[SKOA Presents] The Top 25 Albums of 2010: 20-16
20. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker [Buy MP3 | Vinyl]When you think about psych rock bands for 2010, the first band that should stand out should be the Austrailian 3 piece, Tame Impala and their debut album Innerspeaker. This album rocks from beginning to end, from the eerie beatle-esque vocals from vocalist/guitarist Kevin Parker in the track “It Is Not Meant To Be” to other stand out tracks like “Desire Be Desire Go”, “Lucidity” and “Solitude Is Bliss”. Innerspeaker’s amazing melodies and lyrics drenched in reverb and echo vocal effects, along with the band’s solid fuzz rock sound sets you in an awesome psychadelic dreamscape with each listen. The exciting part about this album, it’s the band’s first release which means we have a lot to look forward from Tame Impala in the future. - Rocko
19. Warpaint - The Fool [Buy CD | Vinyl]An all girl band with a lot of buzz this year which normally would have me turning around immediately upon the mention of “buzz”. Yet, these girls delivered an exceptional debut album along with rousing live performances. Their lead single “Undertow” grabbed my attention immediately with it’s, as Pitchfork put it, “smoky mid-tempo” feel set the tone for the rest of the album. The rest of the album didn’t disappoint with it’s moody riffs and lyrics paired with Emily Kokal’s, Theresa Wayman and Jenny Lee’s haunting vocals and harmonies, along with the mellow drum work of Stella Mozgawa. From front to back the mystriousness of these girls drips through your speakers and makes you want to listen on and on. Yes it’s their debut album, but it’s also a bloody good listen and will have you imagining fields of flowers on a summers day along with the changing leaves of Fall. An all year round album that I feel deserves it’s place in our top albums of 2010. - Shey
This self-tiled fourth installment from New York City's finest managed to deliver in a big way despite recent lineup changes and a recent break as lead singer Paul Banks ventured off into the great big world of solo records under the name Julian Plenti. In true Interpol fashion, the album is dripping with a dark allure, courtesy of the rhythm section, while Banks' vocals coat each song like hot fudge on an ice cream sundae, with its velvety richness. Working hand in hand with the stellar performances is the usual excellent writing that we have grown to expect from the band. The approach to the subject matter in each piece is pretty straightforward but always carefully presented. While this album did not break any new ground, it did reinforce their well-earned place in the world. - Kibbe
Chromeo is perhaps one of the most interesting musical partnerships out there. Not only do Dave-1 and P-Thugg describe themselves as “the only successful Arab/Jewish partnership since the dawn of human culture,” but they also managed to bring the seemingly forgettable sounds and styles of the 1980s and turned them into music that is catchy and modern at the same time. Their latest album Business Casual is an overly sexual, funky, groovy, dancey romp from start to finish. Right off the bat it hits you with the bass bumpin’ “Hot Mess,” and from there it just picks up and takes you for a seductive ride. What makes this album stand out from Chromeo’s two previous albums is the increased diversity that the duo brings to their instrumentation, whether it’s the heavier use of catchy guitar riffs or their fantastic progression on the synth, it all comes together in a very catchy and sexy package. - Adrian
With only two albums under their belt, New York-based Vampire Weekend is amazingly comfortable with the music they make. Their sophomore studio album Contra delivers a well-paced and overall surprising package that is on par, if not better, than their debut album. Every element of the band comes together so nicely on their second outing, whether it’s Ezra Koenig’s distinct vocals or Rostam Batmanglij’s unique synth work; all of it just connects in such a way that it’s hard not to continue listening. Every song on the album manages to cross genre borders yet still offers the unique persona of Vampire Weekend, such as the ever catchy “White Sky” or their two fantastic singles “Holiday and “Cousins.” Coming out with a sophomore album that manages to surpass such an outstanding debut album (i.e. 2008’s Vampire Weekend) is a rare occurrence for most bands, but Vampire Weekend managed to do just that with Contra. - Adrian
