2010 End Of Year Review - Top 10 Albums.

The final installment of BobbySix.com's Review of the Year features the main event - the Top 10 Albums of 2010: 

Choosing BobbySix.com's album of the year was a tough run thing in 2010. It fell between two strong front-runners: Laura Marling and These New Puritans. For a long time, TNP were in the lead but Marling's album proved to be a real grower - even taking into account the fact that she seems to wander into an Irish accent at regular intervals. And, besides, we couldn't be seen to agree with NME, who handed the number one spot to the band from Southend. So Laura Marling (pictured above, in concert in Sydney) wins. The fact that she has only just turned 20 is, frankly, unbelievable.

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2010

1. I Speak Because I Can - LAURA MARLING
"A dark, serious, yet breathtakingly elegant album. Her delivery is slow and her delicate, beautiful poetry has developed yet further. Like Emily Brontë with an acoustic guitar, she gives an almost unbearable sense of sorrow and yearning... " (full review...)

2. Hidden - THESE NEW PURITANS
"These New Puritans haven't so much changed direction as ripped up the whole road. This isn't half-arsed, sloppy experimentation either. Hidden is as precisely executed as it is ambitious. If you thought they were little more than indie also-rans, think again." (full review...)
 
3. The Memory Machine - JULIA STONE

"Anyone who assumes The Memory Machine to be a collection of songs that were thrown away when they were cutting the last Angus & Julia Stone record is a million miles from the truth. Rather, this lovingly-crafted, poetic and absolutely beautiful record represents Julia Stone’s best work to date." (full review...)

4. Let The Hard Times Roll - DAVID FORD
Eastbourne's David Ford returns with his best record so far. Panic, Call To Arms, Hurricane and To Hell With The World show just how Ford can mix pessimism and optimism and create something truly romantic in a world gone to shit.

5. We Are Born - SIA 
"Probably her best solo record to date, the slickly produced and downright fun We Are Born is the sound of Sia really letting loose. Stand-out track, the disco-pop You’ve Changed, sums up the vivacity of the album as a whole. On it, Sia sings, 'You’ve changed/For the better.' Indeed." (full review...)

6. Dark Night of the Soul - DANGER MOUSE AND SPARKLEHORSE
"In bringing down the curtain on Mark Linkous’ own tragedy, the wonderful and poignant Dark Night… adds to a Sparklehorse legacy that perfectly illustrates the beauty and fragility of life. In Linkous’ passing, the world is a poorer place." (full review...)

7. The Suburbs - ARCADE FIRE
A mixture of classic kitchen-sink throwing and really perky melodies from the one of the greatest bands in the world right now.

8. Serotonin - MYSTERY JETS

"While its big-hitting songs don’t better the singles that Twenty One boasted, Serotonin is the band’s most well-rounded offering to date and bursts with guts, heart and honesty." (full review...)

9. Body Talk Part 1 - ROBYN
"With the eight songs clocking in at half-an-hour yet still managing to seamlessly travel in so many directions, Body Talk Pt 1 is quite the achievement and really whets the appetite for parts two and three." (full review...)

10 Erland And The Carnival - ERLAND AND THE CARNIVAL
"Quintessentially English in its sound, the psych-freak folk of Erland and The Carnival is a weird and wonderful treat, and potentially one of the best debuts from a UK band this year." (full review...)

Angus & Julia Stone and The Temper Trap win big at the ARIA Awards

Sometimes, you just have to blow your own trumpet. I've been championing Sydney's Angus & Julia Stone and Melbourne's The Temper Trap for years now, so I was extra delighted that they came good at Sunday's ARIA Awards in Australia. The Stones picked up Album of the Year and Single of the Year, while The Temper Trap won Best Group and Most Popular Australian Single. Congratulations go out to them from their long term friends and fans and BobbySix.com.

Also, congrats to Sia, who deservedly won Best Independent Release. Here's the rundown of the big night's winners:

Album of the year
Angus and Julia Stone - Down the Way

Single of the year
Angus and Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane

Best Female artist
Megan Washington

Best male artist
Dan Sultan

Best group
Temper Trap

Breakthrough artist
Megan Washington - I Believe You Liar

Best independent release
Sia - We Are Born

Most popular Australian single
Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

Most popular Australian album
Powderfinger - Golden Rule

Most popular Australian artist
Powderfinger

Most popular international artist
Mumford & Sons

For the comprehensive list of winners that were announced in the preceding week, go here.

ARIA Award Nominations

The ARIA Award 2010 nominations were announced last week (for the English readers amongst you - the ARIAs are kinda the Australian version of The Brits), with Angus & Julia Stone, Sia, Bird of Tokyo, The Temper Trap (pictured, above) and Tame Impala featuring featuring heavily across the categories. If I were a betting man, which I am, I'd put money on Sia and Angus & Julia to win big.

Winners of the major categories will be announced on November 7th at the Sydney Opera House. Tickets for the event are available through Ticketek. Here is an overview of the nominations:

Album of the Year
(I think this one will be between Angus & Julia Stone and Sia)

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo
Sia - We Are Born
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Washington - I Believe You Liar

Single of the Year
(A tough call. Big Jet Plane has made it onto movie soundtracks while Clap Your Hands is a belting tune. And Washington seems to be able to do no wrong at the moment).

Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane
Birds of Tokyo - Plans
Sia - Clap Your Hands
The Temper Trap - Love Lost
Washington - How To Tame Lions

Best Female Artist
(Sia or Washington will win this one. Probably Sia)

Clare Bowditch - Modern Day Addiction
Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite
Lisa Mitchell - Oh! Hark!
Sia - We Are Born
Washington - I Believe You Liar

Best Male Artist
(Yawn. next...)

Dan Kelly - Dan Kelly's Dream
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
John Butler - April Uprising
Paul Dempsey - Fast Friends

Best Group
(This one could be any of the five ways. Maybe Temper Trap or Angus & Julia)

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo
Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
The Temper Trap - Love Lost

Best Independent Release
(As long as it isn't Art vs Science, I'l be happy enough)

Art vs Science - Magic Fountain
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush to Relax
John Butler Trio - April Uprising
Sia - We Are Born

Best Adult Alternative Album
(Angus & Julia? Hopefully)

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Basement Birds - Basement Birds (Basement Birds)
Clare Bowditch - Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)
The Cat Empire - Cinema (EMI)
Washington - I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)
Whitley - Go Forth, Find Mammoth (Dew Process/Universal Music)

Best Dance Release
(Dunno. Don't care)

Art vs Science - Magic Fountain
Miami Horror - Sometimes
Midnight Juggernauts - The Crystal Axis
Pendulum - Immersion
Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup - We No Speak Americano

Best Pop Release
(Should be Bluejuice. Won't be Bluejuice)

Bluejuice - Head of the Hawk
Empire of the Sun - Half Mast
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite
Sia - We Are Born

Best Rock Album
(Tough one to call, this. Cloud Control or Tame Impala would be nice.)

Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo
Cloud Control - Bliss Release
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush to Relax
Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

Breakthrough Artist
(Washington, probably)

Amy Meredith - Restless
Cloud Control - Bliss Release
Philadelphia Grand Jury - Hope is for Hopers
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Washington - I Believe You Liar

2010 ARIA AWARD PUBLIC VOTED NOMINEES

Most Popular Australia Album
(Don't trust the public to have decent taste. Guy Sebastian might sneak it.)

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
Jimmy Barnes - The Rhythm and the Blues
John Butler Trio - April Uprising
Kate Miller-Heidke - Curiouser
Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Stan Walker - Introducing
The Temper Trap - Conditions
Vanessa Amorosi - Hazardous

Most Popular Australian Single
(a pretty weak field here. Temper Trap should win as there's is the best song, but they won't. If Brian McFadden wins, it will act as proof that there is no justice in the world)

Brian McFadden - Just Say So
Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
Guy Sebastian - Art of Love (featuring Jordin Sparks)
Kate Miller-Heidke - The Last Day on Earth
Stan Walker - Black Box
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
Vanessa Amorosi - This is Who I am
Vanessa Amorosi - Mr. Mysterious
Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup- We Speak No Americano

Most Popular International Artist
(take your pick from this shitty selection).

Beyonce
Black Eyed Peas (Really?)
David Guetta
Eminem (Is he still going?)
Jason Derulo
Katy Perry (Could be the winner here)
Ke$ha
Lady Gaga (Yawn)
Michael Buble
Mumford & Sons (Even more popular here than they are in the UK)
Owl City
Rod Stewart
Susan Boyle (Yeah, I know...)
Taylor Swift
Train (Jesus Christ... Train?)

There are also loads of other categories that no-one really cares about. Check back in at the start of November and we'll see just how much I got wrong.

Jagermeister Independent Music Awards nominations announced

Nominations for the fifth annual Jagermeister Independent Music Awards - which used to be known as the Jagermeister AIR Awards - were officially announced this week, and they include a stellar array of the Australia's brightest emerging talent.

Leading the pack with three Nominations each are Sia, Dan Sultan and Cloud Control. Also receiving a nomination for the coveted Best Independent Album is the late Australian music legend Rowland S Howard.

Little Red, British India and Eddie Current Suppression Ring also received nominations and, having been championed by BobbySix.com from the word go, Bridezilla (pictured above) and The Temper Trap are up for awards too.

Sia - We Are Born

Sia Furler’s fifth studio album sees her continuing the steady move away from the blissed-out space ballads she has become renowned for ever since her Zero 7 days. In fact, more so than ever, We Are Born sees her instead grabbing upbeat electro-pop by the scruff of the neck. In its creation, she has enlisted the help of some experienced hit-makers, including Dan Carey, who has worked with the likes of Franz Ferdinand and La Roux. Meanwhile, Greg Kurstin, who has sprinkled his magic over the songs of Lily Allen and Ke$ha, was the producer.

We Are Born heralds its intentions from the get go. After a Roisin Murphy-esque opener, the next three tracks positively bounce their way out of the speakers. Clap Your Hands has such infectious effervescence that it’s pretty hard not to be carried along with its euphoria, and Stop Trying combines a perky bass-line with the kind of life-affirming lyrics that are all over this record. “We like you,” Sia beams. “This is a game already won.”

Her cover of Madonna’s Oh Father is great, and Be Good To Me really shows off her powerful vocal. While pensive moments like these offer a pace change, for the most part, the Adelaide-born singer is in an irrepressible mood. Probably her best solo record to date, the slickly produced and downright fun We Are Born is the sound of Sia really letting loose. Stand-out track, the disco-pop You’ve Changed, sums up the vivacity of the album as a whole. On it, Sia sings, “You’ve changed/For the better.” Indeed.

Review by Rob Townsend.