2010 Albums Top 10-1

10. Beach House - Teen Dream [Sub Pop]

On the pure dream-poppers Beach House's third LP, a certain delicate balance is met. The balance of emotion and hazy dreaming. On Teen Dream you will be captured into their vast emotions and then put into this dreamy state that makes you feel like your floating on a cloud. The instrunmentation isn't super advanced, but the simplicity makes it a crowning achievement of artistic ability. Teen Dream isn't for everyone though, if you're looking for heart-stopping fast moving pump up music, steer clear.

Key Tracks: "Zebra", "Used To Be", "Lover Of Mine"

9. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz [Asthmatic Kitty]

Sufjan is done singing about states and locations with corny song materials, now Sufjan has matured into something very unique. Instead of the quirky orchestrations that Sufjan put together, The Age of Adz is a more chaotic, intense music adventure that really is Sufjan's most ambitious effort to date, especially the 25 minute epic finale entitled "Impossible Soul". The electronic drenched, glitchy feel that encircled The Age of Adz really puts the topping on the ice cream to the musical genius that is Sufjan Stevens.

Key Tracks: "Age of Adz", "Vesuvius", "Impossible Soul"

8. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam]

"Put your hands to the constellations/The way you look should be a sin you're my sensation," raps Kanye West on "Devil In a New Dress". "Devil In a New Dress" is one of the many strong songs that are layered on Kanye's latest effort My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The best moments that are within Dark Twisted Fantasy are when its just Kanye rapping, not all the random collaborations. That's with tracks like "POWER", "Gorgeous", and others are such powerful tracks because Kanye is a powerful artists with tremendous talent. The samples and beats are unique and deserve recognition as much as Kanye's versatile rapping.

Key Tracks: "POWER", "Gorgeous, "Devil In a New Dress"

7. The Morning Benders - Big Echo [Rough Trade]

The crackle of vinyl opens the intro of Big Echo on "Excuses" and immediately flows into a distorted, distant sounding guitar intro that sets the tone for the rest of the album to come. This force of creative studio work and intense layers that reminisces Grizzly Bear (in fact it was co-produced by Grizzly Bear's bassist Chris Taylor). But, not to compare The Morning Benders to closely with Grizzly Bear, The M-Benders have more of a hazy sound that turns corners in different directions with beautiful melodies. The fun jumpy "Cold War" sounds off, which makes it so good. That can apply to the whole album, it sounds so unique and out there with resonance that really makes for one of the most relaxing and yet exciting listens of the year.

Key Tracks: "Cold War", "Promises", "Pleasure Sighs"

6. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest [4AD]

Deerhunter is another one of those bands that is pure indie, like Arcade Fire, but Deerhunter have always delved into more dark regions. On their previous LP, Microcastles, Deerhunter really created dark canvases of stretched fallen glory and slapped onto your face, but Halcyon Digest is by far lighter. It's a lot more dream pop oriented with hazy guitar lines on "Helicopter" and "Earthquakes". There is also a more traditional side of things with "Revival" and "Desire Lines". That variety makes Halcyon Digest a very complicated yet rewarding listen for 2010.

Key Tracks: "Desire Lines", "Helicopter", "Revival"

5. Owen Pallett - Heartland [Domino]

"My body is a cage/This union is about a cage a cage," croons Owen Pallett softly on very dynamic "Keep the Dog Quiet". Heartland is all about Pallett breaking out of his musical shell. He even changed his solo project name from Final Fantasy to just simply making it released under his own name. Pallett's use of instruments are done fantastically and so cohesively that emotions are evoked through the subtle use of orchestrations. On the strongest track "Oh Heartland, Up Yours!", it's like one of those songs that builds up inside of you and explodes out into something very glorious and yet it really doesn't reach a climax that fulfills the listeners making you wanting more, a very unique experience.

Key Tracks: "Oh Heartland, Up Yours!", "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt", "Midnight Directives"

4. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor [XL Recordings]

The U.S.S. Monitor was a first ironclad warship commissioned by the US Navy during the Civil War and it is known for the Battle of Hampton Roads. A very strange concept for an album to originated over, but it was done to near perfection with Titus Andronicus. The Monitor is a hard hitting punk anthem that shows true American patriotism. With the cries of "Rally around the flag!" on "A More Perfect Union", shows the energy and chaotic sense of rebellion that Titus Andronicus shows throughout The Monitor. On first listen, The Monitor is almost unlistenable, but when you really get into it and start listening to it intensely, it will really start to grow on you and you will fall in love with it.

Key Tracks: "Richard II", "A More Perfect Union", "To Old Friends and New"

3. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening [DFA/Virgin]

This might be one of the saddest albums of 2010, not because of the music, no not at all, but because it is supposedly James Murphy's (genius of LCD Soundsystem) last album. Thankfully James Murphy gives us an excellent farewell present, This Is Happening. Using an assorted mixtures of instruments to make juicy and flavorful electronic dance music that really grooves. "I Can Change" might be one of the addictive songs of 2010 and "All I Want" is a glorious guitar anthem with superb lyricism, "And all I want is your pity/Oh all I want are your bitter tears". Sadly James Murphy probably isn't going to make anymore records, but we will have plenty to remember him by his superb dance-punk genre.

Key Tracks: "I Can Change", "All I Want", " Dance Yrself Clean"

2. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma [Warp]

Flying Lotus is an absolute genius, I'm not going to lie. On his latest LP Cosmogramma he combines video game noises, avant-garde jazz, and pure crazy electronic noises. If you pick up Cosmogramma be very prepared for an abrasive, confusing journey through Flying Lotus or Steven Ellison's mind. It plays like a avant-garde jazz LP, so it takes a lot of listens to really get through it and enjoy it, but once you get to that stage, it's such a rewarding experience. The songs on Cosmogramma drip into each other and create a cosmic landscape of bizarre shapes and sizes.

Key Tracks: "Mmmhmm (Ft. Thundercat)", "Arkestry", "Do the Astral Plane"

1. The National - High Violet [4AD]

The National create one of the most grim and glorious records of the decade. The song writing is top notch and creates livid characters like a economic troubled individual on "Bloodbuzz Ohio", a zombie-like husband "Conversation 16", and an emotion is a very intense character on "Sorrow". High Violet receive the award for album of the year from The Lavin Rant because of the improvement is made on me the more I listened to it. At first I was like "bleh it's all right", but countless more listens I fell in absolute love with the sound and grim emotion The National were intending to evoke. Matt Berninger's baritone moans create such an intense passion that just lights up every time he sings. If you were to pick up any of these albums, do yourself a favor and pick up High Violet.

Key Tracks: "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "England", "Little Faith"

2011 here I come.

2010 Albums Top 20-11

20. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs [Merge/Mercury]



Arcade Fire are probably the definition of indie rock. Since their tremendous debut, Funeral, Arcade Fire has been pushing the limits of indie rock in ways that weren't ever thought of. Their boundaries were pushed even farther on their third effort The Suburbs in more diverse sections of punk anthems ("Month of May"), chamber pop ("Rococo"), and of course traditional Arcade Fire drastic anthems ("The Suburbs"). It's all there.

Key Tracks: "The Suburbs", "Ready To Start", "City With No Children"

19. Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here? [Editions Mego]



The electronica trio of Emeralds produces one of the most delicate-while-abrasive electronic albums of 2010. Textures of abrasive electronic loops with delicate acoustic instruments layered perfectly underneath all the chaos of the electronic noises. It is one of those albums you sit around in a pitch black room with a view of the stars and just think about life.

Key Tracks: "Candy Shoppe", "The Cycle of Abuse", "Now You See Me"

18. Wavves - King of the Beach [Fat Possum]



On the San Diego boys third LP, Wavves favors a more clean production as opposed to their past efforts. Though the lyricism isn't anything brilliant, the story telling is pure gold that is just hilarious and brings a smile to your face. "Post Acid" is obviously a reminisince of an acid trip and "Green Eyes" is about a girl lead singer Nathan Williams would run away with and desert his bros. It's a quick and easy listen and it will bring you to memories of the summer.

Key Tracks: "Green Eyes", "King of the Beach", "Post Acid"

17. Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts [Sub Pop]



This debut from noise rockers Male Bonding doesn't bull at any point in the LP. It's straight to the point-noise-rock. The immediate guitar jangles from "Year's Not Long" to the hazy "Franklin" its a fast paced album. Male Bonding get the job done in under 30 minutes with tremendous energy that is one of those albums you listen to while very angry and wanting to get things off your mind.

Key Tracks: "Year's Not Long", "Franklin", "Your Contact"

16. Menomena - Mines [Barsuk/City Slang]



Menomena create a very simple yet effect fourth effort that doesn't exactly pop out on the first spin, but will truly grow on you with more listens. You can tell that Menomena has their heart set into their music with the moans of "go home" on "Dirty Cartoons". One thing that Menomena does very effectively is build up into something interesting and keep your attention towards long enough to really appreciate what is going on.

Key Tracks: "Dirty Cartoons", "Tithe", "TAOS"

15. Foals - Total Life Forever [Transgression]



Total Life Forever is a surprisingly groovy LP that really flows very nicely. It is definitely a step up from their debut Antidotes, with a more centralized sound that has a heavy dancey feel with very exceptional instrumentation.

Key Tracks: "Total Life Forever", "Black Gold", "Miami"

14. Interpol - Interpol [Matador/Soft Limit]



Though not as engaging as Turn On the Bright Lights, Interpol's self-titled delivers a very emotional and dramatic approach to their sound. The sound is definite from the chorus of "I have succeeded" on the album opener to the mystic synths on "Safe Without". Though no track is as emotionally engaging as "Lights", with the build up of guitar into an explosion of sound.

Key Tracks: "Lights", "Barricade", "Safe Without"

13. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt [Dead Oceans]



The Wild Hunt is purely a man and a guitar. The Tallest Man On Earth or Kristian Matsson creates a heart-filled, rustic pure folk album. You can't go through listening to this album without straightly thinking of Bob Dylan, but Kristian is different, he puts himself completely out there. The Wild Hunt is a great album to listen to while your just driving near the countryside hence the album cover which transcends the perfect mood of what Matsson creates in his music.

Key Tracks: "King of Spain", "The Wild Hunt", "Kids On the Run"

12. Spoon - Transference [Merge]



Spoon has always been about being simple. On their latest seventh effort, Transference, Spoon expands their sound into the reaches of more diverse instruments. It is a very easy and solid listen that will get just about anyone into their simplistic music.

Key Tracks: "Mystery Zone", "Got Nuffin'", "Before Destruction"

11. Matthew Dear - Black City [Ghostly International]



Matthew Dear creates one of the most dark and yet irresistibly dancey albums of the year on Black City. The "black city" that Dear creates through his transgression of lyrics and dripping beats is just a sleek one that reminds you of the film Dark City. "Gem" is full of soul and "You Put a Smell On Me" just reeks of insomnia and tension that is being flooded out into this "black city". Definitely one of the hardest and complicated albums of 2010.

Key Tracks: "Gem", "You Put a Smell On Me", "Slowdance"

2010 Album Honorable Mention

Here are ten albums that didn't make the cut of Top Twenty Albums of the year, but earn the right as a Honorable Mention.

MGMT - Congratulations [Columbia]



These psyched out boys don't reminice MGMT's previous radio hits like "Time To Pretend" or "Electric Feel". Instead trippy, progressive tunes like "Siberian Breaks" come across. Maybe not as enjoyable as their previous debut Oracular Spectacular, it sure is a fun trip across psychedelic landscapes that the very promising MGMT.

Key Tracks: "Siberian Breaks", "Congratulations", "Song For Dan Treacy"

Fang Island - Fang Island [Sargent House]



Blasting off with the crackle of fireworks, buzz of highly distorted guitars, and the silent churn of an organ, which builds into the intense geometric metal-like "Careful Crossers". The highlights of excellent math rock rhythmns from drummer Marc Sauveur and glorious guitar solos. The thrill of Fang Island is just the intensity and rush the sound gives you with layers up layers of an electric sound wall.

Key Tracks: "Daisy", "Careful Crossers", "Dream of Dreams"

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty [Purple Ribbon/Def Jam]



Big Boi doesn't slow down. His rapping is lightning fast and earns with true hip-hop pride. "It is I, the B. I. G. the B. O. I./ Me oh my, ears to the streets and eyes to the sky" raps Big Boi on the opening lines of "Daddy Fat Sax" with tremendous speed that will blast past you without being able to transcribe what he just said. Sir Lucious Left Foot is a true party album, the beats are stellar and the lyrics even better.

Key Tracks: "Daddy Fat Sax", "Shutterbug", "Shine Blockas"

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today [4AD]



Ariel Pink's first mainstream release sounds like it was purely from the '70s. Every song pays some kind of homage to a vintage '70s song that is long forgotten. From the superb "Round and Round" to the surf-rock "Bright Lit Blue Skies", Before Today is a true nostalgic trip. Expect more oddities and vintage sounding hits from Ariel Pink in the future.

Key Tracks: "Round and Round", "Bright Lit Blue Skies", "Fright Night (Nevermore)"

Weezer - Hurley [Epitaph]



Weezer has truly lost it. Putting "that guy from Lost" as the cover of their latest album. Maybe, they've lost it past the point where it is good. In fact, Weezer comes back to the basics of their sounds from Pinkerton and Weezer (Blue Album) with the exceptional "Time Flies". Hurley is a just another fun pop album.

Key Tracks: "Time Flies", "Trainwrecks", "Memories"

Best Coast - Crazy For You [Mexican Summer]



Straight out of Los Angeles, these indie poppers, create a lo-fi, fuzzy, surf-rock sound that is full out just fun. From the intro "Boyfriend" to the hazy "Our Deal", Crazy For You is one of the most relaxing and atmospheric albums of 2010.

Key Tracks: "Boyfriend", "Crazy For You", "Our Deal"

Laurie Anderson - Homeland [Nonesuch/Elektra]



Laurie Anderson's haunting artsy poetry mixes over experimental instrumentation to create a very entertaining and exciting listen. Anderson's delicate, robotic voice floats so mysteriously and create such resonance within the music.

Key Tracks: "Another Day In America", "My Right Eye", "Transitory Life"

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record [Arts & Crafts]



The indie supergroup, crank out another very superb record that spans a great amount of indie genres. Led by the fast paced instrumental track "Meet Me In the Basement" and the delicate "Sweetest Kill", Forgiveness Rock Record sounds like a bunch of indie artist having a good time creating quality music.

Key Tracks: "Meet Me In the Basement", "Sweetest Kill", "Art House Director"

The Radio Dept. - Clinging To a Scheme [Labrador]



Churning out their third LP, The Radio Dept. create a jangly, shoegazey LP that create a strong reminiscence of The Smiths of the '80s and My Bloody Valentine. The highly addictive "Heaven's On Fire" and hazy "Memory Loss" lead The Radio Dept. to a very strong effort that carries on the legacy of shoegaze of the '80s.

Key Tracks: "Heaven's On Fire", "Domestic Scene", "David"

Gonjasufi - A Sufi and a Killer [Warp]



The San Diego based hip hop artist Gonjasufi's debut is one of the most bizarre and far-out psychedelic-like hip-hop that spins in so many different directions that it will literally make your head spin. With a raspy, spasmodic voice that will grasp your attention immediately, Gonjasufi definitely gets the award for most weird and visionary album of the year.

Key Tracks: "Sheep", "Klowds", "Ancestors"

Watch for the next few days for the top twenty albums of the year from The Lavin Rant!

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)

Ah good old Kanye West. No single artist of the last few years has put together so many infamous acts that taint and expand his image. But, enough on what I'm sure 92% of the American population is aware of about Kanye. He's back, with his fifth studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The first listen is very overwhelming. The first tracks into the album are a tremendous effort that hooks you immediately into the world of Kanye.

Starting off with the epic cries of "can we get much higher?", "Dark Fantasy" is a near perfect intro to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Kanye West's superb 35-minute film "Runaway’s” use of "Dark Fantasy" fits the mood perfectly. Kanye is driving in a heavily forested area in perfect harmony with the beat. If you get the chance go to Kanyewest.com or YouTube and check out the whole video to get a visual few to the album.

Anyway, following the very powerful intro is a very hazy distorted stoner rap-like "Gorgeous" featuring the very popular Kid Cudi and legend Raekwon. The sample use and instrumentation is very interesting and doesn't seem repetitive like past Kanye songs. In fact, the whole album's use of sample and instruments is very well done. The most entertaining is the deep rumblings of "Monster" or the very surprising use of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" on "POWER".

Of course, you can't credit a hip-hop album's beats without taking note of the lyricism For the most part, I enjoy them. They aren't anything mind blowing, they flow but fall short on creating interesting imagery. My favorite of Kanye's chorus comes on "Devil in a New Dress" when he raps out "Put your hands to the constellation/the way you look should be a sin, you my sensation". "Devil in a New Dress" sounds like nothing else Kanye has ever put out. It is most definitely the most powerful and successful song to come out of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Then hits the biggest and premiere song on the album, "Runaway". This nine-minute anthem is probably one of Kanye's most ambitious efforts to date. The very strange lyrics of "Let's have a toast for the scumbags" or other rhyming bad names. The constant note of the piano in the background is perfectly used and is probably the only part of the song that makes me actually enjoy the song.

My favorite moments of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy are just Kanye and the mic with very solid samples in the background. I've always hated all the collaborations hip-hop and pop artist do on their albums. By putting in big names into their album they think their album with sell better. Though that might work, it's annoying. If I'm buying a Kanye West album, I only want to hear Kanye West. But I know that will never happen. The moments of Kanye just rapping like on "Gorgeous" and "Devil in a New Dress" with maybe the occasional appearance of another artist really work so well on this album.

I especially like how Kanye doesn't give into all the traditional hip-hop electronic beats that the entire pop rap artist seems to giving into. You know what I mean; the super-fast beats that are just pure annoying. Kanye uses traditional, real instruments in his beats. Overall, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a really entertaining album. It crosses a lot of different genres of music that will most likely appeal to a lot of people.

Overall: 8.5/10

Track Listing:

1. Dark Fantasy - 9.2
2. Gorgeous - 8.7
3. POWER - 9.0
4. All of the Lights (Interlude) - 8.3
5. All of the Lights - 9.0
6. Monster - 9.2
7. So Appalled - 8.0
8. Devil In a New Dress - 9.4
9. Runaway - 8.9
10. Hell of a Life - 8.3
11. Blame Game - 8.2
12. Lost In the World - 6.5
13. Who Will Survive In America - 7.5

Sample:

Past Favorite 05 - DJ Shadow - Endtroducing..... (Mo' Wax/FFFR)

I credit a lot to the plunderphonic master DJ Shadow. He's probably the artist that introduced me into the very diverse and intriguing genre of hip-hop. DJ Shadow's debut Endtroducing..... is perfect combination of trippy, earthy beats with a human, soulful energy that just enlightens in every one of Shadow's songs. It sounds so unreal on a first listen. You're fascinated by the drum beat splices Shadow does and the very intelligent samples he uses to create pure instrumental hip-hop magic.

It started out as a simple delve into a very foreign genre to me. Hip-hop, I loathed it immensely. It was something of taboo in my mind, I couldn't get into it and I wasn't about to try. Well, that is until I happen to be bored one day and take a look at some supposed influential hip-hop albums. I came across DJ Shadow's Endtroducing...... I was very interested by the cover, a partially blurred picture of two random guys going through records at some record shop. I thought it looked like the most "indie" looking hip-hop album I saw. So I downloaded it and gave it a listen. I was completely dumbfounded. Nothing in my music listening life had prepared me for that first listen.

From the first line of "Bob Wood National Director of the Chum Group worked with us in producing" on "Best Foot Forward" to the last ambient noise of "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1, Blue Sky Revisit, Transmission 3)", it was just completely mesmerizing. I probably give this album so much praise because I have never heard anything to foreign and magical. The splicing of beats, ambient overtones and deep snarls of the bass beat made me just ecstatic. I truly had heard nothing of it, taking samples of other obscure and lost forgotten songs to make something completely and utterly alien as compared to the original.

Little did I know that I was stepping into the experimental hip-hop range. The use of unconventional hip-hop instruments like the organ on "Organ Donor" and other obscurities. I wasn't stepping into a very accessible hip-hop range like Run-D.M.C. or Jay-Z. I was stepping right into the dark and very lucid instrumentation of a musical genius. "Changeling (Transmission 1)" might be one of my favorite songs of all time. The drum splicing is so cohesive and the snarling bass line following the intro is just monstrous and immediately a catchy keyboard line jumps in to contradict the monster bass. It creates such a hazy atmosphere that is unmatched by any music I have yet to hear.

Probably the most well known of the track off Endtroducing..... is "Midnight In a Perfect World". This song probably sums up the whole theme of the album. Dark, surreal and just reeks of insomnia. The whole album is like a soundtrack to someone who can't sleep and "Midnight In a Perfect World" is like the climax of the album. Another phenomenally dark, tasty song is "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1, Blue Sky Revisit, Transmission 3)" the perfect atmospheric ending to Endtroducing......

I truly believe that anyone who thinks that they actually enjoy music, should take a listen to Endtroducing..... It's a magical and surreal adventure through music. DJ Shadow truly knew what he was doing when he put together this instrumental hip-hop masterpiece. I probably shouldn't even really call it "instrumental hip-hop" I might just call it "Endtroducing...." because it's pretty much a genre by itself.

Overall: 9.4/10

Track Listing:

1. Best Foot Foward - 9.4
2. Building Steam With a Grain of Sand - 9.2
3. Number Song - 9.2
4. Changeling (Transmission 1) - 10.0
5. What Does Your Soul Look Like? (Part 4) - 9.2
6. Untitled - 8.9
7. Stem - Long Stem (Transmission 2) - 9.3
8. Mutual Slump - 9.4
9. Organ Donor - 8.9
10. Why Hip-Hop Sucked In '96 - 9.3
11. Midnight In a Perfect World - 9.8
12. Napalm Brain - Scatter Brain - 9.6
13. What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1, Blue Sky Revisit, Transmission 3) - 9.7

Sample: