My Top Tens of 2010: Albums
This is the first year that I’ve done anything like this, but seeing as how good some of the music released this year was, I felt compelled. I’m a unapologetic music fanatic (say that three times fast). Most every day, the only time I’m not listening to something is when I’m sleeping and the few minutes I’m walking to work. Because of that, I have plenty of hours in the day dedicated to enjoying and discovering music.
Thanks to my friend, Christie I was re-introduced to the wonder of electronic music and I quickly became insatiable for it. From progressive trance, to electro house to glitchy dubstep, I loved it all, and it certainly shows in my list of albums below.
So without further adieu, here are my top ten favorite albums of 2010:
#1 BT - These Hopeful Machines
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
It took me no time at all to decide what my #1 was going to be. Simply put, this album is an absolute masterpiece. Clocking in at over two hours for just twelve tracks, it’s quite a journey of tunes. It’s no surprise that These Hopeful Machines has been nominated for the “Best Electronic Album” Grammy for 2011.
Favorite Track: Every Other Way
#2 Deadmau5 - 4x4=12
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
This year I discovered Deadmau5. He’s been around for a few years, and sure, I’ve seen promotions for his concerts and such, but never really showed much interest in checking out his music. Early on in the year, in prep for the Coachella music festival, I picked up his album “For Lack of a Better Name” and was promptly blown away. His music would be considered “Progressive House” which basically means that it’s got a pretty standard beat throughout, but is far more complex than other electronic music sometimes. 4x4=12 is no doubt his best album to date. He departs just a bit from his Progressive House roots and explores Electro House, a bit of Trance and even some Dubstep.
Favorite Track: Tie between Cthulhu Sleeps and Raise Your Weapon
#3 Tron: Legacy Soundtrack (Daft Punk)
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
Tron + Daft Punk. How could you not love it? I’ve not historically been a huge Daft Punk fan, but this album takes the cake. It’s expansive, symphonic (I know, I know, it’s a soundtrack) and very entertaining. Seeing the movie only made this album better, knowing where all of the music synced up to the film. I wouldn’t be surprised if this got a Grammy nod as well, and I certainly hope it wins.
Favorite Track: Recognizer
#4 Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
This album came out of absolutely nowhere and proceeded to blow my mind. I saw Skrillex open for Deadmau5 in Denver just a month ago. When I go to dance shows, I generally prepare myself for the opening acts kind of sucking a bit. This show couldn’t have been further from that. Skrillex is some weird mashup between Dubstep and Electro House and isn’t afraid to toss a bit of glitchy Nintendo-esque sounds in there from time to time. His debut EP is one wild ride from start to finish. It’s hard to describe exactly how this album makes me feel when I listen to it, but the best way to put it is “energized”.
Favorite Track: Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
#5 The Graduate - Only Every Time
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
This one is a bit sentimental to me. That’s because I’m actually friends with the guys in this band. I’ve known them for years. Back in the day when I had a band, we would always find an excuse to play with their precursor, J.A.C.K. Needless to say, these guys have grown up a lot. “Only Every Time” is the follow up to their debut album, Anhedonia. The sound is much more mature and departs a bit from their pop punk roots. There’s a healthy dose of U2, a bit of Arcade Fire, and a dash of Muse. This album should be listened to from start to finish with nothing but a pair of headphones and zero distraction. It’s that good.
Favorite Track: Pull Me In
There’s a little bit of a story behind this favorite track. This year I moved from my beloved home of Boulder, CO to San Francisco. As I was heading to the airport for the day of my move, I looked back at the mountains and just then these lyrics came on. I teared up a bit:
“We traded everything and left the countryside / Metal tower skylines over lucid star-lit nights / Found a north-side neighborhood that we could call our own / I’m just fine, I’m alive, I am home.”
#6 Pendulum - Immersion
Listen on Rdio | Note: This album is not yet for sale in the US yet. It was released in the UK in 2010, but won’t be available in the US until January 25, 2011.
My good buddy Jeffrey introduced these guys to me a few years ago. Back then they sounded a bit like hip-hop heavy Drum & Bass. It was pretty entertaining, but not quite very deep. Then with their album In Silico, they ditched the hip-hop feel for a bit more rock and it was very welcoming. Got a chance to see them in concert (they play all live instruments) and they were beyond awesome.
Fast forward to this year, and their new album Immersion came out in the UK. I found my ways of getting ahold of and dug in. Every song on this album is awesome, but there are a handful that stand out. I can’t wait to see them live in January.
Favorite Track(s): The Island pt. 1 and pt. 2
#7 Armin van Buuren - Mirage
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
Like Deadmau5, I only found out about Armin van Buuren this year. I’ll have to chalk this one up to Christie. I can honestly say that Armin van Buuren was purely the reason that I’m so into electronic music these days. I quickly amassed all of his albums and listened to his stuff nearly exclusively for a good while. Got a chance to see him live early on in the year and I was hooked. My excitement for when this album came out was intense.
Favorite Track: Orbion
#8 Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
Another album that came out of left field. One morning I was listening to Sirius’s “XM U” station while getting ready and “Little Lion Man” came on. Within seconds, I sat down and just listened, not doing a thing. Right after the song was over, I sped to my computer to learn about these guys and download their stuff. I then proceeded to tweet to all hell about how great this was. As far as I can tell, I was among the first of my friends to discover them, so it was quite awesome spreading the news far and wide about this band. I’ve yet to get a chance to see them live but I can’t wait until I do.
#9 Jónsi - Go
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
I’ve been a Sigur Ros fan for years, so I wasn’t expecting that their lead singer, Jonsi would ever put out a bad album. I wasn’t disappointed. “Go” takes a lot of where Sigur Ros seemed to be heading, but tightened the sound up a bit to more of a pop flavor, departing from the long and drawn out songs that Sigur Ros is so well known for. Seeing him perform “Go” live at Coachella was nothing short of an emotional experience.
Favorite Track: Tornado
#10 The Glitch Mob - Drink the Sea
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
Having known nothing about this band, I was pretty pleased when I saw them live last year at Red Rocks. This was their first official album and it’s quite a first album at that. These guys definitely fit within the “electronic” space, but the sound is less constant beats and more of what I’d describe as “breathing, driving, gyrating” tunes. This is a great album for a work day.
Favorite Tune: Dream Within a Dream
Honorable Mention: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Listen on Rdio | Buy on iTunes
I generally like Kanye’s albums, so I was stoked to see that he was going to have a new one out. 808’s and Heartbreak was pretty rad, and this one destroys it. It explores just about every other genre, with a hip-hop flavor added to it. I would have put this in the top 10, but the others just barely beat it out.
Favorite Tune: Tie between All of the Lights and Lost in the World
Conclusion
So that wraps it up. I’m excited to see all the albums that will come out in 2011. If it’s half as good as 2010 for music, we’ll be in for a treat.
I’ve got three more top ten lists to go before I’m done with this meme.
