J's 2010 - Non-2010-released-but-thoroughly-jammed-in-2010 best of

01. Chemical Brothers - Further
Originally released 2010. BLEW MY MIND. Over and over. Again and again. Absolute best thing that's been released in years. The DVD is also worth it, and in a pricing mishap, I got the deluxe double disc version for less than the cost of the standard cd. This album is the most banging, psychedelic, dadgum beautiful thing I have heard since...damn maybe when I first heard those Bran Van remixes (more on that later). A MUST-JAM.

02. Toro Y Moi - Causers of this
Originally released 2010. This one sneaks in on a technicality, because even though it was actually released in 2010, I already had used it on my 2009 list. It's that good, let the thing rule the top of lists for both years. A MUST-JAM.

03. Soul Mann and the Brothers - Shaft
Originally released 1971. I just listened to this record so much this year. This is the origin of the very popular guitar sample found in Erykah Badu - Bag Lady and Dr. Dre - Xxplosive. Also this gets props for the massive GIGs of bounty it pulled filling a request on what. Works very great as bed music too when doing announcements on air.

04. The Rip-Off Artist - Copper Blue EP
Originally released in 2002. This is record I found this year that not only completely satisfied my expectations, but blew the doors off them. Some of the best, no bullshit, minimal/micro house you can find. Every track is killer and I mixed this with everything I could find, from Roy Acuff to Venetian Snares.

05. Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys - Great Speckled Bird
Originally released 1958. The godfather of country music had a huge share of my needle wear this year. A voice that resonates straight from the throne, and melodies that remind you why home-grown american music is the defining force it is. Also, props to to the title track for inspiring my search to find all the songs that actually share that same melody (save that for a later post).

06. Tom T. Hall - Homecoming
Originally released 1969. Man, this dude can write a damn song. Sometimes slim-pickins to find his albums, but having a hits comp and the album 'Homecoming', which travels the distance between silly-country-story songs to full string section psychedelic-awareness-country-story songs, I'd say I played Homecoming straight through more than the other.

07. The XX - XX
Originally released 2009. Just a little late to the game with this one, this record has one of the most unique and bold sounds I've heard from a pretty popular band in a while. It's refreshing to hear this stuff coming out that sounds totally un-copycat from anything else out right now. If you don't know, it's super mellow.

08. Bran Van 3000 - Drinking in L.A.
Originally released in 1997. FLASHBACK. Found this record still sealed in Seattle and it stayed in my active crates for the rest of the year. You forget how good 90's jungle was then you hear these epic remixes and it hits you. SHIT WAS GOOD. (loosely related...)

09. John Tejada - The Matrix of Us
Originally released 2000. Whenever I need something smooth - but banging, distinctive - but familiar, analog - but digital, fast - but slow...you get the idea...I turn to this wonderfully edited vinyl EP. Tejada has range.

10. Joy Orbison - The shrew would have cushioned the blow
Originally released 2010. Another one I can't throw enough positive adjectives at. Songs usually 8-12 minutes, a big slap to the face to the trendiness of new genres...as this takes those elements and creates something completely it's own. Something for everybody in these tracks...bass, vox, beats, atmospheres, melodies, LFOs, shuffles...for technical refinement this guy takes the cake.