LSD Best Music Of 2010: Adriejan
Like every self-respecting blog, when the end of the year draws near Light Sound Dimension wants to present you what we think was the best music of the past year. But of course since we can’t agree among each other (as blogger maartenp has the musical taste of a primary school girl), we each present to you separate playlists. There’s no differentiation in genre, just what we think was good.
For me, this is not an exact ranking order, although it roughly follows my preferences from very best to best. Also, since I can’t choose, I give you a bonus list with an additional five tracks. And ok, then another bonus list.
So here’s what I think was the Best Music of 2010:
1. The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio
Immediately hooked when I first heard this. I’ve known The National for a couple of years, but their breakthrough came in 2010 with High Violet. This track is indie music at its very best. Matt Berninger’s bariton voice, the driving drums, the orchestral sound, the emotional refrain. Especially in combination with the black and white Hemingway-esque clip. Tops my list of favorite tracks of 2010.
Again, immediately hooked when I first heard this. There’s so much in this song: from the lone guitar and voices in the beginning to the driving buildup, to the Sigur Rós-like orchestral ending. Also of course the discrepancy between the seemingly pedestrian lyrics (‘fuck me, fuck me, make me come again’) and the sweetness of the rest of the song. For me, contender for the best track of 2010.
3. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round & Round
An instant classic, I say. Cool music that could’ve been written in the 1960s or 1970s. Love the blurry voices, the funkiness, the refrain and the general comfortable freakiness of it. Musically it all ties pretty good together. Pretty original, great clip too.
Extremely catchy guitar riff, upbeat rhythm (and a nice interplay between those two), nicely blurred vocals, and a general summery feel. One of the better nostalgic/summery/analog photography songs of 2010.
5. Foster the People – Pumped up Kicks
Summer, to the extent to which it existed this year, for me started with this track. Sexy bass guitar, very nice ambient sounds, cool distorted singing voice, and a great catchy refrain. Also the whistling at one point is cool. This should have been a summer hit.
One of the best bands to emerge this year. Norway encapsulates everything that’s good about them: the Nico-esque vocals, the dreamy/aquatic guitar, the nostalgic sound. Love the crescendo near the end. It was great to see them in Amsterdam’s Paradiso this year.
7. Arcade Fire – We Used to Wait
I used to be a big listener to U2. Now, I don’t listen to them much anymore, but I’m still a sucker for these big, dramatic sounds. And the Arcade Fire is nothing but big and dramatic. In this song I like the powerful drum, the sneering guitar sounds and the general forward-moving thrust of it. Especially like the jam session at the end. Epic.
Finetuned electronic music. Throbbing ambient sounds, a dark beat, weird electronic glitches, and then something more behind that.
What to say about this one? It’s the apex of chillwave. Choirs, a warm bass, blurry voices, and a very nostalgic and summery feel. Still there’s rhythm to it as well. Like a Beach Boys paradise. A song to keep on repeat again and again.
10. Crystal Castles – Suffocation
It’s hard to choose between Crystal Castles tracks (Baptism and Not in Love were on my list as well), but I’ll go for this one. It has the epicness that can come from electronic tracks: really big, distorted sci-fi like synthesizer sounds, a hazy voice interacting with it, and a powerful electro buzz. This track really takes you away to some crazy high-tech dreamscape.
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And then the bonus list. I count these tracks among the best of 2010, yet they didn’t make it to my top 10.
11. Aeroplane vs. Friendly Fires vs. Flight Facilities - I Crave Paris
Put this on and you’ll be immediately transported to a French club. Classy voice, sexy synths and a great rhythm. Picture-perfect.
This is what pop music should sound like. They’ve perfected that in Sweden. Extremely upbeat, very disco, polished to the detail. Great beats too.
13. The Chemical Brothers – Another World
Epic as well. Love the screeching noise, the big fat remixed bass, the electronic twitches and glitches, and the huge drum sounds at the end. Perfect.
14. Blackbird Blackbird – Fade to White (w/ Emily Reo)
Very chillwavey again, but very well done. Pulsating tropical rhythms, lots of great glitches and remix stuff, dreamy voices.
This is stoner electronic music in optima forma. It sounds very goa-ish, with repetitive sounds, bells, and a murmuring otherworldly voice.
And then the extra bonus list. These two tracks weren’t made in 2010, so technically they shouldn’t be included here. But this is my list and I’m still gonna do it, because I only discovered them in 2010 and they helped make my year.
From 2008. A very sad, haunting but beautiful folk song. Really, really good.
17. Moderat – Slow Match (ft. Paul St. Hilaire)
One of the best, possibly the best memory I have of this year comes with this track, from 2009. It’s otherworldly: a huge, slowly pulsating dancehall beat that sounds like something from the depths of the earth; aquatic ambient sounds behind that, like whale music and the shoreline; weird mumbling sounds all along. Undescribable.
That’s it folks. On to another great year in music 2011!
