Well I was all set to write about resolutions and promises for this playlist, in keeping with the ones we all seem to make at this time of year, but I was finding far more material about broken promises and “never again” type resolutions, so we’ll leave that for the next EAP at the end of the month since people typically abandon their best intentions by then. Instead I’ll profile the top 10 songs of 2010, in my not-so-humble opinion, since it’s also that time of year.
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French Horn Rebellion — “This Moment” [from This Moment EP]
This was a late entry in the sweepstakes as I only discovered the EP at the end of November, but it quickly burrowed into my brain and refused to get out. It’s a catchy, dance-y tune that suggests The Infinite Music of French Horn Rebellion full-length will be worth seeking out when it’s finally released in North America. -
Gianna Lauren — “Become What You Can’t Be” [from Some Move Closer, Some Move On]
I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Gianna Lauren perform in a very intimate setting — she played live on my radio show when she came to Winnipeg as part of a cross-country tour she conducted via VIA. Beautiful voice, great songwriter, captivating performer. -
Washed Out feat. Caroline Polachek — “You And I” [from Adult Swim Singles]
I know chillwave isn’t everyone’s bag and may well be on its way out as a musical fad, but the summer/fall of 2010 was all about the chillwave for me and nothing encapsulated the sound as well as Washed Out’s blissful, gauzy but eerily insistent tune. -
Bent By Elephants — “Can’t Have You” [from This Is Water]
This Montreal band has a very interesting sound, blending jazz, pop, folk and indie-rock elements into a curious, distinct whole. Taken from their debut LP, “Can’t Have You” has a wonderful loping rhythm that slowly hypnotizes the listener until vocalist Chelsey Walsh breaks the spell with an incredible chorus. The band recorded the song live as part of a Third Floor Session — an amazing multimedia project developed by the students at Ryerson. -
El Guincho — “Bombay” [from Pop Negro]
While the video is NSFW (not safe for work, for those not versant with web lingo), Barcelonan Pablo Díaz-Reixa has crafted a song that is instantly catchy and yet doesn’t wear out its welcome on repeated listens. While I don’t know if it truly explores the cosmos in the ship of imagination as Díaz-Reixa suggests at the beginning of the video, but it is pretty transcendent. -
Allie Hughes — “Not The Stars” [from Allie Hughes]
Turns out Torontonian Hughes has a background in musical theatre and participated in CBC’s How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? search for someone to perform as Maria von Trapp in the revival of The Sound Of Music. So it’s not surprising to see she has a taste for costumes and theatrics in her videos and live performances, but as “Not The Stars” proves, she also has the songwriting chops to blow up big. -
Yukon Blonde — “Wind Blows” [from Yukon Blonde]
It may not be Three Dog Night, but three scruffy bearded dudes from Kelowna, B.C. crafted some stellar AM pop on their self-titled debut. Shimmery guitars, subtle harmonies and catchy tunes abound, but none quite as memorable as “Wind Blows.” -
Robyn — “Indestructible” [from Body Talk]
Recovering fabricated-teen-pop-star Robyn continues her creative renaissance after freeing herself from the producers and suits who had her pegged as a Britney or Christina clone so many years ago. Over the course of two Body Talk EPs and the year-end full-length collection she explored relationships both successful and tortured, all set to ear-grabbing and floor-filling beats. -
Sea Wolf — “Turn The Dirt Over” [from White Water, White Bloom]
Here’s an artist I wish received the attention he deserves. Alex Brown Church released his second album in 2010 and further mined the dark, weighted indie folk sound of his debut, but he still has a pop songwriters’ ear for the hook; the chorus of “Turn The Dirt Over” is memorable and possesses a sing along quality that begs the listener to hit repeat several times over. -
Aloe Blacc — “I Need A Dollar” [from Good Things]
The unassailable, unquestionable number one for me from the moment I first heard this song. Blacc was clearly poised for greatness on his 2006 debut, Shine Through. Good Things was greatness achieved, boasting a jaw-dropping cover of Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale,” love songs like “You Make Me Smile” and the type of socio-political soul Marvin Gaye made famous on “What’s Going On” with “I Need A Dollar,” a sympathetic portrait of a man begging on the street and how he came to be there.
For a list of my favourite albums of 2010, visit http://eartothesound.blogspot.com.
