What it essentially boiled down to is that I did not — cannot and will not, for reasons having to do with reality, sanity and apathy — listen to every single record that was released in 2010 (odds are I would despise 99.999% of them anyway), and I don’t feel like I can effectively rank or grade everything that I did really like. Hence the more laissez faire presentation: Here are 18 albums released in 2010, that I listened to a lot, listed in no particular order. Some appear on big, important Top 10 lists, most do not. There’s a song from each album in the list; click the accompanying album cover if you like something and wanna dig deeper, or just wanna buy it. It’s as simple as that.

Please consume a grain of salt, and have at it…

Harvey Milk
A Small Turn of Human Kindness
Hydra Head Records [05.18.2010]

Harvey Milk principle Creston Spears is an anti-guitar-god who writes amazing songs full of sparse and brooding progressions; he can pull off a solo comprised of one single note repeatedly bent to shit; he can add slight accompaniment from an organ, or strip a song down to a simple, ominous bass line; and he makes it all sound amazing. This, Harvey Milk’s eighth studio album, is heavy, at once ugly and pretty, slow, grinding, discordant… What’s not to love?

Harvey Milk, “I Know This Is No Place For You”

Few bands of any genre play at this level — a near perfect mix of excellent songwriting, visceral rhythmic appeal (a.k.a. groove) and surgical technical proficiency — but High On Fire has set the bar for metal particularly high, and they keep pushing it up with every release.

High On Fire, “Snakes For The Divine”

GI exudes a timeless boom-bap style and unflinching independent spirit. This album’s instrumental interludes alone are worth the price of admission, but together the production of Eons One and rhymes of Luke Sick are inescapably dope.

Grand Invincible, “Chill To The Limit”

Thick with honest soul, great hooks and deep grooves, this record is all Motown / Stax worship with a working man’s sensibility and an impeccably tuned ear.

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, “Better Things To Do”

With guitar sustain for daaays, and awesome tone to boot, San Francisco’s Wooden Shjips did psych better than most in 2010: solid songwriting encased in swirling, resonant guitar and keyboard parts, wrapped around rhythms anchored by driving bass lines. There’s not much here that hasn’t been done before — that is to say, while the songs are original material, the territory is well covered — but it’s all done really well.

Wooden Shijps, “Outta My Head”

This is one of a duo of 2010 releases from E-40 (the other being Revenue Retrievin’: Night Shift), and while both are dope — 40 can pretty much do no wrong — I prefer Day Shift, I just think it knocks a little harder. With guest spots from old school compatriots like Too $hort, Suga T and B-Legit as well as more contemporary Bay Area heavyweights like Mistah FAB, Clyde Carson and The Jacka, and plenty of boom/slap courtesy of Droop E and Rick Rock, this is quintessential Bay Area heat.

E-40, “I Get Down” feat. B-Legit

Lyrically, this album is rife with standard fare for the one of the Bay Area’s veteran standout independent MCs: bragadocious pimp rap about cars, clothes, money, weed, liquor and women, but the metaphorical “Money” and the self reflective “Blind Genius,” among others, reveal a deeper, thinking-man side to this hedonistic wordsmith, all set to a steady mid tempo bounce that forgoes club bangers and so-called hot singles for consistent dopeness. Considered by many to not be King Nicky’s best, but even if that is the case, let’s face it, his less-than-best is better than most others’ best.

Andre Nickatina, “Popeye’s Certified”

Last year’s Meanderthal was a standout combination of good, ear catching hooks and gigantic riffs, and Songs For Singles carries on that fine tradition. My only gripe with this record is that it’s too damn short, but contained within the 22-minute playlist is a powerful hit of that good stuff I keep coming back to. Again, Torche proves there’s a legitimate approach to music that’s both melodic enough to be catchy, and heavy and loud enough to be metal.

Torche, “Hideaway”

This Columbus, OH trio kicks out searing throwback ‘70s blues-based roots rock with tastefully exercised chops. The record is appropriately stripped down — a true three-piece band in the studio — and jam-tastic without being noodley or annoying. The production is clean enough to sound proper, but lo-fi enough to bring the realness.

Mount Carmel, “Sacksburg”

Fighting the good fight against chaos, sloth and musical excess, Generalissimo is a lean, mean rock machine. Clad in matching uniforms, executing their sound with extreme prejudice, they deliver tight, succinct music about national obligation and the cold beauty of totalitarian logic. But you know, it’s all in good fun…citizens.

Generalissimo, “Thousand Yard Stare”

Instructions for use: 1. Smoke something; 2. Turn this way up; 3. Don’t shave or do your laundry…for a long time. This album is not what some fans may expect from Electric Wizard — it’s less doom and more ‘70s fuzz influenced. But as should be expected, it’s extremely stoner-friendly. (Please Note: This album will be released domestically on 01/18/2011, but since it is currently available at US retail as an “import,” I think it holds a legitimate place on this list.)

Electric Wizard, “Patterns of Evil”

Apollo Kids dropped just 10 days before the end of 2010, and yes I did save a place for it on this list. Ghost is a master storyteller, one of the few left in the game, and the production on Apollo Kids is top notch. The drums are ridiculously huge throughout, and samples are artfully chopped and well positioned. Best rap record of 2010, despite the fact it’s only been out for a couple weeks.

Ghostface Killah, “In Tha Park” feat. Black Thought

Real skill doesn’t need a gimmick, which is saying a lot in post-hyphy Bay Area rap. DaVinci hails from San Francisco’s Fillmore district, and his music is steeped in the musical and cultural traditions of the city and that neighborhood. But while there is a Bay Area bent, there’s something here for rap fans of all stripes, and the beats are on hit.

DaVinci, “Concrete Jungle Juice”

The Fucking Wrath
Terra Fire EP
Tee Pee Records [10.19.2010]

The Fucking Wrath is the finest representation of contemporary Nardcore, making music that can be considered a amalgam of punk and metal subgenres: from heavy and plodding stoner / doom style to fast and unrelenting punk-influenced thrash, often all within one song. It’s huge, heavy, brutal and fast, which is everything I expect from a band called The Fucking Wrath.

The Fucking Wrath, “Blank Slate”

Both sides of this split are bold and loud. All together, it’s a solid offering from the former, and a fittingly awesome farewell for the latter. Fans of either band are advised to get a hold of this ASAP. (And good luck with that, Hydra Head is sold out.)

Isis, “Way Through Woven Branches”

Gary Indiana native Gibbs is leaving smoldering mics on burnt path through rap music. His flows are tight and precise, but light and nimble enough to seamlessly fit onto a variety of beats. This EP is, as the title eludes, packed with good stuff, all killer no filler. Just a standout rap record all the way around.

Freddie Gibbs, “Personal OG”

The seminal old school NYC hardcore noise trio’s return is like a kick in the fucking teeth. And it feels great. For a mere three songs, this EP is an outright assault, courtesy of unrelentingly chunky bass lines, massively edgy guitar riffs and gut-punching drums.

Unsane, “Grind”

Lots of crazy shit was going on in Nigeria in the 1970s — military regime born out of a coup, the crash of a big oil market, ensuing abject poverty and everything that usually goes along with that. Bukowski once said, “Nobody who could write worth a damn could ever write in peace,” and the same generally goes for music, so you can image how amazing this stuff is. Covering the space between pop-infused soul and heavy-hitting rare groove rhythm, this two disc set is a glimpse at quality music from another place and time.

The Funkees, “Breakthrough”

• Bun B, OG Trill [Rap-A-Lot]
• Roc Marciano, Marcberg [Fatbeats]
• Zoroaster, Matador [E1 Music]
• Fucked Up, Couple Tracks: Singles 2002 – 2009 [Matador Records]
• Roach Gigz, Roachy Balboa [Thizz City]
• Tweak Bird, Tweak Bird [Volcom Ent.]
• Devin The Dude, Suite 420 [E1 Music]
• Z-Man, Show Up Shut Up And Rap [Vox Machete]
• Nero Order, The Tower [Nero Order]
• Grids, Kansas [Made In Kansas]

It took a split second to find this trio on the interwebs, even less time for me to decide that I like what they’re doing. Most of the songs on the record ride on amazingly dope bass lines — fat and juicy, effortlessly funky, addictively head-nodding, tastefully and deftly accented — with dynamic yet mystic, almost murky percussion and super funky organs and synths. The general vibe is rare groove, but there’s also a whimsical, slightly Stevie Wonder-esque pop-soul tune, as well as stuff rooted in more experimental sounds and left-of-center songwriting approaches. The music is informed by a mash of styles (soul, rock, pop, electro, punk, hip-hop, etc.) but it’s the subtlety and nuance through which those elements are applied that makes it work — a canned percussive element straight from a groove box drum machine stereotypical of classic hip-hop, a fuzz pedal added to bass line to take it from lowdown and dirty to shaggy and nasty, the punctuation of a few precisely placed scratches, horn stabs, percussive accents or weird synth washes. There’s a lot to dig into, but nothing is done to death on this record, and the result is a collection of great songs that beg for repeated attention.

Lord Newborn & The Magic Skulls’ debut is an infinitely hip record, endearingly odd and supremely funky, and masterfully produced. Frankly, I’m a little surprised that this came out back in September of ’09 and I wasn’t aware of it — it surely would have made my Best of ’09 list — but, hey, these things happen. I’m just glad to know about it now.

You can (and should) cop this album from AmazonMP3, iTunes or Ubiquity Direct (where I picked up the 2x vinyl LP). While you wait for your purchase to arrive or finish downloading, check out this video for the album’s lead track, “A Phase Shifter I’m Going Through”…

In no particular order, I give you my list of the year’s best albums: Nine for ’09…

Raekwon
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2
ICEAL
Released September 8, 2009

One of the most revered and solidly talented MCs from the Wu Tang Clan, Raekwon released this sequel to his ’95 solo debut the same day that Jay-Z’s blockbuster Blueprint 3 came out, and Linx Pt. 2 stands in stark contrast to Jay’s high-polish example of the pop sub-genre that most mainstream rap has become. There’s nothing here targeted at MTV, nothing for your teenaged daughter, and nothing that the Grammys are going to be interested in. This is rap music for rap fans. Rae revisits the subject matter that he does best, the stuff that put Wu on the map, criminal theme songs and stories from the street that ring as equal parts pulp fiction and urban reportage — a.k.a. storytelling, an increasingly rare and highly impactful style. With production from RZA, J. Dilla (this record has been in the works since 2005, before Dilla passed), Eric Sermon, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, Marly Marl and more; and gust spots from Wu founders RZA, Ghostface, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna and GZA, as well as Jadakiss, Beanie Segal, Slick Rick and more, there’s not a single throwaway track on this record. It’s as close to an instant classic as rap is gonna offer at this point in the game.

Raekwon, “New Wu” feat. Ghostface Method Man, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2

Pissed Jeans’ brand of punk rock foregoes the fashion accessories and cookie cutter songwriting format that have become synonymous with the genre and focuses instead on music that’s dark, brooding, ominous and unpredictable. Screaming feedback and a drunken, growling caterwaul provide the musical punctuation throughout this album, and the songwriting is far more interesting than most of what’s considered punk rock these days. Passages of heavily lumbering bass lines explode into flat out riffage, if only momentarily; interesting timings wrap around unexpected starts and stops; and non-standard choruses signify a seemingly intentional aversion to anything overtly catchy. Yet something familiar and attractable unmistakably shines through the left-of-center approach — a rhythmic pulse and bottom-ended groove that represents a common trait of all good rock music: It just feels right.

Pissed Jeans, “R-Rated Movie,” King Of Jeans

On this debut LP Obits displays a new blueprint for contemporary Americana rock music. This Brooklyn, NYC based quartet, boasts guitarists / vocals Rick Froberg (Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes) and Sohrab Habibio (Edsel)…and at the risk (if not the direct intention) of revealing a slight bias here, all anyone had to tell me about this group before this album was released was that it was a Froberg project. There’s a lot of giddyup in this music (it’s mostly up-tempo) but the overall tone is classic and wide open; driving riffs — equal parts clean and slightly distorted guitar — are underpinned by thumping yet melodically hooky bass lines and dead-on drum parts. The strength and demand behind Froberg’s scratchy scream resonates a little more strongly than Habibio’s smoother croon, but the two work well on different songs here, and the overall impact is solid all the way through this record. The sound is open, bright, harsh and exposed, yet invitingly picturesque.

Obits, “Two Headed Coin,” I Blame You

This noise rock duo has long been heralded as having one of the most engaging live shows on the indie tour circuit, often foregoing a venue’s stage to set up and play on the floor, with the audience packed in tightly around them. Earthly Delights, the band’s fifth release, offers some sense of what that must feel like. There is, of course, no substitute for the live experience, but there’s a frenetic, in-your-face immediacy to this music that evokes an undeniably visceral reaction, like something big and ugly is coming around the corner to mow you down, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Bassist Brian Gibson weaves deeply fuzzed out, rhythmically swelling and sonically rotund bass riffs while drummer Brian Chippendale fills every nook and cranny of the remaining space with unrelenting yet precise drum patterns and vocals slathered in so much reverb they sound like cryptic rantings in an unintelligible language. As close to controlled chaos in musical form as it gets, Earthly Delights is not a casual or even entirely comfortable listening experience, but that kinda seems like the point. This shit will peel your cap back.

Lightning Bolt, “The Sublime Freak,” Earthly Lights

Recycling is at the core of hip-hop music. From the earliest days of the genre, DJs and producers have created music by sampling and manipulating audio from various sources, and 2009′s finest example of music made from found sounds is Exile’s Radio, which is built entirely on samples he captured from the frequency dial in the greater Los Angeles area. Naturally there’s a fair amount of vocal cuts — everything from political punditry to religious fervor, DJ request call-in, on-air chatter, promotional cart samples and everything in between — but it’s assembled amid a pastiche of musical samples (or samples freaked to sound musical), drums of all flavors, horn and string section stabs, synth runs, sirens, and myriad other rhythmic and melodic elements culled from the airwaves. The result is a timely and fresh, oddly hip head-nodder all the way through.

Exile, “It’s Coming Down,” Radio

Big Business — Jared Warren (Karp, The Whip, Melvins) on bass / vocals, and Coady Willis (Murder City Devils, Melvins) on drums — added guitar player Toshi Kasai (Altamont) to the lineup and became the only three-piece duo in existence. See, even though the addition of guitar adds a consistent high-end to the music, it’s still very much about the chemistry of the rhythm section. Jared is a full-spectrum bass player who lays down massive low end, hammering though chords and splitting his signal for high and low frequencies, while Coady fills the space within, around and over the bass with some of the best drumming in the game. Of course, that’s not to say that Mind The Drift doesn’t benefit from the addition of the guitar layer. It definitely does. This third layer lends itself to the continuing evolution of the band, allows for more ambitious songwriting and just brings the thunder that much more. Plus, Toshi’s backup screaming nicely complements Jared’s uncanny ability to scream in key. This is a huge sounding record.

Big Business, “I Got It Online,” Mind The Drift

It’s a little eerie to hear Pimp C. say, “Back from the dead…” in the intro of UGK 4 Life UGK. Before the MC’s untimely death in 2008, he and UGK partner-in-rhyme Bun B held it down for Texas rap for years, consistently releasing excellent records, deftly riding the line that separates independent credibility and mainstream success, and Pimp’s swan song release solidifies UGK as one of the greatest rap groups of all time. Lyrically, this record covers the standard faire — women, cars, Port Arthur and Houston, Texas, pimpin’, weed, the finer things in life and the getting thereof, etc. — and it’s what Pimp and Bun do best, especially backed by veterans like Snoop Dogg, Too Short, E-40 and B. Legit. From heavy-hitting to synthed-out, light and bouncy to Deep South funk and soul, this record is so good, even a horrible guest spot from Autotune crooner Akon (the record’s one notable low point) couldn’t knock it outta my favorite nine of ’09. RIP Pimp C.

UGK, “Everybody Wanna Ball,” UGK 4 Life

There’s plenty of heaviness here, but there’s also plenty of room in Baroness’ brand of rock for catchy, smart melodies. So while giant riffs tower among requisite metal elements like screaming dual guitar solos and lilting, at times acoustic, intros and interludes that explode into massive anthemic movements, this record also has hooks in the all the right places. It’s a rare thing for metal to contain as much pop sensibility, and even rarer that it works well within the boundaries of what actually constitutes metal. But here you have it: the kind of heavy metal that adheres to the classic tenets of pentatonic madness, yet offers up more than enough infectious melodies and choruses. The deluxe edition of the CD contains a second disc of live material, which is a nice way for the band to prove that, on stage, they’re everything this album promises and more.

Baroness, “Jake Leg,” Blue Record

There was a fair amount of buzz around this record, but I’m surprised I didn’t hear more about it in the music press. Then again, I’m not all that surprised. As much as Finale stands for straight up working man’s hip-hop, that’s not generally what music press (especially most hip-hop press) is interested in. But determined honesty, good music and skill on the mic is a winning combination every time, and Finale’s got plenty of all of the above. Eschewing the lines that divide the subgenres of hip-hop (commercial, underground, backpack, etc., etc.), this former auto mechanic from Detroit represents his city and his state of being more than anything else. There are no club bangers on A Pipe Dream and a Promise, no gangster songs and no R&B ballad numbers, instead this record is full of dope, organic sounding mid-tempo jams lyrically populated with reality. Finale’s debut is refreshingly straight forward and immaculately produced, it’s familiar, classic and accessible without being a thoughtless golden-era throwback, and it’s contemporary and fresh without an iota of feigned “next level” effort.

Finale, “Style,” A Pipe Dream and a Promise

I used to have a pretty beefy record collection. It certainly wasn’t the kind of impressive mass of vinyl that some DJ friends of mine have — the kind that requires specific insurance or an additional room in my house — but it was a couple thousand pieces, a decent collection by non-DJ, everyday-music-fan standards.

A few years ago, I sold off most of it. I had a fair amount of doubles, and a lot of stuff that I had also managed to collect on CD or digitally, plus plenty of shit that I thought was cool when I bought it, or that was purchased for some long-forgotten specific reason. I finally hit a phase of my life where less was more and I was purging a lot, so I poured through all the records and set aside a couple hundred pieces that I swore I would take to my grave, and put the rest up for sale. I let some DJ friends have first pick of the for-sale batch, and dumped the rest on Amoeba. I walked away with a tidy little stack of cash, a huge weight lifted (figuratively and literally), and a slimmed down, quality controlled collection — a few crates of nothing but greats.

Sadly, my record collection has continued to collect dust due to several reasons: accommodations (no room for records in the living room where the nice record player and stereo system are), life situations (fatherhood, and a girlfriend and baby daughter who aren’t necessarily always as interested as I might be in sitting around and listening to records), and scheduling issues (I’m fucking busy). Then, a couple months ago, someone I follow on Twitter posted a link to Woot.com, where the deal of the day was an Ion iPTUSB, a.k.a. the “portable vinyl-archiving turntable,” for a mere $50 (MSRP is $120, you can find ‘em online for $80 to $100). ‘Shit, at that price,’ I thought, ‘I can’t afford NOT to get it!’ So I pulled the trigger.

Ion’s iPTUSB has a pretty basic feature set: The top face contains a switch for 33, 45 and 78 record speeds, a +/- 10% Pitch knob, Low / High Tone knob, and a knob marked Audio that controls the volume; there’s a single 2″ speaker for monitoring, as well as RCA audio outs, and 1/8″ and 1/4″ headphone jacks, plus the USB port with an accompanying Gain knob for fine control of the audio being sent out over the USB connection. There’s also a handy little Line In 1/8″ jack that allows or the piggybacking of another audio source — cassette, AM/FM radio, etc. — for digital conversion of additional media types. The unit’s top case attaches via two hooks on the back and a slide lock on the front; it’s not bullet proof, but it’s fine for basic turntable protection…as long as you don’t have to use the iPTUSB as a step-stool, or beat a potential crook off of your record collection with it.

The entire surface of the player measures just over 11″ x 11″, so with the lid on, it fits on a shelf designed to hold records. With the lid off, a playing record actually hangs off the side — due to the room taken up on the top face by the tone arm, the speaker and the audio controls — but is supported by soft felt covered bumpers that keep everything level and steady. The turntable’s main power source is an included DC plug, but it also runs on six D batteries, so if you’re one of those serious diggin’-in-the-crates guys, you can take the iPTUSB with you and try-before-you-buy at the record store.

Basic setup on the iPTUSB is bonehead easy: Plug in the turntable’s DC power supply, connect it to your computer (Mac or PC; in my case, it’s hooked up to the desktop PC in my modest home studio) via the included USB cable, and install one or both software options that come with the turntable: EZ Vinyl or Audacity. I already had Audacity on my PC, so I left it at that. Follow the setup and troubleshooting instructions — there’s an easy one-step fix to some common wonkiness with the audio codec / driver — and you’re off.

The only problem I had initially was that, while Audacity was picking up the audio input from the iPTUSB just fine, and the built-in speaker and/or headphone jack on the turntable allowed me to hear what I was recording, I was unable to monitor the true fidelity of mix from the PC. When I’m sampling or, in many cases straight-up ripping audio, I like to hear what I’m getting at the destination point. I couldn’t make that happen, but I found that the latency between the iPTUSB and Audacity is negligible, so I was willing to settle for a monitoring solution that at least gave me full sound AND the freedom of mobility as I converted records to digital…or at the very least, just a way to simply listen to records in the lab.

I hit up my local pro audio shop and picked up an RCA-to-quarter-inch cable, which I used to connect the RCA audio-outs on the iPTUSB to one of the quarter-inch stereo-in sets on my mixing board, a Phonic Helix 18 Firewire, which opened up a few nice options:

1. as I mentioned, the USB connection from the turntable to the computer does not allow me to monitor the mix at the destination point (i.e. the sound as it is being recorded on the PC), and the tiny built-in speaker is really flat- and small-sounding, so this setup allows me to hear the full spectrum of what I’m ripping without being tethered to the immediate area by headphones;
2. it also allows me to use the iPTUSB as a source for vinyl sampling, because the Helix 18 board also happens to be my PC’s default soundcard, so when I’m working in Ableton Live or Cubase (which, for whatever reason, will not recognize the iPTUSB’s USB connection as a valid Line In), I just set the DAW’s audio input to the stereo in channels from the mixing board and, voila, I’m jackin’ for beats;
3. and finally, because the studio monitors — a pair of Mackie MR-5s — are connected to the main audio outs on the Helix board, it allows me to just listen to records in the lab, even if the computer is off, because, though the mixing board is the computer’s default audio source, it can also run completely independently from the PC.

Ultimately, the iPTUSB is way more versatile than I expected it to be, and I can’t complain about the sound quality. What was initially a rash purchase intended only for the conversion of vinyl to a more portable and convenient digital format, has become a catalyst for renewed interest in my trusty dusty record collection…not to mention a wealth of new sampling opportunity.

Here are a few favorite gems I’ve rediscovered recently and ripped to digital so you can hear some examples of the iPTUSB’s output…

Bud Powell, “Idaho,” Bud! (Blue Note, 1957)

This record is among my most prized musical possessions. An original pressing bought brand new by my mom in 1957, it’s a bit scratchy, but still in great shape. Powell is on piano, with Curtis Fuller on trombone, Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums. This is easily my favorite release from one of my favorite jazz pianists, and though this record was a rarity for a long time, it was reissued on CD by Blue Note in 2002.

Golden, “Titeshock,” Super Original Movement (Slowdime, 1999)

I bought this record (and a few others) from the band at a show The Blue Room Theater in Chico, CA in 1999, and forgot how much I love it. Originally formed at Oberlin College in Ohio in 1993, Golden was a supergroup before any of the band members went on to big indie cred fame. Members included recording engineer and guitarist Phil Manley (Trans AM, The Fucking Champs) and drummer Jon Theodore (Royal Trux, The Mars Volta), as well as Ian Eagleson and Alex Minoff who are now half of the band Extra Golden.

The Beatnuts, “40 Oz.” 12″ (n/a, 1995)

This track is off the B-side of a white label 12″ for the song “Fluid,” a sorta hard-to-find record that wasn’t officially released on any label. This poppin’ little ditty rides on a sample from “Ekim” by the Michal Urbaniak Group — made famous by A Tribe Called Quest on “Steve Biko (Stir It Up)” — backed by a big boombastic kick drum, and the whole thing is absolutely murdered by JuJu & Psycho Les on the mic. The “Fluid” 12″ ranks among my top favorite rap music 12″s.

*All audio files ripped straight from the iPTUSB into Audacity and exported to 192k mp3 files with no additional effects applied.

Mono

There are myriad differences between classical music and most other types of music, but one of the main differences is that, while most other forms of music are circular — meaning that they’re made up of repeating parts (e.g. verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, verse, chorus) — classical music can generally be described as linear, because it starts in one place and ends in a different place, rarely repeating anything. Unlike simple 1-2-1-2 song structures, linear composition goes a long way in making music dramatic: it accentuates the emotive elements of a composition through rising and falling movements.

While the Japanese band Mono is rightfully classified as a rock band rather than a classical ensemble, there’s more than just a shred of that linear nature in their music. The band’s effective modus operandi of imparting drama is plainly evident in long, transitive musical journeys that, despite quietly tense passages of lilting and fluttering guitar and the subtlety powerful underpinning tides of bass and piano, can explode into thunderous rock most often described as massive instrumental metal.

Hymn To The Immortal Wind, Mono’s fifth full-length release, is a natural extension of the band’s oeuvre — the sound is so signature that fans will undoubtedly find plenty of familiarity in the record’s seven tracks, and per usual, only two of these songs clock in at less than 10 minutes — but it also just might be their most ambitious release to date. Employing a 28-piece chamber orchestra to augment the group’s already epic musical movements, the traditionally dilatory, subtly complex and slowly building progressions are that much more dramatic, which sets even grander stage for the explosive riffage that inevitably follows. It creates gigantically anthemic songs like “Burial At Sea” and inspirational rolling tunes like “The Battle For Heaven.” The one notable exception on the album is “Follow The Map,” a four-minute number that makes the most of the accompanying orchestra, in concert with upfront guitar playing — assertive slide set against somber picking, as tasteful as it is masterful — to paint a scene that, despite the song’s melodramatic peak courtesy of a swirling string section, never does build to a cacophonous rock crescendo. It makes the record that much more dynamic.

It’s Mono’s ability to slide deftly from the clean, clear and quiet to crashing, crushing volume that establishes this band as the frontrunner of the quiet / loud rock pack, and adds a very soundtrack-y vibe to everything they do. That’s where the linear classical music vibe comes from — these songs tell stories with true arc.

Mono, “Burial At Sea,” Hymn To The Immortal Wind:

On a personal note, the first (and last) time I saw the Japanese quartet perform live was at The Independent in San Francisco a couple of years ago, where they played with High On Fire, who were wrapping up a long US tour with a headlining slot at a hometown show (sort of…they’re from Oakland). I was totally amazed that night not only by Mono’s massive sound and perfect performance, but also by the fact that they held a room full of rabid, local High On Fire fans completely, silently entranced for over an hour. I’ve never seen so many bearded, toothless jaws on the floor — a ringing endorsement if ever there was one.

As 2008 grinds down to it last days, it’s time again to churn out one of those ubiquitous annual Top 10 Records of the Year lists.

One thing about this list before you start complaining that I missed the best record of the year by so-and-so: This list is entirely based on my own musical tastes and listening habits in 2008. I don’t listen to twee-pop, young country, smooth jazz and a whole host of other shit, so I can’t very well comment on the quality of those kinds of records because I don’t care about them.

And with that said, away we go…

THE LIST (in no particular order):

Akimbo, Jersey Shores (Neurot)

This Seattle trio traveled to Louisville, KY to record this and their previous release (’07′s Navigating the Bronze) at Chris Owens’ (of Lords fame) studio, Headbanging Kill Your Mama Music. While the dirty grime of the Northwest is evident in the music, so is the burning-guitar influence of the South. The result is a collection of songs that run from five to 11 minutes, and feature some of the most gloriously abrasive guitar noodling and vocal caterwauling blended with tight, monster rhythms and some refreshingly interesting changes. Simply crushing.

Akimbo, “Great White Bull,” Jersey Shores:

Young Jeezy, The Recession (Def Jam)

I’ll admit it: I’ve been a Jeezy hater in the past. His first record, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, was not necessarily to my liking; Jeezy’s sophomore effort, The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102, sat a little better with me; and when I first heard The Recession, I was so impressed with the both the beats and the raps, I picked it up. Jeezy is still a street-born hustler, rapping about the game and nodding to his past, but he’s stepped away from it for long enough to develop a lyrical clarity of the big picture, and delivers intelligent, intelligible verses over solid beats with lots of cool synth swells and deep bass hits.

Young Jeezy, “Amazin’,” The Recession:

Harvey Milk, Life…The Best Game In Town (Hydra Head)

There’s something oddly harmonious about the disjointed and discordant music of Harvey Milk. Slow, heavy parts accompanied by growling, yowling vocals give way to tight and thunderous riffs, and suddenly the gruffness of the vocals almost sounds downright nice. Songwriting influences seem to run a wide gamut, from Southern classic rock and soul to ’70s arena rock and metal, all of forced through Harvey Milk’s unique musical meat grinder. I have been steady bumping this record since it dropped in back in June, and I don’t see it coming out of my regular rotation any time soon.

Harvey Milk, “Motown,” Life…The Best Game In Town:

Menahan Street Band, Make The Road By Walking (Daptone)

Breaks for days and days. This Brooklyn instrumental group is part of the Daptone family (Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Budos Band, etc.), which alone merits repeated listening. The album’s title track was sampled for Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys (And The Winer Is…)” while the song was only available on a 7″, and the triumphant horn blasts that make up the chorus are impossible to purge from the brain. The rest of the record is fresh as well — all rock solid bass lines, smart and soulful guitar, amazing percussion, and hook-a-licious horns. A critics’ darling, but sort of a sleeper on the popular front.

Menahan Street Band, “Make The Road By Walking,” Make The Road By Walking:

Torche, Meanderthal (Hydra Head)

Metal with soul. As odd as that sounds, it’s like this: The vocals are melodic and smooth, but they’ve got brass balls, and they work really well with the driving, fuzz-washed walls of guitar. The overall sound is really, really big, everything charges full bore in unison, filling out the sonic spectrum from the tightest high pitch solo notes to the rumbling bottom end. Even the slow songs are fist-pumping anthems of exemplary hard rock. Through all the fine-tuned heaviness, each of the tunes on this record has a big grabbing hook that makes the music so accessible (and popular — this one ended up on a lot of Top 10 lists).

Torche, “Fat Waves,” Meanderthal:

Earth, The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull (Southern Lord)

I can’t say enough good stuff about this record. Earth is still generally classified as a “doom metal” band, but this album represents a continued move towards a much cleaner overall tone (carried on from ’06′s Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method and ’07′s Hibernaculum), towards a sound that’s bright, sunny, open and airy. Musically, there’s a lot of breathing room, and the guitar, bass, drums and keys (organ and piano, depending on the song) ring long and true, slowly evolving on thoughtful, carefully plotted musical movements from the beginning to the end of each song. This might be my favorite record of the whole year, if I had to pick just one. It’s the most beautiful “metal” I’ve ever heard.

Earth, “Rise To Glory,” The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull:

Bun B, II Trill (Rap-A-Lot)

Bun B, the true King of Southern Rap, dropped this, his second solo album, shortly after his long time UGK partner in rhyme Pimp C passed (R.I.P.), so it contains one of the last Pimp C verses ever captured, as well as a heartfelt farewell. Bun’s ability to get painfully raw on the realness, remain unapologetically hard on the gangsta angle, and a true connoisseur when it comes to club hits, makes him one of the most well-rounded MCs in the game today. This is another pure-gold record from Houston’s most talented hustler.

Bun B, “I Luv That,” II Trill:

Howlin’ Rain, Magnificent Fiend (American)

I first heard about Oakland, CA band Howlin’ Rain in ’05 or ’06 because it was the side project of Comets On Fire’s Ethan Miller, so I initially expected a similar psychedelic-rock-on-fire vibe from Howlin’ Rain. Boy was I wrong. Regardless, I loved the first record — straight ahead roots rock ‘n’ roll bathed in California soul with the occasional sonic freak-out. When Magnificent Fiend was released, I started to wonder which band was Miller’s side project. This time around, Howlin’ Rain’s music is sharper than ever — more rocking, more soulful, and more anthemic, guitar-centric blues-based rock with so much flavor. Overseen by Rick Ruben, the music on this record also sounds great.

Howlin’ Rain, “El Rey,” Magnificent Fiend:

Grand Invincible, Ask The Dust (n/a)

This just might be the best rap record of the year. Luke Sick (Sacred Hoop) and DJ Eons One plough through golden-era-style beats and raps that run the lyrical gamut, and come off as not only skilled practitioners of the trade, but also as true fans of the of style. The beats aren’t lush or orchestral; they’re raw, sample-based loops expertly spliced and processed, the perfect frame for Luke’s raps about everything from Iraq to Palo Alto, from drinking and smoking to chasing skirts, and just about everything in between. This is a mid-tempo album with “classic” written all over it, short on club bangers and long on thoughtful music without sacrificing that all-important steady-head-nod vibe.

Grand Invincible, “Megablast,” Ask The Dust:

The Melvins, Nude With Boots (Ipecac)

Twenty-five years in the game, and The Melvins are showing no signs of slowing down. Quite the opposite, in fact. This is the band’s second album with the two-drummer quartet lineup — guitarist Buzz Osbourne and drummer Dale Crover, with Big Business a.k.a. bassist Jarred Warren and dummer Coady Willis — and it’s also the second of the two most accessible Melvins releases in years. Lots of huge drumming, downright catchy riffage and dark vocal harmonies make Nude With Boots a metal album that’s as easy to sing along to as it is to bang your head to.

The Melvins, “Nude With Boots,” Nude With Boots:

TEN RUNNERS UP & NEAR MISSES (again, in no particular order):

The Sword, Gods Of The Earth (Kemado): This is a mammoth-sounding album, all hard-charging blitzes of explosive riffage and punishing, searing solos, propelled by enough songwriting dynamic to add depth, and accompanied by fantastical lyrics. It’s all good. But for whatever reason, it didn’t make a lasting impression in my regular rotation.

Rob Swift, Dust To Dust (Domination): I don’t include mixes in my Top 10 lists, but that doesn’t mean I don’t listen to ‘em a lot. This one is particularly dope, and when the track list is viewed in order, the song titles make out this sentence: “Dust To Dust Is A Collection Of Breaks Inspired By The B Boy Movement Of The 1970s.” That pretty much sums it up. It’s soulful, upbeat and definitely ass-shakable.

TV On The Radio, Dear Science (Interscope): Another really dope record from excellent musicians. TV On The Radio albums always come off as much more than the sum of their musical parts, and this is no exception; listening to this record makes me feel like I’ve heard important music. Dear Science hit my playlist with a big splash, but unfortunately, the ripples dissipated pretty quickly, so it’s relegated to runner-up status.

Motel Crew, Motel Crew (n/a): This album has not actually been released, so I can’t officially add it to the Top 10 list. Luke Sick (Grand Invincible, Sacred Hoop) and Z-Man (One Block Radius) team up with bugged-out turntable maestros Doug Surreal (Litterthugz) and Mike 2600 (Burlesque of North America, Litterthugz) for a romp through a freaky electro take on old school style rap. I really hope this record comes out someday. It’ll flip wigs.

Dead Meadow, Old Growth (Matador): They’ve still got that whole loud/quiet thing going on, but for better or worse, this is not necessarily the Dead Meadow I’m used to. This record is rootsier, more psychedelic and more jam-y than previous efforts. Probably not my absolute favorite in the Dead Meadow cannon, maybe even a questionable choice for a year-end list, but I keep coming back to this release’s mesmerizing guitar tones and anchoring rhythmic undertow.

Devin The Dude, Landing Gear (Razor & Tie): Devin can pretty much do no wrong in my book. Sure, this record doesn’t contain any standout hits, and it’s not gonna land on many (if any) year end lists. Still, there’s not one track on this album that I fast-forward through; it’s solid and smooth from front-to-back, full of honest music and seemingly self-referential lyrics about — what else — beer, weed and women. It’s a wining formula every time.

The Cool Kids, Bake Sale (Chocolate Industries): Beats and raps, pure and simple, with a slightly Southern / Midwestern flavor — brings Neptunes’ Pharrell Williams to mind, specifically with regards to his production on the first Clipse record — but Any-City, USA enough to blow up big time. These guys aren’t gonna change the rap game, but they seem to know what they’re doing, and their music is fun.

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue Deluxe 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (Legacy): Yeah, this was recorded 50 years ago. And yeah, it’s still better than most of the garbage that came out this year. So it can’t be on the Top 10 list because it’s not technically new, but the set is damn impressive: two CDs containing the original album, a buncha outtakes and additional songs, and a couple of live concerts; a DVD with two features on it; a book, a poster and some random memorabilia; and a clear blue, 180-gram vinyl record of the original release. ‘Nuff said.

Ovipositor, Oakland Minor (Arbeit Macht Dinge): Full disclosure: I play bass in this band. Seriously though, it’s good stuff. Holler at me to cop the new record, or find us on eMusic, iTunes, etc. You’ll be glad you did if you like fun, slightly dark, slightly sloppy and outta control punk-flavored independent rock music.

TopR, The Marathon Of Shame (Gurp City): TopR is one of the most skilled, fiercely independent and outspoken MCs in the Bay (he’s a self-professed curmudgeon, hates the system, probably hates you too). He’s also an accomplished graffiti artist (don’t tell the vandal squad), and is, without a doubt, a driven creator — he’s released one quality record every year for the last few years. So why isn’t this one in the Top 10? Well, they can’t all be, I guess. It’s still good.

DJ Dusk was a well-loved fixture of Los Angeles hip-hop culture whose life was tragically cut short by a drunk driver in 2006. His legacy, however, will live on forever, and the Soundclash DVD is just one shining example of Dusk’s impact on LA hip-hop, and specifically, on the culture of DJing.

DJ Dusk’s Root Down Soundclash was a series of beat battles held at Little Temple in Silverlake; the three contests on the DVD feature the match-ups of Madlib versus Cut Chemist, Will.I.Am versus Thes One, and Oh No versus Exile, on January 13 2001, April 25 2002 and December 11 2003, respectively. Each battle presents a different take on the art of live beat making, but through each round, videographers B+ (Brian Cross) and Coleman (Eric Coleman) filmed simultaneously from both sides of the stage. Rather than edit and cut all the footage together to create one seamless film, the DVD runs both camera feeds side-by-side, simultaneously. It makes for some interesting “live feel” shots, especially when B+ and Coleman are shooting the same subject or stage space from two different angles. It would be nice if the video displays were larger on-screen, but when all this was going down, there were no plans to release the footage of these battles in a high-quality DVD format, so appropriate technology and commercially-minded logistical concerns simply were not considered. Frankly, I think the guerilla nature of the shots owe to the overall vibe of the event. And besides, there’s plenty of clarity in the visual, so it’s not like viewers are missing anything watching the action in a pair of small windows.

As for the music, each of the battles has its charm — Cut Chemist and Madlib present the rawest set and feature the most turntable trickery; Thes One and Will.I.Am bring a little more technological firepower and leave a trail of ill beats in their wake (though I must say, I’m pretty bummed on watching Will.I.Am rock it on his Mac, and dude comes off as kind of a douchebag); and Oh No and Exile, despite being the “smaller” guys in the three battles, throw down six impressive rounds between them. However, more than three solid beat battles, this disc chronicles an honesty in hip-hop seldom seen these days — an originating notion that, at a small club in big city, these kinds of homegrown, community based events can pop off with the kind of spontaneity and impact that that put this culture on the map in the first place.

You can cop this directly from Stones Throw. Here’s the video trailer that Mochilla put together:

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention right up front that there’s not a Devin The Dude record that I don’t like. The Dude’s rap style is laid back, drum tight and as natural as it gets, and the subject matter of his verses generally covers topics that I can definitely get behind — beer, weed and women. So it’s no surprise that Landing Gear is fast becoming my favorite Devin record since 2002′s Just Tryin’ Ta Live.

This record just feels right. From the slow, low and funky opener, “In My Draws,” to the ballad-y closer, “Stray” — with smoothly crooned refrain “I can’t stand stupid bitches / I keep away / Have no plans with stupid bitches / I tend to stray” — there’s not a single out-of-place track, not a single lyrical misstep, and at no time during the album’s 12-track playlist do I reach for the fast-forward button. It’s all just right.

Though there a handful of guest spots on Landing Gear — L.C., Young Malice, 14K, Snoop Dogg & Tony Mack among others — it still feels like a more straightforward Devin experience, possibly because the best songs on the album mostly feature Devin alone on the mic. Of course, there no fronting on Snoop’s contribution, and L.C.’s chorus performance on I Can’t Make It Home is also particularly fresh (“One blunt / One more shot of patron / I’m lit / I can’t make it home / cops right behind me / I might be gone / I can’t make it home“). Of course, not one to be outdone, Devin laces his own chorus on “Thinkin Boutchu,” which kinda personifies his appeal as an artist: sure, he’s not the best vocalist out there, but there’s something about the way he sings “Smokin’ my weed / drinkin my brew / but I’m thinking boutchu girl / Out in these streets / playin all the music that we used to listen to girl” that makes it real, that makes it (here’s that word again) right.

Musically, like most of Devin’s catalog, the overall vibe of Landing Gear is mellow and smooth, with lots of synth, 808 kicks and claps, deep rumbling bass, the occasional vocoder, and some live instruments (the continuously running guitar on “Stray” lays just under the sonic surface, but once you notice it, it’s hard to shake). Ultimately, Landing Gear exemplifies everything I love about a Devin The Dude album: It makes me wanna get a beer, twist a bleez and holler at my baby-mama.

This record marks Devin’s departure from longtime label home Rap-A-Lot, and his new venture with cross-genre label Razor & Tie. But I’m willing bet J. Prince wishes he’d been able to do one last record with Devin.

Devin The Dude, “Let Me Know It’s Real,” Landing Gear (Razor & Tie):

Seattle’s Akimbo have recently been heralded as one of the Northwest’s best kept heavy rock secrets, and for good reason. This trio — Jon Weisnewski on Bass and Vocals, Nat Damm on Drums, and Aaron Walters on Guitar — makes music that delivers much more than the sum of its parts. There’s more dynamic songwriting on Jersey Shores than on previous Akimbo releases. Not that previous albums were all just straight ahead heavy rock madness (though they can certainly do that), but this time around they really hit several points across the spectrum, from low and bluesy to balanced and building to massive and downright crushing. Runs of mostly clean guitar lines over ominous rhythmic tension explode into cacophonous blasts and passages of monster riffage accompanied by the kind of up-front guitar solos that are precise enough denote masterful fretboard dexterity while maintaining the wonderfully fucked up vibe of the music’s overall tone. There’s definitely a barn-burning southern heavy rock influence apparent in tracks like “Rogue” and “Jersey Shores” — with bursts of guitar attack and thumping, almost funky bass lines (I really like Weisnewski’s bass sound) — that might be attributed to the fact that this record (like last year’s Navigating the Bronze) was recorded at Headbanging Kill Your Mama Music in Louisville, KY. This one will definitely make my annual top 10 list.

Listen to Akimbo, “Rogue,” Jersey Shores (Neurot):