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)”

MP3: “I Walked” by Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens surprised us all with an EP release last week. And now there’s the news of another LP to be released in October, his first proper album in five years. A lot of fans will be pissed off by the electronic direction of the first song to surface of the new record, The Age of Adz, but this is one of the best tracks of the year so far. You can download “I Walked” by Sufjan Stevens here or stream it below (via Gorilla vs. Bear):

Fishpork’s 50 Favorite Tracks of 2009

This year really didn’t end up being that “greatest of the decade” as January-March may have suggested. With that said, our favorite tracks list became very album-heavy as it evolved throughout the year. With seven tracks from Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear in the top 20, you kinda get the point. Here is our very biased list of favorite tracks from 2009:

1. HEALTH – “Die Slow”
2. Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait for the Others“
3. Animal Collective – “Summertime Clothes”
4. Fuck Buttons – “Olympians”
5. Built to Spill – “Things Fall Apart”
6. Animal Collective – “My Girls”
7. Fever Ray – “Concrete Walls”
8. Grizzly Bear – “Ready, Able“
9. White Lies – “Farewell to the Foreground”
10. Moderat – “New Error”
11. Atlas Sound – “Attic Lights”
12. Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks“
13. Animal Collective – “Guy’s Eyes”
14. Fuck Buttons – “The Lisbon Maru”
15. Atlas Sound – “Walkabout”
16. Animal Collective – “What Would I Want? Sky”
17. Dredg – “Information”
18. White Lies – “Death”
19. Fever Ray – “Coconut”
20. Animal Collective – “Brothersport”
21. Built to Spill – “Good Ol’ Boredom”
22. MC Rut – “I Don’t Really Know”
23. The Mars Volta – “Since We’ve Been Wrong”
24. Modest Mouse – “The Whale Song”
25. Dirty Projectors – “Cannibal Resource”
26. Deerhunter – “Game of Diamonds”
27. Morrissey – “It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore”
28. Animal Collective – “I Think I Can”
29. HEALTH – “We Are Water”
30. Dredg – “Mourning This Morning”
31. Sufjan Stevens – “You Are the Blood”
32. Fuck Buttons – “Surf Solar”
33. Phoenix – “Girlfriend”
34. The Flaming Lips – “Silver Trembling Hands”
35. White Rabbits – “Rudie Fails”
36. The Mars Volta – “With Twilight As Our Guide”
37. Radiohead – “These Are My Twisted Words”
38. Great Northern – “Fingers”
39. Royksopp – “Tricky, Tricky”
40. Dirty Projectors – “Useful Chamber”
41. St. Vincent – “The Party”
42. YACHT – “Ring The Bell”
43. Bat For Lashes – “Sleep Alone”
44. Atlas Sound – “Sheila”
45. Washed Out – “Feel It All Around”
46. Das Racist – “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell”
47. Dirty Projectors – “Stillness Is The Move”
48. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – “Skeletons”
49. Great Northern – “Driveway”
50. Morrissey – “I’m OK By Myself”

Fishpork’s 100 Favorite Tracks of the 2000s

This is an attempt at the impossible. Here are our 100 favorite songs of the past decade (featuring multiple tracks from Animal Collective, The Knife, Radiohead, and Elliott Smith). Our top two choices are more like 1a and 1b. Be patient, as the page needs to load the embedded songs.

1. Panda Bear – “Bros” (2007)

2. The Knife – “We Share Our Mother’s Health” (2006)

3. Animal Collective – “For Reverend Green” (2007)

4. Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait For The Others” (2009)

5. The Knife – “Heartbeats” (2003)

6. Grizzly Bear – “The Knife” (2005)

7. LCD Soundsystem – “Someone Great” (2007)

8. TV on the Radio – “Staring at the Sun” (2003)

9. Crystal Castles – “Crimewave” (2008)

10. Beirut – “Ciloqut” (2007)

11. Thom Yorke – “Harrowdown Hill

12. Animal Collective – “Derek” (2007)

13. Nine Inch Nails – “Me, I’m Not” (2007)

14. Beck – “Lonesome Tears” (2002)

15. At The Drive-in – “One Armed Scissor” (2004)

16. Animal Collective – “Grass” (2005)

17. Deerhunter – “Nothing Ever Happened” (2008)

18. Atlas Sound – “Recent Bedroom” (2008)

19. Panda Bear – “Comfy in Nautica” (2007)

20. System of a Down – “Chop Suey” (2001)

21. Animal Collective – “Peacebone” (2007)

22. Battles – “Atlas” (2007)

23. Error – “Jack the Ripper” (2004)

24. Enon – “Pleasure and the Privilege”

25. Elliott Smith – “Son of Sam” (2000)

26. Animal Collective – “Did You See the Words” (2005)

27. The Knife – “Marble House” (2006)

28. LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends” (2007)

29. Thom Yorke – “Analyse” (2006)

30. The Flaming Lips – “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” (2002)

31. Girl Talk – “Smash Your Head” (2006)
<

32. A Perfect Circle – “Judith” (2000)

33. Radiohead – “Idioteque” (2000)

34. Tapes N’ Tapes – “Manitoba” (2006)

35. TV On The Radio – “I Was A Lover” (2006)

36. Radiohead – “Reckoner” (2007)

37. Fever Ray – “Coconut” (2009)

38. Animal Collective – “My Girls” (2009)

39. Built to Spill – “Things Fall Apart” (2009)

40. Wilco – “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart” (2002)

41. Modest Mouse – “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” (2000)

42. Animal Collective – “Leaf House” (2004)

43. Modeselektor – “Happy Birthday” (2007)

44. Arcade Fire – “Wake Up” (2004)

45. Autolux – “Blanket” (2004)

46. MGMT – “Time to Pretend” (2007)

47.  Built to Spill – “Conventional Wisdom” (2006)

48. Wilco – “Side With the Seeds” (2007)

49. Elliott Smith – “Happiness/The Gondola Man” (2000)

50. Avey Tare – “I’m Your Eagle Kisser” (2007)

51. Department of Eagles – “Waves of Rye” (2008)

52. Animal Collective – “Summertime Clothes” (2009)

53. Radiohead – “2+2 = 5″ (2003)

54. Dredg – “Sang Real” (2005)

55. While Lies – “Farewell to the Fairground” (2009)

56. Grizzly Bear – “Ready, Able” (2009)

57. Matisyahu – “King Without a Crown” (2005)

58. Modest Mouse – “Paper Thin Walls” (2000)

59. Dillinger Escape Plan – “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” (2002)

60. Elliott Smith – “Twilight” (2004)

61. Deerhunter – “Flourescent Grey” (2007)

62. Holy Fuck – “Lovely Allen” (2007)

63. LCD Soundsystem – “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” (2006)

64. The Notwist – “Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)” (2008)

65. Liars – “Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend” (2004)

66. The Mars Volta – “Inertiatic E.S.P.” (2003)

67. The Notwist – “Solitaire” (2002)

68. Of Montreal – “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” (2007)

69. Queens of the Stone Age – “Tangled Up in Plaid” (2005)

70. Radiohead – “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” (2007)

71. Saul Williams – “Raised To Be Lowered” (2007)

72. Autolux – “Great Days for the Passenger Element” (2004)

73. Sigur Ros – “Untitled 8″ (2002)

74. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – “Maps” (2003)

75. Portishead – “Threads” (2008)

76. Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago” (2005)

77. Ugly Casanova – “Things I Don’t Remember” (2002)

78. Animal Collective – “Brothersport” (2009)

79. Radiohead – “Pyramid Song” (2001)

80. Nine Inch Nails – “Only” (2005)

81. El-P – “Flyentology” (2007)

82. Queens of the Stone Age – “No One Knows” (2002)

83. Ghostface Killah – “Shakey Dog” (2006)

84. Modest Mouse – “Missed the Boat” (2007)

85. UNKLE – “Persons and Machinery” (2007)

86. Amon Tobin – “Verbal” (2002)

87. The White Stripes – “Denial Twist” (2005)
>

88. Tomahawk – “Captain Midnight” (2003)

89. Modest Mouse – “Bukowski” (2004)

90. Sigur Ros – “Hoppipolia” (2005)

92. Fuck Buttons – “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (2008)

93. Bon Iver – “Skinny Love” (2008)

94. Built to Spill – “In Your Mind” (2001)

95. The White Stripes – “Icky Thump” (2007)

96. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – “We Are Rockstars” (2008)

97. Dub Trio – “Not Alone” (2006)

98. Modest Mouse – “The World At Large”

99. The Walkmen – “In the New Year” (2008)

100. Nine Inch Nails – “The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood Remix)” (2007)

Album Review: Dark Was The Night

Compilation releases rarely get much consideration on end-of-year lists, but this year’s Dark Was The Night will defy that logic. Produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner from The National, the album’s proceeds go to the Red Hot Organization, a charity that raises money for HIV and AIDS. The double-length effort will not engage all the way through, as there are some snoozers mixed throughout. It’s obvious that many of the artists appearing on the album saved their best work for their own records (see Arcade Fire’s “Lenin”). However, the standout tracks make the album somewhat worthy of all the praise it has received so far this year.

Standout songs include the epic “You Are The Blood” by Sufjan Stevens. The 10-minute track is a reworking (and improvement) of a song by the Castanets, who appear on Steven’s Asthmatic Kitty label. An additional remix of the song appears on disc two, titled “Blood Pt. 2.” The track features a reworking of Steven’s song by Canadian hip hop artist, Buck 65. 2009 seems to belong to Brooklyn-based indie favorites Grizzly Bear, who appear on disc one twice. The band’s “Deep Blue Sea” is a whispery, melodic gem, and “Service Bell” is a haunting collaboration with ex-tourmate Feist. The most surprising track is a solo effort by TV On The Radio mastermind David Sitek. “With A Girl Like You” is a Trogg’s cover highlighted by Sitek’s usual tight production, an anthemic horn section, and baritone vocals. Although the album does not provide the grandiose indie rock statement that many bloggers have written about, there is enough good stuff here to keep listeners engaged for weeks.

A live performance of several songs on the album took place this past Sunday at Radio City Music Hall. Check out three of the better tracks from the album here:

http://www.myspace.com/darkwasthenight

February’s Fresh Pork Cuts

Mark’s:

• Fever Ray – “Triangle Walks”
• Sufjan Stevens – “You Are The Blood”
• Lotus Plaza – “Red Oak Way”
• The Flaming Lips – “Anything You Say Now I Believe You”
• Animal Collective – “What Would I Want Sky”

Pete’s:

• Morrissey – “Mama Lay Softly on the RIverbed”
• Dälek  – “We Lost Sight”
• Lotus Plaza – “Whiteout”
• TV on the Radio “Heroes” (Bowie Cover)
• Fever Ray – “Concrete Walls”

January’s Fresh Pork Cuts

Marks:

• Animal Collective – Bluish
• Arcade Fire – Burning Bridges
• Morrissey – I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
• Stereolab – Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Southern Baptist Remix)
• Sufjan Stevens – Good King Wenceslas
  

Petes:

• Julian Koster – Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
• The Breeders – Bang On
• Vivian Girls – Tell The World
• Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Moonland
• Lindstrom -  Where You Go I Go Too