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TC's top 40 albums of 2010
Member Since: 10/19/2010
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Expecting to see Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry,....
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ATRL Administrator
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PROGRESS: Winter · Spring · Summer · Fall · #40-36 · #35-31 · #30-26 · #25-21 · #20-16 · #15-11 · #10-6 · #5-1
Thanks for sticking with me! It's time to continue with parts 8 and 9 of 12, which will take us from #25 through #16...
It was an unlikely resurrection of Akron's hometown pride. Devo last released an album in 1990, and despite a few attempts here and there over the years, by all indications I think it's safe to say nobody thought we'd actually see another one. Well, forget about that, because we did. Something For Everybody is quite the weird concept, but what else would you expect from Devo? The premise was, Devo would launch a marketing campaign, focus groups, and scientific studies to determine what the public ("The American People", if you will) wanted out of a new Devo album. Even their signature red "energy dome" got changed to blue. It was crazy, it was eccentric... and it worked. Devo put out a shockingly great set of songs, powered first and foremost if you ask me by "Human Rocket", an unbeatable and self-aware Devo anthem. Their live stage shows were out of this world. As it turns out, Something For Everybody may have been pretty accurate.
Ellie Goulding is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from London who rose to fame after topping the BBC Sound of 2010 poll and winning the Critics' Choice award at the 2010 BRIT Awards. Her debut single "Under The Sheets" premiered on BBC Radio 1 in late 2009 and gained in popularity as the months went by; she also toured as the opening act for Little Boots, which gained her many new fans. Ellie Goulding's music might not be as confrontational as Lily Allen, as bombastic as Amy Winehouse, or as deep and reflective as Adele, but she manages to hit a happy medium of electronic pop that works simply and beautifully. Her debut album Lights was released in the UK in early 2010 and has been slowly making its way around the world since. Some of my favorite tracks include "Every Time You Go", "The Writer", and "Starry Eyed"; the re-release Bright Lights very late in the year added some more great tracks like "Lights" and "Your Song" as well. Ellie is a true talent and she's just getting started. This year, the UK. Next year, the world.
Truth be told, I don't even remember how I first heard Brooke Fraser late this year, but I'm glad I did. Brooke is from New Zealand and specializes in that kind of pop/folk, borderline alternative country that I love. I began to appreciate her music quickly due to its refreshing sincerity, but also because of the content of her lyrics. The opener "Something In The Water" is a nice love song, but on the rest of the album, she covers a wide array of other topics with creativity and grace. "Flags" is about cultural injustice; "Ice On Her Lashes" is about dealing with death; and the standout track, "Betty" is the story of a woman who hides everything about herself, all the way down to a red birthmark in the shape of Canada that she covers up out of embarrassment. You've got Toronto hiding on your hip, honey, Brooke sings in the hook. You won't find many albums that are more uniquely charming than this one. Flags is one of the best discoveries of the year.
Karen Elson had been a model for many years when she met Jack White on the set of the "Blue Orchid" video shoot in early 2005. The two apparently hit it off right away; they were married by June of that year. Karen's career in music had been slowly coming into existence; she recorded backup vocals for Robert Plant in 2003, and then in 2006 she recorded a duet with Cat Power, a cover of "I Love You (Me Either)" for a tribute album to French musician Serge Gainsbourg, father of Charlotte, the author of my #26 album. (Wait, what just happened there? It's like six degrees of separation back to my own year-end list. I may have shifted the space-time continuum.) Anyway, Jack White liked Karen's singing and writing so much, he convinced her to release an album of songs this year, which was produced by Mr. White himself and released on his label, Third Man Records. No surprise, it's great. The Ghost Who Walks is a little bit folk, blues, rock, country, and pop. The title track was one of my most played songs of 2010; "The Birds They Circle" and "The Truth Is In The Dirt" are other winners. Karen Elson is a true talent. Jack White approves; I approve; what else do you need?
The top of the lower half of the year-end belongs to Goldfrapp. Not afraid to take on a number of different styles over the years, the electronic duo have explored the sounds of ambience, glam rock, and dance since their debut a decade ago. Head First brings yet another musical direction for Goldfrapp, this time '80s synth-pop. Many other reviewers have taken note of the influences from ABBA and Olivia Newton-John in the Xanadu era. Well, I'm on board. I guess I first got on the Goldfrapp train a few years ago when I discovered "Ooh La La" and "Strict Machine" from the back catalog, but this is the first time one of their albums has made its way onto my list. I knew this was going to be a good one as soon as I heard the first single "Rocket"; it got even better with "Alive" and its accompanying video, a bizarre and dark concept that starts with an '80s workout VHS tape and ends with goths and vampires and blood and destruction. If that's not enough for you, I don't know what is. What's more, Head First is just 9 great songs. Short album! It has all you need and nothing you don't.
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ATRL Administrator
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PROGRESS: Winter · Spring · Summer · Fall · #40-36 · #35-31 · #30-26 · #25-21 · #20-16 · #15-11 · #10-6 · #5-1
Splitting the list at #20 this year is Taylor Swift. Last year at this time, Taylor was a universally acclaimed media darling, but since then, she's managed to turn into a fairly divisive figure. Some have labeled her music repetitive and bland; others have taken aim at her personal life. But I won't buy into that. While it's true Taylor made a few missteps this year (such as the melodramatic and totally unnecessary "Innocent"), her otherwise excellent Speak Now is one of the best pop albums of 2010. Taylor Swift does a few things really well: The hopeless romantic teenage girl fairytale, the truly sincere innocence, the revenge of the ex-girlfriend, and the sometimes brutal honesty. Speak Now gives us all of that, and then some. The best tracks include the heartbreaking "Back To December" and "Never Grow Up", the rambunctious "Better Than Revenge" and "The Story Of Us", and the epic "Enchanted", my overall favorite. Taylor is no longer everything to everyone, but I like her, I like Speak Now, and I look forward to her further musical evolution in the future.
Her self-titled debut was one of my favorite albums of 2003, and then Fefe Dobson dropped off the map. The last I remember hearing of her was the pre-release track "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" from 2005. After countless delays, her follow-up album Sunday Love was eventually cancelled and never saw the light of day. She then parted ways with her label. I thought her star had faded. "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" was re-recorded by Jordin Sparks in 2009, and another Fefe track from the lost era, "As A Blonde" was given to Selena Gomez for her debut album. Given these events, I was pleasantly surprised to find out Fefe had gone independent and would release a brand new album in 2010. It was a long process in itself. "I Want You" was released some 18 months ago, and Joy didn't hit the streets until this November. That said, the long wait paid off. "Ghost" and "Stuttering" are some of the best pop singles of the year. Other tracks like "Can't Breathe" featuring Orianthi are well-crafted and no-nonsense pop/rock, and the hilariously titled "You Bitch" is guaranteed fun. Fefe Dobson is back in full effect, and that is a wonderful thing to be able to say.
I think if Arcade Fire had a motto, it would be go hard or go home. Arcade Fire doesn't just deliver albums, they deliver thought-provoking concepts and experiences. The Suburbs is another trip in itself; a beast of a project. In lead singer and songwriter Win Butler's words, the album is "a letter from the suburbs", not necessarily a love letter to it or an indictment of it. The album explores the despondence and desolation that comes from being stuck in such a soul-crushing atmosphere, but it also demonstrates there's a flicker of life hiding underneath even the most hopeless of situations. Some of my favorite tracks include "Ready To Start", "Month Of May", "We Used To Wait", and the title track, but the clear winner here is "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)", which I like to think of as like Arcade Fire: The Song. I mean, "Sprawl II" is it, man. It has everything. Listen to every word of that song, and then listen to it again. In terms of the sheer quality and passion of the music, The Suburbs is easily one of the best albums of the year. Arcade Fire wins again.
My Best Friend Is You marks the return of Kate Nash following her debut album Made Of Bricks a couple of years ago. The first track to be released early this year was "I Just Love You More", a powerhouse of a song with Kate Nash squawking and shouting over a true headbanger of a beat. It was followed shortly after by "Do-Wah-Doo", a much poppier, pleasant track (with decidedly less pleasant subject matter in the lyrics, but such is the Kate Nash charm) along the lines of "Foundations" from a few years back. The rest of the album is fairly good and presents a rather schizophrenic range of styles, but those two tracks are just the best. I played them dozens and dozens of times; more than most other songs all year. Stealing a line from another review, My Best Friend Is You is the best of "infatuation, jealousy, lust, and betrayal" in a way that only Kate Nash can deliver. She's a firecracker; I'm glad we have her around.
Uffie is the anti-pop star. Forget everything you know about the way music is supposed to work. Uffie had been part of the underground electronic scene in France since the mid-2000s thanks to her relationship with and connections to a popular DJ and producer there. She has been (very) slowly releasing tracks since then, beginning with "Pop The Glock" all the way back in 2006. Most of those tracks made their way onto her debut album that finally came out this year, Sex Dreams And Denim Jeans, making it feel like somewhat of an Uffie: Greatest Hits. So what is Uffie like as a vocalist? The best term I've seen to describe her style is "anti-flow", an intentionally stunted delivery style that blends rapping, shouting, singing, and talking. In other words, a more organically derived Ke$ha before Ke$ha was even a thing. Uffie is crazy, sharp-witted, and notorious. The infectious "Neuneu", the very addictive title track, and the explosive "MC's Can Kiss" are among my favorite tracks. It's hard telling where Uffie will go from here, but Sex Dreams And Denim Jeans was worth the wait.
I can see the home stretch ahead of us! 9 parts are done; 3 more remain. Next up, albums #15 through #11.
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Member Since: 10/19/2010
Posts: 1,428
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ATRL Senior Member
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THE WATSON LIST IS BACK.
Tons of great stuff here, as well as great stuff that sits on my HD without having listened to it for no reason. Like that Karen Elson album was one I was meaning to listen to, but just didn't. Luckily, the great thing about these write-ups, and year-end time is that it nudges you into listening to things you should have already.
I really love the Arcade Fire and Devo albums. Nice choices, and great write-ups on them. Arcade Fire: The Song, nicely done.
That Goldfrapp album sounds very good, and you can't go wrong with T-Swift (well, you often can. But most times!). A lot of these others I should listen to.
Great Job!
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Member Since: 5/23/2007
Posts: 65,087
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Goldfrapp, Fefe & Arcade Fire  this set was great 
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Member Since: 6/25/2008
Posts: 15,884
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I'm sorry, I just saw your best of now. I say this because I love your taste and in 2009 was very good your lists. Well, Brooke Fraser this woman is so sweet. Head First is a good album  The Suburbs <3 I was a little disappointed with My Best Friend Is You  but still has good songs in the album
Sex Dreams And Denim Jeans 
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 2/21/2005
Posts: 21,684
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Glad to see Speak Now and My Best Friend Is You here 
I need to listen to Joy, I loved both singles released from that album.
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Member Since: 11/5/2007
Posts: 19,997
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Speak Now & Joy 
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Member Since: 11/17/2008
Posts: 28,694
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6/10
"The Suburbs" was my favorite
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Member Since: 1/26/2006
Posts: 17,384
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'Head First' + 'The Suburbs'
Agree what you say about "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)", is by far the best track on the album.
I like "Doo-Wah-Doo" from Kate Nash, but I haven't heard her whole album.
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Member Since: 8/2/2008
Posts: 22,610
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Arcade Fire  Sprawl II is amazing!
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 10/1/2002
Posts: 14,726
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I had a feeling you might show some love Fefe's way. I agree though, 'Ghost' is great
Also nice to see Swift, and of course, Arcade Fire on the list. Go hard or go home indeed
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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The epic Enchanted. You better stan!
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 5/2/2000
Posts: 2,844
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PROGRESS: Winter · Spring · Summer · Fall · #40-36 · #35-31 · #30-26 · #25-21 · #20-16 · #15-11 · #10-6 · #5-1
We're almost there! It's time for part 10 of 12, which will take us through albums #15 to #11, just short of the top ten...
The politics of Katy Perry too often get in the way of her hits. Whether it's the insensitive nature and dubious intent of her past debut singles "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed A Girl", or the blatant hypocrisy that displays itself when she trots out her Christian upbringing (see her criticism of Lady Gaga and her appearance on Letterman over the summer), there's a lot to bemoan about Katy Perry, the persona. I said it in 2008: If you want to enjoy the music of Katy Perry, you have to turn your brain off at the door. So you can be sure when Teenage Dream hit the scene, I promptly shut down my neurons once again. "California Gurls" featuring Snoop Dogg was a perfectly crafted work of pop music, the immediate sure-fire hit of the early summer. "Teenage Dream" itself, an adorable anthem of a song, came shortly after. Other tracks like "Firework" and "Circle The Drain" proved worthy as well. Say what you will about Katy Perry herself, but she's the unavoidable pin-up girl of our generation, and some of today's best pop music bears her name.
If there's one thing you should know about my year-end lists, it's that I'm honest and unapologetic about the music I listened to the most throughout the year. Case in point: Ke$ha. The placement of Animal on my top 40 albums says nothing about its artistic merit or lack thereof. Everyone knows this is party music, plain and simple, and there's nothing wrong with that. From the moment "Tik Tok" came out of nowhere in the summer of 2009, I was sold. Was it some smart piece of art pop? Not even close, but it was never supposed to be. It was meant to be fun, and it was. Ke$ha came at the right time. Animal itself arrived in the first few days of 2010 and I enjoyed listening to it all year long. "Blah Blah Blah", "Your Love Is My Drug", "Take It Off", "Party At A Rich Dude's House" and other tracks on Animal are certified hits. But the song that defined Ke$ha this year was "We R Who We R", which arrived in the fall as part of her bonus EP, Cannibal. "We R Who We R" is the anti-anthem. Tonight we're going hard, just like the world is ours; you know we're superstars, we are who we are. In other words, just lighten up for once and be silly; be yourself. Tell me, how can you argue with that? Too many things in this world are combative and depressing; don't hate Ke$ha for embracing the lighter side of life.
The girls of The Like grew up around music. Vocalist and lead guitarist Elizabeth Berg is the daughter of record producer Tony Berg, and drummer Tennessee Thomas is the daughter of Pete Thomas, longtime drummer for Elvis Costello. With that kind of family history, it's no wonder they started their own band. The Like first arrived in 2005 with their debut album, Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?, which included the track "What I Say And What I Mean", one of my favorites of that year. But then the band quickly vanished from the scene, presumably never to be heard from again. So I was pretty shocked earlier this year when I stumbled upon the video for "He's Not A Boy", one of the singles from their new album Release Me. The resurrection of The Like! How did this happen? As it turns out, they went to Brooklyn last year to work with Mark Ronson, and if there's one thing we know about the Ronson family, they can do no wrong. Release Me is a vastly different direction for The Like. Gone is the typical '00s alternative rock, replaced with a throwback to classic girl groups of the '60s. If that sounds great, that's because it is. The whole thing is done really well. Besides "He's Not A Boy", some of my other favorite songs include "Wishing He Was Dead", "Walk Of Shame", "Don't Make A Sound" and "Tell Me Why", the bonus track. The new The Like is retro fabulous, and I couldn't be happier they've made a successful comeback.
I like hard-edged female-fronted rock bands and I like Toronto, so it's only natural I'd save a spot on my top 40 albums for Hunter Valentine, a hard-edged female-fronted rock band from Toronto. I discovered the band's lead single "The Stalker" passively this spring while watching a couple hours of music videos. Hunter Valentine reminds me a bit of The Distillers, Sahara Hotnights, and Tsunami Bomb, maybe if you took a few elements from all those bands and put them in a blender. Lessons From The Late Night is actually an EP of 7 songs, just 22 minutes in total, but it has better quality and consistency than a lot of full-length albums released this year. I've played the entire EP more than a dozen times and it's hard to single out particular tracks, so I'll just name them all. Beyond the aforementioned lead single, "Treadmills Of Love", "Revenge", "Scarface", "Barbara Jean", "She Only Loves Me When She's Wasted", and "A Youthful Existence" are all top-notch rock songs. I'm glad I discovered this gem of a band and I wish them success.
Kylie Minogue is a true legend of pop music: Aphrodite is her 11th studio album, released 22 years after her debut. I've had a special place in my heart for Kylie throughout my entire life, no joke. Her version of "The Locomotion" was one of my favorite songs as a small child, and I've been following her music ever since, all the way through her rather excellent X a few years ago and Aphrodite this year. Kylie has been through just about everything at this point, and with Aphrodite, she has emerged victorious once again. Her reign this year began with the beautiful song "All The Lovers", the lead single and one of the best moments of the spring and early summer. The rest of the album hit during the first few weeks of summer and things got even better. "Get Outta My Way", "Closer", "Better Than Today", "Cupid Boy", "Can't Beat The Feeling", and of course the title track "Aphrodite" are among the songs I've enjoyed the most. Executive producer Stuart Price said it perfectly: "Kylie is doing pop dance music at her best. When you look in your mind's eye at everything Kylie is, it's on this record." Aphrodite is indeed the best of Kylie Minogue: Powerful, emotional, meaningful, and beautiful.
Thank you for all your support! Finally, I'm pleased to inform you, coming up next: My top ten albums of 2010.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 2/21/2005
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You mentioned my number one album of the year, and I agree 100% with your review. I also like Teenage Dream.
Your Aphrodite review makes me wanna download it and listen to it right now lol
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Member Since: 5/23/2007
Posts: 65,087
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Aphrodite, Animal & Teenage Dream great set
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ATRL Senior Member
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Yet another great set from Watson!
The only album I have heard is by The Like, and I quite enjoyed that album. As for the rest, I enjoyed the summer singles of Katy Perry, and Hunter Valentine sound quite interesting due to your write-up. I love that you put Ke$ha on your list. As you said, honest and unapologetic. I wish more lists were like that.
Also, your write-up for the Kylie album really makes it sound amazing. I haven't heard a song from it, but now I really want to. Great to hear that she released such a great album this far into her career.
Looking forward to the TOP 10.
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ATRL Senior Member
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Taylor,Fefe,Arcade Fire
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ATRL Senior Member
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Katy Perry and Kesha stick in your head. So even though I may not have their albums on my ipod I feel like I'm always hearing them.
I didn't even know Kylie released an album I should check that out.
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