Women - “Black Rice”
Women was one of those bands that come along only once in a lifetime and this song is nothing short of perfect. It was Christopher Reimer’s talent as a guitar player that made me love this band and I am really bummed out about his passing.
RIP Christopher Reimer.
Promo for That Epic Reggae Set’s Third Album “The Great Trans-Siberian Moth Miners or 1913”
That Epic Reggae Set are prolific artists. This is their third album. They also have another album out this year filled with folk songs and field recordings.
That Epic Reggae Set will never play live. They are also the Philippines’ best kept secret and they are definitely one of my favorite local bands.
Recommended If You Love: The Olivia Tremor Control, psychedelic pop, awesome musicians making awesome music, cool people, great presentation.
You can buy the album (digital download) at Beat The Robot! Recordings, another local independent record label that I support 100%.
Also: a big thank you to Ms. Sunshine Reyes because she’s the one who introduced me to this band.
Francis’ Favorite Album of 2010
#23 Dax Riggs, Say Goodnight To The World
You Were Born To Be My Gallows
It’s been a while since we last did this, since we’ve been keeping track of new releases this year. And judging by the sheer amount of good music that came out, we’re going to have our hands full this year. So yeah, I am determined to finish this.
Now back to this track. The first thing you’ll notice is Dax Riggs’ voice. Behind the sheer intensity and dread that emanates from the music, there’s Riggs’ voice… part crooner part angel. The entire albums is filled with images of death and love and lust that calls to mind the work of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds… a perfect example. Imagine if Jeff Buckley sang for The Bad Seeds… a perfect analogy as exemplified by this tune.
Francis’ Favorite Albums of 2010
#20 The Black Angels, Phosphene Dream
Bad Vibrations
Me and my friends had a brief discussion about how I’m the only one who actually enjoyed this record. And I get why they don’t like it: it’s because it doesn’t sound like your average Black Angels record. It’s not the Doors-influenced, weird, neo-psychedelic dirge-fest version of the Black Angels that we fell in love with. I, however, welcome this change. This track is probably the closest one to their old sound, but the other songs on the record are much more upbeat.
Exactly ten days left before 2010 wraps itself up and ‘tis just a perfect time to catch up on a few year-end releases. It has really been a great year, musically speaking. Due to a much more massive presence of social media sites, a lot of doors opened for upcoming artists, bands – even genres – which made it really easy for audiences to notice and get to meet new albums and records.
Trimming it to a list of fifteen is no joke. Well, my friends here at theemusicsnobs have been pretty much listening to the same bands, so most likely, they did their own special mention of a few names from my list. Truth of the matter is, there are just too many tracks and memories to recollect. Most of the songs from these artists may have been consciously used as scores for my own personal drama or pleasure. More so, they’ve been the closest to my heart, amongst all albums – this year that is.
I would like to salute and thank all the brilliant people behind the records below. I just can’t wait for 2011. Without further ado, here’s my Top 15 for 2010:
Erwin’s Favorite Albums Of 2010
Honarable Mentions:
Francis’ Favorite Albums of 2010
#21 Jeremy Messersmith, The Reluctant Graveyard
Deathbed Salesman
Jeremy Messersmith is a singer/songwriter from Minneapolis. He crafts well-written and brilliantly arranged indie pop that echoes the work of Emitt Rhodes, Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne, and Jellyfish (one of my favorite power pop bands of all time). Messersmith has self-released 3 albums, and here’s hoping he releases more in the future.
Francis’ Favorite Albums of 2010
#22 The Fresh and Onlys, Play It Strange
Summer Of Love
The Fresh And Onlys has managed to keep their brand of garage rock fresh (I just had to), by taking the classic “garage” sound and aesthetic and mixing it with some 60’s psychedelic rock from San Francisco. While the other songs are pretty much your straightforward garage rock numbers, this song is a fitting tribute to the “Summer Of Love” and the whole Haight-Ashbury scene.
Francis’ Favorite Albums of 2010
#23 The Growlers, Hot Tropics
Let It Be Known
The Growlers come from Long Beach, California. They love to surf. It shows in the music which is basically a weird fusion of lo-fi surf rock, country, and psychedelic rock. The music is ghostly, catchy, twangy, and it’s perfect for summer nights at the beach when you’re stoned out of your mind and you’re hanging out with friends by the campfire.
Francis’ Favorite Albums of 2010
#24 Darker My Love, Alive As You Are
Dear Author
“Beatlesque” is the first word that comes to mind when I hear this song. The arrangement, the harmonies, and the song structure makes this song sound like a Sgt. Pepper’s outtake. Sadly, the rest of the album doesn’t sound like this. “Alive As You Are” has enough musical gems though, from the Americana-inspired “Backseat” to the Byrds throwback that is “Trail The Line”, “Alive As You Are” is an imperfect album, but a pretty decent attempt at evolution from these fine chaps.
Hopefully the next record sounds more fully realized than this one.
Francis’ Favorite Albums of 2010
#25 Best Coast, Crazy For You
Crazy For You
Best Coast is one of the few buzz bands that intrigued me this year. I wasn’t disappointed by this record, but I must admit that it was on the safe side. It’s good, harmless fun, and Bethany Consentino knows how to write a good pop song.
There’s nothing else to say about this band really, I guess that’s why they’re pretty low on this list.
It’s still a pretty good record though.
