For some reason I never got around to hearing The Radio Dept.’s Clinging To A Scheme last year; that’s a shame because it is a really great record and it would certainly have made my year end list. Clinging is the third full-length from the band (who have also released numerous singles and EPs) and while it doesn’t deviate too far from the sound of their earlier work, it seems to be a more focused record. Lyrically it’s sharp and clear:

When I look at you, I reach for a piano wire

He turned too many heads for one lifetime

But what I really love about this band is the way they consistently create breezy, dreamy soundscapes that are both soothing and riveting. Contradictory, I know, but when I listen to Clinging To A Scheme I want to immerse myself but not completely lose myself. Some attention is required…even in a relaxed state of mind. Enough babbling…it’s just a really great record.

The band are pretty generous, too, with one of the more extensive free download pages I’ve seen from any band around. In that spirit, here are three singles from Clinging To A Scheme if you have yet to check it out.

Download
The Radio Dept. – David
The Radio Dept. – Heaven’s On Fire
The Radio Dept. – Never Follow Suit

British Sea Power are a bizarre band. They’re incredibly idiosyncratic yet their music is pretty mainstream stuff for the most part. The lyrics are both clever and odd and their music has moved over the past decade from post-punky angularness to sweeping epics worthy of IMAX nature films. Despite all this they remain pretty under-appreciated, in my humble opinion.

The band have just released their fourth full-length (I’m not counting the Man Of Aran soundtrack) called Valhalla Dancehall. While the record isn’t really bringing anything too new to the BSP canon, I’m still enjoying the record quite a bit.

The record starts off with a bang as Who’s In Control’s sharp guitars ring while singer Yan wishes “protesting was sexy on a Saturday night.” We Are Sound follows next and it just soars. Elsewhere, however, the record slows down to a very, very gentle pace on songs like Luna, Baby, and Cleaning Out The Rooms. Basically, the album features all the sounds that I’ve come to expect from BSP which means Valhalla Dancehall isn’t likely to draw in many new fans. But if you’re already on board then it’s another strong addition to the British Sea Power catalogue.

Download
British Sea Power – Who’s In Control
British Sea Power – Living Is So Easy
British Sea Power – Zeus (from last year’s Zeus EP)

I’ve only seen British Sea Power live once (back in 2004 at Richards on Richards) so I’m pretty excited that they’re coming back to town again. The band will hit up Vancouver on April 1 at the Biltmore.

Six Best Live Performance of 2010
Jonsi at the Vogue.
Massive Attack at the Malkin Bowl (gig of the year for me).
Arcade Fire at Pacific Coliseum.
Broken Social Scene at the Commodore.
Grinderman at the Commodore.
Gorillaz at Rogers Arena.

Albums I Got To Too Late For My AOTY List
The Radio Dept. – Clinging To A Scheme (def. would have made the list)
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (maybe)
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – III/IV (unlikely)

Albums For Whatever Reason I Never Heard But Will Fix Soon
Caribou – Swim
School Of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desire

My Top 25 Albums of 2010
25. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
24. Gareth Liddiard – Strange Tourist
23. Goldfrapp – Head First
22. The Black Angels – Phosphene Dream
21. Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid
20. Neil Young – Le Noise
19. Die! Die! Die! – Form
18. The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
17. Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart
16. Underworld – Barking
15. Manic Street Preachers – Postcards From A Young Man
14. Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
13. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
12. Jonsi – Go
11. Owen Pallett – Heartland
10. Spoon – Transference
09. Wolf Parade – Expo 86
08. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
07. Four Tet – There Is Love In You
06. Grinderman – Grinderman 2
05. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
04. Liars – Sisterworld
03. Massive Attack – Heligoland
02. The National – High Violet
01. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Amazing Reissues/Soundtracks/Comedy That Filled Out 2010
John Lennon – Every reissued album
Bruce Springsteen – The Promise
Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos
David Bowie – Station To Station
The White Stripes – Under Great White Northern Lights
Clint Mansell – Black Swan OST
Daft Punk – Tron: Legacy OST
Jonny Greenwood – Norwegian Wood OST
Aziz Ansari – Intimate Moments For A Sensual Evening

Biggest Disappointments of 2010
LCD Soundsystem’s This Is Happening being so incredibly uneven. Pretty much anything Sufjan Stevens did. No Radiohead record. M.I.A. The Blonde Redhead record. Belle & Sebastian phoning in an album.

Bands I’d Like To Stop Hearing About Now
Girls
Wavves
Best Coast (don’t mind them so much I suppose but enough already)

A Record I Enjoyed More Than I Thought I Would
The Chemical Brothers – Further

Great Films of 2010
Black Swan and Inception. And Black Swan and Inception. The Town was pretty cool too.

Awesome Fun Times Of 2010
Those Olympics we hosted here in Vancouver. This city has never been a more fun place to be. And then we beat the Americans in overtime. From a Canadian/Vancouverite’s standpoint – The Perfect Olympics.

Onwards to 2011.