Here it is everybody- OUR TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2010!!! We hope you're happy and will check 'em out, because the voices here at ergophobia have been clashing and warring and bickering with each other about which artists’ albums of 2010 should make it into the top 20. As usual, Our collective of snobby music voices has produced an eclectic and varied list that has something for everyone. Our subjective-asses had a hard time figuring out what spots belonged to whom, but overall We are pleased with how the list turned out. The team of voices all contributed some little nugget-sized reviews to let you know what the sound is like.
All of these albums are available for free download via the links provided in the respective titles of the album above the reviews. This is for the purpose of getting the sultry sounds of these musicians to the ears of listeners all around. As stated before, this is for sampling purposes to see if you enjoy the artist, so We have some rules…
HERE ARE THE OPTIONS YOU HAVE IF YOU DOWNLOAD AN ALBUM:
- You must tell EVERYONE YOU KNOW that you think would be interested in the album to CHECK IT OUT.
- You must ATTEND SHOWS whenever the band comes through your area.
- You must consider PURCHASING the physical copy of the album, UNLESS the band is ran by a major record label.
- You must look into BUYING MERCHANDISE, such as T-shirts, posters, hoodies, etc.
- You must LISTEN WITH AN OPEN MIND
- And finally, you must ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS SPREAD THE GOOD WORD!
Here’s what all you pseudo-faggy hip dudes were waiting for- the adorable Zooey Deschanel is not only a sultry looking actress, but a great folk artist as well. She is a multi-instrument musician, but above all else what makes Volume Two is her soothing and personal voice. i know it’s the middle of goddamn winter, but it must be mentioned that She & Him make for perfect tunes to listen to while sipping lemonade on a hot-ass front porch in the summertime (when the living’s easy). Though i do indeed advise you all to attend their shows, be wary of flying busted hipster-loads floating around the crowd.
Favorite Song: Ridin’ My Car
-Timid-Kid
i’ve always liked the smooth jazz radio stations (which have since been taken over latin music), but they were always so corny and i usually just listened to the stuff by myself, like some kind of soul-junkie or something. Anyhoo, Big Gigantic is two dudes who handle electronics and one blows crazy parts on the saxophone. A Place Behind The Moon is their most recent release- it takes the soulful jams of smooth jazz sax players, but lays them over filthy phat electronic beats. These guys are definitely one of the highlight groups within the burgeoning electronic scene.
Favorite Song: Sky High
-STEPHEN DUBSON
A good contemporary ska band, you say? And it’s not Streetlight Manifesto?! Indeed! Bomb the Music Industry! is one dude, Jeff Rosenstock, and he is a goddamn DIY prince. Previously BTMI! was solely ran by this valiant man, who recorded every single instrument on his album. Now, on the gut-bustingly titled ADULTS!!!: SMART!!! SHITHAMMERED!!! AND EXCITED BY NOTHING!!!!!!! he is aided with a full band to deliver sincere and emotionally riveting punky ska music. He doesn’t just stick to the formula though- the album is complete with synths, a few hardcore screams, and other little quirky ditties. Skank the night away!!!
Favorite Song: Planning My Own Death
-Hurt Brobain
These dudes NEED to be heard. i was lucky enough to catch these dudes at some hip art gallery venue called Club 2720 in St.Louis, it was my first date with this cool chick Molly. My god, what a live show, Zoogma takes the flow and energy of a DJ and mixes it in with jam band styled songs, i.e. Umphrey’s McGee. Along with the virtuoso instrumentation and badass light show, these men should be sure to get a following in the future, one that i am now a part of. Recreational Vehicles is their debut EP, so grab it and start listening if you want to be into these guys before the masses. Plus, if you like/love Ghostbusters, they do an amazing cover of the theme song!
Favorite Song: Incredible Machine
-Shablaman Shablaca
Coming from the beautifully crafted sing-along album The Satanic Satanist, Portugal. The Man has once again made another turn in their style. American Ghetto takes the undeniably catchy style of their last album but puts a dark spin on it, shooting for an atmosphere that is all but their own. Portugal. The Man has got to be one of the most prolific bands out there right now, and they always seem to be open to changes in style.
American Ghetto is, once again, a stellar album released by these Alaskan natives. A reliable, chillaxing listen, guitarist John Gourley’s falsetto will draw you in and literally force you to groove out. This album will be sure to get many a play, as well as attract many a new fan.
Favorite Song: 1000 years
-Sol(ution) Rosenberg
Let’s all agree that Gorillaz is the best animated band in the universe (Dethklok can suck a ripe dickie). Don’t tell me that you weren’t trying to be cool and memorize all the verses of “Clint Eastwood” or bumping around to “Feel Good Inc.”. With Plastic Beach, Gorillaz once again do what they do best- find a way to make consistently catchy and fun poppy tunes. This time, there’s a load more of funk, and a whole shit-ton more of guest appearances on the album including Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, De La Soul, Bobby Womack, a bunch of random Syrian Orchestral musicians, Kano, and Mick Jones and Paul Simonon from The Clash.
Damon Albarn, the man behind the animations, weaves the theme of pollution into almost all the songs, making Plastic Beach somewhat of a concept album i guess. But, even if you don’t give a fuck about the environment, Plastic Beach is yet another album from Gorillaz in which they manage to stay fresh, not stale.
Favorite Song: Empire Ants
-yemsel
i have to give mad respect to MGMT for releasing an album like Congratulations, especially after Oracular Spectacular, an album that relied almost entirely on singles (Time To Pretend, Kids, Electric Feel). It’s so badass that a two-man electro-pop outfit (with some merit, don’t get me wrong) took on a complete transformation into a 5-piece rock band, heavily spiced with retro ‘60s psychedelic vibes. Unlike their previous album, Congratulations flows like a solid album should.
An album written about the regrets of surfing major success by going on MDMA binges on the regs…what a sweet, sweet treat. Definitely a great CD to chill in a garage during the summer, gettin’ lifted…on the regs… Who would have thought MGMT would make an album like this, or a 12 minute song, for that matter? Erase everything you used to think about MGMT, listen to Congratulations, and prepare to see a band taking the first steps in a promising new direction.
Favorite Song: Siberian Breaks
-Shablaman Shablaca
In a world filled with annoying-ass attention-seeking high-pitched vocalists in bands that fuse “emo gayness” with other “eclectic” shit that “defines their sound”, Circa Survive has always pulled through- like a diamond among a bunch of dingleberries. It’s a very nice occurrence when a solid band moves onto a major record label but doesn’t lose all of its substance.
Blue Sky Noise is a release worthy of carrying on Circa Survive’s still-youthful career. A lot of Us would certainly love another Juturna, and though Blue Sky Noise is not Juturna 2.0, the off-kilter melancholic rhythms found in Circa’s debut album can be found in this one as well (“Glass Arrows”). Combine those with the blunt, unfiltered energy of On Letting Go and you have Blue Sky Noise, another addition to Circa Survive’s growing repertoire.
Favorite Song: Strange Terrain
-Cayce Grace
Pretty Lights is the shit, man. The dude’s name is Derek Vincent Smith, and he’s seriously BLOWING UP within the electronic dance scene. But hold the phone- this isn’t some wack Rusko cookie cutter dubstep bullshit- with a live drummer and a collection of retro samples mixed in with catchy, bumping mid-tempo beats, it’s made apparent that Pretty Lights stands out among the droves of chumps looking to catch a ride on a trendy style.
Making Up a Changing Mind is the first of a trilogy of EP’s that Pretty Lights released throughout the year. The other two should have been on this list, but We decided to have one album max per artist. Though the true way to experience Pretty Lights is to be engulfed in the energy found on a dance floor or a festival resting on trampled grass, complete with a CAPTIVATING light show, Making Up a Changing Mind is still able to get you bouncing with its recordings. i am completely in love with Pretty Lights at the moment, and so should you…
Favorite Song: I Can See It In Your Face (TOP SONG OF 2010)
-STEPHEN DUBSON
Since 2005, Tera Melos has been consistently adding more and more tunes to their ever-changing, eclectic, and unique collection of music. They mix together a variety of elements into their songs- chilled out ambient sections contrasted by abrasive noise freak outs, extreme spastic and precise technical parts occasionally graced with minimalism, and just recently a higher priority on including vocals. It’s jazzy, heavy, groovy, happy, crazy, and all kinds of other adjectives ending with a y.
With Our number one album of 2010, Patagonian Rats, the bold move of adding catchy, hook-heavy vocals to every single track by guitarist/synthesizer/everything-dude Nick Reinhart was a risky one at that. Did the release of their first single, the simply structured “Frozen Zoo”, scare the shit out of me and bring me to tears? Hell yes. Would Tera Melos ever be the same again? Apparently not. The instrumental, spazzy-rock-loving individuals like myself were bound to feel alienated and betrayed, right?
WRONG AS FUCK!
Tera Melos has truly accomplished a great feat with Patagonian Rats- they’ve crafted a stellar collection of sounds that enables the addition of poppy vocal hooks and the chaotic instrumentals of Tera Melos’s math rock roots to live in harmony. Please, for the love of science, listen to this album.
Favorite Song- Sky Watch
With love, Sol(ution) Rosenberg and the rest of the folks at ergophobia, have a great fucking new year!!!
