THE BEST SINGLE OF 2010

• Cee Lo Green – “Fuck You.” If you didn’t get this song stuck in your head for at least a few weeks after it premiered on the Internet, there is something fundamentally wrong with you.  It has a genuine joie de vivre that is rarely seen in pop music, and damn if it isn’t fun as hell to sing along to.  I have a feeling this song will be turning up in karaoke bars for years to come.  Let’s just hope it’s this version and not the radio-friendly edit.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc0mxOXbWIU

THE WORST SINGLE OF 2010

• Cee Lo Green – “Forget You.” What do you do if you have a track that’s catching like wildfire but too profane to play on the radio or TV?  Sanitize it by turning “fuck” into “forget.”  Then Gwyneth Paltrow can sing it on Glee and ruin it for everybody!  This bowdlerized version of the song sucks all the fun and joy from it and leaves it on the side of the road like a sex crime victim, helpless and broken. Every time I hear it, I’m like “Fuck you.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fq_MDgEzRM

THE FIVE BEST ALBUMS OF 2010

1. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I didn’t see this one coming.  I hadn’t been a Kanye fan since Graduation, and like many others I find the level of hubris in his public persona to be more than a little off-putting.  Frankly, he’s just not the most likeable guy.  But when I listened to this album for the first time, it blew me away.  And it has continued to blow me away every time I’ve listened to it since then.  It’s ambitious, bombastic, decadent, and surprisingly emotional.  It is the album of someone whose back was against the ropes so he came out swinging.  There are no apologies here and no half measures.  It’s simply a great album from a supremely self-confident artist.
2. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs. Before My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy came long, I was entirely certain that The Suburbs would be my album of the year.  It’s one of those albums that came along at just the right time for me, mirroring much of the suburban angst and ennui that I had been feeling in my personal life.  It’s an album that is deeply pessimistic without being cynical, and just upbeat enough to not let its underlying themes utterly crush the listener.  It is an enjoyable listen from start to finish with little to no filler.  Although purists probably still stick with Funeral as their top pick, The Suburbs has become my favorite Arcade Fire album yet.
3. The National – High Violet. Whereas The Suburbs pulls its punches a bit by keeping the instrumentals consistently more upbeat than the lyrics, High Violet makes no apologies for being an utterly downbeat, sad sack album.  The National have never been known for their sunny dispositions, and High Violet won’t change anyone’s mind on that.  They are great at what they do, though, and what they do is make music that you can listen to while drinking whiskey and feeling sorry for yourself.
4. The Walkmen – Lisbon. For times when you want to spend a few hours with your buddies drinking whiskey but not feeling like a sad sack, you really can’t go wrong with Lisbon.  Whereas High Violet is for the nights where you lose track of your limit and wake up sick the next morning, full of regret and remorse, Lisbon is for quiet nights out where you reminisce about good times and toast to the future.  The Walkmen rarely disappoint, but this album finds them in top form.  It is easily their best release since Bows + Arrows.
5. Yeasayer – Odd Blood. Albums that come out at the beginning of the year often seem to get overlooked at the end of the year.  Judging by some of the other “best of” lists I’ve read so far, this is one of those albums.  You’d be hard-pressed to find another album that sounds quite like it, though.  It’s quirky, unique, and surprisingly catchy.  It’s been ten months since its release and I still get “Ambling Alp” stuck in my head now and then.  If you missed Odd Blood earlier in the year, go pick it up now.

THE FIVE MOST DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS OF 2010

1. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz. People who hated the twee preciousness of Illinois were downright ecstatic that he all but abandoned it for his sometimes difficult, often atonal follow-up.  But you know what?  I like the twee preciousness of Illinois, and the lush instrumentation, and the fact that listening to “Casimir Pulaski Day” still makes me a little teary-eyed.  The Age of Adz is a decent enough album, and kudos to Stevens for not just retreading his earlier work, but in the end it just did not reach the level of greatness of its predecessor.
2. Weezer – Death to False Metal. I keep trying to like new Weezer albums, and they just keep being awful.  This year we got the one, two punch of their newest effort, Hurley, followed by a collection of tracks from the discard pile, Death to False Metal.  I had some hope for the latter.  Perhaps there would be some hidden gems from the Pinkerton era (a.k.a. the last time they were relevant).  Alas, it was not to be.  This disc is an utter turd.
3. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks. This album has some really strong songs on it.  Unfortunately, they are buried under some of the worst production of the year.  Frightened Rabbit have become unfortunate victims of the loudness war.  Every instrument on this album is dialed up to 11, and the result is that I can’t listen to more than a couple tracks without getting a headache.  That approach might work for hip-hop or hard rock, but not here.  It’s a damn shame, because The Winter of Mixed Drinks could have been so much better.
4. Matt & Kim – Sidewalks. Matt and Kim’s sophomore effort, Grand, was one of my favorite albums of 2009.  It was upbeat, catchy, and had an endearing, DIY charm to it.  Unfortunately, much of that charm was lost in the transition to the more polished, radio-friendly production of Sidewalks.  It’s not a terrible album, but after a couple of listens I haven’t had any desire to pop it back in my CD player.
5. Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday. Nicki Minaj has been steadily building steam in the last few years, between some memorable turns on mix tapes and a fantastic, over-the-top performance in Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  Then her first album came out and… yawn.  It was yet another lesson in how artists that sound good on mixtapes don’t necessarily translate well to full album format (see also: Wale’s Attention Deficit).

Earlier this year, Brooklyn duo Matt & Kim released an excellent record called Grand, and we at the Assault offices highly recommend you pick it up. If you’re not familiar with M&K’s enjoyably spazzed out indie rock, here’s a taste of them decimating the MTV Woodie Awards with their hot-ass single “Lessons Learned.” (The Woodies air December 4.)