Shivvy's Best Of 2010 - Music

I'm honored to have what I believe is the first ever guest post contribution here at Austin Bloggy Limits. Some of you may know me from when I was on the air at WOXY. It's been a tumultuous year as far as my relationship with music goes. When WOXY closed down in late March, it was literally the first time in twelve years when it wasn't my job to keep up with the cutting edge of new releases. Honestly, I took some downtime and I can say that music was still a huge part of my year, but it didn't dominate it. I definitely didn't listen to as many albums as I normally would have and I know I probably missed out on some great stuff as a result.

Luckily, I still saw a ton of live music and many of my promoter friends continued to keep me in the loop with their artists. The following list represents my favorite records of the year, not the hippest. These are the albums I bought, mostly on vinyl, and have played over and over again. They paint a picture of how I'll remember the year, through good times and bad. I'm looking forward to 2011, but many of these records will keep soundtracking my life for a long time to come.

• 15. Sia - We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Jive)
  



Sia - Clap Your Hands video via YouTube


• 14. Miles Kurosky - The Desert of Shallow Effects (Majordomo)
  



Miles Kurosky - The World Won't Last the Night video via YouTube


• 13. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening (DFA/Capitol)
  



LCD Soundsystem - Bye Bye Bayou video via YouTube


• 12. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast (Kanine)
  



Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes video via YouTube


• 11. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (Virgin)
  



Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill video via YouTube


• 10. The National - High Violet (4AD)
  



The National - Terrible Love (Alternate Version) video via YouTube


• 9. Tracey Thorn - Love and Its Opposite (Merge)
  



Tracey Thorn - Oh, the Divorces (Live at Home Version) video via YouTube


• 8. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Merge)
  



Arcade Fire - The Suburbs video via YouTube


• 7. Robyn - Body Talk (Konichiwa)
  



Robyn - Indestructible video via YouTube


• 6. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh (Universal Motown)
  



Erykah Badu - Window Seat video via YouTube


• 5. Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard (Barsuk)
  



Ra Ra Riot - Boy video via YouTube


• 4. The Roots - How I Got Over (Island Def Jam)
  



The Roots - How I Got Over video via YouTube


• 3. Sleigh Bells - Treats (Mom+Pop/NEET)
  



Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill video via YouTube


• 2. Mark Ronson & the Business Intl. - Record Collection (RCA)
  



Mark Ronson & the Business Intl. - Bang Bang Bang video via YouTube


• 1. The Mynabirds - What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood (Saddle Creek)
  



The Mynabirds - What We Gained in the Fire video via YouTube

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Fiona Apple April Foolery

So, it's tough to blog on April Fool's day because everyone is being very clever with the jokes and such. However, joke or not I'm excited to report that Stereogum has hopped on board my attempt to bring back Fiona Apple. You may recall that I was starting some #rumors about a new song from Fiona Apple well maybe I was just having a premonition or maybe this is a Truman Show-esque turn of events. Either way here is a newly unearthed cover song from Fiona, originally by Cy Coleman:


Fiona Apple - Why Try To Change Me Now video via YouTube

Don't get me wrong I'm excited to hear something new from Fiona Apple but in my little fantasy she was working with a hot new producer that would help her make something totally new. My first thought was Mark Ronson he's sort of the hot producer of '07 but I really like the idea of a throwback Motown sort of Fiona. I don't want Fiona to sound-like or end up like Amy Winehouse, try to focus more on the production aesthetics. This is from Mark Ronson's album Versus, which is on an evil corporate label that doesn't allow embedding of their YouTube content. It should be easier to focus on the sound aesthetics watching this kid spaz out. Thanks evil corporations:


Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse - Valerie (Originally by the Zutons) video via YouTube

Here's the Zutons' original Valerie, which is also owned by faceless corporate subsidiaries but who doesn't love Jools Holland?:


the Zutons - Valerie video via YouTube

I guess for Extraordinary Machine Fiona tried working with a hip-hop producer in Jon Brion. Maybe the stark, electronic, post-millenial, orchestrally-flourished, pastoral-rock of Nigel Godrich would be a better fit? I just made up a word or two back there. Here's a nice example of the Godrich 'signature sound'(Also owned by corp-d-bags):


Beck - Paper Tiger video via YouTube.

The rumor that seemed most believable to my Twitter maniacs was the lie that Fiona was joining an even newer Jack White band. Are we ready for a raw, country/blues-rock/bluegrassy Fiona?


Jack White & Loretta Lynn - Portland, OR video via YouTube

Perhaps, what we really need is a Fiona, Robert Plant and T-Bone Burnett collabo? Sorry A. Krauss you're out, we're putting in the Apple.


Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Gone, Gone, Gone video via YouTube

We're just happy to hear from you again Fiona.

<3, birkley3030 (AustinBloggyLimits)

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