[YTE Year End] Top Albums of 2010 |10 - 1

Here is the final installment in Your Third Ear's Top Albums of 2010. Hopefully you have listened to or own these albums. If not, listen to and download the included mp3s which are my favorite songs from the albums.

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO SEE TOP ALBUMS #35-11

10] Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Revival

9] Yeasayer - Odd Blood

O.N.E.

8] Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart

The Hair Song

7] The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

She Loves You

6] The National - High Violet

Conversation 16

5] Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

Factory

4] The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever

Hurricane J

3] Beach House - Teen Dream

Used To Be

2] Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do

This Fucking Job

1] The Black Keys - Brothers

Never Give You Up

Beach House w/ Washed Out @ Cat's Cradle 5/1

WASHED OUT
           So, I may be a few days late but between exams, papers, and going to the beach I haven't had much time to blog, a reason why last week was declared "video week." At any rate, Beach House can put on a good show, as well as Washed Out for that fact. Washed Out came out a put on a pretty good set, he had the crowd into it, at least the open-minded ones at the front of the stage, I didn't pay attention to the bar babes and hoodrats in the back. He was jumping around and getting the crowd singing along, a very unnatural and unexpected element this chillwave artist added. He also strategically placed his laptop out of sight to most of the crowd, hidden below his table. I feel that this is a good move for the image they project and acceptance of their music as a whole. [I saw Toro Y Moi and he had a bandanna over the back of his Mac] I picked up the Tour CD he was selling. 8 Tracks/$5. It was a disc with some stuff that he composed but didn't release on 2009's Life of Leisure. It was clear to me that he has evolved and stepped up his game since he started, a sign that Chillwave is  going to be here to stay, evolve, and pleasure the stoned for at least another round of releases.

BEACH HOUSE

         I wasn't sure what I should be expecting as the wait for Beach House became unnecessarily long. They had Cat's Cradle dressed up more than I have ever experienced. The spinning diamonds in the background and cotton candied pom-poms accompanied by smoke and an impressive light show made for a visual euphoria to accompany their auditory bliss. They came out with a bang, and didn't let up. They mixed in stuff from each of their albums, arguably each with a distinct sound, to create a smooth flowing concert. I'll have to add that there was a scrawny ginger teen on the front row who was [presumably] on some type of drug and flowing with the music and waving his arms around in circles the whole time; a rather odd yet humorous departure from the pop they mix on the rocks. Victoria Legrand and her head of hair were banging left to right while tapping on the organ. Though Alex Scally was playing guitar sitting down most of the show, when he got up he would break out some hard-rocking riffs, a sight I kept finding my self tip-toed and wishfully thinking. I hope that my calves weren't too mad. I was very impressed with the show overall. They were a little separated from the crowd, asked who has been at their other Chapel Hill shows in the past but other than that, the stage was their pedestal. I have some pretty good pictures to share from the concert taken by myself and Cameron Brown, as per usual, she has done another fabulous job.

See a ton of pictures after the jump...

[VIDEO] [NEW] Beach House | "White Moon"

Beach House on The Blogotheque

Beach House on Daytrotter + [VIDEO] for "Norway"

This couldn't have come out at a better time. Looks like they are making the rounds promoting Teen Dream which is almost a week old. After playing a late night stint on Jimmy Fallon, a rare 1-day-only viewing of 5 videos they made for the album on Gorilla vs. Bear, and now Daytrotter there shouldn't much else on their to-do list for promoting the new album, maybe a stop playing live for Pitchfork or an AOL Session. The 4 song set they played live on Daytrotter sounds just like the produced tracks on the album. It is quite amazing that they are able to xerox the sound off Teen Dream to their live sets. They played some of the better songs off the album which is a major plus. Download here from Daytrotter.

|* I'd recommend setting up an account because you can get this along with sets from almost every artist/group imaginable *|

Beach House - Norway

[RECOMMEND] Forthcoming Local Shows

Cat's Cradle  [Carrboro, NC]

2/2 & 2/3 Citizen Cope
3/18 Black Lips
3/25 The XX w/ jj
4/2 The Big Pink
4/4 Yeasayer                      *nice bday present*
4/5 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
4/13 The Thermals
5/1 Beach House w/ Washed Out

--All tickets are on sale now, get 'em before they're gone--

Local 506    [Chapel Hill, NC]

3/7 Cymbals Eat Guitars w/ Bear In Heaven            *Spring Break*
3/22 Hockey w/ Solid Gold
3/23 The Ruby Suns w/ TORO Y MOI
3/26 Max Indian
4/16 Xiu Xiu w/ Tune Yards




Lincoln Theatre  [Raleigh, NC]

2/12 & 2/13 Drive-By Truckers

Upcoming 2010 Albums

Beach House
Teen Dream
January 26

Los Campesinos!
Romance Is Boring
January 26

Yeasayer
Odd Blood
February 9

Toro Y Moi
Causers of This 
Feburary 23

Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
Before March

She & Him
Volume 2
March 2

jj
N°3
March 9

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
The Brutalists Bricks
March 9

Drive-By Truckers
The Big To-Do
March 16

LCD Soundsystem
March

MGMT
Congratulations
Spring

Band of Horses
Night Rainbows

Dr. Dog
Shame, Shame

School of Seven Bells
Disconnect From Desire

The Hold Steady
(Craig Finn's Interesting Project)

Radiohead


The National


The Arcade Fire


The New Pornographers


Wavves


Fleet Foxes


Big Boi & Andre 3000 (Solo Albums, possible Outkast album as well)