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I get tired of trying to find the thread or making a new one every time I want to post some kind of list that's not generic, so this thread works like the poll thread here in that you can just post an opinion or list and it'll just be a collage of random lists with feedback.
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These are my favorite EPs from 2010:
10. Gold Panda - You
7.4
Gold Panda are really weird to me. They sound incredibly retro, and nothing about them is entirely remarkable, but I'm always impressed by how easy to listen to all their songs are. "You" is the biggest example of this trend of chillwave/indie electronic that borrows from decades ago but does it in a way that instead of cribbing from always direct sources takes more obscure sounds and spins them into memory-inducing soundscapes. And just flat out enjoying these guys every time I hear them has a lot going for them.
9. Mouth of the Architect - The Violence Beneath
7.6
A pretty solid long play EP from MotA. They return to the heaviness of their earlier material, abandoning the Quietly approach to sludge metal that felt like a bad Jesu rip off to me. It ends up sounding like at times what people probably wish Mastodon still did today and at others combining elements of Isis to please those who are missing them already. A little long, but that's never unexpected of sludge bands. A great release worthy of any metal fan's time this year.
8. Sufjan Stevens - All the Delighted People
7.6
A bit of a let down, but I'm looking forward to one fucking day finally getting around to Age of Adz. ADP seems to be Sufjan attempting to strip the pretenses of his music (despite being ridiculously ambitious to the point I get why people think he is pretentious here) and returning to his peak songwriting form. It comes off as shakey to me, not because he's doing anything differently or awkwardly (the whole thing feels very labored over), it just doesn't hit off those same centers Illinoise's brightest moments could. And who knows, I've only heard this twice, maybe I'm being quick to judge it. But his work isn't exactly grower material, his music is very direct. I just spent a bunch of time kinda dissing this, so I guess I should say that it's only because I was so let down by it. Still was enjoyable, it's Sufjan. It's decent BAS, take it as you want to.
7. Balam Acab - See Birds
7.7
Maybe the best release of the witch house genre by being unsettling but instead of dancy, more downtempo and chilled out. It creates a very interesting atmosphere, one that's pretty trippy but is also very relaxing. Balam Acab seems to have a natural talent at creating a cool combination most artists struggle to find in their careers.
6. Best Coast - Something in the Way
7.9
imo the best release from Best Coast. She captured everything about what she is in the song "Something in the Way", a song as playfully cute as it is catchy and irresistible. It also manages to sum up the So Cal indie rock scene right now, a pretty impressive feat for a basically one woman show. The other two songs are alright, too.
5. Zola Jesus - Stridulum
8.0
Stridulum takes away the sparse and desolate atmosphere of The Spoils and turns it into a full on exercise in dark synth pop. It's still industrial and gothic as all fuck, but there's a definite progression to her sound. These songs are more pop than they were before, for better or for worse. It's also incredibly consistent, I have trouble choosing a favorite from the set of 6.
4. Beat Connection - Surf Noir
8.1
Riding on the dying coattails of chillwave, this is surprisingly good. I didn't really expect to enjoy a chillwave EP this much. Something about the inescapable summer vibes are really carefree and almost calming in contrast with the electropop influences. Pretty much defines what you'd expect from the genre tag, especially when calypso drums and surf rock guitars pop up in the mix.
3. Memoryhouse - The Years
8.3
What an achingly beautiful release. Chillwave doesn't get much more bleak and dreamy. It's just so perfect for drifting off to sleep or getting lost in memories (like you'd expect). I'm pretty sure the beat to "Lately" is Jon Brion slowed down, so that tells you a lot about what to expect. It's a very gorgeous listening experience, and one that's hard to find this year in the same way.
2. James Blake - CMYK EP
8.7
Just copying what I wrote earlier: This guy's at the forefront of the second coming of dubstep. Why aren't more people talking about this guy? He's on course to reshape dubstep forever, combining Burial with Flying Lotus into something that's still his own somehow. It's completely mind blowing stuff going on to me, I wish more people were talking about him after two really good EPs this year. Listening to this again, I'm fucking excited for his release whenever he announces it.
1. Freddie Gibbs - Str8 Killa
8.8
I'm probably alone in praising this guy, but it's refreshing to hear rappers who care as much about the rap game as Gibbs does nowadays. It's not just in his subjects and his lyrics, but in his flow and delivery. Those verses in "Fuck the World" are a spectacle to behold this year. Coupled with some solid production and memorable lines, I look forward to his first release. This EP more than satisfies its listeners, it acts as a soon to be essential part of Gibb's discography.
So yeah those were the ones I could think of. A couple others I heard but weren't totally impressed with were: Antony, Cloudkicker, Cults, Dom, How to Destroy Angels, How to Dress Well, oOoOO, Schlomo, and probably a couple others.
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