Tapes on the Floor's Favorite Tracks of 2010 (Part II)

Not content to merely list off my favorite records of 2010 and risk overlooking some really great music that didn't quite make the cut, I'm once again running through my favorite tracks of the year. You're about to embark into part two of my 36-song list—if you missed part one, you can find it right here. So, let's wrap this up—here's the second half of my list of my favorite tracks released this year, arranged alphabetically by artist.

Kings Go Forth - "Now We're Gone"
This Milwaukee-based neo-soul band was one of my favorite musical discoveries of 2010, cemented by their killer live show at the Double Door this past summer. Lead singer Black Wolf howls his way through this joyfully forlorn track, backed by a formidably tight horn section. Record store owner and band leader Andy Noble has undoubtedly done his crate-digging homework, arranging one of the most stirring nods to the classic soul sound without a Daptone logo on the spine.
Buy: The Outsiders Are Back

Maps & Atlases - "Living Decorations"
The topography-obsessed group's latest record strips away some of the overtly technical finger-tapping fret-play of their earlier work in favor of a more rootsy, percussion-based sound. "Living Decorations" is the most rousing demonstration of this new direction, replete with ample rapid-fire rhythms and melodies. It's a reminder of the unique musical territory this band occupies—bringing a heaping dose of musicianship to the realm of pop-rock.
Buy: Perch Patchwork

Marco Benevento - "Greenpoint"
Keyboard extraordinaire Marco Benevento showcases all his toys on this track from his latest release, seamlessly shifting from piano to organ to circuit-bent electronics over the course of six minutes. It's not a showy piece, but rather a calculated, atmospheric arrangement—a veritable symphony created by way of fingertips on keys. It can be difficult to take in all at once, but it makes for an immensely rewarding list from an artist clearly testing his own limits.
Buy: Between the Needles and Nightfall

Mimicking Birds - "Pixels"
I'm still not exactly sure if lead singer Nate Lacy is trying to sound exactly like Issac Brock, but if his intention is to provide the antidote to Modest Mouse's current overtly-pop tendencies, he's succeeding. This track in particular evokes the headier, less hook-ridden days of Brock's de facto outfit—that the trio still manages to find a voice of their own is an even greater accomplishment. It'll take some serious effort to come out from under their mentor's shadow, but a song like this proves they just might have the chops to pull it off.
Buy: Mimicking Birds

The Mynabirds - "Numbers Don't Lie"
Over the course of this track—as well as the record from which it originates—frontwoman Laura Burhenn joins the likes of Neko Case and Lætitia Sadier on my list of favorite female vocalists. Beginning with its wavering organ intro, the song quickly settles into a Motown-tinged groove, anchored by a jangling piano and some great back-up singers. To cap it off, production work from the amazing Richard Swift makes it all leap from the tape straight to your ears in the most pleasing way possible.
Buy: What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood

The National - "Bloodbuzz Ohio"
If you ask me, "Bloodbuzz Ohio" is a song about growing up and coming back to its titular state—something I've been doing quite a bit of myself as of late. As usual, Matt Berninger's wonderful baritone is carried on top of the Dessner brothers' atmospheric instrumentation, creating the moody sound for which this group is known. It's a track with an epic tone derived from sweeping moments of grandeur and a relentless sense of purpose.
Buy: High Violet

The Nels Cline Singers - "Red Line to Greenland"
The Singers have always been an outlet for Cline's incessant noodling, and as such, I can forgive the three minutes of effervescent noise that preface this track. When the main riff kicks in, Cline quickly proves why he's one of the best guitarists around, building a shifting post-rock melody with help from his able-bodied rhythm section of Devin Hoff and Scott Amendola. No one can do a six-string freakout quite the way Cline does, and as a showcase of that talent, "Red Line to Greenland" is a rousing success.
Buy: Initiate

Percolator - "Deduction"
Discounting the fact that I'm friends with the good folks of Percolator and even helped with the creation of the music video for this track, my love of this song transcends my association with it. The band's polyrhythmic, math-rock riffage is in full effect here, presided over by an oblique set of lyrics that would make Stephen Malkmus proud. It's something I would be listening to even if I didn't have a personal connection to it—is that high enough praise?
Buy: None of These Are Words

Pomegranates - "Anywhere You Go"
If there's one thing that really brightened the end of my year, it was the Pomegranates' particular brand of psychedelic space-rock, as exemplified on this track. "I like you / I really like you" screams Issac Karns, vocalizing a yearning which permeates this song, informing its ever-shifting dynamics and moods. It's the kind of finessed angst and hopeless romanticism that actually serves a purpose, coalescing in a song that is at once weird and beautiful.
Buy: One of Us

Quasi - "Repulsion"
Between Sam Coomes' gut-punching guitar-line and Janet Weiss' pummeling turn on the skins, fuzzed-out Portland rock and roll from a pair of former lovers doesn't get much better than this. Top that off with one of the best choruses to grace a song this year and you get an album-opening track that doesn't make any effort to hold back out of the gate. Vehemence, thy name is Quasi.
Buy: American Gong

Retribution Gospel Choir - "White Wolf"
You might never suspect it, given Alan Sparhawk's better-known day job as frontman of slowcore superstars Low, but the man can pen one hell of a rocker. Such is the case here, on the pick of the litter from Retribution Gospel Choir's second LP—a track dominated by '80s-style drums, a pulsating banjo line and beefy guitar chords. It's a rollicking good time that is as genuinely enjoyable as it is out of character.
Buy: 2

Santah - "Chips of Paint"
"How am I gonna be normal?" exclaims Stanton McConnell over this track's earnest opening strains—a question answered only by a song that transcends mere normalcy. With it's serpentine guitar leads and an exceptionally harmonious solo, the Illinois quintet create a phenomenally varied sonic composition with palpable emotional heft. Even its subdued last minute makes perfect sense, providing a sensible cool down after three-and-a-half minutes of meticulous intensity.
Buy: White Noise Bed

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - "I Learned the Hard Way"
When a voice with the commanding presence of Sharon Jones' talks to you about love and loss, you listen up. Backed by the indomitable Dap-Kings, Jones' message is all the more powerful, riding atop the big brass sound of one of the most seasoned groups of players around. By the track's end, its abundantly clear that Sharon learned the hard way so we don't have to—she puts the 'soul' in resolution.
Buy: I Learned the Hard Way

Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - "All Hail Dracula"
Over the summer a colleague of mine proposed that this track was about the record industry's blood-sucking tendencies. Singer Jonathan James shrugged that theory off and said the song was merely based off of a cool-sounding headline he read. That's an indicator of the fun-loving attitude that permeates the group's latest, Chris Walla-helmed effort. SSLYBY don't take themselves too seriously—the perfect attitude for a pop-rock treasure such as this.
Buy: Let It Sway

Stornoway - "Zorbing"
There's something about Brian Briggs' voice and the minimalist arrangement present on this track that evokes the pastoral English landscape that undoubtedly served as inspiration. Fleshed out with rumbling baritone harmonies and a jubilant horn section, "Zorbing" quickly takes on all the trappings of a left-of-center pop hit. It's no small feat for such a young group, but on a record full of similarly wonderful songsmanship, it's almost assuredly not a flash in the pan.
Buy: Beachcomber's Windowsill

Superchunk - "Digging For Something"
As the punk rock riffs and Mac McCaughan's nasally drawl come into sharp focus on this track, it's refreshing to hear just how little Superchunk has changed in the nine years since their last record. Age hasn't slowed down these pop-punksters—they sound as raucous and raw as ever, with years of experience to back it all up. It may have taken a bit of digging, but this track proves that these guys can still muster that magical sound.
Buy: Majesty Shredding

The Walkmen - "Angela Surf City"
It takes about a minute for this track to hit its stride, transitioning abruptly from a cursory ballad to a boisterous rocker. "Life goes on all around you" belts frontman Hamilton Leithauser, propelling this song forward with some of the most powerful pipes in the biz. For a group that have quickly become regarded as elder statesmen of indie rock, the Walkmen firing on all cylinders are still a beautiful sound to behold.
Buy: Libson

White Mystery - "Take A Walk"
The latest project from Alex White (who formerly headed up the Detroit-based Red Orchestra) finds the red-headed guitar-slinger teaming up with her similarly coiffed brother Francis to create heavy-hitting garage rock. On this track, White takes some simple lyrics about walking around Chicago and turns them into a blistering two-and-a-half minute showcase of joyous musical energy.
Buy: White Mystery

Keep an eye out for my Favorite Albums of 2010 list—guaranteed to be up before year's end!

Chicago So Far

Just over a week into my summer stay here in Chicago and I've already seen some amazing live performances, eaten a boatload of good food, and done enough writing to (almost) make up for my neglect of this blog. I'm living in the Logan Square area, just steps away from the delicious Revolution Brewing and the intriguing Bucket O' Blood Books and Records. I really love the neighborhood, it's far enough removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown, but I can still see the skyline from my window.

My first weekend here, Akron/Family played a show directly down the street from my place as part of the Metronome Celebration street festival. It was a wet and rainy Chicago night, but it didn't seem to dampen the spirits of anyone in attendance. The band played a couple of older tunes, but mostly they used the one-off gig as an opportunity to road-test a number of new songs off their forthcoming record. It was a nice way of getting acclimated to my surroundings, and what's better than having to walk just a couple of blocks home after a show?

My first Monday in town started out with a pilgrimage to the legendary Chicago hot dog joint Hot Doug's, where I waited in line for just over half an hour for the privilege of ordering from Doug himself. And the hot dogs? Absolutely delicious; definitely the best Chicago-style hot dogs I've ever had. I got The Dog with all the fixin's as well as a gamey beef, pork, and garlic sausage called The Marty Allen and a heaping order of cheese fries. While in the area, I also walked by the metal-themed burger joint Kuma's Corner, which I also plan on visiting sometime in the near future.

Monday ended with a free show at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion, where I got to take in a sets from Toronto's Great Lake Swimmers as well as Afrobeat drumming legend Tony Allen. It was all part of the park's wonderful Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays series, which will be bringing acts like The Books and On Fillmore into the park in the coming weeks.

Tuesday was the start of my internship at Time Out Chicago, where I'm working in the web editorial department. My job involves writing stories and reviews for the Time Out Chicago blog, doing some light coding on the website, and attending events to photograph and review them. On my first day, I got to go out and conduct a short video interview with George Wendt, the actor who played Norm on Cheers. I also got to attend and review my first concert at the beautiful new Lincoln Hall. The headliner was Karen Elson, the wife of Jack White who recently released her debut record; you can read what I thought about her over on the TOC Blog.

My next assignment from Time Out was a dream come true; I got to photograph and review the Autumn Defense at their Lincoln Hall show. The first time I ever laid eyes on anyone from Wilco was during an Autumn Defense in-store at Used Kids Records prior to the 2005 Wilco show at Mershon Auditorium. These guys were my live introduction to all things Wilco, so it was oddly appropriate that they were the first show I got to provide full coverage on for Time Out. The show itself was excellent, they played some old favorites of mine as well as debuting some new material, but you can read more about it here. The biggest thrill so far has been seeing links to my review and photos pop up on the Autumn Defense's and Wilco's Facebook and Twitter feeds; it's an immensely gratifying gesture from a group of people I respect very much.

Friday night I went and photographed an awesome Milwaukee soul outfit call Kings Go Forth at Double Door in Wicker Park, the results of which can be viewed here. Yesterday I took a short jaunt over to the excellent new Saki Records for an in-store from Chicago's own Califone, then headed out to the south side of Chicago to see performances from Tinariwen and Mos Def as part of the Takin' it to the Streets festival in Marquette Park.

This evening I'm headed out to the Taste of Randolph Street festival to catch a reunited Superchunk. As you can likely guess, I'm really enjoying my time here in Chicago. I've already had some amazing opportunities, and I suspect that there are more on the horizon. I'm going to try to keep weekly updates to this blog coming, but if you want to follow my work a little more closely just click over to my author page on the TOC Blog.