Governor X's Top Albums of 2010 - Revised

2009 was a great year for music. In fact, it was so great I was able to put together a Top 15. No such luck this year. Even getting to 10 was a struggle, which you will see shortly. I blame the sorry state of radio. I can't bear to listen to it anymore, so I am exposed to very little in the way of new music. I'm essentially relegated to new releases from bands I already like.

Revision - When I initially wrote this, I had not heard Arcade Fire's The Suburbs. Neon Bible was OK, but it was essentially one long Pulp ripoff so I didn't bother to listen to the new one. Grammy glory changed my mind and I'm glad I did. Sorry Tron: Legacy Soundtrack...you've been chopped.

Biggest Disappointment: Black Eyed Peas - The Beginning
Fuck you Peas. I spend the better part of two years defending The E.N.D. and you repay me with this turd?


10. Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies
I didn't even know this existed until I was scouring the 2010 album releases to refresh my memory. If you liked the first Serj Tankian solo CD, this is essentially more of the same.
Download Disowned Inc.

9. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
See my comments above
Download Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

8. K's Choice - Echo Mountain
This can't really hold a candle to their work in their first go-around as a band, but it's solid and it's great to have them back together. Now tour the US bitches.
Download Come Live the Life

7. Bruno Mars - Doo Wops and Hooligans
I enjoy this now, but I can't see listening to it for years to come. Live in the moment or something.
Download Grenade

6. Jimmy Eat World - Invented
If you wanted something new from them this would probably disappoint you. They've settled into an almost Cake-like groove of releasing the same album over and over. Fortunately it's a pretty good album.
Download My Best Theory

5. Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite
Easily her best album ever and the best dance-pop album by anyone since before Madonna starting lifting weights.
Download Aphrodite

4. Brandon Flowers - Flamingo
Half of this CD is meh, but the other half is really fantastic. I could listen to Crossfire on an endless loop for 3 weeks and not get tired of it.
Download Crossfire

3. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns
Linkin Park keeps getting better with every album they release. This effort may be a little pretentious for some, but it probably weeded out the last of the Rockstar drinking meathead fanboys who followed their early work.
Download The Catalyst

2. Stone Temple Pilots - Stone Temple Pilots
Try as I might, I can't find fault with this album. By all accounts Scott Weiland should be dead, the band hasn't released anything in nine years, and rock music is in decline - yet here it is. I love every track.
Download First Kiss on Mars

1. My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
I don't hesitate to say My Chemical Romance has moved up to join the likes of R.E.M. and U2 on the list of my favorite bands. If you lose the interludes, their latest CD builds masterfully from catchy pop to hard punk.
Download Bulletproof Heart

Sparklecados: Day 325

A long time has passed since our last Sparklecado update and I'm not even sure the date is correct. It is 325 days since we planted Sparklecado 1, but that poor sucker has passed on. Our oldest Sparklecado, #3, was started on 7/19/2010 so it is 181 days old. Sparklecado #4 A New Hope was started on 8/23/2010 so it is 146 days old. Whatever. Since this blog is now updated with what scientists describe as "Ironside Frequency" it really doesn't matter. Day 325 sounds more impressive and that counts from the start of the Sparklecado project. Here is what we have:

Sparklecado #3 has made a lot of progress. It is the only Sparklecado thus far that has grown more than one root. As you can see it has taken on the form of one of the harvesters from The Matrix. You should fear it since it will likely grow so large it will harvest your organs. That or die when we try to transfer it to soil like its predecessors.

Sparklecado #4 - A New Hope is very much alive as well. Unfortunately it doesn't look like anything from the Matrix. It just looks like a plant. I'm pretty wary of transplanting Sparklecado #3 to the soil since the last one died so quickly. #4 is going to be the next one to go to the soil. God speed little plant, god speed.

Both have survived our harsh winter. We had almost three weeks of bad weather which is unheard of. Now that it is pleasant again, I expect big things from these plants. In related news, Eclipse may be the worst Twilight movie yet.