the blankest canvas' in the art community to expand on, yet, people don't seem to find time for it. Their loss
10. Das Racist - Who's That? Brooown!
Although I didn't own many games that were in this style (old), it's still very easy to connect to and humor is pretty much non-stop. "You emerge with your life, but probably not your health."
9. Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun
It's a neat video in itself, but cameos from Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, possibly Daft Punk, RZA, and Lil Jon put this over the top.
8. Big Boi - Shutterbug
This video could have been great with just one of it's dozens of mesmerizing perks. The color changing car, puppets, and holding of his own face make this more than just your regular rap video.
7. Liars - Scissors
I love that this video is artsy and a bit Lost-esque scary until the very last few frames. Great song too.
6. Hot Chip - I Feel Better
I think this is the best idea for a video made this year. To top it all off, it had millions of 14 year old girls thinking that Hot Chip was a bunch of chiseled sexy boy banders.
5. The Black Keys - Tighten Up
As I've already mentioned earlier in this post, this video is hilarious. Comedy can evolve all it wants; lip syncing, when used right, can be comic genius. So can fighting. The 3:00 mark where he drops the kid gets me rolling.
4. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Bottled In Cork
This fairly obvious dig at Green Day's American Idiot The Musical stars Ted Leo and Paul F. Thompkins, has a cameo from John Hodgeman, and is directed by Tom Scharpling, all four of which (well not really Hodgeman) my dad is loosely friends with. Plus, IT'S AWESOME. Farce at it's best
3. Flying Lotus - Kill Your Coworkers
This is the prime example of how amazing music videos can be. It is funny, short, and very visually awe-inducing.
2. Ok Go - This Too Shall Pass
This could be a.) the best Ok Go video ever b.) The greatest Rude Goldberg machine ever and/or c.) The coolest waste of time ever.
1. Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait.
This isn't as much of a video, as a web experience, but it is a brilliant idea that fits with the song perfectly. Click the link and see what I mean (turn off your pop up blocker).
Honorable Mention
Gorillaz - Stylo
M.I.A. - Born Free
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand
Janelle Monae - Tightrope
Janelle Monae - Cold War
Kanye West - Runaway
Ok Go - White Knuckles
Ok Go - This Too Shall Pass (marching band version)
Lady Gaga - Telephone
Superchunk - Digging For Something
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls
Daft Punk - Tron (I SAY IT COUNTS)
Cee Lo Green - F**k You (Both Versions).
The Books - Man, I Didn't Know That
Insane Clown Posse - Miracles
Massive Attack - Splitting The Atom
Happy New Years all four people who are going to read this!
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