Caitlin Lavin writesCaitlin Lavin’s Best of 2010

Throughout December CHIRP Radio presents its members' top albums of 2010. The next list is from CHIRP Radio DJ and Assistant Guest Coordinator Caitlin Lavin.

(Click here to get the complete list of CHIRP Radio members' picks.)

1. Best Coast – Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   Haters gonna hate, but I dig this record. A bunch of sunny, fun pop songs from the Sunshine State. Oh wait, that's Florida. Whatever. I can get down with Bethany Cosentino, seems like she likes the finer things in life. Hanging out, cats, smoking weed. Will this band be popular next year? Who cares, that's what year-end lists are for.
2. Dissapears – Lux (Kranky)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   Quite possibly my favorite local band currently. CAN, Suicide, Wire, Joy Division all rolled up into one heavily distorted and repetitive bliss. Also, I love it when Brian Case goes "WHAAAAT!"
3. Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be (HoZac/Sub Pop)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   2010 had a lot of "girly" fronted bands and this one was at the top of the top. Great harmony, perfect pop songs. This record made me nostalgic for a time that was around before I was born, riding w/ my Johnny and his leather jacket.
4. Joanna Newson – Have One On Me (Drag City)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   Yet again an artist that I would've never thought would ever be on my year end list had made the cut. Never really understood Joanna Newsom before. Her last record, Ys was too overblown for me and her voice grated on my eardrums. When I saw that her 3rd release was going to be a 3CD/LP set, I groaned. But this one grew on me. There was just enough instrumentation to make each song exquisite, and it seems like Joanna has finally grown into her voice, it's a lot more playful and melodic. This is a headphones record for sure.
5. Magic Lantern – Platoon (Not Not Fun)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   Awesome spaced out psychedelic record from California. I don't have much to say except give it a few spins real loud after a long bong hit. (It's even great without hallucinogens.) Produced by Bobb Bruno of Best Coast, who was rad before people started going crazy for his current band.
6. Benoit Pioulard - Lasted (Kranky)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   Some people describe Benoit Pioulard as "bedroom pop." What does that even mean? I hope it means that he'll play some of his songs in my room someday, that would be pretty sweet. This is his third full length on kranky and definitely his best. Ambient loops act as buffers between lush, guitar ditties over his soft alto. Also, his name isn't really Benoit Pioulard, it's Thomas. But his stage name conjures up my imagination of a brooding existential French man, so that's all right with me.
7. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way (Daptone)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   2010 had its share of soul revival, but Sharon Jones has been doing it the hard way for a long time. Now in her 50s, she had several jobs including a prison guard before she started singing professionally a few years ago. The first time I listened to this record, I instantly replayed it a second time. I wish I could wail like her and have a backing band of studious looking brass-guys. Sharon Jones is my hero.
8. Super Wild Horses – Fifteen (Hozac)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   Two super cute chicks from Melbourne, Australia that didn't even know how to play instruments before starting up this band made one hell of a rockin' record. It gives me hope for whenever I decide to finally pick up my guitar and learn to play. "Mess Around" is one of my favorites of the year, and a totally this decade's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
9. Ty Segall – Melted (Goner)
   BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
   If you look at producing credits for garage records in 2010, there's a pretty good chance you'll see Ty's name on the cover. So it makes sense on why this is one of the well produced garage rock records of the year, and quite possibly ever. This guy knows how to write a pop song. He's also cute. I gotta big crush on him.
10. Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love (Matador)
    BUY: Amazon / Insound / iTunes
    I may be a bit biased, 'cause this is my favorite band. Their first record in nearly five years is something quite special. A well-done blend of their glossy newer songs mixed with the intimacy of their older ones. When I first heard "I Want the World To Stop" I nearly cried, cause it had been so long since they had written a song like that, and it's like they haven't missed a beat.

Best Reissue:
Black Tambourine – s/t (Slumberland)
The Welders – 7" (BDR) ("P-E-R-V-E-R-T, You're a perv with a capital P!" – that's all you need to know)

Honorary Mentions:
The Mantles – EP (Mexican Summer)
Moonhearts – s/t (Tic Tac Totally)
Zola Jesus – Stridulum EP (Sacred Bones)
Swiss Dots – Glaciers (Vinahyde)