Lee Neutron, Daiquiri: Best Of 2010

Albums

2010 was a great year for releases, particularly for the “oldies;” there were strong albums from such long-running acts as Killing Joke, Devo, Helmet, Scorn, Young Gods, and Melvins. I’ve picked my very favourite albums of the year, as well as a standout track from each (these are definitely not in order of best to worst or whatever, like that matters one way or the other).

Shining, Blackjazz: “The Madness and the Damage Done”
Melvins, The Bride Screamed Murder: “Evil New War God”
M.I.A., /\/\ /\ Y /\: “Teqkilla”
Thou, Summit: “By Endurance, We Conquer”
Killing Joke, Absolute Dissent: “Here Comes the Singularity”
Harvey Milk, A Small Turn of Human Kindness: “I Alone Got Up and Left”
Daughters, Daughters: “The Hit”
Zoroaster, Matador: “Odyssey”
The Blood of Heroes, The Blood of Heroes: “Transcendent”
Pale Sketcher, Jesu: Pale Sketches Demixed: “Can I Go Now (Gone Mix)”
Gold Panda, Lucky Shiner: “You”
Young Gods, Everybody Knows: “Mister Sunshine”

Black Mountain, Wilderness Heart: “Sadie”
Biipiigwan, God’s Hooks: “In War”
Electric Wizard, Black Masses: “Satyr IX”
Rotten Sound, Napalm: “Brainload”
Shobaleader One, d’Demonstrator: “Endless Night”
Jesu, Heartache/Dethroned & Christmas EP: “Christmas”
Year of No Light, Ausserwelt: “Perséphone II”
The Bastard Noise, A Culture of Monsters: “Me and Hitler”
Fuck the Facts, The Unnamed EP: “Loss Upon Loss”
Sun Araw, On Patrol: “Deep Cover”

Oneohtrix Point Never, Returnal: “Returnal”
Dead Fader, Corrupt My Examiner: “No Thief”
Maserati, Pyramid of the Sun: “They’ll No More Suffer From Hunger”
Trap Them, Filth Rations EP: “Day 40 – Dead Fathers Wading in the
Bodygrounds”

Honourable Mentions: Helmet, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Deftones, Devo, Autechre, High on Fire, MGMT, Hooded Menace, Scorn, Extra Life, Sun Kil Moon, Alaskan

Biggest Let Downs: Dillinger Escape Plan, Massive Attack, Autolux, Daft Punk (Not their fault, I’m sure; just doing what was asked of them. Why can’t every track be as good as “Derezzed” instead of some generic film score bullshit?), Agalloch, Kylesa (those last two aren’t exactly let-downs as I had no expectations from them at all, I’m just sick of everyone pretending that the albums they respectively put out this year are incredible and not completely unremarkable).

And, of course, my own bands released some pretty strong albums this year (no, I’m not above this):
Daiquiri, Flower Shaped Num Nums
Street Meat, Dick Party

Concerts/Gigs

Rush @ Bluesfest, Ottawa ON
Isis (last show ever) & Cave-In @ Club Soda, Montreal QC
Tim and Eric Live & Neil Hamburger @ some dump, Albany NY
Killing Joke @ Cabaret, Montreal QC
M.I.A. @ Metropolis, Montreal QC
High on Fire & Priestess @ Capital City Music Hall, Ottawa ON
Bison BC & Biipiigwan @ Cafe Dekcuf, Ottawa ON

Movies

I see probably fewer movies than anyone and I have no idea why. I did manage to check out a few great ones this year; these are they.

Shutter Island
The Human Centipede
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Winter’s Bone
Kick-Ass

TV Shows

TV is amazing now. Seinfeld is no longer the gold standard in broadcasting. There are literally too many shows to keep up with. These are the ones I landed on, mostly through happenstance.

Eastbound and Down
Bored to Death
The Walking Dead
Dexter
Peep Show
Louis
South Park
Through the Wormhole

Comics

I officially don’t read books anymore, just comics. Like my TV show list, I mostly latched onto these via a recommendation or by accident.

Echo
The Walking Dead
DMZ
Stephen King’s The Stand

Video Games

I’m not a huge gamer by any stretch but when I do get into a game, it tends to take over my life for a good 2 – 3 week run.

Mass Effect II
Halo: Reach
Limbo