Welp, 2010 is coming to a close. One of my favorites parts about the end of the year is when all the big sites get their Best of the year lists posted! Normally I keep the list of my favorite albums of the year on my Rate Your Music profile. But, I haven’t really been keeping that site updated like I should.
Overall I’d say it was a pretty solid year for music. It’s tough to top 2009 as there were SO many great releases. I do think that I’ve missed the boat on a few albums from this year that I still have yet to listen to – but based on what I did listen to here are my favorite albums of 2010!
10. Contra – Vampire Weekend

I started out the year really hating on this album. I debated for a while whether or not it would make the list. I was never a huge fan of Vampire Weekend, but “Giving Up the Gun” is a great song and it really opened me up to them and this album in particular. I still think “Holiday” is somewhat unbearable, but Contra‘s a super fun album.
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9. American Slang – The Gaslight Anthem

American Slang was one of the more anticipated albums for me this year. I had very high expectations and was a little bit disappointed after the first few listens. It doesn’t quite stack up to their sophomore album, ’59 Sound, but I did thoroughly enjoy it. Mr. Fallon also showed off a little more vocal range on some of these songs that I thought was pretty impressive. The breakthrough, though, came while I was walking through Chelsea listening to “Queen of Lower Chelsea.” Hehe.
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8. Expo 86 – Wolf Parade

This came out of nowhere. I hadn’t listened to Wolf Parade a day in my life and I got invited to go to a show of theirs this past July at Terminal 5. Needless to say I was thoroughly impressed with their live show and went home and immediately downloaded their discography. I found myself listening to this album a lot more than I thought I would. “What Did My Lover Say” was definitely one of my jams this year!
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7. Illuminations – Josh Groban

I’ve been a Josh Groban fan from Day 1. No matter how drastically my musical tastes change over the years, his voice will always remain a wonder to me. As a baritone myself, he gives me hope that there is a chance for us lower voices! I thought Illuminations was a really great transition for him. Everyone knows that he’s got a booming baritone that can move mountains, but with this album we get to see a little bit of his softer side. “L’Ora Dell’Addio” blows me away every time I listen to it.
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6. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

Never thought I’d see the day that Kanye West would make a yearly list of my personal favorite albums. Though I’ve always thought he was extremely talented, I absolutely depise his arrogance and virtually everything about him that is extramusical. For some reason though, this album really stood out to me more so than any of his others. I heard “Dark Fantasy” at the gym one day and it gave me chills upon first listen. Love him or hate him, I can’t deny that he makes great music. That’s all there is to it. Kanye knows how to sample unlike any other. As one of the smarter hip hop artists, he is amazing at borrowing from various musical places and creating something that is truly inspiring.
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5. This Is Happening – LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a newcomer to my music library this year. I downloaded their discography and started listening to them in anticipation of possibly seeing them at Bonnaroo. As much as I like dancing, I was never really into electronic/dance music to any great extent. Between this album and the sudden urge to get down, I’ve definitely opened up to it a lot more! I’ve danced to “Drunk Girls” alone in my bedroom on way too many occasions this year. Not to mention I’m huge fan of the album cover as well.
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4. Sea of Cowards – The Dead Weather

If you’ve visited my blog before then it’s no secret I’m a huge Jack White fan. He could probably fart on the mic and I’d shake my head like , “Okay, Jack!” However, of his side projects the Dead Weather is definitely my favorite. He and Allison Mosshart are so awesome when they’re trading vocals back and forth. For their sophomore album, they’re rocked a little harder this time around and I couldn’t be happier with the product. The Dead Weather was one of the highlights for me at Bonnaroo this year so I have a lot of memories with these songs!
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3. Brothers – The Black Keys

This album really took the Black Keys to the next level. They BLEW UP this year and I couldn’t think of a band who deserves it more. This album is drenched with soul and is the epitome of great rock music. I remember hearing “Tighten Up” for the first time on 101.9 RXP and as soon as the breakdown kicked in toward the end of the song, I knew that Brothers was going to be a tour de force. That song still remains one of my favorite (if not my favorite) songs of 2010. I’m lucky enough that I was able to see them perform at Bonnaroo as well – of course it was an intense dancefest.
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2. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire

This album took me so many places emotionally. It’s like Arcade Fire took everything that I loved about their first two albums, and expanded on it to make this monster of record. From start to finish it’s absolutely beautiful. This was one of those albums that I devoured and literally took in every aspect as if it were an integral part of my existence. There are a myriad of intricacies and musical subtleties that keep me coming back for more. With each listen I hear something new.
One of the reasons I gravitate toward this band so strongly is their ability to take a song, allow it to really pull you in one direction, and then completely shift gears to bring about an entirely new set of emotions that just push you over the edge. “Suburban War” is a great example of this. The ABA section could very well stand alone as it’s own song, but then the C section kicks in with those pounding drums and it takes you higher than you ever thought possible. This is probably my favorite musical moment on any album of 2010. Arcade Fire are Indie Rock’s darlings and the band that snobs like to let everyone know they love. However, their music really resonates with everyone as they’ve nabbed a few Grammy nomations and even got themselves a number 1 album! So there’s no denying by anyone that this album is the real deal!
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1. High Violet – The National

When I think of the year in music, I immdiately think of The National’s High Violet. This album was my everything in 2010. A year and a half ago if you would’ve asked me who The National was, I probably would’ve rolled my eyes and said, “It’s the Nationals with an “s”, and it’s a baseball team. Duh.” But, I can’t tell you how quickly the National have become one of the most important bands in my collection. High Violet has everything a great album should – beautiful accompaniment, stimulative lyrics, lasting impressionability, dynamics, and intoxicating vocals. Once again, I’m repping the lower voices as hard as I possible can! There aren’t many of them really making an impact on music today, sadly!
Matt Berninger’s deep croon effectively delivers lyrics that will make you uncomfortable, make you scratch your head, and pull at your heart strings. Lyrics like “I was afraid I’d eat your brains” are so uncomfortably beautifully that they have no choice but to get stuck in your head and haunt your dreams. I can’t get enough of the orchestral instruments that have sort of become a defining characteristic of The National’s music. During the last few choruses of one of my personal favorite songs, “Runaway” you can faintly hear the trombone and trumpet soaring above while Matt’s weeping this brilliant chorus; it’s enough beauty to bring a tear to anyone’s eye. The dynamic between his lower vocals and high intensity accompaniment on songs like “Terrible Love” also make for a unique and amazing listening experience. Even with it’s mostly somber tone, this album can rightfully take it’s place as one of my favorites of all time.
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Honorable Mention
Blue Sky Noise – Circa Survive
“Get Out” is a staple in my running playlist. And, Circa put on one of the best lives shows I’ve seen EVER at Bonnaroo this past year.
Treats – Sleigh Bells
I was actually introduced to Sleigh Bells by my girlfriend. We typically don’t pay attention to what each other are listening to but I was shocked that she was into them when she played them in the car one day. They’re not something I’d listen to every day but their debut album was definitely worth mentioning.
Come Around Sundown - Kings of Leon
I wasn’t really expecting much from this album. Other than a few songs, I wasn’t into their previous album, Only By the Night, nearly as much as I was its predecessors. Yet, I still found myself listening to this album on occasion. I think the lead singer (Caleb) has a FANTASTIC voice so even though the songs are kind of whatever, he’s still really great to listen.
Infinite Arms – Band of Horses
I got into this album kind of late in the year. I actually really liek this album, I just think it didn’t have enough time to click like some of the aforementioned releases did. If I would’ve given it a few more spins it may have actually made my top 10.