Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Shows of 2010
2010 will be remembered as the year we saw Jeff Mangum play five songs. It’s hard to compare that experience even in a year that was loaded with unforgettable performances. Deerhunter solidified themselves as Fishpork elite, Arcade Fire showed why some consider them the best band on the planet, and James Murphy all but burned down NYC. Here’s is our very biased list of our favorite shows of 2010:
1. Jeff Mangum @ Le Poisson Rouge
2. Deerhunter @ Starlight Ballroom
4. LCD Soundsystem @ Terminal 5
5. Arcade Fire/Spoon @ The Mann Center
6. Tobacco @ First Unitarian Church
7. Atoms For Peace @ Roseland Ballroom
8. Owen Pallett @ Bowery Ballroom
9. Modest Mouse @ Williamsburg Waterfront
10. Faith No More @ Williamsburg Waterfront
The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2010
We’re wondering if the end-of-the-year list makers have actually listened to Sufjan’s Steven’s The Age of Adz more than once (or even at all). It’s truly and unquestionably our favorite release for 2010. While we enjoyed some of the popular choices (This Is Happening, Halcyon Digest, The Suburbs, etc.) just as much as the next guy, there were some less popular albums that we really appreciated over the past 12 months (Down There, DISCO2, Shame, Shame). And is there any reason why a soundtrack cannot get some love? Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross may be the reason why The Social Network wins a Best Picture Oscar this year! Here are our favorite 20 albums of a tremendous year for music:
1. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
2. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
3. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles II
4. Caribou – Swim
5. The National – High Violet
6. Avey Tare – Down There
7. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
8. Owen Pallett – Heartland
9. HEALTH – DISCO2
10. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
11. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
12. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Social Network
13. Jonsi – Go
14. Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
15. Girl Talk – All Day
16. Vampire Weekend – Contra
17. The Magnetic Fields – Realism
18. Holy Fuck – Latin
19. The Walkmen – Lisbon
20. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Honorable Mention:
Seven Fields of Aphelion – Periphery
Most Disappointing Albums of 2010:
Elf Power – Elf Power
MGMT – Congratulations
Of Montreal – False Priest
Fishpork’s 50 Favorite Tracks of 2010
2010 started off strong, producing some of our favorite tracks off the summer playlist. As the weather heated up, things fell into a summer doldrum. Now, as we develop our end-of-the-year lists, we’re finding the year coming to a conspicuous end. Similar to 2009, the list is somewhat album-heavy, as we were drawn to several stand-out records among our favorite artists. Here is our very biased list of our 50 favorite tracks from 2010 (give the page a minute to load the SoundClouds):
1. LCD Soundsystem – “Dance Yrself Clean”
2. Caribou – “Odessa”
3. Sufjan Stevens – “I Walked”
4. Deerhunter – “Helicopter”
5. HEALTH – “USA Boys”
6. LCD Soundsystem – “I Can Change”
7. Crystal Castles – “Empathy”
8. Avey Tare – “Laughing Hieroglyphic”
9. Broken Social Scene – ‘World Sick”
10. Owen Pallett – “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt”
11. The National – “Afraid of Everyone”
12. Autolux – “Transit, Transit”
13. Sufjan Stevens – “Impossible Soul”
14. Jonsi – “Boy Lilikoi”
15. Arcade Fire – “The Suburbs”
16. Sufjan Stevens – “Vesuvius”
17. Caribou – “Jamelia”
18. Crystal Castles – “Not In Love (feat. Robert Smith)”
19. Beach House – “Norway”
20. Arcade Fire – “We Used To Wait”
21. The Black Keys – Tighten Up
22. Yeasayer – “Mondegreen”
23. Deerhunter – “He Would Have Laughed”
24. Owen Pallett – “Midnight Directives”
25. The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
26. Crystal Castles – “Vietnam”
27. How To Destroy Angels – “Fur-Lined”
28. The National – “Terrible Love”
29. Sufjan Stevens – “Too Much”
30. White Lies – “Bigger Than Us”
31. Panda Bear – “Slow Motion”
32. Avey Tare – “Lucky 1″
33. Liars – “Scarecrows on a Killer Slant”
34. Dr. Dog – “Jackie Wants A Black Eye”
35. Ratatat – “Party With Children”
36. Tobacco – “Lamborghini Meltdown”
37. The Walkmen – “Angela Surf City”
38. Middle Class Rut – “New Low”
39. HEALTH – “Before Tigers (Gold Panda Remix)”
40. Four Tet – “Plastic People”
41. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Bright Lit Blue Skies”
42. Jonsi – “Tornado”
43. Menomena – “Five Little Rooms”
44. Yeasayer – “ONE”
45. Of Montreal – “Like a Tourist”
46. Matthew Dear – “You Put a Smell On Me”
47. Delta Spirit – “Bushwick Blues”
48. Avey Tare – “Oliver Twist”
49. MGMT – “Flash Delirium”
50. Flying Lotus – “…And The World Laughs With You (Ft. Thom Yorke)”
Jónsi @ Terminal 5
Jónsi’s performance Saturday night at Terminal 5 left no emotion unfurled. I’m not sure if there an a word in the English language that can adequately describe the degree of emotional stimulation his music brings when fused into the visceral stage production assembled for this tour.
Jónsi decided to embark on a solo record while the other members of Sigur Rós are having children and imagined it to be a quiet acoustic record. The sound of his first solo record go quickly grew into a much larger production. He wanted to reflect this sound with an equally massive stage production. Jónsi enlisted Phil Eddolls and 59 Productions, a company that usually produces operas, bringing a unique stage show of film, art installation, and theater performance as a backdrop for the show. The concept is inspired by a book featuring photos of a burned out taxidermist shop.
The show began with simplicity. Jonsi and his acoustic guitar playing the subdued unreleased track “Stars In Still Water” in front a tan curtain covering the back of the stage. Having seen a few online videos I waited for it to drop and give way to the elaborate set design behind it. However, this was not the case. Halfway through the second song, “Hengilás,” the unassuming tarp transformed into a gigantic, tea-stained piece of paper adorned with sketches of brooding animals. Now realizing it was actually a screen, the digital image that covered the entire back of the stage began to burn away with a stunning digital fire as the strings picked up and the song came to an end. What was left behind was a darkened forest of burnt trees in various states of decay, with two separate smaller screens in front of the stage illuminating images of a glass jar filled with an ocean of butterflies for the next song, “Icicle Sleeves.” What followed was the first of many jaw-dropping moments and an almost indescribable series of stunning images. Animals changing form, becoming wire frames, then shedding their color while chasing one another through a dead forest of night for the song “Kolniður.”
The calm tension of the song “Tornado” led into the thunderous drums of “Sinking Friendships,” which stood as the musical shift of a consistently rising tempo for each song. Each one sounded louder than the previous and never let up. Ending with Jónsi in a feather headdress, violently shaking his head and body, while belting out the final lyrics “They, in the end, will turn and fall, You’ll know…” from the closer “Grow Till Tall.” It left the crowd and mysefl disoriented and overwhelmed with his almost frightening ability evoke emotion. Full set list and a few Youtube videos below, giving a peek into the experience.
Setlist:
Stars in Still Water
Hengilás
Icicle Sleeves
Kolniður
Tornado
Sinking Friendships
Saint Naive
New Song
Go Do
Boy Lilikoi
K12
New Song
Around Us
Encore
Animal Arithmetic
Grow Till Tall
Stream Jonsi’s Go In Its Entirety
March 30, 2010 by Mark
Filed under Experimental, News, Upcoming Releases
Sigur Ros recently announced they would be going on hiatus to work on solo projects. Lead singer Jonsi offers his second side project (following last year’s Jonsi and Alex album) with the release of Go. His first solo offering resembles Sigur Ros, but Jonsi explores more positive themes and upbeat compositions on Go. The album was released on March 22. If you haven’t bought it yet, NPR is streaming the 40+ minute record in its entirety (here). Jonsi just wrapped up weeks of preparation for his tour, which will include two NYC stops. We’ll see you there!
MP3: “Boy Lilikoi” by Jonsi
Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi Birgisson’s first track off of his forthcoming solo album is called “Boy Lilikoi.” The song features string arrangements by Nico Muhly. Instead of singing in Icelandic or made-up Sigur Ros gibberish, the lyrics are in English. If this song is any indication of how good the solo effort will be, Sigur Ros fans have much to look forward to. I just hope this doesn’t end up in 100 movie trailers like other Sigur Ros songs:
Download “Boy Lilikoi” by Jonsi here or stream it below (via Stereogum):