Lists and Numbers
The Quarterly - April 2010
Featuring: Joanna Newsom, The Tallest Man on Earth, Four Tet, Beach House, Titus Andronicus, Efterklang, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Fionn Regan, Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Sally Seltmann, Pikelet
Written by: Justin Pearsall
Published: Apr 6th '10
Welcome to the first edition of The Quarterly. It’s a recap of the best of the last three months as covered by WB, our writer’s highlights of the year to date and an Australian-only list from our friends at Mess + Noise (www.messandnoise.com).
Nearly four months in and what can be said about 2010? In terms of quality of output it’s hard to fault. But if you dig a little deeper the list shows the beautiful fragmentation of the current music scene. From the glorious pop of Efterklang’s Magic Chairs, to the hard-hitting The Monitor, to Four Tet’s genre bending and Joanna Newsom’s tri-album folk odyssey. There is something for every taste and barely enough time to listen to it all. It’s a raw deal, but we’ll live.
Already in 2010, East is meeting West, the computer is shaking hands with man-made instruments and the triple album is back (if it was ever here). The rest of the year has got some work to do…
Highest Scoring Albums of 2010 to Date:
1. Have One on Me – Joanna Newsom
2. The Wild Hunt – The Tallest Man on Earth
3. There is Love in You – Four Tet
4. Teen Dream – Beach House
5. The Monitor – Titus Andronicus
6. Magic Chairs – Efterklang
7. IRM – Charlotte Gainsbourg
8. The Shadow of an Empire – Fionn Regan
9. Transference – Spoon
10. Contra – Vampire Weekend
Honourable Mention: Measure – Field Music
Darren Levin
Editor, Mess+Noise (www.messandnoise.com)
1. Kim Salmon and The Surrealists - Grand Unifying Theory
2. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush To Relax
3. Sally Seltmann - Heart That's Pounding
4. Seja - We Have Secrets But Nobody Cares
5. Pikelet - Stem
Justin Pearsall’s Top Five
1. Morning Benders – Big Echo
2. Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
3. Efterklang – Magic Chairs
4. Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM
5. Fang Island – Fang Island
Alex De Petro’s Top Five
1. Four Tet - There Is Love In You
2. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
3. Vampire Weekend - Contra
4. Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
5. The Mollusk - Sea Food
Dan Osmolowski’s Top Five
1. Spoon - Transference
2. Four Tet - There Is Love In You
3. The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme
4. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
5. Vampire Weekend - Contra
Ed Butler’s Top Five
1. Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me
2. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
3. Vampire Weekend - Contra
4. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
5. Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
Imene Chougrani’s Top Five
1 - The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
2 - Liars - Sisterworld
3 - Spoon - Transference
4 - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Brutalist Bricks
5 - Hot Chip - One Night Stand
Tim Clare’s Top Five
1. Midlake – The Courage of Others
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
3. Spoon – Transference
4. Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
5. Shearwater – The Golden Archipelago
Steve Scully’s Top Five
1. Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
3. Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
4. Spoon – Transference
5. Efterklang – Magic Chairs
