Hit it…
2010 was a terrific year for music. Lots of old favorites releasing really good music, some great new bands, and, of course, some not-so-new bands that are now new to me all blessed us with new material. In fact, over a third of this sampler is from bands who released their first music in 2010. Despite the economic conditions and the rapidly changing structure of economics of music, artistic people continue to be inspired and inspire us. For that, I’m so grateful. On to the music
Track 1: “Right On” by The Roots
My difficulty to embrace rap and hip hop music is well documented. I thought it might be like sushi – if I tried it enough I’d get used to it and eventually love it. It’s proven to be a tougher nut to crack than sushi. However, there is the occasional band and song that provides me an easy entry into the genre. The Roots are such a band and “Right On” is such a track. The house band for Jimmy Fallon teams up with artsy critic favorite Joanna Newsome. I love the beat and some of the rap lines are really great (“people are counting on me like a digit” being a personal favorite. This is a great way to start off a playlist.
Track 2: “One Day” by Kings Go Forth
Three things surprise me about this song – it was released this year, the band it from Milwaukee, WI and I love it. The retro-soul outfit sounds like it was plucked right out of smack dab the middle of the 1970’s. The drums, the horns, the bongos – oh my! It makes me pine for the days of Watergate and A Clockwork Orange (which of course I don't remember very well, but hey - what the heck).
Track 3: “Sinister Kid” by The Black Keys
The new album by The Black Keys, “Brothers” was one of the best of the year. Without a weak song on the album it was tough to pick just one song for this list. Tracks like “Tighten Up” and “Everlasting Light” were staples on alternative radio. My cousin Anthony helped me truly appreciate the quality of this album on our visit to Miami this summer. I even got to go “totally retro” by buying the actual CD at Specs on US 1 reliving so many years of CD purchasing on trips to Miami to visit family. The CD even changes color when exposed to heat! I’d be hard pressed to come up with a better soundtrack for my summer than this album.
Track 4: “In Sleep” by Lissie
Some songs haunt you – you just can’t shake them loose from your skull. You hear them in your head when you wake up, when you’re in a boring meeting, when you’re trying to fall asleep. “You Make It Easy” by Air comes to mind as one of these songs. What I find odd, is that often these songs are not typically what you’d consider music that you identify with or like. There’s just a particular intonation or key that strikes a chord. “In Sleep” is just one of those songs. It got pretty heavy rotation on the Current despite the fact that it sounds like it would be like a mix of Stevie Nicks and something that might be found on one of those Starbucks compilation CDs. I find the lyrics incredibly heartfelt and honest. The music makes me feel as though I’m sneaking around on tip toe to avoid making a sound.
Track 5: “Cameras” by Matt & Kim
This track sounds a little more like my usual taste. What surprises me is that I hadn’t heard them before this year. Their album Sidewalks released this year is their third. Matt and Kim are a couple from Brooklyn. They’re like a sweeter, sing-songy version of the White Stripes as Kim takes on drumming duties. Their playful sound is pretty easy to get into if you’re a child of 80’s alternative like me. Matt and Kim – it’s nice to meet you.
Track 6: “Boyfriend” by Best Coast
I’m a sucker for female vocalists. I’m also a sucker for retro-surf sounds often found in songs by bands like the Breeders. Best Coast fits neatly with this sound. The lyrics from this solid album seem to have been ripped right out the diary of a California teenage girl. The sounds are based on a variety of genres that I really enjoy like garage rock and girl groups. “Boyfriend” got pretty heavy rotation on the Current this year and for good reason. It’s a great song from a promising young band.
Track 7: “Wide Eyes” by Local Natives
Local Natives is another new band in 2010. Despite they formed in 2008 and recorded much of it the same year, their first release, Gorilla Manor, was not released in the US until this year. Their sound is very prototypical of a certain brand of alternative rock by bands like Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear.
Track 8: “Let’s Go Surfing” by The Drums
Continuing the section of new artists are The Drums. Their self-titled debut released this year is a tight record full of catchy tunes – many of which would have made great selections for a sampler. The Drums are another act from Brooklyn.
Track 9: “Love Doesn’t Just Stop” by Standard Fare
I love serendipitous moments. Like when you’re driving your son to drum lessons and the radio plays a song that’s super catchy and then you never hear them play it again - EVER. Luckily, you have your phone with you at the time and you can look up on the Current’s website and see that it’s some band called Standard Fare (or is that the name of the song?). This was my random prized introduction to Standard Fare. For a couple of weeks I listened to little else. “How can we stay in touch when you don’t talk”. Strange. Lucky.
Track 10: “Tightrope” by Janelle Monae
Everyone’s favorite new artist from Prince to many of the critics best of 2010 lists is Janelle Monae. Her sold out show with Of Montreal this summer at First Avenue was one of the hottest tickets of the year. On this track she gets help from Outkkast’s Big Boi (who had his own good album this year). I suspect Ms. Monae won’t be opening for anyone for very long. I also doubt she’ll be at venues the size of First Avenue much longer either.
Track 11: “Stretch Your Face” by Tobacco
For the first time ever, this sampler does not include a song by Beck. It does include a song very influenced by Beck. In fact he guest sings on two songs from the same album (the fabulously titled “Maniac Meat”). The album is chock full of short, synth-driven tracks like this one with great titles like “TV All Greasy” and “Motorlicker”. While I’d never heard of Tobacco or the band he fronts Black Moth Super Rainbow, this is his third solo album to date. He’s obviously been listening to Beck.
Track 12: “Take It In” by Hot Chip
Small miracle this is the first time Hot Chip has been on one of my samplers. Their sound is very inspired by New Order. This year I had the chance to see them live and that sealed the deal for me. These guys are good. Very good. Their lyrics can also be very humorous. “The Wheel of Fortune starts at six o’clock, so what am I to do till midnight?” starts this track as an example. One Life Stand is their fourth album and it seems like they are really hitting their stride. This band is from London. As a side note, they collaborated with Bernard Sumner (New Order lead singer) this year on a song for a Converse compilation that’s quite good as well.
Track 13: “Not In Love (feat. Robert Smith)” by Crystal Castles
Who’s that on lead vocals and why do they sound just like Robert Smith from The Cure? Why it is Robert Smith guesting on this remake of an obscure 80’s alternative song. In fact, it’s the best sounding thing he’s sung on in years. When the word “fascination” rolls out of his mouth its hard not to be transported to 1989’s “Fascination Street” in wistful reminiscing. This song was a great little treat this year.
Track 14: “Pow Pow” by LCD Soundsystem
Touted as the swan song for the band, their album This Is Happening was a musical highlight of the year. True to form, it’s full of 9 very long songs that are heavy on beat, physicality and repetition. Of course I loved it. I had the chance to see LCD Soundsystem this year at Roy Willkins (boo) with Hot Chip (yay). This song has basic structure, few instruments and hardly any lyrics. It’s lyrics have a funny way of speaking to dynamics in Amy and my relationship (“you being tired and me being wired, there’s advantages to both” and “me being uptight and you being alright, there’s advantages to each”). The version here is abbreviated from the full version on the album, but gives an idea of the effect. It was my favorite song of the year.
Track 15: “Rhinestone Eyes” by Gorillaz
Another longtime favorite and another alleged swan song album, Gorillaz (the animated band) released Plastic Beach this year. True to form it included many guest artists from Snoop Dog to Lou Reed to Bobby Womack to The Clash. The best show of the year for me was going to see the Gorillaz live at Target Center with Amy and the boys in October. It was their first show and I felt I was setting them up with a very respectable first show. It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. Damon Alburn was terrific leading many of the guest artists in front of Jamie Hewlett’s impressive animations projected on massive LCD screens. It was really quite a site.
Track 16: “The Ghost Inside” by Broken Bells
Danger Mouse (producer extraordinaire) and James Mercer (Shin’s front man) teamed up to make Broken Bells this year. It’s a very well-produced album of modern alternative songs that arrived in early 2010. Mercer’s falsetto on this track has almost a Prince sound to it. The rest of the songs on the album are also of very high quality. This band was a staple on altenative radio this year.
Track 17: “I Want the World to Stop” by Belle and Sebastian
Has it really been 4 years since the last B&S album? Wow – seemed like those guys were releasing things every year back in the late 90’s and early 00’s. They didn’t disappoint on Write About Love. It fits in very nicely alongside their terrific catalogue of albums. I was bummed they didn’t come through the Twin Cities on tour this time, but perhaps there’s still hope for 2011. To promote the album, the band filmed an endearing little 20 minute video where they and their manager talk about the album, the music business, and have a few performances. It’s very well done and very Belle & Sebastian. Check it out on their website.
Track 18: “Albatross” by The Besnard Lakes
The opening of this track sounds like it could have come off of Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. That grabbed me immediately. As the track progresses and the dramatic bass and drum lines come in the track builds in majesty and beauty. Later in the song the horns add to the atmosphere. It’s definitely a song to sit and chill to. The Besnard Lakes are from Montreal and this is their third album. If you don’t like this on first listen, give it a few chances. I get that music like this is definitely not for everyone, but I loved it too much to leave it off.
Track 19: “Warpaint” by Undertow
My dad always told me “Mike, nothing’s free”. Well, how I came across Undertow and this song in particular was something for free. I had made a purchase on Amazon for some MP3s and after completing it I was offered this song for free. “What the heck” I thought give it a spin. I’m glad I did. It turned out to be one of my favorite songs of the year. The rest of their first album The Fool is also right up my alley. One more interesting new band this year.
Track 20: “Thieves” by She and Him
She and Him are actress Zooey Deschanel and musician M. Ward. This was their second release as an act together appropriately entitled “Volume 2”. Upon first hearing the lead single “In the Sun” I found myself really annoyed by the sound. But as I heard it over and over on the Current, there was a strange point when it flipped and I really liked it. Her voice just really started to grab me. This album was another dedicated 2 week listener for me this year. I was bummed to miss their sold out show at First Avenue this summer.
Track 21: “Leleklato Sugar” by Stereolab
Last song. Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening. Stereolab announced last year they were indefinitely going on hiatus but they had one more album’s worth of material to release. That gave us possibly their final release, Not Music, this year. It’s been bitter sweet to listen to Not Music knowing it may be the Groop’s last work but I was certainly happy to have it as a musical highlight of the year. This song has so much of what makes Stereolab great to me: the Moog, the dramatic tempo transition mid-song, the horns, the incredible vocals by Laetitia Sadier, and of course a completely undecipherable name. You will be missed, Stereolab (solo work by Sadier this year was outstanding and will help make up for your absence). Thank you for all the great music and inspiration. I hope you enjoyed this play list. Have a great 2011. Keep listening to music and supporting the great artists that inspire you.
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