ST&SP Best of 2012: Artist of The Year

Ty Segall

 2012 really was the year for Ty Segall. Sure YouTube was all ablaze over Gangnam Style but if you were to look beyond the constantly passing fads of pop culture you would find that this San Franciscan cult punk/garage hero took advantage of his youth and fervent creativity by churning out not one but three albums in 2012. First in April we had Hair which was a collaboration between Segall and lo-fi psychedelic songsmith White Fence. The two paired together like the fine red wine and choice cut steak releasing what has to be the most creative psychedelic rock album in years. White Fence kept the usually erratic Segall on a leash for most of the album letting him cut loose into a frenzy only when it was earned. Hair goes by quick but it is well worth it. 

In June we saw the release of the first ever Ty Segall Band record aptly titled Slaughterhouse. Segall recorded this album with his touring band in the studio as opposed recording the entire thing by himself which he usually does hence the additional 'Band' moniker. His idea behind this record was to put out an album that carried the tenacity of his live shows. When performing live Segall tends to play his songs at warp speed with the intensity of a Tasmanian Devil to allow for optimal moshing. Slaughterhouse sounds exactly as the album looks like; an escaped banshee from hell. There are no subtle tracks or touching moments only brutal punk that will assault your eardrums in the best way possible. I mean, the record even ends with a ten minute track that is nothing but screeching guitar feedback. If you have a taste for the fast and heavy, this bud's for you. 

      Finally, in October Segall was back to being a solo artist by offering up Twins his last record of 2012. What's crazy about this one is when Hair came out in April he hadn't even begun to piece Twins together. Compared to previous Ty Segall albums this one is slower but heavier. Whereas in the past he would put a few ideas into a song and churn out short but sweet tracks however with Twins he seems to be taking himself as a musician more seriously than ever and squeezes out all the juice these songs have to offer. If you were to tell me a years ago that Ty Segall would slow things down a bit I would have been pissed but to be quite honest I like the direction he is going in with Twins. I think if this year is any implication of the foreseeable future for this young punk the best is still yet to come. 

Sorry folks, most of his stuff isn't available on Spotify so good ol' YouTube will have to do.

 

  

 

Five Years Gone

"But I Was There..." A phrase once sung by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem applies to the age we live in now where people all over are given immediate and intimate access to any musical generation in recording history. However the one thing that the kids can never truly gain is the experience of actually being there, being in the room and seeing history being created right before their eyes. Sure there's YouTube, but you can't truly grasp the immensity of a live event on a computer screen.
     I was there. Five years ago on this day I was witness to the most memorable concert experience of my life. I've seen Daft Punk cross the ocean to America, I've seen The Flaming Lips on New Years Eve, I've been to a lot of noteworthy shows on my short time in this planet, but nothing tops seeing The White Stripes at Madison Square Garden on July 24th 2007.

The crowd arrived early to see openers country legend Porter Wagoner (who passed away not too long after) and the enigmatic Nick Cave and his noise grunge project Grinderman. The two acts received a warm response but the crowd was seething for The White Stripes. Not many duos have ever sold out Madison Square Garden and the audience was eager to see how Jack would take advantage of this opportunity.

The stage was very much in the Stripes' style: stripped down and of course color coordinated. Everything from the backdrop to the instruments were bathed in red. Having seen The White Stripes on several tours before this one, I have to say that this stage setup was by far their best. The lights were angled in a way to cast huge shadows of Jack and Meg on the backdrop, it was like a natural Jumbotron but way more creative. It is still to this day the most effective lighting design I have ever seen. There was also a second level for Jack to walk up to allowing him to have a few Angus Young moments.
Jack and Meg tore through hit after hit after hit from their entire catalogue, they were at a point in their careers where they had too many good songs to play, but due to the immensity of the venue Jack was smart to stick to the heavy riffs like "Blue Orchid" and fan favorites like "Hotel Yorba." After what seemed like an already memorable show Jack and Meg came out for an unprecedented nine song encore just to make sure they left their mark on the place.
After the show, many of us were in left in complete awe of how one man had eighteen thousand people in the palm of his hand. We talked about how The White Stripes were at a perfect point in their careers where they were able to achieve commercial success without having to compromise any of their creative vision. It seemed like they couldn't be stopped. Then a few weeks later in Mississippi of all places, The White Stripes abruptly cancelled the remaining leg of their tour and eventually ended things all together. Only nine American cities got to witness the spectacle that I had been fortunate enough to see. If they had kept it together for the remainder of the tour there is no question in my mind that the Icky Thump tour would be considered The White Stripes best of their career.
Five years later, I still don't know how I feel about The White Stripes breakup. On one hand I miss knowing that someday soon their traveling roadshow would stop in my town, I miss marking on my calendar when a new White Stripes record might come out, but then again their sudden and still mysterious ending adds to the overall fascination of The White Stripes. Unlike most other bands they never released a disappointing album, and they ended things at a creative high. Though I am still blue about not having my favorite band around any more I can take comfort like so many other White Stripes aficionados in knowing that I was there.

The White Stripes - Catch Hell Blues 7/24/07

 Download Seven Nation Army live at Madison Square Garden

Download The Entire Show

2012 So Far...

Why hello there, longtime no see, yes this blog has unfortunately slowed down. I've realized that paying bills is more important than my little blog posts. However, I haven't stopped searching out new music, and 2012 has been an absolutely incredible year for music so far. Some of these records I believe will strongly influence artists of the future, and the year is only halfway over! Also one small change of pace. I am no longer going to be offering free downloads of material. I had my Mediafire shut down by the feds and I don't want to go through all that again. Besides if you don't have Spotify already, you're really missing out. Anyways let's do it to it!

1. Chromatics - Kill For Love

The indie record label Italians Do It Better has been putting out some of the best chill-pop around. They manage to mold some newer electronic vibes with a very vintage Italian discopop feel to them. They may have released their magnum-opus with Chromatics' sophomore LP Kill For Love. You might recognize this sound because frontman Johnny Jewel contributed to the Drive soundtrack. Some albums are great collections of songs, others take you on a sonic journey. Kill For Love is of the latter category. This moody monster of a record moves at a laid back pace through crafty pop songs and ambient noise. This might be up there with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon in terms of nighttime music. It's an incredibly confident record for such a relatively young band.

2. Death Grips - The Money Store

Death Grips make terrifying music. That's the best way to describe this guerrilla punk hip-hop group. They make Odd Future look like The Everly Brothers in terms of being hardcore. I'm not going to like this is a tough record to get into it's very harsh on the ears for a casual listener and it has no club hits for typical hip-hop fans. However, I cannot name another group that sounds anything close to Death Grips. If this group is not the anthem that the disgruntled skater youth are flying their freak flag to then I don't know what to think anymore.



3. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.

Fiona Apple has returned to the spotlight with her first record since 2005, The Idler Wheel... I am not a Fiona Apple scholar by any means but I do understand drama, and this is one of the most heart-wrenching albums I have heard in a long time. Since her last record Extraordinary Machine there have been countless of these Starbucks friendly singer-songwriter chicks who all sing about falling in and out of love. Not one of them holds a fucking candle to Fiona. This beautiful lady has been through a lot and she lets it all out through her voice, lyrics and piano. That's one thing I love about this album is it's so stripped down, there is only piano, light drums and the occasional acoustic bass. Her stories are so passionate and vivid that you really don't need anything additional than just her. She is the definition of a prolific artist.



4. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

One of OutKast's longtime compatriots, Killer Mike finally steps into the limelight thanks to stellar production by El-P. I have complained for the longest time that hip-hop has unfortunately drifted away from making important political and social observations and instead throwing focus on personal wealth and gain. Well, today I can rest in peace that my favorite kind of hip-hop is still thriving. R.A.P. Music tackles politics, religion, and social injustice with a poet's wit. He takes aim at everyone: blacks, whites, cops, thug life, the uneducated and spousal abuse to name a few. While every song is strong two really stick out in my mind. "Reagan" is the most blunt anti-politics song I have heard in years where Mike praises the death of Ronald Reagan and laments over the current state of government and America's slave-like affair with big oil. "Willie Burke Sherwood" is a song where he talks about being insecure for being into literature and enjoying school. He does all this while twisting the plot of Lord of the Flies to fit his own childhood. Yeah. That is amazing. 



5. Beach House - Bloom

If you loved Beach House's previous three records then you're going to adore Bloom. If not, move along. Beach House are one of those bands that have decided what they wanted to be a long time ago and have stuck to being exactly that. They are one of the most solid groups in the indie world. Their steadfastness has paid off, this record debuted really well on the charts. What I love about this group is though their sound is pretty much uniform, they are able to make each song unique and catchy. "Lazuli" is the centerpiece to Bloom and is quite frankly the best song the band has recorded to date. I took a drive along the PCH here in Los Angeles the other day with the windows down and this record playing. It was quite heavenly. 
 

End of The Year Review: The Best Albums of 2010

 

 

1) The Black Keys - Brothers

            It’s always a hard decision to pin down amidst all the great albums released in a year the best album of the bunch. Honestly, I could argue for any of these first four records as the best of the year, but I’m going with Brothers by The Black Keys as my favorite long player of 2010. At the halfway mark of the year, I had listed this record as my eighth favorite record as of June, but then, something happened. I put Brothers in my car CD player and it stayed there for a very long time. I listened to this album more than any other release this year for very good reason, it’s a tremendous and solid record. Whereas on previous records, The Black Keys have opted for loud riff-tastic rough around the edges garage rock, that while highly entertaining always sounded like it needed something more. Then on Brothers they found something new, a groove. By adding an occasional bassist and keyboardist on a few tracks, their once DIY songs sounded smoothed out, and focused. This is the first  time that The Black Keys have sounded like a true band, rather than a couple of guys banging it out in their basement. From start to finish this album features solid song after song that experiment with a whole host of different styles of rock. Whether it be the T.Rex-esque opener of “Everlasting Light” or the cooled off blues of “10 Cent Pistol” This album has something for every rock fan, which is a hard task to accomplish. This album has paid off for these boys from Akron, as they have recently exploded on the mainstream being featured on MTV and diamond commercials using their songs. Will they be able to deal with success and not compromise their sound? Or will they go the way of Kings of Leon and try to capitalize on their new fame by reconstructing themselves? That chapter in The Black Keys history has still yet to be written. 

2) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

This should have been my #1 album of the year. God knows, practically every single major reviewer in the country feels the same way about Kanye’s new record. They’re calling it a masterpiece, and one of the most important hip-hop records released in years. And who knows, maybe it will, only time will tell. One can never truly say an album is quintessential until a few years have passed and we are able to look back at it in retrospect. This record is certainly immense in its grandiosity, which I feel is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’s greatest strength and weakness at the same time. While I certainly love the epic feel to some of the songs, “Power,” “Monster,” “All of The Lights,” but after thirteen gargantuan songs, this record becomes too extravagant for its own good.

3) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter just may become the next band like Yo La Tengo to release one solid record after another. While Halcyon Digest has certain elements of their previous massive release of Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. they opted to try another approach to this record that I feel worked out very well in their favor. Halcyon Digest is a very intricate record, but you have to listen very closely to hear it. For instance, on first glance “Revival” may seem like a straight-up simple pop song, but on second listen one might begin to hear the mandolins, banjos, and harps used to pepper the song throughout. Bandleader Bradford Cox said that they were listening to The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St. a lot during the recording of this album. It makes sense how such a rich record could be influenced by one of the most complex LPs in rock and roll history. Also check out Cox’s side project Atlas Sound, who has just released Bedroom Databank vol.1-4, a compilation of 50+ demos recorded around Thanksgiving that is being given away for free online. 

  4) LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

          If the year had ended in June, this would have been hands down my choice for #1. I believe that twenty years down the line we will look back at this time period and will hold up LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy as a David Byrne figure. Talking Heads were the essential cool art band of the 1980s, and I believe that our children will see LCD Soundsystem as a tremendous influence on the next generation of artists. As dance and electronica becomes more popular with every rave, LCD Soundsystem offers a compromise that meets the techno and the rock kids halfway, offering a completely unique genre of music: disco punk. If this is LCD’s last record like Murphy has said since its release, then LCD Soundsystem has gone out on top of their game. While this record is a slight step down from Sound of Silver, This Is Happening is a great record to throw on and let loose. This album failed to produce a song as monumental as “All My Friends” but it did give us a few amazing dance jams, “Dance Yrself Clean” and “Pow Pow” are long songs with a constantly engaging beat. This Is Happening further confirms my long belief that James Murphy is the connoisseur of cool.

  5) Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame

This is another record that took forever for me to get into, but once it clicked I could not put it down. Shame, Shame is a true grower of an album. Some songs took no time for me to appreciate, “Shadow People,” “Where’d All The Time Go,” However it took a while for me to see what this album really is, a new modern twist on McCartney-tinged pop. Once I began to view the album in that light, I began to see that this is an album of all seasons. The band tackles a variety of techniques here, with the country tinged “Station” to the gospel-sounding “Jackie Wants a Black Eye.” I cannot recommend this band and album enough.

 6) Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

The fourteen minute closing number, “The Battle For Hampton Roads” sums up the immensity of this record. It’s anthemic, bold, daring, and above all a wild raucous of Jersey punk rock. These guys should not be lumped in with other punk bands however, they are in a league of their own. Titus Andronicus seem to have bigger plans than making simple punk rock songs. They are intelligent enough to make their music an experience. Their shows have become as legendary as Fugazi were in their early years. These guys have proven a lot in 2010, it’s going to be interesting to see if they will spend 2011 traveling around the world living out of a van, or will they take some time off? Whether they have a new record out or not, The Monitor is something they could tour in support of for a long time. It’s that great of an album.   

 7) Hot Chip - One Life Stand

 I had listened to One Life Stand a great deal towards the beginning of the year, but as the months passed I frequented it less and less. I guess that happened simply because other records were released that gained my attention more. This is a fine assortment of songs by Hot Chip, and is their best record to date. I am still confounded as to how a band makes their most melodic album also their most danceable. I will say they are more concentrated than LCD Soundsystem’s balls to the wall dance jams, but now they need to take all the talent that they have and try and create a few sure fire hits. They have it in them, and I bet their next record will be the one that brings Hot Chip to the same limelight that LCD has achieved.

8) Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

This album gained a lot of attention this year for their hazy psychedelic rock that echoes Pink Floyd. These guys seemingly came from out of nowhere and have suddenly become of the hottest tickets in town. Their instrumentation and overall ambience is what makes Tame Impala great. One minute they sound so blurry you could cut the fog with a knife, but the next minute they hit as hard as Black Sabbath. Keep them on your radar, they could be huge.

 9) Free Energy - Stuck On Nothing

When I first heard this record I thought, “Holy shit! Weezer sounds great again!” Sadly, this is not the new Weezer record, instead here we have a new DFA offering called Free Energy, a band once called Hockey Night that decided to re-tool their image as a no thrills riff-heavy glam rock band, enlisted James Murphy as a producer and thus became Free Energy. These guys have a ways to go before they get their chance in the spotlight, but are certainly making inroads (recently opened a tour for Weezer). There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about this record. The lyrics and instrumentation is fairly simple. What makes Stuck on Nothing great is it is simply a fun party-rock album. Sometimes it’s great to say “Fuck art, let’s dance!” and this album is certainly a testament to that. Andrew W.K. would be proud. 

 10) Ty Segall - Melted

I recently named San Francisco’s grime-garage rock scene the best of 2010. To me, Ty Segall’s Melted stands out as the best of that movement. It’s loose, slimy, and a raucous good time. 

 11) Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do

The world’s greatest bar band returns with their hardest rocking album since The Dirty South. Patterson Hood’s razor sharp wit takes aim at the economy in “This Fucking Job” However, what really impresses me about this record is when female bassist Shonna Tucker takes the lead on “You Got Another” and “(It’s Gonna Be) I Told You So.” Early next year, The DBTs will release yet another LP filled with country tinged murder ballads. Hell yes.

  12) Punch Brothers - Antifogmatic

Why put this album on here? Pitchfork didn’t list it, neither did Rolling Stone, who cares that this record has completely taken the genre of Bluegrass and made it as intricate as a classical piece of music. Chris Thile, of Nickel Creek has really done something amazing here, he has created an album that is neither bluegrass or folk, and is certainly in no way traditional. Sure “Rye Whiskey” is the closest thing one will get to a straight up bluegrass song. However, listen to the picking progression of the rest of these songs. They are so complex and ever changing that only a prodigy like Thile could even begin to accomplish. This is not only the most groundbreaking bluegrass album that I’ve heard in a longtime; it’s one of the best of the year period.

 13) Grinderman - Grinderman II

With “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man” Grinderman II erupts at the start. Nick Cave may have taken a few years off from this project, but he lets us know from the get go that he is one bad seed not to be messed with. Cave fills this record with the same mean-spirited apocalyptic ministry that has made him the devilish cult hero he is. 

 14) Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

This album sounds The Dodos, Bon Iver, and Fleet Foxes all mixed into one melting pot. Basically for their freshman release, these guys sound like they have been a part of the game for a long time. They make such lush feel-good music that it is hard to turn away from an opportunity to see them live, hence their appearance at virtually every single summer festival this past year.

  15) Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy

This record goes well on a hot summer night, with a cool liquor drink in your hand. This alt-country/folk/Americana album flows together nicely, but the two standouts for me personally are the easy-rocking “It’s Hard to be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)” and the slow sing-along “The Mermaid Parade.” This album might not have made it on many other end of the year lists, but it accompanied me through a very memorable part of the year for me.

 16) Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

Broken Social Scene has always been one of those bands that I’ve been meaning to get into but really haven’t had the time or the chance to. Other than “7/4 (Shoreline)” and “Anthems For A Seventeen-Year Old Girl” I had no idea who they were except Feist occasionally joined them. With Forgiveness Rock Record I had a fresh opportunity to dive in, and I must say these guys have a lot of talent. “World Sick” alone shows how capable these guys still are even after taking some time off. 

 17) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

A lot of my die hard Arcade Fire friends are going to be angry with me for placing The Suburbs relatively low on my list, but quite frankly this was a letdown from Neon Bible. Don’t get me wrong, there are some awesome songs on this album, “The Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” “We Used to Wait” “City With No Children” and especially “Rococo” but the rest of this record is a little too mediocre for the high standards that everyone has for this band. “Modern Man” “Month of May” and “Wasted Hours” would be perfectly fine for any other band to have written, but if you are the group that brought Funeral to the world, then you have greater expectations. 

 18) How To Dress Well - Love Remains

I give Pitchfork.com and the rest of the blog world credit for introducing me to How To Dress Well. I thought this guy was another Panda Bear avant-garde indie-pop artist. However there is something about Love Remains that makes me return to it time and time again. Shrouded behind the odd industrial noises, scratches and pops is a very soulful singer. This mix of the ugly and the beautiful is what makes How To Dress Well extremely fascinating.

 19) Sonny & The Sunsets - Tomorrow Is Alright

Another product of the San Francisco garage scene is Sonny & The Sunsets. I have already spent a lot of time talking about these guys in recent months. Whereas artists like Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees are much heavier on the rock, these guys jangle around with such fun and feel-good vibes that can draw parallels to Ed Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. Check out “Too Young To Burn” and “Planet of Women.”

20) Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song

I must admit, I haven’t listened to this album nearly as much as some records that didn’t make the list, but I cannot deny this records importance. Jamey Johnson, who has been a budding country singer for a while, even penning the terribly popular song “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” creates his breakout opus with The Guitar Song. In a world where mainstream country singers have become so disillusioned with what they believe country to be, Jamey Johnson comes as a saving breath to a dying genre. This is not your daughter’s shitty country album. It’s about depression, pill addiction, and the effects of alcoholism. All of which, is much more relatable than the bland songs about pickup trucks and “being a man.” This is a brutally honest album, and is what Outlaw Country desperately needs to be. 

 21) The National - High Violet

I feel bad for The National, I really do. Their previous release Boxer was so good, that it was almost impossible to top. High Violet comes nowhere close to being what Boxer was, but it is still a damn fine album. I have found myself throwing this on whenever it rains, and I recommend you doing the same. The National aren’t for everyone, practically every one of their songs sounds similar, but they fill their music with such passion that it’s hard not to fall in love with them. 

 22) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

A few years ago, Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn said this record would never happen, well here we are and on Christmas Day we will have an even newer Gorillaz record to enjoy. This album is not such much dance hall champion of their previous record Demon Days. This further begs the question of, “What are the Gorillaz?” are they a side-project, do they have a definite sound? What we have here is a fun melting pot of all sorts of music culture mixed into one experience. As Snoop Dog says, “Welcome to the world of the Plastic Beach.” 

 23) Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

This guy hasn’t changed much from his previous record, Shallow Grave. In fact, it’s more of the same, just one voice and one guitar and that is perfectly fine. This guy sings with such conviction it’s so easy to be drawn in to his storytelling approach to music.

 24) Beach House - Teen Dream

I listened to this record a lot during the first quarter of the year, but after their disappointing Coachella performance, I forgot about this record. As I was looking back on all the posts of 2010 I noticed this was one of the first ones, I threw Teen Dream on and remembered how pretty this record is. Though it may be sleepy, it’s too much of a pleasant experience to leave off. 

 25) Best Reissue: The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.

One of my favorite records and an undeniable staple in rock and roll finally gets a much needed deluxe reissue. The first disc speaks for itself, Exile on Main St. is flawless, and I could go on for pages dedicated to each song’s brilliance. The second disc however is filled with b-sides, demos, and alternate takes. What amazes me is that all of these b-sides could have been great, even legendary Stones songs on another album, but they were just trash to them during that era. That’s how high of a bar The Stones had set for themselves with this record. The remastering work is quite impressive too, the record sounds more present than ever. Even if you are the casual Rolling Stones fan, this is a reissue well worth the purchase.

Honorable Mentions: Albums that almost made it.
  1) Wolf Parade - Expo 86

2) Spoon - Transference 

 










 3) Women - Public Strain

4) Superchunk - Majesty Shredding

 










5) Mountain Man - Made The Harbor

 










 Best Concerts I Saw of 2010:


1) LCD Soundsystem - Hollywood Palladium - 6/4/10
2) Deerhunter - Henry Fonda Theater - 11/1/10
3) Drive By-Truckers - The Avalon - 5/7/10
4) Devo - Coachella Music & Arts Festival - 4/18/10
5) Jay-Z - Coachella Music & Arts Festival - 4/17/10

Well, there you have it another end to another great year, please feel free to comment on this list and post your own lists as well. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year we will see you in 2011!

Also: 

Best Songs of 2010

Best Scene of 2010: San Francisco

Best Albums of 2009

Best Songs of 2009

End of The Year Review: Best Songs of 2010

Well here we are at the end of another year, and what a year if you are an indie rock fan! Arcade Fire dominates the charts, The Black Keys break out into the mainstream, and Bon Iver guests on Kanye West's new album. As for music as a whole I must admit this has to be one of the best years I've experienced for music. Some groups have released truly monumental songs this year. Many magazines and critics have released their end of the year lists already, well, here's mine. Keep in mind this is the opinion of one man's musical interests. As an added bonus I have created a Grooveshark Playlist, where you can stream full versions of each song in sequential order for free. If you like what you hear, please be a good citizen and buy the records, it's not too late to get a last minute holiday gift. Check back to see which of these artists make it onto my "Best Albums of 2010" list on Wednesday.

1) LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
 With every LCD release, there has always been at least one song that gets stuck in my head harder than any other single that year. Why? Because I'm a fan. I love a lot of music and I appreciate a lot of bands, but there are only a few bands that I am an absolute adoring fan of and LCD Soundsystem is one of those artists. The way in which James Murphy has crafted the past two LCD records usually opens an album with a club-stomper that erupts right out of the gate: "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" "Get Innocuous" start off at fast paces. However "Dance Yrself Clean" is very quiet and subdued for the first three minutes, which then explodes into a blast of dance punk that will overtake your speakers. When I saw these guys earlier this year, this was the song everyone was requesting at the top of their lungs, and for good reason. Epic is putting this song lightly.

2) Kanye West - Monster
 I have never been a fan of Kanye, which is why his newest record took me by surprise. "Monster" featuring Justin Vernon, Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj is the album's highlight for me. This song twists and turns with one of Kanye's best beats ever, as each guest steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park (especially Jay-Z), rapping about being a monster in every kind of definition.

3) The Black Keys - Everlasting Light
 The Black Key's kick off their "Brothers" album with this laid back rocker that is obviously an ode to T. Rex. Dan Auerbach breaks the norm here and sings in a perfectly fitting falsetto voice while he lets his guitar do the rest of the talking.

4) Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round
 Ariel Pink gets out of his basement, and into the studio with his first ever professional band and records this sure to be indie-roller rink anthem. I wasn't into the rest of the record nearly as much as the rest of the media, but it's humbling to know that this guy who has been long labeled a genius can deliver a psych-pop gem.

5) Arcade Fire - The Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Win Butler may be the lead singer on paper, but his wife and multi-instrumentalist Regine Chassagne steals the show when she grabs the mic on this album closing anthem. This song proves to me that Arcade Fire still has a few tricks up their sleeves. 

6) Liars - Scissor
 When I first heard this song I thought it was Tom Waits teamed up with Queens of the Stone Age or something. Liars deliver this eerie and erratic rock song that has also been made into what I believe to be one of the best music videos of the year. 

7) Women - Eyesore 
Women return with their sophomore album titled Public Strain. The lead single and core track of this album is called "Eyesore" This track constantly switches things up during the first few minutes of this song before the band finally lays down a groove that is too good to end on its own, hence the gradual fade to this song. Women have always been known to have a great deal of potential, and with this track they deliver a knockout. 

8) Deerhunter - Desire Lines
 It's no secret that Bradford Cox is the leader of Deerhunter, however on Desire Lines he lets rhythm guitarist Lockett Pundt take the lead. This song seems pretty straightforward, the first three minutes sound like a well thought out pop song with a memorable hook ("woah-oh"). But it isn't until the last half of the song where Deerhunter really show their talent as they get into an infectious instrumental jam. The way Cox and Pundt trade off guitar responsibilities creates this wall of sound that I could go on listening to for hours.

9) Gorillaz - Rhinestone Eyes
 I cannot tell if this album was a miss for Gorillaz. While cohesively I think it's their best record to date, it failed to create a huge club hit like "Feel Good Inc." This song should have been that hit. 

10) Local Natives - Sun Hands
  These guys played practically every single festival available this year, their lush sound fills up a huge space like Coachella. I like "Sun Hands" from Gorilla Manor because of its unexpected twist towards the end of the track.

11) Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
When you're in a Jersey punk rock band and you want to create an album that is loosely based around The American Civil War, naturally your first track has to be huge. This song perfectly sets the pace for the rest of this album that is not only a breath of fresh air for punk, but is also a huge achievement for rock in general. 

12) Phosphorescent - It's Hard To Be Humble (When You're From Alabama) 
  This song further proves my point that a well placed brass section can turn any good song into a great one. This song carried me through some great summer evenings. 


13) Drive-By Truckers - Birthday Boy
 Keeping in line with country-rock, Drive-By Truckers return to rock form with The Big To-Do. Mike Cooley delivers a painfully great song about a stripper, which features one of the best choruses of the year "Which one's the birthday boy?' She said, 'I ain't got all night."

14) Gayngs - The Gaudy Side of Town
  Justin Vernon may have not recorded a new Bon Iver record yet, but he has been a busy boy doing guest vocals for a whole slew of artists including Kanye West, Volcano Choir, and now Gayngs. His vocal contribution is what makes this laid back track damn sexy. 

15) Big K.R.I.T. - Country Shit
Mississippi MC releases his first mixtape which features this song that is dare I say? 'bumpin'

16) Dr. Dog - Shadow People    
"Where did all the shadow people go?" Scott McMicken asks as a Paul McCartney-esque piano riff pounds away. Dr. Dog have been a solid act for awhile now, and "Shadow People"  further solidifies their place in the indie world. 

17) How To Dress Well - You Won't Need Me Where I'm Going  
 This song treads the "pure genius and pure annoyance" line and luckily favors the former. This lo-fi experimental artist named Tom Krell hails from NYC. How To Dress Well gained a good amount of buzz this year, and more is expected from him in 2011. 


18) The National - Afraid of Everyone
 There are too many good tracks from High Violet to pick from, much of the media is giving the attention to "Bloodbuzz Ohio" but I went with "Afraid of Everyone" because I imagine it to be one of the better National songs to hear live. 

19) Das Racist - hahahaha jk
 Das Racist is something that I feel hip-hop has needed for a long time: a group that is snarky, sarcastic, smart and still able to lay down slick rhymes. Is this song hilariously serious or seriously funny? You decide.

20) Tallest Man on Earth - King of Spain
This guy could have been pegged as another acoustic artist that is trying to sound like Bob Dylan but he has shaken off that image apparently with his sophomore release The Wild Hunt. He is now selling out shows everywhere, why? Because he's one of the most earnest folk artists around.  
 
Well, there you have it, that is my pick for the twenty best songs of 2010, remember to check out the  accompanying GrooveShark Playlist and feel free to comment on your favorite songs of 2010. 


CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO ST&SP BEST OF 2010 PLAYLIST!!!