Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Top 10 albums of 2010.

A yearly tradition, here are my picks for my 10 favorite (not necessarily best) albums of the year. Also, feel free to comment on this or post your own top 10.

10.Plastic Beach-Gorillaz
Although not as strong as Demon Days, Gorillaz deliver a solid album here. And as always it's kind of strange. Songs to check out: Stylo, Superfast Jellyfish

9.American Ghetto-Portugal. The Man
Another great album from the Wasilla, Alaska (yes, Sarah Palin's home) based band. These guys put on an amazing live show, and they performed a generous amount of songs from this album (since it had just been released) back in March. Psychedelic and textured, every song seems to float on its own. Tracks to download: The Dead Dog, 60 Years, The Pushers Party

8.Year of the Black Rainbow-Coheed and Cambria
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV will probably always be my favorite, but this one grew on me. The guitars weave in and out, and the drums thud and crash with appropriate intensity. Claudio Sanchez once again proves himself to be one of the most unique voices in all of music. Featured cuts: The Broken, Guns of Summer

7.Sea of Cowards-The Dead Weather
After the rushed Horehound, Jack White and company return with the more complete Sea of Cowards. White's drums crack, while Alison Mosshart's voice slithers around sharp riffs from Dean Fertita. The songs are heavy and some of the best blues of White's career. Standout songs: Blue Blood Blues, Gasoline, No Horse

6.Brothers-The Black Keys
Everyone's favorite garage rock duo is back with another standout album. Brothers is a bit of a change from standard Keys fare, but it remains tight and bluesy. The interplay between guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney is fantastic throughout. Killer jams: Tighten Up, Sinister Kid, Next Girl

5.Omni-Minus the Bear
Following 2007's Planet of Ice, MTB returns with Omni. A more keyboard driven record, Omni is textured and even more laid back than a typical Minus the Bear album. Still, the guitar interplay remains the band's strength. Buy on I-tunes: Secret Country, Excuses, Into the Mirror

4.Dark is the Way, Light is a Place-Anberlin
Stephen Christian and company deliver another stellar record. Christian's lyrics once again are engaging and deeply profound. Slightly darker than New Surrender, the album tackles familiar lyrical themes with Anberlin's trademark sound and fury. Choice cuts: Impossible, We Owe This to Ourselves, Art of War

3.Diamond Eyes-Deftones
After scrapping their finished album once their original bassist was put into a coma after a car accident, Chino and crew released this as a tribute. The songs are layered and muscular with Chino's throaty screams still very much present. With this album the Deftones are definitely on top of their game. Tracks to check out: Diamond Eyes, You've Seen the Butcher, Rocket Skates, and Sextape...really the whole album

2.Empty Room Philosophies-You the Symphony
I have Callan to thank for introducing me to these guys, as they're his friends and now some of mine. Regardless, this album is stellar and warrants immediate listen. The influence of several artists on the list is evident, but these songs definitely speak for themselves. At 6 songs every track comes highly recommended. Go buy it...NOW.

1.High Violet-The National
With my apologies to all those that think this should be The Suburbs by Arcade Fire, High Violet was my favorite of the year. Not much to say here, if you haven't heard it go get it. It doesn't beat Boxer, but the first 6 tracks come pretty close.

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