Gem Club

Threatened to be overlooked by more glamorous albums this Fall -- the excellent Girls album, releases by M83, Dum Dum Girls, St. Vincent, and perhaps Drums(they were criminally under-appreciated last year), post-slowcore(ref. Pure X) Gem Club will quietly release Breakers. And if the title track is any indication, bliss comes swiftly.

(Tyler -- is this what you were talking about?)

Porcelain Raft

already dropped a brilliant, nearly-flawless EP this year. Now he's primed to throw down his first proper full-length. B. approves.

Stay active my child

After releasing arguably the best EP of the past decade last year, my boy's all grown up and ready to release his first long player. We couldn't be prouder.

Active Child: 'Hanging On'

Teen Daze's Harvest

Per sake of documentation (as always), I would be remiss if I didn't note this down.
Teen Daze, "The Harvest"

Man vs. Bubblegum

A friend told me this album reminds him of when he fell in love with gum. I replied that it reminds me of when I broke up with gum. Great Summer record

Seánce on a Wet Afternoon

Washed Out

We owe it to ourselves to absorb Washed Out's new album next month. 2 songs from the record:

Eyes Be Closed

You and I

Craft Spells, Idle Labor

Lovely record from my stomping grounds in Northern California, and via the hottest label running...

From the Morning Heat by CraftSpells

Cold Cave - Cherish The Light Years (album stream)

2010

Covers
Finest cover art and brilliant cover songs, including a Christmas cover by The Golden Filter.

Wild Nothing - Gemini

The Golden Filter - "White Nights" (Psychic TV)


Mark Kozelek - "Natural Light" (Casiotone For The Painfully Alone)


Passion Pit - "Tonight, Tonight" (Smashing Pumpkins)

2010

Music Video
I'd been underwhelmed with music videos this year...until my friend showed me this: the best video of the year for arguably the best song of the year.

2010

Album

This list is subjective to my ears. There's no preferential treatment. You can be on the LA hype train, a Brooklyn cliche, lo-fi, wi-fi, 'high'-fi, or ugly. EPs with 5 or more original songs are considered.

40. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

39. Frankie Rose And The Outs - S/T

38. Warpaint - The Fool

37. The Kissaway Trail - Sleep Mountain

36. Tamaryn - Waves

35. Sufjan Stevens - Age Of Adz

34. Sea Of Bees - Songs For The Ravens

33. Spoon - Transference

32. Zola Jesus - Stridulum II

31. Teenage Fanclub - Shadows

30. Lower Dens - Twin-Hand Movement

29. Efterklang - Magic Chairs

28. Perfume Genius - Learning

27. Woods - At Echo Lake

26. Mynabirds -What We Lose In The Fire We gain In The Flood

25. Caribou - Swim

24. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

23. Best Coast - Crazy For You

22. Girls - Broken Dreams Club

21. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

20. The Walkmen - Lisbon

19. Active Child - Curtis Lane

18. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast

17. The National - High Violet

16. The Innocence Mission - My Room In The Trees

15. Twin Shadow - Forget

14. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night

13. Retribution Gospel Choir - 2

12. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

11. Menomena - Mines

10. Magic Kids - Memphis

9. Beach House - Teen Dream

8. Mimicking Birds - S/T

7. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

6. Wild Nothing - Gemini

5. Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago

4. The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme

3. Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises

2. The Drums - S/T

1. Owen Pallett - Heartland