Baths - Cerulean

Cerulean:

Baths:

June 22, 2010:

Electronic:

Have you ever came across an album that you just simply adored? An album that brang forth incredible emotion and just made you feel warm and happy and safe? I recently was introduced to just such an album on the way home from a Pavement concert. The album is Cerulean by Baths. Baths is the alias for the musician behind the creation of this glorious album, his name is Will Wiesenfeld.

Baths is similar to Flying Lotus in the way that they both make some truly incredible beats. Thats at the root of Will's music but he also does a lot of sampling in his songs and also sings on many of them, which you don't usually find in a Flying Lotus song. As I said earlier this album really invokes a lot of emotion in me, that's why I feel the name “Baths” is appropriate. When you listen to this album you kind of feel like you're laying in a nice warm bath. You just feel like you're safe and nothing bad is going to happen, as if during the duration of the album you're in a protective warm bubble and you're floating through a dream. Hmm …. that may have sounded a tiny bit cheesy and cliché but its how I honestly feel when listening to this album. All that being said you may have a different experience with this album. Some may interpret the album as a sad one, a lonely one, but I did not.

The songs found here are obviously love songs which is why I say this album can easily be seen in different lights. I suppose it depends where your love life is at the time, or maybe your outlook on your love life. I believe the album is meant to be seen as a happy album and thats how I obviously see it. I'm just not really sure how anyone could listen to the song “Aminals and not feel absolutely joyous and have an ear to ear smile. Then again … I have met some pretty horrible people this week.

I honestly don't understand how it is that I love this album yet can not find more words to say about it. What it comes down to basically is, if you like electronic music of the chill variety then I highly recommend you check out Baths. I had a really hard time choosing which tracks to post but I think the ones I chose below really speak for the album. So check it out and see if it's for you!

Personal favorite tracks:Aminals, Lovely Bloodflow, Rain Smell

10 Video Game Studs I would Go Gay for: Part 2

Here it is.

The moment all 2 of you have been waiting for! Me talking about being gay some more!

5: Marcus Fenix from Gears of War. Power. Raw Power. Marcus Fenix is the personification of the term “ramming someone.” If you want a true sexing, go no further Marcus Fenix is the man for the Job. Try not to get too attached or he’ll leave you behind at Wendy’s crying and begging for more. Sometimes a man has to put duty over pleasure.

-True Love-

4: Sam Fischer: Sam Fischer is a mixed bag. His work has taken over his life. You can definitely see this in his sexual tactics. He’s tough, quick and ruthless. He’ll be done with you before you even knew he was there. If you’re into that sort of stuff, it can be the most gratifying sexual experience you’ve had. If not, you better remember your safe word.

-He forgot his-

3: Gordon Freeman from Half-Life. Mr. Freeman, the king of relatively meaningful FPS experiences and possibly the bedroom. Just like his creators paid attention to detail so will he. You’ve got an Itch? He’ll scratch it. You’ve got pipes that need cleaning, Internet that needs fixing, Anal Sex to be had? He’ll take care of all of it. AT ONCE. Watching him make love is almost more entertaining that actually making love to him. Truly this man is incredible. Maybe one day he’ll actually talk to me.

-He’ll even teach your kids how to dance like a true man-

2: The Entire Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Cast from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Call of Duty is a gay man’s wet dream. The only women in the entire game are slaughtered at the very beginning. With no women interfering we can only imagine what happens outside of the battlefield. Orgy upon orgy, gallons and gallons of semen…it’s a wonderful world.

-

He’ll give you the (Anal) mustache ride of your life.-

1: DØg from Half Life 2. By god. Look at it. …It’s perfect.

-All it takes is one swing and she’s out of the way-

Top 50 Albums of 2010

Top 50 Albums of 2010

As odd as it may seem to some we have indeed came to the end of the first year of this decade. The end of 2010 is imminent. And what a year it was! 2010 was an incredible year for music! I have seen some incredible concerts this year and some incredible albums have come out in 2010. So here we go, this is my top 50 albums of 2010.
50. Reggie Watts - Why $#!+ So Crazy?
Starting off this huge list is the always hilarious Reggie Watts. Typically I would not include a comedy album on the list but Reggie is also a very talented musician and works his music skills into most of the tracks on this album. He does a lot of layering of tracks and samples his own voice and beatboxing to make those layers. This album is pretty great and I would highly recommend checking it out. Here is one of my favorite tracks, F_c_ $#!+ Stack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJQU22Ttpwc
49. My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
Now I know what some of you are thinking, "My Chemical Romance?! seriously?!". Well guess what!? I like their newer stuff alright!? Whenever The Black Parade came out MCR began to evolve and change up their sound. This album as well as their last album are very Queen influenced and at times I can also hear a hint of David Bowie. MCR has dropped the whole goth/emo thing and actually have a pretty great message behind most of the tracks here. While I still think I liked The Black Parade better, this is still a great album and you should give it a fair shot. Here is one of my favorite tracks off the album, Vampire Money http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMUdfJoks30
48. Ray LaMontagne - God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise
Ray is back with his fourth studio album and it is much better than his last album, Gossip in the Grain. Now this is Ray LaMontagne so of course everything sounds very southern and soulful, the song writing is also back in shape and much better this time around. All that being said this is still not his best album whatsoever, but it is still a great album. Check out my favorite track from the album, The Devil in the Jukebox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nugIOaJvgHY
47. Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring
Horse Feathers is a very chill indie soft rock band along the same lines of Iron and Wine. You will find lots of soft sung vocals and acoustic guitar here. Horse Feathers is from Oregon and is a four piece and has a lot of stings, much more than your standard Iron and Wine song. The cellist is actually the sister of the founder of the band ... so that's neat. Check out my favorite song off of this album entitled, This Bed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMvCt8NJanQ
46. Klaxons - Surfing the Void
The Klaxons are a very unique band. They have a sound that I can only really describe as psychedelic punk rock from space. A lot of their songs are incredibly dancy and fun while some are umm ... a bit strange. This would be their second album, I prefer their first album but this is still a great effort with a lot of fun tracks and interesting songs to be heard. I would highly recommend checking out this track called, Echoes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJgOLu5iAFs
45. Tokyo Police Club - Champ
Next up is a band hailing from Canada, Tokyo Police Club. This is TPC's second album, and like a lot of bands they suffer from the infamous sophomore slump on this album, however it isn't a bad sophomore slump. This album is still pretty darn good, it's just not as good as Elephant Shell. For those not in the know TPC is an indie garage rock band, they are a lot of fun and have some great song writing with lines like "Dire times call for dire faces". Check out my personal favorite song off of the new album called, Wait Up (Boots of Danger) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAxRozTgoXM
44. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Brick
Ted Leo is from Washington D.C., Leo and his Pharmacists create some truly awe inspiring punk rock music. Some of the songs are occasionally political influenced which is usually a turn off for me but this guy knows how to make some great, catchy songs that just shove themselves into you're brain and stay there. The songs on this particular album are incredibly fun and are perfect to sing a long to. If you're looking for some great guitar licks and something fun to drive around to look no further than this album. Here is the song that will be stuck in you're head for the next year, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w248uwpAX14
43. Brandon Flowers - Flamingo
Brandon Flowers is, for those of you that don't already know, the lead singer of the popular rock band The Killers. This is Mr. Flowers first solo album, and ya know what? It's not half bad! Brandon Flowers is from Las Vegas, Nevada and it comes through in this album, I mean just look at that album cover. What I liked the most about this album is that it sounded more like a Killers album than the last Killers album did. If you already know what the Killers sound like, and who doesn't by now, then you already know what to expect from this album. Check out my favorite song from Flamingo titled, Crossfire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AhU12zC8fc
42. M.I.A. - MAYA
M.I.A. was pretty big there for a little while whenever Paper Planes got super popular from being on the Pineapple Express trailer. While Paper Planes is a great song, M.I.A. is so much more than just that song, she experiments with so many different sounds and samples. Her music may not be for everyone but I really enjoy it and think shes pretty darn talented. All that being said this is not M.I.A.'s best album, like I've said about previous albums, it's a great album but no where near as good as Kala. This one is much more club oriented and even has a touch of industrial. Check out the song Lovalot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvMkI2jvGFE
41. Rafter - Animal Feelings
There’s a few artists on this list that I wasn't aware of till this year, Rafter is one of them. I actually have no idea how I found these guys now that I think of it. Rafter is an indie pop rock band that likes to use a lot of vocal effects, and a lot of the other things that make for a good pop song. Things like hand claps or drum parts with a lot of toms. Also just look at that cover! That cover is hilarious and thought provoking at the same time. Another reason this is such a good album is that fact that these songs are pretty darn catchy, or at least they were for me. Here is one of those songs that got caught in my head, Fruit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxGYEQE_n4M
40. Daft Punk - Tron Legacy Soundtrack
So here's the thing, a lot of people have been waiting for a long time for Daft Punk to release another album. Daft Punk revealed not too long ago that they would be doing the entire soundtrack for Tron Legacy. I was excited, you were excited, my cat was excited. It's finally here and I gotta say, I am disappointed. I am disappointed but that doesn't mean this is a bad piece of art, it just wasn't what I was expecting or what I was wanting it to be. It's still pretty great and has some intense pieces but I was hoping for something more along the lines of Homework. Yes I was disappointed but this soundtrack was still good enough for me to place it on my top 50 albums. Check out what is easily the best piece from the album, Derezzed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAG7jLKer40
39. Matt & Kim - Sidewalks
Matt & Kim are a band composed of two people (surprising I know) you've got Matt on keyboards and Kim on drums. I would call their sound synth heavy post-punk. If you missed Matt & Kim's album Grand from last year then you missed one catchy album! They have returned rather quickly with a followup to Grand and it's as you may have guessed at this point, not better than Grand, but hey its still really good! (Are you getting sick of hearing that yet?) Sidewalks has some songs on it that are just as catchy if not even catchier than the songs on Grand. Songs like Camera and Block After Block will crawl in through you're ear canals and build a little cabin on you're brain and live there for the next three months. That's how catchy some of these songs are. Those songs are brilliant but some of the other songs just fall flat and don't really go anywhere. A prime example of this would be Northeast. Whenever that song comes up I just have to hit next, I'm not even sure what it is about that song, I just really do not like it at all. Here is the opening track of the album, and one of the catchiest songs this year, Block After Block http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbn3_pV8slk
38. Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise
Pantha Du Prince is a very electronic and ambient group. Ambient music like this band is easily one of my favorite genres of music, there’s just something about it. Ambient music just makes me happy and it brings back some really great memories. I feel like the best way to describe the sound of this album is to just look at the album cover, the album cover looks like what the album sounds like. This album is great to drive to, sleep to, do homework to, cook to, move heavy furniture to, kill zombies to and just about anything you can think of. I wish music like this was a bit more popular and easier to find, but that's what I'm here for, to find this and tell you to listen to it. Now go and do as I say and listen to, A Nomads Retreat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHq0-ujgoaY
37. Broken Social Scene - Forgivness Rock Record
Broken Social Scene is a pretty big indie super group with members from Stars and Feist and other big name indie acts. This is their first album in quite a while and it's been far too long. This album was really great and all the tracks have their own kind of sound to them really. While all the songs do have their own unique sound they all do sound BIG and like they could fill a stadium. This band has a lot of members so I guess that would only make sense. This band is honestly kind of hard for me to describe so lets just get to the song I picked out. Here is one of the best songs from this great album, Texico Bitches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQr4E2NEWz0
36. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
Ok first off, WHY AM I JUST NOW DISCOVERING THIS BAND!? I mean seriously, they have been around for forever and a half and then they release a new album after not recording for a long time and I absolutely fall in love. For those of you not in the know, Superchunk is a garage rock band that got somewhat big in the 90's and then somewhat faded away. This band is just loud and fun, lots of guitar and awesome drum parts that leave you're hands feeling tired. Even after all these years this band still has it. I wish more bands today sounded like these guys. Check out the first single from the album, Crossed Wires http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yM5kohAwNs
35. The Thermals - Personal Life
The Thermals are a great punk rock group (with a really cute bass player) that doesn't have anything technically amazing in their playing but because it has so much energy it just comes out sounding great! What really makes these songs so great are the vocals and the simple guitar riffs. Sometimes just the minimum works better than getting complicated. This album is quite a bit slower than previous albums, at first I was pretty upset about this but it grew on me. I still would say The Blood, The Body, The Machine was a better album but this is a great one too. If you like old Green Day or bands similar to them you should check out this album. Here is my personal favorite track, Power Lies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54bJru1hFVg
34. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - I Learned the Hard Way
Sharon Jones deserves to be much more well known than she already is. She has one of the most sultry and soulful voices of any woman alive today. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are a soul group that has been around for a little while but this seems to be their big breakout album. Typically I am not a fan of singers who do not write their own songs, I do however make a lot of exceptions and Sharon Jones easily gets one of my exceptions. If you like powerful voices backed by some great horn sections and powerful lyrics look no further than this album. Get a taste for what Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are all about from this track entitled, Money http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN9qAK1t8_U
33. Husky Rescue - Ship of Light
Whenever I meet another music enthusiast we some times enter into this battle of band name dropping, basically we just see how many bands we can each name that the other is not aware of. I know, I know its incredibly pretentious and ridiculous but it happens sometimes. Anyways sometimes when I am challenged in that game I pull out Husky Rescue because hardly anyone seems to be aware of them. Husky Rescue is from Sweden and create what they call ambient pop. I couldn't describe it better myself, that is exactly what they sound like, ambient pop. This is Husky Rescue's third album and in case you were wondering, yes, it is much better than their last album. Here is the first song from the album, Sound of Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPX9G3GwlwQ
32. Girl Talk - All Night
Girl Talk is another band I heard for the first time this year that I wish I had heard much earlier. What Girl Talk does, for those of you that do not already know, is mash up songs together and sample lots of songs to create new original songs. For example, the album opens with a Black Sabbath song and a Ludacris song being mashed together. Its really a lot of fun to listen to and try and spot how many different songs you can recognize throughout the album. I think I heard it best described the other day as, "music for music lovers" and I think that is absolutely the best description I could possibly muster. If you aren't still quite understanding what Girl Talk is all about then feel free to check out one of my favorite songs from the album, Jump On Stage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka3GznTXur8
31. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Yes, yes I'm afraid you did just read that right. I do in fact consider myself a Kanye fan now. I'd like to take this moment to clarify something though, I do still think Kanye West is a huge douche and a gay fish, that being said I have found I actually like his music ... I like it a lot. This is the first Kanye album I actually listened to the whole way through and its pretty darn fantastic. You've got a lot of different collaborators on this album, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Rhianna, The RZA, Chris Rock and even that horrible god awful Niki Minaj (I have no idea what he was thinking on that one). I shouldn't really have to explain what Kanye sounds like at this point, if you have no idea then why are you even reading this? Here is the opening track from the album, Dark Fantasy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25lzp61UNvA
30. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
This is the second album from The Tallest Man on Earth, who in reality is actually quite short, and he hasn't lost one bit of what made his first album so great. The Tallest Man on Earth is a powerful song writer who plays a lot of acoustic guitar and banjo. When listening to his songs you may notice that he is very Bob Dylan influenced, I feel this especially shines through in his song writing. This album has a lot of great lines throughout its entirety but I think my favorite is on the very first song, The Wild Hunt, when he says, "I plan to be forgotten when I'm gone". That line just really spoke to me and says a lot for how simple it is. I mean if I didn't know better I would've sworn that it was written by Dylan himself. Here is one of my favorite songs from the album, King of Spain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qdM8WdTfH4
29. Das Racist - Sit Down, Man
If you needed any further proof that I have in fact become somewhat of a rap fan this year look no further than number 29, Das Racist. Das Racist is my favorite kind of rappers, they don't rap about how gangster they are or about women or anything like that, they rap about important issues and other subjects that they like. They do all of this while not really taking themselves too seriously. In fact some of you may have heard their song Combination Taco Bell Pizza Hut, it got somewhat popular online a little while back. On their first song (All Tan Everything (feat. Jay-Z) ) they make jokes about how white people can't go out into the sun with out getting a skin disease. I think one of my favorite songs off of the album is hahahahaha jk?, the chorus is "were not joking, just kidding we are joking, just joking were not joking". If you are a rap fan at all you really owe it to yourself to check these guys out. Here is hahahahaha jk? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LliTqJNKJrM
28. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid
You know before this year if you had asked me what I thought about the soul scene I would have told you it was dead. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! Janelle Monae is one amazingly talented young lady, she has the voice of a young Michael Jackson and the dance moves of a goddess! I seriously could not stop listening to this album for like 2 months earlier this year. There is also a track on the album featuring Of Montreal and I'm sure that excites some of you. This album is like a breath of fresh air for soul and R&B, it does not sound like anything else in that scene but its not quite just straight up pop. It wasn't too hard picking a song off of the album to recommend, you absolutely HAVE GOT to hear Tightrope (Feat. Big Boi) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc
27. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Broken Bells is DangerMouse (the non-singing half of Gnarles Barkley and an amazing producer) and James Mercer of The Shins. I'm not gonna lie to you, I have a complicated history with this album. When I first got it I absolutely loved it. I listened to it a lot, like a lot alot. Then I started hearing it everywhere I went and it drove me crazy and I just didn't listen to them for a long time. I'm listening to them now as I type this and I'd say its safe to say that's all behind me and I love this album again. If you haven't heard them imagine The Shins but crazy space noises for music instead of guitars and drums. There are still guitars and rums but the album sounds much more psychedelic and spacey than a Shins album would usually sound. Here is, The Ghost Inside, plus ZOMGCHRISTINAHENDRICKSSOHOTT!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVxTsXRjNTw
26. The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever
Here's the thing .... you are not gonna like this band, you just aren't. I have tried numerous times to get people into this band and its rarely successful. The Hold Steady was created by frontman Craig Finn and he also writes all of the songs. He tends to write modern day folk rock songs and songs about just having a good time with friends. The reason most people don't like this band is because of the vocals, you see Craig does this kind of talk singing thing. They remind me of a mix of Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello ... but louder. I recently got to see them live and it was a lot of fun. If for some reason you discover you actually do like this band you have got to go back and listen to their album Boys and Girls in America, its marvelous. Anyways here is my favorite song from the album and probably the most accessible song, Hurricane J http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG4ABgTuCqA
25. Born Ruffians - Say It
I gotta say Canada, you have certainly been on top of it lately. Born Ruffians have quickly became one of my favorite bands and yes, they are from Canada. Born Ruffians have a lot of very bass driven songs and a rather unique vocal styling. This is another band that I got to see live for the first time this year and they put on a great show, I would highly recomend it if you ever get the chance. I think the best way for you to see what the band is all about though is to just check out a song from the album, so here is, What To Say http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tFDF1rwUO8
24. The National - High Violet
The National have been around for a little while now but it wasn't really until their last album (The Boxer) that they seemed to be getting any mention. High Violet is their followup to that album and whattya know? It's pretty darn good! The National sound like big orchestral rock music that isn't too boisterous with vocals alike to Joy Division. That is to say the vocals are done in an almost droning fashion. This album is not gonna be incredibly accessible but if its your thing then you're really going to enjoy this album. Here is one of my favorite tracks off of High Violet, Bloodbuzz Ohio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfySK7CLEEg
23. Minus the Bear - OMNI
Minus the Bear is another one of those bands that has actually been around for quite awhile now but is only just now getting some recognition. If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Minus the Bear yet their sound is like a alternative math rock band with a lot of electronic parts thrown in. A lot of their songs are about women and relationships, big surprise right, a rock band singing about women. What makes this band truly special to me though is the electronic parts they throw into their music, it almost sounds like DangerMouse could have written them. Something about their songs just really relaxes me, I get the feeling that isn't what they were going for but I do find a lot of their songs to be very relaxing. I had the exciting experiences of seeing MTB live this year and I gotta say that they are one of the few bands that can sound just as good live as they do on the album. Enough jibber jabber, check out My Time and see for yourselves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36XnnyWMI5w
22. Kate Nash - My Best Friend Is You
Kate Nash is on the fast track to becoming one of my favorite female singers ever, and this is only her second album! A lot of you have probably not heard this lovely Britt's voice yet but she is a great song writer and has a great voice and to top it all off, shes gorgeous. In the past when I have explained what Kate Nash sounds like to people I used the term "a sober Lilly Allen" and I still think that is the best description one can come up with for her. She just writes a lot of great pop songs but isn't afraid to stroll away from being "lady like" and throw around some words and terms ladies don't often use, but she wouldn't be her if she didn't do that. Here is one of my favorite songs from the album, Take Me To a Higher Plane http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL9lo3ztlmQ (couldn't find a studio version :/)
21. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
LCD Soundsystem has released their first album in about three years and man oh man was the wait worth it. This is also reportedly LCD's last album which for all of our sakes I hope is not the case. LCD is a electronica pop band with some real vocals, by which I mean, the guy can't sing really well but it still works for this. These are just fun songs that make you wanna get up off of your butt and dance! The opening track is a great example of this, it's called 'Dance Yrself Clean' and it starts off kind of slow and quiet but then it really kicks in and gets louder and a lot more fun. The second song is called Drunk Girls and that song is just hilarious and a great song to get up and move to. While those are both excellent songs I have chosen a different song for your ears, here is I Can Change http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW8FKkVnqng
20. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
Here is another album most of you have probably already heard this year. Mumford and Sons popped into my world I believe around April ... maybe March. My dear friend Ross reccomended them to me and I checked em out and it turns out they are pretty great. If you have yet to hear Mumford, they are a sort of bluegrass-esque folk band with a lot of different strings going on. I would highly recommend them to just about anyone, this debut album is truly a special album that I feel will stick around for quite a long time. Chances are if you're reading this you have already heard this song, but if not, here is The Cave. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkUeRPjc-Y
19. The Books - The Way Out
The Books are a rather interesting band, definitely not a band for everyone so if you check them out and don't like them then I would totally understand. The Books do a lot of sound collage work, by which I mean they take found recordings and add things like string arrangements or maybe some electronic beats and make those recordings into a song. They also create songs with out found footage but I would say they are best known for their songs where they use the recordings they find. The song I picked from this album is a great example of their sound. The song is called Thirty Incoming and it was created with a bunch of answering machine messages they found on an answering machine they bought at a flea market or garage sale or something of the like. They weave the recordings together beautifully to tell a story, the story I think is up to the listener to decide. My favorite part of the song is how that empty line drone of the phone turns into the strings so smoothly. So here it is, here is Thirty Incoming. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOqnBteaIzI
18. Belle and Sebastian - Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
I remember the moment I decided 2010 was an incredible year for music, it was when I read online that Belle and Sebastian were returning to the studio to record a brand new album. As it turns out, I was right to think that way because Write About Love is a great album, probably in my top 3 favorite B&S albums in fact. If this is your first time hearing about B&S they are a soft spoken Irish pub band that writes some very beautiful songs. You may have remembered hearing a song or two of theirs on the Juno soundtrack is you ever listened to that. Its been a little while since they have put out a new album but its easy to see that they haven't lost their touch. One of the reasons I enjoyed this album so much was due to the guest appearances from other musicians, such as Norah Jones. In fact Here is the song that Jones appears on, it's called, Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdnVyOe1Pvg
17. Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer
Cee-Lo is known for a lot of things now a days, he has done some soundtrack work on Kung-Fu Panda, he was a crucial member of Goodie Mob, half of Gnarles Barkley and of course there are his solo albums. Here we have Cee-Lo's latest solo record and I think I'd have to say its easily his best. Many of you I'm sure have heard the first single from this album entitled, Fu*& You (also known as Forget You). That song easily guaranteed this album to be one of my favorites this year regardless of the rest of the album, its just that good. However it turns out the rest of the album is also pretty darn great! I think most people would agree that the best thing about Cee-Lo is his fantastic soulful voice, he has a superbly wide range and he makes the best use of his voice on every single song. If you happen to also be a Band of Horses fan, like myself, then I'm sure you'll recognize this song from the album, it's called, No One's Gonna Love You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXiTwalPvuQ
16. Spoon - Transference
Spoon is one of the few great rock bands out there that till gets some press and play on TV and radio stations. With Spoon's latest album comes a rush of emotions and well written songs that will keep you addicted to the album for months at a time. I'll be honest with you however, I have not listened to that many Spoon albums so I'm not sure how this really compares to their older albums but this is a great album to jump into if you're at all interested in the band. Transference came out rather early in the year so its had a lot of time to sink into my brain, there was a time a little while back where I thought maybe it wouldn't be too high up on my list, I went back and listened to the album before writing this and I can confirm that yes, it is still a great piece of music. If you haven't heard Spoon before then this will be a great track to decide on, its Written In Reverse and the first single from the album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYWlg9iHHlY
15. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Have you ever been watching [adult swim] at night and they have those bumps with the black cards with white text. They always have some really cool relaxing music playing on those bumps. What does that have to do with my #15 album of the year? Oh, well you see, Flying Lotus does most of the music for those bumps. Flying Lotus is just one guy and he makes some incredibly deep electronica music that some find relaxing and some find invigorating and energetic. I personally just find Flying Lotus's music to be very relaxing, I could not tell you how many times I've fallen asleep to one of his albums. That's the great thing about Flying Lotus though, different listeners can get different things out of his music. So tell me, how does Zodiac Sh*! make you feel? (also a fun fact about this album, Thom Yorke of Radiohead is featured on one of the songs) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkA1L6jcv78
14. Flaming Lips - Dark Side of the Moon
I know this album was technically released in '09 but it didn't have a physical release till this year and I didn't get to talk about it last year so here it is. The Flaming Lips along with some of their friends (Stardeath, White Dwarfs, Henry Rollins and Peaches) used their musical talents to recreate all of Pink Floyd's classic album, Dark Side of the Moon. As you're already aware of I'm sure, Pink Floyd is not exactly for everybody and that goes double for The Flaming Lips. This is the first time I've ever seen a band cover an entire album and I was somewhat skeptical about it and wasn't sure how well it would work but as it turns out it worked incredibly well. The song most people know from Dark Side of the Moon is probably Money, well here is The Flaming Lips cover, enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHS1pi-y3Kc
13. DangerMouse and Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul
Yet another album that I don't think technically came out in '09 but whatever. This album features a bunch of different musicians none of whom are DangerMouse or Sparklehorse, they only produced and wrote the album. In fact the man known as Sparklehorse unfortunately committed suicide before this was ever released. Some of the artists included on the album are Frank Black of The Pixies, Juilan Casablancas of The Strokes, The Flaming Lips, James Mercer of The Shins and Iggy Pop. All the songs on the album are so full of emotion and very well written. I believe my favorite track though would have to be Jaykub featuring Jason Lytle of the band Grandaddy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyA88CF4YHM
12. Black Keys - Brothers
I actually really wanted to list this album higher than what I have it but there were just so many great albums out this year I could only manage to place it at #12. Please oh please don't let that keep you away from this album though, it is one of the most fun and energetic albums I've heard in a long time. I truly feel that it must be near impossible for the Black Keys to make a bad album. If for some horrible reason you aren't familiar with the Black Keys they have a sort of classic rock feel, its two guys, a guitar and a drum kit making some of the most incredible rocktastic songs you have ever heard. Their last album was produced by DangerMouse, who also produced a song on this album, so I thought it would be pretty hard to top that album but they blew it out of the water with this one. Here is easily the best track off the album, Tighten Up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpaPBCBjSVc
11. Scott Pilgrim Original Soundtrack
If you have talked to me at all this year chances are you already know how in love I am with Scott Pilgrim. The comic was amazing and the movie they made off of it was also ten gallons of fun. One thing that made the movie so great was the soundtrack. In the comic and the movie the main character, Scott Pilgrim (duh), plays bass in a band called Sex Bob-omb. For the movie they had to bring that band to life and actually make songs from the book. They did just that, and they did it perfectly. There were also a couple other fictional bands they had to bring to life that were done just as well, the band Soctt loathes for some pretty good reasons, Clash at Deomnhead and then there was the rapid song playing Crash and the Boys. Sex Bob-omb had all their songs written and created by the famous musician Beck and performed by the actual actors in the band. Crash and the Boys had their songs created by another band on this list, Broken Social Scene. Finally Clash at Deomonhead was brought to life by the always brilliant Metric headed up by the beautiful Emily Haines. There are also a bunch of songs on the album that were previously featured on the respected artits previous albums, such as, The Rolling Stones, Frank Black, Broken Social Scene, Beachwood Sparks and a bunch of others. I simply can not rave about this album enough. Here is one of Sex Bob-ombs best songs, Threshold. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AirZDtIMTM
10. Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now
Jenny and Johnny are Jenny Lewis and her boyfriend (aka my arch nemesis) Johnathan Rice. This is Jenny and Johnny's first album and as you may have suspected most of the songs on the album are sort of lovey dovey. Not all the songs on the album are like that though, they have their fair share of not so nice things to say. The over all feel though is of course a positive one, I mean what else would you expect from an album called I'm Having Fun Now. I absolutely love the duets in this song, both Jenny and Johnny have some incredibly powerful voices and they just mesh so well together. I dare you to listen to this album without a smile on your face, it's just darn near impossible. Here is the first track off the album, Scissor Runner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GVnVBkAdXw
9. Baths - Cerulean
Hey, did you click on that Flying Lotus song? Did you like it? If yes keep reading, if no ... well Baths might not be the band for you. Baths as you may have guessed is very similar to Flying Lotus and also all done by one guy. My friend Mat played them for me on the way back from a Pavement show and I just melted. I don't really know what it is about this kind of music, I honestly have no idea. This type of thing just makes me feel so good, so warm, so comfortable, so protected, like when I'm listening to it nothing bad can happen. When I listen to baths, I feel like I'm taking a warm bath on a winter evening, completely relaxed, comfortable with myself. I don't really know how much of that made sense to anyone else, if any. Listen to Lovely Bloodflow and see if you feel it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtTpszuKXqA
8. Jonsi - Go
Jonsi is the lead singer of the beautiful band Sigur Ros. This is Jonsi's first solo album and I certainly hope it is not his last. This album also has Jonsi singing in english rather than his usual icelandic. The music you'll find on this album is happy and colorful I feel like I'm gonna get a cavity listening to it. Hmm .. perhaps that was not the best metaphor. Jonsi's music is very melodic and features a lot of high pitched singing. Fun fact, you may have heard a Jonsi song not too long ago. Jonsi had an original song at the end of the movie How To Train Your Dragon. Jonsi has the voice of an angel and I can't wait to see what he does next. Here is the first track off of Go, it's appropriately called, Go Do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5VgLOs0LwQ
7. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Let It Sway
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is a band from not too far away from our dear home of Joplin. They reign from the land of Springfield, MO and they make some great pop rock. As much as I love SSLYBY I have to be honest with you, I was incredibly surprised by this album. Let It Sway was produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie and it's some of the finest work SSLYBY has produced thus far. SSLYBY's sound kind of reminds me of early Weezer mixed with a touch of Death Cab For Cutie and a hint of something completley original. Since the band is from Springfield they play there a lot, I have seen them five times and I have had a great time all five times. If you get the chance, go see this band! Here is my personal favorite track from Let It Sway, All Hail Dracula! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeZ5G9Qyhb4&feature=related
6. Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
The Dead Weather is a supergroup of sorts, the band has Jack White (of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs), Alison Mosshart (of The Kills), Dean Fertita (of Queens of the Stone Age) and Jack Lawrence (of The Raconteurs). This is the Dead Weather's second album, their first album in my opinion was not so good. With this new release they have totally redeemed themselves and made an album that has gotten a lot of play in my life this year. This album is so raw and has such a great sound, it really just gets you pumped. For example, I absolutley adore the sound of the drums on Hustle and Cuss, the ride cymbal just sounds sooooo good! You just gotta get this album, it's full of musical genius. It was stupid hard trying to pick just one song from this album but I think you just gotta hear I Can't Hear You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj7jTtyCmOU
5. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Well, well, well look what the cat dragged in. It's been far too long since we had a proper Sufjan Stevens album come out. Not only did Sufjan give us a brand new album but we also got a brand new hour long EP. Before some of you get too excited you need to know that this album is very different than Sufjan's previous albums. Sufjan does a lot of expiermenting here and throws around some hip-hop beats and even makes use of the infamous auto-tune. I think the most amazing thing Sufjan did with this album was put in a 28 minuet long song. Yeah, that’s right, a 28 minuet long song. It's called Impossible Soul and he totally played it live when I saw him in Kansas City a month or two ago. Sufjan is a brilliant song writer and it's so good to have him back. I look forward to his next move. Here is Impossible Soul for your listening pleasure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6sJCkcKiSI (pt. 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYFshXrcp1I&playnext=1&list=PLDA2AE6CABA6D535B&index=31 (pt. 2)
4. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Hot Chip is one of the most fun bands you will find on the scene today. Hot Chip is a electronica band that is headed up by the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of the electronica scene. This album is a bit more serious than some of their previous works and feels much warmer. The album is very soulful and as the title suggests its more about love than it is dancing or just having a fun time. Despite all of that the album still has its fun moments, it's just that this album is a bit different than some of their previous albums, and that, is not a bad thing at all. Hot Chip is here to stay and will continue putting out amazing album after amazing album and manage to still find time to release some remixs here and there. Here is the somewhat disturbing video for I Feel Better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GOZjlwIwfk
3. Bob Dylan - The Witmark Demos
I may get some flack for this since most of these songs were already available and it's just a collection of old recordings and some bootlegs. However, this is a list of MY favorite albums from this year so it stays on the list, and not only does it stay on the list, it stays on the list at number 3! Bob Dylan is easily one of the most brilliant musicians of our time. He writes some of the most touching and heartfelt songs out there. He is also responsible for the best protest songs ever made and other political songs. The Witmark Demos is a collection of Dylan songs from the 60's, with this you're getting Dylan, his acoustic guitar, and his harmonica, that's it. You've probably heard a lot of the songs featured here but you may have not heard the version found on here. There are also some Dylan songs that just never ended up on an album for whatever reason. I just keep coming back and back to this set of songs this year. May Bob Dylan live forever! How can you pick just one song from this? It's darn near impossible but I did it, here's I'd Hate To Be You On That Dreadful Day. (well I can't find a youtube link, but check it out somehow someway, you'll be glad you did)
2. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
I'm happy, I'm feeling glad, all because the Gorillaz are back! 2010 saw the release of the brand new Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach. 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Hobbs are back to rock your house! They also brought a lot more friends to the party than thy usually do. This album has guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Mos Def, De La Soul, Little Dragon, Lou Reed along with a few others. In case you just awakened from your coma the Gorillaz are what are known as alternative hip-hop, they aren't quite an alt. rock band and they aren't really rap. One thing I love about the Gorillaz is they are one of those bands that almost everyone seems to like, it's nice when a band like that comes a long. If you haven't seen it I would suggest you look up the Stylo music video as it has Bruce Willis in it and its a great song. While Stylo is a great song I like Superfast Jellyfish much better. So here it is, Superfast Jellyfish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4UtbrbsrjY
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So here it is, the number one album of 2010. What is it? Well chances are you have probably already guessed.

That's right

its

......
1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Yeah big surprise right? Actually I wasn't all that impressed with this album the first few times I listened to it, but like a lot of my favorite albums it took a little bit of time to grow on me. Now that this album has grown on me I really think its a brilliant piece of music that you'll be hard pressed to top with anything else that came out in 2010. Arcade Fire are from Canada and have quickly rose to the ranks to become one of the most adored indie rock bands in the business today. They have a large sound and tend to use a lot of strings and some horns on occasion. They write about how the world today is, and how they view it. Understandably a lot of those songs are not the most bright uplifting songs out there. Even though a lot of their songs are kind of depressing when you break em down they are still absolutely beautiful. The Suburbs marks another evolution in the bands career and another step on the ladder to world domination. If you are a recent convert to the Arcade Fire way of life then I only have one piece of advice for you, GO LISTEN TO FUNERAL RIGHT NOW! LIKE RIGHT FREAKING NOW!!! I really do love every single song on this album but I think the song that spoke the most to me was Modern Man. Please listen to this song and meditate on the words and just think about them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjm8WDG-Gy8

There it is everyone, the top 50 albums of 2010. Thank you so much for reading this, it really means a lot to me. This year was easily one of my favorite years in music to date. I think it's gonna be pretty hard for 2011 to beat 2010 but I really hope it does. When there's more great music, we all win. So what albums were your favorite this year? What are you looking forward to next year? What was your favorite show you saw this year? I'm gonna go ahead and predict that the new Radiohead album will be my favorite album next year. 2011 should also see releases from Cake, Deerhoof, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Coldplay, R.E.M., and lots of others.