Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Five)

Spoon - Transference


Best Tracks: "Written in Reverse," "I Saw the Light," "Got Nuffin"

A surprisingly underrated new album from Spoon. This one really flew under the radar for whatever reason, which is strange because it's just as good as any previous Spoon albums. It's a bit more stripped down and less ambitious than their previous album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but it's still a good listen. (Original Grade: B+)

The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt


Best Tracks: "The Drying of the Lawns," "Kids on the Run"

The Dylan-esque Tallest Man on Earth's sophomore release isn't quite as good as his first one; maybe the striking resemblance is wearing off. That being said, he's still one of the few folk musicians today doing anything interesting or new. Well relatively new. He does sound like old school Dylan a lot, but he's at least writing interesting new songs that sound like what Dylan of old would be doing today if he was transported through time. He may be forever plagued by that comparison, but there's a greater emotional depth and songwriting skill that just puts these songs above the trend of lazy folk songs released by contemporaries these days. The Tallest Man on Earth is at least the tallest man in folk, figuratively speaking. The Wild Hunt shows that again. (Original Grade: B)

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor


Best Tracks: "A Pot in Which to Piss," "To Old Friends and New"

Titus Andronicus is a superbly talented indie rock band that blends raw power with unparalleled ambition. On The Monitor, they almost get this formula down perfect, but there's one crucial flaw: the songs all run on far longer than they should. Granted, they're good songs, but some editing down would help them so much. They can write such great hooks that go unnoticed in such excessive running times. Call it overambition. Still, they're well on their way to being one of the important indie rock bands over the next decade. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Touche Amore / La Dispute - Searching for a Pulse / The Worth of the World


Best Tracks: "I'll Get My Just Deserve," "How I Feel"

Two of the greatest post-hardcore/screamo bands around today collaborating on four tracks for a split release was a big enough deal to begin with. But when you actually listen to it, you realize just how talented these two bands are as they come together and gel perfectly, putting out a set of their four best songs yet. Easily the split release of the year. (Original Grade: A+)

Touche Amore / Make Do and Mend - Smoke Signals and Hideaways / Hand Me Downs and Cobwebs


Best Tracks: "Hideaways," "Hand Me Downs"

Another great split from the Touche Amore camp, this time with post-hardcore band Make Do and Mend. Make Do and Mend plays a less heavy, more 90's post-hardcore by way of Fugazi style than Touche Amore, but the tracks flow essentially seamlessly here, with Touche Amore going hard and heavy as they usually do and Make Do and Mend upping the ante on their part to fit in. Touche Amore's half is great, but Make Do and Mend blows the listener away with their absolute best song yet, "Hand Me Downs." (Original Grade: B)

The Corin Tucker Band - 1,000 Years


Best Tracks: "1,000 Years," "Half a World Away," "Doubt"

Corin Tucker doesn't belt out her screams or rock as hard as she used to. She described this album as "mom rock" herself. Still, it's always an enjoyable thing to hear her making music and the album itself is pretty good. It might not be as hard as Sleater-Kinney, but the songwriting is there and it's fun. We're just glad to have her back making music again. (Original Grade: B)

Warpaint - The Fool


Best Tracks: "Undertow," "Shadows," "Composure"

What style Warpaint actually plays could be debated for a while, they play a unique blend of dream pop esque music that sets them apart from other bands right now. That's probably why they're gaining so much widespread notice. They're forging their own path and writing great songs while they're at it. They've been touring hard this year and gaining a widespread following. I'm pretty happy to see that happening as I've followed them for a while, since seeing them perform live. The album, in truth, doesn't match up to their exquisite live performances, but their songwriting is strong and well worth hearing. If you have the chance though, see them. They're amazing. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy


Best Tracks: "Dark Fantasy, "Gorgeous (Featuring Kid Cudi and Raekwon)," "Power," "Monster (Featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver)," "Runaway (Featuring Pusha T)," "Blame Game (Featuring John Legend)," "Lost in the World (Featuring Bon Iver)"

While I decided against rankings this year and I want all the albums on this list to be viewed somewhat equally, in that you should listen to each and every one of them, there is one album that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Kanye West's Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a masterpiece of pop music and is by far the greatest album to come out in 2010. This is not meant as a slight to any of the other amazing albums on this list, but this one is just the absolute best. Kanye stepped up his game once again and somehow managed to top himself where I didn't think he could. The most talented songwriter in mainstream music today. (Original Grade: A+)

Yeasayer - Odd Blood


Best Tracks: "Ambling Alp," "Madder Red," "O.N.E.," "Love Me Girl"

Yeasayer always had pop hooks, but they dealt in more psychedelic and indie territory on their first album, All Hour Cymbals. On Odd Blood, they fully embrace their art pop leanings, recalling weirdo 80's pop stars like Peter Gabriel. It works for the most part, with songs like "Ambling Alp" and "Madder Red" being some of the greatest of the year. There is a fair amount of filler or songs that are stuck in their old style a bit that don't catch on as much. Those songs are slightly disappointing, but the album holds together well enough to be a successful turn. (Original Grade: A-)

Neil Young - Le Noise


Best Tracks: "Love and War," "Hitchhiker," "Peaceful Valley Boulevard"

Neil Young makes a slight comeback after his slightly bad Fork in the Road in 2009. We know Neil can still produce great music and he does just that here, writing a set of stripped down guitar tracks that suit him very well. The production is raw and vintage and fits him perfectly. The only downside really is that he fucks up some of the songs with an awful echo effect on his voice. He doesn't need it, his voice still sounds beautiful. It just tends to get annoying. Other than that, it's Neil playing guitar and singing, what more can you ask for? (Original Grade: A)

[Ed. Note: So that should be it right? Well it was for most of the day, until I realized a glaring omission. Though this brings the list to fity-ONE great albums, I would be remiss in not mentioning it as it was definitely one of the best last year. How I managed to overlook it when compiling the top fifty, I don't know, but it's quite embarrassing and must be corrected.]

Wolf Parade - Expo 86


Best Tracks: "What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)," "Pobody's Nerfect"

The Canadian indie rock band's third album and their best in my opinion. It took them ages to get around to doing it with their numerous side projects and it got majorly overlooked, even by me apparently, but it stood as the most rocking album they had done yet and the best tribute to their influences and themselves. The band has seemingly broken up now, but they at least leave behind a wonderful discography. (Original Grade: A)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Four)

OFF! - First Four EPs


Best Tracks: "Poison City," "Now I'm Pissed," "Rat Trap"

Punk is dead, except for those few people that choose to keep it alive. OFF! is a supergroup of a bunch of old school punk guys that just want to make the music they love and they do it with complete style. This could have come out in 1980, but it came out in 2010 instead. Total retro album and for fans of this sort of thing, a true delight. (Original Grade: B)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Sepulcros de Miel


Best Tracks: "Part II," "Part III," "Part IV," "Part VIII"

Essentially a thirty minute jam, Sepulcros de Miel covers a range of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's usual styles. It's an effective encompassing of what he does and it's a hell of a listen. On this one, Omar is accompanied by his brother, drummer Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, bassist Juan Alderete, and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and frequent collaborator John Frusciante. A group of supremely talented musicians, it's amazing that they can simply jam for that long and still keep you entertained without any consistent musical themes throughout except for the synth loop that begins and ends the album. (Original Grade: B)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Cizaña de los Amores


Best Tracks: "No Hay Más Respuestas," "Victimas del Cielo," "Infiel Hasta la Muerte"

Like its spiritual predecessors, Xenophanes and Solar Gambling, Cizaña de los Amores focuses on concise, pop-structured songwriting less than jamming like Omar's usual fare. It's the kind of album that his fans had often wanted him to make and it turns out almost as well as the first two of its type. It lacks in the bombast of Xenophanes and the songs just aren't quite as good as Solar Gambling, but it's another fantastic release of this style. (Original Grade: B+)

The Saddest Landscape - You Will Not Survive


Best Tracks: "Eternity is Lost on the Dying," "Imperfect But Ours," "So Lightly Thrown"

The Saddest Landscape made their return after five years of hiatus this year and came back roaring with their first new material in that time, You Will Not Survive. Despite being a short album, it packs a massive punch to the gut, with seven explosive tracks. The Saddest Landscape is just getting started on their comeback with this album. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Sed Non Satiata - Sed Non Satiata


Best Tracks: "Les colonnes de soie," "Calle Jaen 23... ou l'antre de la bête"

The French screamo band's new self-titled release is a force to be reckoned with. While some songs run on a little bit long, they're all primo tracks. "Calle Jaen 23... ou l'antre de la bête" in particular is an instrumental with wailing, tortured guitars that reminds one of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour at times. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Screaming Females - Castle Talk


Best Tracks: "A New Kid," "Fall Asleep," "Ghost Solo"

Screaming Females frontwoman Marissa Paternoster proves once again that she's the queen of the epic riff on Castle Talk, their latest album. The more upbeat songs are fun punk rock to get down to while the slower songs remind one of Sleater-Kinney's indie riot grrrl days. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here


Best Tracks: "Your Soul and Mine," "I'll Take Care of You," "Where Did the Night Go," "Running"

Gil Scott-Heron's battles with drug addiction and illness come through his gravelly voice on I'm New Here, a dark blues album that casts the civil rights activist in a new light. It's a deeply personal album, but it shows no bitterness. I'm New Here makes it clear that Scott-Heron isn't going down without a fight. (Original Grade: A)

She & Him - Volume Two


Best Tracks: "Ridin' in My Car," "Gonna Get Along Without You Now," "I'm Gonna Make It Better," "Over It Over Again," "Brand New Shoes"

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's project together returns with a new album of old school style folk and country songs. It's a classicist approach to those genres and it seems like they would have been a good fit to play on The Porter Wagoner Show back in the day. In 2010, it's a nice listen for relaxation. (Original Grade: B)

sIngs - Hells


Best Tracks: "Panic Pig," "House," "You're"

sIngs makes heavily distorted, shoegaze sort of music that might remind one of My Bloody Valentine. They don't have very much upbeat material though, focusing mainly on depressing and pensive music, especially on songs like "House" which is mostly an acoustic song. This is their debut EP and it promises amazing things to come. They're already my favorite band in Houston. (Original Grade: A)

Snowing - I Could Do Whatever I Wanted If I Wanted


Best Tracks: "So I Shotgunned a Beer and Went Back to Bed," "Could Be Better Forever"

Snowing uses the classic 90's template of emo and runs with it. They're a truly classic leaning band, uninterested in following trends of today. That makes them somewhat unique in the current landscape and extremely enjoyable. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Three)

Heaven in Her Arms - Paraselene


Best Tracks: "Butterfly in Right Helicoid," "Veritas"

Heaven in Her Arms brings a heavy and epic screamo album. The Converge influence runs strong, with songs the longest songs on the album reminding one of Converge's greatest song, "Jane Doe." The reminder isn't a bad thing, as they take the influence and use it quite to their advantage. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Japandroids - No Singles


Best Tracks: "Sexual Aerosol," "Lucifer's Symphony," "Couture Suicide"

A compilation of the early EPs by Japandroids, it shows them in much rawer form. They still had amazing potential though and it's almost more enjoyable as you can hear them take risks. They're hungry here and it shows. You get the feeling they don't know or care whether this will appeal to anyone, they just want to kick ass. (Original Grade: B+)

Just Like Vinyl - Just Like Vinyl


Best Tracks: "The Circulatory System," "Death of the Sheep," "No Friend of Mine"

The Fall of Troy had gotten increasingly technical, pretentious, and undesirable to listen to. Shortly after the release of their fourth full-length album, the band called it quits and singer/guitarist/main songwriter Thomas Erak set out on his own with a new band. Just Like Vinyl is getting mixed reviews, but it's the best thing Erak has done in years, in my opinion. The bloated wankfests of the last Fall of Troy releases and uncomfortable indulgences are stripped away, giving Just Like Vinyl the feel of the classic version of Fall of Troy on their self-titled release and the subsequent Doppelganger. The songs are still technical, but far more accessible and they have great hooks to draw the listener in. Breaking up the Fall of Troy and forming this band turned out to be the best move Erak could possibly make. (Original Grade: B)

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks


Best Tracks: "Mourning in America," "Bottled in Cork," "Bartolomeo and the Buzzing of Bees," "Last Days"

Ted Leo's latest release trades in unpretentious rock music, leaning heavily on classic punk and classic rock. It's heavier and harder than his last one, 2007's Living with the Living. That album was overly ambitious, but The Brutalist Bricks is stripped down the basics of his sound. It's purely the essence of Ted Leo's music and it's one of his greatest albums yet for it. (Original Grade: A+)

LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening


Best Tracks: "Dance Yrself Clean," "You Wanted a Hit," "Pow Pow"

Another epic indie dance pop album from the master of it, LCD Soundsystem. While This is Happening isn't James Murphy's greatest work, it may have the greatest depth of any of his albums yet and it preserves the catchy intelligent danceability of previous releases. (Original Grade: A)

listenlisten - "dog"


Best Tracks: "Ears Are Hearing," "I Will Be Mean," "The Time We Almost Died"

The best work yet from listenlisten, it strips their sound down a little bit and is a great country folk album. The re-recordings of previous songs drag it down a bit, as they aren't quite as strong as the original recordings, having worse production, but the album as a whole is an excellent slice of acoustic music. (Original Grade: B)

Lizards Have Personalities - Snow of Kilimanjaro


Best Tracks: "In the Wake of a Dying Kite," "Upon a Scarlet Sunset," "For Once, Then, Something"

The latest EP from Lizards Have Personalities removes their second vocalist and goes harder and heavier than their first one. Their sound just keeps getting better and this is easily one of the best screamo releases this year. (Original Grade: B+)

Make Do and Mend - End Measured Mile


Best Tracks: "Ghostal," "Firewater"

Make Do and Mend's brand of post-hardcore is refreshing to hear, a throwback to older bands that played that style. They're not too heavy, but not too light. Their screamer is the old school punk style of screamer, yelling his ass off but clearly and with a little bit of melody to it. It also features a fantastic guest appearance from La Dispute's Jordan Dreyer. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Merchant Ships - For Cameron


Best Tracks: "Things Left in Last Year," "Sleep Patterns"

Just before breaking up, Merchant Ships put out their best and deepest EP yet. "Sleep Patterns" is their best song, a nearly acoustic spoken word track that has possibly the most depressing lyrics of all time. The rest of the EP rocks hard, but has superior and tighter songwriting than previous EPs. It's a shame they won't be refining their sound even more. (Original Grade: A)

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid


Best Tracks: "Cold War," "Tightrope," "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)"

Janelle Monae's wonderful debut is a mix of about a dozen different styles and the continuation of the perfection of pop music by OutKast. It's only right that she was discovered by OutKast's Big Boi because her brand of music is a direct sequel to their last release, encompassing just as many styles and doing them just as well as OutKast did on Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. She's one of the few promising new artists to come out recently. The ArchAndroid isn't perfect, it runs on a little bit too long, but it is one of the greatest pop albums in years and Monae's voice just soars. An excellent new talent. I'm going to admit a mistake here, I should have given this album an A upon release. My bad. (Original Grade: B)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Two)

[Ed. Note: The next ten...]

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest


Best Tracks: "Sailing," "He Would Have Laughed"

Deerhunter return with their greatest album yet. I will admit, I've never been a fan of Bradford Cox. I don't like Atlas Sound and I only like a few prior Deerhunter songs. But I will begrudgingly admit that Halcyon Digest is a great album. For once, Cox knocked it out of the park and you have to hand it to him. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Devo - Something for Everybody


Best Tracks: "Fresh," "What We Do," "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)"

Twenty years after their last album and around thirty years since they were a great band, Devo return with an album as strong as any they've ever done. It's simultaneously old school and modern, incorporating the sounds they've used since the 80's but without sounding dated in the slightest. The lead single is called "Fresh" and with good reason. If Devo were just debuting today, this album would no doubt have been a hit the likes of any of their previous ones. A truly fresh new start for Devo that was well received by most. (Original Grade: A-)

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis


Best Tracks: "Farewell, Mona Lisa," "Gold Teeth on a Bum," "Parasitic Twins"

The Dillinger Escape Plan just keep going, churning out great music year after year. They've changed a fair bit, but it's safe to say they're not getting any worse for the wear. I had the pleasure of seeing them do some of this live at Warped Tour this past year and they were easily the best band at the entire show. They took the stage by storm and promptly destroyed it and the new material held up just as well as the old. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea


Best Tracks: "2 Forms of Anger," "Slow Ice, Old Moon"

Aside from the little joke in my first post, I do like Eno's music. I just enjoy pop music more than atmospheric music. That being said, Eno can do pop like nobody's business when he feels like it (see David Bowie's Berlin albums and the Talking Heads). This is the atmospheric, electronic soundscape stuff he's more known for these days though. I can live with that. It's a very good album, highly enjoyable, easy to relax to and easy to get absorbed into. I don't like this genre much, but Eno is easily the best of all time at it. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Envy - Recitation


Best Tracks: "Pieces of the Moon I Weaved," "Light and Solitude," "0 and 1"

Envy's newest album isn't their strongest by my estimation, I still miss their harder edged sound of years past, but they continue to be a strong and influential band. Their current sound is much lighter and happier, but they can still get dark and heavy when they want and they prove that in certain areas of Recitation. While I don't consider it one of their best, Recitation is still a great album. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Fat Tony - RABDARGAB


Best Tracks: "Luv It Mayne (Featuring Murs and Bo. P)," "My Babe"

I personally feel like some of Fat Tony's prior mixtapes were superior, but that's just my personal opinion. RABDARGAB features a somewhat different sound, utilizing stranger beats, but Tony is still the best rapper in the Houston underground today and his debut album should by all rights be a hit. Go out and make it one, Houston. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Fucked Up - Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009


Best Tracks: "I Hate Summer," "Teenage Problems"

Fucked Up is a singles band to me. Their albums don't hold together so well, but they consistently release great singles, so this compilation is one of their strongest works to date. It's not exactly cohesive, but it does feature a lot of their best songs all in one place. A definite must-have for hardcore fans. (Original Grade: B)

Girls - Broken Dreams Club


Best Tracks: "Alright," "Carolina"

The songs on Broken Dreams Club are decidedly less catchy and fun than those on Girls' debut Album, but they have superior songwriting. Depending on your personal taste, you will find this EP to be a step up from their debut or a step down. Personally, I view it as a step down, being a pop fan, but the two are neck and neck. They both feature talented song craft and they show two sides of the same coin. Girls is one of the best new bands going right now and this really just goes to prove that even further. (Original Grade: B)

Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer


Best Tracks: "Bright Lights Bigger City," "Fuck You," "Bodies," "It's OK"

I have long maintained that the only good pop superstars today are Kanye West and Cee Lo Green and I stand by that. With his latest solo effort, and the first away from Gnarls Barkley in a little while, Cee Lo simply proves his effortless pop perfection. I can't name a single bad song on this album and it is easily one of my favorites of the year. His voice is in magnificent form and all these songs are amazing pop, soul, and R&B throwbacks. (Original Grade: A)

Grinderman - Grinderman 2


Best Tracks: "Heathen Child," "When My Baby Comes," "Evil"

Nick Cave is still kicking out the blues rock jams with Grinderman and we're all the better for it. The dark, fuzzed out, pub music is a treat for all, revealing the seedy, shady underbelly of rock music that's been drowned it in recent years for pop sheen. Grinderman essentially holds the same appeal as blues rock bands in the 70's did: they're dirty, dark, mysterious, perverted, dangerous, and captivating. (Original Grade: B)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part One)

[Ed. Note: I hate ranking, don't you? You always feel as though things should be higher and it's so hard to rank music objectively. I like Phil Collins more than Brian Eno, but objectively Eno makes superior music. How can I possibly rank the two of them against each other? So in lieu of ranking this year or my planned award show format, I'm simply going to list fifty great albums you should have heard and should still listen to if you haven't. No order, no ranking, no judging which is superior to the other. They're all great and need to be heard. Following is the first ten, which will be followed by ten more each day until we get to fifty.]

After the Burial - In Dreams


Best Tracks: "Your Troubles Will Cease and Fortune Will Smile Upon You," "Pendulum," "Bread Crumbs and White Stones," "To Carry You Away"

A new standard for the progressive death metal/djent genre coming in the form of the third album from Minnesota's After the Burial. (Original Grade: A)

Alexisonfire - iTunes Originals


Best Tracks: "You Burn First," "Waterwings (And Other Pool Side Fashion Faux Pas)," "This Could Be Anywhere in the World," "No Transitory"

Alexisonfire has never released an official live album, but this come close. A compilation of new live-in-the-studio records of old songs mixed with new songs from their Old Crows/Young Cardinals album, this is a must-hear for fans of the post-hardcore band looking for revitalizing of their classics. (Original Grade: C)

Alexisonfire - Dog's Blood


Best Tracks: "Dog's Blood," "Grey," "Vex"

The latest EP from Alexisonfire, seeing them turn to a more experimental side. It consists of four tracks, all killer, no filler, and a return to styles they haven't dabbled in for nearly ten years. A surprising and welcome return to form. (Original Grade: A+)

Astronautalis - DANCEHALLHORNSOUND!!!!


Best Tracks: "Do You Believe in Life After Thugs?," "Voicemail Freestyle: Mike Wiebe"

This new mixtape sees Astronautalis deconstructing indie hip-hop as a whole and turning it upside down. It's his strongest work in a while and the remixes seen here are sometimes even better than the originals. (Original Grade: B)

Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea


Best Tracks: "Closer," "Paper Dolls"

Corinne Bailey Rae's soft and sweet R&B can be extremely powerful and that's shown on her strong new album. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Max Bemis and the Painful Splits - Max Bemis and the Painful Splits


Best Tracks: "Assimilate All Bastards," "Do the Dohnk," "Piss on the Precedent"

On his first solo release, Say Anything frontman Max Bemis strips things down and writes some basic but highly enjoyable acoustic songs that leave nothing, including his immense songwriting talent, hidden from the listener. (Original Grade: A)

Black Francis - NonStopErotik


Best Tracks: "Lake of Sin," "Dead Man's Curve," "When I Go Down on You

The prolific Pixies frontman's latest album is a fun though slightly perverted diversion, proving his ability to write short catchy songs hasn't faded away after all these years. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Burzum - Belus


Best Tracks: "Belus' død," "Morgenrøde"

Varg Vikernes returns after a lengthy prison sentence with a new Burzum in the black metal style fans know and love from their early albums. It shows some growth and maturity while never betraying the Burzum sound. (Original Grade: B)

Calculator - These Roots Grow Deep...


Best Tracks: "Our Homes, Our Graves," "2012"

Fantastic compilation of previously released, previously unreleased, and brand new material from the California screamo band. Normally a release like this would come after a band's break-up, but thankfully Calculator are still around and kicking ass. This compilation proves it. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

City and Colour - Live at the Orange Lounge


Best Tracks: "What Makes a Man?," "Comin' Home," "Save Your Scissors"

A live album from Dallas Green of Alexisonfire's solo project featuring songs from his previous albums. Though there's nothing really new here, these are fantastic performances, with almost more of a haunting quality to them than the originals. Green's voice and guitar playing are beautiful and it features some of his best songs. (Original Grade: B)