Looking at some “best of” lists this year, it seems as though some feel that 2010 hasn’t been spectacular for music. Personally, I feel that it has been a really strong year that yielded some albums that will be in my “favourites” section for years to come. I had a tough time, but here are my favourite 15 albums of 2010. I’m still a little iffy on the ordering, save for #1-3, and had difficulty narrowing it down to my top 15, so I’ve included honourable mentions at the bottom!
If you haven’t heard of Lourdes Hernandez aka Russian Red, it’s probably because she’s also fairly new in her hometown of Madrid, Spain. She only has one release to her name: 2008′s I Love Your Glasses. And honestly, I have no idea how I stumbled upon this gem of a singer-songwriter last year, but I’m glad I did. There’s something very distinct about her voice. If you’ve heard it once, it’s immediately recognizable. It might have to do with Hernandez’s accent or the quirky way she stretches and bends her voice. While Russian Red’s sound might not be to everyone’s liking (some mind find it a tad grating like Joanna Newsom’s voice), if she suits your tastes, you’ll love her.
I’ve been listening her new track, “Loving Strangers,” non-stop since I got my hands on it. It’s probably my favourite track of hers (I love its subtleties), and I think it’s on the soundtrack to Habitación En Roma (A Room In Rome).
A Mindful Earful is a sporadically updated Toronto-based music blog all about spreading music for the sake of music and no other reason. Features up-and-coming artists, concert and album reviews, as well as random musical musings.
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