Rachel's Highlights of 2010

I am suffering end of year blues. No, I think I am suffering severe post-holiday blues. Going back to work this week after three weeks in Thailand has not helped this. Making a list of my favourite songs of the year has helped this marginally - trawling my ipod and listening to so much amazing music - but somehow made it worse too. How the fuck am I supposed to narrow this year down to ten songs, so overwhelming, what happened to the year, who am i, where am i, why am i sitting at a desk at work, what day is it, what am i supposed to do when a new year starts, oh god.


1. It seems that Steve and I concur that Twin Shadow was one of the best artists to come out of 2010. Have you googled a picture of him? He is also the best things to come out of 2010 aesthetically.

Twin Shadow - At My Heels


2. Kisses were also another 2010 love affair for me. I thought the dreampop shoegazey year of 2009 would blissfully float away to another glo-fi time and space continuum in 2010 but I was wrong and it was very much here to stay. The Hot Chip remix of this track is amazeballs as well.

Kisses - Kisses

Kisses - Kisses (Hot Chip Remix)


3. I do not care for indie street cred and love this next song to bits. The number of strange corners of the world in which I heard this song this year only made me love it more. The fact that Dcup is a blouse man only makes it better even though it needed no extra levels of betterness. This song is going to do down in dance music history like Drop the Pressure.

DCup and Yolanda Be Cool - We No Speak Americano


4. Tame Impala's album Innerspeaker was Australia's 2010 obsession apparently. There is something annoyingly good about their music. It's like, I don't like the fact that I like it. Is that weird? I think it's because every time I've seen them live they've been poo. And they're young and blaze and seem to not give a shit. But then their music is the shit. So confused. Lucidity was a fave but I am a sucker for a sick instrumental and this is the instrumental of the year.

Tame Impala - Jeremy's Storm


5. Delorean was my live music experience of the year and therefore deserves a spot. I saw them play at a club in Shibuya in Tokyo which was surreal in itself but complete with dancing Japanese hipsters and that guy who goes nuts on the keyboard and Ibiza-stylez electronic music in the middle of downtown Nippon, it was too good. This is the standout from their 2010 album Subiza I think.

Delorean - Stay Close


6. 7. 8. and 9. Sydney pumped out so much good music this year! Not that it ever doesn't but Jinja Safari, Bag Raiders, Flight Facilities and Boy and Bear stole my attention this year. These four tracks were on high rotation on the local dial. Have you heard tropical house done as good as Snake Chalmers? Or carefree summertime disco-pop as good as Crave You? And Jinja Safari even had their own genre made up for them - "forest rock" or some shit like that. As for Boy and Bear, you make my heart melt.

Bag Raiders - Snake Chalmers

Jinja Safari - Peter Pan

Boy and Bear - Mexican Mavis

Flight Facilities - Crave You

Flight Facilities - Crave You (C90 Remix)


10. And if you want to know who will be at the top of the Australian music scene in a couple of years time it is this dude. This is the first taste we have had of Joyride & The Accidents and it made my year. Feeling a little excitable for what is to come.

Joyride & The Accidents - This Is It


11. Kanye (another one you hate to love) really sucked me in this year and it seems the rest of the world too. This song is bananas. So beautiful, so effortlessly cool and something that just makes you shake your head and think how does he keep on doing it?

Kanye West - Lost in the World


12. I know I'm now up to number 12 in my top 10 and being self indulgent with what the above average music lover will deem a below average list of favourites but whatevs. Yeasayer are my all timers. It'd be easy to choose One as the standout from Odd Blood but Madder Red is so sick, it gives me chills down my spine. My sister has declared that she wants this song played at her funeral procession as her body is slowly paraded through the crowds on the shoulders of red indians.

Yeasayer - Madder Red

And here are all the tracks in a zip file via mediafire


Love you 2010 and love you blouse readers. Sending much love over the seas and cities and the radio waves xxxxxx

steve's highlights of 2010

i usually hate looking back on years of things. the illusion of how fast a year went is shattered when you realise how much happened.
2010 is slightly different though.. when i look back on its music, i actually feel really happy. so, so many outrageously good albums and singles have kicked in the door this year. i cant remember what it was like in previous years, but this year seemed to have one highly anticipated release after another.
these next seven tracks are, to me, the songs that most defined 2010. and what a year it was:

i think a lot of people have lcd soundsystem's 'this is happening' as the crowning album of the year in their books. its easy to see why with so many genius dance-punk jams (and a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek spunk) squeezed in there. 'home' was my favourite on the album, and seeing it live really made me smile.

LCD Soundsystem - Home (alt)

i feel like hot chip's "one life stand" is sometimes forgotten when people put together their top lists for 2010. solid without being incredible, it was an album that got a lot of airplay from me throughout the year. "take it in" is a far cry from what many people love hot chip for, but the wholesome, happy vibe of the song really stood out for me.. one of my faves:

Hot Chip - Take It In (alt)

i seriously went off kanye after all of his antics. however, after reluctantly watching his mini movie promo for "my beautiful dark twisted fantasy" i had to get back in the action. and im glad i did. i dont think that ive heard a hip hop album that captured my imagination quite as much for a long time. the guy is a perfectionist, and it shows.
its hard to pick a favourite, but one of them would have to be 'so appalled'. epic strings, solemn vibe and a list rappers longer than your arm:

Kanye West - So Appalled (alt)

twin shadow's 80s inspired pop came too late for some, but right on time for me. i think this album was on repeat for longer than any other for me this year. addictive hooks, pleading vocals and reminiscent charm had me sold. my only criticism was that it wasnt long enough. 'tether beat' was my pick of the bunch.. a closet stormer with a dark, brooding feel.

Twin Shadow - Tether Beat (alt)

caribou and four tet really owned s*&t this year. thanks to 'swim' and 'there is love in you', i believe they finally got the attention they deserved. although both of these albums got significant plays, it was 'odessa' that really got flogged. the muttered vocals and off-kilter melody really won me over - and when i started to get sick of it, i watched the video and fell in love all over again.

Caribou - Odessa (alt)

the sweaty fun of el guincho's "pop negro" was a highlight for me this year as well. i might have enjoyed it a little more than i should have cos i was learning spanish, but probably not. his brand of latin pop was a fresh sound for me this year, and i look forward to listening to plenty over the summer break as well.

El Guincho - Ghetto Facil (alt)

disco/house had a solid year as well, but the clear stand out in my book was tensnake's coma cat. the first time i heard it, i couldnt quite believe that something that sounded this good existed. steel drums, a driving 90's warehouse bassline and pianos. i couldnt imagine that combination sounding any better than this. a stone cold classic.

Tensnake - Coma Cat (alt)

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on a personal level, i feel that the amazing quality of diverse music released this year forced me to broaden my horizons and enjoy music ive never listened to before - or have not listened to for a long time. in recent years, my obsession with electronica, chillwave, disco and house has meant i havent had the opportunity to listen to as much "real" music (with guitars and drums according to some haha) as i should. with psychedelic rock having such a fine resurgence in '10 it was hard to continue this trend.

these are few of my psychedelia based picks of the year:

tame impala kicked off my interest in this whole psychedelia shebang. 'innerspeaker' was easily one of my favourite albums of the year.

Tame Impala - Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind? (alt)

women have been on my radar for quite a while, but 2010's 'public strain' was an absolute winner. and when i first heard 'eyesore' and its staggering final couple of minutes, i instantly thought this would be a song id want to show my future children.

Women - Eyesore (alt)

no joy's "ghost blonde" was one of those albums that crept into my itunes without me realising. as a whole, it was one of the stand-out psychedelic releases of the year for me. but because the songs work so well together, it is tricky to pick a favourite. but one of the highlights was definitely "pacific pride". its breezy, drive time fun stuck its hand up for me.

No Joy - Pacific Pride (alt)

the ruby suns are an nz band that i cant believe i only just heard about. with three excellent albums under their belt, i hope they get plenty more exposure. 2010's "fight softly" got a little more electronic-y than the others and channelled the best of animal collective and yeasayer. if you havent yet, check this band out.

The Ruby Suns - Mingus and Pike (alt)

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after skirting it for several years, 2010 was the year that i finally got really into minimal techno and idm. the craft that goes into this music and the passion of the fans really got me excited.
i also feel like it was a good year of crossover, with several tech-based artists releasing tracks that really gained some widespread attention.

i think matthew dear might have been the most notable of these, with his album and single 'black city' popping up all over the place.
the song that stayed with me the most wasn't the lead single (even though i loved that as well), but this song, "slowdance". the "bum-bum-bumpadumm's" and bouncy, yet serious beat were true winners for me and got a serious workout throughout the year.

Matthew Dear - Slowdance (alt)

scuba also made waves this year with 'triangulation'. his brand of minimal dubstep saw him feature on numerous high profile dj mixes including ones by surgeon and modeselektor. i really loved the industrial, and sometimes creepy vibe of the album. his fine, subtle touch really exemplified what i dug about minimal tech. "glance" is just one of a host of highlights from the album.

Scuba - Glance (alt)

the name "nicolas jaar" seemed to be on everybody's lips in 2010. every release and mix was eagerly awaited.. this kid seems to destined for great things. "a time for us" was the first cut i heard from him, and the chunky-yet-understated tone of the track really caught my ear. can't wait to see how he goes in '11.

Nicolas Jaar - A Time For Us (alt)

2010 was the year of massive attack's "heliogland". im really amused by the hysteria that is caused when seminal artists like these guys decide to release an album. the "closet fans" that come out of the woodwork are the best.
i really enjoyed the album, but also gui boratto's take on "paradise circus". remixes that remain faithful to the original, whilst also extending it into new and interesting areas, seem to come along rarely. im glad that one came around for this song.

Massive Attack - Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix) (alt)

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so thats it! what do you think of my 2010 highlights? were there any big things i missed? any inclusions that you think are a bit questionable? what were your highlights?
hope to hear from you guys! and sorry about the ridiculous length.

if you are into it, you can grab up my 'best of 2010' tracklist in a zip file (176mb) here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

look forward to speaking to you next year!

2009 According to Rachel

What does my Best of 2009 say? I feel it reflects my poor taste in music. And possibly an identity crisis. And it seems to be full of epic and monumentally moving songs which kinda masks the fact that I spend a lot of time in a club listening to bangers and I’m not an epic and monumentally melancholy person but it’s about the songs that stick with you right?

And while I do agree that it was the year for dubstep (ew), dream pop, nu-wave and whatever else I was also happy to see it was the year for folk and folktronica and excessive portmanteaus to describe genres. 2009 for life x

The Juan Maclean - Happy House

In 2009, the people I most wanted to be were: Nancy Wang, Lady Gaga, Natasha Khan, the winner of the lottery, Tao Lin and Michelle Obama. There were a few other 90s sounding bangers around that took my fancy too, Shit Robot’s Work It Out, Siriusmo’s High Together and this 11 minute track but it wasn’t a standout year for club music. Dizzee Rascal seriously go fuck yourself.

Antony and the Johnsons - Aeon

No music “affected” me more than Antony and the Johnsons in 2009. It’s so overwhelming I often have to turn it off. Sometimes people get so wanky when they start talking about the impact of music but I couldn’t help it with The Crying Light. A beautiful album and a beautiful song that eschewed the zeitgeist.

The xx - Crystalised and Stars (pre-album version)

The xx were probably my favourite discovery for 2009. I like the delicate and almost childlike simplicity. It's kinda magnetic and just quite unusual music and not like much I've heard before which is all I really hope for.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Streets of Philadelphia

I just love anything that comes out of Owen Ashworth so it’s kinda irrelevant to the year but it was one of the best gigs I saw in 2009. Is lo-fi nu-wave indietronica trendy? I’m not sure.

Fuck Buttons – The Lisbon Maru

Really, all my list of honorable mentions should be in this spot, I can't decide. But it was the year for Fuck Buttons and beautiful hardened electronic soundscapes and experimental synth orgies. I love rude levels of grandeur in music. When I ranked my itunes according to “number of plays” yesterday Camera Obscura was the first song but I was secretly wishing it would be The Lonely Island.

And an Australian top 5 because it was a super good year for music. I am so obsessed with the music that comes out this country, and Sydney in particular.
Crayon Fields – All the Pleasures of the World
Tame Impala – Remember Me
Paul Dempsey – Ramona Was A Waitress (Faux Pas Remix)
Bag Raiders – Shooting Star
Philadelphia Grand Jury – Going to the Casino

DOWNLOAD RACHEL'S 2009 (zip file)

DOWNLOAD ENTIRE BLOUSE BEST OF 2009 (zip file - 187mb)

Honorable mentions
Air – Sing Sang Song
The Big Pink - Dominos
Boy and Bear - Mexican Mavis
Camera Obscura – French Navy
Washed Out – Feel It All Around
Hot Chip – One Night Stand
Memory Tapes - Bicycles
The Lonely Island – I'm On A Boat
Temper Trap – Sweet Dispositions
The Middle East – Blood
Phantogram – Mouthful of Diamonds
Jay Z and Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind

hello cover version

I first owned this Blue Boy song on Hit Machine 17 from 1997. I could not be loving the Tame Impala cover more. When your album comes out Tame Impala, I may just die.

Blue Boy - Remember Me

Tame Impala - Remember Me

So good.

If you're into covers, remakes, re-hashes and all things borrowed and stolen, you should listen to Tune Up on Fbi radio (here) on Tuesdays from Midday-1pm because it's a show full of just that. And some people have lots of timey time on their hands. I do however think the best cover version of all time is when All Saints covered the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Under the Bridge - I will get castigated for this.