Internationally, the world has been dominated by the aural atrocities of Biebermania, Black Eyed Peas and Ke$ha. (And if I hear one more fricking song that uses autotune I am going to snap. Just because Cher thought it was a good idea in 1998 doesn't mean it's a good idea in 2010!) However, as is always the case, there are lots of amazing bands and artists out there... if you decide to look a little harder for good music instead of willingly being force-fed the next autotuned flavour of the month. Most of these great bands just happen to be from Canada... and some might even be playing at your local pub or bar.
I think it's safe to say that 2010 has been an incredible year for Canadian bands. This year saw fantastic albums by the likes of Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Stars, The New Pornographers, Sarah Harmer, Great Lake Swimmers, Zeus, Wolf Parade, Plants and Animals, Hannah Georgas... well, you get the idea. I remember when I was growing up that it was almost embarrassing to say that you liked a Canadian band. Well, things have definitely changed. Nowadays, the Great White North has a bottomless well of talented bands and artists. I think we are definitely in the Golden Age of Canadian music. This ain't the land of Anne Murray and Gino Vanelli anymore. Although I do think Kish and Harem Scarem were ahead of their time. ;-)
In terms of local Regina bands, the year was dominated by Library Voices and Rah Rah. Both put out amazing indie albums that can stand side-by-side any band in the world... and both have a plethora of rave reviews across the country to prove it. Rah Rah also got some steady rotation of their video for "Henry"on MuchMusic... during those rare times when MuchMusic actually plays music videos, that is.
While these two bands got the most press, lots of other bands have released albums and EPs, got radio play and/or put on some kick-ass live shows. So I'd just like to give a big shout-out to The Bystanders, Chad Kichula, JJ Voss, The Dustin Ritter Band, The League of One, The Rabid Whole, Black Drink Crier, Dan Silljer, Dangerous Cheese, The Real Canadian Threetles, Wonderland, Sonic Orchid, Melissa Mannett, Kerri Senkow, Into Eternity, Lest We Fail, Dirtbred, Cherrybomb, Hot Blood Bombers, Amy Nelson, Carli's Angels, Rye n' the Vats, SheKillsMe, etc etc etc. This list is just the tip of the iceberg, so don't ever say there's nothing to do in Regina!
For my list, I only included studio albums released this year. So no best-of's or live albums. There are so many other great albums that could have easily cracked the list on any other given day. As well, there were also some classic reissues that I have listened to a lot: Iggy and The Stooges' Raw Power, R.E.M.'s Fables of The Reconstruction, The Rolling Stones' Exile On Mainstreet, and Weezer's Pinkerton, to name a few. As well, I still have to pick up that impressive Bruce Springsteen Darkness On The Edge Of Town deluxe boxed set. So much music out there but so little time... and money.
So without further ado, here my Top 25 Albums of 2010... just in time for you to do your Xmas shopping. Enjoy.
25. Semi Precious Weapons - Semi Precious Weapons
24. Zeus - Say Us
23. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
22. Vampire Weekend - Contra
21. Tired Pony - The Place We Ran From
20. M.I.A. - MAYA
19. Rah Rah - Breaking Hearts
18. Gogol Bordello - Trans-Continental Hustle
17. Jesse Malin & The St. Marks Social - Love It To Life
16. Sleigh Bells - Treats
15. Robyn - Body Talk
14. Hollerado - Record In A Bag
13. The Black Keys - Brothers
12. Grinderman - Grinderman 2
11. Sarah Harmer - Oh Little Fire
10. The National - High Violet
If you want a fun, uplifting album then avoid this album like the plague. However, if you want the perfect soundtrack for a rainy day, getting dumped, or the morning after, then this album is perfect for you. Brooding never sounded so good. Highlights include ""Bloodbuzz Ohio," "Terrible Love," and the sublime "Runaway."
9. Against Me! - White Crosses
I am a huge sucker for melody and big, crunching choruses and this band has them in spades. This is perfect music to run to. These former anarchist punks have delivered a stunning followup to New Wave, again with help from producer Butch Vig. I was fortunate to see these guys at the Riddell Centre and was really impressed... lots of energy, great vocals, and a genuine sense that they were having fun... although I did feel a little old. Highlights include "High Pressure Low," "Teenage Anarchist," "Suffocation" and the Springsteen-esque "Because of the Shame."
8. Jenny and Johnny - We're Having Fun Now
Jenny Lewis has to be my favourite female singer right now. After her inward-looking Acid Tongue, Lewis has teamed up with her longtime boyfriend Johnathan Rice to release a rollicking collection of songs. The lyrics still contain Lewis' acerbic wit and bite, but the songs are sugarcoated with sunny California harmonies to help ease the sting a bit. Highlights include "Big Wave," "Scissor Runner" and album closer "Committed."
7. Library Voices - Denim On Denim
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Regina's own Library Voices deliver a near perfect collection of "pop" songs... in the classic Beatles, XTC, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads sense of the word. This is a band that is becoming legendary for their live show. However, the reason they have developed such a rabid following is because because their songs are so damn good and catchy. In a perfect world, songs like "Haunt This House," "Drinking Games," "Bookish,"and "Bodies of Fiction" would be as huge as Biebermania.
6. Pete Yorn - Pete Yorn
Pete Yorn just made his best album since his classic debut Music For The Morning After. With producer Frank Black at the helm, Yorn has released his most loose and fun set of tunes. There are some definite nods to the Pixies here, but this is still definitely a Pete Yorn album... albeit more of an amped up, garage rock version of Yorn. Highlights include "The Chase," "Rock Crowd" and "Precious Stone."
5. The New Pornographers - Together
On their fifth album, this Canadian "supergroup" find a happy balance between their recent mellow Challengers album, and the super charged power pop that they're famous for. Carl "A.C." Neuman's British Invasion-esque songs + Neko Case and Kathryn Calder's dreamy vocals = power pop heaven. And if that's not enough, former Reginan (and formerly of Age of Electric/Limblifter) Kurt Dahle holds down the fort with his rocksteady drumming. Highlights include " Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk," "Crash Years," and "Moves."
4. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
It's amazing how an album can grow on you over time. I was initially really disappointed with The Gaslight Anthem's third album, largely because my expectations were so high after The '59 Sound. Some critics slag them off as merely being revivalists and rehashing Springsteen and The Clash, but I am willing to forgive them since they bring the goods with killer songs. It's pretty hard to be original nowadays with a guitar-bass-drums setup so you may as well emulate the best. Highlights include "Stay Lucky," "Boxer," "Bring It On" and "The Spirit of Jazz."
3. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
After surviving internal tension, solo albums and seeing several of their satellite band members see success in their other "day jobs" (Metric, Feist, Stars, Jason Collett, Apostle of Hustle, etc), Kevin Drew and company have put together their best batch of tunes, keeping their self-indulgence to a minimum. This album is a total experience from start to finish. Highlights include "All To All," "Forced To Love," "Sentimental X's," and "Texico Bitches."
2. Stars - The Five Ghosts
This album has definitely received mixed reviews, but I have pretty much listened to this album nonstop since I first picked it up in June. This album is a bit more surface-level than these indie dream-poppers classic Set Yourself On Fire, but I think this stands up to Stars' best work. The focus this time around is on the electro-pop of their early records instead of the chamber pop of their last two albums. I would argue that the opening 1-2-3-4 punch of "Dead Hearts," "Wasted Daylight," "I Died So I Could Haunt You" and "Fixed" is the best string of songs on any album this year.
1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
This is probably the "No shit, Sherlock" pick of the year and no doubt it'll wind up in the top 5 lists of Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Spin, ChartAttack, NME, etc, but there is just no denying how utterly incredible this album is. After the somewhat disappointing Neon Bible, Montreal's Arcade Fire deliver an undisputed masterpiece. This album may not zap you right from the first listen, but give it a bit of time and you'll be hooked. I am seriously kicking myself for not making the trek to Saskatoon for the concert because I heard it was transcendent. Highlights include "Ready To Start," "Empty Room," "Month of May" and "The Suburbs." However, "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" is hands down the best song of the year. Who knew Win Butler could write a Blondie song?
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Well, there you have it kids. It has definitely been a helluva year for music. Like I mentioned earlier, there are tons of albums I never had the chance to pick up so this list is only the tip of the iceberg for great music that was released this year. I'd love to hear if you agree or disagree with my picks. The fun thing about music is debating lists like these. If I were to draft up this list next week, I am positive it would be quite different. Even though I do have impeccable tastes, they are just MY tastes. :-)
Cheers!
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