Best of 2010 - 5-1

5. Vampire Weekend – Contra
I can’t think of a band more universally liked. Does anyone have a problem with VW? No. You know why? Because they’re infectious and fun and even the most hardened pessimist has to admit that they’re on to something. Something special. And, there’s no one else like them doing this faux-reggae/calypso/jangle-pop hybrid thing that they do. Contra is even an improvement on their first record because the sound, while staying basically the same, has evolved slightly with some electronic and brass elements that weren’t there before, which I’m sure were influenced by the Discovery side project. Keep ‘em coming, boys.
Nugget: “Run”


4. Jonsi – Go
This one took me a while to fully digest and is really only best appreciated through good headphones. Jonsi is the lead singer (wailer?) of Sigur Ros and he brings their trademarked cinematic lushness to his first solo album. This album is the sound of childhood, of innocence. It’s the sound of wonder and curiosity. It’s the sound of life seen through the eyes of a child who’s frames of reference are fantasy and magic. It’s fitting the Jonsi did a song for the film “How To Train Your Dragon” because he evokes the sensation of flight. Animated flight even. The colors are lovely.
Nugget: “Boy Lilikoi”


3. The Soft Pack – ST
There’s almost nothing better than the sound of a garage band grinding out fast and furious rock in the true DIY style. It’s perfect simplicity. That term may seem boring. Simplicity is so… simple. But, when done right, simplicity is also the sound of truth. That’s why true Pop music is such an amazing thing; it’s the sound of universal truth. It’s irrefutable. The Soft Pack don’t over-think things or stretch beyond their comfort area. They just thrash a melody, a chorus, and an ending all in a couple minutes. Pure and simple.
Nugget: “Down On Loving”


2. Underworld – Barking
I wrote off techno and Underworld years ago. It’s not really my thing anymore. So, imagine my surprise when one of the pioneers release something better than anything they’ve done in over 15 years, or since techno mattered. In their old age (they’re in their 50s!!!!!) they’ve matured. The silly experiments are gone and Barking is just plain warm and spirit-lifting, which is what the best techno always was to me. It’s the best workout music you’ll ever hear. When I’m really in the zone, I call it a bio-rhythm, the beats and my feet are movie together and my breathing is natural and normal. This album helps me get there. It’s a selfish pick because it doesn’t take over-analyzing. I just liked it. A lot.
Nugget: “Always Loved A Film”


1. Fitz and the Tantrums – Picking Up The Pieces
When deciding who to pick for #1 one, the biggest determining factor is “who do I want the world to fall in love with?” They are. My favorite music moment of the year was watching them perform with Daryl Hall on Live From Daryl’s House and see the alchemy between their modern version of retro soul and Daryl’s years of experience working the same retro groove. A torch was passed. Every song is a blood-pumping barnburner of classic soul with lots of horns and organs. Very Motown of today. I’m rooting for them above and beyond everyone else.
Nugget: “Moneygrabber”

Best of 2010 - 10-6

10. Peter Wolf – Midnight Souvenirs
This is the comeback of the year (decade?) award. Wolf’s had an inimitable energy since his days fronting the J. Geils Band (“Centerfold”, “Freeze Frame”). It’s like he’s approached rock stardom with a wink and a grin, like he realized early on not to take it all too seriously. Bless him for it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t make as much music these days, but Souvenirs is a classic bar band album of lived in cuts bathed in whisky and nicotine from a guy who’s been there and back and kept his sense of humor. He’s more rooster than wolf. In fact, he’s actually more peacock.
Nugget: "Tragedy"


9. Maximum Balloon – ST
This is basically a side-project for TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek to indulge in his mad professor-ness. Sitek handles production duties for TVOTR as well as other up-and-coming artists like Scarlett Johansson, and his style is layers upon layers of dense vibes and textures. You know a Sitek production when you hear one. Max Balloon is him turning knobs and twisting dials while a bunch of guests file through the booth making special appearances. Some of it is hip-hop, some of it is alternative, a lot of it sounds like a variation on Massive Attack. All of it kills.
Nugget: “Groove Me”

8. Cee Lo Green – The Ladykiller
Cee Lo has positioned himself as one of the most important artists active today. He’s written, possibly, the two best singles of the last 10 years, Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and last year’s “F**k You”. His mind is twisted, he’s neurotic and paranoid. He’s like the musical equivalent of a Richard Pryor stand-up routine of the 70s, airing his demons for all the world to see. And whether he’s rapping or singing (that voice is a gift from God) he’s cutting to the heart of the matter with a devilish grin. The little fat man is a mad genius. And Ladykiller is a near masterpiece.
Nugget: “F**k You”

7. Joe Elliot’s Down N Outz – My Regeneration
So, Joe Elliot, lead singer of Def Leppard, gets asked to open for a back-together, Mott the Hoople, one of his rock idols. This inspires him to throw together a covers album of some lesser known Mott nuggets as a tie-in to the show, and to indulge himself of, I’m sure, a lifelong dream of fronting his favorite band while turning the world on to them. Joe attacks the project with passion and teeth. He takes what were already long-forgotten glam rock classics and “regenerates” them for today’s audience. The best part is, you can tell how much fun he’s having and it’s contagious. If only we were all so lucky.
Nugget: “Golden Opportunity”

6. Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid
How to describe Janelle Monae? I think of her as the modern day Prince. Her tastes run so wide and her abilities so limitless, it reminds you of when His Purpleness was at the heights of his uncontainable imagination during the 80s. There’s rock, r&b, jazz, opera, classical, all on the same album. And “album” is a key word here. There is no one song that defines who Janelle is. Over the course of 18 tracks, she morphs from one ArchAndroid to another, blowing minds along the way. She’s quietly setting a new standard of excellence. People will look back on this album for years to come and know “that’s when a shift was made”.
Nugget: "Tightrope"

Best of 2010 - 20-16

20. Nada Surf – if I had a hi-fi
They’re probably my favorite band of the last 10 years, but even I’m not a big enough homer to rank this cute album of covers any higher. Is it as essential as 2002’s masterpiece Let Go? No. (I won’t rest until everyone hears and loves that album). But it is the thinking man’s covers album, especially for our generation, when the interpretations include Depeche Mode, Kate Bush and the Go-Betweens run through Nada’s unique brand of warmth. Put it this way, everything they do is good. Even the stuff that is most disposable.
Nugget: "Enjoy The Silence"

19. Tie - The Roots – How I Got Over / Wake Up!
The Roots. The Roots. The Roots were on FIRE last year!
Not only did they release their strongest and sleekest album in over a decade (Over), but they teamed up with John Legend to reinterpret some classics of jazz and blaxploitation cinema (Wake) for today’s r&b lover. Over holds the edge of the two ever-so-slightly because of the strength of the material (great originals has to trump great covers) and the assemblage of out-of-nowhere collaborators (Joanna Newsom?!). But, Wake Up brings excellent, forgotten classics to the masses. Which would you choose?
Nugget: Over – “How I Got Over” : Wake – “Compared to What”

18. Elton John and Leon Russell – The Union
When was the last time Elton did anything worth anything? Not in the last 20 years at least. Is it a coincidence that it took bringing his idol Leon Russell back from the dead to inspire him to produce one of the greatest things he’s ever done? The last 10 years has seen Elton trying to go back to his earlier, rootsier stuff and none of it has hit. But match him with Russell and the two kill it. Proof you must sometimes go back in order to move forward. 10-1 says John’s next solo album goes back to sucking though.
Nugget: "Hey Ahab"

17. The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
Prog rock for the modern rock lover. The Lakes build these intense, majestic soundscapes, like tidal waves crashing in the night, that never veer off into noodling weirdness, and always nail the target head on. Almost every track is a complete journey with a slow build (or a fast one, but always a build), a goose-bump-inducing middle, and a post-orgasmic comedown. Think Sigur Ros with hair on its chest.
Nugget: “And This Is What We Call Progress”

16. Massive Attack – Heligoland
It’s been a while since MA have come close to reaching the galactic heights of perfection that they managed to reach with 1992’s Mezzanine. But, Heligoland comes closer than anything they’ve done since, and near perfection is still pretty damn good. The dark, milky intensity remains with that beautiful black undercurrent of dread lurking in every shadow, and who would want it any other way. They’re always one of the most intensely gorgeous musical experiences you can have.
Nugget: "Girl I Love You"

Best of 2010 - 25-21

25. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
Experimental music done with soul, these guys craft some of the strangest, yet affective, melodies around. Normally, when you describe music as “experimental” or “risky” it’s synonymous with “imprenatrable” and that isn’t any fun. Yeasayer can move your heart and mind. It's the sound of creativity let loose. It'll be interesting to see if these guys can maintain or if they lose sight eventually.
Nugget: “Madder Red”


24. UB40 – Labour of Love IV
After over 30 years of churning out nearly the same pseudo-reggae vibe over and over again, UB40 remain one of those welcome constants in life. They never change, they always sound good, and it always feels right. Sometimes, change is overrated. Plus, they don’t sound any different with new lead singer Duncan Campbell (brother of former lead singer Ali). Do they ever sound any different? Nope. And that's goooood.
Nugget: “Bring It On Home To Me”

23. Manic Street Preachers – Postcards From A Young Man
These guys bring a level of melodic ferocity that’s unique compared to the younger practitioners of power-pop that are out there. It’s more lived-in. Earned. Considering what they’ve been through and how long they’ve been at it, they deserve respect as the elderstatesmen that they are. Politics + Pop + Power Chords = Perfection. Why are the Brits so much better at this than we are?
Nugget: "Some Kind of Nothingness"

22. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Nobody makes entire albums like Kanye. Love him or hate him, the man IS the genius he claims to be. Fantasy has topped most music critic’s Best of 2010 list, but I don’t love it as much as Late Registration. For all the creativity (and it’s massive), there are fewer hooks and singles. Still, Kanye’s music is more like wild slabs of colorful paint on a canvass than any other artist out there. Those itching to crucify him will have to keep waiting.
Nugget: "POWER"

21. Court Yard Hounds – ST
Having never listened to or paid much attention to the Dixie Chicks, I don’t know how closely related the two bands are, since CYH are basically 2/3s of them. If the Chicks’ output is as beautifully sunny as the Hounds, then I’ve been missing out. Every track sounds like singer-songwriter folk rock of the 70s that was written and recorded in the gorgeous hills of Laurel Canyon. You know that pap Sheryl Crow keeps trying to sell you? Buy a better version here.
Nugget: "Ain’t No Son"