Your Personal Top 10 of the 2010s • Page 7

Bon Iver started off strong and got better with each release

 

Bon Iver started off perfect and sustained perfection

 

fuckin great album but it came out in 07

 

Bon Iver is a band that's for sure

 

Not sure what I was thinking lmao, fixed!

 

How'd I know that's what your fix would be

 

Radiohead - The King Of Limbs (2011)
Probably the Radiohead album I listen to most alongside Kid A, and Separator is always the song I need when I'm feeling overly anxious ("like I'm fallen out of bed from a long and vivid dream, finally I'm free of all the weight I've been carrying"). Give Up The Ghost and Codex are some of the most gorgeous songs this band have created, Bloom is spectacular, Little By Little makes me dance. I adore the use of loops and I'm constantly taken aback by how much is going on here. Themes of death, rebirth, and a sadness seeping through makes a catchy, weird record one of Radiohead's best

Mitski - Puberty 2 (2016)
I wish I discovered this album earlier than November 2016. It would've been my AOTY if I had! This is one of my favourite albums of all time. I can't relate to Your Best American Girl - that song is not for me. However, every other song here touches on depression, anxiety, lost or unrequited love, and the beautiful, honest, sad "A Burning Hill" is a sequel to "Last Words Of A Shooting Star" (and referenced in Lorde's "Liability"). Mitski is a woman who tries to focus on the smaller things to find happiness, and never quite gets there. I always feel something when I listen to Puberty 2.

Lorde - Melodrama (2017)
I told myself I wouldn't include albums released last year, but here I am! Lorde takes a huge step up with this album, while Pure Heroine was lovely and youthful and hopeful, Melodrama finds Lorde stuck in heartbreak. And yet, every song stands out and has its own distinct identity. Melodrama helped me heal from a break up which happened a long time ago that I never got closure from. The Louvre, Liability and Hard Feelings are some of the best songs she's written so far

The National - High Violet (2011)
The National have been a difficult band for me to get into, but High Violet was pretty immediate for me, even though it took time for it to sink in and really see it's beauty. Lemonworld is a prime example of why Matt Berninger has become one of my favourite songwriters, he's a privileged man who struggles to be happy like everyone else, believing they're in a fantasy world (you and your sister live in a Lemonworld, I want to sit in and die) and juxtaposes dark lyrics with dark, cynical humour: "lay me on the table, put flowers in my mouth / and we can say that we invented a summer lovin' torture party". The instrumentation is often simple and sometimes sparse, but always beautiful and memorable.

Paramore - After Laughter (2017)
I've been a Paramore fan for a decade, and I do believe they created their best album with After Laughter. I relate to every song way too much, I wish I didn't, but I've managed to find solace every time I listen. Paramore have invited fans to "cry hard, but dance harder" and I'm happy to do so! Hayley delivers her finest vocal performance - there's no "All I Wanted" here, but she's so consistent and her voice has matured beautifully. Taylor's guitar licks are the more creative and inspired than they've ever been, and Zac breathes a new life into the band behind the drum kit! And Justin Meldal-Johnsen's bass lines stand out! The blending of new-wave/pop-rock with heartbreaking lyrics is just outstanding

The 1975 - I like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (2016)
I still can't believe how incredible this album is. I shouldn't be surprised by it, but it's SO different from s/t, and finds them honing in on what worked best for them already and infusing new, fresh sounds. UGH! is sadly too relatable for me, a wonderfully upbeat, strange song about not wanting to kick a drug addiction (alcohol was my substance of choice and I admit I did not want to quit for a while). The gospel-tinged If I Believe You is unreal, and makes me tear up every time. The 1975 make you question your faith, bluntly discuss drug addiction and depression and heartbreak, and not being a very good person at times. ILIWYS sounds bright, timeless, and special

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
I can't say much about this one, since I only listened to it for the first time a few months ago (I know, I'm sorry)! But I adored it from first listen. Kanye effortlessly incorporates soul, electro, and minimalism and creates a record that explores the American Dream, what "celebrity" can become, race, and so much more, developing a perfect hip-hop album whose influence is clear on many current hip-hop artists. Dark Fantasy, Blame Game and Lost In The World are massive highlights

Beyoncé - Lemonade (2016)
Again, I can't say much about this one. I've been listening to Lemonade since its release, but this album is not for me. Lemonade is truly incredible though, an R&B record which seamlessly combines reggae, blues and rock, funk, country, gospel and electronic music. It sounds like madness when written like that but actually works like magic. "Don't Hurt Yourself" is absolutely furious, "Daddy Lessons" is country-influenced and totally works for Beyoncé! "Pray You Catch Me" and "Sandcastles" are just gorgeous, I've definitely cried to Sandcastles a few times. "Freedom" (Kendrick Lamar is spectacular here) and "Formation" were some of the most important songs released in 2016.

Bon Iver - 22, A Million (2016)
What a fucking record this is. It's completely bizarre. It's also just stunning. I love the crackling, weird "over soon" which fuses into the delightful “10 (Deathbreast)” - it's disorienting, peculiar and Justin's lyrics are nonsensical. But that's okay, because "715 - Creeks" is one of the most emotional Bon Iver tracks ever recorded. Singing through his Messina allows Justin to channel so much raw emotion, which is needed for this song, and makes it a mind blowing track. "33 GOD", "29 #Strafford APTS", "8 (circle)" and "00000 Million" are all tracks that display tender beauty. This is by far my favourite Bon Iver release, and I couldn't be more excited for how Justin follows this one

Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math (2011)
Simple Math is a perfect album. It sees Manchester Orchestra at their strongest - Andy's lyrics are better than ever, instrumentation is even more creative and diverse, and the production is great, too. "Pale Black Eye" is brutally honest: "GOD DAMN, I'm tired of lying. I wish I loved you like I used to" and might be the climax of the record, instead of "Virgin". "Deer" is still my favourite MO album opener, "Leave It Alone" is warm and gentle, Manchester Orchestra just hit their stride with Simple Math and created such an emotional alt-rock album. And it takes me back to 2014, when I listened to it all the time in high school, and one of my teachers helped me when I was going through a lot and showed me how much she believed in me. Simple Math pulls me back to the worst time of my life but highlights the better moments.



It was so hard cutting out so many albums!! Sorry I talked so much about all of these albums

 

not in any real order other than #1
also no write ups because I'm shit at writing about music

here's my bad list:
1. Laura Stevenson - Wheel
2. FKA Twigs - LP1
3. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel
4. Glass Animals - Zaba
5. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
6. Purity Ring -Shrines
7. Mitski - Bury Me At Makeout Creek
8. The Front Bottoms - Talon Of The Hawk
9. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
10. Anderson.Paak - Malibu


and because I'm too indecisive to actually narrow it down to 10, these ones were real close too:
Cold Specks - I Predict A Graceful Expulsion
the 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep
SZA - ctrl
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Arctic Monkeys - AM

 

Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle
The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Joyce Manor - Never Hungover Again
Lord Huron - Strange Trails
Lorde - Melodrama
The National - Trouble Will Find Me
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Stranger in the Alps and Bon Iver, Bon Iver are just on the outside looking in. Could probably swap them in on any given day.

 

Thank you for mentioning this album! I had to check it out after reading your description. Absolutely loved it.

 

Now I just want a 00s thread because that's where my heart really is

 

I respect you for putting Lemonade on your list

 

From reading these lists, I've realized that there's so much music that I've missed out on and I really need to check out.

 

That was the goal!

 

I did this pretty quickly, because otherwise I would have thought about it way too much, so I am sure that there is stuff I have missed.

The Appleseed Cast - Illumination Ritual
Des Ark - Everything Dies
Hop Along - Painted Shut
Lomelda - Forever
Mount Eerie - Clear Moon
Perfect Future - Old Wounds: Warmth in the Winter of 1914-1915
Restorations - LP1
Signals Midwest - Light on the Lake
Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
Tyler Daniel Bean - On Days Soon To Pass

 

chronologically, one per band:

trent reznor & atticus ross - the social network soundtrack
bon iver - s/t
russian circles - empros
deafheaven - sunbather
kanye west - yeezus
kurt vile - wakin on a pretty daze
the war on drugs - lost in the dream
father john misty - i love you, honeybear
david bowie - blackstar
mount eerie - a crow looked at me

 

mmmm the social network soundtrack is amazing

 

Bon Iver - BI, BI
Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise
Daughter - Not to Disappear
Foxing - Dealer
Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle
Lorde - Melodrama
Mansions - Dig Up The Dead
Moving Mountains - S/T
Pianos Become The Teeth - Keep You
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie and Lowell

Here is my very good list. Doing only 10 sucks.

 

I was really tempted to put Brian Fallon's Sleepwalkers on this list but figured there was already enough Brian Fallon love on here

The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
The Front Bottoms - The Front Bottoms
The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book
Modern Baseball - Sports
Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life
Paramore - Paramore
Weezer - White Album

 

Shit, totally forgot about Dig Up The Dead, what an incredible album

 

I love it so much.

 

I was obsessed with it for a year or two after Doom Loop came out, but I haven't listened to it much since, I should change that

 

it’s super grey and wintery right now so it’s a perfect time for me to revisit Mansions

 

did this in a rough estimation of looking at last.fm and trying to regulate based on number of tracks on an album

Turnover - Peripheral Vision
Man Overboard - Real Talk
The Wonder Years - No Closer To Heaven
The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace Is There
Now, Now - Threads
Coheed and Cambria - The Afterman
--removed--
pmtoday - In Medias Res
Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright in the End
Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning

 

It edges it out ever so slightly.. It changes constantly too. I can't pick between the 3 tbh.