Jacob Kobryn
December 28th, 2010, 02:09 AM
This year was interesting for me (musically.) On one hand, I didn't really hear a single bad album, nor were there really any disappointments. In fact, there were plenty of GREAT albums that were released this year. Unfortunately, however, there wasn't really any one (or two/three/four) albums that feel like masterpieces or I think will truly stick with me for the long haul. Perhaps that's just my state of mind? But as a whole, I'd say this year was much better than 2009, and about the same as 2008.
For some genres, specifically PSYCH ROCK and MODERN CLASSICAL, this year was incredible. Those are two genres that certainly seem to be on the rise over this next decade, and I do not feel remorse for that to say the least. It was a weaker year for metal (though there were a handful or so of INCREDIBLE metal releases,) as well as some other genres (I only heard a couple of good post-rock albums, with the rest sounding horrendously clichéd and predictable.) As a whole I'd probably give music a 6.8... Kidding.
I included the genre and country because those two things usually dictates what a band sounds like pretty thoroughly. That'll hopefully help some of the people who like some stuff that I listen to but not others.
This may be my last year of doing these lists, because I find it a bit draining and I feel that it detracts from the listening experience a bit. I'm going to take some time to "fill holes in my musical education" (aka listen to the classics) and to finally start my genre exploration project.
Best album cover(s): The Third Eye Foundation - The Dark by Vania Zouravilov. I also love Sleepy Sun - Fever by David D'Andrea.
Biggest Disappointment(s): There actually weren't many this year, unlike last year. I found the new Burzum a bit disappointing, but then again, I didn't necessarily have the highest expectations for it to begin with. I also found the new Atheist to be a bit disappointing, and the new Eluvium. Both are good (as is Belus, actually) just not as good as their past material.
Best debut album: Les Discrets
Biggest Surprise: The biggest surprise for me this year was probably the new Arcade Fire, because I really didn't enjoy Neon Bible (though I do now) and I wasn't a very big fan of the band before I heard this record. This is a true return to form, and since hearing this album I've become a huge fan of AF.</span></span>
Most underrated album: Les Discrets, Max Richter, and Wovenhand were all very underrated.
Most overrated album: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy... Semi-decent but embarrassingly far from a masterpiece. I have no idea why so many have rated this album so highly... Actually when it comes to pop/mainstream rap this has to be the best thing there is. Some parts were actually very enjoyable. But there are some really bad vocal-type stuff, both from Kanye, and his back-up vocalist with that dreadful, over-produced vocal sound I hate. The lyrics (which a lot of people are praising) are good in some parts, laughable in others (though I'm unsure whether or not the humor was intentional,) and unnerving in others due to how much Kanye's pretension comes through them. Most of the lyrics are about Kanye's struggles with his "responsibility as the savior of music" or whatever. Fuck that. I guess it gets bonus points for sampling King Crimson, Can, and I think Camel in parts, as well as having Justin Vernon on board. And the string arrangements were very nice. I liked the first couple of tracks. All of the Lights is HORRENDOUS. The rest were more or less neutral I guess, with some good, and some REALLY bad. I shouldn't care about Pitchfork but I seriously can't believe they gave this album a 10/10 (which is the same rating they gave Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, Revolver, Animals, OK Computer, Kid A, Disintegration, etc. which are all worthy of that rating.) This is literally THE most overrated album of all time, not just of this year. It's a high-4 or 5 out of 10 max. p.s. Kanye, no one thinks you're a black Beatle, sorry...
Best Reissue(s): The continuation of the King Crimson Steven Wilson re-masters.
Best Packaging: I didn't buy the record, but the packaging for Watain's new record looked really amazing from the pictures I saw.
Without further ado... The list:
Alcest - Écailles de Lune [shoegaze/post-black metal | France]
Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit [progressive black metal | USA]
Deathspell Omega - Paracletus [avant-garde/progressive black/death metal | France]
Jónsi - Go Live [post-rock | Iceland] - has enough new tracks to be considered a new album
Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises [acoustic folk | USA]
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs ["indie" rock | Canada]
Les Discrets - Septembre et ses Derničres Pensées [shoegaze/post-rock with slight metal influence | France]
Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini [progressive black metal | Norway]
Grinderman - Grinderman 2 [experimental garage rock | USA]
Max Richter - Infra [modern classical/ambient | UK]
Wovenhand - The Threshingfloor [gothic americana/alt-country | USA]
Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky [experimental/noise rock | USA]
The Knife - Tomorrow, In A Year [experimental/drone/avant-garde/opera | Sweden]
Gonjasufi - A Sufi and a Killer [experimental/psychedelic rock/hip-hop | USA]
Philip Selway - Familial [singer-songwriter | UK]
Intronaut - Valley of Smoke [progressive/post-metal | USA]
Ólafur Arnalds - ...and they have escaped the weight of darkness [neoclassical/ambient/post-rock | Iceland]
Olan Mill - Pine [ambient/neoclassical | UK]
Natural Snow Buildings - The Centauri Agent [drone/ambient/shoegaze | France]
Nedry - Condors [eclectic electronic: trip-hop, dubstep, jungle, prog-house, etc. | UK]
Black Bombaim - Saturdays and Space Travels [psyche/acid/jam rock | Portugal]
Oceansize - Self Preserved As the Bodies Float Upward ["post" progressive rock | UK]
Lantlôs - .neon [post-black metal | Germany]
Jónsi - Go [post-rock/Icelandic pop... or something like that | Iceland]
Amiina - Puzzle [ambient/experimental | Iceland]
Areknamés- In Case of Loss [progressive rock | Italy]
Sleepy Sun - Fever [psychedelic folk rock | USA]
Brandon Perry - Ark [ambient/neo-classical | UK]
The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt [singer-songwriter/folk | Sweden]
Women - Public Strain [experimental/psychedelic/noise-pop | Canada]
Samsara Blues Experiment - Long Distance Trip [psychedelic/stoner rock | Germany]
Quest for Fire - Lights from Paradise [psychedelic/space rock | Canada]
How to Dress Well - Love Remains [experimental & low-fi soul | Germany]
Mountain Man - Made the Harbor [a capella/minimal folk | Canada]
The Roots - How I Got Under [experimental hip hop | USA]
Lights Out Asia - In The Days of Jupiter [soundscape/experimental post-rock | USA]
Ludicra - The Tenant [progressive black metal | USA]
Rökkurró - Í Annan Heim [post-rock | Iceland]
Mike Patton - Mondo Cane [experimental Italian baroque pop | USA]
Voice of the Seven Thunders - Voice of the Seven Thunders [folk and psychedelic rock | UK]
Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart [psychedelic rock | Canada]
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest [dream/psychedelic pop | USA]
Demdike Stare - Liberation through Hearing [dark drone/dub/ambient | UK]
Solar Bears - She Was Colored In [eclectic electronic/post-rock/"soundtrack"/etc | USA]
Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner [low-fi electronic | UK]
Rome - Nos Chants Perdus [neofolk | Luxembourg]
Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here ["crossover" progressive rock/post-prog | UK]
Boduf Songs - This Alone Above Al Else In Spite Of Everything [experimental post-rock | UK]
Markus Mehr - Lava [drone/ambient | Germany]
The Black Keys - Brothers [psychedelic blues rock | USA]
Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones [doom metal | Switzerland]
Electric Wizard - Black Masses [stoner/doom metal | UK]
Hammock - Chasing After Shadows...Living with the Ghosts [post-rock | USA]
Red Sparowes - The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer [post-rock | USA]
Consecration - .avi [post-metal | Serbia]
Massive Attack - Heligoland [trip hop | UK]
Ihsahn - After [progressive metal | Norway]
Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit [experimental/nu-jazz | Norway]
A Forest of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves of Spring [avant-garde/progressive black metal | UK]
The National - High Violet [Indie/Chamber Rock | USA]
Wild Nothing - Gemini [shoegaze | USA]
The Third Eye Foundation - The Dark | experimental electronic | UK]
Titan - Sweet Dreams [heavy progressive rock | USA]
Kayo Dot - Coyote [compositional/avant-garde rock | USA]
Mugstar - Lime [psychedelic rock | UK]
Encircling Sea - Écru [atmospheric black metal | Australia]
Yakuza - Of Seismic Consequence [avant-garde metal | USA]
Midlake - The Courage of Others [folk-rock | USA]
RQTN - Decades and Decisions [neoclassical/ambient/post-rock | France]
Wolvserpent - Blood Seed [drone/funeral doom metal / post-rock | USA]
White Hills - White Hills [psychedelic/stoner rock | USA]
God is an Astronaut - Age of the Fifth Sun [post-rock | Ireland]
Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit [psychedelic/progressive hard rock | Norway]
Atheist - Jupiter [technical thrash metal | USA]
Emancipator - Safe in the Steep Cliffs [trip-hop | USA]
Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul II [crossover prog/ethereal pop | Poland]
Morcheeba - Blood Like Lemonade [trip-hop/downtempo electronic | UK]
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma [experimental electronic | USA]
In Lingua Mortua - Salon des Refuses [avant-garde/progressive black metal | Norway]
Caribou - Swim [experimental electronic/"indie" rock | Canada]
Eluvium - Similes [ambient | USA]
Burzum - Belus [atmospheric black metal | Norway]
Beach House - Teen Dream [psychedelic/dream pop | USA]
Demians - Mute [progressive alternative rock | France]
Cloudkicker - Beacons ["djent"/instrumental prog metal | USA]
Citay - Dream Get Together [psychedelic/dream pop | USA]
Efterklang - Magic Chairs [experimental electronic/post-rock | Denmark]
Murralin Lane - Our House Is On The Wall [drone/ambient | Sweden]
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me [folk/singer-songwriter | USA]
The Ocean - Heliocentric [post-metal | Germany]
Portugal. The Man - American Ghetto [indie/electronic rock/pop | USA]
The American Dollar - Atlas [post-rock | USA]
Mondo Drag - New Rituals [psychedelic/stoner rock | USA]
Blessure Grave - Judged by Twelve, Carried by Six [goth/post-punk | USA]
Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back [singer-songwriter/orchestral/cover-songs | UK]
Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR [middle-eastern/progressive metal | Israel]
Deftones - Diamond Eyes ["alternative" metal | USA]
Earl Greyhound - Suspicious Package [progressive rock]
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [almost-experimental hip-hop | USA]
Group Doueh - Beatte Harab [desert blues/african folk-rock | Western Sahara]
Also:
Best EP/Single: Kayo Dot - Stained Glass [compositional/avant-garde rock | USA]
Best Official Soundtrack: Hans Zimmer - Inception or Clint Mansell - Black Swan
Best Demo: Dispirit - Rehearsal at Oboroten [atmospheric black metal | USA]
Best Live Album: Mono - Holy Ground: NYC Live [post-rock | Japan] (not counting Jónsi)
Enjoy!
Jake
For some genres, specifically PSYCH ROCK and MODERN CLASSICAL, this year was incredible. Those are two genres that certainly seem to be on the rise over this next decade, and I do not feel remorse for that to say the least. It was a weaker year for metal (though there were a handful or so of INCREDIBLE metal releases,) as well as some other genres (I only heard a couple of good post-rock albums, with the rest sounding horrendously clichéd and predictable.) As a whole I'd probably give music a 6.8... Kidding.
I included the genre and country because those two things usually dictates what a band sounds like pretty thoroughly. That'll hopefully help some of the people who like some stuff that I listen to but not others.
This may be my last year of doing these lists, because I find it a bit draining and I feel that it detracts from the listening experience a bit. I'm going to take some time to "fill holes in my musical education" (aka listen to the classics) and to finally start my genre exploration project.
Best album cover(s): The Third Eye Foundation - The Dark by Vania Zouravilov. I also love Sleepy Sun - Fever by David D'Andrea.
Biggest Disappointment(s): There actually weren't many this year, unlike last year. I found the new Burzum a bit disappointing, but then again, I didn't necessarily have the highest expectations for it to begin with. I also found the new Atheist to be a bit disappointing, and the new Eluvium. Both are good (as is Belus, actually) just not as good as their past material.
Best debut album: Les Discrets
Biggest Surprise: The biggest surprise for me this year was probably the new Arcade Fire, because I really didn't enjoy Neon Bible (though I do now) and I wasn't a very big fan of the band before I heard this record. This is a true return to form, and since hearing this album I've become a huge fan of AF.</span></span>
Most underrated album: Les Discrets, Max Richter, and Wovenhand were all very underrated.
Most overrated album: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy... Semi-decent but embarrassingly far from a masterpiece. I have no idea why so many have rated this album so highly... Actually when it comes to pop/mainstream rap this has to be the best thing there is. Some parts were actually very enjoyable. But there are some really bad vocal-type stuff, both from Kanye, and his back-up vocalist with that dreadful, over-produced vocal sound I hate. The lyrics (which a lot of people are praising) are good in some parts, laughable in others (though I'm unsure whether or not the humor was intentional,) and unnerving in others due to how much Kanye's pretension comes through them. Most of the lyrics are about Kanye's struggles with his "responsibility as the savior of music" or whatever. Fuck that. I guess it gets bonus points for sampling King Crimson, Can, and I think Camel in parts, as well as having Justin Vernon on board. And the string arrangements were very nice. I liked the first couple of tracks. All of the Lights is HORRENDOUS. The rest were more or less neutral I guess, with some good, and some REALLY bad. I shouldn't care about Pitchfork but I seriously can't believe they gave this album a 10/10 (which is the same rating they gave Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, Revolver, Animals, OK Computer, Kid A, Disintegration, etc. which are all worthy of that rating.) This is literally THE most overrated album of all time, not just of this year. It's a high-4 or 5 out of 10 max. p.s. Kanye, no one thinks you're a black Beatle, sorry...
Best Reissue(s): The continuation of the King Crimson Steven Wilson re-masters.
Best Packaging: I didn't buy the record, but the packaging for Watain's new record looked really amazing from the pictures I saw.
Without further ado... The list:
Alcest - Écailles de Lune [shoegaze/post-black metal | France]
Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit [progressive black metal | USA]
Deathspell Omega - Paracletus [avant-garde/progressive black/death metal | France]
Jónsi - Go Live [post-rock | Iceland] - has enough new tracks to be considered a new album
Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises [acoustic folk | USA]
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs ["indie" rock | Canada]
Les Discrets - Septembre et ses Derničres Pensées [shoegaze/post-rock with slight metal influence | France]
Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini [progressive black metal | Norway]
Grinderman - Grinderman 2 [experimental garage rock | USA]
Max Richter - Infra [modern classical/ambient | UK]
Wovenhand - The Threshingfloor [gothic americana/alt-country | USA]
Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky [experimental/noise rock | USA]
The Knife - Tomorrow, In A Year [experimental/drone/avant-garde/opera | Sweden]
Gonjasufi - A Sufi and a Killer [experimental/psychedelic rock/hip-hop | USA]
Philip Selway - Familial [singer-songwriter | UK]
Intronaut - Valley of Smoke [progressive/post-metal | USA]
Ólafur Arnalds - ...and they have escaped the weight of darkness [neoclassical/ambient/post-rock | Iceland]
Olan Mill - Pine [ambient/neoclassical | UK]
Natural Snow Buildings - The Centauri Agent [drone/ambient/shoegaze | France]
Nedry - Condors [eclectic electronic: trip-hop, dubstep, jungle, prog-house, etc. | UK]
Black Bombaim - Saturdays and Space Travels [psyche/acid/jam rock | Portugal]
Oceansize - Self Preserved As the Bodies Float Upward ["post" progressive rock | UK]
Lantlôs - .neon [post-black metal | Germany]
Jónsi - Go [post-rock/Icelandic pop... or something like that | Iceland]
Amiina - Puzzle [ambient/experimental | Iceland]
Areknamés- In Case of Loss [progressive rock | Italy]
Sleepy Sun - Fever [psychedelic folk rock | USA]
Brandon Perry - Ark [ambient/neo-classical | UK]
The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt [singer-songwriter/folk | Sweden]
Women - Public Strain [experimental/psychedelic/noise-pop | Canada]
Samsara Blues Experiment - Long Distance Trip [psychedelic/stoner rock | Germany]
Quest for Fire - Lights from Paradise [psychedelic/space rock | Canada]
How to Dress Well - Love Remains [experimental & low-fi soul | Germany]
Mountain Man - Made the Harbor [a capella/minimal folk | Canada]
The Roots - How I Got Under [experimental hip hop | USA]
Lights Out Asia - In The Days of Jupiter [soundscape/experimental post-rock | USA]
Ludicra - The Tenant [progressive black metal | USA]
Rökkurró - Í Annan Heim [post-rock | Iceland]
Mike Patton - Mondo Cane [experimental Italian baroque pop | USA]
Voice of the Seven Thunders - Voice of the Seven Thunders [folk and psychedelic rock | UK]
Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart [psychedelic rock | Canada]
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest [dream/psychedelic pop | USA]
Demdike Stare - Liberation through Hearing [dark drone/dub/ambient | UK]
Solar Bears - She Was Colored In [eclectic electronic/post-rock/"soundtrack"/etc | USA]
Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner [low-fi electronic | UK]
Rome - Nos Chants Perdus [neofolk | Luxembourg]
Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here ["crossover" progressive rock/post-prog | UK]
Boduf Songs - This Alone Above Al Else In Spite Of Everything [experimental post-rock | UK]
Markus Mehr - Lava [drone/ambient | Germany]
The Black Keys - Brothers [psychedelic blues rock | USA]
Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones [doom metal | Switzerland]
Electric Wizard - Black Masses [stoner/doom metal | UK]
Hammock - Chasing After Shadows...Living with the Ghosts [post-rock | USA]
Red Sparowes - The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer [post-rock | USA]
Consecration - .avi [post-metal | Serbia]
Massive Attack - Heligoland [trip hop | UK]
Ihsahn - After [progressive metal | Norway]
Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit [experimental/nu-jazz | Norway]
A Forest of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves of Spring [avant-garde/progressive black metal | UK]
The National - High Violet [Indie/Chamber Rock | USA]
Wild Nothing - Gemini [shoegaze | USA]
The Third Eye Foundation - The Dark | experimental electronic | UK]
Titan - Sweet Dreams [heavy progressive rock | USA]
Kayo Dot - Coyote [compositional/avant-garde rock | USA]
Mugstar - Lime [psychedelic rock | UK]
Encircling Sea - Écru [atmospheric black metal | Australia]
Yakuza - Of Seismic Consequence [avant-garde metal | USA]
Midlake - The Courage of Others [folk-rock | USA]
RQTN - Decades and Decisions [neoclassical/ambient/post-rock | France]
Wolvserpent - Blood Seed [drone/funeral doom metal / post-rock | USA]
White Hills - White Hills [psychedelic/stoner rock | USA]
God is an Astronaut - Age of the Fifth Sun [post-rock | Ireland]
Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit [psychedelic/progressive hard rock | Norway]
Atheist - Jupiter [technical thrash metal | USA]
Emancipator - Safe in the Steep Cliffs [trip-hop | USA]
Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul II [crossover prog/ethereal pop | Poland]
Morcheeba - Blood Like Lemonade [trip-hop/downtempo electronic | UK]
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma [experimental electronic | USA]
In Lingua Mortua - Salon des Refuses [avant-garde/progressive black metal | Norway]
Caribou - Swim [experimental electronic/"indie" rock | Canada]
Eluvium - Similes [ambient | USA]
Burzum - Belus [atmospheric black metal | Norway]
Beach House - Teen Dream [psychedelic/dream pop | USA]
Demians - Mute [progressive alternative rock | France]
Cloudkicker - Beacons ["djent"/instrumental prog metal | USA]
Citay - Dream Get Together [psychedelic/dream pop | USA]
Efterklang - Magic Chairs [experimental electronic/post-rock | Denmark]
Murralin Lane - Our House Is On The Wall [drone/ambient | Sweden]
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me [folk/singer-songwriter | USA]
The Ocean - Heliocentric [post-metal | Germany]
Portugal. The Man - American Ghetto [indie/electronic rock/pop | USA]
The American Dollar - Atlas [post-rock | USA]
Mondo Drag - New Rituals [psychedelic/stoner rock | USA]
Blessure Grave - Judged by Twelve, Carried by Six [goth/post-punk | USA]
Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back [singer-songwriter/orchestral/cover-songs | UK]
Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR [middle-eastern/progressive metal | Israel]
Deftones - Diamond Eyes ["alternative" metal | USA]
Earl Greyhound - Suspicious Package [progressive rock]
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [almost-experimental hip-hop | USA]
Group Doueh - Beatte Harab [desert blues/african folk-rock | Western Sahara]
Also:
Best EP/Single: Kayo Dot - Stained Glass [compositional/avant-garde rock | USA]
Best Official Soundtrack: Hans Zimmer - Inception or Clint Mansell - Black Swan
Best Demo: Dispirit - Rehearsal at Oboroten [atmospheric black metal | USA]
Best Live Album: Mono - Holy Ground: NYC Live [post-rock | Japan] (not counting Jónsi)
Enjoy!
Jake