cyanide breathmint

Looking back at 2010, there were quite a few wonderful records , many coming from new (to me) acts. I noticed, though, that I tended to start falling behind this year in terms of volumes listened to. That wasn’t despite a massive amount of downloading, thanks to probably the best (and worst) thing to happen to my constant new music addiction since ever, what.cd. Scouring through literally tens of dozens of records either listened to once or maybe missed entirely, I scrambled to put together this year’s list for the last couple weeks. This probably happened more haphazardly than in previous years. I also realized I hadn’t quite given enough attention to many things I either liked or loved upon first listen. So, for the first time, this year’s “top 10 albums” may be more symbolic of what I listened to most than the my actual perceived ranking of them. Nevertheless, I think I have made up for this by including a more exhaustive than ever section of honourable mentions for the completist or those who are looking for a serious challenge in completing  their year in lists/libraries.

As usual I have also included some additional lists including records which disappointed me (i.e. I was either expecting or hoping for more from this) and popular records I disliked. Some rules I established for myself last year (noted below) are supplemented with another new addition, “best eps.” I have also tried to include lots of sample mp3 stream/downloads too. If you would like to grab all of these in one sweep, you can do so by clicking here. Also, just for fun, I decided to put all the samples from top records and top EPs up as 8tracks mixes too. You can find those here. Now, without further delay:  cyanide breathmint’s best of 2010.

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Faun Fables – Light of a Vaster Dark [probably would have ranked top 25 if I had more time to digest]

A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Autumn, again [amazing band that’s “new” for me in 2010, thanks Doreen]

Wild Nothing- Gemini [thanks for this, Omar]

Warpaint – The Fool [probably would have ranked top 25 if I had more time to digest]

The Boy Who Trapped The Sun – Fireplace

The Radio Dept. – Clinging To A Scheme [amazing band that’s “new” for me in 2010, thanks Anna bear]

Michael Parallax – Mountain [Fl native weirdo / ridicurad musician you should keep your eyes on]

Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky

Cotton Jones – Tall Hours in The Glowstream

Autolux – Transit Transit

Small Black – New Chain

How to Destroy Angels – How to Destroy Angels

Zola Jesus – Stridulum II

Girl Talk – All Day [if I could justify counting DJ records as “albums” this probably would rank top 25]

Emily Reo – WITCH MTN

Eels – End Times [very close call for a top10 spot]

Secret Knives – Affection

JJ – N° 3

JJ – Kills

Secret Cities – Pink Graffiti

Four Tet – There Is Love in You

Tender Forever – No Snare

Maps & Atlases – Perch Patchwork

Kim Boekbinder – The Impossible Girl

Engineers – In Praise Of More

Sufjan Stevens – The Age of ADZ

The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night

Amanda Palmer – Amanda Palmer Performs The Popular Hits Of Radiohead On Her Magical Ukulele

Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma

Lower Dens – Twin-Hand Movement

Kula Shaker – Pilgrims Progress [this could fill an entire post. perhaps it will someday.]

Lauren Carder & The Multiple Me – Lauren Carder And The Multiple Me [for fans of Laura Marling]

Little Insects – Almost Ghost [Orlando transplant in Brooklyn / badass to keep an eye on]

Mountain Man – Made The Harbor

No Age – Everything In Between

Bombay Bicycle Club – Flaws

Ghostland Observatory – Codename: Rondo

Owen Pallett – Heartland

Rafter – Animal Feelings

British Sea Power – Zeus EP

Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo

Blank Dogs – Land And Fixed

Nina Nastasia – Outlaster

Shapes and Sizes – Candle to Your Eye

Mynabirds – What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood

Suuns – Zeroes QC

The Extra Lens – Undercard

Faudel – Bled Memory

Frightened Rabbit – The Winter Of Mixed Drinks

Jenny And Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now

Toro y Moi – Causers of This

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Electric President – The Violent Blue

Best Coast – Crazy For You

Phosphorescent – Here’s To Taking It Easy

The Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt

Perfume Genius – Learning

Women – Public Strain

Of Montreal – False Priest

Villagers – Becoming a Jackal

No Age – Everything In Between

M.I.A. – /\/\/\Y/\

OK Go – Of the Blue Colour of the Sky

Everything Everything – Man Alive

Good Shoes – No Hope, No Future

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today

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Kula Shaker – Pilgrims Progress

Of Montreal – False Priest

LCD Soundsystem – This Is It

Hot Chip – One Life Stand

M.I.A. – /\/\/\Y/\

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Let It Sway

Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles ( II )

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The National – High Violet

Yeasayer – Odd Blood

A Life Like No Other – A Life Like No Other

Future Islands – In Evening Air

Sleigh Bells – Treats

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Nice Nice – Extra Wow

Meat Beat Manifesto – Answers Come In Dreams

The Flashbulb – Arboreal

Truth – Puppets

EF – Sons Of Ghosts

Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles ( II )

Billions and Billions – Billions and Billions

Emeralds – Does It Look Like I’m OK

Tobacco – Maniac Meat

The Books – The Way Out

Pantha Du Prince – Black Noise

Maserati – Pyramid Of The Sun

Faust – Faust Is Last

The Octopus Project – Hexadecagon

White Ring – Black Earth That Made Me [thanks to Erica for introducing me to this and to Witch House]

oOoOO – No Summr4U & oOoOO (s/t) [2 EPs]

Salem – King Night

▲⃝ ▲⃝ ▲⃝ – CD-ROM

Balam Acab – See Birds

/// ▲▲▲ \\ – CDR

†‡† – CDR

GR†LLGR†LL – CDR

Modern Witch – Dark Secrets of the New Age

Indian Jewelry – Totaled

✝ DEâ–³D VIRGIN ✝ – Anxities

LAKE Râ–²DIO – The Weather

Creep – Days EP

~▲†▲~ – ~▲†▲~

❖ – k n i g h t

H∆UNT3D HOUS3 – S3XY TIM3 3P

É… – Nothing [single]

VICES†OF†YOUTH – silence=death [single]

Black☻Skin – Casa Nostra [single]