Our top album for 2010 is Maximum Balloon's eponymously titled debut album. The solo project of David Sitek, the Brooklyn-based, dystopian rock dude behind TV on the Radio, Maximum Balloon's larger-than-life musical canvases capture, in glorious technicolor and sleek glitterball beats, the angst and aspirations of life in the Big Apple across the East River. Sitek smears synths over clouds of swarming guitars, while keeping an eye on an A-list of New York voices like TV on the Radio bandmates Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone, and friends like Karen O, Theophilus London and dance-rock OG David Byrne. It sounds like staggeringly groovy Talking Heads, as well it should.
2. LCD Soundsystem-This is Happening (Virgin)
3. Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-a-Fella)
4. The National-High Violet (4AD)
5. Women-Public Strain (Jagjaguwar)
6 The Tallest Man on Earth-The Wild Hunt (Dead Oceans)
7. Gorillaz-Plastic Beach (Virgin)
8. James Blake-James Blake (R&S)
9. Best Coast-Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
10. The Arcade Fire-The Suburbs (Merge)
11. Beach House-Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
12. Laura Marling-I Speak Because I Can (Astralwerks)
13. Philip Jeck-An Ark for the Listener (Touch)
14. Tame Impala-Innerspeak (Modular Recordings)
15. Deerhunter-Halcyon Digest (4AD)
16. The Hidden Orchestra-Night Walks (Tru Thoughts)
17. The New Pornographers-Together (Matador)
18. Janelle Monae-The ArchAndroid (Bad Boy)
19. Broken Bells-Broken Bells (Columbia)
20. Vampire Weekend-Contra (XL)
21. Elvis Costello-National Ransom (Hear)
22. Joanna Newsom-Have One On Me (Drag City)
23. Flying Lotus-Cosmogramma (Warp)
24. Girls-Broken Dreams Club (True Panther)
25. Local Natives-Gorilla Minor (Frenchkiss)
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BETA Music 2009
1. The xx-The xx (Young Turks)
2. Fuck Buttons-Tarot Sport (ATP)
3. Kathy Diamond-Miss Diamond to You (Permanent Vacation)
4. Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)
5. The Mary Onettes-Islands (Labrador)
6. Tyondai Braxton-Central Market (Warp)
7. Wilco-Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs-It's Blitz! (Interscope)
9. Varios-5 Years of Hyperdub (Hyperdub)
10. Neko Case-Middle Cyclone (Anti-)
Welcome to Betamusic's year-end issue. Here are our top 25 albums for 2010.
Contact us at betamusic_mail.com
Betamusic is based in Singapore.
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