top 30 albums of 2010: 10-1

Share

Hopefully you've enjoyed albums 30-21 and albums 20-11 of our year-end list. Look for the complete rundown of all 30 picks at the end of this post.

Now it's time for what we've all been waiting for...  the unveiling of the top ten. Please forgive me if you're a huge fan of Kanye, Sufjan, Robyn, The National or Vampire Weekend. I wish them all the success in the world, I just don't wish them to be on my list.

That said, here's part three of Old Waver's Top 30 Albums of 2010:

10: Jonsi - Go
Sigor Ros on Mountain Dew and Mini Thins

"Go Do"

9: Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History
If Phoenix were from Ireland and had a more juvenile sense of humor

"I Can Talk"

8: Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles II
This Canadian duo are just scratching the surface of their potential

"Celestia"

7: The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme
Swedish dream pop that's sweetly defiant and casually awesome

"Heaven's On Fire"

6: Wild Nothing - Gemini
From bedroom tapes to full-on band, Wild Nothing is a marvel of 80's nostalgia

5: Caribou - Swim
Dan Snaith's synths gurgle and squeak in new and imaginative ways

"Odessa"

4: Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Completely over-the-top, but in a good way

"Ready To Start"

3: Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Bradford Cox is establishing himself as a postmodern auteur

"Helicopter"

2: Beach House - Teen Dream
This Baltimore twosome create some of the most enthralling, exhilarating dream pop

"Zebra"

1: LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
If James Murphy really is putting LCD on hiatus, he's going out with one of the most memorable albums of the last ten years




And as promised, here's the entire list for quick reference:

1.     LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

2.     Beach House – Teen Dream

3.     Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest

4.     Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

5.     Caribou – Swim

6.     Wild Nothing – Gemini

7.     The Radio Dept. – Clinging To A Scheme

8.     Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles II

9.     Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History

10.  Jonsi – Go

11.  Twin Shadow – Forget

12.  Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today

13.  Foals – Total Life Forever

14.  Tame Impala – Innerspeaker

15.  Yeasayer – Odd Blood

16.  Wolf Parade – Expo 86

17.  Girl Talk – All Day

18.  Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

19.  Crocodiles – Sleep Forever

20.  School of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desire

21.  Frank (Just Frank) – The Brutal Wave

22.  Adam Franklin & Bolts Of Melody – I Could Sleep For A Thousand Years

23.  Small Black – New Chain

24.  Hot Chip – One Life Stand

25.  Errors – Come Down With Me

26.  Future Islands – In Evening Air

27.  Wavves – King of the Beach

28.  Violens – Amoral

29.  Tamryn – The Waves

30.  Thieves Like Us – Again and Again

Part one: albums 30-21
Part two: albums 20-11

top 30 albums of 2010: 20-11

Share

Yesterday we joined the fray of year-end lists with albums 30-21. Today, the list gets meatier and perhaps more controversial with spots 20-11. Feel free to disagree, for I am just a humble old waver who doesn't understand your autotuners and your world beats.

Anyway, on with part two of Old Waver's Top 30 Albums of 2010:


20: School Of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire
NYC trio-now-duo channeling Cocteau Twins, Stereolab and My Bloody Valentine

"Babelonia"



19: Crocodiles - Sleep Forever
Noisy JAMC disciples from San Diego

"Hearts Of Love"



18: Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
If Band Of Horses had stayed relevant

"Wide Eyes"



17: Girl Talk - All Day
A 100-car-pileup of pop culture references that bemuses with its brilliance

"Get It Get It"



16: Wolf Parade - Expo 86
This could be the swan song for the enigmatic Canadians




15: Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Uplifting, experimental and oddly arresting

"Ambling Alp"



14: Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Throwback psychedelia from Australia

"Solitude Is Bliss"



13: Foals - Total Life Forever
These Oxford lads added some soul to their math rock formula

"Miami"



12: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
Pink's DIY nostalgia pop takes a more accessible turn

"Bright Lit Blue Skies"



11: Twin Shadow - Forget
George Lewis Jr's alter ego is the new wave of new wave




Part one: albums 30-21
Part three: albums 10-1

top 30 albums of 2010: 30-21

Share

Before we get into the list, a disclaimer. Unlike that of your "legitimate" music blogs — with a staff of writers, editors and contributors weighing in — this list is one man's opinion. A prejudiced, narrow and significantly uninformed opinion.

That said, this list represents the releases of the past year that tickled an old waver's fancy. Maybe it was a gooey synth, a shoegazey guitar, dreamy vocals or some other Pavlovian trigger, but something in all of these albums took me to my happy place.

So, with apologies to Kanye, here's part one of Old Waver's Top 30 Albums of 2010:


30: Thieves Like Us - Again And Again
A guilty pleasure of Swedish synthpop goodness

"Never Known Love"


29: Tamaryn - The Waves
New Zealand's principal shoegaze export

"Love Fade"



28: Violens - Amoral
Elaborate New Romantic pop from former members of Lansing-Drieden

"Acid Reign"



27: Wavves - King Of The Beach
Less lo-fi with a full-fledged band, but Nathan Williams is still a train wreck

"King Of The Beach"


26: Future Islands - In Evening Air
New Order basslines and dramatic vocals are the hallmark of this Baltimore trio




25: Errors - Come Down With Me
Frenetic "post-electro" from Glasgow

"A Rumour In Africa"



24: Hot Chip - One Life Stand
A grown up and fleshed out effort from the stalwart electropop outfit

"I Feel Better"



23: Small Black - New Chain
First full length from Brooklyn "chillwavers"

"Photojournalist"



22: Adam Franklin & Bolts Of Melody - I Could Sleep For A Thousand Years
His most vital solo work since Swervedriver

"I'll Be Yr Mechanic"


21: Frank (Just Frank) - The Brutal Wave
A chilly coldwave duo from the south of France




Part two: albums 20-11
Part three: albums 10-1