Hello. I’m posting my (TommyPlural) and Sylas (ex-MK Ultra Culkin)’s GTG top 10 of 2010. If any others want to throw something like this up, please, feel free. As it stands, we’re already 1 GTG release into 2011 (Drinking Mercury – “Words,” see below) and already I think it’s going to be an even stronger showing than last year.
TommyPlural’s top 10 of ’10 (in chronological order):
The Hat Madder – Dreamsicle
Narc Out the Reds – As Hipsters Do
Honah Lee – Sobered, So Bored
MK Ultra Culkin – Tobey’s Cheerleading Death Song
Frank and Earnest – Mr. Holland’s Otis
the Cartridge Family – Girl U Want
Frank and Earnest – Whip It
Narc Out the Reds – Freedom of Choice
CrookedSound – Beth
The Break-Ups – Sure Know Something (generally I can’t really justify putting something that I played on on one of these lists, but with this being recorded a full year before it’s completion/ release I feel pretty disconnected from it by now, and Frankie’s vocal delivery just totally rules, so, sue me).
Honarables:
The Plurals – Conifer Oberst (what began as essentially a demo on Snowhawk 2009 became one of my favorite things I’ve recorded on the “Austin Gump” EP, thanks to the inspired playing from my Plural siblings and the guiding hand of Isaac Vander Schuur in the producer chair).
The Guest Stars – Hard Luck Woman (No secret: I don’t like KISS, but Roy turned this Rod Stewart rip-off into a yearning “All Shook Down”-esque ballad. The Replacements were fans of KISS, so I guess this kind of sort of makes sense).
Calliope – Through Being Cool (One of my favorite bands of all time releases their first new recording since 2004 on a GTG comp, and it’s awesome).
Dr. Device – Smart Patrol/ Mr. DNA (The “Explosions” comp rules, and I like almost every single track, but Dr. Device totally kills this one).
the Cartridge Family – Rock and Roll All Nite (Personal victory: tCF in the studio sounds like tCF live on this cut, which, in my opinion, is amazing).
Sylas’ GTG Top 10 of ’10:
Disclaimers:
1. I haven’t heard all the releases of the year, therefore I mean no disrespect to a handful of the artists by my limited knowledge of each individual release.
2. This is totally biased by the fact that 3 of the bands, which take a significant chunk of my list, are among my personal favorite local bands, period. But it’s my list so I guess that’s ok.
3. I couldn’t single anyone out on the cover comps. Too many good ones…so I left a space for many, rolled into one
4. This list would definitly have changed a bit if Edible Intention would have got their stuff out this year because they would definitly have a few tracks on here.
5. Ditto Josh David / Dream Jeans if I had recordings in my possession.
6. I haven’t heard “Austin Gump” or the latest Snowhawk yet, due to no other reasons than that I’ve been busy / out of the loop / lame for the past month. Said contents may have, once again, shifted this list.
7. I’m not nominating MK because I’ve heard from reliable sources that those guys and gal didn’t write or play any of their material. They had some big major label people come in and do everything and I know all about it. In fact, I heard they broke up when a producer was about to reveal the awful truth to the press. OK, that guitar player seemed pretty cool to me, but the rest of them….come on now! Bunch of wankers. That said, whomever the studio fill-in was who did the guest “urination” on track 1….Bravo! That was a great performance. No, actually I figure it’s arrogant to nominate one’s self and as much as I like Duran Duran’s “Rio” album, I remember being taken aback at Simon LeBon selecting it amongst his Top 5 “best of the 80’s albums” on some program once upon a time. I don’t see any real comparisons between Mr. LeBon and myself, but I think it illustrates my position. That said, I don’t think we recorded anything as good as the following peeps and I don’t hold it against anyone else who may nominate themselves.
8. I saw Honah Lee play a bitching version of The Who’s “Boris The Spider” one night at the Camel So Hidden last year and if it were released, I’d probably have to squeeze that on here as well.
SO, with these stipulations in mind….in random order as I can’t choose a definitive one, here you go:
Plurals – Party It Up 3
Plurals- Sheep Dive
NOTR- As Hipsters Do
Plurals- Won’t Come To You
Hat Madder- Dreamsicle
Honah Lee- I Hate My Job
NOTR- One Dolar Embrace
Stargrazer- 35,797
Hat Madder- The Streets Don’t Lie
Tie between a bunch of people on the Devo and Kiss releases. I’ll just leave it as that rather than picking between all of them cuz it would take too long.
GTG RECORDS 