My Year In Lists: The 25 Best Albums of 2010

25. Strand of Oaks - Pope Killdragon

I'm finding it increasingly harder to describe this album. Is it a folk album? It could certainly pass for it. Introspective, sprawling songwriting is a staple on Pope Killdragon. It also has shades of progressive rock, metal, and post-rock. It also has a song about Dan Akroyd and his emotions after the death of John Belushi. And it's actually a really good song! Even when he is writing about relatively nonsensical things, Tim Showalter still manages to make captivating music.

Standout Tracks: Killdragon, Sterling, Daniel's Blues, Last To Swim

24. Surfer Blood - Astrocoast

I like to consider this album the antithesis to the surf rock genre. While it definitely shares the sound of the other bands in the genre, the lyrical content plays more like it is mocking the genre instead of glorifying it. Surfer Blood also has more of a punk tinge to their sound. I love the sardonic nature of their lyrics as well.

Standout Tracks: Floating Vibes, Swim, Take it Easy, Catholic Pagans

23. Damien Jurado - Saint Bartlett

Singer-Songwriter Damien Jurado released possibly his best album this year. equal parts upbeat pop and personal folk. Damien used a multitude of subtle sounds from various instruments to help fill out the sound on this record, which made it the most fully fleshed out record he has made so far. I was honestly surprised that he had this kind of ability.

Standout Tracks: Cloudy Shoes, Arkansas, Rachel and Cali, Kalama, 

22. Wolf Parade - Expo 86

While Expo 86 has one or two truly bafflingly bad songs, it is by far the most cohesive (and sadly the last) Wolf Parade album. They managed to put together some really great songs that don't just sound like either a Spencer Krug or Dan Boeckner solo project, which has been a problem for them since their debut.

Standout Tracks: What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way), Little Golden Age, In the Direction of the Moon, Pobody's Nerfect

21. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

Forgiveness Rock Record could have easily been one of the best of the best. Sadly, it is spectacularly uneven. That should not take away from how amazing some of these songs are, though. A very eclectic mix on this album, which probably is the cause for the unevenness. Needs more Brendan Canning.

Standout Tracks: World Sick, Chase Scene, Meet Me in the Basement, Sweetest Kill

20. The Deadly Syndrome - Nolens Volens

Nolens Volens is an album consumed with emotional heartbreak. From the opening track, "Villian" (which contains sublte lyricism such as "why don't you just go fuck off and die") to tracks like "Doesn't Matter" and "Trouble Again", it is the consistent theme on the record. As long as you're ok with this, you will find that Nolens Volens is a very well crafted rock album. While slightly generic in sound, it is carried by its emotional power.

Standout Tracks: Villian, Doesn't Matter, Afterwork, Trouble Again

19. Freelance Whales - Weathervanes

I'm a sucker for any pop/rock/whatever song with banjo in it. and Freelance Whales use a lot of banjo. It is an album of lighthearted pop music. Extremely catchy and easy to listen to. One of the best debut albums of the year.

Standout Tracks: Hannah, Location, Kilojoules, We Could Be Friends

18. Phantogram - Eyelid Movies

Speaking of wonderful debut albums. They almost sounds like someone mixed trip-hop and dream-pop, if that even makes sense. Lush, layered electronic music. They are also from the same area from me (upper middle PA/ upper NY), so that have that going for them as well.

Standout Tracks: Mouthful of Diamonds, When I'm Small, As Far As I Can See, Let Me Go

17. Andrew Cedermak - Moon Deluxe

Moon Deluxe always reminds me in some indescribable way of a classic Microphones album. Just the right amount of lo-fi fuzz and laid back guitar work. Of course, Mr. Cedermark was once a member of 2010 band of the year Titus Andronicus, so there are still parts of the album that get pretty wild. It just feels, in a word, local. Close to home.

Standout Tracks: Moon Deluxe, Gloria '85, Hard Livin', Your Dream is Killing Me

16. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

Plastic Beach is a very jam-packed record. Lots of songs and lots of features. I guess it wouldn't be a Gorillaz record without both those things, would it? Damon Albarn and his merry crew are still able to mix genres and styles with amazing skill. The album trails off a little at the end, which accounts for its place on this list.

Standout Tracks: Rhinestone Eyes, Superfast Jellyfish, Empire Ants, On Melancholy Hill

15. Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts

Certainly the most straightforward album of the year. Nothing Hurts plays like any classic punk album. Simple, short, hard hitting songs. It's punk done in its most base form, and Male Bonding do it pretty well.

Standout Tracks: Year's Not Long, All Things This Way, Weird Feelings, Nothing Used To Hurt, Pumpkin, Worse To Come

14. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

I think Local Natives get me. They flit from soaring guitar and violin, to structured rock, to harmonizing choruses and vocals throughout all of Gorilla Manor. These are a few of my favorite things. Their lyricism is at times grandiose in scale, and at other times deeply personal. They manage to take a large amount of contradictions and build them into a cohesive work. Just a spectacular debut album. And might I say, one of the best up and coming live acts as well. booooooo.

Standout Tracks: Wide Eyes, Airplanes, Sun Hands, Warning Signs, Who Knows, Who Cares

13. Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks

This might be the closest thing we get to a concept album from Frightened Rabbit. The theme of swimming, drowning, and floating is current throughout. pun unintended. These guys are doing sad music better than pretty much anyone right now. I guess that is something to be proud of.

Standout Tracks: Things, Swim Until You Can't See Land, Nothing Like You, Living in Colour, Yes I Would

12. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

First off: James Murphy definitely gets the idea of how important the first song on an album is. I mean look at the first songs on his three albums:
1. LCD Soundsystem: "Daft Punk is Playing at My House
2. Sound of Silver: "Get Innocuous"
3. This Is Happening: "Dance Yrself Clean"

I, for one, think that is pretty impressive. This album definitely took a lot of listening for me to get a feel for it. While maybe not as good as his other albums (both of which I think are classics), it is still one of the best of the year.

Standout Tracks: Dance Yrself Clean, One Touch, I Can Change, Pow Pow, Home

11. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

It's always big news when Arcade Fire releases an album. The Suburbs was another epic album by the band, and possibly their most cohesive to date. While it doesn't reach the heights of Funeral, it is a better showing than Neon Bible. The only reason it isn't a top 5 album is because it is about 3-4 songs too long.

Standout Tracks: The Suburbs, Ready To Start, Empty Room, Month of May, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

10. Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring

Our little twee punks are growing up. While their music is still incredibly juvenile, they manage to create much stronger song structures, and more complex lyricism. The thing that always attracted me to Los Campesinos! was their ability to create songs that are deeply personal, to the point where the songs almost become inside jokes. Something about the intense level of sarcasm and contempt for humanity that lead singer Gareth manages to convey in each song just reaches me on some weird, pessimistic level. I mean, just look at these songs names:

Standout Tracks: These Are Listed Buildings, Straight in at 101, I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know, A Heat Rash In The Shape Of The Show Me State; Or, Letters From Me To Charlotte, The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future, This Is A Flag. There Is No Wind

9. Sharon Van Etten - Epic

While Epic might not actually be, well, epic (mostly because it is only seven tracks long), it is still one of the best albums of the year. Very reminisce of Neil Young and the other alt-country mainstays. Sharon's songwriting is intimate and lovelorn. It's unfortunate that the album is so short, because if it was more fleshed out it would have been even better.

Standout Tracks: A Crime, Save Yourself, Don't Do It, One Day, Love More

8. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

If one of the members of Outkast was to make a really good solo album, wouldn't all of us assume it would be 3 stacks? Big Boi put in a good three years on this album, and it shows. The production is top notch, the features are varied and refreshing, and Big Boi himself oozes confidence throughout the record. Knowing that he has this in him makes me that much more excited for the next Outkast record, whenever it comes out.

Standout Tracks: Turn Me On, Follow Us, Shutterbugg, Hustle Blood, Be Still, Shine Blockas

7. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

This is Bradford Cox and crews best showing so far. Not only is it tight and focused, it is also surprisingly poppy and upbeat. The only complaint I have against it is that the best songs minus "Desire Lines" are less than three minutes long, while the slower, more ambient tracks are much longer. It would have made for a more even album if the song lengths were similar.

Standout Tracks: Don't Cry, Revival, Memory Boy, Desire Lines, Fountain Stairs, Coronado

6. Beach House - Teen Dream

I've always sort of liked Beach House, but found their music rather bland. It took them until their third album, Teen Dream, to establish a unique sound. They have figured out a way to mix their dream-pop sounds with something resembling Grizzly Bear's slow churning rock. Their is a certain confidence in this album that plays to the band's strengths. Their really isn't a bad song on here.

Standout Tracks: Zebra, Silver Soul, Norway, Walk In The Park, Lover Of Mine, 10 Mile Stereo

5. Caribou - Swim

Since when did Caribou's mastermind and producer Dan Snaith get so vocal? He's worn so many faces under both the Caribou and Manitoba moniker that it's hard to say that it's a surprise. Swim, out of all his different phases, hit me the hardest. Their is subletities in this album that only pay off after several listens. The backbeat on Odessa. The Heartbeat percussion on Found Out. The restrained buildup on Jamelia. Snaith really put a lot of work into making this album so layered, while still giving a feeling of isolation, which fits the subject matter of the album in general. The synth work on this album is the best I've heard possibly ever. Probably his best work since Up In Flames.

Standout Tracks: Odessa, Kalli, Found Out, Hannibal, Lallibela, Jamelia

4. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

Kristian Matsson is the best folk singer in the world right now. Sorry SVE. His knack for creating catchy, thoughtful Dylan-esque (in both voice and lyric) folk music is uncanny. The amount of emotion he puts into just an acoustic guitar track should be the envy of most bands with four or more members. The Wild Hunt is a beautiful progression from his debut album. He shows marked improvement in all aspects. He shows restrained emotion throughout the whole album.  On top of this, he released a great EP this year too. I can't wait to hear more from him.

Standout Tracks: The Wild Hunt, Burden of Tomorrow, You're Going Back, King Of Spain, Love Is All, Kids On The Run

3. The National - High Violet

The National released an album this year. Automatic top five. High Violet was not a huge leap forward for The National like their last two albums. The only new layers were an increased use of horns and violin. While this is appreciated, it's not anything they haven't done before. What High Violet does so amazing is merge both the emotional fury of Alligator and the subdued urbanism of Boxer. What we end up with is an album of unique to itself, but also manages to use all the influence and knowledge that the band has gained from its last couple of stellar albums.

Standout Tracks: Terrible Love, Sorrow, Anyone's Ghost, Little Faith, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Runaway, England

2. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West. He's back. With maybe his best record yet. If it's not his best, than it is certainly his best produced. Kanye used this album as a sort of playground, playing with the different pieces (samples, features, etc) as he saw fit. "All of the Lights", for example, has more than 10 features, even if they aren't all necessarily recognizable. It is an album where Kanye did whatever he wanted. For an album with so much going on, it is stunningly consistent. Every song except possibly "Devil in a New Dress" is almost unbelievably good. MBDTF allowed Kanye to vent his frustrations, his love, hate, fear, etc. It is possibly the first true indie hip-hop album, with significant input from Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, and samples of King Crimson, Aphex Twin, and the aforementioned Bon Iver. It is the most focused, complete hip-hop album in ages. A masterpiece

Standout Tracks: Gorgeous, POWER, All of the Lights, Monster, So Appalled, Runaway, Blame Game, Lost in the World

1. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

The Monitor is one of the most difficult listens of 2010. As I've written before, there are no happy songs on this album. Each song reeks of some emotion. paranoia on "Titus Andronicus Forever", hatred on "Richard II", frustration on "Four Score and Seven", heartbreak on "To Old Friends and New". Lead singer Patrick Stickles berates everything from his friends, his band, his town, his upbringing, to of course, himself. Self-loathing is a staple on The Monitor. So why, you may be asking, is it the best album of 2010?

The Monitor holds its power in its emotion, displayed through the raw power (thanks Iggy) of punk. It is a punk album cranked to 11. The concept of using the Civil Was as a background to the war within is a brilliant concept. This album is not about the Civil War, it is about the internal struggle that every human faces in their life. It is unapologetic in its existential view of humanity. It is a study in the dark side of the human condition.

The length of some of these songs is daunting. Many fall into base repetition at points. But the listener is rewarded by the end with the epic funeral dirge that is "The Battle of Hampton Roads", a final nail in the coffin of our narrators hope of a happy life. Musically the album is good, but not great. Of course being in essence a punk record that is a given. Stickle's lyricism, while mostly vitriolic, has deeper layers. References to everything from The Dark Night, Seinfeld, the blog Brooklyn Vegan, to other artists such as Neutral Milk Hotel permeate throughout.

It is certainly not an album for everyone, but from the second I heard it I knew it was the only choice I could make for album of the year.

Standout Tracks: A More Perfect Union, Richard II, Four Score and Seven, Theme From "Cheers", To Old Friends and New, The Battle of Hampton Roads