Top 20 Albums of 2010
1. The Suburbs- Arcade Fire: Not only the best of 2010 but easily one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard. Top Tracks: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), The Suburbs, Rococo, City With No Children
2. Sea of Cowards- Dead Weather: Only surpassed by Consolers of the Lonely as the best side project album by Jack White. Top Tracks: Blue Blood Blues, Old Mary, Hustle & Cuss, Die By The Drop
3. Contra- Vampire Weekend: retained the groups original sound while going in exciting new directions (MIA sample.) Top Tracks: Diplomat’s Son, Taxi Cab, White Sky, Holiday
4. Foxy Shazam- Foxy Shazam: THERE SURE ARE A LOT OF DOGS OUT THIS EVENING! Top Tracks: Intro/Bombs Away, Oh Lord, The Only Way To My Heart…, Count Me Out, (The bonus track, Some Kind of Love, would be included but is not because it’s a bonus track.)
5. Broken Bells- Broken Bells: The Mouse meets The Mercer. Seeing that I’m a fan of both this was an obvious selection. Top Tracks: The High Road, The Ghost Inside, Mongrel Heart, Sailing To Nowhere
6. The Monitor- Titus Andronicus: The best concept album since Hissing Fauna. It’s basically Springsteen goes punk with phenomenal results. Top Tracks: A More Perfect Union, Theme From “Cheers”, To Old Friend And New, A Pot In Which to Piss
7. Crazy For You- Best Coast: Really surprising that I’d rank an album containing lyrics with such shallow subject matter as smoking enough weed to make your cat talk. I guess my recent love for surf rock throwback is getting the best of me though. times change but Snacks always remains. Top Tracks: Bratty B, Summer Mood, I Want To, The End
8. Congratulations- MGMT: This ain’t no Kids 2.0. Perhaps as an attempt to weed out the die hard fans from the casual listeners. They don’t have the psychedelic chops as other contemporaries but until The Flaming Lips get back to the studio, it will have to do. Top Tracks: Flash Delirium, Siberian Breaks, It’s Working, I Found A Whistle
9. Plastic Beach- Gorillaz: Demon Days was the first album I got into once I discovered life outside of the Billboard charts. I had no intention to get the third but Bobby Womack’s screaming showed me the light. Highly engaging listen. Top Tracks: To Binge, Some Kind of Nature, Stylo, Plastic Beach
10. Age of Adz- Sufjan Stevens: I miss the banjo as much as the next guy but a track like Impossible Soul makes realize that old Sufy is pretty good with his synths. Top Tracks: Impossible Soul, I Walked, Futile Devices, Vesuvius
11. Fortress- Miniature Tigers: Maybe surpassing the first album with their move to Brooklyn. Sounds a little too much like a dry hump of Animal Collective at times but overall succeeds as a very fun and sometimes brilliant record. Top Tracks: Egyptian Rose, Goldskull, Mansions of Misery, Coyote Enchantment
12. Write About Love- Belle and Sebastian: True masters of indie pop and easily the best group out of Scottland in recent memory. Top Tracks: Come On Sister, Write About Love, I Can See Your Future, Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John
13. Treats- Sleigh Bells: Oh God. Maybe the only truly unique item on the list. Seriously never heard anything like it. With metal guitars and at times MIA inspired vocals a true TREAT. Top Tracks: Rill Rill, Kids, Crown On The Ground, A/B Machines
14. Hippies- Harlem: True straight up rock. Third Man should have had their eye on this band. Top Tracks: Cloud Pleaser, Be Your Baby, Friendly Ghost, Someday Soon
15. The Lady Killer- Cee-Lo Green: Most soulful ride of the year. Mr. “10.0” should take note of what true black music should sound like. Top Tracks: It’s Okay, Fuck You, Cry Baby, Satisfied
16. False Priest- of Montreal: Not up to of Montreal standard but if Georgie Fruit is making an appearance there is no way Kevin won’t be charting. And contains one of my favourite oM songs. Top Tracks: Coquet Coquette, Girl Named Hello, Sex Karma, Enemy Gene
17. The ArchAndroid Suites II & III- Janelle Monae: another fascinating concept, this one based off of the film Metropolis. A genre sprawling, screaming mess. Top Tracks: Tight Rope, Come Alive, Miss The Bus, Faster
18. Volume 2- She & Him: <3 Zooey <3 Top Tracks: Thieves, In The Sun, Lingering Still, Ridin’ In My Car
19. Teen Dream- Beach House Top Tracks: Walk In The Park, Silver Soul
20. Brothers- The Black Keys Top Tracks: Everlasting Light, Sinister Kid, Howlin’ for YouÂ
There it is folks! Crucify me!
