Because that's how we like to remember things, discover new music, give some music another try and re-discover early 2010 classics. Here are my favorite albums/mixtapes of 2010 in no particular order, with links to downloads and/or other information when I can have them.
Boris - Heavy Rock Hits Vol. 1, 2 & 3
It was three 7" records, released in 3 separate volumes (each one with a different member of Boris on the cover, as seen above^^^) and has only been made available on this vinyl so far. Six songs total. A couple of these songs are as catchy/poppy as anything they've ever made. I saw them for the 5th time this past summer while on their tour to support these releases, and they were better than ever. It was like a good friend made you an awesome mix half-filled with stuff you've already heard and already loved and half-filled with new stuff, except that it was being performed live by an amazing band who was just creating it all in front of you. Zoned out walls of sound straight into the catchiest thing you've heard in months, slowed into trudging forward through heavy, slow riffs, into the prettiest song you've heard in months, etc. Anyway, it was a pretty good show and this was the project they were playing around.
Music video for H.M.A.(Heavy Metal Addict) below, dubbed over the Japanese glam rock band Sex Virgin Killer.
Freddie Gibbs - Str8 Killa No Filla
Freddie Gibbs sounds as good as any rapper did in 2010 on this mixtape hosted by Statik Selektah, DJ Burn One and Josh the Goon. Statik Selektah and DJ Burn One contribute many of the beats as well. At best the beats are classic, at worst they are fairly minimal but still work well for Gangsta Gibbs' flow. His flow is so smooth while he raps as hard as ever.
Purling Hiss - Public Service Announcement
I liked this album from the moment I heard it, but it has grown on me a lot even from then. It's a great psychedelic album that covers a wide range of rock styles and leaves you wanting more when it's over.
More in the vein of Wavves, Best Coast, and another band that I love, Crocodiles. This album is really well produced and grows on you with repeated listening. It's also timeless sounding and immediately catchy.
I really didn't think that I'd like this album as much as I do. The production is great throughout and Waka Flocka's flow is as high energy and confident as ever.
I saw the Philadelphian band Purling Hiss last week opening for Kurt Vile and the Violator's (who I am "officially" indifferent too). I was checking them out because Aquarius Records had made their album "Public Service Announcement" their top album of the week, and the couple of clips I listened to sounded like it was in the same vein of Wavves, Crocodiles, Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, Meth Teeth, etc.--which I've been listening to a lot of lately. Purling Hiss' live show was ok, with the exception being the lead guitarist/singer who was shredding on his guitar pretty hard at least once a song, which I always appreciate, and he had a look in his eye like he could see something else in the room that nobody else could (but was as used to it as he could be). One song in particular stuck with me enough that I bought their record (admittedly I tried to download their album prior to the show, but it's only on vinyl and not well spread enough to be available). Although their show was fairly straight forward rock, at least half of the album is zoney psychedelic instrumental chill-on-the-couch music, and the whole LP sounds like it was recorded on a 4-track and then played through an AM radio station sometime between the early 70s and now. Totally awesome! And I still can't stop listening to this song, to the point where I've hooked up my record player to the computer and recorded it here for you to check out: Purling Hiss - Run From The City by RemLezar
