In this week's paper, you may notice a piece including some of our DC9 writers' choices for best albums of the year. But, space being limited, we couldn't run all of our writers' lists. So, thanks to the power of the Internet, we're doing just that, right here.
The mind behind our DC9er mixtape feature, the electronica-obsessed Catherine Downes picks her top albums of the year -- and favors an 21-year-old re-issue.
10. Owen Pallett - Heartland
9. Beach House - Teen Dream
8. Caribou - Swim
7. Beat Connection - Surf Noir
I was blindsided by the Seattle duo earlier this year thanks to some casual blog surfing, and, as a consequence, Surf Noir soon became the soundtrack to my summer.
6. Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Fourth Mouth (Remixed)
5. Thieves Like Us - Again And Again
I've had a very soft spot for this band ever since I first saw the video
for "Drugs In My Body" a few years ago. The band's murky delivery of
minimalist, new-wavy tracks really does it for me, and the chopped-up
'80s film noir music videos that accompany their sonic aesthetic do so
quite nicely. What can I say? I'm into it!
4. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles II
3. Small Black - New Chain
2. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
1. NIN - Pretty Hate Machine (2010 Remaster)
After a two-decade-long struggle with Steve Gottlieb of TVT Records,
Trent Reznor was finally able to re-release his 1989 debut this year --
and, let me tell you, it's better than ever. It's on my
top-ten-albums-of-all-time list, and it's not likely that anything else
that came out this year will boast that distinction. So, yeah, its only
natural that Pretty Hate Machine is my No. 1 pick for 2010.
