[Shaun]

so should I

[Shaun]

#10 - Scissor Sisters - Night Work
It's not a patch on their debut but to be honest I think that'll be unassailable. However, it was a significant improvement on Ta-Dah! - they've capitalised on current electronic trends to produce an album of absolute floorfilling, feelgood anthems and even despite my criticisms for the genre and its many pitfalls this year (Black Eyed Peas, The Ting Tings, The Hoosiers, Katy Perry...) it's proved that electro can be imaginative, fun and unpredictable.



#9 - M.I.A. - /\/\ /\ Y /\
Cruelly overlooked by most end-of-year lists I've read - it probably isn't as clever or cultured as previous albums Kala or Arular, but it's certainly her most diverse album musically. From dubstep influences in 'Meds and Feds' to pure electro-pop on 'XXXO' it's a great conceptual piece and allegory on sexuality in the media, censorship, technology and still retains some of her Sri Lankan political outbursts.



#8 - Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill
It's quite an eclectic record, it goes from strings-led melodramatic ballads to acoustic folk-indie. You'd like them if you like Mumford and Sons or the new Kings of Leon album. Very simple, roots-y rock with some nice, unexpected pop twinges (particularly 'Here Comes the Blackout...!')



#7 - Vampire Weekend - Contra
A vast improvement on their debut album, which seemed too onesided and safe. There's a lot of unusual keyboards and instrumental effects on this album but there's still their consistency and knack for a cute, infectious tune.



#6 - The Black Keys - Brothers
Only a recent discovery for me but this has the same kind of buzz and energy that the Arctic Monkeys debut had. The sound is somewhere inbetween T. Rex and Kasabian - the former notable on 'Howlin' For You' and the latter on 'Tighten Up'. I'm sure it'll grow on me even more.

[Shaun]

#5 - Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
Probably the most exciting new female artist I've been introduced to this year (sorry Nicki) - this album is actually an orchestrated masterpiece. It flips between R&B, classical, soul and pop seamlessly and has track after track of sublime tune. Her appearance and artistry are intriguing and refreshingly innovative - using her android character as a space-exploring barrier shatterer, both musically and socially.

[Shaun]

#4 - Sleigh Bells - Treats
The most high-octane, exciting and unusual album I've listened to all year: full of frenzied drumbeats, ear-shattering synth effects and all the while somehow retaining pop-pitched tunes through vocalist Alexis Krauss' delivery. Probably the best female-led band/group I've heard since the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

[Shaun]

#3 - Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
I never expected to like an album from him this much. Granted, I've never heard any of his previous albums all the way through - but the self-flagellation, the experimentation, the showmanship and the quite rightly assured confidence all build to make this potentially the best album by a rapper I've heard.

[Shaun]

#2 - John Grant - Queen of Denmark
I've never encountered him in The Czars so his voice was a breath of fresh air to me this year - the lyrics are hauntingly blunt and revealing, and to be honest any album that has songs about Sigourney Weaver's filmography, honky-tonk pianos and samples the Exorcist piano tune is an instant winner.

[Legend killer]

Kanye West's new album is fuken brilliant , the next one will be even better as he is teaming up with Jay-Z

[Shaun]

#1 - Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Anyone who knows me could have predicted this. I'm in love with the band, and they can't do any wrong in my eyes. The album for me is a worrying inditement on the disappointing mundanity of suburb life, but also glamourises it through soaring strings pieces and their usual beautiful multi-instrumental symphonies. There's something for everyone: pure poppy happiness on 'The Suburbs', aggressive and energetic rock on 'Month of May' and wailing ballads in 'Half Light I'.

and that's all I have to say about 2010 thank you to anyone who read.

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Legend killer

Kanye West's new album is fuken brilliant , the next one will be even better as he is teaming up with Jay-Z

Yeah I heard about that - should be good!

[Vladimir]

umg, i've never heard of sleigh bells before, just listened to some of their stuff on youtube, they're really good.

*downloads*

[Braden]

Yay. I'm proud to say I read through that.

It was really interesting, you have good music taste.

[GhettoSuperstar]

No Hot Chip? WHAT!?!?

[Shaun]

ooh I forgot them. I'd put them in the first list - nice, but didn't last long for me.

[InOne]

Originally Posted by Nutcracker

#1 - Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Anyone who knows me could have predicted this. I'm in love with the band, and they can't do any wrong in my eyes. The album for me is a worrying inditement on the disappointing mundanity of suburb life, but also glamourises it through soaring strings pieces and their usual beautiful multi-instrumental symphonies. There's something for everyone: pure poppy happiness on 'The Suburbs', aggressive and energetic rock on 'Month of May' and wailing ballads in 'Half Light I'.

and that's all I have to say about 2010 thank you to anyone who read.

Saw them a few years ago, they were epic

[Harry!]

Very good and interesting list Shaun! . Here is my nomination for the best Non-English Language album of the year.

[Stu]

Some great stuff here. The only things I can really complain about are Comedown Before Sundown - which is genuinly one of the worst albums I have ever heard - complete with nauseating Radioactive video which seems to have been shot by the guy who does Center Parcs adverts - and your number one surprisingly.

I am of the opinion that everything Arcade Fire have done since Funeral has been trudging, murky, pretentious piss that sounds so souless and balless it's amazing the same band who actually crafted the majestic Funeral churned it out. A solid, completely up it's own arse album that got the balls wanked off it by the usual press culprits.

[MeMyselfAndI]

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by MeMyselfandI

[img]666299[/img]

[Stu]

Keep going, you two. It's like being at a MENSA dinner party.

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Stu

Some great stuff here. The only things I can really complain about are Comedown Before Sundown - which is genuinly one of the worst albums I have ever heard - complete with nauseating Radioactive video which seems to have been shot by the guy who does Center Parcs adverts

I'm not sure really. It's not a patch on Aha Shake Heartbreak and some of the songs do sound the same, but it just clicked with me. I think maybe I was just relieved to hear an album that was more laidback and less "WE HAVE A STADIUM ANTHEM HERE".

- and your number one surprisingly.

I am of the opinion that everything Arcade Fire have done since Funeral has been trudging, murky, pretentious piss that sounds so souless and balless it's amazing the same band who actually crafted the majestic Funeral churned it out. A solid, completely up it's own arse album that got the balls wanked off it by the usual press culprits.

Get out.
Just get out.
-runs away crying-

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Shaun

I'm not sure really. It's not a patch on Aha Shake Heartbreak and some of the songs do sound the same, but it just clicked with me. I think maybe I was just relieved to hear an album that was more laidback and less "WE HAVE A STADIUM ANTHEM HERE".



Get out.
Just get out.
-runs away crying-

Oh the worst of it is yet to come. Wait until Win Butler chucks a few chairs and takes himself and his pot banging, organ bothering dog of a wife off to ditch the rest of them and make an experimental roots reggae record or something.

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

i just downloaded tell em

um, is it supposed to sound like that?

i like it but i thought my earphones were broke or something

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

yeah i just looked on YT its supposed to sound like that