Albums of 2010

I love music, and its the end of the year, so I'm using that as an excuse to resurrect my blog. These are my favorite albums of 2010. I’m not saying these are the best albums of 2010, but these are the ones I enjoyed the most. I’m putting my favorite song off each one below as well. If you’ve got holiday money and want to buy some music, each of these are worth it.

#1- The Black Keys- Brothers
My favorite album of the year. This duo from the Midwest has yet to make a bad album. If you don’t own Rubber Factory, go buy it too. Just go buy this album now and enjoy every track on it. Tighten Up is one of the best songs and one of my favorite videos of the year.

Tighten Up Video


#2-Arcade Fire- The Suburbs
This band continues to amaze me. I feel like I should be driving through sprawling landscapes while listening to this album. As a kid I used to run down to the mailbox every day to get the mail, excited even if I wasn’t expecting something. I may still do this every day. I think it’s why I love this song so much.

We Used To Wait Video

#3-Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
The man has an ego the size of the moon. His problem is that he is actually as good as the thinks he is. You don’t have to like him, but you can’t deny his talent and this album is the best he’s made yet. From start to finish he has made a solid album and you just need to get over your hatred of the man and enjoy his music. All of the Lights shows he is first and foremost a producer. This song has around 16 guest stars on it and they work seamlessly. Yes, that’s Elton John at the end.

All of the Lights Video

#4-Lady Gaga-The Fame Monster
I don’t always understand what Lady Gaga is doing, but I’m glad she is doing it. This album gave us Bad Romance and that alone earns it a spot on this list. Dance In the Dark is still my favorite off this album though.

Dance In the Dark Video

#5-Vampire Weekend- Contra
I really liked their debut album, but I was skeptical about them as a band. I wasn’t sure if they could deliver a second album that was better than their first. I was wrong. I’ve seen them live a couple of times now and they’ve really developed as performers too. Go see them if you get the chance. Cousins, is just a fun song and I think it shows off their style as a band.

Cousins Video

#6-Eminem-Recovery
His last two albums were crap and I’d written him off as someone with a lot of talent who had just ran out of it. Let those albums serve as a lesson of why hard drugs are bad. He got cleaned up though and put out an album that shows his gift hasn’t left him. Love the Way You Lie, because it really is the best song on the album.

Love the Way You Lie Video

#7-The Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards
Intense. That is the only way to describe Jack White and Alison Mosshart when they are performing together. It certainly comes across in the studio. Their voices are so similar that sometimes you can’t tell which is singing, and that’s okay. I’m a big White Stripes fan and I want another album from them, but I want Jack White to keep doing what he’s doing with The Dead Weather. Here is Die By the Drop.

Die By the Drop Video

#8-LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening
James Murphy is meticulous when it comes to production. This album is air tight, but it doesn’t feel constricted. Somehow he manages to take elements from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and blend them together in a way that works. Listen to Drunk Girls and try not to like it.

Drunk Girls Video

#9-Local Natives- Gorilla Manor
Voices like this are rare. I’m happy to say it has that same warmth live. Sun Hands shows off everything I like about them as a band.

Sun Hands Video

#10-Ra Ra Riot- The Orchard
I don’t think it’s as strong as The Rhumb Line, their first album, but it shows them growing as a band. They’ve incorporated their cello and violin much more in every song and the band is better for it. They are one of my favorite bands and this album makes me excited for what’s coming next with them. It was hard for me to pick just song song, but I’m going with Too Dramatic.

Too Dramatic Video