Our Year end list-making comes to a close today our list of the year’s best albums. Be sure to add your thoughts in the comments and have a Merry Christmas!
15. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Over the course of three albums, Arcade Fire have become titans not just of the indie scene, but of music in general. Their third record finds the band exploring new territories musically, with solid results. Taking on the theme of urban sprawl, The Suburbs is a powerful album full that finds the band getting loud (“Empty Room”), getting quiet (“Wasted Hours”) and offering their trademark churning, building, rock songs (“Ready to Start”), creating a winning combination. (M)
14. Marnie Stern – Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern decided to choose a simpler name for her 2010 release than her second album (This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That) but that is just about the only thing that is simpler. On songs like “For Ash” and “Nothing Left,” Stern improbably bridges the gap between metal, jittery post-punk, and Animal Collective spazziness. And yet all of it is in service of a record that deftly depicts mental turmoil and depression in an engaging and exciting new way. (J)
13. The National – High Violet
After the triumph of Boxer, the National returned with another record that gets better and better with every listen. As the band has gotten older and wiser, so has their music, with lead singer Matt Berninger offering ruminations on married life and being a father as the Dessner Twins combine on the bubbling melodies below. If there was any question that the band would loose steam, High Violet more than dispelled that notion. (M)
12. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
When Sufjan released All Delighted People EP, it was a bit of misdirection, pointing at what seemed to be a continuation and slight expansion on his trademark sound, which only made The Age of Adz all the more surprising. Loaded with apocalyptic imagery and electronic instrumentation, Adz is a world away from the gentle orchestral music that Sufjan is known for. The record is dense and difficult, but immensely rewarding for the listener willing to invest some time. (J)
11. Robyn – Body Talk
It’s hard to believe that in the late 90’s, Robyn was being promoted in the States as a version of Brittney Spears and the other pop princesses of the time. It’s now clear however that Robyn was going to take that crown, just a little later. The three body talk mini albums are pop perfection, full of dancable, catchy, fun songs that become ingrained in you head, not just for days, but weeks at time. Hopefully Robyn won’t take another five years to give us a follow up, and we get more great songs like “Dancing on My Own” or “Hang With Me” soon. (M)
10. Best Coast – Crazy For You
There weren’t many records this year that were more straightforward than Crazy For You – a celebration of cats, beaches, weed, and boys. But its beauty is in its highly listenable simplicity, as Bethany Cosentino and company presented just enough variations on those themes to keep Crazy for You catchy and interesting. From “Boyfriend” to “When I’m With You,” Crazy for You was the obvious choice for soundtrack of the summer. (J)
9. Wolf Parade – Expo 86
On their first two records, Wolf Parade has had songs by Spencer Krug and songs by Dan Boeckner, but Expo 86 finds the two frontmen joining forces and crafting their most complete album yet. Expo 86 is the band’s best record to date, one that is relentless and incredibly fun to listen to. The band announced it was going on an indefinite hiatus to focus on their side projects, so until they return, but it’s a good thing we got an album this good first. (M)
8. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
After a troubled history and numerous delays, Big Boi finally unleashed Sir Lucious Left Foot on the world and it was glorious. From the bass-rattling of “Daddy Fat Sax” and “Shutterbugg” to conspicuous consumption of “Shine Blockas” to the melancholy “Be Still,” Sir Lucious Left Foot was worth the wait. (J)
7. Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
Majesty Shredding comes after a nine year studio hiatus from Superchunk, but it sounds like they’ve hardly missed a beat. The record is full of energy and insanely catchy songs, and ranks among the band’s best. Songs like “Digging for Something” showcase Superchunk at their rockiest, while other tracks like “Fractures in Plaster” and “Rosemarie” show a maturity they gained in their years off. Listening to Majesty Shredding makes us awfully happy to have Superchunk back. (M)
6. The Walkmen – Lisbon
The Walkmen are quickly getting into the musical Twilight Zone where every record they put out is so good that it is kind of boring to talk about how great The Walkmen are. Nonetheless, Lisbon may be among their best, from the light jangle of “Juveniles” to the forlorn funeral march of “Stranded” to the blister of “Angela Surf City.” The Walkmen are a more focused band right now who are currently going through their prime, churning out great release after great release, and Lisbon follows perfectly in that series. (J)
5. Beach House – Teen Dream
Teen Dream is a record that finds Beach House growing as songwriters, adding a lush arrangements to their dreamy (no pun intended) sound. The songs on Teen Dream are far more expansive than on their last record, Devotion, with standout tracks “Walk in the Park,” “Norway,” and “Used to Be” offering a great amount of depth and variation in the band’s signature sound. Victoria Legrand’s voice floats above Alex Scally’s surprisingly bright guitar work on a record that is the sound of late, lonely nights. (M)
4. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
It takes a mix of confidence and foolishness to attempt an hour-plus punk rock concept album about the Civil War, but it takes true genius to pull it off. With The Monitor, Titus Andronicus somehow made a record that feels both sprawling and tight, sweeping and intimate, by filtering the Civil War through modern college turmoil (or perhaps vice versa). From “A More Perfect Union” to “The Battle for Hampton Roads,” The Monitor is a record of soaring, triumphant, fist-pumping rock, concept be damned. (J)
3. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
On record number three, Bradford Cox and company seamlessly integrated the ambient rock of Cryptograms and the sprawling rock songs of Microcastle. The combination finds the band at their best, with a record that ebbs and flows, finding the right places to offer homage to the sounds that influenced them and the places to showcase their own. Both Cox and Lockett Pundt have crafted their best album to date with Halcyon Digest, a record that will undoubtedly prove to be influential for years to come. (M)
2. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West, the genius behind the famous Twitter account @kanyewest, decided to branch out into music this year too! All kidding aside, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an explosive pop record that manages to be sophistacted and complex but catchy and accessible. Certainly there are the singles – the straight-up nasty “Monster,” the soaring “Power,” and TUiW’s song of the year “Runaway” – but the album never slows down or stops to catch its breath. Many athletes famously use personal slights – real or imagined – to fuel their competitive fire. In 2010, it seems like Kanye worked the same way, molding all his turmoil and drama into one incredible record. (J)
1. LCD Soundsytem – This is Happening
With This is Happening, James Murphy and his band became the undisputed champions of their genre. As Kanye examined his self destructive tendencies, Murphy continued to examine his own status as an aging hipster, but not without giving up his goofy side, a struggle he characterizes in “Pow Pow” as having “advantages to both.” The album plays out as such, with tracks full of sincerity like “I Can Change” and “Home,” but also songs like “Drunk Girls,” where the title speaks for itself. Either way, This is Happening is a top notch record musically, with so many catchy hooks its practically impossible not to want to listen to over and over. (M)
It doesn’t take long for you to realize you’re going to like The Kids Are All Right. The film’s leads Anette Benning, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo ooze charm and charisma, and the writing is incredibly sharp and witty. The film has a lot of heart too, and that’s what keeps it grounded and so enjoyable to watch. As studios keep looking for more indie films to be surprise hits (The Little Miss Sunshine Theory), let’s hope they keep finding films like The Kids Are All Right. (M)
Greek director Giorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth is simultaneously frightening and funny, mixing dark humor with moment of legitimate terror as he weaves a story of three young adults who have been brainwashed and held as prisoners by their parents for reasons the film never seems interested in going into. The movie is pitch-black and disturbing, puncuated with moments of brutal violence, but it never loses the humanity of its main characters, even as it presents riduclous images like the scene where the father has them bark like dogs to ward off the grave threat of a cat. (J)
Intelligence and sophistication are not traits generally associated with summer blockbusters, probably because of Hollywood’s general assumption that no one goes to see those movies. But not only did Inception manage to deliver a fun movie that didn’t condescend or oversimplify, but it was a huge success, proving that movies don’t have to be dumb to sell. For introducing totems and dream levels into our cultural lexicon and for having some of the most stunning effects and imagery that we’ve seen, Inception proved that even in this age of niche culture, it is possible to leave a mark. (J)
For a movie that takes place mostly in one location and with one actor, Danny Boyle’s latest is an incredibly fun film. Rather than relying on expected, straight-up flashbacks, Boyle uses dreamlike memories and video confessions to add implied depth to James Franco’s Aaron Ralston. The graphic amputation scene got the most attention, but Franco is the film’s center, keeping it entertaining, and earning it a spot on this list, a feat not every actor could pull off. (M)
Pixar proved they really can do no wrong (so far) with the third and final installment of the Toy Story series. Toy Story 3 did everything the studio does best: it was gorgeously animated, clever, sweet, and a lot of fun to watch. As good as the first one is, it was a bit of a gimmick at the time, but Toy Story 3 is a well done piece of art. Who knew that an animated cowboy and space ranger could have such a strong emotional bond with their audience. (M)
Banksy’s documentary starts off as a straightforward look into the street art movement before taking a series of increasingly entertaining left turns. To say more would be to give away too much about the year’s most unpredictable and engaging documentary (which is saying something in a year that produced a number of intriguing documentaries like Catfish). What’s real and what isn’t becomes harder and harder to nail down, but the questions about the nature of art and commerce ring in our ears long after the movie is over. (J)
Like any good invention, Facebook left a trail of bruised egos and broken friendships in its wake and The Social Network drudges them all up, thanks to a zippy screenplay from Aaron Sorkin and typically terrific direction from David Fincher. Fincher’s direction adds a layer of menace, helped along by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ eerie score, that shows just how potent and explosive it can be when the pressures of business blend with the uncertainties and angst of youth. The result is a movie that raised questions about our own lives and the men who commodified and sold them back to us. (J)
It’s a shame the controversy over the film’s original NC-17 rating has largely overshadowed the brilliance of its actual content. Blue Valentine is a bleak, yet moving film that is equal parts sweet and devastating. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams drive the movie, and help keep it grounded in an all too real reality. Blue Valentine doesn’t aim to teach us something about ourselves or even to affirm the power of love, instead opting to give you a bittersweet, yet beautiful look into the lives of a husband and wife. (M)
Secrets can be deadly, especially in an atmosphere as violent and paranoid as the one in Winter’s Bone. The best film to come out of a loaded Sundance, Winter’s Bone depicts a young girl who must face her violent extended family when her father’s disappearance threatens her very livelihood. Incredible performance by Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes show the way the film never condescends or mocks its characters, but instead presents an honest depiction of a world rarely shown on film. (J)
If you haven’t seen Black Swan, you probably have heard someone go on and on about it. Darren Aronofsky has perfected the art of unsettling dramas over the past several years, and with Black Swan, he continues to explore the darker realms of the human psyche. Natalie Portman is pitch perfect, and supporting turns from Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey drive a film that stays with you not just for hours after you’ve seen it, but days. (M)
There may not have been a more challenging role for an actor to play in 2010 than the one Natalie Portman got in Black Swan. As the emotional center of a movie that spirals out of control, Portman brings a level of truth to the increasingly unreal proceedings. It is a performance that balances the character’s icy, porcelain control with he increasingly outwardly directed mental turmoil, showing the toll her obsession has taken on her mind. (J)
After a few flops and some forgettable films, it’s hard to remember Nicole Kidman was once at the top of her profession. With Rabbit Hole, she returns to that peak, delivering her best performance in years as Becca, a woman struggling to cope with the loss of her son. Kidman finds every angle of the character, switching her from sympathetic to cold and unlikable with an ease most actors lack. Here’s hoping she keeps that top spot a little while longer. (M)
There’s no denying that James Franco is what makes 127 Hours so good. With the wrong actor in the lead over emoting, the movie could have been incredibly boring. Franco saves the film with his charisma and ability to convey so much without speaking. Franco is rightly being heralded as the leader of a generation of great young actors, and if he can pull off a one man show like 127 Hours, just think of what he can do with a good ensemble cast. (M)
Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right
While most seventeen year olds are worried about classes and graduation, Jennifer Lawrence’s character is worried about tracking down her deadbeat dad so her family doesn’t lose their house. Lawrence puts up a tough front as a young girl forced to confront the dark, violent, and highly secretive people of her town, but she never loses her character’s vulnerability or the young girl underneath. (J)
As the founder of Facebook, Jesse Eisenberg is a Rorschach test, allowing viewers to project their own ideas about the Person of the Year onto the screen. Is Zuckerberg a scorned nerd who got ahead by leaping onto the shoulders of others? A bold iconoclast genius who smashed the conventional wisdom? Or a too-smart misfit struggling to find some measure of real acceptance? Eisenberg’s answer is all three in a mesmerizing, brainy performance that cuts at the core of who this person is without ever spelling it out for the audience. (J)
Mike Leigh’s newest film may not make a lot of Top 10 lists, but Lesley Manville’s performance should be on everyone. While the film may focus on Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen’s characters, Manville’s Mary is truly at its center, the one character you always wanted on screen. At all times, Mary is desperate, lonely, and frequently hilarious to watch, a feat which isn’t easy to do. (M)
It would have been impossible for Lost to answer every lingering question and appease everyone in its final season, but for those hoping for closure for the characters they had grown to know and love, it was an extremely satisfying season. Yes, it’s easy to go after things like the “Heart of the Island,” but there were so many moments, especially in the FlashSideways, that tugged at the heartstrings. Ultimately, the last season of Lost reminded us that the reason the show succeeded while the knockoffs failed because it had characters we wanted to be happy, and in that regard, the ending was a complete success. (M)
If there’s one thing Treme was not, it’s The Wire 2. Viewers looking for Omar and Hamsterdam and “Where’s Wallace” type scenes were bound for disappointment. Those who stuck around, however, were rewarded with a series of rich, warm character portraits. Featuring one of the best casts on TV (including standouts Melissa Leo, Khandi Alexander, Clarke Peters among others), the show felt more alive and more human than anything else currently airing. Even if some of the plot points didn’t quite gel the way we might have hoped (Sonny), the show itself made for a promising start from one of TV’s brightest visionaries. (J)
Community makes it easy to focus on the gadget episodes and pop culture awareness by being so good at it. Episodes like “Modern Warfare” and “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” Community has made a name for itself with some of the smartest parody episodes ever on TV. But what makes Community a truly outstanding show is the measure of heart and empathy it displays for each one of it’s off-beat characters. From a smarmy lawyer to a high-strung overachiever, the characters on Community have transcended their simply types and become a rich collection of people. (J)
HBO has always been successful at creating full realized worlds within their shows, but Boardwalk Empire takes that to a whole new level. With stunning sets and visuals and top notch acting, the Prohibition Era drama is the successor to The Sopranos the network has been searching for. Steve Buschemi shines as Nuckie Thompson, owning the role completely, and the supporting cast is absolutely phenomenal all around. The first season of Boardwalk Empire ushered in a new era for cable dramas, one in which no idea is too big to put on the small screen. (M)
The people who solve crimes on TV don’t look and act like Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James. They don’t worry about how to make rent or take cases for a bank manager just to try to secure a loan. And their cases don’t involve women who pretend to have affairs at their husband’s insistence or helping wealthy landowners rob themselves. But Terriers wasn’t like other shows. It had a shaggy, easy-going energy that blended perfectly with its noir elements and some of the best performances on TV. Terriers could regularly punch you in the gut in a way no other TV show did and TV is a flatter place without it. (J)
After a tepid first season, Parks and Recreation emerged in its second season as one of the best shows on network television. The show finally emerged from the shadow of its older brother, The Office, consistently being the funniest show in NBC’s strong Thrusday night lineup. Parks and Rec learned to play up the strengths of its phenomenal cast, with Amy Pohler leading the way, but with Aziz Ansari, Nic Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Pratt adding just as many fantastic moments. With the late additions of Rob Lowe and Adam Scott, Parks and Rec looks like it will continue its greatness when it returns in early 2011. (M)
At the end of its third season, Mad Men liberated Don and Betty Draper from their suffocating, destructive marriage, and then spent the fourth season teaching them to beware what they wished for. This season structured itself like a series of interlocking short stories, giving the audience an even more intimate look at the show’s characters than in years’ past. And, in the end, it made all too much sense to see Don fall back into his same pattern, proposing out of nowhere to his pretty secretary while casting aside his intellectual and professional equal Faye. In the end, this season of Mad Men was about what every season of Mad Men is about: the more things change the more they stay the same. (J)
It’s a shame that the best comedy of 2010 was one of the least watched or heard of shows of the same year, yet it seems fitting for a show about characters seemingly doomed for failure. The show didn’t miss a beat all season, and actually added more depth to their characters by taking them out of the parties they catered in episodes like “Steve Gutenberg’s Birthday” or “Party Down Company Picnic.” Ken Marino was once again the show’s MVP as perpetual loser Ron Donald, but I could go on and on how good the rest of the cast was. If you missed out on Party Down, you’re not the only one, but do yourself a favor and correct that. You won’t be sorry. (M)
I meant to recap this season of Breaking Bad, but I just couldn’t do it, at least not without watching each episode three or four times. One week, Breaking Bad could deliver episodes loaded with tension to the point of explosion and then follow them with softer hours that put a close-up focus on the people at the show’s core. Breaking Bad doesn’t let its characters out of making difficult decisions, it doesn’t go gentle on the audience, and it doesn’t play by the rules. From the compelling men at its center – Walter White and Jesse Pinkman – the fascinating characters in their orbit and even people at the periphery, Breaking Bad has created and depicted a world that is fully realized and detailed. (J)
Few new TV characters crackled to life in 2010 the way Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder did. The fish-out-of-water premise and early case of the week structure were a little frustrating, but by the time the show moved to its season ending masterplot, the elements blended together to make the most compelling cop show on TV right now.
“Odessa,” the most accessible song off of Swim, is also a perfect tone-setter for the record that follows. “Odessa” establishes a mournful atmosphere, layered in disco and pop, as it depicts a breakup in oblique terms.
The more I thought about John Cameron Mitchell’s latest film, the more I found that I liked it. It’s a brooding film, one in which its characters are always on the verge of meltdown, but for a film about a couple dealing with the loss of their child, it doesn’t drop into melodrama like so many other similar films. It’s a gorgeously filmed and phenomenally acted film that may not get the attention it deserves, but is well worth your time.
Long critically adored, Friday Night Lights goes into its final season riding high. There are few shows on TV that are as good at moving characters in and out of its plot as effectively as FNL, and even less that draw out such terrific performances from such young actors. I’ll be said to see Coach and Tammy go, but at least they’re going out with another strong season.
If there was one song this year that didn’t make our list that I kept listening to over and over again, it was this epic track that kicked off The Monitor. It’s songs like this that make it easy to argue that Titus Andronicus, like Ted Leo before them, are the indie punk descendents of Bruce Springsteen.
With Christmas but a week away and our year end list blitz coming next week, we thought we’d help everyone out there who is going to jump off a bridge if they hear “Little Drummer Boy” again by offering up our list of the 10 Least Annoying Holiday Songs to listen to over the next week. We’ve got everyone from the Beatles to the Ramones to the Pogues. Check out the videos and enjoy!
It’s that magic time of year again where the Golden Globe nominations come out and get us excited for the Oscar race, and remind us of all that good TV we’ve been watching. The big guns movie wise got a plethora of nods in the categories that mattered, though True Grit was shut out, perhaps because no one has seen it yet, though it hasn’t stopped some other awards. Thanks to the odd Musical or Comedy category at the Globes, we get a nomination for The Tourist, the “thriller” that got nearly universal critical scorn which made nothing at the box office. Boy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association sure are tastemakers! The TV nominations are also fairly predictable, but the results should be interesting. Ricky Gervais will host the ceremony January 16. The nominations:
It’s that time of year where bands start announcing their new records to come out at the beginning of next year, and getting in early on that are the Mountain Goats, who will release their newest LP All Eternals Deck on March 29 on Merge. John Darnielle recorded the record in four sessions with MG mainstays Peter Hughes on bass and Superchunk’s Jon Wurster on drums. The record was produced by death metal legend Erik Rutan, as well as John Congleton, Brandon Eggleston, and Scott Solter. What does it sound like? I’ll let Mr. Darnielle field that one:
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