ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2010

An extraordinary amount of great new things released this year, and some great reissues too.

Three other albums could also have been here as I heard them for the first time in 2010, but they’re not from this year and are nonetheless landmarks: Röövel Ööbik: Ringrada (Universal/UMBLU, 2009); La Grande Sophie: Des Vagues et des Ruisseaux (AZ, 2009); Catherine Major: Rose Sang (Productions De L’Onde, 2008).

After the initial ten or so, the order becomes irrelevant (which is why there are no numbers). The first five are expanded on here: theartsdesk Year Out / Year In: New Music

NEW STUFF

Susanne Sundfør: The Brothel (EMI)
Arnaud Fleurent-Didier: La Reproduction (Columbia/Sony)
MGMT: Congratulations (Columbia)
Our Broken Garden: Golden Sea (Bella Union)
Sylvie Vartan: Soleil Bleu (RCA)
Jane Weaver and Septième Soeur: The Fallen By Watch Bird (Bird)
Kyrie Kristmanson: Origin Of Stars (No Format)
Rose Elinor Dougall: Without Why (Scarlett Music)
Clare Diterzi: Rosa la Rouge (PIAS)
Hjaltalín: Terminal (Borgin Music)
K-X-P (Smalltown Supersound)
Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid (Bad Boy/Wondaland)
Françoise Hardy: La Pluie Sans Parapluie (Virgin)
Disappears: Lux (Kranky)
Le Prince Miiaou: Safety First (lpm)
The Concretes: WYWH (Something In Construction)
Islaja: Keraaminen Pää (Fonal)
Mark Ronson & the Business Intl: Record Collection (Columbia)
Frankie Rose and the Outs (Memphis Industries)
Dungen: Skit I Allt (Subliminal Sounds)
Agnes Obel: Philharmonics (PIAS)
Ólafur Arnalds: …And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness (Erased Tapes)
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Before Today (4AD)
Efterklang: Magic Chairs (4AD)
Field Music: Measure (Memphis Industries)
Her Name Is Calla: The Quiet Lamb (Denovali Records)
The Besnard Lakes: …are the Roaring Night (Jagjaguwar)
Soundcarriers: Celeste (Melodic)
Wildbirds & Peace Drums: Rivers (Leaf)

Ólöf Arnalds: Innundor Skinni (One Little Indian)

REISSUES

Various: With Love a Pot of Flowers (Big Beat)
Pärson Sound (Subliminal Sounds - vinyl three-album box set)
FJ McMahon: Spirit of the Golden Juice (Rev-Ola)
Various: Listen To The Voices Sly Stone In The Studio 1965-1970 (Ace)
François de Roubaix: L’Antarctique (WéMè)
Iggy and the Stooges: Raw Power (Columbia Legacy – the box set)
The Rationals: Think Rational! (Big Beat)
Turid: Stars and Angels: Songs, 1971-75 (RPM International - one of mine, but so great)
Jim Sullivan: UFO (Light In The Attic)
Various: Dansk Rock Historie (Universal)
The Master’s Apprentices (Aztec Music)
I Marc 4: The Beat Sound of the Fabulous… (Heristal)
Efterklang: Tripper + Springer (Leaf)
Buddy Holly: Not Fade Away The Compete Studio Recordings and more (Universal - despite the really poor editing of the text/label copy)
Belbury Poly: Farmer’s Angle (Ghost Box)
Kenny Graham and his Satellites: Moondog and Suncat Suites (Trunk)
Jet (RPM)
Various: Book A Trip The Pop Psych Sounds Of Capitol Records (Now Sounds)
Jane Birkin Serge Gainsbourg (Light In the Attic – vinyl version)

The Remo Four: Smile!, Peter Gunn…and more (Bear Family)