Our Tracks rundown is brought to a close today with the likes of Pint Shot Riot, Alberta Cross, The Besnard Lakes and The Minutes all featuring in our final top 10.
Once you’ve been through this part of our list, why not do us a favour and recommend your own stand-outs from 2010. Leave us a comment below telling us what has rocked your 2010 to be in with a chance of winning a selection of prizes from acts featured on our own rundown.
10: Secret Machines – Like I Can
Back in January, Secret Machines issued this free download, which was a welcome return for the wall of sound intensity of their past. Unfortunately, the track proved to be a minor blip on what has otherwise been another quiet year for the band.
9: Pint Shot Riot – Nothing From You
Live4ever’s favourite rock foursome head into 2011 off the back of a successful twelve months. From the early introducing feature last year, we’ve followed their progress closely and they recently celebrated their booking at March’s SXSW festival by providing a storming performance in NY at Live4ever’s first Presents gig.
8: Zola Jesus – Sea Talk
2010 can be looked back on as a year packed with impressive new releases from female songwriters, of which the best might just be this lead track from Zola Jesus’ EP ‘Valusia’. The atmosphere and soaring vocals has all the hallmarks of a modern day Kate Bush and marks Nika down as one of this year’s special talents.
7: Django Django – WOR
Right from the evocative air-raid siren which sparks the track into life, ‘WOR’ grows into a stomping, foot-tapping monster. If ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ is ever remade, they could do a lot worse than picking this track as a new, updated iconic theme tune.
6: Warpaint – Undertow
Taken from their debut album ‘The Fool’, ‘Undertow’ is a blissful, mid-paced groove which unfortunately has come a few decades too late to take up it’s rightful place in the sun-drenched dairy fields of the Woodstock festival.
5: Alberta Cross – Old Man Chicago
At a different pace from what is normally expected from Alberta Cross, ‘Old Man Chicago’ is an unashamedly, shout-it from-the-rooftops driving anthem in the grandest tradition of some of the Seventies best US superstars.
4: Music Go Music – Light Of Love
Did someone find a long lost demo in Diana Ross’ attic? This is a glorious, Motown-inspired pop single which boasts a crystal clear production to give the impression you’re being treated to a personal performance every time the song is given a spin.
3: The Black Keys – Next Girl
Still falling just short of delivering the truly classic album they continue to threaten, blues duo The Black Keys once again show just how irresistible they can be when the formula is nailed on this groovy tale of harsh lessons in love being learnt.
2: The Besnard Lakes – Albatross
Opening with a distinctive, shimmering guitar which shines throughout the track, The Besnard Lakes recall all the best moments of 90s shoegazing on ‘Albatross‘. Initially carried along by the world-weary vocals of Olga Goreas, the song grows into a melting pot of drums, brass and harmony, but loses none of it’s under-stated majesty along the way.
1: The Minutes – Fleetwood
Very few bands can boast a frontman able to combine genuine emotion with a powerful delivery that can lift even the most mediocre of tracks to something more memorable. Dublin Based three-piece The Minutes are one of those bands, and when that rare talent is married with a single as stadium-sized and inspired as ‘Fleetwood’, it makes for something truly special. Next year’s debut album can’t come soon enough.
Live4ever’s Essential Listening 2010 – The Tracks: 20-11
Live4ever’s Essential Listening 2010 – The Tracks: 30-21
Live4ever’s Essential Listening 2010 – The Tracks: 40-31
Live4ever’s Essential Listening 2010 – The Tracks: 50-41
I saw Warpaint last month. Didn’t like them much when I heard their song before I saw them, but their performance was very impressive. Dark and heavy.