My Top 10 for the Baltimore City Paper for 2011.

1 Sigur Rós, Inni (XL)
2 She and Him, A Very She and Him Christmas (Merge)
3 Beyoncé Knowles, 4 (Columbia)
4 M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Mute)
5 Steve Reich and Kronos Quartet, WTC 9/11 (Nonesuch)
6 YEVETO, Remote Unelectrified Villages (self-released)
7 Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues’ (Sub Pop)
8 Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials (Island)
9 Foster The People – Torches (Columbia)
10 INFINITE HONEY, Infinite Honey (self-released)

Because I love lists, here is a list of my favorite records from 2000-2009 in relative alphabetical order:

1. Angela Desveaux – The Mighty Ship (it’s just beautiful and great on vinyl)
2. The Arcade Fire – Funeral (if you don’t respoond to ‘wake up’ you could be lifeless and dead)
3. Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham – L’avventura (again, it’s a beautiful record)
4. The Dismemberment Plan – Change (my dc friends make their perhaps last and greatest record)
5. Mike Doughty – Rockity Roll (no over-thought tunes. i wish this was longer.)
6. Duffy – Rockferry (what a voice!)
7. Eno and Byrne – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (two of my favorites yet again on a record together this time writing great songs)
8. Godspeed You Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (the soundtrack to the first have of the decade for me)
9. Kanye West – Late Registration (that kanye certainly has something to say)
10. Kadman – Sing To Me Slower (if dave never wrote another song other than diesel and honeymoon’s end, we’d be ok)
11. Keane – Perfect Symmetry (stellar pop)
12. The Killers – Hot Fuse (see above)
13. Leisure Icons – Leisure Icons (angular mathy locals that has been in heavy rotation here)
14. Low – The Great Destroyer (dave fridmann + low = happy mat)
15. Luna – Rendezvous (i used to put my daughter to sleep to this record)
16. Mouse On Mars – Idiology (Mmmm, stomp pedals)
17. N.E.R.D. – In Search Of… (more drums please)
18. The Octopus Project – Hello Avalanche (my band opened for them this summer. i can’t stop playing this record)
19. Parts and Labor – Stay Afraid (new york’s finest)
20. Saint Etienne – Finisterre (sarah cracknell’s voice is to die for)
21. Sam Prekop – Who’s Your New Professor (i love the beats on this record)
22. Katy Perry – One of the Boys (good production, songwriting and a pretty face don’t always equate to crappy pop music)
23. Prince – The Rainbow Children (prince did have some good records this decade, and this is his finest)
24. Rod Lee – The Official (rod is a genius and you’ll be hearing more about baltimore club very soon)
25. Shakira – Fijación Oral Vol. 1 (that shakira can do anything)
26. Sigur Rós – Takk (birthing sounds)
27. Austin Stahl – The Things You Carry (austin can write about heartbreak like no other)
28. Radiohead – I Might Be Wrong (one of my favorite live albums ever and i am not a huge radiohead fan)
29. Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous (jenny lewis.)
30. Justin Timberlake – Justified (pharrell williams is one sick drummer, JT is someone who i’ve yet to get sick of)
31. Tokio Hotel – Schrei (they were everywhere in europe. who cares if they play their instruments.)
32. Trans Am – TA (my dc favs… they can do no wrong)
33. Wendy and Lisa – Girl Bros. (see above, they can do no wrong)
34. John Zorn – Live at Tonic 2001 (john zorn would be in the supergroup in my head. acharei mot is my jam in this set.

I am not a total purist about lists. This list is about records that I either heard in 2008 or came out in 2008.

1. 1. Angela Desveaux: The Mighty Ship – I played a show with a band a few weeks ago. We opened for them. And they had their record on vinyl. It’s insanely good. The drummer is mind blowing. I’ve not seen a drummer lean in to his hits in forever. I’ve never seen someone so expressive. Oh and the music is beautiful. And Angela’s voice is wonderful.

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Because Prince is a Jehovah’s Witness, he isn’t allowed to celebrate his birthday today, but I can (and will!) by giving you my Top 10 Favorite Prince Records, as of 7 June 2006. Please note this list is known to change by the minute. This is just a rough guide and only pertains to officially released records. Perhaps in the future I will do an unreleased Top 10.

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