Albums of the year: 50-41

Hey. It’s finally time for my Albums of the year. Enjoy!

(Note: You may have noticed the lack of posts lately. The reason: I got the flu some days ago. Today I’m feeling slightly better, but no new blog posts until I recover. See you soon.)

50. Twin Tigers – Gray Waves
49. Andreya Triana – Lost Where I Belong
48. Y La Bamba – Lupon
47. Anna von Hausswolff – Singing From The Grave
46. Matthew Dear – Black City
45. Sleigh Bells – Treats
44. Klaus & Kinski – Tierra, Trágalos
43. Lower Dens – Twin-Hand Movement
42. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
41. The Walkmen – Lisbon

Best Album Covers of 2010: part 2

Howdy folks. It’s time for my top four album covers of 2010 (part 1: here). See you in a couple of days. Merry Christmas!

(Note: Part one of my top50 albums of the year will be posted on Sunday if I manage to get myself safely back home from my Christmas adventures.)

(Maybe I long for the summer…)

4.

Air Waves – Dungeon Dots

3.

The Morning Benders – Big Echo

2.

Agnes Obel – Philharmonics

1.

S. Carey – All We Grow

Best Album Covers of 2010: part 1

Hey there. This is the first part featuring my favourite album covers of 2010*. My top four selected album covers will be presented tomorrow, which means that the covers below all share fifth place so to speak. Enjoy!

(*To make my task easier, I decided to only consider albums I had previously written about this year.)

Matthew Dear – Black City
Philip Jeck – An Ark For the Listener
Tomas Andersson Wij – Spår
Pantha du Prince – Black Noise
Nazca – Out

Air Waves – Dungeon Dots

Good evening. The fantastic new album by Air Waves was added to the Spotify library a couple of weeks ago. Genre: folk/surf-rock. Read this review and enjoy!

Air Waves – Dungeon Dots

20. Top Of The Pops

Hi. This is the last part of the 2010 Mega Project. As you can see in the project’s playlist, only one album has been removed. 99 albums remain for you to explore. Enjoy!

(Note: Spotinews schedule. Dec 21-22: Best Album Covers of 2010. Dec 25-29: Spotinews Top 50 Albums and Top 20 Tracks of the Year. That’s it folks!)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. “This four track EP has the overall feel of floating through the ocean with a giant smile on your face.” (review)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Horse Power EP

Las Robertas. Genre: garage/noise pop. Go Costa Rica!

Las Robertas – Cry Out Loud

Math and Physics Club. “While some may seek some sort of artistic virtuosity, it is often the band’s like Math and Physics Club that make the most delicious records. They’re not trying to win any awards, they just want you to enjoy great pop tunes, and on that basis alone, this record is a huge success.” (review)

Math and Physics Club – I Shouldn’t Look As Good As I Do

Transmittens. Genre: twee pop. Now they are Seapony.

Transmittens – Snow Day

19. A Different World

Hey there. Today I bring you some odds and ends from my forgotten albums. The 2010 Mega Project is almost over. The last update will happen tomorrow. Enjoy!

(Note: To present five of these six artists I give you the top three last.fm tags. Just remember that you can’t really trust all the tags all of the time. Most of the time they are just fine though.)

(Note #2: The easiest way to quickly get an idea of how these artists sound would be to subscribe to the 2010 Mega Project playlist.)

Aboombong. Experimental, drone, noise.

Aboombong – Asynchronic

Adebisi Shank. Math rock, experimental, instrumental.

Adebisi Shank – This is the second album of a band called Adebisi Shank

Heavy Hawaii. Surf, psychedelic, goth.

Heavy Hawaii – HH

Juliette Commagère. The tags were not that good here. She is a pop singer-songwriter.

Juliette Commagère – The Procession

Triángulo De Amor Bizarro. Indie, indie rock, shoegaze.

Triángulo De Amor Bizarro – Año Santo

Tweak Bird. Stoner rock, psychedelic, psychedelic rock.

Tweak Bird – Tweak Bird

18. Just Dreams

Hello. This is part 18 of the 2010 Mega Project. Enjoy!

(Note: Today I noticed that I just had 99 selected albums. In order to solve that problem the Miko album was added to this theme.)

Clem Leek. Genre: ambient. “From the opening clock chime to the closing string cadence, “Holly Lane” is soaked in atmosphere and emotion; be it despair, fear, love or confusion, it’s all here on this album.” (review)

Clem Leek – Holly Lane

Fredrik. Genre: ambient/electronic/folk. “Trilogi, a collection of three limited-edition EPs doubling as a sophomore LP, has a sneaky, consistent sound that’s immediate and yet full of surprises.” (review)

Fredrik – Trilogi

Houses. Genre: chillwave/electronic. “This is a lovestruck, tender debut, shrouded in optimism and dying to get intimate.” (review)

Houses – All Night

Miko. Genre: singer-songwriter/experimental pop. “Sophomore album Chandelier, like Kosemura’s excellent Polaroid Piano from last year, takes a turn toward the organic. The result shapes restrained, homespun instrumentation into something at once quaint and futuristic.” (review)

Miko – Chandelier

Noveller. Genre: experimental/ambient. “Desert Fires is Lipstate’s most diverse effort yet, while also being her most quiet. It maintains an equal balance of both variety and cohesion; each track goes through changes, but just enough to ease smoothly into the next.” (review)

Noveller – Desert Fires

Solar Bears. Genre: electronic/shoegaze. “Listening to “Coloured” is not unlike being a child and looking into kaleidoscope with sounds acting as a replacement for colors. There’s all those tiny loops and effects, that, when put together, create those terrific little compositions.” (review)

Solar Bears – She Was Coloured In

17. Folk Folk Folk

Hey. The 2010 Mega Project is soon going to end. After this folk update we only have three more parts to go. Time flies. Enjoy!

Dark Dark Dark. “An emotional outpouring from its opening bars, Bright Bright Bright’s poignant contrasts and haunting revelations seek to soothe the pangs of regret, remorse and rejection that streak this wrenching saga.” (review)

Dark Dark Dark – Bright Bright Bright

Futurebirds. “Though it certainly has some down home hard drinkin’ sass, Futurebirds’ sound is also painstakingly crafted and considerably dense. Pedal steel laps up against banjo, piano, mandolin and psychedelic guitar – and the mile wide reverb blends everything into a weighty alt-country sound that evokes a meeting of early My Morning Jacket and Uncle Tupelo.” (review)

Futurebirds – Hampton’s Lullaby

Los Mil Jinetes. “Reconoceronte is a major accomplishment, brave, catchy and simply beautiful.” (review)

Los Mil Jinetes – Reconoceronte

Peggy Sue. “Like the mythical sirens, Rosa Slade and Katy Young – the London-born, Brighton-based frontwomen of Peggy Sue – sing with a lilting sweetness that is wholly deceptive, belying the undercurrent of fury in their lyrics, the agitations of their music.” (review)

Peggy Sue – Fossils And Other Phantoms

Smoke Fairies. “Through Low Light And Trees is a beautifully crafted, rewarding album. Refined, enchanting, unworldly and heavily atmospheric, it’s everything the work of Fairies should be.” (review)

Smoke Fairies – Through Low Light And Trees

16. Even More Degrees Of Rock

Howdy. It’s time for another rock update in the 2010 Mega Project. Many of these selections should be familiar to you already, but they are still great. Also, don’t forget to check out the 2010 Mega Project playlist. Enjoy!

Quest For Fire. “The band once again delve into eight lengthy jams on their new album, which covers a bit of classic rock, ‘60’s inspired psychedelic rock, stoner grooves and a bit of progressive pop, all of which results in a truly captivating album.” (review)

Quest For Fire – Lights From Paradise

The Strange Death Of Liberal England. “Not the sweetest record of the year, probably not the most challenging, but certainly the most affecting. Drown Your Heart Again is beguiling, troubling even and leaves me, to some degree, concerned for its creator.” (review)

The Strange Death Of Liberal England – Drown Your Heart Again

Surf City. “In Kudos, Surf City have engineered a rare double: a debut album that’s both timeless, and out-of-time. There’s only one word for it, but they’ve already taken it for their album title.” (review)

Surf City – Kudos

Twin Tigers. “This record moves back and forth between several musical spectrums, often times within the same song; in following this formula the group has constructed one of the most creative straight-ahead rock records in recent memory.” (review)

Twin Tigers – Gray Waves

Voice of The Seven Thunders. “Voice of the Seven Thunders is a fine album, one which retains all manner of mystery even after repeated listens.” (review)

Voice of The Seven Thunders – Voice of The Seven Thunders

15. Sway

Evening. This is day 15 of the 2010 Mega Project. Enjoy!

The dreamy chillwave of Blue Hawaii is yet another Canadian wonder. Some Swedish listeners may sadly come to think of this song when they observe the band name.

Blue Hawaii – Blooming Summer

When I was a teenager I had dominant legs, but that’s all I’m going to share. If you want to hear some delicate modern pop tunes – with retro synth sounds, diverse drums and gorgeous harmonies – this EP by Dominant Legs is a must.

Dominant Legs – Young at Love and Life

This release by Fops is a solid electro-kraut-pop album that I like quite a bit.

Fops – Yeth Yeth Yeth

From the rave/rock scene in Puerto Rico in the early 2000s to trendy Brooklyn in 2010. The music of Kordan is a sensational mix of post-punk, shoegaze and electro-pop.

Kordan – The Longing

Nite Jewel, aka Ramona Gonzalez, has a very bright future ahead of her. Instead of describing her music I give you the top five last.fm tags: electronic, avant-garde, indie, synth, new weird america. Not bad!

Nite Jewel – Am I Real? EP

True Womanhood, the band, is not that easy to categorize. Should it be “experimental art pop meets dream rock” or perhaps “experimental art rock meets dream pop”? I’m not sure, but I like the music.

True Womanhood – Basement Membranes

Mittens – Deer Park Mirage

Howdy. From a very recent Spotify update comes the latest album by Spanish indie-pop band Mittens. Thanks to On The Spot for the recommendation. Enjoy!

(Note: Once again the next project update will happen late tonight.)

Mittens – Deer Park Mirage

14. Heavy

Good evening. It’s time for another part of the 2010 Mega Project. Tonight we take a look at some of the heavier stuff. Enjoy!

Enemy Of The Sun. A creative mix of thrash and progressive metal.

Enemy Of The Sun – Caedium

Moon Duo. No metal here, but rather some rather intense and rather heavy neo-psychedelic drone rock.

Moon Duo – Escape

Kvelertak. Black metal, hardcore and rock ‘n’ roll in an explosive mix. With 1258 Facebook likes it’s probably not new to any one of you though.

Kvelertak – Kvelertak

The Sword. Epic stoner metal from Austin,Texas.

The Sword – Warp Riders

Witchery. The dynamic speed/thrash metal from this Swedish super group will quite possibly blow you away.

Witchery – Witchkrieg

Bruce Haack – Farad: The Electric Voice

Hi. This compilation, featuring songs by experimental electronic music pioneer Bruce Haack, is a very recent addition to the Spotify library. Enjoy!

(Note: I’m busy today, which means the next 2010 Mega Project update will happen late tonight.)

Bruce Haack – Farad: The Electric Voice

13. Pop Music B

Howdy folks. It’s time for another part of the 2010 Mega Project. The title says it all today. Enjoy!

Pepper Rabbit. Psych-pop. Review here.

Pepper Rabbit – Beauregard

Seeland. Organic electro-pop. Review here.

Seeland – How To Live

Sonny & The Sunsets. Indie pop. Review here.

Sonny & The Sunsets – Tomorrow Is Alright

Spectrals. Retro/surf pop. Review here.

Spectrals – A Spectrals Extended Play

The Crookes. Indie pop. Review here.

The Crookes – Dreams Of Another Day

The Smiles and Frowns. Quirky retro/psych pop. Review here.

The Smiles and Frowns – The Smiles and Frowns

Yellow Ostrich – The Mistress

Hey there. The new album by Yellow Ostrich has just been added to the Spotify library. Genre: experimental folk/rock. Enjoy!

Yellow Ostrich – The Mistress

12. Write Another Song For Me

Hello again. It’s day 12 of the 2010 Mega Project and four more singer-songwriters are ready for your attention. Once again each presentation will be a quote from a review. Enjoy!

Pieta Brown. “This is music with a sense of place more than an urge of destination. We could go somewhere but let’s sit on the porch enjoying the breeze blowing through the screen door.” (review)

Pieta Brown – One And All

Samantha Crain. “Like a prairie-bred, meat-and-potatoes Joanna Newsom, Crain’s vocals are quivering, emotive and visceral.” (review)

Samantha Crain – You (Understood)

Sebastian Blanck. “Co-produced with Jorge Elbrecht of Violens, the album has a warm, wide-open atmosphere reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel and, with the help of the female vocalists, the Mamas & the Papas (adding to the effect, Blanck often doubles his own vocal track).” (review)

Sebastian Blanck – Alibi Coast

The Bear That Wasn’t. “Give him a listen, and I think you’ll end up with a smile on your face. Or a tear in your eye. Either way, you’ll be moved.” (review)

The Bear That Wasn’t – And So It Is Morning Dew

Le Futur Pompiste

Hi. Here is a new pop album from the latest Spotify update. Enjoy Le Futur Pompiste!

Le Futur Pompiste – Le Futur Pompiste

11. Beats

Hey. The 2010 Mega Project continues. Today we dive into the vast electronic genre. Each album presentation will again consist of a quote from a review. Enjoy!

(And please keep subscribing to the 2010 Mega Project playlist!)

Copy. “Hard Dream’s solar system is chock-full of squiggling synth melodies, chiming keys, crisp funk beats, and an overall mood of controlled jubilation.” (review)

Copy – Hard Dream

Darkstar. “If Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes are able to give credibility and respect to pop music today the way the Beatles, the Kinks, and others did before them, then Darkstar has the potential to join the ranks of other seminal artists who have given electronic music a deeper dimension.” (review)

Darkstar – North

Eleven Tigers. “Clouds is the aural canvas that captures the shadowy essence of humanity; a fluttering eyelash, a shy smile, a pale hand delicately brushing willowy hair away from shining eyes.” (review)

Eleven Tigers – Clouds Are Mountains

Nedry. “Experienced as a whole, Condors is a multi-course meal that features some familiar dishes and some foreign with ingredients that require a bit of acclimation–but they’re all delicious.” (review)

Nedry – Condors

Teielte. “This is a concise work by an artist who is not scared of using distorted bleeps, bits and cut-ups to create very melodic, smoothly flowing and tasty music cocktail with great synths and catchy basslines.” (review)

Teielte – Homeworkz

10. High Profile Number Two

Hello again. The 2010 Mega Project is now at the halfway point. From the title you can see that this is the second part with “high profile” releases that I for different reasons didn’t write about earlier this year. Most of these should already be familiar to you. Enjoy!

Straight-forward happiness and a certain quirkiness are the two factors that make Welsh psychedelic pop/glam rock band Race Horses stand out from the rest of the pack.

Race Horses – Goodbye Falkenburg

Alt-country singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne should be no stranger to you. However, her latest album, one of her best efforts, did somehow manage to slip below my radar back in September.

Shelby Lynne – Tears, Lies and Alibis

Experimental rock band Swans released their first album in 14 years earlier this year and it was a good one.

Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky

The refined garage rock of The Fresh & Onlys impressed both listeners and critics a couple of months ago.

The Fresh & Onlys – Play It Strange

The ultra hyped pop/rock band Vampire Weekend followed up their superb first album with a second one that didn’t quite live up to the hype, in my not so humble opinion. But in the end it was actually not too shabby. The reason I didn’t write about it before was because the label decided to delay sending it to Spotify while making it available for free streaming at other places…

Vampire Weekend – Contra

Breathe Owl Breathe – Magic Central

Hey. The pleasant new album by indie folk band Breathe Owl Breathe was added for Swedish* listeners today. Read this review and enjoy!

(*It was probably already available in some other regions before today.)

Breathe Owl Breathe – Magic Central