The Best of 2010

Last year, for the first time, I made my list of the top 10 albums of the year and it was a really great way for me to reflect on all the great music that came out that year. I decided that this year I'm going to try something different and see which I like better... Instead of doing a list of albums, I'm going to pick a best album, best song, best live act, best new artist, and best flashback album (an album that came out a previous year but I didn't discover until this year). I figure this way I get to mix things up a bit and talk about a variety of different works that deserve credit for their awesomeness. I'm also going to include a short section on what I look forward to most in 2011. So, without further adieu, here's my picks for the best of 2010!

Album of the Year
This year had a lot of strong releases from some of my old favorites including Broken Social Scene, Stars, and Motion City Soundtrack as well some newly discovered artists like Basia Bulat and Woodpigeon. My pick for album of the year is (surprisingly) not from any of these artists, however. It's from an artist that I've listened to in the past and enjoyed but was blown away by the work they put out this year, Land of Talk.

Their release, Cloak and Cipher, is haunting and beautiful and a rocking good time all packaged into one album. Lizzie's distinct vocals are what really carry the album. Her voice is soft but doesn't get too breathy or weak like some female singers' voices can. Also, it's what her voice actually sounds like; I saw them live in September and there's no editing needed to create her unique sound (unlike many artists these days, it seems). If you're going to download just one song, make it Quarry Hymns. It's a truly beautiful song.

Song of the Year
This one gave me more trouble than picking album of the year. I toyed back and forth with a bunch of ideas. For a while I was going to choose "Sentimental X's" by BSS or "Changes" by Stars. "To Die For" by Tonight Alive was a strong contender and, more recently, "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" by Arcade Fire was almost going to be chosen. While these songs are great and I strongly recommend all of them, there was one song that blew them all away...

"Black Sheep" by Metric. Yes, this song has existed in some form or another or other for a while but it was this year that the final studio version was released on the soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and let me just say, this song is SICK. It starts out with a lot of sexy, "Awww, yeahs!" and brings on the rock. The real great thing about this song is the guitar solo during the outro. I've always known that Jimmy Shaw was a great guitarist but this solidified his status as a guitar god. Seriously, give it a listen. If you're not mindfucked there's something wrong.

Best Live Act
I go to a lot of shows and 2010 was no exception. This year, I got to see Motion City Soundtrack (twice!), Meg & Dia, Metric, Broken Social Scene, Stars, Land of Talk, and many more artists that I love. They were all fantastic show but none of them compared to the two hour dance-mindfuck-empowerment-sing-along fest that was the Monster Ball put on by Lady Gaga.

This lady proved she's not just another pop star and truly put on a SHOW. As mentioned before, it was almost two hours long. Usually, having a short attention span and all, I'd get bored but Gaga kept it coming and even as she closed with "Bad Romance" I was left wanting more and even considering going to see her again the next night (which didn't happen for monetary reasons). Tickets to see her are expensive but she makes it worth every penny and then some with lights and dancers and a fountain of blood. Probably my favorite moment of the concert was when she was doing Speechless on the flaming piano. How cool is that?!


Best New Artist
I've said this for every category but again, this one was a toughie. There were a lot of great new artists this year but probably my favorite was Tonight Alive.

They're a really awesome band from Australia and have a nice, clean alternative rock sound. They get compared to compared to Paramore a lot and I guess I see the comparison to some extent but Jenna doesn't have the same snarl that Hayley does and I honestly think that the comparison is just made because both bands have female fronts (an unfair comparison if you ask me; just because two bands have female fronts does NOT mean they sound the same). They released their first album, All Shapes and Disguises, in June and it features a cover of "In My Eyes" by Rufio that I actually prefer to the original (which is not a common occurrence for me- I generally don't like covers). I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what this band has in store for us in the future!


Blast From the Past Album
I don't know how I didn't hear about this band earlier but early in 2010 I discovered the Rural Alberta Advantage and their 2008 release, Hometimes. This album is fantastic and one of the rare albums that I actually like all the songs on it. If you want a sample of it, download "Drain the Blood" or "Edmonton."

2011 Excitement
I'm not even gonna lie: 2011 is going to be a great musical year. No Doubt will (more than likely) be coming out with a new album and I have been waiting for this album FOREVER. In addition, the Sounds are apparently done with their new album that should be released sometime this year and the Ting Tings are releasing a new album as well. Metric is headed back to the studio so maybe we'll be getting a new album from them as well. Lady Gaga's new album is due out beginning of the year and I've heard rumors that she'll be releasing her new single soon. Of course, there will also be a ton of other releases that I haven't heard about yet... 2011 should be an exciting year in music!

All Hallow's Eve

For those of you haven't had the joy of living with me (or at least spending an extended amount of time with me), you probably aren't aware of how seriously I take holidays. I love decorating for the season and watching cheesey specials that every TV show seems to have for every holiday. My obsession extends so much that I even get pretty into holidays such as Easter (despite not being Christian), 4th of July, and Singles Awareness Day (my sort of pseudo-anti Valentines Day substitute). My favorite holiday, however, is Halloween. I LOVE Halloween. Maybe it's because I can turn off my inner skeptic for a while and pretend that ghost stories are real or maybe it's all the freaking sugar (or maybe it's that I can use it as an excuse to watch Sabrina the Teenage Witch...), something about Halloween tickles my fancy like no other holiday does.

It seems as I've grown older, my Halloween celebrations have changed... or at least the last three years they've changed. Until I was 17, I would go trick-or-treating around my entire neighborhood... and my dad came with until I was probably 15. When I was 18, I did an abridged version of trick-or-treating, mainly to show off my Sarah Palin costume. Last year, despite having an epic Pikachu costume, I just walked around West Lafayette. This year I carved a pumpkin, watched the first 12 Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes, watched 5 of the Sabrina Halloween specials (not that I own them on DVD or anything... Haha), and will soon be going out to go dancing. Yes, I realize it's a Sunday and I'm in college but let's be honest: I need a day off. Like completely off. And that's exactly what I did. Despite being an adult, I think I'll always be pretty child-like when it comes to Halloween and I hope that someday I can help make Halloween a magical experience for my kids kind of like my dad did for me. Also, it means I'll get to tag along with my kids trick or treating... something I sorely miss.

While this Halloween season has been a bit busy and different than most (I'm living in an apartment and not at home) and I haven't been able to celebrate as much as I'd like to, it still was a great season as always. I really look forward to next October rolling around. Hopefully I'll have time for lots of spooky stories, going on a ghost tour, and other activities that make this time of year so great.

High School... I miss thee?

I was just going through my photo albums on Facebook and trying to do some better organization/housekeeping of what exactly each photo album contains and when they were taken, etc. and something unexpected happened: I began to miss high school. As much as I complained the whole way through and said I'd get out and never look back, there really were a lot of good things about it. I had a lot of fun times with my friends (I actually had friends of the non-internet variety!) and there were a lot of good things... I don't miss it as much as I miss elementary school with Star Lab, summer road trips to Nonna and Nonno's house (and, once there, baking, going to movies, shopping, swimming, seeing fire works, playing with chalk, catching lightning bugs...), bad 90's music, stuffed animals (don't judge me lol), and generally less work... but I do miss some parts. I definitely miss a lot of my friends, too, such as Natalie, Katrina, Sam, Paige, Anne... I barely talk to any of them. We used to be so close and then drifted apart... I know a lot of it was my fault for being such a psycho but still... They still are some of the coolest people I've ever met. As much as I bitched about everyone at Totino Grace being clones and religious whackos there were good people there. And I always had my friends from St. Anthony. I think part of this may be because I didn't walk in graduation. I've said it once and I'll probably say it again but I feel like I never really got closure. I don't regret it, however. I mean... I never took a class at the school I graduated from. I dunno, I just wish time travel really was possible... or reincarnation, for that matter. I want to grow up again... but I want it to be with the same people and the similar experiences. I care about all of you too much and am truly thankful for my life so far.

But as for high school...
I miss the 7 Deadly Sins Game.
I miss going to Applebees for half price appetizers.
I miss walking places (Weird, I know...)
I miss living at home...
I'm actually thinking... maybe I should move back home. I haven't been emotionally right since I've moved out. I'm such a mess.

"I'd give, I'd bend... Let's play pretend."
-Pretend by Lights

God, what I'd give to be a kid again...

Day 29: A song from your childhood

Today's song is "2 Become 1" by the Spice Girls. The Spice Girls will always hold a special place in my heart because Spice World was the first CD I ever got. I took a lot of shit for that because, ya know, guys aren't allowed to like female singers. I've expressed my resentment of this social attitude in other blogs, however, so I won't touch on that.

Does anyone remember the movie Spice World? Great fucking movie. Trashy as all fuck, but really great. The aliens? The bomb in the bus? Epic. Just epic!!!

The reason I chose this song as opposed to another Spice Girls song is because it's really, really freakin' dirty. I listened to this song as a child and not only that but I'd sing along. "Come a little closer baby, get it on, get it on..." Great song for a 7 year old to be singing, right? Of course, I didn't know what the words meant. It's funny how so many songs from my childhood are like this... You listen to them years later and are blown away by what they're actually saying now that you understand it. This also happened to me with the movie Clueless. So many sex jokes and yet I was oblivious...

Anyone else have this happen? What song did you not realize what it REALLY meant when you were younger?

Day 11: A song from your favorite band

I realize I've been kinda skimping on the blog post the last few days; while I have been doing them, they haven't been very long and were kind of rushed. I've been hella stressed from jury duty and haven't exactly had enough time to write long, extensive blogs.

As many of you know, I consider both No Doubt and Metric to be my favorite band and use them interchangeably seeing as I'm pretty goddamn obsessed with them. I have already written a heartfelt blog about Metric, however, so today's blog goes to No Doubt (although I'd probably write about them anyway).

The song I chose for today is "Simple Kind of Life" because this song was what originally sparked my obsession though I really didn't know it at the time. When I was younger, going to my grandma's house was a treat for many reasons one of which happened to be that she had cable when we didn't at home. I stuck mainly to Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network as most 10 year olds would but I had been hearing about this station called MTV from some of my more badass peers. Wanting to be one of the cool kids, I felt the need to check it out. One day when my parents and grandparents were out of the room I flipped through channels until I found MTV. I was enthralled by all the weird ass people who were apparently among America's coolest.

The show that happened to be on was TRL. Remember that show? People would call in or go online or use carrier pigeons to vote for their favorite videos and then they'd countdown the top 10. They wouldn't play the whole video, however, just part of it with the occasional shot of an audience member making a shout out and screaming, "WOOOOOO!!!" After some babble and shots of some beautifully robotic people, they decided to play the first video. I was perplexed by the video they showed. I wondered who the strange, pink haired woman was running around smashing wedding cakes...



Little did I know that someday that bizarre pink haired woman would be tattooed on my leg. I watched the whole thing but decided that, no matter how much I liked the song, I couldn't listen to it yet because it was "adult music" and I was only 10 (I was a weird child, don't judge me) so I didn't look much into it but that video stuck with me. Shortly thereafter, I entered a phase where I literally didn't listen to music for a few years. Ironic considering how I am now, I know.

Eventually, I got over my no music phase but it took a few years. As soon as I did, one of the first bands I got into was No Doubt and it didn't take me long to become obsessed because they're just that great. I can't even begin to describe how much this band has meant to me. Their music has gotten me through so much and I've met so many wonderful people because of them. I can't imagine life without them. It would be... awful.

Day 4: A song that makes you sad

It's day 4 of the 30 day song challenge and today's theme is "a song that makes you sad." I chose the song "Pretend" by Lights. I happen to adore Lights; not only does she make really good music but she's REAL PURTY!!!! I mean, look at this picture I stole from her Facebook:



LOOK AT THAT FACE. It's soooo... symmetrical.

But this blog isn't about me being a creep, it's about this lovely song that happens to make Joey very nostalgic. I turned 20 just over a week ago and it's been really sinking in that I'm not a child anymore and you know what? I had a pretty damn good childhood. Nothing overly traumatic happened (well, until I was like 16, anyway) and I lived a pretty easy life. And best of all, I got to just play all of the time and didn't have to work hard in school (which really fucked me over for college haha). I got to do a lot of things Lights sings about; Drinking soda (or that sparkly grape shit) instead of wine, water gun fights, play fights in general... Don't get me wrong, I love me some wine but I'd give it all up to be a child again. Things were just better back then.

Some things I miss: Game Boys, Pokemon, playing cops and robbers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, old episodes of the Simpsons, Nickleodeon, Beanie Babies, getting dressed up for Halloween, Christmas in general, playing Legos, going to my grandma's in Illinois and catching lightning bugs, the Fun Fest at my elementary school, chalk, sledding down my neighbor's hill, sleepovers, Skip Its, biking, bad 90's music, being able to get by on 7 hours of sleep, doing nothing all summer, getting special treatment because I was so young, ghosts in the graveyard, freeze tag, my friend's basement, N64 (I miss this one A LOT haha), the Spice Girls, movies like Clueless, being innocent and carefree, Joe and Tara's Bar (don't ask haha), awkward middle school dances, calling people do see if they wanted to play, looking forward to college and the future and having endless possibilities ahead of me...

I wish I could go back.