Urban75 Album of the Year 2010

[belboid]

So here it is. The most exciting moment in your Christmas. Over two hundred albums were nominated. Aggregated lists were compiled and then not saved not once, but twice!
It’s the only chart that counts, it’s the

Urban75 Albums of the Year

 

[belboid]

30 These New Puritans – Hidden

Art rock chappies, brought to national attention with their cover of an obscure Julian Cope song. Or should that be The Nationals attention?

http://open.spotify.com/album/00k6XMezbIr9oG2DuZUQMh

 

[belboid]

29 Kanye West - My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy

A clever beast of an album that quotes everyone from Elton John to Gil Scott Heron, via all Wests previous albums, ‘heroic levels of dementia’ indeed.

http://open.spotify.com/album/5S0KaRWvljdCK5M22a5Ibb

 

[belboid]

28 Yeasayer – Odd Blood

Visceral pleasures come thick and fast on these Brooklyners second album. Inspired by a trip to New Zealand, weird, psychedelic, strangely harmonic, it’s bloody odd, it is.

http://open.spotify.com/album/2bsFKcPHwxq9Ib2e8SneTe

 

[belboid]

27 Gil Scott-Heron - I’m New Here

No you’re not Gil. This is just what the world looks like after 16 years in a drug induced haze. And you still describe it as sharply and keenly as ever. You’re welcome back anytime.

http://open.spotify.com/album/60JXrFsIxXP6rqd4jdTfrn

 

[belboid]

26 Toro y Moi – Causers of This

Released on the most important day of the year, it is, apparently, the key record in the ‘chillwave’ genre. Don’t let wanky names put you off, it’s pretty good.

http://open.spotify.com/album/17unrhrysADYgEC6wJPiwU

 

[stupid dogbot]

29 Kanye West - My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy

A clever beast of an album that quotes everyone from Elton John to Gil Scott Heron, via all Wests previous albums, ‘heroic levels of dementia’ indeed.

http://open.spotify.com/album/5S0KaRWvljdCK5M22a5Ibb

*vomit*

 

[belboid]

25 Tinie-Tempah - Disc-Overy

Oh yes! Urban is down wit’da beat. Sarf Londons finest raps on about life, love and, possibly, the tendency for the rate of profit to decline.

http://open.spotify.com/album/6nuITL8EMJO1zncOwOeHRr

 

[belboid]

24 Frontier Ruckus - Nightmalls & Dead Falls

Odd folky rocky stuff seems to be replacing the fey Scottish indie choices this year. Apparently this is another such example, and I’ll write something cleverer than this if I remember to listen to this tomorrow. [which I obviously didn't...]

http://open.spotify.com/album/277TwSbKVTVDsMi2PAR2Ji

 

[past caring]

I don't know why I bothered, to be honest.....

 

[belboid]

23 Oneohtrix Point Never – Returnal

Another yankee belatedly discovers the wonders of all things German, from Friedrich Nietzsche to Klaus Schulze. <note to ed: include the word ‘arpeggio’ in there somewhere>

http://open.spotify.com/album/7fz1x7StTrizRtDT8DXLA9

 

[belboid]

22 Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do

The first ‘non-concept’ album from [the southern – sub-editor please correct later to make me look knowledgeable] alt-country band. Following up characters from earlier albums and developing political philosophies, the Big To Do is sure to get bigger.

http://open.spotify.com/album/3dQHYf0zj2A4g6ye1AGOIY

 

[belboid]

21 Eels - End Times

That man E is just on a roll. The second of probably the greatest trilogy in rock n roll history, in just one of our many quantum realities, Mark ‘E’ Everett rediscovers love. And, you know what:? It’s pretty fucking good.

http://open.spotify.com/album/6QlEL4vl5kpuqdTAWXMr5g

 

[belboid]

I don't know why I bothered, to be honest.....

well, technically, you didn't as you didn't submit your votes by the approved method

 

[miniGMgoit]

Well done on you effort in posting the list man (even if its a shit list)

 

[Voley]

You've made half of these up. I can tell.

 

[past caring]

well, technically, you didn't as you didn't submit your votes by the approved method

I take it they were included, then?

 

[miniGMgoit]

I also find it hard to believe that there were so many votes that the bottom places wern't tied in anyway

 

[stupid dogbot]

I've got an album on an Urban AOTY list! Will wonders never cease?

 

[miniGMgoit]

Come on, the suspense is killing me!

 

[belboid]

20 Aloe Blacc - Good Things

a truly modern record, aloe blacc manages to update the soul template sounding classic yet fresh at the same time (without following the path of mark ronson, thank god).

http://open.spotify.com/album/0fLkfeej5toC9uVtrOH8uS

 

[miniGMgoit]

I've got an album on an Urban AOTY list! Will wonders never cease?

I haven't and so far I'm quite relieved

 

[Voley]

I've heard that one. It's shite. Stupid dogbot tried to compare it to Curtis Mayfield ffs.

 

[belboid]

19 Janelle Monaie - The ArchAndroid

Making Lady Gaga look like Giles Brandreth, and displaying more talent than all the ‘Kids from Fame’ albums put together…it’s (checks spelling) Janelle Monaie.

No, they’re compliments, it is a good album, really.

http://open.spotify.com/album/7MvSB0JTdtl1pSwZcgvYQX

 

[belboid]

18 Forest Swords – Dagger Paths

Challenging Tranmere Rovers for title of ‘Pride of Wirral’, it’s a rather more atmospheric choice that replaces shipyards with rattling cages, and soap factories with mists. From the Shores of Lake Placid, to the shores of the Mersey, yumscious.

http://open.spotify.com/album/2hpsWEy1fv1q5fL6FMrsqx

 

[belboid]

17 Roots Manuva vs. WrongTom- Duppy Writer

Calling this a ‘re-mix’ is like saying Hamlet is just a remix of the dictionary. WrongTom sends Roots’ inner city hassles down to the beach and up to the dancehall.

http://open.spotify.com/album/7iLxJWgBpLMc7SKqBtQOs8

 

[miniGMgoit]

That. Is a terrible album. The forrest swords one.

 

[belboid]

16 Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky

In places it's like the Bad Seeds if Blixa got his own way more, blasted country sounds added to the Swans mix. This album is EXACTLY how you'd imagine a collision of 80s Swans and Gira's solo stuff to sound. Which is a very good thing.

http://open.spotify.com/album/3XKpwgFwGELs1vs3cAuDch

 

[belboid]

15 Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers – Agri-Dustrial

Agridustrial by name, agridustrial by nature - adding Duane "Jesus Lizard" Dennison has made the Shackshakers even fiercer and weirder than they were before. They were already great, this is incredible.

http://open.spotify.com/album/3NV6sR3ok569YY54Oea6Rj

 

[killer b]

16? they was robbed.