Official Top 10 Of 2010

since everyone likes lists, here is my attempt to list and rank my top 10 full length LP's of the year.. I am merely ranking these based on how much I preceived myself to enjoy them throughout the year last year.

1. Evelyn Evelyn- "Evelyn Evelyn"
2. El-P - "Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3"
3. Sleigh Bells - "Treats"
4. Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma"
5. The Sword - "Warp Riders"
6. Mono/Poly - "Paramatma"
7. Das Racist - "Shut Up, Dude"
8. Tobacco - "Maniac Meat"
9. Laurie Anderson - "Homeland"
10. The Black Keys - "Brothers"

How did I manage to forget these? More Best Of 2010- Forgotten Edition

Yeah, it's hard to keep track of all this music I listen to, but there's no logical reason as to why my brain forgot to include these albums on my best of last year lists...

Awol One & Ecid - "ARE..."

This album isn't stellar, nor is it one of my favorite Awol albums, but it's still dope. I don't really like Ecid as an emcee too much, I find him a little spastic and unnecessarily nerdy sounding, but his beats are solid as hell, and him and Awol are a good collabo match.

Baths - "Cerulean"

This guy doesn't fit in with being on Anticon records, and I probably would have never checked this out otherwise, but this is some soothing, laid back music that I find hard to describe. It's not rock, it's not electronic, it's not instrumental, but the lyrics almost seem inconsequential and just part of the atmosphere.

Diplo - "Chasing The Dragon"

This is just a DJ mix, but a very uncharacteristic one for him. It's all funk and soul, mostly stuff that's been sampled by someone already, to give an atmosphere of familiarity, so it doesn't come off like a super eclectic DJ Shadow mix or anything.

Tech N9ne - "Collabos: The Gates Mixed Plate"

This seems to have become a yearly series for him to do these Collabo albums in addition to his regular albums. I don't like this one as much as Sickology 101 or Misery Loves Kompany, but that doesn't mean it isn't still the shit. Strange Music as a label just sets the bar high for quality no matter what.

MGMT - "Congratulations"

This one is more rock oriented than their breakout success from a couple years ago "Oracular Spectacular", which is what they needed to do. I thought they sounded a bit like they were biting Of Montreal before, especially the way their vocals were recorded, but they kinda put the vocals in the background on this one, and created a less synthy sound that more resembles a slick version of a hippie jam band. It works.

J Dilla - "Donut Shop"

Stones Throw put out this 6 song EP as either a free download, or a vinyl release that doubles as Serato controllers on the flip side of the records.

Brian Posehn - "Fart & Weiner Jokes"

I think he's a lot funnier nowadays than he used to be a few years ago. I like his dorky brand of stand-up.

Skream - "Freeizm"

I love when people give stuff away for free, and it's some of their A-list matierial and not some leftover BS.

Mono/Poly - "The George Machine EP"

I think he should have just put these 3 songs on the full length album. They fit.

The Bird & The Bee - "Interpreting The Masters Vol. 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall & John Oates"

I really like her voice, and these covers are fun. I kinda hope they continue with this series and make more cover albums of other artists.

Georgia Anne Muldrow - "Jyoti-Ocotea"

This isn't as strong as her other recent releases, and this is an EP that they are selling for full length price for some reason, but it still deserves to be on a Best of 2010 list becuase even her OK matierial is still great music.

Erykah Badu - "New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh"

How I forgot to mention one of the best albums of the year by one of my favorite artists is beyond me. Erykah makes music that is so far ahead of everyone else in her genre, it's astounding.

"Secondhand Sureshots"

They filmed this short documentary about a couple people in the L.A. beat scene- Daedelus, Nobody, Ras G and J.Rocc. The concept is that they had to go to their favorite record shop in L.A. and buy 5 records whose prices cannot total over $5 total and then make a new composition sampling those records. It gives a slight peek into these guy's creative processes. After they were done, they pressed the songs up on 4 records that all have artwork you have to join together, and then snuck them back into cirulation in the stores they got the old records from. So some some super lucky people ended up with some very exclusive vinyl one day while shopping, and the artwork of those albums will probably never be rejoined together again. I like that they sell you the DVD and CD as one package, it makes sense.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - "The Social Network Soundtrack"

What you'd expect to hear from him making a movie score. Havn't seen the movie yet to see how it fits in the film though.

8Ball & MJG - "Ten Toes Down"

This is the best thing they've done since they left Suave House in 1999. This album seems more reality based than their older matierial. Apparently this came out on T.I.'s record label which is kinda fuckin weird.

Four Tet - "There is Love Inside You"

Just a stellar album, through and through. He hits many ranges of the electronic realm on this one, all while maintaining his unique thumbprint on it all. I'm actually surprised this album didn't make more noise in the music world than it did. It just kinda snuck out and nobody talked about it.

Top 100 of 2010 from my iTunes

Here is my most listened to songs during last year... Not including what I listen to in my car, which is CD's... It's interesting to me what songs I inadvertanly play repeatedly...

1. "Beatles Bitch" - Mono/Poly
2. "Vortex Cookies (fLako Remix Instrumental)" - Robot Koch vs. Cerebral Vortex
3. "Rebel Within" - Hank Williams III
4. "Red & Yellow Toys" - Mono/Poly
5. "Rill Rill" - Sleigh Bells
6. "Re-Up" - Joker & Ginz
7. "Since You Were Gone" - Chromeo
8. "People Are Strange" - Das Racist
9. "Girl (Bit-Rate Variations In B-Flat Remix)" - Beck
10. "Beasts In The Basement" - Reso
11. "Drunk With A Loaded Pistol" - El-P
12. "Blood Of A Young Wolf (Remix)" - Buck 65
13. "Distance" - Computer Jay
14. "Lamborghini Meltdown" - Tobacco w/ Zackey Force Funk
15. "He Hit Her So She Left" - El-P
16. "Maintain (Mike Slott Rewerk)" - Computer Jay
17. "Spend, Spend, Spend" - The Slits
18. "Dirtbox" - Harmonic 313
19. "Meanstreak (In 3 Parts)" - El-P
20. "Rubber (Flying Lotus Unprotected Sex Mix)" - Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge
21. "Tricycle Express" - Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge
22. "Calvin's Hard Lemonade (Instrumental)" - J-Zone
23. "Lick The Witch" - Tobacco w/ Rob Sonic
24. "Reckoner" - Radiohead
25. "Sweet Shop" - Doctor P
26. "Kids" - Sleigh Bells
27. "Anneurysm" - Felt
28. "Interview With The Double Man" - Buckethead
29. "Drums" - Bumps w/ Guilty Simpson
30. "Shorty Said (Gordon Voidwell Remix)" - Das Racist
31. "Where's My Chippy?" - Tim & Eric w/ DJ Douggpound
32. "Street Trash" - Tobacco
33. "Side 8 (Big Gums Version)" - Tobacco
34. "Hot Fire" - Oh No
35. "ZOo00OOm" - Hudson Mohawke
36. "Kill Your Co-Workers" - Flying Lotus
37. "Misunderstood" - Krizz Kaliko
38. "Warface 2010" - Jakes
39. "Iron Lemonade" - Black Moth Super Rainbow
40. "Rubber" - Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge
41. "Neville" - MC Chris
42. "Push It (Remix)" - Kid Cut Up
43. "Couscous" - Mr. Flash
44. "You Ain't It (Lazer Sword Remix)" - Themselves
45. "No You Don't" - Islands
46. "Driving Down The Block (El-P Remix Instrumental) - Kidz In The Hall
47. "Jahjah" - fLako
48. "Tron" - Joker
49. "Everytime I'm With You" - Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse w/ Jason Lytle
50. "Jump Fence, Run, Live" - El-P
51. "Smile The Day After Today" - Black Moth Super Rainbow
52. "Whores: The Movie" - El-P
53. "I've Been Trying" - DJ Shadow
54. "Big Bang" - Aesop Rock
55. "Honkey Tonk Part I" - Bill Doggett
56. "Rondo Alla Turca" - Woody Phillips
57. "Shelia" - Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge
58. "Eleanor Rigby" - Booker T. & The MG's
59. "Yang Yang" - Anika
60. "Smile Back" - Dez & Knobs
61. "Combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell" - Das Racist
62. "Fucked Up" - Lil Wyte w/ Juicy J
63. "Diamond Head" - James Pants
64. "Anxiety" - Krizz Kaliko
65. "Turk Mex" - The Gaslamp Killer
66. "Cockney Thug (Caspa Remix)" - Rusko
67. "Crown On The Ground" - Sleigh Bells
68. "Sports! (Dance Club Remix)" - Tim & Eric
69. "Motorlicker" - Tobacco
70. "SlowDown" - Trolley Snatcha
71. "Inertiatic ESP" - The Mars Volta
72. "Play Doe" - Joker & Rustie
73. "Deadbeat Summer" - Neon Indian
74. "Hood Sentence" - Guilty Simpson
75. "3klane" - Jakes & Joker
76. "Don't Cry" - J Dilla
77. "The Tale Of Clarence Baskerville" - High Rankin
78. "Massage Situation" - Flying Lotus
79. "Fair Weather Friends" - Daedelus
80. "Everyone" - Astrobotnia
81. "Chick Habit" - April March
82. "Super Gum" - Tobacco
83. "8 Bit Baby" - Skream w/ Murs
84. "Run The Heart" - Sleigh Bells
85. "Driftwood" - James Pants
86. "Novocaine For The Soul (Moog Cookbook Remix)" - Eels
87. "Oh No" - Girl Talk
88. "You Can't Hold A Torch (Instrumental)" - J Dilla
89. "Dead Fun" - Tobacco
90. "Singapore" - Tom Waits
91. "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" - They Might Be Giants
92. "Treats" - Sleigh Bells
93. "Mr. Chips" - Rusko
94. "Agony" - Eels
95. "Beep 04" - Koushik
96. "83 Wildin" - Edan
97. "006" - MC Chris
98. "Purple City" - Joker & Ginz
99. "Nightcall" - Kavinsky
100. "Sleep Walk" - Santo & Johnny

Best Of 2010 Part 8

Mux Mool - "Skulltaste"

It's nice when local people make a big splash outside of the Twin Cities and it's something actually worth getting excited about. Hopefully the market for electronic music like this will broaden next year around here.

Young Jazz Rebels - "Slave Riot"

Yet another Madlib alias from within the Yesterday's Universe realm. Spaced out jazz.

Sade - "Soldier Of Love"

I wonder if she's just gonna keep making one great album every 10 years for the rest of her life now. At least she's never put out anything weak at all, but it'd be nice not to have to wait so long in bewteen albums.

Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime - "SomeOthaShip"

Usually when people are dating each other and trying to collaborate on music as well, the music doesn't really turn out too great, but the past few years these two have been defying that completely. All of his last few albums have been produced by her and feature her on almost every song anyways, this one they just actually labelled it that way.

Devo - "Something For Everybody"

This is their best album since the mid 80's. A complete 180 from the horseshit they were doing in the 90's. As an experiment, they used market research to put this album together, letting fans vote which songs made the grade and what the song sequence should be. The end result is quite nice. Devo is back.

Freeway & Jake One - "The Stimulus Package"

This album surprised me because I don't really feel Freeway as an emcee, but Jake One is one helluva producer and I feel like he could make anyone sound dope at this point. Also, I feel Freeway really gave 110% on this album, like he had something to prove, and the effort shows.

Gonjasufi - "A Sufi & A Killer"

I had no fucking idea what to think about this album the first couple times I heard it. He's like the worst singer since Yoko Ono. Then all of a sudden this album just clicked for me one day. I mean, the production is undeniably dope, put together mostly by The Gaslamp Killer with a couple Flying Lotus tracks as well. Apparently this dude is a yoga instructor, and it kinda shows with his approach to singing, just blurting out what he feels at the moment, almost like skatting, but with actual words, and forming it out more like a chant or mantra, if that makes any sense. I guess you just gotta hear it. Preferably not sober.

Devin The Dude - "Suite #420

I'm starting to wonder if he's ever gonna fall off. He's just extremely good at what he does, which is just be himself over tight production. Lovin this one.

Reso - "Temjin"

This is probably better than last year's Heavy Arms EP he put out, although there isn't a super classic standout track on this one like Beasts In The Basement was from that one.

Eels - "Tomorrow Morning"

The final installment of his recent trilogy of albums. It's amazing how much good music this man has written in a relatively short amount of time.

Sleigh Bells - "Treats"

This albums' popularity thrills me because that means that there is hope for good pop music to be made. Most of the songs on this album make me feel so good and get stuck in my head for days. This was kinda the album that you couldn't escape this year, it was everywhere, but usually those kinda albums suck to me, this obviously doesn't at all seeing as it was one of my most listened to albums.

Laetitia Sadier - "The Trip"

She was obviously busy this year, putting out this solo offering and also a new Stereolab album as well. I unfortunately didn't get a chance to check that one out yet, but this solo album is stellar. A little more rock sounding than Stereolab.

Yelawolf - "Trunk Muzik"

This was the free mixtape version of this album. I know he released an official version of this on Interscope, but I haven't checked that version out yet to see what they changed and didn't change. The tracklistings are similar. I initially didn't like this dude's voice at all, and he was only OK at best when I saw him live at Soundset this year, but this album made me like him. He usually comes kinda rapid fire, like he would sound good on a song with Tech N9ne or Twista. At different times he reminds me of Andre 3000, Pimp C, Bizzy Bone and Eminem. A weird combo, I know. The beats on here bump like crazy.

Ceephax Acid Crew - "United Acid Emirates"

I didn't know he was Squarepusher's brother until recently, but it makes sense. They have the same weird warped sense of how to take shit beyond the next level.

Slum Village - "Villa Manifesto"

After 2 deaths in the group, the remaining guys still keep going, and why not? This album proves they still got it.

Odd Nosdam - "Vol. 9"

This album is too dope to be a free giveaway download, but yet it is.

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - "The Wages"

"Everything's goin up but the wages"... If that isn't the motto for the current times, I don't know what is. I think this is the best thing he's done so far. It's a goddamn shame how much this dude is slept on, but he's still young, i'm sure he'll finally get his shine when he's all old and grey. Insane finger picking guitar skills. Look up some live clips on youtube or the video from this, Clap Your Hands.

John Legend & The Roots - "Wake Up"

I never really cared for John Legend, and The Roots have been subpar for a while now for the most part, but this collaborative effort of mostly soul covers is an engaging listen. I'd like The Roots to do more stuff like this.

The Sword - "Warp Riders"

Probably the best all around rock album this year to me and their best album so far.

El-P - "Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3"

Easy contender for album of the year. This was the album I always dreamed he would make, but didn't think he ever actually would. None of his jibber-jabbery rapping, just raw hard hitting beats. Even the slower songs on here still seem upbeat the way this was put together. This pretty much must be listened to as an album all the way through from beginning to end every time.

The Books - "The Way Out"

Another dope album of weird sound collages that become oddly compelling.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy & The Cairo Gang - "The Wonder Show Of The World"

I don't know who The Cairo Gang is, but this is business as usual for Will Oldham A.K.A. Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Lovely laid back mostly acoustical rock.

Best Of 2010 Part 7

F. Stokes - "Remnants Of A Broken Soul"

I saw this dude open up for Mac Lethal earlier this month and he put on a great show. He's from Chicago and kinda reminds me of Andre 3000 with a spoken word type twist. This dude has Lazerbeak from Doomtree make a lot of his beats, so we'll probably be seeing more of him here in the Twin Cities next year.

E-40 - "Revenue Retrievin: Day Shift"

E-40 put out 2 full lenths albums on the same day early this year, and i'll have to admit, there's really hardly any filler at all. He diversifies all the different elements of his style so well on these albums, there's probably a song for everyone on here. E-40 shows that he can hang with anyone in any style. It's too bad he didn't end up with a hit single off either of these, but apparently he's doing the same thing again in February 2011 and dropping 2 more albums.

E-40 - "Revenue Retrievin: Night Shift"

I think I like this one a little better out of the 2.

Reflection Eternal - "Revolutions Per Minute"

I wonder how Talib Kweli can be so weak in concert nowadays, and still be pumping out these dope releases. Does he just not try at all during his live shows? I had low expectations for this project, so maybe that's what made it all the more surprising how good it is. They must've wanted to make sure it was as good as the first Reflection Eternal album.

Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge - "Rubber EP"

Mr. Oizo teams up with half of Justice. This EP is sick. All 3 tracks are awesome as hell, and there's a killer Flying Lotus remix of the title track. Too bad the full length of this isn't nearly as good.

The Dead Weather - "Sea Of Cowards"

I wanted to hate this band so bad, but anything Jack White touches seems to gravitate towards me. I think this is even better than their first album. I don't want it to be over when it is. I'd like to hear more rock music like this coming out.

Tech N9ne - "Seepage EP"

He kinda snuck this one out towards the end of the year, showing a more emotional side. Dope as always.

Squarepusher - "Shobaleader One: d'Demonstrator"

Squarepusher's attempt at being in and writing music for a live band. This works out well, he mostly ditches his glitchyness, and the vocals are mostly vocoder style, and he rips it up on that bass guitar. The most accessible/sellable thing he's ever done without it sounding like a sellout move. I hope he does more music like this.

Krizz Kaliko - "Shock Treatment"

I don't like this as much as his first 2 albums, but this is still one of the year's strongest releases. Within the last 3 years he's become one of my favorite people in all of music. He can rap well, sing well, write well... The man just sounds good and makes quality music that's the opposite of boring- so quit sleepin on him already!

Das Racist - "Shut Up, Dude"

First of all it's pronounced DAS Racist- like "man, that's racist!", not DOS Racist like everybody keeps saying it like Das Efx or if they were from Germany or something. The mispronunciation always annoys me. Anyways, these guys came outta nowhere this year with some of the most fun music i've ever heard. Not malicious fun either, just nice drunken fun. Their style kinda reminds me of The Shapeshifters in a way, and half the time it sounds like they're freestyling, but they always make me laugh with their catchy goofy choruses and leftfield pop culture references. Look up the "Rainbow In The Dark" video on youtube.

Big Boi - "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty"

I think maybe this album has gotten more props than it deserves, but it's still tight as fuck. I'd love to hear the original version the way he wanted the world to hear it though. Fuck bullshit legal politics.

Das Racist - "Sit Down, Man"

This 2nd release by them is more flow oriented in terms of the rhymes, and they had the luxury of having Diplo put this together for them too. Maybe not quite as fun as Shut Up, Dude, but equally engaging for different reasons, and still super retarded fun (they do a weird cover of Return To Innocence as an example)