I've been largely out of touch with music this year after having putting all downloading on hold due to some ipod issues, and then having put the ipod issues on hold due to laziness.
The only 2010 albums I've really heard have been some of the hip hop releases (Nas and Damien Marley, Roots, Big Boi) and they've all have been top notch, but I've barely dabbled in any other genre at all this year.
I held my breath and waded through the indie-wank on Pitchfork to check their new album ratings, and found that they seem to have given the best ratings to a couple of the bands I really don't like (No Age, Wavves) and others that I think are great in small doses but find to be a bit much in album length (Deerhunter et al.), among a host of other acts that I've never explored in any real depth.
A few people have recommended High Violet by The National, which I found for the most part to be droning, sub-Interpol dirge, but there's a few moments of sunshine on there (England is a great track). Other albums I've had recommended are the new ones by Sharon Jones and Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, which I intend to check out, and I've heard the new Arcade Fire album isn't far off their best work so I'll put that on the shortlist as well.
So yes, with that rather pointless pre-amble out the way, what have been people's favourite albums of the year? I don't really listen to Electronica, but have have a fairly eclectic taste beyond that.
The only 2010 albums I've really heard have been some of the hip hop releases (Nas and Damien Marley, Roots, Big Boi) and they've all have been top notch, but I've barely dabbled in any other genre at all this year.
I held my breath and waded through the indie-wank on Pitchfork to check their new album ratings, and found that they seem to have given the best ratings to a couple of the bands I really don't like (No Age, Wavves) and others that I think are great in small doses but find to be a bit much in album length (Deerhunter et al.), among a host of other acts that I've never explored in any real depth.
A few people have recommended High Violet by The National, which I found for the most part to be droning, sub-Interpol dirge, but there's a few moments of sunshine on there (England is a great track). Other albums I've had recommended are the new ones by Sharon Jones and Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, which I intend to check out, and I've heard the new Arcade Fire album isn't far off their best work so I'll put that on the shortlist as well.
So yes, with that rather pointless pre-amble out the way, what have been people's favourite albums of the year? I don't really listen to Electronica, but have have a fairly eclectic taste beyond that.
