TOP OF 2010 : NIGHTLANDS - FORGET THE MANTRA

Forget the Mantra by Nightlands is one of the definite surprise golden nuggets of the year.

It's an all around amazing, delicate piece made of endless harmony and rich textures plus one gorgeous Beach Boys cover. It's made of sparkly daytimes, sunrises and those quiet later hours of the night and it creates a strong, daydreamy feel of being somewhere else.

It's like a vast ocean and you can just see Brian Wilson giving a big smile on this one.

Catch a wave with the first three tunes of "Forget the Mantra" by Nightlands below or listen to the whole album with Spotify.

Album picks: 300 Clouds, Glass Vacuum, 'Til I Die

TOP OF 2010 : MAGIC KIDS - MEMPHIS

One of the most awaited albums of the last half of the year was Memphis by Magic Kids, and it certainly met the expectations. It's made of lush orchestrations, fantastic melodies and all around infectious, heart stirring catchiness with comfort.

They say it's so good to be, and they just might happen to be telling exactly how it feels.

You can listen to Memphis by Magic Kids below and watch the geekiest video ever for Superball.

A big row of album picks: Summer, Hey Boy, Good to Be, Phone, Candy, Superball.

TOP OF 2010 : CARIBOU - SWIM

One of the most anticipated albums of the spring was by far Swim by Caribou who popped by Helsinki in August for one of the best performances of the Flow Festival this year.

This previously featured old timer also known as Manitoba or just plain Daniel Victor Snaith has released a lot of albums and a definite hit tune, and yet he's just a couple years over his thirties. Quite an accomplishment as also is the album being released tomorrow.

Swim means tropical simpleton bounce at it's finest. It's made of lush and delicate textures suitable excellently for bathing and it's often without a definite kick and crackle which is refreshingly fantastic. Odessa has a definite instant classic feel to it.

Sit back, take a load of your feet, lay down and embrace the chilly but warm waves of Swim in it's full glory below and watch the ominous video for Odessa, the track that has somewhat an instant classic feel to it. Check out also the vid for Sun and also for that earlier definite hit tune just to realize that you definitely might have heard the dude earlier than you'd think.

Album picks: Odessa, Sun, Bowls.



ODESSA:


SUN:


MELODY DAY:

TOP OF 2010 : BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE - FORGIVENESS ROCK RECORD

In 2005 Broken Social Scene was going places.

There was the self-titled album on which Feist sang that huge hit we all know, they performed with so many guitars nobody though was possible and rode the waves of that Canadian rock revolution.

Then something happened, everyone in Canada stopped making music and the dudes at Broken Social Scene released solo albums that nobody listened to.

Well, now five years have passed and 2010 is a big year again for Canadian music as Broken Social Scene came up with their Forgiveness Rock Record, Arcade Fire came up with Suburbs and Memoryhouse with Years EP.

The new Broken Social Scene is a vast album, sprawling to multiple directions with every song being a different kind of a mess of ideas and arrangements, which just happens to work suprisingly well again.

Album picks: World Sick, All to All, Ungrateful Little Father, Sentimental X's, Sweetest Kill.

Listen to Forgiveness Rock Record and watch the vids below.



TEXICO BITCHES:


CHASE SCENE:


MEET ME IN THE BASEMENT:


FORCED TO LOVE:

TOP OF 2010 : TWIN SISTER - COLOR YOUR LIFE + MEET THE FROWNIES

Twin Sister is my favourite group yet to release a full lenght album and in April they released Color Your Life, a follow-up EP to 2008's perfect Vampires With Dreaming Kids.

It's certainly a step to another direction from the previous act but still holds on to the warm, cozy, delicately lush esthetics and darker undertones that carry the group's dreamy jams so well, all accompanied by the angelic hush of Andrea's soothing voice.

Listen to Color Your Life and Vampires with Dreaming Kids packed altogether with Spotify.

The band also visited an actual studio for the first time ever (as both of the EPs are home recorded) a while ago for the awesome Shaking Through series to record a new song called Meet the Frownies. And boy, it's swell.

Listen to Meet the Frownies and watch some videos about making the tune. Also you can watch music vids for All Around and Away We Go, Lady Day Dream and Galaxy Plateau below.

Dear audiophiles, it's time to drool.





ON WRITING THE SONG:


RECORDING THE RADIO NOISES:


RECORDING THE AMBIENT TEXTURES:


RECORDING THE DRUMS:

ALL AROUND AND AWAY WE GO:


LADY DAYDREAM:


GALAXY PLATEAU:

TOP OF 2010 : KISSAWAY TRAIL - SLEEP MOUNTAIN

Kissaway Trail's Sleep Mountain is made of a sparkly sun on the purple sky about to fall down behind the pastel coloured buildings and trees, with the ice on top of the sea glistening like a beautiful promise of a bright tomorrow.

Listen to "Sleep Mountain" and watch the vids for SDP and Beat Your Heartbeat.

Album picks: Beat Your Heartbeat, SDP, New Year, Friendly Fire, New Lipstick.

TOP OF 2010 : BEST COAST - CRAZY FOR YOU

Best Coast's debut full-lenght Crazy For You is made of countless oohs and aahs, some mournful but playful longing, and buzzyness tuned to the finest. It's all a simple-as-it-gets kinda treat and spends no time in anything but poisonously infectious hooks and saying things as direct as possible.

It's all about bittersweet, sandy fun and staring at those sundowns by the coast and 23 year old Bethany Cosentino ended up making one of the definite albums of the year.

Listen to Crazy For You and watch the vid for the mega-hitter When I'm With You below.

Album picks: Boyfriend, When I'm With You, Crazy For You.

TOP OF 2010 : THE MORNING BENDERS - BIG ECHO

The Morning Benders' second full-lenght Big Echo is made of lush and vibrant feelings, rich textures and the opening track "Excuses" is somewhat an instant classic. It's sometimes big, sometimes small and still at all times really comfy.

No wonder though, as the record was produced by Grizzly Bearies' Chris Taylor.

Listen to Big Echo and watch the vid for Promises below.

Top tunes: Excuses, Promises, Wet Cement, Cold War.

TOP OF 2010 : WILD NOTHING - GEMINI

Wild Nothing's debut album Gemini is packed with seemingly simple yet poisonously infectious, hazy landscapes and all around phantastic daydreaming.

Summer Holiday and China Town are among the definite tunes the summer of dreams will be remembered from.

Listen to the album and watch the vid for China Town below.

CARIBOU - SWIM

One of the most anticipated albums of the spring was by far "Swim"Caribou who luckily to us popped by Helsinki in August for one of the best performances of Flow Festival.

This previously featured old timer also known as Manitoba or just plain Daniel Victor Snaith has released a lot of albums and a definite hit tune, and yet he's just a couple years over his thirties. Quite an accomplishment as also is the album being released tomorrow.

"Swim" means tropical simpleton bounce at it's finest. It's made of lush and delicate textures suited excellently for bathing and it's often without a definite kick and crackle which is refreshingly fantastic. Odessa has a definite instant classic feel to it.

Sit back, take a load of your feet, lay down and embrace the chilly but warm waves of Swim in it's full glory below and watch the ominous video for Odessa, the track that has somewhat an instant classic feel to it. Check out also the vid for Sun and also for that earlier definite hit tune just to realize that you definitely might have heard the dude earlier than you'd think.

Album picks: Odessa, Sun, Bowls.



ODESSA:


SUN:


MELODY DAY: