2010 – Top 30

GoodMorninCaptn's Top 2010 - Part 1

2011 HAS BARELY STARTED, AND… OH, SURPRISE! GOODMORNINCAPTN ISN’T QUITE DEAD YET. LET’S CELEBRATE AND HAVE A QUICK LOOK BACK AT WHAT EXCITED OUR EARS IN THE LAST YEAR, COMPLETE WITH LINKS, MP3s AND VIDEOS. SET YOUR EARPHONES AND FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS, AS THE FIRST PART OF OUR TOP 30 RECORDS OF 2010 HAS US TRAVELLING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN NORTH AMERICA AND NORTHERN EUROPE.

Silje Nes - OpticksThe Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring NightFaun Fables Light Of A Vaster Dark

30) SILJE NES – “Opticks” (FatCat Records)

Gentle lullabies from Norway -ideal to loosen up on your couch at night while petting your kitten (and writing your end-of-year top list)

Crystals by Silje Nes

> Listen to Opticks on Spotify or Deezer.

29) THE BESNARD LAKES – “The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night” (Jagjaguwar)

Roaring shoegazing from Montreal to slowly awaken.


The Besnard Lakes – “Albatross” directed by Kara Blake

> Listen to The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night on Spotify.

28) FAUN FABLES – “Light of a Vaster Dark” (Drag City)

Let’s now head down to sunny California and witness Dawn McCarthy’s possessed folk invocations.
Listen to a clip from “Housekeeper from “Light of a Vaster Dark“:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra - Kollaps TradixionalesYeasayer - Odd BloodWill Stratton - New Vanguard Blues27) THEE SILVER MT. ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA – “Kollaps Tradixionales” (Constellation)

With a slightly reduced line-up (now only one guitar, 2 violins, contrabass and drums), Silver Mt. Zion seem more focused and inspired on this racy imprint, their 6th full-length in 10 years.

I Built Myself A Metal Bird by Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra

26) YEASAYER – “Odd Blood” (Secretly Canadian)

A pick whose presence in this selection has been highly debated. All tasteful considerations apart, the psychedelic back-to-the-eighties aesthetics of the album may be quite enjoyable and somehow much representative of 2010.


Yeasayer – “Madder Red” directed by Andreas Nilsson

> Listen to Odd Blood on Deezer or Spotify.

25) WILL STRATTON – “New Vanguard Blues” (self-released)

The young American singer-songwriter recorded and mixed his 3rd album over 48 hours before making it available through the Internet 2 weeks later, with a simple yet charming result.

> Listen to (and/or buy) New Vanguard Blues on Bandcamp or Spotify.

Nils Frahm & Anne Muller - 7fingersBenoit Pioulard - LastedOval - O24) NILS FRAHM & ANNE MÜLLER – “7fingers” (Hush Records)

After 2 much praised solo records, Berlin piano-wunderkind Nils Frahm joined forces with cellist Anne Müller for a post-classical record which in its best moments has us dream of Rachel’s classy compositions discretely but insidiously deconstructed by Oval’s digital experiments.
Listen to “Let My Key Be C (Thriller Edit)” from “7fingers“:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

> Listen to 7fingers on Deezer or Spotify.

23) BENOIT PIOULARD – “Lasted” (Kranky)

Thomas Meluch, better known as Benoit Pioulard, released his 3rd album for Kranky, filled as usual with ethereal, cloud-like layers of evanescent guitar, DIY rythms and lost voices.

Sault by Benoît Pioulard

> Listen to Lasted on Deezer.

22) OVAL – “O” (Thrill Jockey)

9 years after Ovalcommers, Markus Popp undoubtedly proves us that his heart clicks again.


Oval – “Ah!” directed by Darko Dragicevic

Deerhunter - Halcyon DigestUnder Byen - Alt Er TabtThe Morning Benders - Big Echo21) DEERHUNTER – “Halcyon Digest” (4AD)

Bradford Cox delighted us in the Fall of 2009 with his second solo record released under his Atlas Sound moniker, and once again did not disappoint us with the latest Deerhunter album.

Download Revival (MP3) from Halcyon Digest, or listen to the album on Deezer or Spotify.

20) UNDER BYEN – “Alt Er Tabt” (A:larm Music)

While their fellow Danes Efterklang got poppier and brighter on Magic Chairs, Under Byen persist in exploring dark and twistedly beautiful territories.
Listen to title track “Alt Er Tabt“:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

19) THE MORNING BENDERS – “Big Echo” (Rough Trade)

Co-produced by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, Big Echo, which has turned out a deserved break-through for its creators, is an uplifted and nicely orchestrated pop record, graced with the spontaneity of youth and a pleasantly retro sound.


The Morning Benders – “All Day Day Light ” directed by Jack Ferry

Listen to Big Echo on Deezer or Spotify.

Keep reading and listening to our top #18 to #10, and finally discover our favorite 9 records of 2010