Favorite Recordings Of The Past Decade (2010 - 2019)

Posted: 2020-01-08

Now that it is 2020, I figured I should tell everyone about my favorite releases of the past decade. Normally I would list nine, but since a decade has 10 years, I thought that ten made the most sense.

  1. Beach Slang - "Broken Thrills" Released: 2015-04-27 / 2015-05-22 Type: Album Label: Polyvinyl Records (US), Big Scary Monsters (UK), Cooking Vinyl (AUS) Listen: Apple Music, Spotify, Bandcamp

    All I have to say about this release (a collection of two EPs, "Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken?" and "Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street") is that my favorite song of the past decade, "American Girls And French Kisses", is on this album.

  2. Counterparts - "Counterparts/Exalt Split EP" Released: 2010-11-21 Type: EP Label: Self-Released Listen: Bandcamp Note: This is the digital release of the Counterparts half of the split.

    Simply put, the best melodic hardcore / metalcore recordings of the decade.

  3. VA AA LR - "Newhaven" Released: 2014-11-29 Type: EP / Longform Track Label: Organized Music From Thessaloniki Listen: Bandcamp, CD via ErstDist

    Three guys, some signal flares, and a crowd of people = something amazing!

  4. Ryu Hankil - "Description For Other Things" Released: 2012-01 Type: Album Label: The Manual Buy: email Hankil, Discogs Audio: Sample of track 1 Writeup / review via Lisa Thatcher.

    I love the sound of a snare drum and I love the sound of the keys clicking on a typewriter.

  5. Masahide Tokunaga - "Alto Saxophone 2" Released: 2015-05-10 Type: Album Label: Ftarri / Hitorri Buy: CD via Ftarri / Hitorri, CD via ErstDist, CD via Discogs

    A very specific style of circular breathing and a simple palette of sounds is all Masahide Tokunaga needs to create magic with his alto saxophone.

  6. Stephen Cornford - "Electrocardiographs of a Cathode Ray Tube" Released: 2018-06-06 Type: EP / 7" Vinyl Label: A Wave Press Listen: Bandcamp

    Brain wave sensors (ECG pick-ups) amplifying the sounds of two cathode ray tube televisions, hypnotic sounds that I have played on loop for days on end.

  7. Armslength - "Intents and Ends" Released: 2013-10-16 Type: EP Label: Self-Released Listen: Bandcamp

    Simply put, the best pop-punk / melodic hardcore-ish recordings of the decade.

  8. Pale Waves - "My Mind Makes Noises" Released: 2018-09-14 Type: Album Label: Dirty Hit Listen: iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube

    Heather and Ciara know how to write really good catchy songs, simply put, it's the best pop album of the decade.

  9. The Tidal Sleep - "Four Song EP" Released: 2012-09-21 Type: EP Label: This Charming Man Records Listen: Bandcamp, Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube

    Melodic, emotional, and crushing (in the drum department as well as the feeling department).

  10. Sean Colum - "plus minus forty bpm" Released: 2018-05-21 Type: Album Label: Self-Released Listen: Bandcamp

    Open windows and the animals outside, a drum machine, and an acoustic guitar having random weirdness fun with each other.

Here's to another decade of great sounds!