There were more albums released in 2010 than could fit on all the lists released in 2010. (And there were many lists.) With that in mind, and certain ’10 records still ringing in our ears, we put our heads together and thought about some of last year’s favorites that, for some reason or other, didn’t make it onto our official Top 50 Of 2010 — or the year-end lists of many others. (As with last time, the best metal records, overlooked or otherwise, can be found elsewhere). Please note the following’s in alphabetical order. We’ve included an MP3 for each so you can refresh your memory and your iTunes collection. In most instances, we’ve made the case for each in posts throughout 2010, which you can access by clicking the artist name. So here are 20 sleepers from 2010 worth your download and time. Feel free to shout out yours.
Beach Fossils – Beach Fossils (Captured Tracks)
Blessure Grave – Judged By Twelve, Carried By Six (Alien8)
Buke And Gass – Riposte (Brassland)
Andrew Cedermark – Moon Deluxe (Underwater Peoples)
Crocodiles – Sleep Forever (Fat Possum)
Darwin Deez – Darwin Deez (Lucky Number)
Everything Everything – Man Alive (Geffen)
Extra Life – Made Flesh (Lo Recordings)
Frog Eyes -Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph (Dead Oceans)
Harlem – Hippies (Matador)
High Places – High Places vs. Mankind (Thrill Jockey)
Mountain Man – Made The Harbor (Partisan)
Ô Paon – Courses (Ô Paon)
Prince Rama – Shadow Temple (Paw Tracks)
PVT – Church With No Magic (Warp)
The Russian Futurists – The Weight’s On The Wheels (Upper Class)
Shearwater – Golden Archipelago (Matador)
The Soft Moon – The Soft Moon (Captured Tracks)
Sun Kil Moon – Admiral Fell Promises (Caldo Verde)
Xiu Xiu – Dear God, I Hate Myself (Kill Rock Stars)
Who did we miss?
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Props for putting Frog Eyes on this list. They always seem to get overlooked despite being one of the most consistent and interesting bands around. Paul’s tomb was a solid album bookmarked by two of their strongest songs yet. One of the few bands to score a 9.1on Pitchfork (for their second album, the astounding The Golden River) and kind of fall by the wayside afterwards. I guess their sound can be a bit overwhelming, especially at first, but it always pays off in the end.
I finally saw Frog Eyes last year. They were opening, and Mercer was sick, but they still managed to pull off one of the sets I saw year.
Absolutely Frog Eyes needs more attention. You want to talk about unique, interesting, boundary pushing bands? Let’s talk about Frog Eyes and Carey Mercer. I really believe that keeping them off any top 50 albums of the year list, any on the internet, is a mistake.
Also I would point out Blackjazz by Shining. An excellent, well-produced experimental metal album that includes free jazz influences. A must listen for 2010.
One overlooked artist for the past two years has been Tesla Boy. I’m not sure how they’re doing in Europe, but they haven’t made any splash in North America so far.
Built to spill….
Their 2010 album remained fairly unnoticed.
that album came out in 2009, and it was a good one
So good it should be on 2010 lists!
Yeah! “There is No Enemy” was an excellent album, their best since “Keep It Like a Secret,” and they continue to be a powerhouse live. I saw them once last year and once in ’08, both excellent shows, and their back catalogue is so deep you could probably see them a dozen times and get a different, equally great set list every time.
yaaa i saw em last year and they played virginia reel around the fountain and i almost shit my trousers. sooo good live.
The Electronic Anthology Project? I noticed it. noticed it real hard.
I do remember thinking how strange it was that the Sun Kil Moon album completely flew under the radar. I hardly read one word about it all year.
Huge Red House Painters fan here, but saw Sun Kill Moon in the fall and nearly fell asleep. Which in turn, led to me totally sleeping on the album (on purpose). The only more boring show I saw this year was Blitzen Trapper.
Man, Romance Is Boring isn’t even good enough to be overlooked?
(Yes, I’m going to keep harping on this)
The early 2010 release date (Jan 26) made it easy to overlook, unfortunately. Great album though.
Quasi – American Gong was my top album of the year. I have not seen it on a single best of 2010 list yet. Tragic that this one slipped by or that no one paid attention.
the thermals “personal life” was a really solid release, and provided some of 2010′s catchiest pop-punk songs, definitely overlooked
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING! Yes, one of the best, freshest of 2010.
Agreed and it’s a bummer I never covered them in ’10 even though I listened to it a ton
Javelin – No Mas. i just got this record and no one really gave it much thought. i think it’s great!
It definitely took top spot on my list.
No Mas was one of my favorites from 2010. It was severely overlooked.
Future Islands – In Evening Air……………… hands down
Oh, agreed on that — excellent album. Huge oversight.
Big Time. Future Islands are amazing. Anyone that enjoyed ‘In Evening Air’ should definitely check out the ‘In The Fall EP’. It’s worth it for the expanded version of “Tin Man” (one of the ten best songs of the year) alone, but the other three tracks are worthy additions to the catalog.
Adebisi Shank – This is the second album of a band called Adebisi Shank
http://soundcloud.com/richtercollective/sets/adebisi-shank-this-is-the-second-album-of-a-band-called-adebisi-shank
More fantastic ideas in one song than most bands have across a whole album
Definitely agree on The Soft Moon and Prince Rama. I just managed to listen to them towards the end of 2010 and I was quite impressed with both. I like the former’s coldness; it makes for perfect winter listening. I love the latter’s left-field vibe and general uniqueness. Highly recommended.
NOT ENOUGH LAND OF TALK ON THIS LIST!!!1!
Sun Araw – On Patrol
or was it just too out there for most? I listened to Sun Araw pretty consistently this summer and feel “On Patrol” definitely deserved some more praise in 2010. But I guess since it was only a double album and not a triple album the accolades go to Joanna.
For the record I think a Sun Araw triple album would be amazing.
Tokyo Police Club – Champ. Great album.
Yes yes yes!
I feel like the only person who had Balmorhea’s “Constellations” and Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore’s “Dear Companion” at the top of their 2010 list. both were crazy amazing
Candy Claws?
Yes, Candy Claws. What a dense, expertly constructed and well-paced album.
I mean, I get why it was overlooked, it does take some patience, and you can’t really listen to it on speakers, but I think it deserved a ton more recognition.
Los Campesinos! and Shout Out Louds got put on the Pay No Mind list for some reason this year. Two of my faves of the year, but released/leaked so early that everyone forgot…
I’ve seen The Radio Dept on a couple lists, not sure it made any of Gum’s…
Did The Apples In Stereo stop being cool?
Yes.
A Sunny Day in Glasgow
Foals
The Radio Dept
Phantogram
Girls EP
Avi Buffalo
School of Seven Bells
Here We Go Magic
i agree on a sunny day in glasgow and foals but girls and the radio dept. got some press in lotsa blogs.
Past Lives put out a great debut last February. Everyone forgot about it.
I know… That album was a jam! I hope they continue to do more work since they are the better band to come out of the Blood Brothers breakup…
Spencer Krug’s solo project: Moonface – Dreamland EP: Marimba & Shit-drums was a really great work. A little out there for most, but it deserved more talk than it received. An impressive song/EP.
DITTO! I was floored by that record. It remained in steady rotation on my record player all year.
I thought this would be when my millionth suggestion of The Head and the Heart would finally get noticed… But with them just signing to Sub Pop back in November and re-releasing their debut on Tuesday, I guess you’ll just count them as a 2011 discovery, right?
In Evening Air by Future Islands was my favorite album of the year. I also thought Delta Mirror, Big K.R.I.T, Ty Segall, and thee oh sees were great as well
Oops, I saw them last year and in ’09, not ’08.
Seriously still no love for Josh Ritter. That’s just a huge tragedy. Also where is Tunng, Avi Buffalo, and Matt Costa,
Almost forgot Junip. They had a great album as well. Surprised they didn’t make anyone list this year (not as much as Josh Ritter though).
I’m really starting to think conspiracy on this one. Josh is just universally ignored by the online music community. Seriously, it’s not like he gets bad reviews. He gets zero reviews. ‘So Runs the World Away’ didn’t even get enough reviews to be listed on Metacritic. There’s just nothing.
He has nearly 6 million plays on LastFM. He’s put out six very good albums. Albums that were unique and fit together as an album in a masterful way. He’s adventurous as a song writer and challenges himself to make dynamic music with some of the best lyrical ballads in modern music. He has great stage presence and charisma and plays sold out shows across America. He tours with people like Andrew Bird and they share the billing. This isn’t some no name indie flash in the pan wannabie.
Yet he is almost completely ignored. It’s almost criminally libel the disrespect he gets.
Josh Ritter!! Wholeheartedly agree. So Runs The World Away is prob his second best album, behind Animal Years. ‘Folk Bloodbath,’ ‘Change of Time,’ ‘The Curse’ – fuck, almost every song on the album is pitch-perfect (except ‘Lark’ – woof, big misstep there).
It is strange – his lack of love on the interwebs. The Frames, Andrew Bird, Swell Season, even Stephen King heap praises on the guy, and people don’t even know who he is. (“wait – John Ritter does music?”)
But I see a long, fruitful career in the future for Mr. Ritter, so here is hoping he gets every good thing he deserves.
Murdocks – Distortionist
Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo
Shellshag “Rumors in Disguise” is my favorite LP of 2010.
Built to Spill
Defiance, OH
RVIVR
Moonface
forgetters (not an LP, but 2x 7″)
Mutoid Men
Darkstar
Massive Attack
Neil Young
Moonface
UNKLE
Madlib’s Medicine Show
Harlem=YES, rest…god knows. But wouldn’t B&S Write About Love qualify? it’s not in ANYONES top lists even though it’s gorgeous in that classic scot pop perfect sheen kinda way, no?
The frog eyes record definitely deserved more than it got; the song ‘violent psalms’ might be the best set of lyrics this year. The foals cd, too..i thought alabaster, what remains, and a number of other tracks off that record were seriously jamming, plus they were superb live. And the Krug ep was really something special and ambitious–I’m really excited to see if a full length follows it this year and what type of sound will come with it. Finally, did Grizzly Bears’s Chris Taylor’s solo outfit CANT put out a proper album? I really enjoyed the single ‘Ghosts’.
what about coma cinema??? check it out here at http://www.lowlightshighvolume.com/2010/12/shining-light-on-coma-cinema/
I don’t know how to feel about Darwin Deez… I think I’m just skeptical because my friend was doing some very similar music 3 years ago.
http://www.myspace.com/lumtunes
Ahhh well, such is life.
I know rock & roll isn’t cool right now, but J Roddy Walston and the Business S/T is by far the most overlooked record of the year in my book. Barely mentioned by anyone other than smaller music blogs.
Avey Tare – Down There
&
of Montreal – False Priest
&
Local Natives – Gorilla Manor (although i haven’t listened to it much recently, more in the first half of the year)
Avey Tare and Local Natives yes. Of Montreal…. meh
Agreed. HFAYTD was great, then Skeletal Lamping was even better, then False Priest was… worthy of being left off lists.
I agree with the comments about Los Campesinos! & Tokyo Police Club, who both put out great records last year, and i couldn’t agree more with the inclusion of Harlem on your list, Hippies was the best, one of my favorite albums/biggest surprises from last year.
That being said- and i know he was #15 on your list and i think #30 on p4k’s- in regards to the rest of the lists out there, i think Love King was totally overlooked for being as stellar as it was.
Surf City – Kudos
Going to toss out my top of last year, The Love Language’s “Libraries,” as a sorely and sadly overlooked gem of an album. Perfect from start to finish. Love the Beach Fossils and Harlem as well. Both stellar.
Pomegranates – “One of Us”
The Radio Dept – “Clinging to a Scheme”
Happy Birthday – “Happy Birthday”
Freddie Gibbs – “Str8 Killa”
Nobunny – “First Blood”
Great calls on Harlem and Darwin Deez Stereogum. Stereogum commenters mentioning Future Islands, Moonface, Big K.R.I.T.& Tokyo Police Club are also doing great. But why does no one ever mention Dr. Dog’s Shame, Shame?
Avi Buffalo and Miniature Tigers!!!!!!!
The magnetic fields left off again…
Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
really? its a great album that is selling millions- how is that possibly overlooked?
It’s funny how sarcasm doesn’t translate on the Intardwebs.
ha, I should have put sarcasm in parantheses
How about 65daysofstatic’s We Were Exploding Anyway?
OH. MY. GOD.
The Depreciation Guild’s “Spirit Youth” was one of my favorite albums this year, but it was somewhat ignored. I also bought “Constellations” by Antarctica Takes It!, and thought it was pretty good, but there was next to no buzz.
MAGIC MAN – REAL LIFE COLOR!!
my second favorite album of the year actually! And did I mention they’re giving it out for free?
http://magicman.bandcamp.com/
Definitely worth Stereogum’s time.
Nice to see the Crocodiles… they put out a good album this year, but their first one is still the best.
I second/third Avi Buffalo
and nominate The Soft Pack (formerly the Muslims)
I’d say Phantogram’s Eyelid Movvies – unforgivable omission! – and Autolux’s Transit Transit, probably overlooked because it was similar to their last, still pretty good album.
PS I Love You was tight. Tight like that IBM computer on Jeopary.
So let me get this straight. First, Broken Social Scene doesn’t make the top 50 cut and then doesn’t even make this sleeper list as well. I just don’t get it. The album was great!
#21 Alasdair Roberts & Friends
It seems no one got the new Jonathan Richman album O Moon, Queen Of Night On Earth. There’s a great song on it called “My Affected Accent” that should be a must for any Modern Lovers fans.
His last one, Becuse Her Beauty Is Raw And Wild, in 2008 was also overlooked. It’s too bad because that one had “As My Mother Lay Lying,” probably the most beautiful songs of the last ten years.
Wasn’t that Happy Birthday record really good? I thought it was. Also, The Bonnie “Prince” Billy and The Cairo Gang record was one of my favorites from last year and of Oldham’s career .
Oh yeah, Moonface
Honestly, Gorillaz. I don’t understand.
the crocodiles record is so good i am still listening to it months later. what happened?
Anais Mitchell & JUSTIN VERNON – Hadestown
‘
Seriously, how come no one has mentioned this? I thought with Justin Vernon as one of the main vocals, this album would get tons of recognition.
By the way, the album got perfect rating from pretty much all the publications that have reviewed it.
It sort of makes me sad that nobody (unless I missed it) has mentioned Ruby Suns-Fight Softly.
I love Ruby Suns, and Fight Softly was an amazing album!
Strand of Oaks
THE INNOCENCE MISSION ALBUM CALLED MY ROOM IN THE TREES!!!!!!!!!!!! why oh why does no one listen to them. it is criminal.
holy crap, a MALE who likes innocence mission! wait, have you ever touched a girl? i KEED!
eels released two album’s in 2010 and both have been wrongly overlooked. especially end times. end times is one of my favourite albums of the year.
yep, E never gets any respect…thank god talk show people are still smart enough to keep booking him etc vs. the indiezine world. It’s sad but if acts from the 90s would just change their names and SOUND like a brand new band…they’d totally get attention and respect. But pretty much unless your Radiohead etc good luck capturing the attention of the 22-28 yr old journalism grads:)
Maybe this wouldn’t fit the parameters since it’s an EP, but I’m thinking Hesta Prynn’s “Can We Go Wrong” should be on this list, or one like it.
Daily Life “Necessary & Pathetic” was a real grower. Conflict of Interest overlooked of coruse.
I know it got Pitchfork BNM and everything, but that Fang Island album destroys and everyone glossed over it.
I adore that Crocodiles album. It blows away their debut and is easily one of my favorites of the year.
I’d also add Tobacco’s Maniac Meat, which I keep forgetting even came out last year for how little it’s mentioned.
School of Seven Bells – Disconnect from Desire
Les Savy Fav – Root for Ruin
Admiral Radley – I Heart California (this album doesn’t even get reviewed anywhere)
Jenny & Johnny – I’m having Fun Now (best pop album of the year)
just my 0.02
I second that Jenny & Johnny disc. I play it over and over, can’t wait to hear it each time.
1. Nu Sensae- TV, Death, and The Devil
Future Islands did not get nearly as much credit for their album In Evening Air as it deserved. My favorite album of the year.
top ten on tiny mix tapes.
Agreed on Soft Pack. Other albums I think deserved more attention in 2010:
* Apollo Ghosts: Mount Benson
* Dum Dum Girls: I Will Be
* Sam Phillips: Long Play
* Sophie Hunger: 1983
Pickin’ Up The Pieces by Fitz And The Tantrums. Great album with lots of soul!
the lack of recognition for Foals, Spoon and Eels is surprising… Foals had a superb record, Spoon’s album which (although it was no ‘Kill the Moonlight’) was still a solid listen, and Eels made an incredibly moving album in the form of ‘End Times’.
I guess they can’t be overlooked if nobody really knows of them. But you should. http://soapcollectors.bandcamp.com/
Balaclavas – Roman Holiday
Dem Hunger – Caveman Smack
Greie Gut Fraktion – Baustelle
Moon Wiring Club – A Spare Tabby at the Cat’s Wedding
Mark Van Hoen – Where Is the Truth
Warpaint – The Fool
Definitely agree on Mountain Man, Prince Rama, and The Soft Moon
PUBLIC STRAIN
PUBLIC STRAIN
PUBLIC STRAIN
The Darwin Deez album was actually very good. I think he made a mistake by putting his face on the cover; never in a million years would I pick up that album, knowing nothing about the music.
I really dont understand why tokyo police club wasnt on any list, i guess someone forgot it, an got his several punishment
Buke and Gass made our “Hidden Gems” list as well: http://popstache.com/features/listed/hidden-gems-of-2010/
Paul Cary – Ghost Of A Man.
Foals did get a couple of mentions on release, so I guess you can’t call it “most overlooked”, but I do think it was bizarrely underrated. Great album, one of my top 5 of the last year, and I was really baffled to see it totally absent from a lot of the end of year lists.
Agreed too about Romance is Boring. Both discs significant developments on what those bands did before, and outstanding discs in their own right. I was really surprised by the strength of those two, and the relative disappointment of the other follow ups from some other high profile bands I’d been looking forward to.
Summer Fiction was one of the most overlooked records in 2010, hands down. Check it out:
http://summerfiction.bandcamp.com/album/summer-fiction
I don’t get it. Aside from a couple albums on this list the selection is pretty poor. I’ve been a big supporter of independent music since I can remember and I have a deep appreciation for artists exploring their creative ability to churn out a sound/genre that defies the norm, but 75% of the items on this list sound God awful. It seems that the attitude towards today’s independent music is that creativity, regardless of the final product, yields a good album. I understand that the term “sounds good/bad” is subjective, but come on, most of these albums are simply too much random noise and not enough music to be considered “most overlooked of 2010″…
I also recognize that Stereogum (as well as Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, etc…) specializes in this genre and attracts the same type of crowd, but this site also frequents names like The National, Morrissey, Vampire Weekend, and The Black Keys in its articles. …even Kanye fucking West (whose new album is absolute shit imo) …so it’s obvious they don’t turn a blind a eye to the more “mainstream indie” side of things. So, in total agreement with some previous comments, why aren’t we seeing Josh Ritter, Foals, Salem, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, Massive Attack, or Seabear (among many others) on this list?
I don’t want to squash what these artists are doing because it works for them and their following, regardless of what I think. But it’s so frustrating to me that bands who use traditional chord progressions and recording styles (WHO STILL PUT OUT BEAUTIFUL AND CREATIVE MUSIC!!!!) are being shoved aside and replaced by noisemakers, samples, and random sound effects.
(i SO wish isobel campbell would work with someone else, what a waste of her angelic voice with mr trying-to-be-Tom-Waits…the ugliest sounding juxtaposition in history…find someone else girl:)
Well written, sir. I fully agree with this statement. So sick of this kind of criteria when judging new music. Who cares if something is 100% original and doesn’t sound like anything else ever if that piece of music is shitty? Maybe there’s a reason nobody ever did that particular sound yet. Cause it fucking sucks!
Here are some records from 2010 that may not be the most original sounds ever recorded, but the quality of songwriting is very high and I enjoy these records more than 99% of the other crap out there:
Taylor Locke & The Roughs – Grain & Grape
Taylor Locke & The Roughs – Marathon (2 albums released last year)
Bleu – Four
Ex Norwegian – Sketch
im biased, but Ravenna Woods. For real.
Mark
-support seattle indie music thru my kickstarter page http://kck.st/icN4TF
A very nice comprehensive list. I have been looking for some albums that I have overlooked this year and I think I may have found a few that have averted my attention. A personal favorite of mine that wasn’t on your list was a band from Sydney, Circle, and their new album.
Yo, how about some White Denim? They put out a friggin’ free album http://whitedenimmusic.com/download-new-record-last-day-of-summer, and it rocks!
Seconding this, it’s absolutely amazing.
Overlooked albums:
Phantogram – Eyelid Movies
Holy Fuck – Latin
Hybrid – Disappear Here
Devo – Something For Everybody
Ellen Allien – Dust
The Hundred in the Hands – The Hundred in the Hands
Maximum Balloon – Maximum Balloon
Röyksopp – Senior
Underworld – Barking
Sun Airway “Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier”. Gorgeous.
it’s unfortunate that a band like blessure grave that was/is (whatever) good, has to have such a dark past. http://gretschpages.com/forum/garage-sale/gretsch-white-penguin-for-cheap/36149/page1/ read through this forum and see how much dirt they got on that guy.
so… no love for Hot Chip? it was great album
SO happy to see Darwin Deez and Everything Everything on this list- maybe next year we’ll see Little Comets??
I still can’t understand why Wolf Parade were left off of so many lists! Expo 86 was such a strong record. They’ll be back. Go listen to ‘Ghost Pressure’ again.
Right now : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYp2GrPceWU
MALACHAI
I love that Sun Kil Moon records. I think the most overlooked LP of 2010 was Projector by Field Days. I found out about it over at consequence of sound. It’s a member of The Mynabirds. Best songwriting I’ve heard in a long time.
I love that Sun Kil Moon record. I think the most overlooked LP of 2010 was Projector by Field Days. I found out about it over at consequence of sound. It’s a member of The Mynabirds. Best songwriting I’ve heard in a long time.
I think most of them were overlooked for a reason
Though it did make some lists, I feel that Menomena always gets overlooked. “Mines” was excellent. I also think another unrecognized album was the Netherfriends’ “Barry and Sherry.” It was one record I listened to religiously.
Prince Rama was on my personal top 10. That record was super overlooked.
!!!
future islands, Hot Chip, Gorrilaz, The Roots, Future Islands, Reflection Eternal
Must admit that the Interpol and the !!! albums deserved better than the wholesale panning they received.
Yes. Hot Chip. Kudos indeed!