9. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
A truly exciting album, this one bounces with joy, exciting structure, and a sense of folk positivity that is missing from most modern music.
8. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
An exercise in synth-pop grandeur and a mockery of the value of excess, this major label debut from these Brooklyn jerks does everything right.
7. Delta Spirit – Ode to Sunshine
Spirit-quenching folk, soul, and Southern rock, this one swells with limitless creativity, heart, and a truckload of unorthodox instruments. Note the trashcan lids.
6. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
A marvellous blend of noise rock, punkish pop crassness, crunchy techno, and experimentalism, this deliberately strident record is addictive in every way.
5. Ne-Yo – Year of the Gentleman
The most soothingly brilliant R&B album of the year earns its title with lyrics that are touching and heartfelt, breaking trends in the genre and forging bold ground with sweet, soulful vocals.
4. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
The best and most unique voice in hip-hop this year, this is one record stacked to the rafters with shit Lil Wayne has no business attempting. It is bold, audacious, and awesome.
3. TV On the Radio – Dear Science,
Anthemic, unique, powerful, and brilliant all at once, this is the best art rock record of the year. It is playful, poignant, and pretty fucking cool. It is also deeply human.
2. Santogold – Santogold
This debut from the sassy singer had top spot consideration with its awe-inspiring gorgeousness, blazing honesty, and simple pop vibe.
The diminutive Welsh singer’s debut sparkles with soulful refrains, powerful vocals that come out of nowhere, immense range, and gorgeous musical arrangements. Duffy works her way through songs of longing, love, and loss with all of the professionalism of a veteran and yet with all of the fresh-faced optimism of the solid newcomer she really is.
Honourable Mentions: Madonna - Hard Candy, The Japanese Popstars - We Just Are, Metallica - Death Magnetic, Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell, Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago, and Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
fuck buttons?
geezuz, i bet you read pitchfork media too!
;-)
2 - Kate
Funny, you think it's such a tragedy that the New Kids came back, yet their album contains one of the exact songs from your #5 album that you call brilliant. It's a good thing Ne-Yo can recognize talent and wanted to perform with them on it.
3 - zingzing
fuck buttons! see? the canadian gets it.
still, a strange list with a strange ending. i like it.
4 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I would say that Metallica's latest release is just as tragic as The New Kids reunion. Maybe they should have recorded an album together,at least that would have pushed the envelope...
5 - Mark Saleski
one more time and that'll be 237 times that brian has said he doesn't like the new Metallica. yeesh.
6 - Jordan Richardson
geezuz, i bet you read pitchfork media too!
6.454337/10
7 - Glen Boyd
I like this list cause it kind of balances out the others which have tended to lean pretty mainstream, including my own. Also, it provides us yet another opportunity to say the words 'fuck buttons" until we drop from the ensuing hilarity, and even better it gives the Gupster another forum to bitch about Metallica. Well done Jordan.
-Glen
8 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Now, why in the world would I read reviews from a crappy f*cking website that raves on about the New Wave of Panzy Rock(Indie). *Ugh*
Oh *BTW*...The new Metallica album makes Seal's latest cover album sound like a f*cking masterpiece(#237)
9 - Donald Gibson
Duffy's Rockferry is gorgeous. One song in particular, "Warwick Avenue," just floors me.
10 - Tan The Man
Very diverse list. Yah for The Black Keys...