Best 2010 gigs, albums, EP, songs, videos, portraits

So, we are 10 days before 2011. Many things happened this year! Originally, I didn't plan to make this blog a music blog, but a place where I can share things I enjoy, not only music...  so... a normal blog... Next year, I'll talk about non-music subjects... Like every other music blog, I had to make a list of my favorite bands and releases. When I checked the tops of other blogs and famous websites, it seems that they made tops of the same bands but in a different order, don't you think? That's what I didn't do, because they are so many other great bands which are huge for me and which deserve to be mentioned!! Please check out my favorite bands below in alphabetical order.

Last year... my favorite albums were:

Fairguson - Tales From The 47 Willows

Gaspard Royant - You Can Have Me (If You Want To) / EP

Generationals - Con Law

Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels

James Yuill - Turning Down Water For Air

Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependance

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

Maplewood - Yeti Boombox

My First Tooth - Margaret Yen

Noah and The Whale - The First Days of Spring

Revolver - Music For A While

Scott Orr - Ghost Party

The Boy Least Likely To - The Law Of The Playground

The Leisure Society - The Sleeper

The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules

Zee Avi - Zee Avi

2010 was incredible for me! I met so many people! What I enjoyed the most this year are indicated in bold, it depends of course on several details. HERE WE GO!

 

I went to... 59 gigs: (most of the reviews can be found on the blog)

16th January: SPLASH WAVE(FR) + LE FRANCAIS(FR) + THE LEISURE SOCIETY(UK) at Espace B

18th January: LOCAL NATIVES(US) live radio session at Black Session, Emission Lenoir

21th January: MY GIRLFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS(FR) + LAWRENCE ARABIA(NZ) + FANFARLO(UK) at La Maroquinerie

23rd January: ACE OUT(FR) + ELDIA(FR) at l'International

24th January: I COME FROM POP(FR) + OWEN PALLETT/FINAL FANTASY(CAN) at La Maroquinerie

26th January: GET WELL SOON(GER) at showcase Fnac

27th January: TRESORS(FR) + GOOD SHOES(UK) + CASIOKIDS(NOR) at Point Ephémère

3rd February: THE LEISURE SOCIETY(UK) live radio session at Le Fou Du Roi

3rd February: FAIRGUSON(FR) live radio session at Planet Claire

3rd February: Maxime Chamoux(FR)solo at Pop In

17th February: YOUNG MAN(US) + LOCAL NATIVES(US) at la Maroquinerie

21th February: TUNE YARDS[no video] + MUGISON(ICE) + MUMFORD & SONS(UK) at la Maroquinerie

23th Feb: GARCIAPHONE(FR) + BADEN BADEN(FR) at Scopitone

3rd March: THOS HENLEY(UK) + THUS:OWLS(SWE) + BROADCAST 2000(UK) at Flèche d’Or

10th March: JULIEN PRAS(FR) + THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH(SWE) at Scopitone

17th March: LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION(UK) at Truskel / Magic Sans Pile Session

19th March: THE GO FIND(BEL) + THE ALBUM LEAF(US) at Maroquinerie

24th March: YOU AND YOU(FR) + DAVID WALTERS(FR) + BEN L’ONCLE SOUL(FR) at Flèche d’Or

25th March: LITTLE BIG DJU(FR) + MINA TINDLE(FR) + COCOSUMA(FR) at Flèche d’Or

5th April: CHINATOWN(CAN) at la Loge

7th April: FIRST AID KIT(SWE) + LAURA MARLING(UK) at Flèche d’Or

12th April: INHABITANTS & COE(FR) + NOX FACTOR + TAKE + YOUNG MAN + FEU MACHIN at le Pixi

12th April: CHINATOWN at l’International

13th April: A SINGER MUST DIE(FR) + CANDY CLASH(FR) + FRIGHTENED RABBIT(UK) at Flèche d’Or

14th April: MARIE FLORE(FR) + GASPARD ROYANT(FR) at Gibert Musique

27th April: KURRAN & THE WOLFNOTES(UK) + LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION(UK) at Café de la Danse

29th April: THE CHAPIN SISTERS(US) + SHE & HIM(US) at Alhambra

6th May: SUMIE NAGANO(SWE) + HECTOR PROJECTOR(SWE) + MINOR SAILOR(FR) at Pop In

12th May: JOHN GRAPE(FR) + COLORBLIND(SWI) + THE MISERABLE RICH(UK) at Scopitone

15th May: YOUNG MAN(US) + 1973(FR) + OH NO ONO(DAN) + RAFALE(FR) at Flèche d’Or

26th May: THE LEISURE SOCIETY(UK) + MICAH P. HINSON(UK) at Flèche d’Or

27th May: ELDIA(FR) + WALLIS BIRD(IRE) + DR DOG(US) at Nouveau Casino

3rd June: SHOTGUN JIMMIE(CAN) + CONSTRUCTION & DESTRUCTION(CAN) + THE BURNING HELL(CAN) at Pop In

5th June: PLEASE DON’T BLAME MEXICO(FR) trio at l’International

6th June: LEIF VOLLEBEKK(CAN) + POKETT(FR) + JAROMIL(FR) at l’International

10th June: OH OTHELLO(UK) + EVERY MAN HAS YOUR VOICE(FR) + THOS HENLEY(UK) at la Machine du Moulin Rouge

16th June: CITIZEN HELENE(UK) + ALL IF(FR) at Pop In

29th June: VILLAGERS(IRE) showcase at Fargo Store

29th June: PEARLY GATE MUSIC(US) + VILLAGERS(IRE) + THE MIDDLE EAST(AUS) at Maroquinerie

8th July: CHRIS GARNEAU(US) showcase at Fargo Store

8th July: THE MORNING BENDERS(US) + KILL THE YOUNG(UK) at Nouveau Casino

19th July: CHRIS GARNEAU(US) + HOLLY MIRANDA(US) at Nouveau Casino

29th July: THE CORDELIER CLUB(UK) + BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT(UK) at The MacBeth, London

4th August: THE BLOW(US) + JENS LEKMAN(SWE) at Nouveau Casino

12th September: LAFAYETTE YOUNG(FR) + WILLO(SLO) + YUKON BLONDE(CAN) at l’International

18th September: WOODPIGEON(CAN) solo + YETI LANE(FR) + PLANTS & ANIMALS(CAN) at Flèche d’Or

21st September: LEIF VOLLEBEKK(CAN) + ORANGE WAY(FR), Apéro Vintage de Bordeaux at Bar de la Maroquinerie

22nd September: LEIF VOLLEBEKK(CAN) + TRUMAN PEYOTE(US) + MANY MANSIONS(US) at Espace B

8th October: HORSE FEATHERS(CAN) + OH NO ONO(DAN) + WILD PALMS(UK) + SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS ELTSIN(US) at Flèche d’Or

18th October: TOP TOP(FR) + DA BRASILIANS(FR) + MAGIC KIDS(US) at Point Ephémère

26th October: FRANCOIS & THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS(FR) + PETER BRODERICK(CAN) + FRENCH COWBOY(FR) at Flèche d’Or

30th October: LIBELUL(FR) + BEACH FOSSILS(US) + HAPPY BIRTHDAY(US) at Flèche d’Or

6th November: AGNES OBEL(DAN) + YOUNG MAN(US) + STORNOWAY(UK) at Boule Noire

8th November: SCOTT MATTHEWS(UK) + SISKIYOU(CAN) + RUBIK(FIN) at Maroquinerie

10th November: FAUSTINE SEILMAN(FR) + DARK DARK DARK(US) at Glazart

12th November: THE TWINS(FR) + KOWALSKI(IRE) + WILD NOTHING(US) at Espace B

19th November: FRANZ IS DEAD(FR) + FRANKIE & THE HEARTSTRINGS(UK) + THE WALKMEN(US) at Flèche d’Or

26th November: IDIOT GLEE(US) + JOHNNY FLYNN(UK) + TWIN SISTER(US) + THE NEW WINE(NOR) at Flèche d’Or

16th December: POKETT(FR) + SAM AMIDON(US) at Espace B

and to six awesome Oliver Peel Sessions:

29th Jan: OROUNI(FR) at Oliver Peel Sessions #15

27th Feb: SOPHIE RAMSAY(UK) + ROSE MELBERG + KELLARISSA(CAN) at Oliver Peel Session #18

27^th March: ANDI SKELLAM(UK) + THIS IS THE KIT(UK) + RACHAEL DADD(UK) + WHALEBONE POLLY(UK) at Oliver Peel Session #20

3^rd April: JUNE MADRONA(US) + MIA DOI TODD(US) at Oliver Peel Session #21

1^st October: THE MOUNTAINS & THE TREES(CAN) at Oliver Peel Session #29

7^th November: GREGORY & THE HAWK(US) + LES SHELLEYS(US) + SNAILHOUSE(CAN) at Oliver Peel Session #31

I'm listening again and again to these albums released in 2010:

Broadcast 2000 - Broadcast 2000

Casiokids - Topp Stemning På Lokal Bar

Chief - Modern Rituals

Chinatown - Cité d’Or

Chris Garneau - El Radio

Cloud Control - Bliss Release

David Choi - By My Side

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Delay Trees - Delay Trees

Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame

Efterklang - Modern Drift

Gregory & The Hawk - Leche
Jaill - That's How We Burn

Lawrence Arabia - Chant Darling

Left With Pictures - In Time

Leif Vollebekk - Inland

Lightspeed Champion - Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You

Owen Pallett - Heartland

Peasant - Shaddy Retreat

Peter Broderick - How They Are

Peter Broderick & Johan G. Winther - Re-Create Series Vol.1

Rubik - Dada Bandits

Sam Amidon - I See The Sign

Shugo Tokumaru - Port Entropy
Someone Still Loves You Boris Eltsin - Let It Sway

Speechwriters LLC - Mixtape 2010

Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill

The Album Leaf - A Chorus Of Storytellers

The Boy Who Trapped The Sun - Fireplace

The Go Find - Everybody Knows It’s Gonna Happen Only Not Tonight

The Morning Benders - Big Echo

The Mountains & The Trees - I Made It For You

Tigercats - Easter Island

Villagers - Becoming A Jackal

Yellow Ostrich - The Mistress

Young Man - Boy

Yukon Blonde - Yukon Blonde

Wild Nothing - Gemini

Zeus - Say Us

Again and again to these 2010 EPs:

Crayon Fields - Make Peace With Love

French Films - Golden Sea

Idiot Glee - Idiot Glee

Kowalski - Take Care, Take Flight

Matt Duncan - Beacon

Neufvoin - Fake Musket

On Volcano - New Blood

Paperfangs - ePop006

Please Don’t Blame Mexico - Protocol

Snailhouse - Monumental Moments

Squarehead - K9 Sessions

Sumie Nagano - Transit

Sun Kil Moon - I’ll Be There

The Best Friends with Wolves Club - ‘With You’ A Three Song

And also some notable 2010 releases:

Agnes Obel - Philharmonics
Beach Fossils - Beach Fossils
Dark Dark Dark - Bright Bright Bright EP
Dark Dark Horse - Centuries
Forest City Lovers - Carriage
Get Well Soon - Vexations
Heligoland - All Your Ships Are White
Her Name Is Calla - The Quiet Lamb
Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring
James Yuill - Movement In A Storm
Les Shelleys - Les Shelleys
Milk & Fruit Juice - I'm Cold Handed Cause I Have No Heart To Pump the Blood Through My Fingers
She & Him - Volume 2
Telekinesis - Dirty Things EP
The Miserable Rich - Of Flight and Fury
The Republic of Wolves - Varuna
This Is The Kit - Wriggle Out The Restless
Thos Henley - Live EP
Twin Sister - Color Your Life EP 

Favorite 2010 songs:

Agnes Obel - On Powdered Ground
Beach Fossils - Gathering
Big Wave Riders - Big Sound
Bright Light Bright Light( feat Del Marquis) - Cry At Films
Broadcast 2000 - I Hold My Breath
Bye Bye Bicycle - Northpole
Casiokids - Togens Hule
Chief - Breaking Walls
Chinatown - Bateau de Querelle
Chris Garneau - Hometown Girls
Cloud Control - My Fear #2
Crayon Fields - All The Pleasures of the World (Dan Block remix)
Dark Dark Dark - Wild Goose Chase
Dark Dark Horse - Mercury Nevada
David Choi - By My Side
Deerhunter - Revival
Delay Trees - Cassette 2012
Diving At Dawn - A Lot Like Love
Dr. Dog - Jackie Wants A Black Eye
Dry The River - Coast
Efterklang - Modern Drift
Forest City Lovers - If I Were A Tree
French Films - Dropout Jr
Generationals - Trust
Get Well Soon - Werner Herzog Gets Shot
Gregory & The Hawk - For The Best
Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring
Idiot Glee - Let’s Get Down Together
Jaill - Thank Us Later
James Yuill - On Your Own
Johan G. Winther (feat. Peter Broderick) - Pappa i Sverige
June Madrona - The Sea of Cortez
King Charles - Mr. Flick
Kowalski - Letters From the Height of Summer (Dear Bird)
Lawrence Arabia - I Smooked Too Much
Left With Pictures - Ropes
Leif Vollebekk - 1921
Les Shelleys - Rum and Coca Cola
Lightspeed Champion – Romart
Magic Kids - Summer
Matt Duncan - Beacon
Neufvoin - Who Told Soldiers?
Oh No Ono - Internet Warrior
On Volcano - The Explorer
Owen Pallett - Tryst With Mephistopheles
Paperfangs - Violet
Peasant - Thinking
Peter Broderick - Human Eyeballs on Toast
Rubik - Richard Branson’s Crash Landing
Sam Amidon - Pretty Fair Damsel
Satellite Stories - Helsinki Art Scene
She & Him - Sing
Shugo Tokumaru - Tracking Elevator
Snailhouse - Don’t Go Anywhere
Someone Still Loves You Boris Eltsin - Everlyn
Speechwriters LLC - Santa Monica
Squarehead - Cathy’s Clown (Everly Brothers cover)
Stornoway - The End of The Movie
Sumie Nagano - Så Du Kan
Sun Kil Moon - Natural Light
The Album Leaf - Stand Still
The Best Friends with Wolves Club - With You
The Boy Who Trapped The Sun - Home
The Go Find - Everybody Know It’s Gonna Happen Only Not Tonight
The Miserable Rich - Somerhill
The Morning Benders - Wet Cement
The Mountains & The Trees - Minimum Wage Lovers
The Travelling Band - Sundial
This Is The Kit - Waterproof
Thos Henley - Sweet Lime
Tigercats - Easter Island
Twin Sister - Lady Daydream
Villagers - That Day
Waves of The Echo - Boys in Debaser
Wild Nothing - Summer Holiday
Yellow Ostrich - Hahahaohhoho
Young Man - Strangers
Yukon Blonde - Kumiko Song
Zee Avi - Anchor Insufflation
Zeus - River By The Garden

Released in 2009, but discovered in 2010:

Delay Trees - Soft Construction EP
Fanfarlo - Reservoir
Fred i Son - En Pijama (Early Takes)
Hector Projector - The Ballpoint Covers
The Black Atlantic - Reverence for Fallen Trees
The Burning Hell - Baby
The Mountains & The Trees - Hop, Skip & A Jump EP

Others artists to follow in the next months and years, in addition to the ones mentioned above:
Al Lewis
Citizen Helene
Frankie & The Heartstrings
Ice Black Birds
Kurran and The Wolfnotes
Let’s Buy Happiness
Liam Bailey
Life in Film
Mina Tindle
Moddi
Please Don’t Blame Mexico
Post War Years
Pushing Hands
Rue Royale
Scott Orr
Sonny and The Sunsets
The Black Atlantic
The Boy Least Likely To
The Climbers
The Leisure Society
The New Wine
Tigers On Trains
Tom Williams and The Boat 
Trijaus

Best tools to discover artists:

Bandcamp
Blip.fm
Soundcloud
Spotify
Youtube ?
Vimeo ?

Best music websites/blogs constantly writing about excellent bands:

50 States Project
A Neg Narrative
Anh Phi / Des sonorités en tout genre

Brooklyn Vegan

Eardrums
Fensepost
Fistful of Awkward

First Lady Patate
Gigs in Paris
Hobbsy
Hooves On The Turf
I Guess I'm Floating

Impose Magazine

Indie Music Filter
Jba

Konzert Tagebuch

La Musique à Papa
Lolhiphop 
Minneapolis Fucking Rocks
Music Doesn't Exist In My Country
Our Life Is Not A Movie
Paste Magazine

Pomme de Pin

Robot Pigeon
Shot By Both Sides
Spirit of Ecstasy
Starsky
The Audioperv
The Line of Best Fit

The Klienicum

The Pigeon Post

Terrible Love Songs

You Ain't No Picasso
You Won't Get Out


And also blogs about design, DIY stuff and comics.
Thanks to other good blogs and websites who supported me! Sorry if you're not on that list!

Oh! I watch more sessions than anything else! Favorite sessions on:

3VOOR12

Amsterdam Acoustics
Arbutus Yarns
Bandstand Busking

Black Cab Sessions

Blogotheque

Daytrotter

Face Culture

Into The Woods
KEXP
Le Cargo
Le Hiboo

Manchester Scenewipe
NPR / Tiny Desk

Southern Souls

Stereotype Helsinki

The Fly Magazine

The Tripwire

They Shoot Music

Yours Truly

Watch Listen Tell

A few videos:

Stornoway - Zorbing (1st version)

The Ice Tray - cover of Excuses by The Morning Benders

Cloud Control - This Is What I Said

Villagers - That Day

And all his sessions he did this year! If you follow me well, they are all embed in a single post.

Left With Pictures - Ropes



The TV Theme Medley by Fredde Gredde


Johnny Flynn - Kentucky Pill


The master of making videos: the "Mystery Guitar Man"


Did I forget other good videos? Yes, for sure!

Moreover, you can't see it directly, but I feel honored to be followed by these bands on Twitter (Are they really following me? Who cares? Who knows?)

Arch Woodmann
Belone
Big Wave Riders
Bright Light Bright Light
Cars & Trains
Citizen Helene
Diane Birch
Fred i Son
French Films
Glorious Estefan
Heligoland
Jaill
King and The Thief
Life in Film
Milk & Fruit Juice
Mondrian
Octoberman
Paperfangs
Pero
Pocketbooks
Post War Years
Rob Cowen and The Dissidents
Chris/Showstar
Speechwriters LLC
Sydney Wayser
The Black Atlantic
The Cordelier Club
The Hardy Boys
The Miserable Rich
The Mountains & The Trees
The Travelling Band
Tom Brosseau
Uniform Motion
Yellow Ostrich

And...
Best. Artists. Ever:

HEY! See? They're all looking at you!!! Check out their songs and give them support!

-James Yuill(UK) in December 2009

-The Leisure Society(UK)
-James Milne from Lawrence Arabia(NZ)
-Simon Balthazar and Leon Beckenham from Fanfarlo(UK)
-Olivier Marguerit from My Girlfriend Is Better Than Yours(FR)
-Get Well Soon(GER)
-Ketil and Omar from Casiokids(NOR)
-Mlie and Orouni(FR)
-Thomas, Olaf and Jean-Christophe from Fairguson(FR)
-Buck and Shanti Curran from Arborea(US)
-Dave Olliffe(AUS) + Sandra Rossini(FR) + Frédéric D. Oberland(FR)
-Ryan Hahn and Taylor Rice from Local Natives(US)
-Merril Garbus/Tune Yards(US)
-Mugison(ICE)
-Country Winston from Mumford and Sons(UK)
-Sophie Ramsay(UK, Scotland)
-Kellarissa(CAN) and Rose Melberg
-Joe Steer from Broadcast 2000(UK)
-Lightspeed Champion(US)
-Ellekari (Larsson) Sander & Leo (Svensson) Sander from The Tiny(SWE)
-Dieter Sermeus and Peter Pask from The Go Find(BEL)
-Matthew Resovich, Jimmy LaValle and Gram LeBron from The Album Leaf(US)
-You and You(FR) (full band here)
-Kate Stables, Jesse D. Vernon, Mo and Rachael Dadd (UK)
-Sean Carson, Ross Cowman and Molly McDermott from June Madrona(US)
-Mia Doi Todd(US)
-Gabriel Rousseau, Julien Fargo, Pierre-Alain Faucon, Félix Dyotte, Toby Cayouette from Chinatown(CAN, Montreal)
-Young Man/Colin Caulfield(US)
-Kurran, Chris and Natalia from Kurran and The Wolfnotes(UK)
-Abigail Chapin from the Chapin Sisters(US)
-Sumie Nagano(SWE)
-Hector Projector(SWE)
-Maia Flore and Jérémy from Minor Sailor(FR/SWE)
-The Miserable Rich(UK)
-Shotgun Jimmie(CAN) + Construction and Destruction(CAN) + The Burning Hell(CAN)
-Leif Vollebekk(CAN)
-Citizen Helene(UK)
-Conor O'Brien/Villagers(IRE)
-Chris Garneau(US)
-The Morning Benders(US) (in 2 pictures)
-Rod Thomas / Bright Light Bright Light(UK)
-Yukon Blonde(CAN)
-Mark Hamilton from Woodpigeon(CAN)
-Jon Janes from The Mountains & The Trees(CAN)
-3 members of Horse Feathers(US)
-2 members of Someone Still Loves you Boris Yeltsin(US)
-Peter Broderick(US) and Tsukimono/Johan G. Winther(SWE)
-Kyle, Mike and Mike from Snailhouse(CAN)
-Marshall and Nona from Dark Dark Dark(US)
-Rob(staff), Louis, Tom and Paddy from Kowalski(IRE/UK) (The other Paddy was missing on this picture) 
-Jack Tatum from Wild Nothing(US)
-Frankie & The Heartstrings(UK)
-James Friley/Idiot Glee(US)
-Two members of The New Wine(NOR)
-Sam Amidon(US)

Of course, it wasn't possible to take pictures of every band. I also have to mention these nice people I met: Garciaphone, Pokett, Anssi Neuvonen from Rubik/Neufvoin, Angela Correa and Tom Brosseau from Les Shelleys, Meredith Godreau from Gregory & The Hawk. 

I don't know if I can continue to take portraits pictures, what the blog will look like in 2011, if I continue to write gigs reviews and introductions of bands in English, as I have the impression to write always the same lines. I wrote most of my posts in English, simply because most of you are non French visitors, according to my statistics. Friends on Twitter, friends in concerts, thanks again for your support and for following me! Thanks to bands and people who like my posts and interviews! By the way, I hope to meet some of you in the forthcoming year!

According to Google Analytics, top of visitors coming from:

1. France
2. Finland
3. The UK
4. The USA
5. Canada
6. Germany
7. Belgium
8. Australia
9. Spain 

10. Sweden

So, thank you!!! You have great music tastes! :) I really hope you discovered new bands here! 
Which artists did you discover on this blog? What do you like most on this blog? I'm not sure that you will answer me... Have happy and warm holidays! Take care! x