The Top 40 Albums of 2010: 20-11
Posted on: December 15, 2010
(All week we’re counting down the top albums of 2010. For previous entries on the list, click here or simply scroll down. We hope you enjoy the music.)
20. The Budos Band – The Budos Band III
These Staten Island revivalists fuse Afro-beat with the sounds of instrumental-rock godfathers The Ventures and The Meters, and Enrico Morricone’s Spaghetti Western scores. Their throwback sound is a harder, louder, and darker version of the music made by their label mates, the Dap-Kings, of Sharon Jones fame. Driven by the rhythmic and harmonic interplay of horns, guitars, and percussion, this band knows how to groove. -KM
The Budos Band – “Raja Haje”
19. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
Nothing about Mumford and Sons background would indicate that they’d make Appalachian folk music, but Sigh No More is much more Kentucky than it is King’s College, Wimbledon. Most striking is the epic scope of “The Cave” which blends harmonized vocals, frenzied banjo plucking and the plaintive wail, “I will hold on hope/And I won’t let you choke/On the noose around your neck/And I’ll find strength in pain/And I will change my ways.” Mumford and Sons are not the genuine article, but the music certainly is good enough to make pedigree and afterthought. -PJB
Mumford and Sons – “The Cave”
18. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot – The Son of Chico Dusty
The best spacey hip-hop album in the post-Graduation age, Sir Lucious Left Foot is an album brimming with OG cool from a rap forefather. Despite the absence of Andre 3000’s ice-cold vocals, Sir Lucious Left Foot feature numerous flashy collaborations, the best being the Gucci Mane thumper “Shine Blockas.” Don’t call it a comeback. -PL
Big Boi – “Shine Blockas” (feat. Gucci Mane)
17. Dosh – Tommy
Minneapolis’ own Martin Luther King Chavez Dosh has always been a master of live production, and this year’s Tommy is no exception. After releasing strong, but often disconnected, analogue instrumental hip-hop for eight years, Tommy shows that Dosh was finally prepared make a proper album, one with a clear arc and a crushing, cathartic finale. -PL
Dosh – “Number 41” (feat. Andrew Bird)
16. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
Diamond Eyes gives the impression that the Southern California (nu?) metal band hadn’t taken any time off, but this is actually their first record in four years, two of which bassist Chi Cheng has spent in a coma after a violent automobile accident. Eros, a previously recorded album featuring Cheng, was shelved after the tragedy. The band worked on a completely new record, dedicated to their band mate and friend, and the product is searing. Their best release since 2000’s White Pony, Diamond Eyes serves as an excellent reminder that heavy music can walk with you into adulthood. -PL
Deftones – “Diamond Eyes”
15. The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards
Jack White and Alison Mosshart are back with a second tightly produced complex effort as The Dead Weather. Throughout the album White and Mosshart trade lead vocals and at times seem to be shouting at one another – both in happy banter (“I Can’t Hear You”) and in conflict (“Die By The Drop”). The unsung glue is the guitar work of Dean Fertita (most recently of Queens of the Stone Age) whose consistency allows White to run amok on the drums. With Sea Of Cowards, Jack White has now been the centerpiece of three bands and six albums in the last five years, so he’s got that going for him, which is pretty good. -PJB
The Dead Weather – “Die By The Drop”
14. The New Pornographers – Together
Together’s first track, “Moves,” opens with chipper cello chords, signaling to the listener that this is not a cookie-cutter pop album. Instead, with their fifth album, the New Pornographers dare to be cheerful and in doing so, take advantage of the various talents of their mostly Canadian indie all-star lineup. Neko Case in particular stands out on “My Shepherd” and “Valkyrie In The Roller Disco.” Although “Crash Years” might be the most notable track on the album, the entire disc can be played on repeat without hitting a lull (or the “next track” button). -PJB
The New Pornographers – “Valkyrie In The Roller Disco”
13. Nas and Damien Marley – Distant Relatives
On this collaboration, Nas brings the vehemence of the streets and a harsh realism about the state of mankind, while Damain “Junior Gong” Marley brings a mellower mood, with faith in Jah and universal brotherhood. Together, the Queens-Kingston duo, who previously collaborated on Road To Zion, portray a dark world where there’s still room to hope. As expected, the record fuses hip-hop and reggae styles, or as Nas puts it: “My man can speak patois/And I can speak rap star.” Marley does the bulk of the introductions and all of the refrains, while Nas fills out the verses with rhymes. The backing tracks are a pastiche of funk rhythms, half-time reggae, and African percussion, plus the occasional sirens and sharpening swords. Cameos include the ubiquitous Li’l Wayne and the Canadian-Somali poet and rapper K’Naan. Overall, the fusion of sounds and styles elevates Marley, Bob’s youngest son, from second-generation status and benefits Nas, whose records sometimes need a beats disciple. -KM
Nas and Damien Marley – “As We Enter”
12. Kings Go Forth – The Outsiders Are Back
Millennials love repackaging the culture of yesteryear, but nothing is more authentic than Milwaukee’s breakout 12 piece soul-funk revival Kings Go Forth. Not so much a “throwback” as a continuation, The Outsiders are Back sits perfectly next to the best soul of the era, while adding personal ska flares, DIY ethics, and stellar musicianship. -PL
Kings Go Forth – “I Don’t Love You No More”
11. Perfume Genius – Learning
What do I have to do to get you people to listen to this record? Mike Hadreas, a.k.a. Perfume Genius is the best artist on the best indie label going right now (Turnstile Music). This record is like the gay love-child of Scott Walker and Jeff Mangum, only more sensitive. Seriously: dim the lights, pour yourself a glass of bourbon, and listen. -LVL
Perfume Genius – “Write To Your Brother”
Be sure to check in tomorrow for the conclusion of our Top 40 of 2010 Countdown
1 Response to "The Top 40 Albums of 2010: 20-11"
[…] artists I’ve seen you most frequently compared to is Perfume Genius, whose debut we ranked as the 11th best record of 2010. Are you familiar with his work, and do the comparisons seem apt to […]
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