This is astounding news! It’s been brought to my attention that the year 2010 has ended! And not only that, it seems that when such a thing happens, people tend to compile and share lists of their favourite things from that very same year that has just concluded—films, books, music, etc.
Well, waddya know!
Okay, so maybe I just haven’t gotten around to it till now, but, y’know, stuff happens. Or at least that’s my excuse. Or maybe I’ve just never been one to run with the crowd, so I’ve waited until all the other losers have finished trotting out their lists. Yeah, that’s it.
So here’s Part 1 of the Music I Liked in 2010. I’m not big on ranked lists, so I’m just gonna toss it all out there. No Top 10. No #1. Just…stuff I liked.
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Part 1
For some reason 2010 gave us a lot of male-female pairings of one kind or another. So let’s call this instalment Vive le Difference.
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Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, Hawk
This is one that came to my attention late in the year. Like, when I was reading everyone else’s Top 10 lists. Hawk is the third outing from this unlikely duo—Campbell, late of indie darlings Belle & Sebastian, and Lanegan, the former Screaming Trees/Queens of the Stone Age singer.
Through delicate and rootsy acoustic ballads, noir-ish neo-blues, and raucous rave-ups, the combination of their voices—Lanegan’s deep, rough and ravaged; Campbell’s fragile and feathery—works more often than not. It also doesn’t hurt that they include covers of two Townes Van Zandt songs—Snake Song and No Place to Fall (featuring guest vocalist Willy Mason).
You can hear the album streaming on their Facebook page.
Favourite tracks:
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Jenny & Johnny, I’m Having Fun Now
When I first heard of this project from the fabulous Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins) and her boyfriend Johnathan Rice, I thought it had the potential to be a gf-bf bs album that would be just a little too cute. She in her cut-off shorts and adorable boots and he in his impossibly lived-in jeans and leather jacket, rocking out in the California sunshine and gazing into each other’s eyes as they share a microphone.
But I’m happy to say my concerns were unfounded. It turned out to be a very enjoyable slice of pop-tinged rock, featuring great melodies, interesting duo interplay and engaging harmonies.
Favourite tracks:
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Mavis Staples (and Jeff Tweedy), You Are Not Alone
Mister Wilco, Jeff Tweedy, joins the list of “Resurrectors” (Jack White, T Bone Burnett, Joe Henry) by producing this come-back album for gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples. But there’s nothing cynical about this effort. It’s all heart and soul, and Tweedy does a great job while staying out of the way to keep the spotlight on Mavis. The result is an earthy and soul-stirring gumbo of gospel, blues and soul that lets Staples’ inimitable voice and spirit shine.
This album would have made my list even if it only contained the title track (written by Tweedy) and nothing else. It’s simply one of the most beautiful, moving, uplifting and affirming songs I’ve heard in ages. Gospel 2010. Amen.
Favourite tracks:
And because the title song is worth listening to again, here’s a live acoustic version with just Mavis and Tweedy. I present this version because it bears witness to what is obviously a very real bond between the two Chicagoans. You can actually see and feel the generosity and caring. It makes your heart swell up two sizes too big.
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Plants and Animals, La La Land
Okay, I suppose this doesn’t quite fit the male-female theme here, but maybe it depends what’s going on with the stamens and pistils, if you know what I mean. (And, no, I’m not exactly sure what that means either, but as it allows me to fit them under the theme, I’ll go with it.)
La La Land is the Montreal indie trio’s second full-length effort and it was my introduction to the band. It’s hard to easily categorize their music. Maybe that’s one of the things I like about it. I really like their guitar sounds and tones. Does that help? Hmmm, what else. There’s a sparseness, but it’s also expansive at times. Maybe it’s because they do a nice job blending an indie-rock aesthetic with a slightly prog-rock approach. Perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s something solid about them that really caught my ear.
Give ’em a whirl. Listen to tracks here.
Favourite Tracks:
American Idol (excerpt)
Stay tuned for Music I Liked in 2010 Part 2…
