The Order Of Things

THE ORDER OF THINGS

Brian Eno on Warp at last, Nicki MInaj, Trey Songz sampling Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kanye West sampling Aphex Twin and Bon Iver, Gwyneth Paltrow gone country, Joanna Newsom's triple threat, the reemergence of 4AD as the best and most timeless label around, the return of Seefeel after 16 years.... 2010 has been, if nothing else, a very strange year for music and one in which anything was truly possible. I spent most of the year listening to IRM, Loveless, and The xx along with the outstanding albums on this list. It may be a bit early, but I can't imagine anything topping these records.

Blonde Redhead went deep, vast, and spellbound with Penny Sparkle: a rock band truly gone ambient. Warpaint found dread, beauty and Andrew Weatherall. Badly Drawn Boy's elegiac and masterful evolution: modern classic is an understatement. The Radio Dept post-rave, Madechester-soaked, and washed up on Ibiza shores. Nicki Minaj: the album of a life-time. How To Dress Well's love echoes: haunted, breathless, and lost in time. Serena-Maneesh in a cave. Laetitia Sadier's remote, lonely, and brief solo debut.

JJ's Nº 3 is the dreamiest most far away music I can imagine. I was lucky enough to see them earlier this year, and it was one of the best nights of my life. I also got to see Liz Phair finally after all these years: still so true and empowering. But nothing can compare to that fleeting, magical night seeing Charlotte perform in New York. In life you never get to do a second take.

My 30 favorite albums from 2010:

1. Penny Sparkle - BLONDE REDHEAD
2. The Fool - WARPAINT
3. Nº 3 - JJ
4. Pink Friday - NICKI MINAJ
5. Clinging To A Scheme - THE RADIO DEPT
6. It's What I'm Thinking, Pt. 1: Photographing Snowflakes - BADLY DRAWN BOY
7. The Trip - LAETITIA SADIER
8. White Magic - CEO
9. Love Remains - HOW TO DRESS WELL
10. No 2: Abyss In B Minor - SERENA-MANEESH
11. Thank Me Later - DRAKE
12. New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh - ERYKAH BADU
13. Does It Look Like I'm Here? - EMERALDS
14. Teen Dream - BEACH HOUSE
15. Cosmogramma - FLYING LOTUS
16. Have One On Me - JOANNA NEWSOM
17. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - KANYE WEST
18. Living With Yourself - MARK MCGUIRE
19. Forget - TWIN SHADOW
20. There Is Love In You - FOUR TET
21. Loud - RIHANNA
22. Fields - JUNIP
23. Shobaleader One d'Demonstrator - SQUAREPUSHER
24. Stridulum - ZOLA JESUS
25. I Am Not A Human Being - LIL WAYNE
26. Before Today - ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
27. In Love With Dusk - KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS
28. Black Noise - PANTHA DU PRINCE
29. Passion, Pain & Pleasure - TREY SONGZ
30. Crooks & Lovers - MOUNT KIMBIE
31. Disko - DRIVAN
32. Faults - SEEFEEL
33. Heligoland - MASSIVE ATTACK
34. Funstyle - LIZ PHAIR
35. Untitled - GR†LLGR†LL
36. Small Craft On A Milk Sea - BRIAN ENO
37. Love King - THE-DREAM
38. See Birds - BALAM ACAB
39. oOoOO - oOoOO
40. Subiza - DELOREAN