10.25.2010 | 8:00 am

2010 Bands You Can Ignore: An Exhaustive List

Year-end lists are coming up — we’ll probably see the first ones the first week of December, if not earlier, which is fucking crazy — so here’s a handy-dandy guide on 2010 bands you don’t have to listen to before making yours. Important note: Inclusion on this list doesn’t mean a band is bad, or even mediocre. It just means they’re not special, no matter what their mothers told them. One note on 2010 buzz bands: Nearly all of these groups sound either 1) Not as good as Boat Club 2) Not as good as Cut Copy 3) Not as good as the Walkmen 4) Not as good as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. In case you’re looking for bands you might actually want to listen to beyond next week. See the full list after the jump.

Update: Deep thoughts on why and how I chose to make this list here.

Zola Jesus
Twin Shadow
How To Dress Well
M.I.A.
Sun Airway
Sun Araw
Suuns
Teengirl Fantasy
Teen Daze
Teen Inc.
Gayngs
Braids
Prince Rama
S. Carey
Glasser
PS I Love You
Wavves
ceo
Julian Lynch
LCD Soundsystem
The Tallest Man On Earth
Fang Island
Titus Andronicus
Gonjasufi
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Lower Dens
Cold Cave
The Drums
Active Child
Foals
Dom
The Golden Filter
Surfer Blood
Yeasayer
Any band with anyone who used to be in Vivian Girls; also, Vivian Girls
Tanlines
Free Energy
Broken Bells
Class Actress

Who’d I miss?

More posts about: 2010, Bands You Can Ignore

  • lachlan b. machlan

    spot on

  • Matt

    Amazingly I only disagree with like two or three. Nice job! Would also love to see a grouped list with a paragraph for each one section. You know, like “you can skip Class Actress, Twin Shadow and so and so because of _____”

    -Matt Picasso

  • http://twitter.com/seaninsound Sean Adams

    Not rong with a lot of these but do quite likes the Teengirl Fantasy record, at sunset, on cold London afternoon. And I have a cushioned soft spot anything James Mercer and at first was disappointed but have grown to love the Broken Bells lp, especially The Mall & Misery. New Foals record has its moments and Free Energy love is probably the opposite of anglophilia but agree with pretty much the rest. Next time, explanations, plz.

  • http://twitter.com/seaninsound Sean Adams

    p.s. Prince Rama, wtf is that all about? It put it on and didn't even notice it was on. Witch-chills-dave.

  • http://sunsetintherearview.com Lydia

    Disagree with a good number. Going down the list I'll pick out the obvious standouts. How To Dress Well, Gayngs, The Tallest Man On Earth, Free Energy, Broken Bells.

    -Lydia, Sunset in the Rearview
    http://sunsetintherearview.com

  • http://twitter.com/michaeltkach Michael Tkach

    How is it possible to prefer The Soft Pack over Surfer Blood? And I believe you missed Avi Buffalo and Vampire Weekend. Of course, there are a few that don't belong here, but LCD deserves to be.

  • http://twitter.com/michaeltkach Michael Tkach

    How to Dress Well definitely deserves to be here. Lastly, nice props to the Walkmen. Saw them again the other day; such a terrific band.

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    Avi Buffalo is a top 10 album this year. V-Dubs have at least one serious jam (“Cousins”) on that album.

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    But the old Foals record is so much better!

  • jake

    dismissing a band because they don't live up to the reputation of [insert sonic standard-bearer] is myopic enough — there's room enough within a subgenre for worthy imitators, unless you're really that lazy and elitist. but the fact that you've compiled this list as a way to rile people up and “start a conversation” (e.g. fuel blog traffic with tabloid-worthy journalistic tactics) is just kinda embarrassing.

    that said, yeah. Surfer Blood are obnoxious as hell.

  • http://twitter.com/michaeltkach Michael Tkach

    Compared to many of these bands, I wouldn't mind seeing Avi on top ten lists. My concern was similar to one you often have: the couple times that I listened, I kept thinking that I'd rather listen to Built to Spill, but don't really feel them lately, either.

  • http://twitter.com/seaninsound Sean Adams

    the first few singles even better than that and they didn't make it onto the album. see also: http://hypem.com/#/track/513213/Foals+-+Hummer

    i do RLY like Spanish Sahara.

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    See, I hear them in the Beachwood Sparks/Byrds L.A. folk-rock tradition. And I love whiny vocals.

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    Of course there are. If these bands were “worthy,” they wouldn't be on the list.

  • dmg924

    No way dude!

  • http://girlvaughn.com girlvaughn

    Joanna Newsom would be top of my list.

  • http://sarahspy.tumblr.com sarahspy

    As usual I think you are approximately half right, and half totally insane, Dave-O

  • http://offrecordmusic.tumblr.com Johnny Cosmo

    I sort of think this is a bit of a silly thing to post, but I'm assuming it's all just a bit of a laugh. My thoughts are here: http://offrecordmusic.tumblr.com/post/1399235707

    Off Record

  • http://twitter.com/michaeltkach Michael Tkach

    Well, I might've changed my mind if I had been able to see Avi and Chad in NYC. Have you seen him? Spoke with Chris from Women and he remarked that Chad hates touring, has a family and mainly visits LA and NYC. Oh, and thanks for Warpaint!

  • Flapjackwhite

    Oh what utter bollocks! while the majority of that list i fully agree with Tallest Man On Earth doesnt belong anywhere near this list?

    Give me reasons why you think he deserves to be ignored? you gona post it you should be prepared to back it up.

  • Starkny

    I'm actually pretty OK with a lot of this list. Most have already been purged on my iPhone.

    -Matt

  • thesfcritic

    While I understand groups like Gayngs seem irrelevant after 2010, or even Charlotte Gainsburg–I'm not sure I agree with you. They were relevant because of their contributors (Beck/Bon Iver/Megafaun/Solid Gold) and because they were decent albums. Broken Bells for that matter–will stay relevant simply because of it's big name contributors. Maybe they're “not as good” as Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, but even that album might be forgotten in a year as lo-fi fades, no different than how people stopped caring about Fleet Foxes. Fleet who?

  • blah

    ducktails

  • http://chromewavesradio.com Chromewavesradio

    as much as i don't like these types of lists due to the ease of 'being a hater,' i must say that i agree with virtually the entire list (minus one MAYBE 2). a bad thing about music being so readily accessible online these days is that so much crap is also accessible. also, was that a nod for the walkmen?! i take it the new one has grown on you? kudos!

  • Kitt

    “Any band with anyone who used to be in Vivian Girls; also, Vivian Girls”

    I hope this means Best Coast. (?) Will be so happy when every figures out she's nothing but a pile of rehashed garbage.

    But, I do like Vivian Girls+Katy Goodman's side projects, so…meh.

  • Kay Randolph

    i suspect the line between this list and your “favorite songs of 2010″ will be precariously thin, in the large view

  • Dusten

    Best live show I've seen this year! And I've seen some pretty wonderful acts (ie. Sunset Rubdown, St. Vincent, The National, The Walkmen, and the xx)

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    Love Chad, saw him twice. I hear he hates touring, too — bummer.

  • D$

    Good for you. As odd an idea as it is, I find this extremely useful. Also, so I don't waste space, thanks for the Elliott Smith post. Rest in peace.

  • http://www.deadasdigital.tumblr.com/ DeadAsDigital

    Round and Round is the most over-hyped/over-rated single of 2010, as is Ariel Pink and his whole awful shtick.

  • http://www.nialler9.com Nialler9
  • http://www.coolthingsifind.com teeripp

    Pffft, this is just hilariously short-sighted… zero forward thinking. I guess if you throw enough darts at the board, then you're bound to satisfy everyone.

  • aj thunderfuck

    Booo to inflammatory hater lists only designed to garner traffic by pissing people off.

  • Craigertiger

    it's a cover.

  • Yks

    You might need a better pair of headphones if PS I Love You isn't doing it for you. Just a friendly suggestion.

  • Moonsovermyhammy

    Is this just a list of band's who wouldn't put you on the list this year cause your blog is irrelevant?

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    God forbid I ever have to see any of these bands live

  • keely.

    agree with you on most of these…a lot of these bands are so unoriginal.. however must agree to disagree about yeasayer (who are completely amazing) and braids, only because of “lemonade”

  • Jason

    Good post. Good followup in the reasoning post.

    People aren't negative enough about music. The adage “if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all” is bullshit with music. This isn't a case of cred or identity through jumping on a backlash bandwagon, or getting hits for a blog. It's about telling people what your thoughts are on music, plain and simple.

    I relate to people musically by what they hate as much as what they like.

    On another note, The Hype Machine needs a “dislike” button, right next to all of the hearts for blogs and songs.

  • Threat to Taste

    Just to pick up on Jason's comments below: I agree that there is value in talking negatively about music and that criticism about “telling people what your thoughts are on music.” That is what is so deeply unsatisfying and uncritical about this pointlessly arbitrary list from which no interesting and specific discussion can occur.

    Also, you may have missed the “deep thoughts” post where he says that it is about “cred” and about getting hits. Writing about music does not get anymore lazy and cynical than this.

    There is lots of useful, well intentioned criticism that is overall negative in tone. Jim Derogatis's book Kill Your Idols is a good example. I am not sure who writes Rawkblog but I can safely assume it's not Jim Derogatis. It might be my 13 year old cousin though.

    I never cared about this blog before clicking on a link to this article and very soon I'll be back to not caring, but in the meantime I am hoping whoever writes Rawkblog will reconsider being so cynical and unmotivated to write about something. It's not like this is the only blog that doesn't really justify it's own existence, but it would be nice if you strived a little harder to say something of value.

    Ah what do I care. I've been looking at the entries you made since this list, and you seem to like to give props to a ton of folk rock and insist on Eliot Smith's continued relevance. Why not keep your focus confined to this stuff and not embarrass yourself by making pointless lists of music that you don't even seem to know much about?

  • pip.

    Well done, this list manages to sum up pretty much everything I hate about the blog-fueled overhyped indie scene of today. Notwithstanding, you should probably give The Tallest Man On Earth another chance if you haven't already; he is an artist of extraordinary musicianship and in no way belongs anywhere near this list. “Love Is All” or “Like the Wheel” (from his latest album and EP respectively) are testimony to the genius of Kristian Mattson.

    Also, LCD Soundsystem may belong to a genre that is generally occupied with producing bullshit, but their own music transcends their peers by far. Although not quite as good as their second LP, “This Is Happening” doesn't deserve to be in the list above.

  • pip.

    Should be an “and” instead of “or” there.

  • Chachi749

    PS I LOVE YOU actually made a decent debut album with 'Meet Me At The Muster Station', all 10 songs are pretty solid.

  • Alex

    Was this really necessary?
    Readers can probably decide for themselves who is ‘ignorable’ or not.
    Hate gets you nowhere at the end of the day..