Sitting here at Le Tour Ivoire, high up on the 13th floor of this magnificent imaginary dreamscape, we are flicking through our journals, calendars and diaries to recall and attempt to categorise and contextualise the past twelve months. As ever, there was a rush for publications and web presences alike to get there first with the best albums, singles, bands, artists, concerts, films, books, TV shows and events, no matter how localised or cultish, and to order them into a prioritised cohesion. By November, most of these arbiters of taste had decided on their chosen highlights, and presented them as some sort of Christmas gift, in order to step away from the action and spend the remainder of the year at the watering hole in some kind of sweet relief…
We had to wait until the year was over, as we were concerned that something would sneak out at the last minute! It did…Diane Birch’s marvellous collaboration with The Phenomenal Handclap Band, ‘The Velveteen Age’, appeared from nowhere on 13th December; Rough Trade snuck out the first taster from The Decemberists’ forthcoming album, in the shape of ‘Down By The Water’ in mid-November, then a 7” only release of ‘January Hymn’, coupled with a cover of The Grateful Dead’s ‘Row Jimmy’, was issued in December; Brian Jonestown Massacre re-emerged with a stunning new two tracker, ‘Illuminomi’ and ‘There’s A War Going On’, both of which arrived on iTunes on the last day of the year!
So, without further ado, and in purely alphabetical order by artist, here are our top 150 tracks of 2010…
There Is A Wind • The Album Leaf (From ‘ A Chorus Of Storytellers’)
Passarinho • Aleuda (From ‘Far Out Spaced Odyssey’)
It’s Been So Long • AM (From ‘Future Sons & Daughters’)
Rococo • Arcade Fire (From ‘The Suburbs’)
City With No Children • Arcade Fire (From ‘The Suburbs’)
Bright Lit Blue Skies • Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (From ‘Before Today’)
Round And Round • Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (From ‘Before Today’)
Butt House Blondies • Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (From ‘Before Today’)
Green Glass Bottles • Atlas Sound (From ‘Bedroom Databank Vol. 1’)
Truth Sets In • Avi Buffalo (From ‘Avi Buffalo’)
What’s In It For? • Avi Buffalo (From ‘Avi Buffalo’)
Zebra • Beach House (From ‘Teen Dream’)
Norway • Beach House (From ‘Teen Dream’)
Walk In The Park • Beach House (From ‘Teen Dream’)
Ramona • Beck (From ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World’ Soundtrack)
Glass Printer • The Besnard Lakes (From ‘The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night’)
Atmosphere • Diane Birch & The Phenomenal Handclap Band (From ‘The Velveteen Age’)
A Strange Kind Of Love • Diane Birch & The Phenomenal Handclap Band (From ‘The Velveteen Age’)
I Heard Ramona Sing • Frank Black (From ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World’ Soundtrack
Telephone • The Black Angels (From ‘Phosphene Dream’)
She’s Long Gone • The Black Keys (From ‘Brothers’)
Black Mud • The Black Keys (From ‘Brothers’)
Too Afraid To Love You • The Black Keys (From ‘Brothers’)
The Hair Song • Black Mountain (From ‘Wilderness Heart’)
Red Rocking Chair • Black Prairie (From ‘Feast Of The Hunters’ Moon’)
The Man Who Would Speak True • Blitzen Trapper (From ‘Destroyer Of The Void’)
Tempo 116.7 (Reaching For Dangerous Levels Of Sobriety) • Brian Jonestown Massacre (From ‘Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?’)
Illuminomi • Brian Jonestown Massacre (From ‘Illuminomi’ Single)
The Mall & Misery • Broken Bells (From ‘Broken Bells’)
Leaving Song • Broken Records (From ‘Let Me Come Home’)
Navalha Cega • Burro Morto (From ‘Oi! AA Nova Musica Brasiliera! Um Disco’)
Silent Time of Earth • Candy Claws (From ‘Hidden Lands’)
Hummingbird • The Captive Hearts (From ‘Hummingbird’ Single)
Set My Soul On Fire • The Captive Hearts (From ‘Hummingbird’ Single)
Odessa • Caribou (From ‘Swim’)
Sun • Caribou (From ‘Swim’)
Careful With That Hat • Citay (From ‘Dream Get Together’)
Mirror Kisses • Citay (From ‘Dream Get Together’)
Didn’t You • Cloud Nothings (From ‘Didn’t You 7″ Single)
Butterfly House • The Coral (From ‘Butterfly House’)
Go Outside • Cults (From ‘Go Outside’ 7″ Single)
Now You Love My Remix (Zia McCabe and Jeremy Sherrer Remix) • The Dandy Warhols (From ‘Earth To The Remix Vol. 2’)
Backseat (Heaven Loves The Driver) • Darker My Love (From ‘Alive As You Are’)
Revival • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
Memory Boy • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
Helicopter • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
Fountain Stairs • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
He Would Have Laughed • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
Down In The Street Below • The Divine Comedy (From ‘Bang Goes The Knighthood’)
An Admission • Dreamend (From ‘So I Ate Myself, Bite By Bite’)
Art Vandelay • Ducktails (From ‘Hamilton Road’ 7” Single)
Shaky • The Duke & The King (From ‘Long Live The Duke & The King’)
Vara Snabb • Dungen (From ‘Skit I Allt’)
In My Younger Days • Eels (From ‘End Times’)
Paradise Blues • Eels (From ‘End Times’)
Little Bird • Eels (From ‘End Times’)
I’m a Hummingbird • Eels (From ‘Tomorrow Morning’)
Be My Girl • El Goodo (From ‘Coyote’)
Information Overload • El Goodo (From ‘Coyote’)
Strangers • Elephant Stone (From ‘The Glass Box’)
The Ghost Who Walks • Karen Elson (From ‘The Ghost Who Walks’)
The Ruth Is In The Dirt • Karen Elson (From ‘The Ghost Who Walks’)
Cruel Summer • Karen Elson (From ‘The Ghost Who Walks’)
Empty Eye • Endless Boogie (From ‘Full House Head’)
Marching Song • Esben &The Witch (From ‘Marching Song’ Single)
The World Is All There Is • Fool’s Gold (From ‘Fool’s Gold’)
Pumped Up Kicks • Foster The People (From ‘NME Radar Compilation’)
Candy Girl • Ganglians (From ‘Monster Head Room’)
The Walker • Gayngs (From ‘Relayted’)
Carolina • Girls (From ‘Broken Dreams Club’)
To Binge • Gorillaz Featuring Little Dragon (From ‘Plastic Beach’)
Duet • Gonjasufi (From ‘A Sufi And A Killer’)
TC And Honeybear • John Grant (From ‘Queen Of Denmark’)
Sigourney Weaver • John Grant (From ‘Queen Of Denmark’)
Jesus Hates Faggots • John Grant (From ‘Queen Of Denmark’)
Thank Girls FM • Happy Birthday (From ‘Happy Birthday’)
Hibernation • Here We Go Magic (From ‘Pigeons’)
Ready For The World • How To Dress Well (From ‘Love Remains’)
Bricks Or Coconuts • Jacuzzi Boys (From ‘Bricks Or Coconuts’ 7” Single)
Us Later • Jaill (From ‘That’s How We Burn’)
I Think I Like U 2 • Jamaica (Free download from RCRDLBL.COM)
Switchblade • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
Big Wave • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
Animal • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
Straight Edge Of The Blade • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
Slavedriver • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
SDP • The Kissaway Trail (From ‘Sleep Mountain’)
Wish You Were Here • Bettye LaVette (From ‘Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook’)
Sleepless In Silverlake • Les Savy Fav (from ‘Root For Ruin’)
Completely Exposed • Jamie Lidell (From ‘Compass ‘)
Fair Game • The Like (From ‘Release Me’)
Record Collector • Lissie (From ‘Catching A Tiger’)
In Sleep • Lissie (From ‘Catching A Tiger’)
Lost • The Lovetones (From ‘Lost’)
In Your Eyes • The Lucid Dream (From ‘In Your Eyes’ Single)
Congratulations • MGMT (From ‘Congratulations’)
Mushrooms & Roses • Janelle Monáe (From ‘The ArchAndroid’)
Sir Greendown • Janelle Monáe (From ‘The ArchAndroid’)
Speed Moon • Duo (From ‘Killing Time’’)
Glitter • No Age (From ‘Everything In Between’)
Coquet Coquette • Of Montreal (From ‘False Priest’)
No One But You • Doug Paisley (From ‘Constant Companion’)
Keep The Dog Quiet • Owen Pallett (From ‘Heartland’)
Gay Angels • Perfume Genius (From ‘Learning’)
Los Angeles • Phosphorescent (From ‘Here’s To Taking It Easy’)
Tip Of Your Tongue • Porcelain Raft (From ‘Tip Of Your Tongue’ Single)
Wasted In Jackson • Lauren Pritchard (From ‘Wasted In Jackson’) Shark Ridden Waters • Gruff Rhys (Free download from Gruff’s website)
Dear God • The Roots featuring Monsters Of Folk (From ‘How I Got Over’)
Backseat Living • Roses Kings Castles (From ‘Suburban Timebombs’)
Inner Love In Outer Space • Roses Kings Castles (From ‘Suburban Timebombs’)
Come To Me High • Rumer (From ‘Seasons Of My Soul’)
I’m New Here • Gil Scott-Heron (From ‘I’m New Here’)
I’ll Take Care Of You • Gil Scott-Heron (From ‘I’m New Here’)
Girlfriend • Ty Segall (From ‘Melted’)
Blow Yr Brains In The Morning Rain • Serena Maneesh (From ‘S-M2: Abyss In B Minor’)
Chickens In Love • Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros (From ‘Chickens In Love’)
Wishes And Stars • Harper Simon (From ‘Harper Simon’)
A House Up On A Hill • Jason Simon (From ‘Jason Simon’)
Desert God • Sleepy Sun (From ‘Fever’)
Imagine, Pt. 3 • Smith Westerns (From ‘Dye It Blonde’)
Answer To Yourself • The Soft Pack (From ‘The Soft Pack’)
Hillary, Oh Hillary • Ben Sommers (From ‘Hillary, Oh Hillary’ Single)
You Are Not Alone • Mavis Staples (From ‘You Are Not Alone’)
Pinecone • Kelley Stoltz (From ‘To Dreamers’)
Ventriloquist • Kelley Stoltz (From ‘To Dreamers’)
Friday In Paris • The Strange Boys (From ‘Be Brave’)
Swallowed By The Night • Sun Airway (From ‘Oh, Naoko’)
The Stakeout • Sun Araw (From ‘On Patrol’)
Disappearance Of The Skyscraper • Suuns (From ‘Zeroes’)
Lucidity • Tame Impala (From ‘Innerspeaker’)
Solitude Is Bliss • Tame Impala (From ‘Innerspeaker’)
Shock And Awe • Teenage Fanclub (From ‘Shadows’)
Sloppy Surfin’ • 3D Acid Glases (From band’s MySpace page)
Losing Momentum (For Jim Jarmusch) • Kurt Vile (From ‘Square Shells’)
The Burning Mountain • Voice Of The Seven Thunders (From ‘Voice Of The Seven Thunders’)
Undertow • Warpaint (From ‘The Fool’)
Veil • Weekend (From ‘Sports’)
Black Lotus • The Whigs (From ‘In The Dark’)
Through Your Windows • White Denim (From ‘Lat Day Of Summer’)
Queen Of The Sun • Windsor For The Derby (From ‘Against Love’)
One Of Your Pills • The Woe Betides (From ‘Never Sleep’)
Contact • Wooden Shjips (From ‘Contact’ 12” Single)
Blood Dries Darker • Woods (From ‘At Echo Lake’)
Suffering Season • Woods (From ‘At Echo Lake’)
I Don’t Get Much • Young Prisms (From band’s MySpace page)
Memory System • The Young Sinclairs (From ‘We Spoke Our Minds’)
Precious Stone • Pete Yorn (From ‘Pete Yorn’)
Walk With Me • Neil Young (From ‘Le Noise’)
Peaceful Valley Beyond • Neil Young (From ‘Le Noise’)
