Nov 202010
Black Friday quickly approaches. ‘Tis the season to share our favorite music with (un)suspecting friends and relatives, support the artists, and provide additional fodder for RTH discussion. What 2010 releases did you most enjoy and would recommend to our community of discriminating listeners?
Here is a partial list (not necessarily in order of preference) from the Royale household:
- Beach House – Teen Dream
- The Black Keys – Brothers
- Gonjasufi – A Sufi and A Killer
- LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
- Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
- Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
- Yellow Swans – Going Places
- Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
Clever choice of video accompaniments, Mod/Back Office. The lyrics certainly fit. The post’s title is also a reference to a track on “This Is Happening.”
I was initially looking for a picture of Santa Claus with a 40-year-old rock nerd on his lap, but came up empty. Maybe we’ll rectify that at our informal RTH holiday get-together for folks who happen to be in the Philadelphia area.
I still spend too much time in the way-back machine, diving through flea markets for weird and wonderful old music, to be able to answer this. I think the only 2010 release I bought was the Pernice Brothers’ latest — and that may have been from 2009!
But what about re-releases? Boxed sets? Anyone know what good boxed sets will be coming up?
There’s a few things I’ve liked this year, but I don’t think I’ve bought enough stuff this year to pick a top ten. I usually figure I’ve got to get at least 30 new releases to reasonably choose. I’ve bought a lot of stuff this year, but I’ve bought a lot of old fart stuff this year.
Peter Case – Wig. I was kind of surprised at it. It’s not some crisp power pop. It’s far more bluesy and gritty than I expected, and I like it a lot.
Paul Collins – The King of Power Pop. May as well toss in another member of The Nerves, and this is pure, unabashed power pop. So when it works it’s pure goodness, and when it misses it’s kind of dumb, but that’s ok. It’s still real good.
Deer Tick – The Black Dirt Sessions. I like these guys and this is their most solid album yet.
The Greenhornes – 4 Stars. It’s not as good as Dual Mono, but it’s still pure garage rock goodness. i got a blue one!
The New Pornographers – Together. I still like their first album best, but I think I like everything they’ve ever done.
Parting Gifts – Strychnine Dandelion. Greg Cartwright, Coco Hames and friends just nail it with this nearly perfect record. I think this one would be my number one.
For a reissue pick, Rykodisc released Golden Smog’s Down by the Old Mainstream this year, and man, does it sound great. I bought the new Posies album (which is good) just because Rykodisc made the record.
As usual I bought way too much stuff this year and, as is increasingly the case, not much of it is new music. But of those my favorites have been:
Tom Jones – Praise & Blame – somewhat out of left field, a great gospel album. He’s still got the pipes. Wish he (and his producer) didn’t take writing credits on some old trad songs
Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents – Keeping Time – a near perfect girl group soul pastiche (in the best sense of the word). If you like anything at all about that description go give her a listen
Ike Reilly – Hard Luck Stories – I only came across this guy last year although he’s been knocking around awhile; I like everything I’ve heard by him
Len Price 3 – Pictures – this is what it sounds like when garage/power pop is done right.
I could go on for awhile about reissues I’ve picked up but I won’t except to use this opportunity to continue my Rick Nelson crusade. Bear Family’s third and final Rick box, Last Time Around, came out. It covers 1970 – 1982 and it’s a high crime that the only thing anyone knows from this period is Garden Party. That’s a great song but there are so many more.
I don’t buy a lot of new music either but Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record is really good.
Even though I just bought this this weekend, Springsteen’s – The Promise is excellent. Put this together with Darkness and Bruce had a phenomenal 2 year run. (You can ignore this if you’re not a Springsteen fan).
This was one of more dire years for music, according to me. Of course, I say that every other year, generally. Also, I spent a lot less money on music this year and slowly weaned myself off promo copies.
That said, Emma Pollock’s The Law of Large Numbers is fantastic. She’s making the best catchy, sightly arty UK guitar-pop around these days. To put it in ways you guys may appreciate, in her own way, she’s picking up the batons that XTC and Costello dropped.
Janelle Monae’s The ArchAndroid is great, super-ambitious, slightly nutsoid R&B. The first single and video “Tightrope” is probably my Song of the Year.
Mr. Mod should probably check out this year’s Quasi record American Gong. They’ve fully evolved into a noisy, Who-influenced power-trio. OTOH, it may remind him too much of Live at Leeds in spots.
Whew, so I’m not alone in being less of a contributor to the sales of new music than ever! I’m still trying to recall if there’s a new, killer album that I bought this year. Some new releases may have been a year or two old by the time I bought them.
I’ll check out that new Quasi record, Oats. Stuff I’ve bought by them in the past has a nice kick when it shows up in my iPod’s shuffle mode. I’ll have to listen to more of that Pollock album, too. I remember watching a video you posted on your blog and thinking it was pretty good.
I’m with ladymisski on LCD, Deerhunter, Flying Lotus, and Gonjasufi. Other stuff I liked this year:
Richard Thompson, Dream Attic
Jon Langford, Old Devils
Efterklang, Magic Chairs
The Fall, Your Future Our Clutter
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Caribou, Swim (+remixes album)
Grinderman 2
Major Lazer + LaRoux, Lazerproof mixtape
Matthew Dear, Black City
Black Dub, Black Dub
Other than that, it’s been a lot of reissues, the usual suspects (Dylan, Stones), lots on non-Anglo-American stuff, and especially Bessie Smith and Jimmie Rodgers recordings from the 20s and 30s.
LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening (top, top of the list. The rest randomly)
Len Price 3 – Pictures
Crowded House – Intriguer
Lawrence Arabia – Chant Darling
Chris Amodeo – Homo Luminous
Robert Plant – Band of Joy
Robyn Hitchcock – Propellor Time
Meat Puppets – Sewn Together (May have been 2009? Easily their third best album so worth the potential Pince Nez.)