Some DiS stats and the 10 most read things of 2010.
Just done a stats update for PR world so thought I’d share them here too for anyone who’s curious. And if anyone has access to Hitwise to get an updated version of the above UK music websites chart, that’d be really helpful.
On average, Drowned in Sound is getting just shy of half a million unique visitors per month and just over 2.5million page views per month. We had a total of 8.7mil visits in 2010 from 4.03mil unique users. Last year we had 31.7million pageviews. 61.8% of our visitors were from the UK and 16% were from the USA, 2% from Canada and Australia, closely followed by Ireland, Germany, France, Spain…
The 10 most read things of 2010 were:
1) Thread: for the second year running, the “Top 5 Dubstep songs” thread (we’re really high in google for everything Dubstep, after our special 10 Years of… Dubstep week last year)
2) List: our 2010 albums of the year list
3) Thread: the witch house thread (as featured in Guardian and various blogs)
4) Interview: Trent Reznor: why Facebook sucks
5) 8/10 Review: Arcade Fire Suburbs
6) 9/10 Review: The National High Violet
7) List: Dubstep mixtape
8) Thread: James Blake which started back in July ‘09
9) List: 10 worst album covers of the 00s
10) List: 2009 albums of the year
via seaninsound
Mega-news from the Blur camp - hopefully more than just another single for Record Store day:
“So yes, this year I would say something is definitely going to happen. Quite when, I don’t know, and quite what I don’t know— but yes, we’re all back together again and great mates.”
Blur drummer Dave Rowntree talks to Gigwise about the band’s vague-but-promising plans for 2011. (via pitchfork)
via pitchfork
Today’s charity shop bargain was ‘Echo Dek’ a dub remix of Primal Scream’s 1997 Vanishing Point album.
As expected it’s brooding, dark and most of the action happens in the lower range. Luckily, for a remix album that’s over a decade old, it doesn’t sound too dated – although some samples, such as the repeating doorbell ring feel a bit out of place these days. Unless you’re feeling exceptionally zoned out, the highlights are the more textured areas, particularly when the vocals or touches of saxophone come in, rather than the spacey rhythmic sections.
Well worth exploring, regardless of whether you listen with preconceptions of Primal Scream – this doesn’t really sound anything like their usual fare.
Albums of 2010
Dear Year-2000 me, you know you were really cynical about the whole album thing - making Mini Disc’s of the best tunes downloaded from Napster, thinking “In the future. There Will Be No Albums”. Here’s my top ten albums of the year.
10. The National – High Violet
While lacking the anthemic bombast of ‘Alligator’ and the atmosphere of ‘Boxer’, The National’s fifth album excels in its variety - from Terrible Love’s noisy conclusion through to the whispered-intimacy of ‘Vanderlye’. See also: Deerhunter’s Halcyon Digest.
9. Twin Shadow – Forget
A delightfully playful debut album from Brooklyn’s Twin Shadow. Full of imagination, variety and bags of melody.
8. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening.
We expected the perfect production, we expected the vocals and we expected the beats. What must be given credit on LCD’s third and apparently final album is the well-crafted songs and the way that his band of DFA all-stars recreated the album live.
7. Oneohtrix Point Never – Returnal
OPN and Emeralds soundtracked the quieter hours of 2010.
6. Darkstar – North
The perfect winter album. Falling somewhere between an 80s pop album and slow-paced post-Dilla hip-hop, this is the album that Massive Attack should have made to follow up Mezzanine.
5. Mount Kimbie – Crooks and Lovers.
Repeat listens of Crooks and Lovers resulted in the understated, little sketches of melody bubbling up to the surface. A complete joy.
4. Sleigh Bells – Treats
With a lack of guitar heroes bothering my iPod, Sleigh Bells are exactly what this year needed. Ridiculously loud, silly, brash and very pop.
3. Forest Swords – Dagger Paths
A consuming and brooding treat for the ears. Forest Sword’s debut release is a record so considered and focussed that it could only be the work of one artist, where every sound is important and weaves to create the whole piece.
2. Caribou – Swim
This follow up to the sunshine-pop of Andorra was an unexpected joy. One of those truly great electronic albums that sound equally good on the couch, in the club, or played by Caribou’s full-live band.
1. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
This was the defining album of 2010, Cosmogramma - the moment that FlyLo stepped far away from the Dilla template that he followed on ‘Los Angeles’ and made a completely nuts, banger of an album - a real journey, and the best hip-hop/psychedelic/jazz album released in years.
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-12-19) 
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-12-12)
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My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-12-5)
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My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-11-28)
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My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-11-21)
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My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-11-14)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
