Favorite Recordings Of The Past Decade (2010 - 2019)

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) Buy / Stream: Apple Music, Spotify, Bandcamp, Physical (AUS)

   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 Buy / Stream: 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 Buy / Stream: 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 Buy / Stream: 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 Buy / Stream: 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 Buy / Stream: iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube, Physical via Dirty Hit Store

   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 Buy / Stream: Bandcamp, Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube, Physical

   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 Buy / Stream: Bandcamp

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

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Here's to another decade of great sounds!