2010

Honorable Mention: This is Happening — LCD Soundsystem

The year prior to their half-decade long breakup, LCD Soundsystem released what was expected to be the band’s final statement (and was, until they returned fully with 2017’s American Dream) – and what a statement it would be. Spearheaded with Murphy’s yelping vocals and a menagerie of vibrant instrumentals, the album also features songwriting from almost the entire group — including Hot Chip synth player Al Doyle, understated dance-punk icon Nancy Whang, !!! guitarist Tyler Pope, and electronic “Wizard” Rayna Russom — on gorgeously danceable tracks about getting better, getting clean, and getting groovy. This album sparks and flutters with an anxious glee and vibrancy that suits a band that was poised to say goodbye.

Thank goodness they didn’t stay apart for long.

2010

Best of: Treats — Sleigh Bells

Recently, I’ve been getting into a lot of noise rock (and noise rock adjacent) acts: clipping., the works of Lauren Bousfield, Daughters and this Brooklyn-based noise pop outfit. If I wanted to recommend one of these acts as a “gateway drug” to noise music, it’d absolutely be Sleigh Bells. There’s just enough of a bubblegum pop hook to leave a little rot in your teeth while blowing your ears out with producer Derek Miller’s distortion and beating bass, and Alexis Krauss’s autotuned to android greatness vocals.

Don’t let the flash fool you, just give it a chance. You won’t regret it.

2011

Honorable Mention: Strange Mercy — St. Vincent

Drifting and riffing, this journey through Annie Clark’s struggles with depression was another evolution in a career that would influence a sea of other female experimenters. From the jazzy, shifting heights of “Surgeon” and “Dilettante” to the more punky “Northern Lights”, the record and Clark herself try not to stay too tied to any one genre for too long.

There’re dips into the electronics that she would go into deeper on her self-titled record and Masseduction, there’s Clark’s stylistic guitar work, and there’s always Clark’s constantly changing vocals to keep the whole thing centered. No wonder so many young rockers take St. Vincent as gospel.

2011

Best Of: Creep On Creepin On — Timber Timbre

Canadian “freak folk” stalwarts Timber Timbre come into a strange new swamp on this album. With the addition of Mika Posen’s gorgeous violins and future Hereditary (and, as of this writing, the upcoming anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki) composer Colin Stetson’s horns, Taylor Kirk’s band takes on a jazzier and gloomier slope that they’d dip further into on 2014’s Hot Dreams.

I already did a full review of the album for the website, which you can find here. Taylor Kirk’s vocals remain as low and beautiful, framing the strange and trippy lyrics he works with in a dim but well-done light. “Souvenirs” still sends a shiver up my spine whenever I play it.

2012

Honorable Mention: The Only Place — Best Coast

Probably the most pop-friendly record you’ll find on this list, Best Coast’s follow-up to their 2010 debut Crazy for You is a lot more clean-cut than its predecessor and a lot brighter and peppier. It’s a romantic record in a way, inspired heavily by 50s and 60s surf rock, with songs not only about relationships but about lead singer and songwriter Bethany Consentino’s adoration for California. Admittedly, the lyricism is simplistic at points but there’s a certain charm to that.

I love a good piece of poetry as much as any critic but sometimes you just want to bop around to something you don’t have to think too much about. This record’s perfect for that. It’s also probably one of the more optimistic records on this list.

2012

Honorable Mention: What We Saw from The Cheap Seats — Regina Spektor

Remember how I said that thirteen-year-old Kirby listened exclusively to musicals and Regina Spektor? Fifteen to sixteen-year-old Kirby still really liked Regina (twenty-two-year-old Kirby still loves her too, but that’s not the point).

Bouncy and bubbly without losing those subtle hints of punk and arthouse that she’d made her name on, Regina continued her trend of beautifully crafted piano-based art pieces with this record. This one’s probably my favorite of hers from the sneering “Ballad of a Politician” to the bombastic “The Party” and “Don’t Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)”, even the wheezing gasps of “Open” are wonderfully scenic. A lot of artsy female artists came onto the scene this decade but Regina’s stuck to me like glue and I’m endlessly happy that she has.

(Plus, the tour she did in support for this album was the first time I got to see her live so I’m grateful for that.)

2012

Best Of: The Idler Wheel... — Fiona Apple

A triumphant return for Apple after the extremely well-received but highly troubled production-wise Extraordinary Machine, I discovered this album in high school – a frequent place for girls to find artists like her, I’ve found – and listened to “Valentine” quite a bit. I found the frantic swirl of strings at the bridge and Apple’s low and shaky (in a good way) vocals captivating. I rediscovered the record earlier last year and have spun it in the back of my head for a while. It’s ramshackle in a charming and spooky sort of way, a little like Sparklehorse’s music (may he rest in peace) and centers around a lot of struggles in relationships both internal and external. Hinged by Apple’s poetic lyrics and the strange background samples that add a whole world to the music, the record’s strange but wonderful in its own way.

In a year that was supposed to bring around an apocalypse, this record’s got the perfect vibes for the end of the world — whether that’s the planet or just a relationship that meant the world to you.

2013

Honorable Mention: Nanobots — They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants has been a cornerstone of my music tastes for the lion’s share of the decade, to the point where I’ve considered writing a jukebox musical featuring only their songs (yes, I know, deeply nerdy). This record was my introduction to their music and, while it’s not their most well-known record, I still adore it. The Johns (Linnell and Flansburgh) and their band of Dans (Miller and Weinkauf) and one Marty (Beller) come through with a varied and fun record that looks across time: from the title track to their tribute to Nikola Tesla and all of the weird diversions in between and beyond. After all, not all albums sport songs about spontaneous human combustion, mommy complexes, and world-wide rebellions on the same record side.

It’s a great record to play if you want a gateway to the band that isn’t Flood, and at the time of this writing you can get the record for free with another TMBG vinyl through the band’s website.

(Not sponsored, I just want more people to listen to this album.)

2013

Best Of: Sunbather — Deafheaven

There’s a lot of debate on what this album actually is, genre-wise. Is it black metal, is it post-metal, is it just alternative rock with a little bit of extra edge to it? Usually, I try to decipher what an album’s genre is when I review it. In this case though? I’m contented to just let it ride as is. It’s whatever you make of it, and what I make of Sunbather is that it’s one of the dreamier rock records I’ve listened to. Sometimes that dream comes out dark and wild-eyed, and sometimes it’s as bright and warm as the album cover would lead you to think.

Give it a spin and see what you make of it.

2014

Honorable Mention: Christmas Island — AJJ

I don’t listen to it anymore, but I owe a debt to the podcast Welcome to Night Vale. I found a lot of really good artists through their “Weather” segments, including this Arizona based band and the band (and record) that’ll follow this entry.

AJJ (formerly known as Andrew Jackson Jihad) is a punk band that deals with issues of poverty, mental illness, and loneliness through quick, sharp lyrics and wonderfully done instrumentals. They’re one of the few punk bands I know of that regularly employs a cello! Even if his voice isn’t the most unique amongst the men in the DIY punk scene, Sean Bonnette has some graphic and vivid lyricism that shines on songs like “Children of God” (the song Night Vale used in the “Weather”) and “Getting Naked and Playing with Guns”. Plus, who doesn’t love a band that references both cults and an autistic icon (shout out to Temple Grandin)?

2014

Best Of: Transgender Dysphoria Blues — Against Me!

Laura Jane Grace is absolutely an icon of the punk scene in every sense of the word and I will not take arguments about it.

A history maker as one of the first “mainstream” punks to come out as trans, her first release with the band she heads is an autobiographical work about her existence as a trans woman. The band blasts through tracks about living with self-hatred and living as you truly are in a world that seems, sometimes, to turn against you, all headed by Grace’s rough and ready vocals and soul-deep screams. It’s a record of defiance, of survival, and of hope. It’ll make you want to cry one second and kick in the jaw of a fascist the next, and that’s all I can ask of a punk record sometimes. I can only imagine how many young punks have found a role model in Grace, and I wish her and all of them god speed.

2015

Honorable Mention: Carrie & Lowell — Sufjan Stevens

One of many grief-based records on this list, Stevens digs deep into the memories he has of his mother (who died in 2012 from stomach cancer) through acoustic and rolling songs. The stages of grief play out on every track — although most of the album still centers around the depression and acceptance stages — and allow us to see Stevens’s complicated relationship with the mother who abandoned him as a child in the wake of her passing. Relying mostly on guitars and pianos, the album hinges on the poetics of the lyrics and the deep meaning within.

This album apparently wasn’t very good to Sufjan emotionally, leading him down into deeper darkness, but it certainly helped me in moments of sadness and I hope he can see how much the album’s helped others and can find some joy in that.

2015

Honorable Mention: I Love You, Honeybear — Father John Misty

Do you want to hear some of the weirdest love songs this decade has to offer? Look no further than multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and man of many names Josh Tillman aka Father John Misty, and this 2015 release. Put out not long after his marriage to photographer and video director Emma Elizabeth Tillman, the album’s a concept album about his life before, during, and after he met and married his wife. The record’s one big love song that goes into deep detail about their lives together and his own anxieties about their relationship, other relationships (including the growing prevalence of online romances) and the world at large.

While not the most critically acclaimed of the four records he put out this decade under the name Father John Misty, this is my personal favorite. The lyrics get weird and reveal things about Tillman that go into strange territories (“When You Are Smiling and Astride Me” is not the first time he brings up kissing his brother in dreams) and leave the whole experience feeling raw. It’s unique, it’s romantic, and it’s absolutely worth checking out.

2015

Best Of: Natural Born Losers — Nicole Dollanganger

I didn’t look on Dollanganger’s 2019 release – Heart Shaped Bed – that kindly. However, I do love her music. She’s deeply unique, the gentle sort of grim that some artists before-and-after her debut strive for, and that shows on my favorite of her records: Natural Born Losers. She’s got honeysuckle sweet vocals and graphic lyrics that’ll be imprinted on the back of your eyelids like brands by the time you’re finished with this album. From “Poacher’s Pride”, a song about killing angels, to American Horror Story soundtrack bait “You’re so Cool”, the record’s that sort of Southern gothic that’s surprisingly visible in Canada (see Timber Timbre for more proof) and that I simply adore.

While Dollanganger might have fallen off her stride a bit in her latest release, there’s still the same spark that was there with this record and I highly encourage people to give it a listen.

Just be careful of that album cover – might raise a couple questions.

2016

Honorable Mention: Spirit Phone — Lemon Demon

I was torn between putting this album or Neil Cicierega (aka Lemon Demon)’s mashup maestro-work Mouth Moods (released in 2017) on this list. In the creation of this list, I tried to have an unspoken rule be “no repeating artists”. This one won out, even though I’ve talked about it before. After all, while the Ghostbusters theme’ chop-and-screw “Bustin” is perfect for a Halloween party, there’s no beating the gore of “Cabinet Man” or songs about no-eyed girls and mongoose mythos. Besides, this is the record you can get on vinyl.

There’s something mirthful and grim about Lemon Demon, a sinister presence in every synth note, but even when the songs are about turning organs into a sort of healthy “candy” they’re still effortlessly danceable. Not many artists can do that, y’know?

2016

Honorable Mention: Skeleton Tree — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

One of the more harrowing albums from one of the most harrowing bands I know, this Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds record isn’t, admittedly, as dark in its imagery as many of their other records. That’s probably because it’s not meant to be. While most of the album was recorded by the time of the incident, its surrounded by an aura of grief that tints every song on it and turns them shimmering and sad. During recording, Cave’s son Arthur passed away after an accidental cliff fall.

The resulting grief and recovery changed Skeleton Tree and its 2019 follow-up Ghosteen into an auditory journey through the emotional fallout that comes from losing a child. It’s a beautiful record, and a beautiful statement of love from father to son.

2016

Best Of: Hopelessness — Anohni

The first release from indie darling Anohni since she came out as trans, the album is a diversion from her previous releases with the band Antony and the Johnsons (named partially for trans activist Marsha P. Johnson). Whereas the Johnsons’ work was highly orchestral and operatic, Anohni’s solo work is electronic based and far more political than her releases with the band. Influenced by 80s rock and featuring songwriting and production from Scottish DJ Hudson Mohawke and New York producer Oneohtrix Point Never, the album dives into the usage of drone bombing, American imperialism and brutality, the destruction of the planet through war and pollution, and increasing surveillance with catchy and looping tracks that make you really listen.

With everything that’s happened politically since the May release of this record, the album’s become more vital than ever.

2017

Honorable Mention: Murder of the Universe — King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

A triptych across time and space, the second of Australian psych rock King Gizzard’s five album series done throughout 2017 features three stories of destruction and mayhem while showcasing the band’s continual rock n roll evolution. Written entirely by band leader Stu Mackenzie (save for the album closer “Murder of the Universe” which features lyrics from guitarist and synth player Joey Walker), and read first by folk artist Leah Senior and then by NaturalReader robotic voice “UK, Charles”, the album goes from a were-beast wreaking havoc on a town to a robot causing vomit related universal slaughter with catchy hooks and grungy beats.

It’s far from the most “sophisticated” record on this list, but it’s one of the most out there and most fun.

2017

Best Of: A Crow Looked At Me — Mount Eerie

This record, like Skeleton Tree, is an artist trying to make sense of and accept the death of a loved one. Phil Elverum, formerly of the Microphones, turns raw and grim on this record – the first release after the death of musician-cartoonist Geneviève Castrée, his wife – and uses his music to mark the time and his grief and recovery since her death. He only says her name at the tail end of the record, “Crows”, but her spirit hangs over the album and influences every pained note and slow drawling vocal. He sings of her absence, of their young daughter, and of his first steps into moving on in a way that sucks you in until the final note. Elverum took all of his sorrow and turned it into not just a way to cope but a way to pay tribute to the woman he loved so much.

It’s a stark and sad album, and one that (along with its continuation, Now Only, released in 2018) I hope helped him somehow.

2018

Honorable Mention: Remain in Light — Angelique Kidjo

A reworking of the iconic Talking Heads record of the same name, Beninese artist Angelique Kidjo reclaims the West African-influenced record for Africa itself. The record features gorgeously crafted horns and drums, certain lyrics sung in some of the many languages of her nation, and appearances by Nigerian drummer and composer Tony Allen, New York based singer Devonté Hynes (aka Blood Orange), and alt rock darlings Vampire Weekend’s figurehead Ezra Koenig.

This album’s just an absolute blast and a beautiful reimagining of a classic album, one that’s absolutely worth popping into your record library. Also, for some reason, I tear up while listening to Kidjo’s version of “Once in A Lifetime”. Don’t ask, I don’t understand it either.

2018

Honorable Mention: Be the Cowboy — Mitski

If there’s an album that surprised the world — and me — this year, it was absolutely Be the Cowboy. I listened to it on the recommendation of a friend at college and I immediately fell in love. It’s bouncy and lively and very sad at points, and Mitski’s voice is an absolute dynamo that holds her lyrics like a lover’s embrace. The instrumentation is well-done too, with some absolutely blasting horn work on tracks like “Remember My Name” and “Why Didn’t You Stop Me?” and gorgeous piano on the album’s closer “Two Slow Dancers” which still makes me cry.

This album speaks about loneliness and sorrow in such a gentle way, one that’ll entrance you and keep you listening.

2018

Best Of: Dirty Computer — Janelle Monae

One of the most ambitious records on this list, Monáe’s first full-length step outside of her ArchAndroid narrative was heavily acclaimed and its for extremely good reason. After all, what other albums came out this year that included a forty-six minute “emotion picture” with their narrative? None, and almost no other album came out this year sounding as polished and adored as this one.

Half concept album about an android named Jane trying to find freedom with her lovers, half Monáe’s reclamation of the American Dream from those all too willing to take it away from a pansexual black woman and those she loves, the record delves into rebellion against oppressors and accepting one’s identity in the face of racism, sexism, and bigotry. It’s also an absolute bop of a record, one you can blast at any part and get a conversation or a dance party going with equal ease.

Monáe is one of the hardest working women out there and bless her for it and for being herself.

2019

Honorable Mention: Wasteland, Baby! — Hozier

A lot gentler and easier to take in musically than the other two entries for this year, Hozier’s follow-up to his smash debut is just as doom-minded. Referencing Greek myths of destruction and Dr. Katie Mack’s lectures on what the end of our universe might look like, Hozier’s multi-ranged vocals and the dips into acoustic plucks and hums keep this album from going shoulder-deep into that darkness.

At the heart of this album is love: Icarus’s love of the sun, Hozier’s love of his influences (including soul icon Mavis Staples, who appears on the album’s opener “Nina Cried Power”) and lovers, and a collective love for the universe that cradles us like a child. It’s sad, yes, but hopeful.

2019

Honorable Mention: There Existed an Addiction to Blood — clipping.

Clipping (stylized as clipping.) managed to make one of the most creative and well-done horrorcore records to come out in a while without losing any of the noise rock edge that made them so unique in the rap world and that’s something to be heavily commended – twice over. Daveed Diggs continues to spit some of the best bars this decade has to sport, framed by William Huston and Jonathan Snipes’s wonky and unique production and appearances by rappers and noise artists alike.

With werewolves galore, pimp-adjacent possession, internet red rooms, and a reversed tribute to Assault on Precinct 13 and John Carpenter’s music, the album keeps you in the victim’s shoes for most of the album’s narratives – something that keeps you ensnared until the last piano string pops on the group’s cover of Annea Lockwood’s “Piano Burning”.

2019

Best Of: CALIGULA — Lingua Ignota

Let’s all be honest: those who read my column regularly knew this was coming.

There could be no album, none at all, that could ever top CALIGULA on this list. I reviewed it for my first anniversary on this website and even then I knew that, barring any big competition, this would be my album of the year. Clipping. and a handful of other artists (whose albums I’ll talk about on a separate list because 2019 was an amazing year for music) put up wonderful attempts to knock it off its post but in the end, there could be no other.

I’ve listened to no other album I’ve reviewed for this website — or put on this list — more, wept to no album more, taken strength in no album more. CALIGULA has given me such strength and power and strange, rapturous joy and I cannot be more grateful for its existence.

It has more than earned its place as the top album of this year and as one of the top albums of the decade.