The Spinto Band
Here are our favorite things of the YEAR…Sorry it’s a bit fractured.
ALBUMS
ROAR – I Can’t Handle Change EP
Miniature Tigers – Fortress
Pigeon John- Dragon Slayer
Generationals – Trust EP
Das Racist – Sit Down, Man
Magic Kids – Memphis
From A Fountain – Shale and Sandstone
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
Austin Leonard Jones – Superstitions
Half-handed Cloud – As Stowaways in Cabinets of Surf, We Live-out in Our Members a Kind of Rebirth
NON ALBUMS
Black Swan
The Beast Pageant
Toy Story 3
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Hausu (Criterion Collection Release)
Charlotte Gainsbourg- Heaven Can Wait (the song/video)
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (33 1/3 Series) – Christopher R. Weingarten
Wilson – Daniel Clowes
BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO US THIS YEAR
This summer- battling the Miniature Tigers to a game of Super Smash Brothers onstage at a concert in Akron Ohio. The loser of the game had to wear a Lebron James Cavaliers jersey (post-Miami decision). We lost.
Paul Sprangers (Free Energy)
TOP STUFF ( in random order)
crocodiles
someone still loves you boris yeltsin – let it sway
titus andronicus – the monitor
mates of state – covers album
kanye
robyn
bear in heaven
big boi
midlake
surfer blood
best thing was eastbound and down season 2
Phil Dickey (Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin)
Here are my top 10 songs.
1. “Be Professional” by the ACB’s
2. “Boy Like Me” by the ACB’s
3. “Final Exam” by New Monsters Collective
4. “Live Here” by The Lonely Forest
5. “Dirty Thing” by Telekinesis
6. “Young Hearts” by Free Energy
7. “Hahahaohhoho” by Yellow Ostrich
8. “Best Supporting Actress” by One For The Team
9. “Babies” by Via Audio
10. “Hang with Me” by Robyn
The best thing that happened to me this year was getting married.
Aaron Pfenning (Chairlift, Rewards)
Top 10 songs of 2010.
1. Stars – Warpaint
2. Good Day Today – David Lynch
3. Round and Round – Ariel Pink
4. Only The Young – Brandon Flowers
5. Rules – We Are Scientists
6. Congratulations – MGMT
7. Dance Yrself Clean – LCD Soundsystem
8. O.N.E. – Yeasayer
9. Empire Ants – Gorillaz
10. Dark Night of The Soul – Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse
Best thing of 2010: Getting number ONE and TWO top scores on Gilligan’s Island pinball with Keith Murray at The Commodore.
Justin Kennedy (Army Navy)
I have been in the studio most of the year and I really try not to listen to much new music while writing and recording. But these songs were some of the best that seeped in!
Top 10 songs of 2010
1. Cee Lo Green “Fuck You
2. Arcade Fire “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”
3. Avi Buffalo “Whats in it for”
4. The Good Natured “Your Body is a Machine”
5. Teenage Fanclub “Baby Lee”
6. Kanye West “Monster”
7. Broken Bells “The High Road
8. Band of Horses “Laredo”
9. Spoon “Got Nuffin”
10. Best Coast “Boyfriend”
Todd Goldstein (ARMS)
1. joanna newsom – have one on me
2. james blake – klavierwerke EP
3. vampire weekend – contra
4. baths – cerulean
5. walkmen – lisbon
6. caribou – swim
7. tame impala – innerspeaker
8. oneohtrix point never – returnal
9. jonsi – go
10. pantha du prince – black noise
best thing that happened to me this year: recording the new ARMS album with my amazing new(-ish) band.
Hollerado
Hollerado’s Top ten of 2010
1- Free Energy – stuck on nothing
2 – Titus andronicus – the monitor
3 – Molly rankin – she ep
4 – let’s wrestle – in the court of the wrestling let’s
5 – fang island – fang island
6 – Neil young – le noise
7 – atom division – red smith 7inch
8 – besnard lakes – are the roaring night
9 – strange boys – be brave
10 – Jamie gilmartin – and there was nothing on the radio
Note. We didn’t include arcade fire’s the suburbs because it is so obviously the best record if the year and it should be implicit that it is on everyones list.
Cale Parks (BRAHMS, Aloha)
Alicia Keys – Unthinkable (song)
James Blake – CMYK (ep)
The Radio Dept. – Clinging To a Scheme (lp)
Lindstrøm & Christabelle – Real Life Is No Cool (lp)
Fantastic Mr. Fox – The Eveyln (ep)
Joy Orbison – The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow (song)
Vondelpark – Hippodrome (song)
Steve Moore – Primitive Neural Pathways (lp)
Matthew Dear – Black City (lp)
Dam-Funk – Do U Feel The Same Way I Do (song)
I found a secret spot in Central Park this fall. Many of my favorite moments of 2010 were spent here.
Jennifer O’Connor
Top 10 of 2010
Perfume Genius – Learning
Sharon Van Etten – epic
Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Fridays
Amy Bezunartea – Restaurants & Bars
Lower Dens – Twin Hand Movement
Arcade Fire The Suburbs
Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
Seeing Tom Petty live finally
Belle and Sebastian “I Want the World To Stop”
The best thing I did this year was put out Amy Bezunartea’s debut record Restaurants & Bars on Kiam.
Jordan Hudkins (The Demon Beat)
Top Ten Songs of 2010 (New/Recently (Re)Discovered):
1. Yo La Tengo – “Sugarcube”
2. Weezer – “Getting Up & Leaving”
3. 1910 Fruitgum Co. – “Indian Giver”
4. Cold Cave – “Life Magazine”
5. Hammer No More The Fingers – “It’s About Caring”
6. The Black Keys – “Everlasting Light”
7. Spirit Night – “Don’t Miss Me”
8. Real Estate – That whole record is pretty gnarly
9. Small Black – “Despicable Dogs (Washed Out Remix)
10. Electric Six – “Escape From Ohio”
Best thing that happened in 2010: Relentless touring!
Tucker Riggleman (The Demon Beat)
Top Ten Albums of 2010:
1. Beach House – “Teen Dream”
2. The Black Keys – “Brothers”
3. Spirit Night – “What We Will Be”
4. Woodworkings – “We Sit On Floors, We Stand On Chairs”
5. Girls – “Broken Dreams Club” EP
6. Dandelion Snow – “The Grand Scheme Of Things”
7. Pat Pat – “Wizard of This”
8. Lucero – “1372 Overton Park”
9. J Marinelli – “Pre-emptive Skankery Sessions”
10. Sufjan Stevens – “The Age of Adz”
Best thing that happened in 2010: Playing SXSW along with some of our very favorite bands/friends
Jason Nesmith (Casper and the Cookies)
Under the category of General Listening, this was the year of Sex Clark Five and Lee Dorsey. Those two artists demanded my attention. As for 2010 releases, here are my faves.
1. Aquaserge- Ce Tres Cher Serge, Special Origins
2. Kevin Dunn- No Great Lost (reissue)
3. LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening
4. Poison Control Center- Sad Sour Future
5. Colleen & Paul
6. Field Music- Measure
7. The Apples In Stereo- Travellers in Space & Time
8. Mike Watt- Hyphenated-Man
9. Venice Is Sinking- Sand & Lines
10. Tela Menos- Patagonian Rats
also good:
Teenage Fanclub- Shadows
Stereolab- Not Music
of Montreal- False Priest
The Method Actors- This is Still It
Would have made the list, but it’s from 2009:
Claire & the Reasons- Arrow (from 2009, but FTW!)
Caribou- Swim
The best thing that happened to me all year:
I started working out! Not like six-pack-abs workin’ out, but general-well-being workin’ out. It changed my outlook on life. I’ve started staning differently. I’ve still got a little belly, and that’s probably not going to change. But I feel so much better.
Runner-up: I got to see Paul Collins (of the Nerves and the Beat) and Van Dyke Parks live, two of the best shows I’ve ever witnessed.
Jim Hix (Casper and the Cookies)
2010 saw the release of a lot of music, both mainstream and indie, that I was super-duper excited about.
When it comes to 2010 mainstream hip hop, 2010 had some really great and memorable stuff. The year began with the awesome (was it the third?) return of Jay Z: Blueprint Vol 3. Then all year we were treated to the emergence to the national stage of Nicki Minaj, hip hop’s lady gaga (that’s a good thing). And finally, we close the year off with my favorite major label record of the year, Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Like Smucker’s Jelly, even the ridiculous name (let’s not even mention the cover!) couldn’t hold that record back! In my favorite track of the year, Monster, you get Jay Z, Kanye, AND Nicki Minaj, all in the same three minutes and all spitting some of their best rhymes ever!
2010 was also the year that my favorite indie band, Poison Control Center, released their epic double record, Sad Sour Future. I’m not sure what the title of the record speaks to, but the songs it contains are instant classics in the PCC cannon for all fans. (if you’re not a fan yet it’s probably because you just haven’t heard them yet. Check them out, they’re SOOO GOOD!) Like I said, it’s double record yet it somehow manages to retain attention and listen-ability all the way through.
One of my other favorite bands, Indiana’s Jookabox, followed up their brilliant release, 2008’s Ropechain with 2010’s Deadzone Boys. (I just checked on Wikipedia and it says that Deadzone Boys came out in 09 but I didn’t get it until 2010 so that’s when I’m counting it!) It’s hard to describe jookabox by comparing them to other bands cause no one else really sounds like them. Trust me, they’re really good so you should get those two records!!
I have some friends in Toronto, Colleen and Paul, and they recorded a record this year under the name “Colleen and Paul” and this record is AMAZING! It’ relies mostly on acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies in the tradition of Simon and Garfunkel, and man, are the songs good! I just checked and the record is available on itunes for less than 8 bucks and it’s self titled and everyone should run to their computers and buy it cause they’ve never heard it and they don’t know that they have little holes in their hearts where these tunes are gonna fit so nicely.
I have to say, a lot of what I listened to this year was new music coming from the little legendary town I call home, Athens, GA! There’s a new three-piece called The Hums. I can find no web presence for this band and I don’t know if the record is released yet, I think my girl friend bought it at one of their shows, but man, its a great record that sounds kind of like the violent femmes playing white stripes songs, but not really. The album is called Lemonland and you can hear it current;y at the vision video store that I work at. I’ll keep you posted as I find out more. The other record I wanna plug cause if you don’t live here you’ve probably never heard of them but this record is my top record of the year, and it’s by a band called Quiet Hooves. The record is called, Saddle Up and I couldn’t find a place on the web where you could buy it but I know they had a cd release party this year so that’s released enough for me. Go one over to their myspace and check them out. (Start with the album tracks! That’s the stuff you wanna hear!) The songs sound like, I don’t know, really good well thought out baroque pop recorded on a cassette four-track. There’s whimsy and mystery and quiet moments of beauty. I can’t say enough good stuff about this album. Keep your eyes peeled and if you run across it, snag it up!!!
Alright that’s it for me. 2011 is gonna see some exciting new stuff for all the bands I play in. The Goons is going to release its first record so keep and eye out for that!! Marshmallow Coast is going to release “Seniors and Juniors Strike Back” which is a complete re-recording of Andy’s first album he released ten years ago! Casper and the Cookies have just started work on our next record and the demos are sounding awesome so look for a release from us sometime next year! Plenty of touring and promoting next year so if I’m in your town, come see me!!!
Owen Evans – ROAR!
Totally! What music fan doesn’t like to make lists? I’m really glad you included songs too. Smart!
1. Magic Kids – Memphis
2. Carol Cleveland Sings – The Cashmere Cassette
3. MGMT – Congratulations
4. Department of Eagles – Archive 2003-2006
5. Candy Claws – Hidden Lands
6. Miniature Tigers – Fortress
7. Avi Buffalo – S/T
8. Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul
9. Half-handed Cloud – As Stowaways in Cabinets of Surf, We Live-out in Our Members a Kind of Rebirth
10. Mini Mansions – S/T
The best thing that happened to me this year was getting to go on tour with one of my favorite people/musicians and meeting the most amazing girl all in the span of two months.
Leslie Sisson
Leslie Sisson – Matt Pond PA, The Wooden Birds
Try this on for size…
2010’s Top Albums That Killed Me:
1. The Radio Dept – Clinging to a Scheme
2. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
3. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
4. The Crackling – Keep Full Ambitious
5. JUNIP – Fields
6. Beach House – Teen Dream
7. Sharon Van Etten – Epic
8. Best Coast – Crazy For You
9. Land of Talk – Cloak and Cipher
10. The Clientele – Minotaur
Aside Honorable Mention:
Matt Pond PA – The Dark Leaves
It’s too good to categorize. Ok, I know I’m in the band, but I’m not on this record so it’s fair to be my fave, even after hearing it repeatedly for a year. Matt is a truly talented songwriter and I’m honored to share the stage with him in not one, but two beloved bands.
This Year’s Top Happening:
My highlight moment was getting called up to sing with Broken Social Scene by the lovely Lisa Lobsinger on Central Park Summer Stage. That came close to dueting with Dan Mangan on the road and spending my year touring in The Wooden Birds and Matt Pond PA. 2010 was a good one.
Dave Feldman (Wyldlife)
Here’s My Top 7 in no order:
1) The Biters- “Hang Around”
2) The So So Glos- “Fred Astaire”
3) The Ex-Humans- “Primitive”
4) The Booze- “Hate City Nights”
5) The Radio Exiles- “Secret Station”
6) The Danvilles- “I Tell You”
7) Cee-Lo Greene-“Fuck You” obviously. That song is incredible.
I’d say that being able to play a show with the Biters was probably my highlight, band wise. That, or any house party show we did at Purchase College. Then again, we haven’t played New Years yet at 58 Gallery, so it might still be too early to tell.
This year pretty much sucked on my end! Anything relating to the band was the best, save for a few more tattoos.
Spencer Alexander (Wyldlife)
Heres my top 10 fav songs:
1. Social Distortion “Machine Gun Blues”
After 30 years they’ve still got it.
2.Tokyo Police Club “Favorite Food”
“Champ” is probably the album that was the soundtrack to my summer.
3.The Gaslight Anthem “Boxer”
Sure they sound like Bruce Springsteen, but I like Bruce.
4. The Biters “Hang Around” gotta agree with Dave on this one
5. Arcade Fire “Sprawl II (Mountains beyond mountains)”
6.the Black Keys “Everlasting Light”
I managed to sneak into the end of their set at Central Park, and these guys are as good live as they are on record.
7. Vampire Weekend “Giving up the gun”
8.Girl Talk “Oh no”
Anyone who can make people dance to Black Sabbath is good in my book.
9.Tokyo Police Club “End of a Spark”
10.Cee-Lo Greene “Fuck you”
Best thing that happened to me this year?
I would have to say playing a show at monster island basement in brooklyn, immediately driving to Iowa after our set on a random road trip, driving back to New York after a couple days, and then playing a 101.9 rxp showcase opening for Steel Train at the Bowery Electric. It was a crazy week to say the least.
That or hearing myself on the radio was pretty damn cool.
Modern Mystery 
