Music I Enjoyed in 2010 With Minimal Commentary or Explanation

Daniel Melnick — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 11:58:02 -0500

I almost didn't bother this year - I haven't done particularly well at keeping up, and as you'll notice below, I'm mostly reiterating what you've seen elsewhere. Anything noticeably absent from this list that pops up a lot elsewhere is possibly due to me not hearing it (see: Jason Moran's critically lauded album Ten). Who knows - if I had heard it, I may have participated in the critical circle jerk.

I'll be honest - I'm not 100% sure all of this music was even released in 2010. But it was all new to me.

Without further ado:

Marc Ribot - Silent Movies: Ribot laid bare, haunting, wistful, beautiful.
Vijay Iyer - Solo: Didn't exceed expectations but met lofty ones, which is a feat in and of itself.
Henry Threadgill - This Brings Us To, Vol. II: The master continues to speak volumes, traverse new lands.
Mary Halvorson Quintet - Saturn Sings: Halvorson emerges as a compositional force to match her unique voice on the guitar.
William Parker - I Plan to Stay A Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield: I was involved in presenting this band at the Chicago Jazz Festival and the album captures the essence that I fell in love with in the live setting.
Jason Adasiewicz - Sun Rooms: Adasiewicz creates a modern classic to my ears, his vibraphone and compositions vibrate my cranium at just the right frequency to induce bliss.
Mike Reed's People, Places & Things - Stories and Negotiations: One of (if not the) best working bands in Chicago continues to knock out records that capture its unique energy and interactions.
Hamid Drake & Bindu - Reggaeology: The long held promise that Drake would combine his past excursions in reggae into a coherent whole of his musical background is fulfilled.
Paolo Angeli - Tibi: The Italian master of the sardinian prepared guitar - if you haven't heard him, just do it.
Barry Guy/Agusti Fernandez – Some Other Place: I sought this one out after being absolutely blown away by Fernandez live at the Umbrella Music Festival. I still need more but this satiated my desire for now.
Seu Jorge and Almaz - Seu Jorge and Almaz: Jorge might be known amongst the hipster set as that Brazilian guy who covers Bowie tunes for those cool movies, but he's so much more. Great tunes, incredible vibe.
Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - Ali and Toumani: Not as good as the first album but still utterly transcendent to my ears.
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - I Speak Fula: Not as good as Segu Blue but still full of incredible energy and interactions.
Various - Something Is Wrong: Vintage Recordings From East Africa: Honest Jons continues its fascinating curatorial work with this gem. I can't help but feel transported when I listen to it.
Orchestre Regional de Mopti - Les Meilleurs Souvenirs De La 1ere Biennale Artistique et Culturelle de la Jeunesse: Jazz fans will recognize the Mopti part of this album. I feel lucky to be able to listen to it, great guitar work and sounds throughout.
L'Orchestre National A de la Republique du Mali: Another gem from Mississippi records.
Black Keys - Brothers: I've always had a soft spot for their sound and this record is one of their most complete to date.
Grinderman - Grinderman 2: I was on a big Nick Cave kick all year and this was the icing on the cake. They were amazing live.
Neil Young - Le Noise: Neil Young manages to reinvent his sound while maintaining his voice.

Until next time!

SOUNDSLOPE

Music I Enjoyed in 2010 With Minimal Commentary or Explanation