Wednesday 29 December 2010

50 Choice Songs of 2010: 10-1

10. Moonface - Marimba & Shit-Drums
With Wolf Parade continuing to deliver diminishing returns (little surprise then, that they are now on hiatus), it's increasingly apparent that Spencer Krug's other musical endeavors are where it's at. Marimba & Shit Drums is entirely self-descriptive, but with this seemingly limited pallette, Krug concocted a 20-minute epic of surprising crests and falls, and entirely recognisable as his work.



9. World Unite Lucifer Youth Foundation - Split It Concrete Like The Colden Sun God
2011 promises to be a big year for this deeply enigmatic Manchester-based band  as they seek to grow their wings. Despite their roots, Wu Lyf could perhaps best be desctribed as Isaac Brock fronting anarchic afro-pop, and Split It Concrete... was the pick of a gold-encrusted bunch of releases. The accompanying video is no less of a joy.


8. Swans - Eden Prison
The highlight of their terrific comeback album My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky, Eden Prison was a dirge in the best possible sense: Gira's booming voice of doom; the mangled-cat guitar wail; the relentless march of the rhythm section. Best of all was its brutal bridge, seemingly custom-made to be stretched into infinity to crush live audiences into submission.



7. Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Whilst The Suburbs was the success of substance over style, it did offer at least one stunner that hit home on the first spin in the form of Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains). Regine Chassagne's sole lead vocal on the album, her breathless vocal is perfect for the track's glistening Heart Of Glass-esque new-wave sound, and the key lyric ("quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock") seemed like the perfect analogy of the band's new work ethic.


6. Sleigh Bells - Infinity Guitars
Remember that joke in This Is Spinal Tap about the amps which go up to 11? Sleigh Bells took that joke quite literally when they recorded Infinity Guitars. The track starts off as a blistering noise assault of screeching guitars, collosal bass-drum beats and Alexis Krauss' hollered vocals, but somehow in its final 30 seconds Infinity Guitars cranks everything up to a new and unprecedented level. Sometimes, the word "loud" just doesn't cut it.



5. Emeralds - Genetic
Does It Look Like I'm Here, the breakthrough record from Cleveland, Ohio trio Emeralds was an absorbing listen, but a lot to digest in one listen. Genetic serves up the album as a more manageable 12 minute slice, leaving you to swim through layers of lush synth arpeggios. This is a track to get lost in, and one you might never want to leave.



4. Deerhunter - Helicopter
The pinnacle of what might just be Deerhunter's finest record yet (Halcyon Digest), Helicopter's soothing verses lapped gently at your feet, awaiting the moment that the majestic chorus engulfs you. Bradford Cox wails "no-one cares for me", but in reality Deerhunter's stock has never been higher. Where they go from this is anyone's guess, but for these five minutes, Deerhunter achieve aural perfection.



3. Liars - Scarecrows On A Killer Slant
Hands-down the most terrifying song I listened to in 2010, Scarecrows On A Killer Slant rides upon a nasty, nasty riff that has all the menace and identity of the Jaws or Psycho themes. Meanwhile, Angus Andrew chants, howls and screams his way through a chilling recollection of a murder witnessed by the band during recording in L.A. An affectionate homage to their home city it is not.



2. Caribou - Sun
sun sun sun sun sun sun sun suN suN suN suN suN suN sUN sUN sUN sUN sUN sUN sUN sUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUn SUn SUn SUn SUn SUn SUn Sun Sun Sun Sun Sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun suN suN suN suN suN suN suN sUN sUN sUN sUN sUN sUN sUN sUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN


1. LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
At first, the opening track to LCD Soundsystem's supposed swansong This Is Happening is a muted, deeply understated affair; over an anaemic beat, James Murphy is in unusually sombre mood. And then of course, it all kicks off and Murphy finds his mojo, positively howling into his microphone, whilst cascades of electronic notes erupt from every orifice. It's an exhilirating transformation, and one that doesn't lose its impact even after repeated listens. Murphy pleads with us "give me just a bit of your time"; the rewards are more than worth it.


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