Gareth Campesinos!' Records Of 2010
And so, the moment I’ve been waiting for, my 12 albums for 2010. That averages at one a month </justification for exceeding ten>
I was intending to do this in order of preference, but the late arrival of Kanye convinced me otherwise. Right now I can’t see that I like an album from this year more than My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but 12 months ago I’d have said the same about Perfume Genius’ Learning. Making a snap decision now could only cause me to cause some horrific injustice like, oooh, I dunno, suggesting the Marina And The Diamonds record is better than Kanye. Idiocy.
I cannot write about music, so please forgive these descriptions, they’re just to break up the pics, like.
So, in no particular order…
Psychorama – Bathcrones
Bright melodies bubbling atop and overflowing from slow motion beats. All sheets of synth noise and groove. An oddly uplifting record, kinda like a crack of light under the doorframe of a darkened room.
Love King – The Dream
The-Dream’s written some of modern chart music’s biggest hits (Umbrella, Single Ladies) but his solo records show an intelligence and degree of concept that very few people would expect. Dark, self obsessed stuff hidden behind MASSIVE TUNES. Our generation’s Michael Jackson, I tell you.
Carve Out The Face Of My God – Infinite Body
The most melodic shoegazy/ambient record I can recall hearing. Released on No Age’s Post Present Medium record label, this drone is modern day classical music if you ask me.
Autre Ne Veut – Autre Ne Veut
Like every annoying ten-minute trend this year, but with actual worth behind it, a set of bollocks and falsetto. Nostalgic, twisted pop-songs to make your head whir and your eyes cry ice cubes. This is one of my absolute favourites.
Blue Water White Death – Blue Water White Death
Starring Jamie Stewart and Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg, this, for me, harks back to La Foret era Xiu Xiu. Centred around acoustic instrumentation and eerie, threatening mantras.
LA Vampires Meets Zola Jesus – LA Vampires Meets Zola Jesus
Massively succesful year for Zola Jesus’ Nika Roza, whose Stridulum EP has seen her break into a world that I could never have imagined (though am so pleased to see her in). However this, her work with Pocahaunted’s Amanda Brown is my favourite of hers from this year. Mesmerising, minor key and dub tinged, this is pretty trippy stuff.
Dagger Paths – Forest Swords
So happy that this is receiving a late push from the likes of Pitchfork. Wirral producer Matthew Barnes is a gentleman, and produces music like nothing I can recall exactly hearing before. His cover of Aaliyah’s ‘If Your Girl’ may well be my track of the year (actually, no, that’s The-Dreams F.I.L.A., but still).
Suburban Tours – Rangers
Like early Ariel Pink, but less annoying (to my ears). Every AM radio song of the 80s recorded to cassette and played atop of each other over a melted car stereo. But sad, very sad.
Learning – Perfume Genius
The most delicate and tortured music I’ve heard since the highest (or is that lowest) points of This Mortal Coil. Just a beautiful man and his demons sat aside a piano. I’ve gone on about this record enough that if I’ve not convinced you by now, I’m sure I never will.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
There are no words.
Mare – Julian Lynch
Hazy, folky pop songs made ‘difficult’. Soothing and rewarding.
New Love – Former Ghosts
Industrial, hyper emotional tales of the heart and soul from the composer of my favourite album of 2009. This second full length pays even more attention to detail and space. Somehow more pop and more brutal than before.
Needless to say, I’m excited for all the upcoming End Of Year Lists from certain publications, to see what brilliant stuff I’ve missed out on this year. And maybe yours too?
I am going to have to give most of these a listen. Kanye’s album is probably second on my own list. SO GOOD.
No Privilege? Or is that because it’s an EP
No Privilege? Or is that because it’s an EP
Never heard ‘Infinite Body’, but the description is ace.
Never heard ‘Infinite Body’, but the description is ace.
Can’t decide my favourite between Romance is Boring, Plastic Beach or The Suburbs!
Can’t decide my favourite between Romance is Boring, Plastic Beach or The Suburbs!
Kanye album is horribly overated. No album with 2 minutes of Chris Rock shitting all over one of it’s best songs can be one of the best of the year.
Kanye album is horribly overated. No album with 2 minutes of Chris Rock shitting all over one of it’s best songs can be one of the best of the year.
You forgot ‘Romance is Boring’.
You forgot ‘Romance is Boring’.
new avey tare, future islands, baths, high places, land of talk, lcd, sun airway, walkmen, robyn body talk pt1 records for me. plus the social network soundtrack. been struggling to like kanye but gave up.
new avey tare, future islands, baths, high places, land of talk, lcd, sun airway, walkmen, robyn body talk pt1 records for me. plus the social network soundtrack. been struggling to like kanye but gave up.
The Kanye album is incredible, as the The-Dream one. And the Perfume Genius one, and all.
What did you think of the Nicki Minaj album, Gareth?
The Kanye album is incredible, as the The-Dream one. And the Perfume Genius one, and all.
What did you think of the Nicki Minaj album, Gareth?
MBDTF is AOTY worthy, but RIB is #1 to me!
MBDTF is AOTY worthy, but RIB is #1 to me!
HEAT RASH IS MY FAVOURITE ALBUM OF THIS YEAR!
HEAT RASH IS MY FAVOURITE ALBUM OF THIS YEAR!
Minaj disappointed me, I’m afraid Olli. Lost the grit and sass of her mixtapes.
I still like a lot of the record, but the disappointment at it not being the album I selfishly wanted holds me back.
STILL massively, massively have a crush on her.
Minaj disappointed me, I’m afraid Olli. Lost the grit and sass of her mixtapes.
I still like a lot of the record, but the disappointment at it not being the album I selfishly wanted holds me back.
STILL massively, massively have a crush on her.
Not understanding the hype of the new kanye album. Anyone could write his shit lyrics. ‘Let’s have a toast to all the douchebags’ whatever happened to originality. Agree with the rest of the list, though.
Not understanding the hype of the new kanye album. Anyone could write his shit lyrics. ‘Let’s have a toast to all the douchebags’ whatever happened to originality. Agree with the rest of the list, though.
no xiu xiu? As much as I liked the Blue Water White Death album I’d put Dear God, I Hate Myself higher.
my list would be:
Silver Mount Zion- Kollaps Tradixionales
Zach Hill- Face Tat
Daisuke Tanabe- Before I Forget
Women- Public Stain
Afrirampo- We Are Uchu No Ko
Frankie Rose and the Outs- Self Titled
Alcest- Ecailles de Lune
Peggy Sue- Fossils and Other Phantoms
Xiu Xiu- Dear God I hate Myself
Mount Eerie- Song islands 2
Help She Can’t Swim- B Sides
Anika- Anika
Favorite album I heard this year though would be Animal Hospital- Memory from 2009
no xiu xiu? As much as I liked the Blue Water White Death album I’d put Dear God, I Hate Myself higher.
my list would be:
Silver Mount Zion- Kollaps Tradixionales
Zach Hill- Face Tat
Daisuke Tanabe- Before I Forget
Women- Public Stain
Afrirampo- We Are Uchu No Ko
Frankie Rose and the Outs- Self Titled
Alcest- Ecailles de Lune
Peggy Sue- Fossils and Other Phantoms
Xiu Xiu- Dear God I hate Myself
Mount Eerie- Song islands 2
Help She Can’t Swim- B Sides
Anika- Anika
Favorite album I heard this year though would be Animal Hospital- Memory from 2009
I need to track down this Suburban Tours album. Have been hearing excited whispers about it from several corners of the internet…
I don’t have a list, but my favourite album of the year is probably Crystal Castles (II).
WORD on Minaj. Nothing on Pink Friday as epic and deranged as “Go Hard” or “Beam Me Up Scotty” from last year.
I need to track down this Suburban Tours album. Have been hearing excited whispers about it from several corners of the internet…
I don’t have a list, but my favourite album of the year is probably Crystal Castles (II).
WORD on Minaj. Nothing on Pink Friday as epic and deranged as “Go Hard” or “Beam Me Up Scotty” from last year.
Mines, not that I’m particularly authoritative or anything, and I haven’t really given written anything about them.
http://terriblybored.tumblr.com/post/2075832418/albums-1-flying-lotus-cosmogramma-2-caribou
Mines, not that I’m particularly authoritative or anything, and I haven’t really given written anything about them.
http://terriblybored.tumblr.com/post/2075832418/albums-1-flying-lotus-cosmogramma-2-caribou
Oh my, the first thing i thought when i saw this list was, wow another year passed by.
Nicki minajs’s voice on “Bottoms Up” makes me laugh every time i hear it! hahaha
@Lauryn:yes, i am sure anyone could have written the lyrics,”lets have a toast for the douchebags”, but did anyone do it before?. All i have to say is think about it. :]
Oh my, the first thing i thought when i saw this list was, wow another year passed by.
Nicki minajs’s voice on “Bottoms Up” makes me laugh every time i hear it! hahaha
@Lauryn:yes, i am sure anyone could have written the lyrics,”lets have a toast for the douchebags”, but did anyone do it before?. All i have to say is think about it. :]
I look forward to listening to some of the music on this list, I have only heard Kanye’s, which is brilliant of course. A few that you might want to take a look at are The National’s High Violet, Tame Impala’s (an amazing aussie band) Innerspeaker, Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and Teen Dream by Beach House. You might not listen to that sort of music though.
I look forward to listening to some of the music on this list, I have only heard Kanye’s, which is brilliant of course. A few that you might want to take a look at are The National’s High Violet, Tame Impala’s (an amazing aussie band) Innerspeaker, Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and Teen Dream by Beach House. You might not listen to that sort of music though.
I think there’s a general sense of disappointment with Pink Friday because of the both the impossible hype Nicki had to live up to and the album being released at the same time as MBDTF. Personally, I let the amazing MBDTF unfairly shape my judgment of Pink Friday. Lots of solid/great songs on it, though.
I think there’s a general sense of disappointment with Pink Friday because of the both the impossible hype Nicki had to live up to and the album being released at the same time as MBDTF. Personally, I let the amazing MBDTF unfairly shape my judgment of Pink Friday. Lots of solid/great songs on it, though.
Don’t know all of those by far, but the ones I do I like such as Former Ghosts, Perfume Genius, and Dagger Paths.
My short list is:
Sleigh Bells – Treats
Corine Bailey Rae – The Sea
LC! – RIB (duh)
Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
Peter Wolf Crier – Inter Be
Don’t know all of those by far, but the ones I do I like such as Former Ghosts, Perfume Genius, and Dagger Paths.
My short list is:
Sleigh Bells – Treats
Corine Bailey Rae – The Sea
LC! – RIB (duh)
Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
Peter Wolf Crier – Inter Be
[...] Gareth Campesinos!’ Records Of 2010 And so, the moment I’ve been waiting for, my 12 albums for 2010. That averages at one a month I was intending to do [...] [...]
[...] Gareth Campesinos!’ Records Of 2010 And so, the moment I’ve been waiting for, my 12 albums for 2010. That averages at one a month I was intending to do [...] [...]
Swans!
I didn’t listen to nearly enough records this year. RIB places very highly for me (and continues to grow in my affections – definitely the best LC! album, I’d say now), but a lot of the stuff people seem to like just seems really boring. Arcade Fire, Caribou, Four Tet, Deerhunter, Sufjan Stevens, Spoon, etc. etc. etc. – all duds this year.
Swans!
I didn’t listen to nearly enough records this year. RIB places very highly for me (and continues to grow in my affections – definitely the best LC! album, I’d say now), but a lot of the stuff people seem to like just seems really boring. Arcade Fire, Caribou, Four Tet, Deerhunter, Sufjan Stevens, Spoon, etc. etc. etc. – all duds this year.
Also, that Infinite Body record (which I’d never heard of) sounds AMAZING.
Also, that Infinite Body record (which I’d never heard of) sounds AMAZING.
I’ve managed to keep up with new music much more than usual this year and I still haven’t heard any of your albums.
I guess this is as good a time as any to try and actually choose my top ten:
1. Adebisi Shank: This Is The Second Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank
2. Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring
3. Candy Hearts: Ripped Jeans And Silly Dreams
4. RVIVR: S/T
5. Crywank: James Is Going To Die Soon
6. Hipster Youth: Teenage Elders
7. ASMZ: Kollaps Tradixionales
8. The Thermals: Personal Life
9. Fight Like Apes: The Body Of Christ And The Legs Of Tina Turner
10. VHS Heas: Trademark Ribbons Of Gold
i know this is pretty late but i just wanna say thanks for introducing me too perfume genius i now love him!!!!!!!!
D
my top albums
-Los Campesinos -RIB (yes)
-Blood Red Shoes – Fire Like This
-The National – High Violet
-Troy Von Balthazar – How To Live On Nothing
-Former Ghosts – New Love (high-five!)
-Zola Jesus – Stridulum II
the music i liked:
baths. cerulean
four tet. there is love in you
caribou. swim
ariel pink’s haunted graffiti. before today
beach fossils. beach fossils
pantha du prince. black noise
gonjasufi. a sufi and a killer
flying lotus. cosmogramma
best coast. crazy for you
drake. thank me later
looking forward to 2011:
wu lyf, cloud nothings, pains of being pure at heart
Xiu Xiu!!! dear god i hate myself…
Thanks for posting this Gareth. So much good music here that I hadn’t heard of before. Great night to check out new music and do homework.
Perfume Genius is fucking incredible.
We talked about 2010 music back at the Iowa City Blue Moose show, and there’s nothing I can add that you probably don’t already know about. Dangers- Messy Isn’t It was my favorite hardcore record of the year, and a band called The World is a Beautiful Place and I am no Longer Afraid to Die had a really good 4-song EP called Formlessness that is worth checking out. The only other things I haven’t seen posted in this thread is Tallest Man on Earth or No Age, but everyone knows them…