2010 albums – Rober Awards

#1-ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI-Before Today (4AD)/KANYE WEST-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

It hasn’t happened since 1997, when Radiohead with their acclaimed ‘OK Computer’ and Spiritualized’s psychedelic masterpiece ‘Ladies & Gentleman we are floating in space’ shared the number one position. In 2010, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti exuberant lo-fi psychedelia and the definitive record in KanYe West’s career got the honors.
The former crowned a decade dedicated to … Read more

#3-BEACH HOUSE-Teen Dream (Bella Union)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

The recently coined denomination dream-pop – sort of a XXI century version of the ethereal waves of British Indie and shoegaze during the 80’s – can claim its first masterpiece in Beach House latest album. The Baltimore duo has mastered their haunting sound, of which Victoria Legrand’s vocal magic is a fundamental part, and released … Read more

#4-FOUR TET-There Is Love In You (Domino)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

One of the happiest comebacks of the year after his avant-jazz incursions in collaboration with Steve Reich and coinciding with a new wave of young artists who revisited the sounds of 90’s electronica; Kieran Hebden once again was ahead of the pack dealing with the most advanced sounds in another spectacular record that easily matches … Read more

#5-ARCADE FIRE-The Suburbs (Merge)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

In their third offering Arcade Fire have finally come to terms with their new arena status, after the uneasy ride that was ‘Neon Bible’, and produced another classic that got to number one in the charts around the world. Its songs shared a common reflection about leaving the innocence and idealism of youth behind, while … Read more

#6-BIG BOI-Sir Luscious Left Foot…The Son Of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

An iconic example of the malaise the record industry is suffering from, Big Boi’s solo debut has gone through so many tracklist and release date changes waiting for a track that could break as a hit –it finally arrived with ‘Shutterbugg’-, that even songs formerly launched as advance singles didn’t make the final cut. … Read more

#7-JANELLE MONAE-The ArchAndroid (Bad Boy)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

Acclaimed as the female heir of Prince for her stylistic eclecticism, the first album of the Kansas City vocalist amazed everyone. A thematic follow-up to her debut EP telling the story of her alter ego Cindy Mayweather, an android living in a future where love is forbidden and revolution looming; Monáe revealed herself as a … Read more

#8-DEERHUNTER-Halcyon Days (4AD)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

Bradford Cox kept up with the frantic pace of his songwriting output. This year it was time for a new album with his band. As it has happened in records by many other artists who pioneered the shoegaze revival, Deerhunter’s third effort displayed a lesser influence of the popular British genre. Instead, there was an … Read more

#9-CARIBOU-Swim (City Slang)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

London based, Canadian born Victor Daniel Snaith’s second album in full fledged band mode begins where his former effort ‘Andorra’ ended and goes to brand new heights, perfectly mixing current DJ trends with pop-rock sensitivity. Since the dazzling ‘Odessa’ hit the airwaves we knew we were in for a treat, and ‘Swim’ didn’t disappoint our … Read more

#10-THE NATIONAL-High Violet (4AD)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

After even breaking into the charts with ‘Boxer’ – a Rober Award nominee as album of the year – and their charity project for the Red Hot organization, ‘Dark Is The Night’; the band from Cincinnati took their time to create a work of impeccable facture without any noticeable flaw. ‘High Violet’ amply fulfilled that … Read more

#11-FLYING LOTUS-Cosmogramma (Warp)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

Alice Coltrane’s nephew Steve Ellison followed up his breakthrough opus ‘Los Angeles’ with what was described by the artist as a space opera, containing a tour of the Universe. ‘Cosmogramma’ was named after one of his aunt’s lectures. The influences pretty much matched the scope and ambition behind the concept: with jazz, hip-hop, … Read more

#12-HOW TO DRESS WELL-Love Remains (Lefse)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

In 2010, R&B has begun to change from being a mere substitute for the most commercial pop music to become a source of inspiration among avant-pop musicians. Autre Ne Veut were heavily influenced by the much maligned genre, doing their own drunk-like take of it and Brooklyn artist Tom Krell has dug deep into the … Read more

#13-PANTHA DU PRINCE-Black Noise (Rough Trade)

January 9, 2011 by Roberto

Hendrik Weber, the acclaimed German producer of minimal techno, expanded his affinity with shoegaze towards the most challenging corners of today’s dream-pop under his Pantha Du Prince moniker and offered one of the most accomplished crossover records of the year; one that has made his audience notoriously grow. Panda Bear brought his psychedelic loops to … Read more

#14-GONJASUFI-A Sufi And A Killer (Warp)

January 8, 2011 by Roberto

From the Mojave desert and bringing the warmth of blues and soul and a psychedelic, bordering on the religious, spirituality to the cold mathematic precission of made in Warp electronica or avant hip-hop, former yoga teacher Gonjasufi has earned a privileged place among lovers of true innovation. Developing his talent in the orbit of Flying … Read more

#15-JOANNA NEWSOM-Have One On Me (Drag City)

January 8, 2011 by Roberto

The question was on everybody’s mind. How could Joanna Newsom follow up her impressively ambitious second record ‘Ys’? The answer: with an even more ambitious proposition; a triple record in times where the conventional concept of album is getting dangerously close to become an anachronism and formats boasting fewer songs as well as the individual … Read more