JUST LIFE >> DEJ’s Top 11 Albums of 2010 ::

Laughing maniacally, I crank the rusty wheel on the wall, raising the monster into the buffeting rain. Lightning strikes. Life begins anew. Such is the resurrection of this blog. SORRY for the protracted silence (as if anyone was actually reading). I’m back and I can’t think of a better thing to bring me back besides my fave albums of 2010.

Many of these may be expected. Some may only make this list. Heck, I suppose that’s the beauty of being God in the shabby little universe that is this blog. Here they is…
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11 –> THE ARCH ANDROID :: Janelle Monae :: A retro-futuristic showcase for Monae’s prodigious talents, by rights, this should be higher on this list based on the moments of COMPLETE brilliance here. Despite a slight unevenness all told, I’m filing this under “one to watch,” because based on this techno soul masterpiece Monae will be dazzling us for years to come.

FAVE SONG :: Dance or Die
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10 –> LE NOISE :: Neil Young :: Further proof that age is no barrier to rock and roll. This release rocks. From the ringing clarion call of the opening riffs through the bittersweet strains of Love and War to the last echoes of the album, there is a dissident rumbling here that feels like a dark storm rolling in over the plains.

FAVE SONG :: Love and War
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09 –> MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY :: Kanye West :: Ever ambitious, artful and viciously creative, this release is another step down the path that Kanye walks alone. Despite his tantrums and the drama he continues to surround himself with, Kanye is a vital creative force in music today and this album is proof that he can not be ignored. This delivers on all of the promise of the fusion of pop, rock and hip hop has in one broad package. The track Runaway itself is a tour de force and will stand as an anthem for all of us misfits and imperfect souls everywhere.

FAVE SONG :: Runaway (Get this song, even if you can’t do the whole album. Holy.)
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08 –> OLYMPIA :: Bryan Ferry :: As a young teen in the early 80’s, there was no smoother role model for me than Bryan Ferry. This man is cooler than cool and he always has been. Olympia feels like crushed velvet — glamorous, rich and sexy. In many ways, it’s like a lost sequel to the seminal Avalon with everything that brings with it.

FAVE SONG :: Alphaville
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07 –> THIS IS HAPPENING :: LCD Soundsystem :: If you extrapolate out the early work of bands like Devo and Kraftwerk to a glorious and logical end and then have The Cars write and produce it, you get to this album. This is an electronic album with a pulsating, warm, flourishing soul and quirky heart to spare.

FAVE SONG :: Drunk Girls
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06 –> CONTRA :: Vampire Weekend :: Defying the “sophomore slump,” this is a great follow up to their groundbreaking first album. Overall, it’s a dappled, sunsplashed, literate, fluttering release that feels both totally hopeful and world weary at once. As I have grown with this one, it begins to feel more and more like a comfortable memory of early summers contemplating the world of ideas. Wonderful.

FAVE SONG :: TIE — White Sky and I Think Ur a Contra
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05 –> THE AGE OF ADZ :: Sufjan Stevens :: At turns quietly measured and dissonantly bombastic, this release from Sufjan is a return to form. This feels like a splintered, avant garde window into Steven’s intensely introspective world. Though I do feel that he is still chasing the staggering accomplishment of my album of the decade “Come on Feel the Illinoise,” this is a very progressive step in that direction. Beautiful.

FAVE SONG :: Futile Devices
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04 –> WHEN THE DEVIL GOES BLIND :: Charlie Parr :: Is this Country Blues? Piedmont Blues? Folk? Americana? Who cares. I DO know that it’s like a lost transmission from the 30’s you’ve picked up bouncing back from the stars, raw and beautiful. These compositions are decidedly muscular and powerful but brittle and somehow fragile at the same time and all of it punctuated by Charlie Parr’s stunning guitar work. For me, the most interesting thing about Parr is how completely UN-self-conscious he is in this sound. This is not a museum piece. It is not staged, fake and waxy like it could be. Parr is no poseur. He’s the real deal and creating music in an old tradition that burns with vitality.

FAVE SONG :: 1890
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03 –> THE SUBURBS :: Arcade Fire :: This indie, post-punk, power pop opus is a sheer delight. Sprawling and flowering, the compositions here communicate a unique sense of urgency and emotional resonance.

FAVE SONG :: TIE — Empty Room and We Used to Wait
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02 –> HOW I GOT OVER :: The Roots :: I have long been a fan of the unique sound of The Roots and this album only takes me further down the fanboy rabbit hole. Completely infectious and REAL beats, punchy instrumentation, moving lyrical content, this has it all. Curtis Mayfield is listening to this wherever he is and trust me, he’s smiling and his head is bobbing.

FAVE SONG :: How I Got Over
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01 –> THE DEAD WEATHER :: Sea of Cowards :: This is a rock and roll album. ‘Nuff said. Indie? Maybe. Infused with raw creative power? Definitely. Jack White remains an enigmatic trickster but there is a simple, sludgy honesty to this music. This hits my top spot for its unique blend of creativity and production and perhaps most of all, for its rock and roll heart.

FAVE SONG :: TIE — Hustle and Cuss and Gasoline
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There they are. Have at ’em. 🙂