In between, Santigold kicked ass while Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis ignited the crowd into a frenzy of dancing weenies...
Yuko and I strolled the grounds under a blistering-blue panoply of palm-studded vistas, taking in the sights and kicking up our heels....
After a few brews and a scorching set by At The Drive-In, I cooled off (just a bit) in the VIP area...
Refreshed, we found a soft spot in the grass and chilled while Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and the now-infamous hologramic Tupac brought the fest to a close...
For me, this year was all about Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. As I wrote when it came out, the album's bleached out soft rock left vapor trails all over my 2010.
Other albums I enjoyed this year in no particular order:
1. All Day - Girl Talk. As a child of the 80s, this tickled my synapses.
9. Odd Blood - Yeasayer. Right between MGMT's sweet pop & Animal Collective's rubbery math.
10. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire. A grower that turned into a keeper.
11. Small Craft On A Milk Sea - Brian Eno. In a year of no Radiohead, this does fine. 12. Crazy For You - Best Coast. The sounds of summer pumped through Maria, the robot lady from Metropolis.
13. This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem. Good, sloppy techno. Finally.
14. Everything In Between - No Age. In a year of no new Japandroids, this duo will do.
15. Together - The New Pornographers. Cuz they're a genuine supergroup and not just because Carl Newman graduated from the same high school as I did.
Songs:
1. "Tightrope" - Janelle Monáe
2. "Born Free" - M.I.A.
3. "Like Rock & Roll Radio" - Ray LaMontagne
4. "Power" - Kanye West
5. "Fuck You" - Cee Lo Green
Big Discovery:
Isle Of View - Jimmie Spheeris (1971). Gauzy folk crafted by a master astride a gryphon.
Big disappointment:
The Courage of Others - Midlake. After The Trials of Van Occupanther, my expectations were high. A couple of very good songs ("Acts of Man" & "Fortune") does not an album make. A snoozer.
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