Best Albums of 2010: #4 - Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty

"I keep it play while some choose to play it safe." - Shutterbugg

I know that track-by-track reviews can be lazy and lame, but there's honestly no other way for me to handle Antwan Patton's magnum opus, Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty. Each track is completely unique and distinct--they would hardly sound like they were recorded for the same album if it weren't for Big Boi's calming presence on each track and for numerous callbacks to 1980s electro-soul (most notably in "Shutterbugg"). It's amazing that label drama almost deprived us from hearing this awesome record.

"Feel Me (Intro)" - As Big Boi says at the end, "damn, that wasn't nothin' but the intro." Big Boi and company fit more unique textures and layers onto this 1 and a half minute track than many rap artists fit on a whole album. "Feel Me" is a fine overture of Sir Lucious Left Foot's musical style, featuring rolling piano chords, wah-wah pedal and idiosyncratic choirs riding the bass.

"Daddy Fat Sax" - If it weren't for "Feel Me," "Daddy Fat Sax" would also have served as a fine intro to the album. Mr. DJ's production is an album highlight, with random blurts of zipper-like synths, lush keys and an ultra-deep voice singing the title over the chorus. Big Boi's on top of his game, as well, especially in the quick first verse, where he blasts the rap world for forgetting about him before transitioning to speculation about the fate of the Obama presidency.

"Turns Me On (ft. Sleepy Brown & Joi)" - The first production from Outkast's house production team, Organized Noize, is somewhat laidback, with a repeating midi theme and smooth electric piano. Though the backing track is laid back, Sleepy Brown and Joi add a frenetic and creepy element to the track with their off-kilter harmonies and percussive sound effects. "Turns Me On" is somewhat of a lyrical exercise for Big Boi, as he slips inventive rhymes into his doubletime flow. The highlight: the bridge, which I won't spoil here (skip to the 2:30 mark in the song).

"Follow Us (ft. Vonnegutt)" - "Follow Us" was fairly maligned by many critics for its bland contribution from Vonnegutt, who come off as third-rate Nickelback or Kings of Leon impersonators on their chorus. Big Boi's flow is not quite as elastic on this track on some of the others, but he still feels at home on Salaam Remi's slinky, melodic beat. It's a good sign when this is one of the weaker tracks on the album.

"Shutterbugg" - I wrote about "Shutterbugg" here, and my opinion hasn't changed much. It's an album highlight and will surely feature on Summer playlists for a long time.

"General Patton" - It’s sorta hard to take Big Boi seriously when he says “get the South up out your mouth,” considering “General Patton” has the crunkiest beat since the heyday of Lil Jon. The opera sample in the beginning is undercut nicely by the violent bursts of brass, and Big Boi sounds angrier than he’s been since “B.O.B.” Plus: the track ends with an ultra-deep voice describing a sex act called “The David Blaine,” which is even funnier than it sounds.

"Tangerine (ft. T.I. & Khujo Goodie)" - "Tangerine" is a fairly straightforward strip club track, with a walking guitar line and prominent drums, but contains enough creative musical and vocal flourishes that it doesn't stick out on the album. T.I. kills it: "Real talk, my reality is your fantasy."

"You Ain't No DJ (ft. Yelawolf)" - Andre 3000's only appearance on his partner's album is behind the boards on "You Ain't No DJ." Big Boi was initially planning on using a more rock-influenced track for Yelawolf, but relented when he heard Dre's metallic, sparse and fierce beat. Yela himself is a revelation, bending his flow around the mechanical percussion, his country-fried personality bursting out of the speakers ("I party in poverty with people like 'yeah, you're famous so what?'/I bet you can't hitch this semi up to this tow truck"). (Try to find a different version of the video, since the best parts of Yelawolf's verse are censored)

"Hustle Blood (ft. Jamie Foxx)" - "Hustle Blood," produced by Lil Jon, is Big Boi's take on the standard Southern syrup jam. The beat seems to move in slow motion and is drenched with deep voices and reverb. Jamie Foxx sounds great on record for the first time since "Slow Jamz." Big Boi's rapid flow gives the song a shot in the arm, ratcheting up the intensity.

"Be Still (ft. Janelle Monae)" - Driven by a simple piano melody, "Be Still" is a vocal showcase for Monae, barely even featuring the Son of Chico Dusty, himself. Still, it serves as a nice transition from the club atmosphere of the first half of the record to the even crazier second half.

"Fo Yo Sorrows (ft. George Clinton & Too $hort)" - I love everything about this song. The bouncy, hypnotic beat; George Clinton's gurgling intro; the four line cameo by Too $hort about Jesse Jackson ("one of my favorite rappers happens to be Too $hort"); "A FAT ONE"; the deranged imagery of the chorus ("sit and smile from ear to ear, with a fistful of your girlfriend's hair"). Organized Noize and Big Boi create an entire warped world in "Fo Yo Sorrows," and Big Boi takes advantage of the atmosphere to rap about the sorrows he acknowledges in the chorus.

"Night Night (ft. B.o.B & Joi)" - In the middle of "Night Night," Big Boi stops, saying that he wasn't supposed to rap the second verse, but he might as well cause he "likes to destroy shit." This is probably the most logical place for Andre 3000 on the album, and we probably would have been graced by an awesome verse by Three Stacks, if it weren't for label drama. The presence of B.o.B, the king of Andre 3k disciples, draws even more attention to Dre's absence. Despite the lack of an Outkast reunion, "Night Night" is a lot of fun: it's a more frenetic version of "Follow Us," but with a more compelling chorus.

"Shine Blockas (ft. Gucci Mane)" - I bumped "Shine Blockas" for over a year before the official release of Left Foot. "Shine Blockas" is probably the most commercial song on the album. It does not smooth out the creative edges of Big Boi's vision, but it focuses his idiosyncratic style to a condensed, more mainstream package. "Shine Blockas" rides a lush soul sample and a catchy, if nonsensical, chorus by Gucci Mane, carried by Big Boi's dynamic wordplay and knack for witty turns of phrase ("I came equipped like a prophylactic now they riding dick").

"The Train, Pt. 2 (Sir Lucious Left Foot Saves the Day)" - "The Train" is where Sir Lucious Left Foot winds down, with soothing, Four Tet-esque electronics and eerie whistles. Big Boi often seems like he's broadcasting live from another planet, especially on this track.

"Back Up Plan" - "Back Up Plan," produced by Organized Noize, seems like a venue for Big Boi to fit in all the ideas that wouldn't fit onto other tracks on his album. At the end of the track, Big Boi sighs "I'm through...I done had enough," and you believe him. It's amazing an album can be as entertaining, inventive and surprising as Sir Lucious Left Foot through its fifteen tracks.

Best Albums of 2010: #6 - The Walkmen: Lisbon

"Today's a day like any other" - "Angela Surf City"

Lisbon is a typically great album from The Walkmen, one of the tightest groups in the current Indie scene. Though trend-hopping seems to be the bread and butter of many Indie Rock groups, The Walkmen march to the beat of their own drum. Lisbon is a sparse and lyrical masterwork, built on heavy drumbeats and skeletal guitars, elevated to transcendence by the signature howl of frontman Hamilton Leithauser. Though Lisbon sports many excellent tracks, like "Stranded," "Blue as Your Blood" and "Woe is Me," the second track, "Angela Surf City" stands out from the pack and wins the dubious honor of being Flawless Crowns' Track of the Year.

"Angela Surf City" utilizes the familiar soft-verse/loud-chorus recipe popularized by the Pixies and Nirvana, but is anything but formulaic. The verses, with a relatively subdued delivery by Leithauser over scratchy guitar and pounding drums, evoke the rolling white caps alluded to in the lyrics. The chorus, however, is a tsunami, as the guitars swtich from playing jangly riffs to thunderous power chords and Leithauser wails for his love ("You took the high road, I couldn't find you!"). "Angela Surf City" shows how the Walkmen can make any Indie Rock trope fresh through great performances and simple, yet poetic, lyrics.

Best Albums of 2010 (20-16)

20. Everything in Between - No Age

"I don't fear God. I don't fear anything at all. Cause I know that's where we've been" - Glitter

The latest release from L.A.'s preeminent post-hardcore duo arrived with considerably less fanfare and buzz than Nouns, their last album, but I'm really not sure why. Everything In Between, while ten minutes longer than Nouns, is a more cohesive record and showcases a band that has truly developed a unique sound. Guitarist Randy Randall (a first-ballot inductee to the Mitch Mitchell Hall of Fame for people who have the same first and last name) brings the noise, often veering off into nails-on-chalkboard diversions, and singer/drummer Dean Spunt brings the band back to reality, with his steady beats and deadpan delivery. The crown jewel of the record is "Glitter," in which No Age filters T.Rex through the world's dirtiest sieve, leaving behind only only snares and screeches. Though Everything In Between isn't a huge artistic leap forward for the duo, it's a pretty lofty status quo.
Standout Tracks: "Glitter," "Fever Dreaming," "Life Prowler"

19. Crush - Abe Vigoda

"Cruelty is what we share" - "Dream of My Love (Chasing After You)"

I never used to care for Abe Vigoda. Their "tropical-punk" seemed a lot better when I read about it than when I actually heard it. The band's older stuff is far too spare and tuneless for me and even their best songs sounded to me like they needed a couple more takes. Crush represents an effort by the band to expand their sound, taking cues from label-mates and L.A. contemporaries No Age, and the effort is mostly successful. The title track is easily the best track they've recorded to date, recalling Drums and Wires-era XTC and the Buzzcocks' later work, merging their signature stringy guitar riffs with a distortion pedal and more expressive drumming. "Pure Violence" takes a page out of the Echo & the Bunnymen playbook, and "Dream of My Love" features the band trading in their guitars for 8-bit midis. Hopefully, Abe Vigoda will continue to improve as they showcase Michael Vidal's expressive voice and expand their musical pallette.
Standout Tracks: "Crush," "November," "Pure Violence"

18. Gorilla Manor - Local Natives

"I'll endure the night for the promise of light" - "Sun Hands"

Aaaand the Los Angeles lovefest continues with the third straight band out of L.A. on my list. Though Abe Vigoda and No Age both spring from the modern L.A. punk scene, there's very little that's punk about Local Natives, who sound like a sun-fried Fleet Foxes. Like the Fleet Foxes, Local Natives rely on pretty harmonies and elaborate guitar and string arrangements to convey warmth, but the driving drum beats signify that the warmth comes from the sun, not from a fireplace. "Sun Hands" is a tribal freakout with freak-folk lyrics ("my hands are blessed, they touched the sun"). "Airplanes," reverses the perspective of "Leaving On a Jet Plane,"as they pine for a lover who has left for Japan. The band said that Gorilla Manor was inspired by Music From Big Pink, and Local Natives' three-part harmonies and pure American sound almost approaches its inspiration.
Standout Tracks: "Sun Hands," "Shape Shifter," "Wide Eyes," "World News"

17. Pilot Talk/Pilot Talk II - Curren$y

"I get highed up so I can autograph the skyyyyy...fool!" - "Michael Knight"

Ladies and gentlemen, please bow down to Ski Beatz. Once celebrated for making the "Dead Presidents" and "Feelin' It" beats for Jay-Z, Ski faded into semi-obscurity for a decade until he hooked up with New Orleans MC, Curren$y, known only as Lil Wayne's weed carrier. Ski specializes in airy, spaced-out and expansive beats that fill the whole track, leaving Curren$y to find the negative space and exploit it with his rhymes about smoking weed, pop culture (he apes Training Day and Rocky, among others), driving cars and living an amazing life. Though the beats are the story of the first Pilot Talk (see the fried "Seat Change," the percussive, steel-drum laden "Audio Dope II," and the rolling piano of "The Hangover"), Curren$y capitalizes on his relationship with Ski, riding the atypical synth-heavy "King Kong" to perfection and brings in Mos Def to interpolate The Karate Kid in "Breakfast." By Pilot Talk II, Ski and Spitta developed a shorthand, each artist understanding eachother's limits and rarely exceeding them. About half the tracks on Pilot Talk II barely reach the three-minute mark. Pilot Talk II also boasts the highlight of both albums: "Michael Knight," where Spitta repeatedly and hypnotically chants the name of David Hasselhoff's signature character and mimes the sound made by the Six Million Dollar Man ("scu-du-du-du-du-du-du").
Standout Tracks: "Michael Knight," "Seat Change (ft. Snoop Dogg)," "Hold On," "The Day (ft. Mos Def & Jay Electronica," "King Kong," "O.G. (The Jar)"

16. Transference - Spoon

"And now you're back is against the wall" - "Who Makes Your Money?"

Though Spoon's previous album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, was their most mainstream effort to date, Transference took the band in an opposite direction. Though they have always been praised for their minimalism, sparse instrumentation and simple song structure, Transference took Spoon's minimalism to the extreme. A few of these songs drone on with an unchanging beat, no chorus and only two chords. However, on some tracks, Spoon, usually tight and organized, seem downright raw. "Written in Reverse" features Eric Harvey attacking his upright piano and singer/songwriter Britt Daniel stretching his voice to its limits. "Out Go the Lights," one of the aforementioned two-chord songs, shows enough musical inventiveness and lyrical wit to make up for its monotony. The best track, by a long shot, is the closer "Nobody Gets Me But You." Britt Daniel obliquely references his perception in the music community ("no-one else remembers my name, just the parts that I play"), drummer Jim Eno provides one of his steadiest grooves and Harvey once again freaks out on the piano in between phrases. Through thirteen years and six albums, Spoon remains remarkably inscrutable and untouchable.
Standout tracks: "Nobody Gets Me But You," "Who Makes Your Money?" "Written in Reverse," "Out Go the Lights"

Best Albums of 2010 (25-21)

2010 was a pretty stacked year for music, so I had to make some tough cuts when compiling my list. Last cut was the BAWSE! I hope he can find it in his giant heart to forgive me.

Probably not too broken up about his near miss on my list

Honorable Mentions:
Completely Removed - Medications: These guys are kinda like a poppier Dismemberment Plan and Completely Removed is a very solid record.

Friday Night Lights - J. Cole: It's a Cole World and we're just living in it. Though loaded with great tracks ("Villematic," "Home for the Holidays"), Friday Night Lights barely missed the cut because it plays more like a J. Cole greatest hits collection than a cohesive album and because of the lack of references to the amazing television show.

The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man on Earth: Scandinavia's answer to Bob Dylan continues to flourish and write fantastic, yet nearly indistinguishable, songs about death and love.

The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monae: Monae wrote two of my favorite songs of the year ("Cold War" and "Tightrope" are better than almost everything else found on the albums on my main list), but I found the album a tad too conceptual and experimental for my tastes. Still, The ArchAndroid is a fascinating debut and Monae is capable of even greater things if she hones her pop instincts.

Teflon Don - Rick Ross: I wrote a glowing review of this one back in the Summer, but it just barely missed the cut because of the pure volume of quality music released this year.

Now on to the list:

25. Kush & OJ - Wiz Khalifa

"Everything is better when you're high" - "Up"

Wiz Khalifa reached the Billboard top 20 this year with the Stargate-produced "Black & Yellow," but his most buzzworthy release, the Kush & OJ mixtape, proves that Wiz is strongest when rapping over reverb-drenched guitar and 70s drums. Kush & OJ is a comprehensive chronicle of Wiz Khalifa's favorite things: smoking in the morning, orange juice, smoking in the afternoon, video games (see Chrono Trigger sampling "Never Been,") smoking with girls, Chuck Taylor shoes, smoking with his boys (he invites fellow stoners Curren$y and Big K.R.I.T. to join him in his "Glass House"), singing, smoking at night and rapping. By the end of listening to the record, they'll likely be your favorite things, too. Wiz boasts an infectious laugh (he seems to giggle on every track) and an even more infectious flow, reminiscent of stoner legends Snoop Dogg and Devin the Dude. Kush & OJ posits Khalifa as the quintessential 21st century partier, inviting you into his world of blunts, 40s and beautiful girls. Once you step in, its hard to leave.
Standout tracks: "Never Been," "Glass House," "Supply," "Still Blazin" (download link for the whole mixtape above)

24. Stuck on Nothing - Free Energy

"Bang pop pop. When does this searching stop?" - "Bang Pop"

Stuck on Nothing is what music would sound like if Big Star and the Replacements were the most popular artists of the past 30 years, instead of Madonna and Michael Jackson. Free Energy makes excellent pop songs with guitar and drums, instead of MPCs and 808s. More importantly, Free Energy is one of the few bands that do not try to hide their enthusiasm for their music. Stuck on Nothing is a fantastic synthesis of modern and classic rock, giving it a sense of timelessness that most music does not have . "Dream City," with its "na na na" chorus and sax outro, could have been written any time since Sgt. Peppers and "Hope Child" resembles what you would get if you let Julian Casablancas sing for Beggar's Banquet era Rolling Stones. That's the essence of Stuck on Nothing: a throwback that manages to convince you that it isn't a throwback.
Standout Tracks: "Free Energy," "Dream City," "Wild Winds."

23. The Hybrid - Danny Brown

"'Bout to live the title of the GREATEST RAPPER EVER"

Instead of posting a capsule review of Detroit MC Danny Brown's The Hybrid, I'm going to list some of my favorite lines from what might be, pound-for-pound, the best album for one-liners to come out in years:
"I rap like I bet my life on it/cause in all actuality, n***a I did/you rap like you used to hit the pipe/no that ain't dreck that's crackhead shit" - "Greatest Rapper Ever"

"I'm spittin' that shit, smokin on the regular/Writin' sixteens like internet child predators" - "Greatest Rapper Ever"

"Parque floor, green like Celtic/furniture you touch and be like 'what's that, velvet?'" - "Nowhere 2 Go"

"Sittin' in an Audi, L.A. hit the do-over/throwin' up the middle finger yelling f*ck Oprah!" - "The Nana Song"

"Eatin' Cheese Doodles, don't let the size fool you/tonight we eat shrimp take a break from the noodles" - "Thank God"

"Used to get domed up by crackheads/and still got my balls licked by pretty bitches" - "Re-Up"

22. Str8 Killa No Filla - Freddie Gibbs

"My sentiments exactly n***as can't outrap me" - "Crushin Feelin's"

Freddie Gibbs has a booming, authoritative voice and packs a lyrical punch to back it up. Gibbs has an uncommon versatility behind the mic, lending the same virtuosity and gravitas to weed anthem "Personal OG," as his autobiographical standout "The Ghetto." Like Danny Brown, Gibbs excels at painting a portrait of his unfortunate life for his readers, but unlike Brown, he has a fantastic ear for hooks. "National Anthem (F**k the World)" is Gibbs' mission statement, cursing out record labels who wouldn't sign him and the radio stations that wouldn't play his tracks, saying "all my sh*t still be bumpin/Never change my style up for any of them I'm strictly thuggin'." Str8 Killa lives up to its name, with great track following great track. Gangsta Gibbs is ready to hit it big and he's gonna do it his own way.
Standout tracks: "National Anthem," "The Ghetto," "Crushin' Feelin's," "Do Wrong," "Personal OG"

21. Astro Coast - Surfer Blood
"If you're movin' out to the west, then you'd better learn how to surf. The tide will break in on itself. There are no ghosts to exhume or unearth." - Floating Vibes

Astro Coast starts with the best 1-2 punch of 2010, when the Feelies-esque groove of "Floating Vibes" makes way for "Swim," a Weezer-like power ballad. "Floating Vibes" rides a distorted, yet melodic, guitar line to create atmosphere that lives up to its title. "Floating Vibes" is a perfect song to listen to when lying on a float in a public pool. "Swim," one of those songs that sounds like the band took the best parts of four or five songs and combined them, boasts a big guitar riff and an even bigger chorus. There's even a glockenspiel in the build-up to the chorus. Though the album tails off slightly after its exhilarating start, West Palm Beach's Surfer Blood out-California's most bands from California, recording the first great surf-rock album since Dick Dale died. (Bonus points for the red Gibson SG in the "Floating Vibes" video)
UPDATE: A little research shows that Dick Dale is not dead. Whoops! I still like the line though, so it's staying in. I hope you never die, Dick Dale! Here's "Misirlou"!
Standouts: "Floating Vibes," "Swim," "Harmonix"