2010 The Albums - League of Their Own

This is probably our favorite superlative to give out at the end of each year. It is given to the artist who is the most forward thinking, open minded, revolutionary musician out there today. Their accomplishments in the past 12 months have either resurrected a sound, broke down walls and created new frontiers or have totally reinvented a genre all together. In the past winners have included:

2000- Radiohead - Kid A
2001- The Strokes - Is This It?
2002- NERD - In Search of...
2003- The White Stripes - Elephant
2004- The Killers - Hot Fuss
2005- The Mars Volta - Francis the Mute
2006- TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
2007- Kanye West - Graduation
2008- Santogold

2009 - Mastodon - Crack the Skye

....and now to add to the growing list of revolutionary acts, is a band who has bent the rules before and continues to bend them without breaking. A supergroup of sorts but in no means a gimmick, they happen to be the world's first animated band and even after being around for nearly a decade, they are still the world's only animated band. With their latest effort they have taken us on a musical odyssey to a world called, Plastic Beach. The recipient of the 2010 League of Their Own is:

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

A record that not only takes the listener on a journey but knows how to have fun in the process. Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett recruited some of the best in the business to guest on their latest, a slew of stars from all genres: The Fall's Mark E Smith, The Clash's Paul Siminon and Mick Jones, Bobby Womack, Snoop Dog, Mos Def, Lou Reed, Little Dragon and more. A beautifully crafted record of various styles, sounds and culture. This is by far the greatest achievement Gorillaz have ever done. Not to mention backed by a mind-blowing World Tour, Gorillaz owned 2010 and we are forever indebted to them for it.

Key Tracks: Empire Ants (feat. Little Dragon), Cloud of Unknowing (feat. Bobby Womack)