Honorable Mentions//10 Albums That Almost Made Our Top 50 of 2010

For those of you who are already nostalgic for 2010 here is a list of 10 albums that didn’t make our top 50 but we still think they deserve some attention.  

1. Neil Young - Le Noise

2. Wavves - King of The Beach 

3. Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth 

4. Incan Abraham - Adult World EP

5. Mikky Ekko-Blues

6. Strange Rivals - Proxy Wars EP

7. jj - jj n°2

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Horse Power EP

9. Here we go magic - Pigeons

10. Grinderman - Grinderman 2

MV’s Top Albums of 2010 // #10-1

We’re done, yipppiiieee!  Thanks for sticking with us while we counted down our favorite 50 albums of this year.  It was a taxing, but enjoyable feat and we hope you had as much fun reading about the albums and watching the accompanying videos as we did writing about them and putting together our list.  PEACEOUT 2010!! Looking forward to another awesome year of music in 2011.

10. David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Here Lies Love

Another concept album, yippie! Sharon Jones teams up with David Byrne and Fatboy Slim to tell the story ofImelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines. The disco-y interpretation of her life is set to take to the theatrical stage in the future, but for now we can picture what it would have been like to live in Imelda’s shoes throughTori Amos, Cyndi Lauper, Sia, Florence Welsh (of Florence and the Machine) and Santigold.

9. The National - High Violet

Most of us love The National some of us don’t.  If you’re an fan you are sure to love this album filled with sad songs, that deep unforgettable voice and the memorable brass and strings section to accompany it all.

8. Jonsi - Go

the lead singer of Sigur Rós first solo effort with moving lyrics and a voice that could move angels to tears. 

7. Here we go magic - Pigeons

The expanded line-up has been described as “psychedelic electro-folk” and walking “the line between ambient hypnotica and melodic indie rock” Whatever way you want to categorize it is up to you, no matter what it’s all good.

6. Robyn - Body Talk

Cooper says, “I like pop music. Even kind of dance-y top-40-y pop, when it’s done so so right. In this case, it’s the mix of personality (confidence and vulnerability in the right places), song writing and top-notch production.”

5. Earl Sweatshirt - Earl

The first thing that people fixate on is that Earl Sweatshirt put this album together at 16 years of age. The more important thing is that he is a lyrical phenom, with the casual, slant-rhyming swagger that sets the most talented rappers (Eminem and Lil Wayne apply here) apart from the herd. Earl raps like he was born to do it — he’s the breakout star in hiding from the rising LA-based rap clique OFWGKTA. And yeah, he’s 16.

4. Harlem - Hippies 

This is their second album. They are a scuzzy sounding 3-peice garage band that sounds like Nirvana and a little Clap Your Hands Say yeah, and probably some other stuff. The songs are about 3 minutes a piece, and they all rock and jam and shamble along from hook to chorus sounding often poppy but never neat. The lyrics are dopey, the album title is dopey, but it’s not asking to be taken seriously; just to be played loud and often.

3. Phosphorescent - Here’s to Taking It Easy

Popular interpretation attributes some of this artist’s musical direction on this album to his prior album of Willie Nelson covers. These songs are lovelorn and folky and remind me of Steve Earl and John Prine. There’s humble and swagger; some songs jam and others take a melancholy trip. It sounds like beer and weed and country and a little rock’n roll

2. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor (TIE)

These guys followed up a brilliant and rough freshman release with an even sharper, more cohesive album. All the rough and tumble grit remains — all the vocal-chord-shredding screams, the punk rock sensibility, the incredible song-writing, the chugging Springsteen tempos and structures, the whiskey, the soaring, the tumbling, the awesome

2. Cee-Lo Green - Lady Killer (TIE)

So suave and so much swagger.  Who’s more of a lady killer then Cee-Lo? Not you, so fuck you and fuck you too!

1. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

This album saw the young aussies break in to the US. MV got to witness they’re intimate gig at the Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn earlier this year, definitely a musical highlight of 2010.

MV’s Top Albums of 2010 // #20-11

We are so close to revealing our final favorite albums for 2010.  But there’s more awesomeness coming up after this list is complete.  We will be recapping with a “where are they now” from our artists to watch in 2010 post as well as choosing some new artist we that we think are gonna have a killer year in 2011 and that you should definitely be keeping an eye on.  

20. Bonobo - Black Sands

Although this album seems to reach back and take ideas from his previous three albums it’s still a good listen packed with richness and textures that you begin to appreciate more and more after each listen.  It’s a grower not a shower!

19. Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. Wuz Here

This self released album has gotten this southern rapper tons of attention, especially in the blogesphere. Pitchfork says, “K.R.I.T.’s ear is his biggest strength; as a producer, tracks like “Return of Forever” and “Country Shit” find him revitalizing the staid indie rap template with the 808s and swagger of Southern rap.”

18. High On Fire - Snakes for the Divine

Oakland, California-based power trio released this album back in February.  On this album it is easy to hear the bands natural progression in to a faster, stronger, heavier band then in the past.  If this is your genre you need to know these guys.

17. Vampire Weekend - Contra

The Vagabond team is split on this album some of us love it and others don’t understand the hype.  However it seems that most critics are in love with it. Thoughts?

16. Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me

Joanna Newsom and her unique place in the world in between folk and indie rock music.

15. Caribou - Swim

In Dan Snaith’s own words, “dance music that sounds like it’s made out of water.”

14. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

A man known to hole up in a home recording studio and create hundreds of unreleased songs while only a few making it to public ears on mix tapes and EP’s. This was his first effort putting together a group of songs to be released and heard cohesively at one time and it’s no to shabby.

13. Fang Island - Fang Island

This album is happy and inclusive.  Have a listen and let the good times roll.

12. Kurt Vile - Square Shells

His music eschews the electronic for the organic, which puts him at odds with much of what the hipsters are flocking to these days.  Square Shells is a great follow up to his last release Childish Prodigy.  Both are go-tos in our music library.

11. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma

Global bass music matriarch Mary Anne Hobbs recently told The Fader “Flying Lotus, for me, is like the Hendrix of his generation.  When speaking of his genre we are inclined to agree.

MV’s Top Albums of 2010 // #30-21

With this post we are now more than half way through our list of our favorite 50 albums in 2010.  As an added bonus we have an upcoming nifty little list of honorable mentions for you to feast on.  As we mentioned before this is not a ranked list it is just a list in no particular order of albums that got a lot of headphone and speaker time with us in 2010.  Above you can enjoy some tracks with video accompaniment from each album.

30.  My Gold Mask-1000 Voices

 This duo hailing from Chicago is proof that you don’t need a big band to create a full rich sound. If you don’t believe us believe the EP and if you don’t believe that see them live.

29. Keepaway-Babystyle

Brooklyn locals, Keepaway made our list of 10 for 2010 in the beginning of the year and so far they have lived up to the nomination with stellar reviews from Pitchfork and Fader, signing with Lefsee, recording and releasing a killer EP and even opening for Yeasayer on Governors Island last month.

28. Gayngs - Relayted

Surprisingly this album didn’t get much love even with a superstar cast like Bon Iver, Solid Gold, Ryan Olson and rapper P.O.S to name a few.   But we are here to give it all the loving it needs and so should you.

27. Oberhofer - ooo0000ooo00

Brad Oberhofer is one of those rare gems that we have come across.  This album if you can call it that, it was never formally released (he won’t even call it that) was recorded in his mothers basement while he was still in high school.  He plays all the instruments and sings all vocals.  If it sounds this good in a basement recording studio imagine what the future holds.

26. Phanotogram-Eyelid movie

Released in February, Eyelid Movie has been a constant on our playlists.  The album is complete and flows perfectly from one song to the next.  It’s easy to listen to all the way through time and time again. They were featured in BRM this year alongside our local favorites Hank & Cupcakes.

25. Frightened Rabbit-The Winter of Mixed Drinks

If Midnight Organ Fight ever made one of your lists then Winter of Mixed Drinks is sure to do the same thing. Yes, the album circles around heartbreak and drinking yourself out of heartbreak and having sex with strangers to ignore heartbreak, but still, another great album from a great band.

24. Janelle Monae - Archandroid

We are suckers for albums that have a story to tell from one track to the next.  Like Kid A and Tommy, Janelle Monae’s, Archandroid has also captivated us.

23. Gorillaz- Plastic Beach

Everyone’s favorite cartoon band came back in action right where they left off with an impressive album full of great cameo appearances from stars including Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Lou Reed, De La Soul and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

22. Crime in Stereo - I was Trying to Describe You To Somone

The fourth studio album from the Long Island based melodic hardcore band.  It’s a surprising and ambitious follow up to their last  release Is Dead and definitely turned some heads over here.

21. Gonjasufi - A Sufi and A Killer

You may remember him from a cameo appearance on the Flying Lotus album Los Angeles. It’s fitting since his new album sounds much like a Flying Lotus style ambient jam with Gonjasufi’s lifting, spooky vocals intertwined throughout.

 

MV’s Top Albums of 2010 // #31-40
The next 10 albums of awesomeness with video montage… in no particular order of course:

40. Das Racist- Sit Down, Man - Listen to the mixtape here and check out the September video from the Santos house party. Jay says… 

“Go get it because it’s awesome.”

39.  Delorean- Subiza-  Jess says…

“Get your dancing shoes on. This is the perfect mellow electro album.”

38. Local Natives- Gorilla Manor-

“We have been telling you about this band over and over again.  We chose them for our 10 of 2010 list in the beginning of the year and we can’t wait to see them next month at Governors Island.  This album is full of memorable melodies, unforgettable hooks and strong.”

 37. Yeasayer - Odd Blood  We all love this and here’s why:

“A favorite with all the Vagabonds, this album tracked perfectly a great listen from start to finish.  One of those bands that you’re sure can’t sound that on point live, until they do.”

36. The Roots- How I Got Over It-  Another Vagabond favorite, we think:

“This album shines with collaborations featuring joint songs with The Monsters of Folk, Joanna Newsom and John Legend.  Each track is better than the next.  As usual we are impressed.”

35. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings- I Learned the Hard Way- Laura says…

“The infectious, groovy and down-right soulful voice of Sharon Jones never gets old. Gospel, soul, and funk come together on their third album, which really sounds like the other two but none the less, a great album all around. Everyone needs a little soul :) Watch this awesome video from this summer in Prospect Park.”

34. Beach House- Teen Dream-

“We’re not really sure why you haven’t picked up this album yet. But we told you so.”

33. Broken Bells- Broken Bells  L.Sizzle says…

“The musical brainchild of Brain Burton (Danger Mouse) and James Mercer, there’s no doubt you haven’t listened to this album about 47,000 times on repeat.”

32. M.I.A. - /\/\/\Y/\

“Stay true to our girl MIA. M.I.A for life!”

31. Black Keys- Brothers

“We are thrilled to see that everyone has finally caught on to the greatness that is The Black Keys.  If you keep up with us you know we have been long time supporters and are stoked to see that their latest album, Brothers is getting the attention it deserves when their other albums went generally ignored.”