Frank (Just Frank) "Coeur Hante"
Gorillaz "Stylo" (featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack)
Japandroids "Younger Us"
Jonsi (of Iceland group Sigur Ros) "New Piano Song (Live)"
Korallreven "The Truest Faith"
Memoryhouse "Heirloom"
Minks "Funeral Song"
Sade "Soldier of Love"
Sun Airway Oh, Naoko"/"Put The Days Away"
The Sword "Acheron/Unleashing The Orb"
Twin Shadow "Slow"
Favorite Cuts: 10-1
Arcade FIre "Ready To Start"
From one of the best albums of the year (The Suburbs), this uptempo number with a rhythmic quality to it smiliar to "American Girl" by Tom Petty was impossible to ignore and stop playing in my mp3 player all year long.
Band of Horses "Dilly"
This was easily the catchiest song on the band's excellent third record, Infinite Arms.
Delorean "Stay Close"
Never heard such cooler electronic music from Spain.
Lemonade "Lifted (Le Chev Reunion Tour Remix)"
Rarely does a remix of a song outdo the original so much that you'll only listen to the redone version exclusively after hearing it. This soulful, synthy mix has rightly turned a bubbly, tropical-sounding electronic song to what best can be called baby-making music, or at the very least a slow dance ditty. It totally tears the original to shreds.
Lindsay, Jon "Bring The Old You Back"
This is the best song Fountains of Wayne never wrote.
Massive Attack "Saturday Come Slow (featuring Blur's Damon Albarn)"
These English trip-hop pioneers brilliantly give Albarn the floor to let out heart-wrenching, desperate vocals to the group's heavy (via the Drop-C tuned acoustic guitar), haunting melodies. Everyone has their sour days throughout the year. This one's for those times.
Smashing Pumpkins "Freak"
Originally performed in the summer of 2009 during a tribute show, this tune finally got the studio treatment in 2010, and it came out in time for the November release of the excellent second EP (The Solstice Bare) of the band's Teargarden By Kaleidyscope album project. Can't wait for the studio version of "Lonely Is The Name" to come out, as that would definitely be on next year's list for sure (being the lifelong Pumpkinhead I am).
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Glad to see you posted this Charlie.
The rest of the gang here usually posts some sort of collective BC "best of the year" list, but for some reason there hasn't been so much as a hint of doing so this year (unless I've missed something). Not sure whether this is due to a general sense of apathy or just because it was kind of a so-so year (my best guess leans toward the latter).
I may or may not do some sort of my own 2010 retrospective thing, but to be honest I'd have a hard time even filling a top ten list. Neil Young's Le Noise would likely top it if I did, though. The Springsteen Darkness set was also pretty great, even if the songs are 30 years old.
Again, thanks for posting this list, Charlie.
-Glen
2 - Charlie Doherty
Thanks Glen! I think I did this last year as well, as this kind of list is pretty much what I do every year now. I may skip a top favorite albums list though, since I didn't listen to many CDs all the way through to justify making up such a list.
Glad you mentioned Neil Young. I may just add a song from that album to my "Honorable Mentions" list, if I feel like it.
3 - Jaim
Lots of great picks but I was surprised you didn't include any Black Keys or Mumford and Sons on your list.
4 - Charlie Doherty
I actually had "Tighten Up" by the Black Keys on here but left it off after I was getting close to 40 picks between the main list and honorable mentions, but I'm starting to rethink that now. (I might just add it and a Neil Young song as H.M.'s at some point anyway).
Not really into Mumford but the Keys' Brothers was a fine record indeed.
5 - Mark Saleski
or just because it was kind of a so-so year (my best guess leans toward the latter).
totally disagree. it was a terrific year for music. i was overwhelmed with great stuff.
6 - El Bicho
my guess leans toward the former.