FSB Top Albums of the Year

 

This is a list of the Funky Soul Burner's Top Albums of the Year.  Last year, I did a Top 25 List, and this year the Top 25 is dedicated to albums that I found to change the perspective and the face of music in this ever-evolving new age industry (sans CDs and physical markets).  Artists are forced to be more creative with their marketing, and they have a wider range of freedom when it comes to distribution.  Some artists strive, some fail.  I would like to think that Darwin has had it in for the music industry the past few years, and I cannot wait to see how it all pans out. THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER WONDERFUL YEAR! 

 

The 25 Facelifting Albums and Artists:

 

1.            Kanye West: MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY / G.O.O.D. FRIDAYS - Love him or hate him, "Malcolm West has the whole nation standing at attention," as he rightfully boasts on the second track, "Gorgeous."  With the wonderfully and eclectically composed album of the year in over 15 major music critic's minds, it really is just the perfect dismount to an already triumphant year for Kanye.  In this one album, which he has meticulously crafted and scaled down to twelve solid songs (includes bonus track), he pays homage to so many artists that precede him including King Crimson, Black Sabbath, Aphex Twin, Michael Jackson, as well as captures beautifully the current pop culture - he is the Jean Michel Basquiat of hip hop.  On the other hand, his marketing campaign of G.O.O.D. Fridays included some of hip hop's best in Mos Def, Jay-Z, Q-Tip, Lupe Fiasco, Pusha T, Pete Rock, Common, John Legend, and many others as free tracks for every Friday leading up to the release of the album.  Twelve tracks overall, in my opinion, were all worthy of a second amazing album, including my favorite track of the year featuring Jay-Z and Pete Rock called, "The Joy."  This track represented all of the roots of hip hop and funk, and included some of the most profound verses of the year all wrapped in one amazing track.  With the addition of his directorial 30+ minute music film, "The Runaway," Kanye conquered the music industry, and hopefully raised that bar, once again, to give hope for a better craft in years to come.

2.            Janelle Monáe: THE ARCHANDROID - This was my album of the year until Hurricane Kanye broke down the levees.  Janelle's album is a close second to Kanye's, and certainly provided a new bump in the Atlanta crunk; fresh, clean, intelligent, and near perfect!  I'm already looking forward to her next album.

3.            Bio Boi: SIR LUCIOUS LEFT FOOT: THE SON OF CHICO DUSTY - Another Atlanta masterpiece.  Without Andre 3000, and long awaited, Big Boi and his many styles busts out one fantastic album.

4.            Four Tet: THERE IS LOVE IN YOU - Nobody makes electronica the way this man does, and it should be shown throughout my mixes.  He makes melody groove like '70s slow funk and churns your hips better than any drug and trance combination ever presented. 

5.            Deftones: DIAMOND EYES - Without their lead bassist, Chi Cheng, who is in a coma after a car accident, The Deftones scratched any music recorded with Chi up to that point, hired Sergio Vega of the masterful band, Quicksand, to knock out this gem of an album.  Where rock has failed miserably, Deftones still reign supreme.

 

6.            Bonobo: BLACK SANDS

7.            Menomena: MINES

8.            Black Milk: ALBUM OF THE YEAR

9.            The Roots: HOW I GOT OVER

10.            Andreya Triana: LOST WHERE I BELONG

11.            Jamie Lidell: COMPASS

12.            Sufjan Stevens: THE AGE OF ADZ

13.            Cee-Lo Green: THE LADYKILLER

14.            Caribou: SWIM

15.            Joanna Newsom: HAVE ONE ON ME

16.            LCD Soundsystem: THIS IS HAPPENING

17.            Flying Lotus: COSMOGRAMMA

18.            Kno: DEATH IS SILENT

19.            The Dillinger Escape Plan: OPTION PARALYSIS

20.            B. Dolan: FALLEN HOUSE SUNKEN CITY

21.            The Deadweather: SEA OF COWARDS

22.            Reflection Eternal: REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE

23.            Pantha du Prince: BLACK NOISE

24.            Sade: SOLDIER OF LOVE

25.            Gil Scott-Heron: I'M NEW HERE

 

25 More Recommended Albums of 2010:

 

26.            Robyn: BODY TALK

27.            Raekwon: BUILT ONLY FOR CUBAN LINKS PT.II

28.            Skream: OUTSIDE THE BOX

29.            Sarah Blasko: ALL I WANT

30.            Blockhead: THE MUSIC SCENE

31.            Jaga Jazzist: ONE ARMED BANDIT

32.            Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM

33.            Wale: ATTENTION DEFICIT

34.            Curren$y: PILOT TALK

35.            John Legend with The Roots: WAKE UP!

36.            Nas & Damian Marley: DISTANT RELATIVES

37.            Bilal: AIRTIGHT'S REVENGE

38.            Arcade Fire: THE SUBURBS

39.            Massive Attack: HELIGOLAND

40.            Murs & 9th Wonder: FORNEVER

41.            Lightspeed Champion: LIFE IS SWEET!  NICE TO MEET YOU

42.            Rhymefest: EL CHE

43.            Erykah Badu: NEW AMERYKAH PART TWO: RETURN OF THE ANKH

44.            Kid Cudi: THE LEGEND OF MR. RAGER, VOL. 2

45.            Trans Am: THING

46.            Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings I LEARNED THE HARD WAY

47.            Meth-Ghost-Rae: WU-MASSACRE

48.            Gorillaz: PLASTIC BEACH

49.            Robert Plant: BAND OF JOY

50.            Broken Bells: BROKEN BELLS