Why Hello, and good morning/day/evening/night to you reader/family/friend!
Welcome to "Thingz I Consume" a blog that is mainly selfish on my part. In this first post, I'll give you an overview of what you can expect to find here...
The plan for the blog is to keep a list of everything I consume this year. Not food consumption ... media consumption. I want to keep a list of every movie I watch, book I read, music I listen to for the first time, TV Show I watch, etc... Again, really it's selfish on my part, but, whatever!
There is one thing I want to get out of the way in this first post. You know how people say you must shed the past like a snake sheds its skin so you can truly move forward toward the future? (I don't really know who exactly says that, but, it makes sense for this post) ... Well, to kick off this blog I figured I should post my "Top 30 Albumz of 2010" list, so you can get an idea of what kinds of stuff I consume ...
So, without further ado:
"Top 30 Albumz of 2010"
30. Drake – Thank Me Later - So, I guess this guy was in the reboot of the Canadian High School Drama TV Show "Degrassi High" or something (possibly something I'll check out at some point) ... anyway, I was OK with Drake up until I heard "Fancy" from my good friend Dan ... after that I decided to listen to this album and was very pleasantly surprised ... it is a mostly subtle album, some sparse beautiful songs, and some really in your face catchy radio pop/rap tracks ... overall very enjoyable!
29. Jonsi - Go - I hate to admit this, but, Sigur Ros has kinda lost my interest of the past few years ... can they really go anywhere new? I don't know ... so, I wasn't really that into hearing a solo album from a member of Sigur Ros ... well, I was wrong to have my doubts ... from start to finish it provides breathtaking tracks that are interesting and fantastic to bob your head to
28. The Roots – How I Got Over - Wasn't sure how these guys would be after landing a gig being Jimmy Fallon's house band ... but, one of their best! Which means it is great
27. Joanna Newsome – Have One on Me - Yes, it's a triple album ... yes, it's ridiculous ... and, yes it's overwhelming ... however, it is also incredible, beautiful and fantastic songwriting ... if she would have trimmed this down to one album it would easily be in my top 15
26. Curren$y – Pilot Talk 1; Pilot Talk 2 - GREAT.RAP.MUSIC.
25. Sleigh Bells - Treats - People hate this band, and, I understand that ... I hope those people can understand that I really really enjoy them ... It's over the top on purpose, like, a Baz Luhrman film or a Cartoon Network Adult Swim TV Show ... and, they really nailed it, in my opinion
24. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma - This used to be higher on my list, but, then I heard some better electronic music ... it's still really good, don't get me wrong ... it's just, toooooo much sometimes ... which, really hits the spot at points, and at other points doesn't ... but, it's adventurous and i appreciate that and, when I'm in the right mood, man, it is fantastic
23. Aziz Ansari – Intimate Moments for a Sensuous Evening - Yeah, yeah yeah, it's not a music album ... i'm sure people will ask "How can you compare a stand-up comedy album with music albums?" ... my answer is, I can compare them because this is my list! so there ... anyway ... this is absolutely the funniest stand-up album in existence (that I've heard) in my opinion ... he is SO funny ... check it out if you like to laugh ... don't check it out if you get offended by swearing and offensive things
22. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today - This is a really good album ... there are some points that are too weird for me ... but, then some points that are better than anything I've heard this year ... but, unfortunately, for me, too unbalanced ... but, still good enough to rank higher than some albums I really enjoyed ... Round and Round is SO GOOD though ... if you have no interest in the album, at least check that song out
21. Wavves – King of the Beach - One of the most fun albums of the year ... really loud and abrasive and catchy and loud ... i wish i didn't like it because the kid seems annoying ... but, whatever, it's good
20. Vampire Weekend - Contra - Yeah, i think i like this more than the debut album ... it's more consistent definitely ... this year in music was so enjoyable for me that I can't believe this album is so low considering how much i liked it ... any other year it'd probably rank in the top 10 or 15 ... crazy
19. Girl Talk – All Day - All you haterzzz stop ur hatin'! He's great ... if you don't like it you can ... well, ok, you can not like it, that's fine, music is so subjective, I understand ... but, for me, i love it, he's great, this is a perfect example of something he does perfectly ... i know people say "i could do that easily" ... yeah right ... try it ... send it to me and i'll let you know every single reason that it's way worse than Girl Talk
18. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest - Dear Bradford Cox, I'm sorry ... for some reason I thought I didn't like you for a while ... I thought you were full of yourself and pretentious ... then, I heard the song "Nothing Ever Happened" a couple years ago, and your Atlas Sound solo project and starting reconsidering ... well, now you release an INCREDIBLE album, with your band mates of course, and I realize that you are just a really good musician and songwriter and i was wrong to doubt your talent ... again, i'm sorry
17. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor - I loved Titus' debut album ... and, this is even way better ... so nice and loud, very consistent ... it's definitely an "ALBUM" ... meaning, it's very well structured, each song feeds into the next, and, i have a hard time pulling one track out of the album, as the whole album stands out ... keep up the good work!
16. Beach House – Teen Dream - Some think it's too boring or simple, but i definitely disagree ... it's subtle, but complex at the same time ... great melodies, fantastic vocals, good songwriting, and very solid from start to finish
15. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs - I was worried that I wasn't going to like the new Arcade Fire album ... in fact, i was betting on it ... but, they put out another solid album yet again ... i've heard people complain it's too long and there are songs that don't need to be on it ... i don't think so, i like it just the way it is ... it's another good "Album" to me, and, i enjoy the songwriting a lot ... very appropriate for where I'm at in my life these days
14. The Walkmen - Lisbon - At first i thought this was just a not as good version of their last album "You & Me" ... i still think that's true, but, somewhere along the way it found its own identity in my mind, and i stopped comparing it to "You & Me" ... and that's when i started noticing how good it is ... The Walkmen continue to prove to be one of the best bands making music today
13. jj – Kills (mixtape) - WAAAAAAAYYYY better than the proper album they released this year ... this is a mixtape that was released for free on Christmas Eve and I haven't stopped listening to it since then ... i feel like they made this just for me ... combining all the best elements of jj with great Rap/Hip-Hop samples is such a great combo ... and, the weird interludes actually add another dimension to the already great mixtape ... all in all, it's awesome and if released earlier in the year, maybe it'd rank even higher
12. Das Racist – Sit Down, Man - Hilarious and insightful well written and performed rap music ... at first i thought they were just parody rap, but, they have proved to be much more ...in a year of excellent rap music, they rank toward the top ... very interested to see what these guys do next!
11. Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner - This is totally awesome electronic music ... great from start to finish ... it's an inspiration for me musically and I hope to someday be able to put out an electronic album a quarter as good as this
10. Ceo – White Magic - Completely surprised by this album ... thanks Dan for telling me about it ... heard it the first time and thought, this is really great, catchy, wonderfully melodic dance-pop music ... since then it's gotten better each time i listen to it ... only 8 songs and 28 minutes long, it's like a breath of fresh air and a reminder that you can make albums that are short and concise that are awesome
9. No Age – Everything in Between - This is probably the surprise album of the year for me ... i've liked No Age for a while, but, this is way better than anything they've done ... it's the best "loud" album in a long time ... just, extremely enjoyable and fun to blast
8. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening - One of the first albums of the year I heard, and it's still revealing more and more each time I listen to it ... every song is great, and, one of the best closing tracks ever ... thought i wasn't a big LCD Soundsystem fan, but, was wrong once again ... check out the music video for "Drunk Girls" it's sooooo great
7. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Hate to put this so high, but, it can't be helped, it's that good ... Kanye can go nowhere but down from here though, it's the perfect Kanye album ... i don't find myself thinking, "man, for a rapper, Kanye really is a bad rapper" at all when listening to this album ... pretty impressive stuff Mr. West
6. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach - Damon Albarn is a genius ... it cannot be denied ... i mean, have you heard the Ravenous soundtrack? ... this is Gorillaz at its best ... each listen is better and better ... great guest artists throughout ... hopefully the next Blur album is at least half as good as this
5. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast - Hopefully signing to a bigger label won't ruin this bands great sound ... i don't know how to describe why it's so good ... it's like, a Weezer album at their best but better ... the guitars sound fantastic ... everything just clicks on this album
4. The National – High Violet - I love this band a lot ... they've been gaining momentum over the past several years ... i was worried that they had reached a point where they wouldn't have anywhere to go but down, but, again, was wrong ... it's The National's best album ever ... it's perfect ... the drums are incredible, the music is subtle and complex, stellar vocals and lyrics ... just, perfect
3. Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid - So, Janelle released an EP with the first part of a three part Android story a year or two ago with some solid songs on it ... Sean "Puffy" Combs, or Puff Daddy, or P. Diddy, or Diddy, or whatever his name is heard it, loved it, signed her to his label, and gave her COMPLETE CREATIVE CONTROL to finish the last two parts of her Android story ... The ArchAndroid consists of two movements, part 2 and 3 of the story ... it features some great guests ... and, the best genre bending i've ever heard ... it is one of the strangest yet most accessible things i've heard ... it's endlessly inventive and earnestly epic ... i wish it was my number one album of the year ... and, at several times throughout the year it was ... but, hey, it was a tough year!
2. Robyn – Body Talk Pt. 1; Body Talk Pt. 2; Body Talk - My wife calls Robyn my girlfriend because i'm so in love with her musically ... it's the best pop music around these days, hands down ... she released a total of 28 new songs this year, and not one of them was bad ... well, really, not one of them was even mediocre ... if you like dancing and pop music you will definitely not be disappointed with all three of her albums from this year ... again, wish this could be number one
1. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty - However, the number one has to go to Big Boi for releasing one of the best hip-hop album in years upon years ... I think i'm ready to say it's better than anything Outkast did together ... which, is a huge compliment ... for me, it will go down as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time ... the beats throughout are complex, challenging, and incredible ... Big Boi's style, voice, and flow have never been better ... from start to finish absolutely perfect
So, there you have it, I hope you enjoy this blog ... i'll have more posts soon about what i'm consuming ... they will definitely not be this long ... and, please feel free to comment on anything at all
much love!
brian
No comments:
Post a Comment