My 10 Favorite Tracks of 2010

#10. Mumford and Sons, "Sigh No More"

Terrific harmonies, and love the way it builds intensity towards the end. Great opening track on one of the best albums of the year (although.. if we are going to be technical... while it was released in the US in 2010, it came out in the UK in late 2009. But we'll let that pass.)



#9. Jónsi, "Animal Arithmetic"

This track makes me want to frolic around in a big green field on a beautiful, sunny Spring day. And I *don't* normally frolic. Just a feel-good song, big sweeping chorus and insane percussion. I love Jónsi's solo album more than anything he's done with Sigur Ros.



#8. LCD Soundsystem, "I Can Change"

Irresistible earworm that rattled around in my brain for about a week the first time I heard it. Love the old-school synth vibe, and terrific lyrics and vocal performance. The whole time he's going "I can change, i can change, I can change" I'm thinking, um, yeah right. That's what they all say.




#7. Scissor Sisters, "Sex and Violence"

I must see them at the 930 Club when they come in March.. but only if they promise to play this song. I love the "Night Work" album - its got that great trashy dark underground kinda seedy vibe to it. A little unhinged and dirty. What's not to love? This song is the high point for me. Ominous and just a little twisted, and most definitely inspired by some of the top 80s synth pop... which can only be a good thing.



#6. Drake w/ Nicki Minaj, "Up All Night"

I loved this track first time I heard it. Was the song of the summer for me... and after about 30 or so repeats in the car I had all the words down. Yes, I'm a rapping fool. [Only in the privacy of my own car, however - for which everyone will no doubt be very thankful.] This whole album is actually pretty great.



#5. Tame Impala, "Solitude is Bliss"

Great album, and this song is the high point. Trippy, psychedelic rock - - listen to it on the headphones.



#4. Goldfrapp, "Rocket"

Remind me not to piss off Alison Goldfrapp. Terrific album, but "Rocket" is the track that I can't get enough of. Still play it constantly. A perfect pop song.



#3. Marina and the Diamonds, "Shampain"

Killer video, amazing song, and one of the best albums of the year. You can definitely tell i'm a child of the 80s by this list... this is another track that has one wheel stuck in 1983.



#2. MGMT, "Flash Delirium"

This song was #1 for most of the year, until it got edged out in the end. I've played it a zillion times (as my other half will attest), and it gets better with each play. MGMT's "Congratulations" is one of those WTF??? albums that generates a sorta bewildered response upon its release, but I predict that in years to come it will be revered as one of the best of this era. It's psychedelic pop / prog rock / synth rock all whirled up into one extravagant and imaginative ball of goodness. And this video... yeah, the stuff that bad dreams are made of. Awesomeness!!



#1. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. with Boy George and Andrew Wyatt, "Somebody to Love Me"

It's the colorful dream of Culture Club from the other side of the mirror. Beautiful and wrenching. A perfect vehicle for Boy George - still sounding great, if somewhat raspy - to look back. Musically it's got that pseudo-Caribbean vibe that Culture Club employed, but much darker. And they pulled off the video beautifully. Amazing track by arguably one of the top 2 or 3 producers working today.

David Bowie - Rare - Dinah Shore 1975 - Stay - clip 1

This is a really cool clip, a good performance of the "Station to Station" track "Stay" from the Dinah Shore show. Bowie gives a terrific vocal and the band is grooving. This song always has such a sinister vibe to it, especially the live versions. The performance that just came out on the "Station to Station" box set from the Nassau Coliseaum is awesome.

Best of 2010

Albums:

1. MGMT – Congratulations
2. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
3. Tame Impala – InnerSpeaker
4. Jónsi - Go
5. Marina and the Diamonds – The Family Jewels
6. Kanye West – My Deep Dark Twisted Fantasy
7. Chromeo – Business Casual
8. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
9. Drake – Thank Me Later
10. Robyn – Body Talk
11. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
12. Neil Young – Le Noise
13. Eminem – Recovery
14. Goldfrapp – Head First
15. David Byrne & Fatboy Slim – Here Lies Love
16. Scissor Sisters – Night Work
17. Robert Plant – Band of Joy
18. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
19. Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard
20. Sword – Warp Riders
21. Strand of Oaks – Pope Killdragon
22. Prince – 20ten
23. Massive Attack – Heligoland
24. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
25. Crowded House – Intriguer


Songs:

1.  Somebody to Love Me – Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. (featuring Andrew Wyatt and Boy George)
2.  Flash Delirium – MGMT
3. Shampain – Marina & The Diamonds
4. Rocket – Goldfrapp
5. Solitude is Bliss – Tame Impala
6. Up All Night – Drake & Nicki Minaj
7. Sex and Violence – Scissor Sisters
8. I Can Change – LCD Soundsystem
9. Animal Arithmetic – Jónsi
10. Sigh No More – Mumford and Sons
11. On Melancholy Hill – Gorillaz
12. Ambling Alp – Yeasayer
13. Soldier of Love – Sade
14. Love The Way You Lie – Eminem & Rihanna
15. Caravan – Rush
16. Archer’s Arrows – Crowded House
17. Night By Night – Chromeo
18. Ready To Start – Arcade Fire
19. Come Talk To Me – Bon Iver
20. Church of No Religion – Ed Harcourt
21. Tres Brujas – Sword
22. You’ll Be Taken Care Of – David Byrne & Fatboy Slim with Tori Amos
23. Astral Planes – Smashing Pumpkins
24. Not In Love – Crystal Castles with Robert Smith
25. Dancing on My Own – Robyn
26. Cold War – Janelle Monáe
27. Seven Sisters – Casey Stratton
28. One Life Stand – Hot Chip
29. Beginning Endlessly – Prince
30. All You Need is Now – Duran Duran