Dynammy Award Winners

With the record industry's annual back-slapping session less than 24 hours away, its time to reveal the winners of the Dynammy Awards, my own highly subjective list of the very best music of 2010. If nothing else, I hope this list encourages a few people to check out these songs and albums so they can have something good to listen to while not watching the Grammys.


Song Of The Year: I Can Change - LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem walked away with Song Of The Year in the very first Dynammy Awards thanks to "Someone Great" and now James Murphy picks up a matching trophy thanks to a song I love for all the same reasons. With its insanely catchy, uptempo, old-school synthpop backbeat, its soaring, singalong melody, and its pathetically poignant lyrics, the overall effect is cathartic, bittersweet, and ultimately uplifting.

"I can change, I can change, I can change, if it helps you fall in love."

Runners Up: Awake My Soul - Mumford & Sons, Black Eyes - Shearwater


Album Of The Year: The Golden Archipelago - Shearwater

When I first put together the list of nominees I thought that LCD Soundsystem would be my likely choice with Mumford & Sons being their main competition. The Golden Archipelago was an album I threw in to round out the list to five along with The Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. Then one day I happened to listen to the album from beginning to end for the first time since it was originally released and I realized how many gems I'd overlooked beyond the first single, Black Eyes. I also tend to root for the underdog which probably factored into my decision since LCD Soundsystem finished near the top of virtually every year-end list I read and Mumford & Sons turned out to be a big seller while Shearwater continue to fly well under the radar. Also, there are a lot of other bands who sound like LCD Soundsystem or Mumford & Sons, yet artists like Shearwater are harder to find. Their epic, grandiose, progressive sound combined with vaguely Celtic motifs and powerhouse, dynamic drumming harkens back to Kate Bush or my beloved Big Country, plus I've always been a sucker for nautical imagery, which all adds up to a come from behind victory for Shearwater.

Runners Up: This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem, Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons



Best Sound Quality: This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

After picking up two trophies in the inaugural Dynammy Awards, LCD Soundsystem is now the most honoured artist in the not particularly long nor storied history of the Dynammy Awards. Electronic artists continue to dominate this category, and if you want to hear a great example of dynamics in action, check out the way the lead soars over the rest of the track near the end of All I Want, the exciting and irresistibly bouncy hooks of I Can Change, or the tension generated by the the ultra quiet, lengthy intro to Dance Yrself Clean.

Runners Up: Plastic Beach - Gorillaz, The Golden Archipelago - Shearwater

So those were my picks, but what about yours? Here are the results of the Listener's Choice Awards which, I'm happy to say, had more votes than in any previous year.

Listener's Choice Awards

Song Of The Year: I Can Change - LCD Soundsystem

A total of eight different songs received votes this year, and one wacky listener named Kurt even nominated Scissor Runner by Jenny And Johnny, a track that isn't even on the playlist! Tsk, tsk! In the end, the listeners chose the same song I did, so obviously I approve.

Album Of The Year: This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

This Is Happening received twice as many votes as the runners up, The Suburbs by Arcade Fire and Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons, so the listeners made their voices clear.

Best Sound Quality: Plastic Beach - Gorillaz

LCD Soundsystem is denied a clean sweep by a very clean-sounding album from the Gorillaz, although This Is Happening did finish tied for second place alongside Mumford & Sons in a category where all five nominees received votes.



That's it for this year, but I'll be back same time next year for what's already shaping up as a dog fight between The Decemberists and Iron & Wine. Will the forthcoming Steve Earle album have enough teeth to compete, and what other songs will come along to make things interesting? Stay tuned throughout the year to find out.