10. Nicki Minaj~Pink Friday
As an artist, I find Nicki Minaj incredibly alluring. She just feels like the most creative thing to come out of hip-hop in a long ass time. Her multitude of voices, personalities, sentiments - they simultaneously
construct somebody and construct nobody. What I mean to say is that from the first time I hear Nicki, I've been asking myself - who the hell is Nicki Minaj? I know Lil Wayne is not a human being (ha!) but maybe Nicki Minaj isn't either. Pink Friday isn't flawless but in my eyes, it's one of the most creative efforts of 2010 and that's thanks to tracks like "Your Love," "Save Me," "Roman's Revenge," "Moment 4 Life," and "Check It Out." Nicki tends to be a cocky bitch in a lot of her verses (not to mention in the song "I'm the Best") but frankly, if she can't be cocky, who can? Anyway, she cuts herself down to size in the honest crooning of "Save Me" (it's not your fault/i'm a bitch i'm a monster/yes i'm a beast/and i feast when i conquer/but i'm alone/on my throne), showing us that she's capable of singing another tune if she wants to. In Pink Friday, we see Nicki the rapper, Nicki the pop singer, Nicki the cocky, Nicki the humbled - we even see Nicki as Roman Zolanski. So, after seeing all these sides to her in her debut work, are we any closer to knowing who is Nicki Minaj? No, but we do know she's a motherfucking monster.
9. Titus Andronicus~The Monitor
How could I not put a civil war concept album on this list? Yet again, Titus has shown how hard they can rip, while making sure to remind us just how fucking smart they are. By interweaving Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln readings and Springsteen-esque guitar riffs with poetic love letters to the new jersey countryland, The Monitor is one of Titus's most moving works. It takes a relic of the past like the Civil War and allows us to relive it now (and in nj of all places).Survival seems to be the resounding theme. The most impressive thing is the sound and how even though we're working with a 150 yr old war and abe lincoln quotes, Patrick Stickles makes everything feel like the present - there isn't an ounce of antiquity weighing us down. In sum, this album feels alive - mind, body, and soul. Highlights: "A More Perfect Union," "Four Score and Seven," "Theme from 'Cheers,'" and "To Old Friends and New" (a sentimental gem). All in all, The Monitor is an album of righteous passion.
8. Mumford & Sons~Sigh No More
Even though they've been around for a few years, I didn't come across Mumford & Sons until this past year and really, this English folk band is nothing short of energetic heart. Sigh No More is gorgeous and moving. Marcus Mumford's voice is so haunting that it almost makes me believe that no one has ever been as honest, as intense, or as earnest, ever. I can't wait to get more acclimated with this band. Standout tracks are "White Blank Page," "Little Lion Man," "The Cave," and "Awake My Soul."
7. Arcade Fire~The Suburbs
Probably one of the most hyped-up releases of the year and it didn't really disappoint. It classic Arcade Fire sounds and I even greatly enjoyed the whole suburbs-ish/thematic element to the album. I don't hold the same attachment to this release that I do to Funeral or to Neon Bible, but that definitely has the potential to change over time. Highlights include "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)," "Modern Man," "Wasted Hours," and "Suburban War." On a special side note too, "Sprawl II" is one of Arcade Fire's best releases ever and I can only hope to hear more from Régine on future recordings.
6. Best Coast~Crazy For You
Fun, sweet, beachy, poppy, with some shades of lo-fi. Best Coast has this way of bringing heartfelt sentimentality into some fucking fun beats. Sure, they might seem like a seasonal band given the beachy nature to their song, it's the sentimentality of their works that makes sure they stay reigned in. Best tracks include "Boyfriend," "Crazy For You," and "When I'm With You." On a side note however, I do have to better familiarize myself with this album because it's Best Coast's many, many EPs that I know best.5. Joanna Newsom~Have One On Me
I have a draft sitting around entirely dedicated to the perfection of Good Intentions Paving Company (I swear I'll make sure to
post that soon). That song along could have earnedthis album a spot on my list. This album marked a huge leap for Joanna Newsom in my eyes. Her voice has altered greatly since the days of Walnut Whales. In fact, its safe to say it's "normalized" in a lot of ways. And yet, there's still a lot of that Joanna originality in there - her lyrics and music are still as gorgeous as ever too. Have One On Me is a heart-frapping, honest account of Joanna's soul, but best of all, (and as lame as it might be to admit it), it's all of our hearts and souls. Standouts beside "Good Intentions Paving Company" include "Does Not Suffice," "'81," and "Baby Birch."
4. She & Him~Volume 2
So, this is how my relationship with this album progressed: After first hearing the single "In the Sun," I was disappointed and frankly, my hopes for Volume Two quickly deflated. There's a
poppy/sunny line that "In the Sun" crossed for me and well, it was the side of She & Him that I wanted to hear less. The next songto fall into my lap was "Home," which was easily one of Zooey's best efforts with everything from the duality of "I want to be where your heart is...home"/"I want to be where your heart is home" all the way to the beautiful ephemeral quality to the "I can be sweeter" backing line. So here I was faced with one of my favorite and least favorite She & Him songs, essentially signaling that the album can go in either direction and luckily, my early fears proved unnecessary. Volume Two was a more than formidable rival to Volume One with tracks like "Me and You," "Over It Over Again," "Lingering Still," "Thieves," and "Don't Look Back." My one hitch with this album is that I have heard much more strong recordings of "Thieves" and "Lingering Still" at past shows, so I kinda wish those songs had the same charm my other versions do.
3. Various Artists~Underwater Peoples Winter Review
Amazing compilation of all those NJ/Brooklyn bands I find impossible to resist. I found the whole album to be super well-rounded and complete. My favorite song off the compilation (and one of my favorites in general) is easily Fluffy Lumbers's "Adoration," a beautifully composed, perfectly sung track on the innocent notion of adoration. Some other great numbers include Pill Wonder's "Restless," Alex Bleeker's "These Days," Family Portrait's "Killer Statements," and Air Waves's "Sweetness." Strong compilations can be hard to come by, so this one had a huge impact on me in '10.
2. Kanye West~My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
He's annoying as fuck nowadays, but this album was the reboot he needed. Its been forever since Kanye did right by his music and put something out that brought together sweet beats, perfect
rhymes, choice guest artists, etc. Not to mention, Kanye finally figured out how to do right by his "singing voice," as evidenced by parts of "Dark Fantasy." If Kanye can follow this album up with something just as powerful, well then he can probably get away with any of his offstage antics (probably). The gems off this one for me are "Dark Fantasy," "Runaway," "Monster," "Gorgeous," and "Power." Some extra props to Kanye for the ever-present self-truths present in "Runaway." Oh and also, any and all signs of Nicki were spot fucking on.
1. Beach House~Teen Dream
I knew Teen Dream was my album of the year as soon as it fell into my lap. Conveniently enough, I was introduced to Beach House in early january, just in time for Teen Dream's release. Often bands who release strong debut albums, falter on their sophomore effort - not Beach House. From their self-titled debut, to Devotion, and now to Teen Dream, they've been nothing short of perfection. And with over 1700 plays for me in 2010, Beach House easily shot up to become one of my most favorite bands. Considering all three albums meant something significant to me this past year, it's difficult to talk about them purely through Teen Dream, but I will say some standouts off their latest release include "Real Love" and "Silver Soul."
-DJ
