Ramblings: Music experiences of 2010

As the clock counts down to 2011 I can't help but reminisce about the moments of 2010. There were so many good memories that I will cherish my entire life. I've experienced so much, loved so much, travelled so much, and listened to so much. I'm not going to bog this post down with all of my experiences of 2010, so I'll focus on how this year has been the best for music for me.

The year started in Los Angeles. My first concert of the year was Do Make Say Think's 3-part show at The Troubadour. "3-part?" you may ask. Ohad Benchetrit's solo project, Years opened. Charles Spearin's The Happiness Project followed. Then they finished as Do Make Say Think. To this day, that was the best, most unique show I have experienced. This was a perfect introduction to 2010.

Other memorable moments:
• Magna's private 2-hour farewell tour before I left Los Angeles.
• Seeing Caspian in Dallas and hosting them at my family's house in Oklahoma City. The group photo with Caspian, mom, dad, and me will always be the coolest band photo ever, to me.
• The Non playing with a 25-piece orchestra at the Norman Music Festival.
• MONO (nothing else needs to be said)

Musical experiences of 2010:
Do Make Say Think
Magna
The Non
The Calm Blue Sea
Arms And Sleepers
Caspian
-Norman Music Festival 3
-Kite Flying Robot
-Jesse Aycock
-Beau Jennings
-Evangelicals
-The Octopus Project
-Post Arcadia
-Pretty Black Chains
-Grupo Phantasma
-Hiphopatomus
-Unwed Sailor
-The Non w/ Cloud Collision Orchestra
Balmorhea
MONO
Jónsi
Blixaboy
TOKiMONSTA
Bonobo
The Appleseed Cast
Tactics
Pompeii
The Eastern Sea
This Will Destroy You

Plans for 2011:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor x2
God Is An Astronaut
Képzelt Város
Our Ceasing Voice
marionette ID
Norman Music Festival 4
Mogwai

2010 will be a hard year to top in overall experiences. But it has some potential to be more musically epic.

As for music discovery, this has been a post-rock year. I realized just how big the post-rock scene is world-wide, albiet very localized. Gradually my interest in post-rock became an obsession when I kept stumbling upon amazing small-time artists like Képzelt Város, Adolf Plays The Jazz, EXIT Project, félperc, Asfandyar Khan, etc. I wanted to find more and more. "Gotta collect them all" mentality. Some of my favourite artists nowadays have ended up being these really small, localized artists that baffle me at how relatively unknown they are.

I was also introduced to a genre that was new to me that I now absolutely love, Trip-Hop.


I look forward to 2011 and what musical experiences it will have to offer.

God Is An Astronaut - Snowfall

So, I was debating what the last soundtrack to 2010 should be. And I have decided to go with one of the most memorable songs of the year for me. Good and bad memories lie behind this song, but all so memorable.

[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]
(Purchase their music on iTunes, Facebook (Shop Now), or Revolvermann Records.)

Les Fragments de la Nuit – Soleils Noirs pour Lune Blanche

Jason of Pirate Ship Records posted an image of a beautiful coloured vinyl on facebook that once released sold out within an hour. Their black vinyl copies sold out save for one. I make the comment, "A lot can happen in an hour," to which he replies with a suggestion to check them out and directed me to their label's website (linked below). The song that plays upon entry is Cyclogenese. It was love at first listen. Before the song even finished I purchased that last black vinyl he had.

I was hoping Cyclogenese would be on youtube. However, Soleil Noirs pour Lune Blanche is great too.

[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website] [Label]
(Albums are available for purchase on iTunes and on their Label's page.)