Albums in My Life: 2010

2010 was a pretty dark time in my life, relatively speaking. My depression, which I've dealt with since adolescence, was probably the worst it's ever been, to the point where I was involving myself in extracurricular activities that I probably shouldn't have been. I was a sophomore and junior in college, and I really didn't know where I was going. It's good to know things never really change.




Drake- Thank Me Later
It's hard to think of a time where something Drake did could be considered refreshing, but at the time of his debut, rap was really stuck in that gangbanger machismo image. He really made being confessional and emotional on a track cool. As much as I dislike his current output, I connected with the sad sack vibe of some his earlier stuff. I feel like he's a little too successful and about his own brand to make music people can identify with any more. He really just makes chart topping pop with little substance now, which is fine I guess, it's just not for me.




Earl Sweatshirt- Earl
This was probably the first Odd Future release I ever heard, and it introduced me to the super dark (at the time) world of Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. The record is ridiculously dark, and I couldn't see an album with this subject matter being accepted today, outside cult horrorcore and death metal circles. It's amazing to think that Earl was rapping this well at 16, and that Tyler's production was so on point. They've definitely progressed since then; Earl getting a lot more depressive and introspective, and Tyler smoothing out a lot of rough edges, but this was the nihilistic embryonic stage that initially drew me in.



of Montreal- False Priest
False Priest is a little bit of a polarizing record in of montreal's catalog, as some fans think it's a little too gaudy or out there. Though Skeletal Lamping was my introduction to the band, I found that effort to be a lot more produced, and its sheer length made it an exhausting listen. I feel like the follow up was a lot more fun, without a lofty concept to bog it down, with a lot more humor and immediate hooks. It's a bit of a grower, but tracks like 'Our Riotous Defects', and 'Sex Karma' never get old to my ears.




Skrillex- My Name is Skrillex/ Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
I couldn't pick which of brostep producer Skrillex's 2010 EPs was better, so I just had to go with both. One of my suite mates in college introduced me to him, and I loved the electronic dance sound blended with the aggression that one might normally only find in a punk or metal context. Big Beat music might be aggressive, but I always found that a little corny. These dubstep drops and wobbles just sounded so angry and alien. I had never heard anything like it. I'm not really sure why this genre died off while more generic EDM was allowed to survive.



Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
If in 2004, you would have told me that there would be a point in my life where I would regard Kanye West as an artist I actively enjoyed, I would have laughed in your face. I wasn't a huge hip hop head then, and his public persona was far too obnoxious. After 808s opened the door, Kanye stepped through it with his magnum opus, a blend of top tier production, clever braggadocious but introspective rapping, and a list of features that read like a list of music's elite. While recent years have again put me off Kanye to an extent, I'll always check in to see if he can reach those heights again.




So, that was my soundtrack to 2010. Stop in again soon for the most important albums in my life from 2011. I'll try to pump the last three volumes of this series out relatively soon. I've got some new ideas for The Run-Out Groove, or Dead Wax, or whatever I happen to be calling this extended cry for help at a future date, and I hope to roll those out sooner rather than later.




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Albums in My Life: 2009

After an over 2 month absence, I'm back to working on the albums in my life series. Sorry, I've just been a little busy. So, 2009. For the majority of it, I was 18 years old, and I was a freshman and sophomore in college.


Arctic Monkeys- Humbug
This is definitely a polarizing album in the Arctic Monkeys discography, but I really enjoy how weird they got on this album. This was really the start of their departure from their original sound, and the beginning of Josh Homme's influence. This had them embracing a lot of desert rock influences, and Alex Turner's lyrics, while still witty, got a lot more surreal. However, for being as weird as it is, this album still has songs that are catchy as all hell. Every time I hear 'Dangerous Animals', it gets stuck in my head for days. I think its the way the title is spelled out in the chorus. It's borderline diabolical.




The Decemberists- The Hazards of Love
This was the first Decemberists album I really got into. I listened to tracks here and there, and when I was just starting to become a fan of the band, they dropped this album. I still remember going to the local(ish) Best Buy to the college with my roommate and buying this album. I'm a sucker for rock operas, and this record is probably one of the most cohesive in the bunch in terms of actually conveying a story without the aid of extensive liner notes or spoken word interludes. They also enlisted multiple guest vocalists so that most characters have a distinct voice, which is a reason I think a lot of other rock operas get a little confusing. A classic in my mind.



Kid Cudi- Man on the Moon: The End of the Day
While 'Day 'N' Nite' and 'Make Her Say' were definitely huge in my little liberal arts college party circle, I find myself coming back to this album more now than I did then. I think now that I've seen the impact that it's had on hip hop it clicks so much more. In 2009, this record was definitely an anomaly, and on an island all to itself. I feel like I definitely slept on this album when it came out. This was the perfect blend of rapping and singing that plenty of trap crooners have really never come close to replicating. Even Kid Cudi himself hasn't topped this album.



The Lonely Island- Incredibad
As a former SNL viewer and apologist until even I could no longer defend how unfunny it became, I definitely enjoyed this collection of SNL digital short songs, with a few new additions. I was kind of surprised how much traction this got, leaving the SNL and Youtube comedy spheres and becoming enormously successful (I even remember some of these songs getting regularly played at parties I went to). While mainstream media co opting geeky hobbies is the norm now, with all the Marvel movies and the like, it was pretty interesting to see something like this blow up.



Them Crooked Vultures- Them Crooked Vultures
I enjoyed the music of the Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, and Led Zeppelin a pretty decent amount at the time, so when I heard a super group of some of their members was coming out with an album, I knew I had to grab it. I went to the store the weekend after it dropped, picked it up, and just had my mind blown as I played it on repeat from Friday night until I had to go back to class. It was a very familiar rock formula, but they did a lot of things differently, and I still hold out hope, 10 years later, that there might eventually be a sequel to this record.




So, that's it for 2009. Hopefully, you enjoyed my look back, and feel free to share your favorite albums from the past. Next time, I'll be looking at 2010, and extending this series out until 2013. I figured, after that point, you can check my year end lists on the blog to see my favorite records.



"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."