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Best Of

2010 in Short (Rick’s Favorite EPs)

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2010 in Short
(Rick’s Favorite EPs)

All right.  I’ve gone ahead and done-did-ed it.  I made a list of things that I enjoyed heavily in 2010.  This year I’ve split it up into EPs and LPs (shorties and longies).  By the way, I still heartily endorse my year end picks of 2009 (click if you want to check those).  That post also came with an intro about how I don’t consider this definitive and if it didn’t come out on a physical format then it’s most likely out of luck (made luck).  That applies just the same this time around – however there is one exception you’ll read in the LPs list.  In 2009 I put a numbered order on them.  I’m not doing that this year.  They are alphabetical this time around. 

Here are the EPs (12″ and 7″ format) that I’ve enjoyed the most from 2010 (alphabetical):
Balam Acab “See Birds” (TRI ANGLE 01)
I was looking forward to this one before it came out and since it’s come out I’ve listened to it a whole lot.  It’s good.  Down-tempo internet beats (all sounds found on the internet).  It’s just a completely serene wash of sounds.  Get blissed with Balam Acab.


Gatekeeper “Giza” (ME034V)
I really really like sound track jams.  Goblin, right?  Sure, but so much more.  Gatekeeper takes that Italian Disco Horror sound and gets a little spacey with it.  This EP actually has videos for each track and they even released it as a VHS (kitschy, for sure).
Gatekeeper “Optimus Maximus” (FRIGHT 001)
Yes, they released two big EPs this year.  Had they released a full-length it probably would have landed on the LP list for the year.   The title track on this one is what sold me on the band.  If you haven’t heard these guys yet and you want to know what they sound like – go here.
Greatest Hits – Danse Pop (OESB-702)

I have a bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to both food and music.  This is basically as sugary and dance-able as it gets.  “Stop & Go” could be on repeat for the duration of a weekly commute and I’d be happy.  Actually, this whole 7″ could be more effective than one of those light boxes when it comes to fighting seasonal affective disorder.  Besides, the band is named Greatest Hits (video link). 
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble “Heritage” (CCEP001)
 I think the greatest musical group I’ve ever personally been a part of was my middle school marching band.  We traveled a bunch and even did a … what the hell am I talking about that for?  We sucked compared to this.  Not even the same stratosphere.  This is like the end scene of Drumline level of good (I could watch that scene a good 1000 times more through my life and probably 1000 times beyond that).  Hypnotic Brass Ensemble have that hip-hop swagger brass and drums. 


Maria & The Mirrors “Omar” (PLR09)
 Take that tribal drum sound and introduce it to some heavy bass lines and a nice hefty dose of the most adventurous side of dark wave.  Maria & The Mirrors make intricate rhythms, chanting and noise arranged for a deep skull massage.

oOoOO “oOoOO” (TRI ANGLE 02)
This was another one that I’d been waiting for since a bit before it was actually released.  It’s another on Tri Angle Records.  It’s also fairly down-tempo, but this one has a darker aesthetic and plays like some slowed down freestyle jams.  oOoOO (I’m told it’s pronounced simply as “O”) make sweet sweet freestyle jams of doom.
Puerto Rico Flowers “4” (FDR013) & “2” (FDR021) 
These are together, yes.  “4” is a 12″ consisting of 4 songs.  “2” is a 7″ that came out months later consisting of 2 songs.  Puerto Rico Flowers do melancholic Joy Division worshiping rock well. 

Arthur Russell & The Flying Hearts Featuring Allen Ginsberg “Ballad Of The Lights” (PPMTEN-002)
 Some things sound exactly like you’d expect.  This is basically that.  It just hit me when I heard it, finally.  This is, of course, an old recording unearthed and released this year.  I also wouldn’t recommend this as an introduction to Arthur Russell‘s material, but for fans this is a definite must-hear/own.
That’s that for my favorite EPs of last year.  Favorite LPs will be coming within the next couple days.  If you’re curious about the availability of any of these at the shop, please do ask. 
Best Of, Rick

Best of 2009 (Rick)

Best of 2009 (Rick)

One major thing to keep in mind is that if something doesn’t come out on LP/Record/Vinyl/Wax/Plastic/… then there’s a good chance I didn’t give it a full shot. There are also cases of things I just haven’t fully heard yet for one reason or another (Basement Jaxx, Sunn, others… and yea, they are notable). My only claim with this list is that these are the albums (full albums, mind you) that I’ve most enjoyed from the past year. Were I to mention all the singles and EPs that I’ve enjoyed to an equal degree the list would be considerably longer. I’m not going into that though. Enjoy this list. On another day it might find a different order with different content.

1. Fever Ray “Fever Ray”
This is almost cliche, but I think this is the best album of the year. I didn’t think it would be upon initial listen, but I came back to this one time and time again. Melancholy.

2. Cloaks “Versus Grain”
I don’t remember what led me to listen to this – some blog post somewhere. I had ignored their first 12″ on Werk Discs back in 2007 (2008 stateside). I then wrote a love letter via my own blog post this year upon finally giving them a shot (a couple months after their full length actually dropped). To see my full thoughts: HPSU “Dear Cloaks”

3. Iron Age “Sleeping Eye”
4. Hatred Surge “Deconstruct”
#3 & 4 share members so I’m writing this up together. Iron Age takes pieces from a bunch of different psychedelic biker bad ass influences as well as some death metal and hardcore. Nothing is new (ever anywhere) so why not just take parts of things you love and mush them together. Of course, that could be a recipe for disaster. Here it works brilliantly. As for Hatred Surge – short, fast and sweet. It’s like when you want to do a really good belly flop and you do. It hurts and rules.

5. Cathode Terror Secretion “Spectre Of History’s Design”
6. Halflings “Self-Esteem”
These guys are from the same area and released records at the same time on the same label (RRR). It’s noise. It’s power electronics. It’s brutal and it’s a cathartic wash of full body massage (change the settings by adjusting the volume – preferably all the way up).

7. Bill Callahan “Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle”
Here’s another album I wouldn’t have expected to be on this list upon initial listen. Bill Callahan used to record as Smog. This is his third album under his own name. It is his best under his own name by far. If’n you like Mark Kozelek like I do you will enjoy this’n.

8. Kryptic Minds “One Of Us”
Here’s the second album on my list that would fall into the dubstep category. As opposed to Cloaks though this one is very much the definition of dubstep. These fellas have put out the best examples of by the books (not by the numbers) dubstep this year. It avoids cliches and doesn’t come off as being made purely for dance floor fodder. This is worthy listening music (not just atmosphere). It’s a bit dark and minimal. Solid.

9. Royksopp “Junior”
What’s funny about this album is that at one point this is what I would’ve hoped the Fever Ray album would sound like (having just heard that Karen of the Knife was producing a solo effort). I wanted the dancey part of the Knife. Of course, Fever Ray is atop this list. Royksopp is right here. Karen is actually on a couple tracks here too (along with a cast of other guests). Royksopp has been around for a solid ten years (formed 1998, first album in 2001). They produce left of center dance music. This effort is exactly that. It’s happy and fun and seemingly the antithesis of most of my list so it really needs to be on here.

10. Estrogen Highs “Tell It to Them”
Local New Haven based boys playing trashy rock that I enjoy. If you like rock and roll you should check it out.

11. V/A “Hyperdub 5”
Hyperdub is a dubstep label that’s been going on for 5 years now. This double disc set (on CD – a few 12″s with key tracks were also released) full of it’s history and great new tracks. Joker, Zomby, King Midas Sound, many others. Top notch!