Luscious Lemur's Top Ten Albums for 2010

Okay, I told myself I wouldn't do this because it'd be so dang hard, but I think I put together a pretty accurate list for myself. It was not a bad year musically. Some bands close to my heart (Copeland, Lydia as examples) broke up, but out of the ashes, some great music has come unto the scene (States literally rose from the Copeland/Lydia ashes. I am thankful for that).

Here we go!!!

 
10. From First to Last- Throne to the Wolves
I already know what most might be thinking at this point. "ewwww, that defunct emo band that further imprinted embarrassment on the genre?". Yes. Because they took a lot of embarrassment away from it with this album. Sure a big lineup change might've had something to do with it, but this album is full of crazy good talent. From hardcore-inspired riffs to auto-tuned madness, this album was a shocker for me.


9. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
This man has too much talent for one guy. With the All Delighted People EP, I was excited to hear the full-length, and was not disappointed either. Beyong musical description, and comprehension for that matter, sufjan delivers once again, to the ecstasy of many understanding fans.


8. Minus the Bear - OMNI
If I wasn't a college student bent on doing well in school, I would've seen these guys twice this year. As it is, my lack of a car (and cash, really) prevented such an adventure. But to be sure, OMNI left me pleased on many a long night studying, with interesting and novel guitar melodies laced with some electronic experimentation. A definite must for the indie fan.


7. Greeley Estates - No Rain, No Rainbow
Another band that has decided to take a leap in a different direction is the group Greeley Estates. Upon first listen of No Rain, No Rainbow I was sickened, then puzzled, then astounded at how great it was. These guys should've been doing metalcore their whole career, they were born for it. It's a shame that this album beats off several veteran metalcore bands already in existence.


6. As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise
A metalcore band that Greeley Estates did not top is As I Lay Dying. With their fifth full-length, the fun and games were over, and a bone-shatteringly cohesive album was the result. It had all the elements of a good metal album; energetic solos, an energetic vocalist, and no pussy breakdowns. Definitely what i'd consider the band's best work to date.



5. States - Line 'Em Up (EP)
The Laurenson brothers of Copeland teaming with Mindy White of Lydia couldn't possibly make bad music. And thus, their debut EP demonstrates White's diverse vocal styles, keeps the bittersweetness heard in  Copeland's songs, and yet glimmers with a brightness that neither band on their own possessed. A great band that I am keeping an eye out for in 2011!




4. He is We - My Forever 
I'd hate to repeat myself, as i'd already posted my review of this album on Review Rinse Repeat, but this album is truly a happy, poppy gem. That is saying a lot, because it's coming from a pessimistic, hopeless romantic. This duo have made some great music, and this album is one I highly recommend.



3. Lydia - Assailants (EP)
Being my second favorite band, it only makes sense that their EP would make the list. Despite it's rushed feel, this group of songs is bright and beautiful, but also mellow and has a wonderfully sharp aftertaste that left me wanting more. It is a great farewell gift of the band, and has gotten probably the most plays in my iTunes library this year.



2. Hellogoodbye - Would It Kill You?
Again, i've posted what I think is a comprehensive review of this album on RRR, but to recap: this is NOT the old Hellogoodbye. Filled with indie-popspiration (the words indie-pop and inspiration mashed together), this band has released a remarkable mature and exciting album that reveals itself more and more with each listen. A necessary addition to anyone who enjoys happy music!



1. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns
It was a Wednesday evening when I decided, begrudgingly, to give this album a spin. at 7pm I started listening, and kept listening until 11:30pm. Yes, you heard correct: I listened to this album a good four times in a row. It truly blew me away. "Is it like that crappy Minutes to Midnight?" Um, that album was not crappy, and no, this is NOTHING like anything you've heard from Linkin Park. Hybrid Theory is the teenage angst Linkin Park, A Thousand Suns is the Tchaikovsky Linkin Park; mature, beyond its years, solid from start to finish, bewilderingly different. It is a broad spectrum of whooshing guitars and epic apocalyptic anthems. If you haven't, buy this album, and if you have, buy another to give to someone for Christmas. They need to hear it. This is my top album for the year, not only because it is a masterpiece, but it represents a complete turnaround of a group of musicians. Don't think of these guys as the multi-platinum selling, rapping metalheads. They are the revolutionary spearheads of the exciting music to come in 2011, and I simply cannot wait.

Whipped Hair and Stutters: the Science of Pop Music Pt. 1

Let's face it, we've all had our moments when we get caught up in the wonder that is pop music. Be it at a high school dance, in the car while playing on the radio, or at home when no one's around, we catch ourselves singing along to songs we otherwise find distasteful, or at least annoying. So what is it about this pop music we hate so much that has us falling in love? Is it the intense, introspective lyrics? Perhaps the wondrous harmony of all the timbres and instruments coexisting to create a musical masterpiece. No? Well, perhaps it is something else. I'd like to propose that it is one thing, and primarily this one thing: CATCHINESS.


Now, some people have argued that a catchy song is a beautiful one, one that took a great deal of talent to craft. I disagree wholeheartedly. Firstly, let us set down a fairly relevant definition for "catchy": "instantly appealing and memorable", as defined by our great friends at Wikipedia (whose accuracy and integrity, for the sake of this article, I will not spend time defending). 


It is indeed possible for a catchy song to be beautiful and to have taken a lot of talent and effort to produce. But it is painfully easy to make a catchy song without requiring any talent, or effort for that matter. To illustrate I will use two examples found in today's mainstream media: Willow Smith's odious single "Whip My Hair" and Ke$ha's disgustingly popular radio hit "We R Who We R". Will Smith's daughter took the liberty of hooking herself up to the string of the Hollywood puppeteers (Roc Nation to be exact) and came up with "Whip My Hair", a song that, trance music aside, breaks records for the number of times a single line is in one song....68 to be exact (yes, I listened and counted for myself. It was painful). Something catchy, as we've stated, is both memorable and appealing. For a lot of girls, whipping hair is appealing. Check. Do we have a memorable song? The world of marketing can back that claim for us. Marketers on average name their brand/product at least 3 times in the 30-60 second ad they pitch in order for our brains to process and remember the name. In the 197 second song, we hear the line "I whip my hair back and forth" not three times, not 10 times....but a whopping (or should I saw whipping) SIXTY-EIGHT TIMES! Do we have a memorable song? CHECK.


Then we have Ke$ha, the most hair-brained, sleazy drunk that Almighty Hollywood could create. In her new single "We R Who We R", it seems that Ke$ha has some problems pronouncing her words. The chorus goes:


"Tonight we're going hard hard-ha-ha-ha-hard
Just like the world is ours-ours-a-a-a-our
We're tearin' it apart-part-pa-pa-pa-part
You know we're superstars"

Is it just me, or can she not finish her words without a severe stutter? She's not the only one. The infamous and unnecessarily crazed Lady Gaga has similar phenomena going on in her tracks. Are America's 'best' musicians impaired with speech impediments? Hardly. Stutters are tools of repetition. They emphasize and further pronounce certain words or phrases. They build expectations for the listener, so that someone who's never even heard the song before can sing along, stutters included, by the time the second chorus rolls around.  I'm not sure how much thought goes into these songs, but if I sang "roses are re-re-re-re-red, violets are blu-blu-blu-blue" i'd bet you could have it stuck in your head. Heck, I could just sing the word "pots" repeatedly and you'd start catching on. It's a science.

Is catchiness important in pop music? Definitely. But that's not all.

--To Be Continued~