Top 10 of 2010 (Matt’s List)

By Matt Jarrard

Matt Jarrard offers up his favorites of 2010, in no particular order but with a little explanation for each.

Dr. Dog – Shame Shame
Dr Dog is one of the tightest, most reliable and energetic live shows you can catch these days. Shame, Shame is more fine-tuned and less lo-fi than their prior efforts, but a great album none-the-less. Shame, Shame is a sign that the Leaman/McMicken songwriting team is headed in the opposite direction as Lennon/McCartney did in the 2nd half of their career…meaning, they’re writing more together, rather than apart these days.
Dr. Dog – Stranger

Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s – Buzzard
The album title, and distinctively grungier sound of this record are both evidence of Richard Edward’s departure from the scarf-rock orchestral-pop sound this band created with their first 2.5 albums (Dust of Retreat, Animal!/Not Animal). As a whole, Buzzard doesn’t stand up against Dust of Retreat, but taken separately, tracks like “Will You Love Me Forever?”, “Birds”, and “New York City Hotel Blues”, are some of the bands best yet.
Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos – New York City Hotel Blues

Joe Pug – Messenger
The Nation of Heat EP from 2008 was so freakin good, I was sure whenever his LP finally dropped every person whoever loved The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan would rally behind this guy. Pug’s rise in popularity hasn’t happened to the extent I predicted…but his full length release is still incredible and worth many listens.

Menomena – Mines
Menomena takes its time making records…Friend And Foe (for which they received a Grammy nomination in the Best Recording Package category) was released in 2007, and the follow up just came out this summer. It was well worth the wait though. Mines is more restrained and less frantic. There probably won’t be any Grammy nominations this time around though.

Broken Bells – Broken Bells
I definitely wasn’t excited to hear that Brian Burton is producing the next U2 album, but I’m confident I’ll still be in love with the Broken Bells album 10 years from now. I also heard he’s working on a soundtrack with Daniele Luppi, Norah Jones, and Jack White. So yeah, suck on that, The Edge!

Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
A bit of a departure, but a welcome one. The bleeps and bloops of this album are varied enough that it doesn’t get boring after one or two listens (see any Postal Service snooze-fest track). On first listen, one might think Sufie is getting a bit preachy with this album, but songs like “Get Real Get Right” are actually evidence to the contrary. Age of Adz is a concept album of sorts, with the misogynistic spaceship-religion weirdo and sign painter Royal Robertson as its subject (the album cover is some of Robertson’s art work).
Sufjan Stevens – I Walked

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
I like every Arcade Fire album a little less than the preceding one…guess that tells you how much I ADORE Funeral. The faux-synthy-sounding-orchestral strings on this album annoy me to no end, however, Win Butler still has a knack for the epic, which is pretty irresistible.

Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
I never thought the best string arrangements I’d hear all year would be on a hip-hop album…well, I stand corrected. Aside from the incredible strings (the best of which is the stunning cello solo “All of the Lights” interlude), West chooses to rhyme about things that I (a 20-something white male from Indiana) can (mostly) understand and even sometimes relate to. That’s not something I find in hip-hop these days. Yeah, Yeezy can be obnoxious, but he can also be hilarious and genius….and I quote: “You got too many Urkels on your team, That’s why your wins low.”

Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter is the best thing that ever happened to Atlanta, and the rest of indie-rock for that matter. Halcyon Digest has just the right mix of experimental, rock, pop, and lo-fi. I like every Deerhunter album a little bit more than the preceding one, which probably tells you how much I’m going to LOVE the next one!
Deerhunter – Helicopter (Diplo Lunice Remix)