National Ransom (Elvis Costello, 2010)
(November 2, 2010)
Review:
Aside from a few sparking moments and a couple notable tracks, National Ransom feels more like a collection of sixteen songs that didn’t make the cut for Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, which was in every way a more engaging, dynamic, and cohesive effort.
Top Two Tracks:
“A Slow Drag With Josephine” & “Five Little Words”
Everything Under The Sun (Jukebox the Ghost, 2010)
(September 7, 2010)
Review:
The follow-up to their outstanding debut (Let Live and Let Ghosts), Everything Under the Sun is a catchy, quirky, and dynamic set of piano rock tracks that strongly establish Jukebox the Ghost as a band able to not only write great songs but also assemble clever, meaningful studio albums.
Top Two Tracks:
“Empire” & “The Popular Thing”
Write About Love (Belle and Sebastian, 2010)
(October 11, 2010)
Review:
Belle and Sebastian have certainly made their niche in the middle ground between indie pop quirkiness and sixties quasi-nostalgia — and no one should dispute that they make beautiful music on Write About Love — but too much of it simply fails to get off the ground.
Top Two Tracks:
“Come On Sister” & “I Can See Your Future”
By Chris Moore:
I didn’t originally plan to make a Christmas music-related list, as there isn’t really much of note this year. However, considering that I have twelve other categories, I figured: why not?
The only song that organically caught my interest this year is Coldplay’s “Christmas Lights.” Released as a single earlier this season, I decided to check it out, as Coldplay’s last album was actually quite good. A bit overrated, to be sure, but certainly one of the best of 2008. And while “Christmas Lights” may not be a contender for an all-time holiday classic, it is the best I’ve heard this year.
The other two that stood out to me are the original tracks from Wilson Phillips’ new Christmas CD. “Warm Lovin’ Christmastime” and “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day” have the Beach Boys-esque harmonies you’d expect and manage to pull off that Christmas feel that is essential for a great yuletide track.
So, consider checking out these songs, though in this category I am a big fan of the rock classics — Elvis Presley, Phil Spector & friends, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, etc. — and new classics — Barenaked Ladies, Moody Blues, Relient K, Brian Wilson, etc.
Merry Christmas to you and yours — enjoy the biggest lists of the year in the archive!
The BEST ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SONGS of 2010
1) “Christmas Lights” – Coldplay
2) “Warm Lovin’ Christmastime” – Wilson Phillips
3) “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day” – Wilson Phillips