In the fifth and final poll for the Best Breakthrough Band of 2010, readers overwhelming selected Los Angeles lo-fi surf rock pop trio Best Coast with 42% of 520 votes. The band was started by songwriter and front woman Bethany Cosentino (formerly of Pocahaunted) and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. After going through a couple different drummers, the duo officially signed on former Vivian Girls member Ali Koehler as drummer.
After a couple of successful EPs in 2009, Best Coast released their debut LP, Crazy For You, in July 2010, and it quickly became a hit, so much so that the album even peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Top 200. The LP was released on the indie record label, Mexican Summer. Apparently, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) are fans of Best Coast. Here are some of our favorite Best Coast tracks, but first here is the band’s newest track that was recorded with Wavves and released last month and included in our new Christmas Songs playlist.
“I Got Something For You” – Wavves & Best Coast – Nov. 2010
“Boyfriend” – Best Coast from Crazy For You
“Sun Was High (So Was I)” – Best Coast from s/t single, 2009
At a distant second place is the one-man chillwave star, Twin Shadow (12%), followed by Horse Feathers (10%) in third place. Even though Best Coast are such a huge new breakout band of 2010, we’re surprised that such huge new talents like Cloud Nothings and Twin Sister only registered 6% of votes apiece to round our the Top 5.
We have to say that for this latest poll, it was expected that Best Coast would take the top spot – we just didn’t realize it would be with such a steep landslide. Then again, Best Coast have been selling out shows from coast to coast, and packing in crowds at music festivals as well as garnering approval from their contemporaries, the mainstream press, bloggers, and most importantly, fans. Can’t wait to our fingers on the next Best Coast release – you can bet you’ll hear about it first on IRC.
Twin Shadow Does The Drums and Hooray for the Earth
Nowadays in the indie music mixers world the name George Lewis Jr. might not be immediately recognizable, but when follow-up and say he is the man behind Twin Shadow, most indie followers know who that is. Not only did he place No. 2 to Best Cost in this latest poll, he also did a recent remix of Hooray for the Earth’s “A Place We Like” and The Drums’ “Me And The Moon.” Twin Shadow’s terrific debut, Forget, is one of the best debut’s of the year.
“A Place We Like”- Twin Shadow with Hooray for the Earth vs. The Drums
“Slow” – Twin Shadow from Forget
“Thistled Spring” – Horse Feathers from Thistled Spring
Bonus: “Drain You” (Nirvana) – Horse Feathers
“Even If It Worked Out” – Cloud Nothings
“All Around and Away We Go” – Twin Sisters from Color For Life
“Vendela Vida” – Dinosaur Feathers from Fantasy Memorial
Stay tuned for the final poll. We’re going to take the top two voted bands for each of the five polls to create a Top 10 poll in which all of you will decide the Top 10 Break-Through Bands of 2010. Take a look at the previous four polls, containing dozens of the best new bands and best new songs of 2010.
Poll One Winners: Local Natives and Surfer Blood.
Poll Two Winners: The Drums and Freelance Whales.
Poll Three Winners: Broken Bells and Two Door Cinema Club.
Poll Four Winners: Bikini and Beach Fossils.
Poll Five Winners (this one): Best Coast and Horse Feathers.