Top 50 Albums of 2010: 31-40

31
Cursor Miner
"Requires Attention" (Uncharted Audio)

Sometimes it takes artists a while to hone their craft. Other times an artist is just too ahead of the game. Cursor Miner is probably both, but he is finally getting the attention he deserves with this latest album. Elements of Synthpop, IDM and Dubstep converge to form his most accomplished release.
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32
Drum Eyes
"Gira Gira" (Upset! The Rhythm)

Drum Eyes is Shige Ishihara (AKA DJ Scotch Egg), E-Da (ex-Boredoms drummer), and K-Power and is yet another hard to categorise album. Clocking in at just 36 minutes, it's short but far from sweet. Drone rock, Japanoise, space-age synth, Fuck Buttons-eqsue digital noise and Krautrock rhythms meld together in one furious blast.
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33
Deerhunter
"Halcyon Digest" (4AD)

I have never understood the hype around Deerhunter. Having been unimpressed by previous albums, and their live show, I wasn't expecting to love this release but it is a huge step forward. By far their best album, it builds upon their sound with far stronger songwriting - no doubt partly a result of Bradford Cox’s tireless work as Atlas Sound.
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34
Black Angels
"Phosphene Dream" (Blue Horizon)

Like Tame Impala, The Black Angels’ antennas are tuned back to 60s and 70s psychedelia, in this case to the fuzz-laden garage-pop of 13th Floor Elevators and Silver Apples as much as Barrett-era Floyd. Darker and more authentic than other sonic revivalists around today, Phosphene Dream feels more akin to time travel than pastiche.
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35
Broken Bells
"Broken Bells" (Columbia)

You couldn’t go anywhere this summer without hearing “The High Road”, the blissful opener from Broken Bells’ debut album of luscious indie-pop. James Mercer (lead singer of The Shins) and Brian Burton (AKA Danger Mouse) initially conceived this collaboration as a one-off but there is now thankfully talk of a second release.
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36
Four Tet
"There Is Love In You" (Domino)

There Is Love In You constitutes Kieran Hebden’s fifth album proper as Four Tet and his strongest since 2003’s Rounds. On this release, Hebden solidifies his gradual move away from his noodly headphone roots and towards tasteful dance club beats without sacrificing the distinctive sound that made him so popular in the first place.
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37
Brian McBride
"The Effective Disconnect" (Kranky)

Another soundtrack that works superbly as a standalone album is The Effective Disconnect. Composed for “Vanishing of the Bees”, an ecologically conscious documentary about the importance of bees to the ecosystem, it is a sumptuous, ethereal album of modern classical from Stars of the Lid member Brian McBride.
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38
Thomas Fehlmann
"Gute Luft" (Kompakt)

There were a lot of strong soundtrack releases in 2010 and Fehlmann’s, released on Köln's famed Kompakt label, is one of the most compelling. Composed by the Swiss dub techno legend and ex-member of The Orb, Gute Luft was originally scored for the TV documentary "24H Berlin" yet works equally well as a standalone album.
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39
Flying Lotus
"Cosmogramma" (Warp)

Less cohesive than Los Angeles or his excellent Pattern+Grid World EP, also of this year, the success of this album is a sign of the massive respect Flying Lotus commands as well as maybe a sign of where music is headed. Cosmogramma is an album for the ADHD generation – unapologetically frantic and eclectic.
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40
Jónsi
"Go" (XL Recordings)

This year the Sigur Rós front-man released his first solo album and despite its beauty, it falls foul of the common criticism of not sounding different enough from the band he's known for being in. That aside, Go is full of positivity, energy and those gorgeous baroque strings you come to expect from Iceland's second most famous musician. 
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Top 50 Albums of 2010: 41-50

41
Alasdair Roberts & Friends
"Too Long In This Condition" (Drag City)

Alasdair Roberts’s raison d'être is to revive traditional Scottish folk music but to make it relevant, not to put it behind a glass case as a musical archivist might. A big improvement on last year’s rather disappointing Spoils album, it comes much closer to the giddy heights of his first four solo releases.
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42
The Chap
"Well Done Europe" (Lo Recordings)

The Chap is a bunch of weirdoes from London who make music that escapes any serious attempt at categorisation. This is their first release since their acclaimed Mega Breakfast, which put them on the map and on the road. Manic and odd, they manage to make the least accessible pop imaginable.
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43
To Rococo Rot
"Speculation" (Domino)

Berlin-based trio To Rococo Rot situates themselves comfortably in the nexus of electronica and post-rock. Delicacy and groove sit side by side in their softly spoken yet powerful Krautrock-influenced sound. Their first album proper since Hotel Morgen in 2004, it is a rewarding listen, even if it doesn’t live up to their City Slang days.
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44
Konono Nº1
"Assume Crash Position" (Crammed Discs)

Konono Nº1’s sophomore album on the Crammed Discs label fails to match the immediacy of 2004’s Congotronics but despite some iffy vocals on the opening track it is a solid album and a real grower to boot. As ever their sound is based heavily on the use of likembé (thumb piano) and strikingly energetic percussion.
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45
Autechre
"Oversteps" (Warp)

Autechre albums are highly anticipated events. Prior to this release, a band that deserves to remain unnamed ‘accidentally’ mis-tagged their album as Oversteps. Disappointing as an Autechre release it did strike listeners as a welcome departure, highlighting the quality yet predictability of the Warp mainstay's sound.
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46
Max Richter
"Infra" (FatCat)

As well as contributing tracks to Shutter Island, Max Richter has released three full soundtracks this year, including Infra, originally composed as a score for the ballet of same name in November 2008. A subtle, emotive album of ambient and modern classical interwoven with the haunting static buzz of radios.
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47
Tame Impala
"Innerspeaker" (Modular Recordings)

Tame Impala’s Beatles-laden psychedelic stoner-pop isn’t breaking new ground but it is an unashamedly fun summer album. A well-executed debut that evokes John Lennon, early Pink Floyd, Cream and The Shins, these Aussie newcomers will no doubt be festival favourites next summer, if luck is on their side.
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48
Nest
"Retold" (Serein)

Nest is the collaborative project of Otto Totland, one half of the excellent Deaf Center, on Type Records, and Huw Roberts. Retold is a re-release of their excellent eponymous EP in 2007, extended to full-length. Electronics, minimal percussion, strings and piano converge to create a haunting experience.
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49
Frank Bretschneider
"EXP" (Raster-Noton)

German electronic artist and founder of the acclaimed Raster-Noton label, Bretschneider makes minimal glitch music out of white noise and sine waves. The achievement of EXP, seems somewhat diminished compared with his previous, and spectacular, full length Rhythm. Still, the spacious static-laden sound creates plenty of intrigue.
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50
Lower Dens
"Twin Hand Movement" (Gnomonsong)

In an Indie scene dominated in part by understated, dreamlike acts like The XX and Beach House it’s no surprise that there would be interest for Lower Dens. They contain elements in common with the aforementioned bands yet trashier and more urgent. An engaging and atmospheric debut suggesting even greater things to come!
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Year In Review: Top 50 Albums of 2010

ithinkx is about to publish its 'Top 50 Albums of 2010' list and I have to say it has been an amazing year for music! This may sound a bit rash, but for my money this has been the best year for music in about a decade. 2007 is the only year that comes close and even that has nothing on 2010 in terms of number and quality of releases and general musical activity.

The influence of Africa was heard very strongly this year throughout a lot of music, both from Africa itself (Mali in particular) and elsewhere on albums by varied artists under the influence such as Vampire Weekend, To Rococo Rot, Mice Parade, The Budos Band and Germany's Ethio-jazz band Woima Collective. There were Fela Kuti reissues, the Tradi-Mods vs Rockers: Alternative Takes On Congotronics remix album which featured remixes of contemporary Congolese bands by indie staples such as Animal Collective and new albums by Konono Nº1 and Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen.

It looked like an amazing year for hip hop and it wasn't bad, with the new Kanye album measuring up well against high expectations and much hype and a return-to-form from The Roots. We also had quality albums from Big Boi and Reflection Eternal, but we still have to wait until early 2011 for the official debut albums by Jay Electronica and J.Cole, leaving us having to sate ourselves with their latest mix-tapes instead.

It was a tall order to keep list this year's list just to 50, given the breadth and quality of releases so I want to give credit to a few releases that missed the top 50 but in a weaker year may have pierced the top 20! N.B. Re-issues, compilations, remix albums and EPs have been disregarded in the making of this list.

The Ones That Got Away!

Ninjatune celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and as well as the XX boxset and related celebratory releases there were also notable albums by newcomer Eskmo as well as albums from Bonobo and Norwegian progsters Jaga Jazzist.

Electronic music in general was especially healthy this year. Walls and Baths released notable albums and Hamburg's Dial records (whose Pantha du Prince found wider success for himself and the label by signing to Rough Trade) continued to release high-quality techno and minimal house albums by artists such as Efdemin and Pawel. Type Records' Sylvain Chauveau released "Singular Forms (Sometimes Repeated)" where he fused his sparse piano pieces with a vocal style he honed on his Depeche Mode tribute album (with Ensemble Nocturne, released in 2005). James Blake made waves with a couple of great EPs that gained him a lot of exposure and deservedly so. Ambient legend Brian Eno released "Small Craft On A Milk Sea", a decent but unremarkable album on Warp, with the help of Jon Hopkins.

The Canadian music scene looked as healthy as ever with a two-album release by techno-head and Archipel label boss Pheek, as well as a solid album from fellow Montrealers Plants & Animals. Eighties electro-pop throwback Diamond Rings made instant waves on release of his debut album "Special Affections". Black Mountain, Broken Social Scene and Wolf Parade delivered more of the same, which was enough to please the majority of their die-hard fans. French Canadians Karkwa released the gorgeous Les Chemins De Verre, which deservedly won this year's Polaris Prize.

Pitchfork darlings Yeasayer and Vampire Weekend both released solid albums this year. Sleigh Bells, Wavves, Frightened Rabbit and Villagers all released enjoyable albums but whether they will pass the test of time remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Stereolab's Leticia Sadier released "The Trip" - a gorgeous album of solo material.

Big disappointments this year came from !!!, whose album Strange Weather, Isn't It? seemed mailed-in, failing to live up to the standard of the excellent Myth Takes in 2007. Die Antwoord's official Interscope release of $0$ was a huge disappointment, managing to lose almost everything that was great about their demos, lending credence to the insinuation that they are nothing more than an amusing one-liner.

Joanna Newsom overstretched herself with a 3 CD boxset Have One On Me (one would've been great, three not so much) that contained some real gems but eventually collapsed under its own weight. Gil Scott-Heron released a potentially interesting yet ultimately disappointing, and short, album that felt all too much like he had been wheeled into the studio against his will and M.I.A. released an album that somehow was far less than the sum of its parts.

All in all it's been a fantastic year for music and the fact that so many great albums didn't make it into the Top 50 just goes to prove just how good a year it was!

Top 50 list coming soon!