Last year at this time, I listed some of my favorite record releases of 2009. For this year’s take on the same project, I’ve decided to list about a dozen individual songs from 2010 that are getting a lot of love on my iPod.
Photos and audio/video are included below for each song. Note that these are in no particular order.
Try to ignore the fact that I’m making this list when we still have three months left of 2010, during which time I’m sure there will be some great releases (chief among them likely to be Panda Bear’s Tomboy). Speaking of Panda Bear…
SLOW MOTION by Panda Bear
A nearly perfect blend of the intimate, aquatic style Noah Lennox trademarked with his much-loved Person Pitch and the frenetic booty-shaking of the instant classic Merriweather Post Pavilion by his band Animal Collective, “Slow Motion” is actually a b-side to the lead single off the forthcoming Tomboy LP. If it’s any indication of the direction of the album, I can’t wait.
RULERS, RULING ALL THINGS by Midlake
Only Midlake could get away with this song, let alone the video. With all its renaissance cred and ’70s fuzz flinging, this track from the long-awaited The Courage of Others shows why Midlake resonates so well with its audience: Like any great “style” band, they are always dedicated and authentic — never gimmicky.
TRUTH SETS IN by Avi Buffalo
Avi Buffalo gets their second appearance on this blog, as their album has stayed at the front of my mind when I seek catchy, laid-back rock with just the littlest bit of sloppiness to keep things interesting. Like early Shins or so many Pavement proteges, this band has their sound and is benefiting from not trying too hard to make things work. “Truth Sets In” is a beautiful duet with a choice three-part guitar intro.
GOD by Charlie Hely
A few weeks ago, I got my copy of Wednesday, the new album from folk artist and close friend Charlie Hely, and have had a difficult time listening to anything else since. Luckily for me, Charlie always seems happy to answer my questions about his songs, his lyrics, his instrumentation, and anything else I glean from his music in addition to general inspiration. “God” is evidence of what a gifted songwriter my friend is. **Follow the “download” link on the player to get the song and the whole LP free at Bandcamp**
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Memoryhouse
Here’s another group that appeared in CM recently. I’ve come to really love this duo and their aesthetic of sepia photos and wind-swept nostalgia. I must have listened to The Years EP a hundred times since I downloaded it for free. “To the Lighthouse” culminates in a clever and uplifting chorus that makes summer’s death extra cruel.
GHOST PRESSURE by Wolf Parade
Jesus F. Christ. I bought this album in the Worcester, Massachusetts region before Hanna and I made a long drive back to Maine in awful traffic. From the first bar of the first track, Wolf Parade’s Expo ‘86 blew our doors off. “Ghost Pressure” is a standout, but this could have easily been “Little Golden Age,” which is so epic it may as well have been written by Homer. “Palm Road” and “Pobody’s Nerfect” are can’t-miss tracks, too. Wolf Parade are stewards of the classic rock record. The tradition is in good hands.
SILVER SOUL by Beach House
Several of my friends are aware of the fact that I may or may not have gotten ridiculously emotional watching Beach House deliver the definitive live version of this song at the Paradise Club. Victoria’s voice and the swell of the organ make this track incredibly moving. Alex’s slide guitar work is the secret weapon that gives so many Beach House songs their panache, and here, it flavors the suspended refrain in such a way that when finally does resolve during the chorus, you’re utterly transported. Devotion will always have my constant, um, devotion, but on the strength of songs like this, Teen Dream makes a hell of a silver medal. **Bizarre Lynchian video directed by Victoria herself**
BRIAN ENO by MGMT
“Kids” and “Electric Feel” rocked your world and mine for at least a year after the excellent Oracular Spectacular came out. I love that album, but unlike many who do, I have found plenty to like about its polarizing follow-up, Congratulations. To the haters, I ask: If any breakout indie-synth-pop-dance-rock band was likely to get experimental on your ass, wasn’t it the ones that already had so much in common with David Bowie, The Talking Heads, and (ahem) Brian Eno? To illustrate how effectively (in my opinion) MGMT makes the full transition to art rockdom, I’ve included the video of their stellar SNL performance of this song, which is as catchy as it is bonkers.
HARMONY TO MY HEARTBEAT by Sally Seltmann
New Buffalo, a defunct Australian “band” that was the music project of Sally Seltmann, released an album in 2007 titled Somewhere, Anywhere. It is one of my favorite records of the last five years. In fact, ever since discovering it, Hanna and I have refrained from sharing the album with others very much since we so strongly considered using the song “Cheer Me Up, Thank You” as our wedding dance (we used “If Not For You,” but “Cheer Me Up” is still like, our song, so hands off). Sally went “solo” this year and released Heart That’s Pounding, a shimmering collection of cheesy-but-who-gives-a-shit Beatlesque pop songs about love. Her voice is her greatest asset, as she’s blessed with such perfect intonation and pitch that we’re lucky she stooped to sing rock music. The Aussie accent just pushes it over the edge, making all her songs worth hearing. This one in particular is insanely sweet, so brush your teeth extra well tonight.
LEMONWORLD by The National
The National has a knack for writing immersive songs. Whether you like it or not, their songs grip you and can change your mood. On High Violet, an album with many “best song” candidates, “Lemonworld” is not only the best song, but it might be the National’s best song to date. Can you get through it without goosebumps?
ROCK YOUR LOVE by The Billowing Clouds
Finally. Our dear friend Jon Croteau took his sweet time making Cloak and Swagger, the most recent in a series of many recordings in a span of about six years, but the first in nearly four. We all waited for what seemed like a lifetime for jams like “Dark Clouds, Dark Times,” “I Sell Perfume” and “Careful Wot U Doo” to be collected in album form, and the 18-track Cloak and Swagger has exceeded our expectations. With what must be hundreds of songs in its backlog, Jon’s music project has billowed into the stratosphere with his latest work. “Rock Your Love” has the reggae influence, lyrical charm and titular swagger that characterizes the album’s overall style and encourages many repeated listens. There’s plenty to both rock and love in this one… get it? Did you see what I did there?
