Top Thirty 7″ Records of 2010 (part 2)

Today we continue our coverage of the top thirty 7″ records of 2010. Please enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Just in case you missed Part 1 of the countdown, you can check it out right here. This covers records #30 to 16. We just don’t want any of you missing anything ;).

(As you know, we’ve covered a ton of music this year. Now comes the time at the end of the year when we take a look back at all of the things that stood out the most. For the first of the “End of the Year” lists here at the Styrofoam Drone, we’re going to strictly look at 7″ records. Throughout the year we’ve covered most of our music on 7″ format, so this should definitely be interesting to see how it all turns out. Although interesting, this was not an easy task and it took awhile to compile this list and then put it in a reasonable order. So let’s continue on with the second part of our list…)

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15.)
tooth ache. – Skin 7″
Label: Father/ Daughter Records
B-side:
Self-described as “downer-pop”, Miss Alexandria Hall definitely wasn’t pulling our legs. The morbid darkness of these two gems somehow only work their way under your skin. The acetic B-side is delicious and grueling, and it only makes you want to bob your head along to the beat.

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14.)
Woven Bones – I’ve Gotta Get 7″
Label: Hardly Art
A-side:
Heavily scuzzy in a mutated kind of way, Woven Bones were going for gold on this single. The ground-shaking guitar rips while the drums crush everything in sight, leaving you wondering what the hell just happened. Andy Bones also has one of the funniest Twitter accounts out there.

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13.)
Jacuzzi Boys – Bricks or Coconuts 7″
Label: Mexican Summer
B-side:
Jacuzzi Boys sound like they love having fun. This release is no exception. Just may be some of the best and most authentic garage rock you can find out there right now. Just listen to “Freakazoids” above and we’ll soon be on the same page.

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12.)
Crystal Stilts – Shake the Shackles 7″
Label: Slumberland Records
A-side:
After remaining silent for awhile, Crystal Stilts suddenly came back this year with a stunning single. The two songs here give us the best look at their full-length to come in 2011. With a brooding tone and moody vocals, 2011 is looking great for the Stilts.

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11.)
Wheels on Fire – Cherry Bomb 7″ EP
Label: Kind Turkey Records
A-side:
Four tracks of seriously awesome blues-influenced garage jams. Smart and witty lyrics about love and women will only make you want to listen more, probably because it’s so easy to relate to. Not sure what these guys are up to for 2011, but keep an eye out for them.

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10.)
Panda Bear – Tomboy 7″
Label: Paw Tracks
A-side:
The first of four 7″ singles from this AnCo godhead meant whatever label was selling them resulted in immediate sell outs and thick wallets. Of the three that were released during 2010, this one stood out the most – including glitchy dub-pop break beats and resonating electronics that are just too difficult to ignore. This goes without saying, but look out for Panda Bear in 2011. His presence should be huge.

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09.)
Pure Ecstasy – Easy 7″
Label: Light Lodge
B-side:
Warm and fuzzy with an undying anxious feel, Pure Ecstasy are definitely included on the underdogs list of 2010 – perhaps even topping it off. These songs are drowned in endless layers of grainy reverb, as they both have a calmed and relaxed vibe. Spin this 7″ and let your worries melt away into nothing.

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08.)
Weed Hounds – Beach Bummed 7″
Label: Iron Pier
A-side:
Laura Catalano and her gorgeous voice are like the total opposite of the mysterious darkened vibes that come through in parts of these Weed Hounds songs. Two totally different songs make this 7″ an interesting listen, but if “Beach Bummed” doesn’t strike a soft spot on you, you’ve probably been reading the wrong blog all year. Healing but yet still somewhat haunting, look out for Weed Hounds in 2011.

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07.)
Sleep ∞ Over – Outer Limits 7″
Label: Forest Family Records
A-side:
As soon as this stuff came out, people were already sure it was one of the best of the year. The songs barely get their feet wet in the ever-growing pool of chillwave, but not to any ridiculous extent. This 7″ sold out lightning fast thanks to the gospel-like, ethereal feel of the songs and the unsettling feminine pop charm. At this point we can only hope to hear something similar from these girls come 2011.

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06.)
Dead Ghosts – That Old Feeling 7″
Label: Goodbye Boozy Records
A-side:
It was a great year for Vancouver’s Dead Ghosts – a live 12″ on Psychic Lunch, a smoking hot full-length from Florida’s Dying, and then there’s this 7″. “That Old Feeling” becomes an instant classic, and that twangy guitar hook is pretty much responsible for it all. Don’t get too lost in that intoxicating sea of noise either, you might never find your way out. Already proven to be a premier garage rock band, Dead Ghosts seem like they have a ton more up their sleeve for us.

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05.)
Fungi Girls – Turquoise Hotel 7″
Label: Hozac Records
B-side:
These Texas boys might still be in high school (are they?), but damn did they create a hell of a single here. Two totally dynamic songs that sound like two completely different styles of music fill out both sides of the single. Bluesy guitar shuffles and spastic guitar freak outs characterize this Fungi Girls release, bringing me to say this may be one of the most consistent bands from all of 2010.

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04.)
Total Slacker – Crystal Necklace 7″
Label: Impose Records
A-side:
Stop worrying about the dudes bowl cut for a second and pay attention to the music. Now do you realize how fucking awesome it is? Nobody else made a garage-psych record that was this fierce all year. Two absolutely mind-melting tracks with a raging psychedelic approach and a childish spirit make this, by far, a standout single.

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03.)
Heavy Times – No Plans 7″
Label: Hozac Records
A-side:
This 7″ didn’t come out too long ago, but as far as we’re concerned, it’s nearly perfect. You can spin this thing time and time again and it just won’t get old. Heavy Times didn’t waste any effort fluffing this music up with fancy production or things of that sort, and we commend them for their awesome minimalist approach. As we pointed out in the review, there’s no rules in Heavy Times world, and there’s no room bullshit either. Just pick up your instrument and rock the fuck out, and we’ll be happy.

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02.)
The Franks – Duh 7″
Label: Hit City USA
A-side:
The Franks sound comes through your speakers and hits any listener like a ton of bricks. They play music with mainly garage-rock principles, but it’s their own punky freestyle twist that comes into the mix that gets things so heated. Lead singer Jean Don’t sings with an unmatched energy as honestly as possible, at times sounding extremely hateful and self-depreciating. But don’t let that confuse you. He still manages, however, to keep that fun Franks vibe attached to the nasty things he says, whether it’s simply loading up a gun with ammo, or calling himself a crook. As he obnoxiously wails away into his microphone, you should notice that his words are increasingly entertaining, to the point where this becomes the best record to sing along with on this entire list. We’re not exactly sure what the Franks are up to these days, but it’s probably hilarious and we definitely think you should keep your eyes peeled for them in 2011.

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01.)
Mind Spiders – Mind Spiders 7″
Label: Dirtnap Records
A-side:
The fact that Mind Spiders is the moniker for just one dude is kind of jaw-dropping. The fact that these four songs were created on a four track (?) in a bedroom somewhere, is still kind of jaw-dropping. Mark Ryan needs to teach a class to the rest of those “bedroom bands” out there, because he’s making music in circles around them all. He has the smarts and the integrity to make it happen, and he damn well did. We didn’t hear much other than this 7″ from Mind Spiders this year, but come this January from Dirtnap we’re definitely going to have more from this energetic garage-punk mastermind.

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Thanks for a great year in music, but we’re still not done! After Christmas expect a “Best of” EP list and LP list. And once again, in case you missed the first half of this 7-inch countdown, here’s the first part > Top 30 (part 1). And if you’re still a little bored before the holiday festivities begin, you can check out this list of the coolest album arts from the year in music of 2010.