Contributor Picks: Album Of The Decade
by James A.D.
A lot happened in the 2010’s - Obama, Spiderman 3, and a bunch of other stuff you can read about somewhere else, try History.com or something because for our recap we just asked our contributors what their favorite record was this decade. What might seem like a simple question is actually quite loaded for people that live and breathe music, so you can be sure that each album on this list is worth listening to.
Check out our picks below & thank you for supporting us this decade - here’s to many more filled with great records, diy venue hangs, late nights, early mornings, doing what you want, and a whole lot of love. See you in the future, we love you all so much.
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
G Leonardo - Booking, Management
“Yeah Yeah Yeah’s album “Fever to Tell” was released in 2003, with a 15 year anniversary remastered reissue in 2018 with an additional 17 unheard demos and B-sides; for a punk album, this work aged into a classic staple. I spent the last fifteen years obsessing over every squeal, every guitar growl, and every breathless take; this album has taught me to respect art and to disregard limitation, to ferociously chase after my dreams, and to always dance the night away with unbridled joy.”
Warpaint - Warpaint
Frank Mojica - Photographer, Writer
“This album seems to conjure everything I love the most about music into a trippy, sensual feels overload. But really, of all the records I’ve ever heard, none have had as profound an impact as this one, so I’m biased. Nevertheless, let that be a testament to not only the album but also the power of music itself.
Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair
Adrian Vega Albela Osorio - Photographer
“When I was a sophomore in high school, I was just beginning to discover contemporary music, slowly and mostly by myself. One of the first records I ever bought myself was “Hair” by Ty Segall & White Fence. Both the artists’ names rang a bell and the artwork intrigued me so much, that I bought it for that reason alone.
It was unlike anything I had heard at the time and introduced me to so many sounds that profoundly changed my life. I listened to it constantly for years to follow, and it served as the opening of a rabbit hole of incredible music by the both artists’ and their respective musical family trees. I’ve been lucky to see a lot of them, including both Ty & White Fence individually multiple times.
Last year, they released a fantastic second collaborative record, and did a tour where they played is- and “Hair”- front to back. When I saw it myself, I felt like a kid again.”
No Cities To Love - Sleater Kinney
Jackie DeLeon - Filmmaker
“I know No Cities To Love is a controversial choice for hardcore SK fans because of how much more dance it sounds, but it’s still explosive as hell. When I wanna get angry and pumped I put Bury Our Friends on loop”
Travis Scott - Rodeo
Justin Cervantes - Writer, Editor
“The jumping point for Travis Scott’s career, and, in my opinion, the best example of artful creativity in a trap-esque album. Rodeo has multiple highs, such as the dark and moody “Impossible,” or the atmospheric closing of “Never Catch Me.” Meanwhile, there are very few lows across this record (ahem, the entirety of “Flying High”). The album still has a unique edge that’s aged throughout the decade well, and through its originality and boldness, it is one of the most memorable and deep records to come out this decade.”
CAMP - Childish Gambino
Skye Wingo - Photographer
“It made me so proud to be who I was, especially as a kid”
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
Taylor Lacayo - Photographer
“This album has always been on my list of the greatest. Every time I put it on it offers up something new.”
Rainbow Kitten Surprise - RKS
Anthony Bibian - Photographer
“Because every song is a hit and helped me get through a lot of stuff in a bad time in life.”
David Bowie - Blackstar
Noël Dombroski - Photographer
“Blackstar definitely is my pick for album of the decade. Bowie’s last word is both haunting and beautiful. In a decade full of ups and downs, Bowie gave us an album that braces us for change.”
Greta Van Fleet - From The Fires
Andrew Chorbi - Co Founder
“My favorite album of the last decade has to go to From The Fires by Greta Van Fleet. I got to see this band live and instantly fell in love with their sound! I found them online with this being the the only album out at the time. The sound sucked me in and has had me listening to it over and over.
Dilly Dally - Heaven
James A. Duran - Founder
“For me, Dilly Dally’s Heaven is a dark and doomy trojan horse for a hopeful record filled with messages of positivity and self care and I’d like to think that we can all use a little more of that in our lives and in the art we enjoy. I can’t think of anything else that sounds like this album and it’s been on on repeat the entire year - It’s the only record I own on vinyl.”