Critcs Best of 2010

[bono_212]

I was tempted to stop reading after Weezer placed ahead of Caribou.

Oh please tell me you stuck around for #1! I was reading the list while cooking breakfast and started laughing so hard, I almost burned it.

 

[PhilsFan]

I'm 31 albums into this year, and Vampire Weekend is still in dead last in my rankings.

 

[iron yuppie]

Ha, I did end up reading the whole thing. I actually like the band at number 1. That particular album would not land in my personal top twenty, but it is completely different from anything else that I have heard this year.

 

[bono_212]

It's #9 on my list.

J/W what's your problem with it Dan? Honest question, just curious.

 

[corianderstem]

I don't love Contra, but I love their first album so much there was really nowhere to go but down with the follow-up.

I don't hate it, it's just all right.

 

[bono_212]

For me, I despise the debut, not that I've ever heard it, I've tried, several times, can't do it. On the other hand, Contra had a polar opposite reaction. I wanted to hate it and I couldn't.

 

[corianderstem]

You haven't heard it but you despise it? Do you mean you've tried to get through it but what you've heard you've hated so much you couldn't make it through the whole thing?

 

[bono_212]

You haven't heard it but you despise it? Do you mean you've tried to get through it but what you've heard you've hated so much you couldn't make it through the whole thing?

I've seen a few live performances by them, so I'm sure I've heard at least half of the album that way. The actual studio versions though, I've put on a few times, I'll get about 5 or 6 tracks in and either zone out, or I'll just kind of find something else to do without realizing it and pause the album while never returning.

 

[corianderstem]

Gotcha.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Teen Dream was 2010???? Looks like my top 5 just shuffled around a bit

 

[LemonMelon]

Yeah, it leaked in like spring 2009, which explains why I've heard it so much more than other 2010 albums.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

It's funny that the fucking clowns at Pitchfork named a song called Round & Round the best of 2010 when there was a song released this year, with the same title, that is better. Maybe they got confused.

YouTube - Selena Gomez & The Scene - Round & Round

Those little drum fills are dope, the bridge is hot, and the vocals are surprisingly nuanced for a girl who isn't even actually a very good singer.

 

[LemonMelon]

No, GAF. I promise. No.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I have no idea what that means.

 

[iron yuppie]

Has anyone heard this Future Islands release? It's getting quite a bit of praise on certain lists.

 

[PhilsFan]

It's #9 on my list.

J/W what's your problem with it Dan? Honest question, just curious.

Most of it really grated on me, especially the first half of the album. I moderately enjoyed two songs (Taxi Cab and Giving Up the Gun) and every other song either did nothing for me or outright annoyed me. I barely remember listening to it, for I think I immediately cleansed the palate with another album afterward (I think it was Warpaint).

 

[cobl04]

i liked some songs on Contra as well but there were a lot of songs that annoyed the absolute fuck out of me, such as California English.

It's funny that the fucking clowns at Pitchfork named a song called Round & Round the best of 2010 when there was a song released this year, with the same title, that is better. Maybe they got confused.

YouTube - Selena Gomez & The Scene - Round & Round

Those little drum fills are dope, the bridge is hot, and the vocals are surprisingly nuanced for a girl who isn't even actually a very good singer.

Selena Gomez

 

[bono_212]

Most of it really grated on me, especially the first half of the album. I moderately enjoyed two songs (Taxi Cab and Giving Up the Gun) and every other song either did nothing for me or outright annoyed me. I barely remember listening to it, for I think I immediately cleansed the palate with another album afterward (I think it was Warpaint).

Cool, I just was curious, sound reasoning.

 

[PhilsFan]

I have not heard their first album. I have no idea if that would have influenced me at all in either direction.

I've actually been making notes to myself on each album I've listened to just to make sure I have justification when I praise or bash them. For occasions like this!

 

[IWasBored]

Here's one more list for your viewing pleasure.

CoS Year-End Report: The Top 100 Albums of 2010 � Consequence of Sound

i don't care if it was dead last out of 100 and i don't care how many 100 actually is. just the fact that any countdown of top however many albums would include anything zakk wylde related is grounds for dismissal.

 

[lazarus]

I have not heard their first album. I have no idea if that would have influenced me at all in either direction.

I've actually been making notes to myself on each album I've listened to just to make sure I have justification when I praise or bash them. For occasions like this!

You may dislike it equally (or more), but Vampire Weekend's S/T is significantly better than Contra, and I like the latter.

One listen won't kill you.

 

[PhilsFan]

I'll get around to it at some point, I'm sure.

 

[lazarus]

You'll be dead!

 

[u2popmofo]

I didn't even know IGN reported on music any more, but they put up a list:

Top 25 Albums Of 2010 - Music Feature at IGN

Happy to see Menomena placed highly for once.

 

[u2popmofo]

Tiny Mix Tapes' list:

2010: Favorite 50 Albums of 2010 | Staff Feature | Tiny Mix Tapes

 

[PhilsFan]

Tiny Mix Tapes' list:

2010: Favorite 50 Albums of 2010 | Staff Feature | Tiny Mix Tapes

I enjoy how much they pat themselves on the back for making an unconventional pick in the number one spot.

 

[bono_212]

This might be a bigger "Who?" for me than Drowned in Sound's.

 

[u2popmofo]

That's Tiny Mix Tapes in general. I like their site usually, as it offers a nice alternate take on the "indie" scene.

 

[If you shout...]

Spectacular coverage on TMT, but some pretty terrible reviews. This is the worst one I've read in a few weeks:

Sun Araw - Off Duty EP | Music Review | Tiny Mix Tapes

Humiliating to read. But maybe my favorite EP of the year!

 

[If you shout...]

They also have a really annoying tendency to give artists a free pass for being "different," but again: at least they're covering this shit.