So ?

Before we do the 2010 poll in december which 5 albums would you nominate ?

Mine is not very representative, because i haven't heard a lot of new albums (that's why I was asking for your top 5)

1. Midlake - The Courage of Others
2. Janelle Monae - The archandroid
3. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté - Ali & Toumani
4. Johnny Cash - American VI
5. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

The top four are really set in stone:

1. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
2. The National - High Violet
3. Beach House - Teen Dream
4. Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way

After that, there's a couple of 8/10 albums which are very close together. Big Boi, Anaïs Mitchell, Arcade Fire, Broken Bell, and perhaps Janelle Monae are all competing for #5. Competing for the final spot in my top 10 are a lot of high quality artists like Mary Gauthier, Gorillaz, Johnny Cash, Ali Farka Touré, Band of Horses and LCD Soundsystem.

Amazing year, really.

1. Retribution Gospel Choir: 2
2. She And Him: Vol. 2
3. Chumbawamba: Abcdfg
4. Ocean Colour Scene: Saturday
5. Drive By-Truckers: The Big To-Do

6. John Hiatt: The Open Road
7. Charlotte Gainsbourgh: IRM (*)
8. Tindersticks: Falling Down A Mountain
9. Via Audio: Animalore
10. The Durruti Column: A Paean to Wilson

(*) This album is really of 2009, but in some countries like Spain has been released in 2010.

2010 has been awesome- best year since 2007, and one of my top 10 of all-time!

1. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz (possible top 20 all-time)
2. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid (top 50 all-time)
3. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening (top 100 all-time)
4. Chromeo - Business Casual (top 150 all-time)
5. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (top 250 all-time)

Difficult to narrow down as so many crackers miss out (Ariel Pink, Guido, Pulled Apart By Horses, Sufjan, LCD) but:

1/ The National - High Violet
2/ Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
3/ Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot
4/ Yeasayer - Odd Blood
5/ Fang Island - Fang Island or Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Ridiculously good year, and really hard to choose between my two favorites. And we still have new Kanye West (and radiohead? panda bear?) to look forward to!

1. LCD Soundsysten - This Is Happening
2. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty
3. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
4. Sleigh Bells - Treats
5. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

Apologies to The National and Janelle Monae, both of whom made awesome albums.

I couldn't narrow it down to five, so I made a top ten. All of these albums would fall inside my top 500, with the top 6 probably being top 250 albums!

1. This is Happening- LCD Soundsystem
2. The Suburbs- Arcade Fire
3. Teen Dream- Beach House
4. Have One On Me- Joanna Newsom
5. The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)- Janelle Monae
6. Treats- Sleigh Bells
7. Contra- Vampire Weekend
8. Plastic Beach- Gorillaz
9. Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty- Big Boi
10. High Violet- The National

1) Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot
2) Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
3) Janelle Monae - The Archandroid
4) Hot Chip - One Life Stand
5) Sleigh Bells - Treats

bubbling unders : Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, Foals
And very likely, my EOY top 10 will include Kanye West album ; I love all the songs published on his website so far.

Picking 20 songs for the EOY nominations will be a nightmare... even less interesting albums have incredible songs (Drake, Caribou, Gorillaz, These New Puritans, The National /strangely I felt in love with Alligator and Boxer this year but find High Violet not as good)

1. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid
2. The National - High Violet
3. Anais Mitchell - Hadestown
4. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
5. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

Potential risers to top 5:
Sufjan Stevens - The Age Of Adz
Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot
Deerhunter - Halycon Digest

01. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
02. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
03. Beach House - Teen Dream
04. The Black Keys - Brothers
05. Afrocubism - Afrocubism

06. Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave
07. Deer Hunter - Halcyon Digest
08. Grinderman - Grinderman 2
09. The National - High Violet
10. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté - Ali and Toumani

i said top 5, but of course you can submit a bigger list

It's incredible that my top 5 has been constantly changing since the beginning of this amazing year. But my top album has always been Joanna Newsom's Have One On Me and i don't think anyone will beat that one for another 2 months.

1. Sufjan Stevens - The Age Of Adz
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
4. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
5. Beach House - Teen Dream
6. Grinderman - Grinderman 2
7. Owen Pallett - heartland
8. Avey Tare - Down There
9. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
10. The National - High Violet

I would also like to note that I have never been the biggest fan of Rap/hip hop music, but this year has brought some fantastic releases. I don't know how to review these albums yet. I dont have extensive background knowledge in this genre. A new leaf has been turn.

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Das Racist - Sit down, Man
The Roots - How I got Over
Janelle Monae - The archandriod

1. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3. The National - High Violet
4. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
5. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
6. Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me
7. Beach House - Teen Dream
8. Aerial Pink's Haunted Graffiti
9. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
10. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

(I had way too much trouble narrowing it down to five, what an awesome year!)

No Cosmogramma fans on AMF? That surprises me a bit...

For the moment, my favorite CD's look like this:
1. The National - High Violet
2. Radio Dpt.- Clinging to a Scheme
3. Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
4. Lindstrom & Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool
5. The Roots - How I got over
6. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
5. Pantha du Prince - Black Noise
7. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
8. Deadbeat - Radio Rothko
10. Erykah Badu - Amerykah 2
11. Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
12. Ufomammut - Eve

The National is nr. 1 by a wide margin; Flying Lotus took me several months to get into; Radio Rothko probably isn't eligible as it's a techno compilation mix album; Ufomammut is an Italian metal band - normally I don't listen to metal, but this is very good.

1. Arcade Fire ~~~ The Suburbs
2. The Roots ~~~ How I Got Over
3. Vampire Weekend ~~~ Contra
4. Gorillaz ~~~ Plastic Beach
5. Brandon Flowers ~~~ Flamingo

* The National ~~~ High Violet
* MGMT ~~~ Congratulations
* Janelle Monae ~~~ The Arch Android
* Weezer ~~~ Hurley (I know, it shouldn't be here, but this album is starting to grow on me. I bought it more out of curiosity, but I've grown to enjoy it...)
* M.I.A. ~~~ //Y/

1. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
2. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Dusty Chico
3. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
4. Vampire Weekend - Contra
5. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening

1. Big Boi - Sir Lucius Left Foot
2. No Age - Everything In Between

I haven't listened to many 2010 albums yet, some others I enjoyed are:

MIA - Maya
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Meth/Ghost/Rae - Wu Massacre
Wavves - King of the Beach
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

1. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
2. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
3. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
4. The National - High Violet
5. Beach House - Teen Dream

Very strong year. Still need to dive further into more albums ie. Halcyon Digest. Sufjan Stevens is far and away number one and the only foreseeable way that he would get knocked off is if Radiohead got their album out by the end of the year.

1. Arcade Fire - Te Suburbs
2. Janelle Monaé - The ArchAndroid
3. Vampire Weekend - Contra
4. The Roots - How I Got Over
5. Best Coast - Crazy For You

Not very original, but hey, you really can't beat those 5.

1. Disconnect from Desire - School of Seven Bells
2. Dum Dum Girls
3. Hidden - These New Puritans
4. Before Today - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
5. Transit Transit - Autolux

1 Sufjan Stevens AGE OF ADZ
2 Beach House TEEN DREAM
3 Gorillaz PLASTIC BEACH
4 New Pornographers TOGETHER
5 The National - HIGH VIOLET

Here's 9, leaving room for at least one more:

1. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
2. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
3. Laurie Anderson - Homeland
4. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
5. Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
6. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty
7. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
8. The Roots - How I Got Over
9. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

sufjan stevens- the age of adz
Grinderman - grinderman 2
Joanna Newsom - have one on me
flying lotus - cosmogamma
woman - public strain
lcd soundsystem - this is happening
Frog eyes- pauls tomb: a triumph
Justin Townes earle - harlem river blues
Ariel pinks haunted graffiti- before today
The besnard lakes are the roaring night

A temporary overall top 10 compiling all of the above:

1. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz 
2. The National - High Violet
3. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid 
4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
5. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening 
6. Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot
7. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach 
8. Joanna Newsom
9. Beach House - Teen Dream
10. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

Wow, a good year indeed...

Actually, I need a do-over:

1/ Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
2/ The National - High Violet
3/ Wavves - King Of The Beach
4/ Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot
5/ Yeasayer - Odd Blood

[6/ Fang Island - Fang Island
7/ Guido - Anidea
8/ Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
9/ Sleigh Bells - Treats
10/ Caribou - Swim]

Rounding off a prospective top 20 would be (no order) Ariel Pink, Pulled Apart By Horses, LCD Soundsystem, Everything Everything, Titus Andronicus, Janelle Monae, The Drums, Sufjan Stevens, Beach House and Surfer Blood. EPs by Active Child and DOM were also great.

Vampire Weekend- Contra
Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Flying Lotus- Cosmo
Joanna newsom- Have One On Me
Dirty Projectors & Bjork- Mount Wittenberg Orca
Avey Tare- Down There
Owen Pallet- Heartland
Liars- Sisterworld
Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP
Charlotte Gainsbourg -IRM

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010)
2. Teenage Fanclub - Shadows (2010)
3. Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me (2010)
4. Vampire Weekend - Contra (2010)
5. The Drums - The Drums (2010)

1) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
2) LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
3) Janelle Monáe - The Archandroid
4) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
5) Vampire Weekend - Contra

1. Arcade Fire- Suburbs
2. Jeremy Messersmith- The Reluctant Graveyard
3. Free Energy- Stuck On Nothing
4. Vampire Weekend- Contra
5. Robyn- Body Talk Pt 1
6. Ty Segall- Melted
7. Beach House- Teen Dream
8. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- Before Today
9. Weezer- Hurley
10. Fang Island- ST

My feeling is that it's gonna be Sufjan vs arcade for #1

both, I guess

among AM members, since my last post, things have changed in the general list with 3 new votes: Sufjan Stevens is still leading but Arcade Fire is just behind.

I'll update the list at the end of the week

+mmmm.... and my personal t5 so far still look fairly pathetic.. no Wayne, no Rayne..

1. Steal Your Face. Mi Ami
2. Totem Two. Master Musicians Of Bukkake
3. Peeesseye & Talibam! //same//
4. The Age Of Adz. Steven Sufjans
5. Throat. Little Women

hey, i'm now diggin' deeper into this year, have patience_:

1. Self Preserved While the Bodies Float Up - Oceansize
2. Infra - Max Richter
3. Cosmogramma - Flying Lotus
4. Hadestown - Anais Mitchell
5. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

Damn, that was so hard to make. I'm sure it will change tomorrow. I almost want to make a larger list of honourable mentions but that would defeat the purpose.

EDIT: I missed the post where nicolas says we can make a longer list. So,

6. The Wants - The Phantom Band
7. Ali and Toumani - Ali Farka Toure/Toumani Diabate
8. Learning - Perfume Genius
9. Sir Lucious Left Foot - Big Boi
10. Hidden - These New Puritans
11. Teen Dream - Beach House

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
2. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
3. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid
4. The National - High Violet
5. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot

6. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
7. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
8. Beach House - Teen Dream
9. Anais Mitchell - Hadestown
10. Four Tet - There Is Love in You

Finally Hadestown making some appearances.

5. Sufjan Stevens - Age of Adz

4. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Leftfoot

3. Black Keys - Brothers

2. Sleigh Bells - Treats

1. Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me


2-5 are subject to change, ha. The only thing I know for sure is my #1 and that doesn't seem to be change. The only thing that could take its place is if the new Kanye is as stellar as Devil in a new Dress is...

1. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening (saw them in Milwaukee last night!)

2. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

3. The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream (the album artwork on all of this band's three albums are really cool... definitely worth grabbing the physical CD)

4. Hot Chip - One Life Stand

5. Liars - Sisterworld

I made my list so fastly that I forgot about Sir Lucious. So here's my correct list for the moment. Plastic Beach falls out of the top 5.

1) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
2) LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
3) Janelle Monáe - The Archandroid
4) Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot - The Son of Chico Dusty
5) Vampire Weekend - Contra

Without having heard Sufjan Stevens:
1.The Drums - S/T
2.Beach House - Teen Dream
3.Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
4.The National - High Violet
5.LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

1. The National - High Violet
2. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
3. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Leftfoot
4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
5. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz (though this is bound to rise; I've only had time to give it one good listen since I got it).

6. The Knife - Tomorrow, in a Year
7. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
8. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
9. Neil Young - Le Noise
10. How I Got Over - The Roots

Runners-up: The Black Keys, Best Coast

Left me cold: LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells

1. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
2. Mi Ami - Steal Your Face
3. Ariel Pink - Before Today
4. Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
5. Twin Shadow - Forget

Hi people. It's been a long time !
Here's my top of the year so far :

1. Field Music - "Measure"
2. Duncan Maitland - "Lullabies for the 21st Century"
3. The Black Keys - "Brothers"
4. Seth Swirsky - "Watercolor Day"
5. Timmy Sean - "Songs From & Inspired By Noisewater"

Bubbling under :

The Grip Weeds - "Strange Change Machine"
Farrah - "Farrah"
The Apples in Stereo - "Travellers in Space and Time "
She & Him - "Volume Two"
Kula Shaker - "Pilgrims Progress"
Ed Harcourt - "Lustre "
Rose Elinor Dougall - "Without Why"
Kelley Stoltz - "To Dreamers"
The Soundcarriers - "Celeste "
The Posies - "Blood/Candy "
The Superimposers - "Sunshine Pops!"

Anyone fancying an EOY poll for 2010 (albums & songs)? If so, what about doing this in january? (I'm not sure anymore what period we agreed upon starting the '00s poll...).

We've done a sort of AM Pazz & Jop for the last few years, so I'm pretty sure we will do that as well this year. I'm not sure if anyone has already volunteered to do the collating.

Would you take Valleys of Neptune, released around March by the estate of Jimi Hendrix? If so, that's my favorite this year.

1) Valleys of Neptune-Jimi Hendrix
2) Plastic Beach-Gorillaz
3) Odd Blood-Yeasayer
4) April Uprising-John Butler Trio
5) Janelle Monae-Archandroid

Honorable Mention:

Arcade Fire-The Suburbs
British India-Avalanche
Kings of Leon-Come Around Sundown
LCD Soundsystem-Is this Happening
Sufjan Stevens-Age of Adz
Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky