For all you savvy observers, the description “best” was omitted from this year-end post. Why, you ask? Well, for several reasons: a) who the hell am I to say so and so's album was better than so and so; and b) I'm not a jukebox; I simply don't listen to enough albums a year to know whom to accurately give that title to. Furthermore, the ever-expanding field of opinions and critics makes me gag, so I'll pass. Since the bulk of my day is spent discovering, sorting, and devouring music in general, I do have a few things to share at this year's end. Here is a tight list of albums/ mixtapes/ LP’s/ videos and such I couldn’t stop playing this year. In no particular order, here are my favorite musical things of 2010:
 
1) Matthew Dear – Black City (Ghostly)
2) Aloe Blacc – Good Things (Stones Throw)
3) Quantic – Dog With a Rope (Tru Thoughts)

4) Toro Y Moi - Causers of This (Carpark Records)
5) Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here (XL Recordings)
6) Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)  (Universal Motown)
7) Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy  (Roc-A-Fella Records)
8) First Aid Kit - The Big Black & The Blue (Wichita   Recordings/Jagadamba Records)
9) Tame Impala - Innerspeaker - (Modular Recordings)
10) Yeasayer - Odd Blood (Secretly Canadian & Mute Records)
11) Dale Ernhardt Jr - Horse Power EP (Quite Scientific Records)
12) Ninja Tune XX Box  - Ninja Tune Comp

Coachella, Coachella, Coachella. Figure if I say it enough times it’ll eventually get old but it never does. Every year it comes around the same time and every year I get equally as excited, like I'm some sort of frat boy exploring his inaugurate freedom. The thought of a mini vacay alone sounds appeasing to me; it's high time for celebration. Take that, social eruption and enough music to runneth my cup a gazillion times over, and I’m there. I’d clone myself if I could to double my pleasure, that’s just how I feel about it. We're skimming the surface here -- we haven’t even gotten to the line-up yet; the line-up this year is the cherry on top. Wanna talk goodness: It could be just another plain dusty ol’ donut or it could be a sumptuous, glistening glazed donut, but it’s still a donut, still edible, still sweet. This year it’s a mammoth jelly filled, chocolate glazed donut with sprinkles and powdered sugar on top. I’m geeked, your mom’s geeked, everybody’s geeked, it's one big geek feast. Yaaa for Coachella's line-up 2010! Bummer side note: I might not be going... don't wish to bore you with the details really, will just say 'keep you posted for now'. Ah, pooh.
 
None the matter, I'm still just stuck on stupid over the cast of characters this year. Since the beginning of the year I’ve been on this new kick: “new beginnings, first times,” taking the leap into the unknown whenever I feel so inclined. So far it's working out nicely for me, took my first trip to Thailand (awesome), twisted my thumb for the first time while trying to ride a motorbike for the first time, got my arm pits waxed for the first time (never again) and I also dyed my hair for the first time—since high school—but the color didn’t hold, so you can’t tell, no one notices. Cut the mumbo jumbo and you get whatever goes, that’s my plan for Coachella: whatever goes—if I go. No game plan, just roaming fields. Too many good acts; Gil Scott Heron could be playing in one tent, Grace Jones could be performing in the next tent, then pop one tent over to catch the end of 2 Many DJ’s set and then and then and then... Just putting it on destination: cruise control. I’ll spare you the farcical dissertation on the art of music and cut straight to my short list…Part 1: