Throughout this past year of music releases, there were many disappointments (Come Around Sundown by Kings of Leon), many new artists that broke through with big debuts (Sleigh Bells, Freelance Whales), and many complete failures (Hurley by Weezer). This year is coming to a close, so here are my favorite 15 albums of the year 2010.
First, I’d like to give a couple albums honorable mentions for being solid pieces of work, but unfortunately, not making my top 15.
The first album I’d like to give an honorable mention to: Heartland by Owen Pallett. Before this debut, Pallett worked as a composer, as well as a member of several other indie groups, including the self-created moniker Final Fantasy. Now, this is his first record under his own name. Songs like “Keep the Dog Quiet” and “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” are a mix between electronic and classical, and channel Andrew Bird and Sufjan Stevens.
The last and final honorable mention goes to a personal favorite of mine, crazy-haired Darwin Deez. His electro-pop is infectious, his vocals are refreshing, and his dancing is hilarious. Songs like “Radar Detector,” which you may have heard in a SoBe drink advertisement, and “The Bomb Song” are impossible to get out of your head. And I mean that in a good way.
15. Sea of Cowards – The Dead Weather
Sea of Cowards by the Dead Weather was a fantastic sophomore album for the Jack White project, with dark, bluesy rock that cannot be found anywhere else in music nowadays. Songs like “Blue Blood Blues” and “Die by the Drop” are perfect examples of just how strong and hard-rocking this “supergroup” really is.
14. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
This project between Danger Mouse and James Mercer, of the Shins, combined hip-hop beats and alternative rock vocals, guitar, and keyboard. “The Ghost Inside” is proof of how great this unforeseen combination can be, and hopefully this album was not a one-off project for the legendary producer and frontman of The Shins.
13. Forgiveness Rock Record – Broken Social Scene
This amalgamation of indie music’s best delivered with a solid album, but as many fans have pointed out, it cannot match the level of their 2005 record You Forgot It In People. Nonetheless, they display mastery of their genre, indie rock, with grooving songs like “Texico Bitches,” harder rocking songs like “Forced To Love” and “Meet Me In The Basement,” as well as quieter anthems like “Sentimental X’s.” There’s not a dull moment on Forgiveness Rock Record.
12. How I Got Over – The Roots
Jimmy Fallon’s late night house band has had an incredible year, starting with being the best band in late night, following that with How I Got Over, and finishing with a Grammy nominated Wake Up! with John Legend. I downloaded HIGO days before I departed for China, so this was one of the main albums playing on my iPod the entire trip. “Dear God 2.0” remixes the chilling Monsters of Folk track, and delivers some of the best lines on the album (for example, “If I could hold the world in the palms of these/hands I would probably do away with all these anomalies”). “How I Got Over” talks about growing up through hard times, with the help of a nice drum line from ?uestlove. This was the best hip-hop album to come out of a group this year, just beating out Gorillaz in my mind, and it compares with some of The Roots former, legendary albums.
11. The Monitor – Titus Andronicus
One of the breakout artists of the year has to have been Titus Andronicus, with their interesting concept album, The Monitor. The album is based around the idea of the Civil War (obviously, with song titles “Four Score and Seven” and “A More Perfect Union”). Beginning with the latter, a relentless rocker, and finishing with the epic “The Battle of Hampton Roads,” Titus Andronicus takes you on a exciting rock journey back into 19th century America.
10. Weathervanes – Freelance Whales
The Freelance Whales follow with another great concept album, one that focuses on a relationship between a boy and a ghost girl that lives inside his home. People struggle to compare this band to anything released ever before, since the blend of haunting harmonies, bright synthesizers, glockenspiel, and pump organ creates the most beautiful sound to be released in years. “We Could Be Friends” is my favorite, but really, as is the case with most concept albums, the album is best listened to from start to finish, giving you the full haunting effect of what the band hoped to convey with Weathervanes. Hopefully, we’ll hear more of their work soon.
9. Wild Smile – Suckers
At first listen, Suckers sounds like your usual folky-rock group, but then halfway through the lead track, “Save Your Love For Me,” a slowed down ballad, a man kicks in with vocals higher than a man should be able to hit. Then, once the pulsing beat of the second song, “Black Sheep,” begins, you can tell something special is happening with this debut album. This is definitely one of the more interesting picks for my top 15, since the lead singer has wailing vocals, rather than a smooth voice, and instruments are all over the place, but in the end, it all blends quite well.
8. Brothers – The Black Keys
Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney continue rocking out with their sixth studio album, and their most polished one, at that. Solid riffs and lyrics like “that’s me, the boy with the broken halo… the devil won’t let me be” make this album great. “Tighten Up” is one of the songs of the year, and other tracks like “Everlasting Light” and “Sinister Kid” are just proof that this duo is an unstoppable rock and roll force.
7. Treats – Sleigh Bells
What do you get when you mix a fourth-grade teacher and a former member of a hardcore band? A crazy, thrashing, electro-pop duo by the name of Sleigh Bells. Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller created this genre-defying work that completely and literally blew me away. From the first speaker-destroying track, “Tell ‘Em” boasting both guitar harmonies and vocal harmonies between electronic blasts, to the speaker-destroying slow rocker, “Treats,” the Brooklyn duo doesn’t give listeners a break.
6. Contra – Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album had much to live up to, considering their debut was so critically acclaimed. Well, slightly diverging from their previous style, they succeeded with Contra, drawing comparisons to Paul Simon, with “Diplomat’s Son,” as well as 1980’s afro-pop, in “Holiday.” We also got a listen to what the guys consider their first attempt at a real pop song, in “Giving Up The Gun.” They don’t stop there. “White Sky” utilizes synth beats and lead singer Ezra Koenig’s voice to its fullest. “California English” is what happens when this indie favorite discovers auto-tune. Finally, “Cousins” is just plain fun. These New York guys manage to create memorable riffs and put sing-a-long vocals to them, whether it’s in the ballad “I Think Ur A Contra” or the preppy summer anthem “Horchata.”
5. High Violet – The National
The National has to be one of the most consistent indie bands I’ve had the pleasure of listening to, alongside Arcade Fire and few others. Someway, somehow, The National just makes misery very, very catchy. Also, they make the line “it’s a terrible love, and I’m walking with spiders, it’s quiet company” a fantastic opening to an album. The song soon breaks out into heavy drumming and High Violet officially begins. Lead singer Matt Berninger’s unique vocals have always blended well with brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner’s haunting arrangements. Simple piano and ringing chords occur throughout, especially in “Sorrow,” amazing drum beats seem to be in every single song, particularly “Anyone’s Ghost” and “Bloodbuzz Ohio.” In the end, it sounds a lot like their previous works: catchy, sad, and extremely interesting.
4. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
This had to have been the most anticipated (and furthermore, most well-received) album of the year, courtesy of the madman that is Kanye West. Aside from the major track “Runaway” (which was then accompanied by a short movie, with this album as its soundtrack), the album has many pros and very few cons. The album begins with a narration from Nicki Minaj, bursting into a harmony intro to the album, with “Dark Fantasy,” and immediately jumps into a Kid Cudi-featuring and Kid Cudi-sounding jam. Mixed with original beats and rhymes, Kanye masterfully samples Bon Iver and King Crimson, two artists that would seem to be un-sample-able to the naked ear. “Monster,” of course, has some of the grittiest lines of the whole album, while “Runaway” has the most obvious message. Kanye is back, and “you can leave or live with it.”
3. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
The most hype this year was behind Arcade Fire, who put out two incredibly well-received indie rock masterpieces before announcing their third, The Suburbs. Then, with a cymbal crash, a piano intro, and Win Butler’s yearning vocals, it begins. As is the case with most albums on this list, The Suburbs was meant to be listened to all the way through each time. Each song on here transitions smoothly into the next, both in idea and music. “Let’s go downtown and watch the modern kids./They will eat right out of your hands,/using great big words that they don’t understand.” The powerful guitars in “Month of May,” the violin work in “Empty Room,” the pop sensibilities contained within “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”; it’s all beautiful. The emotion-filled lyrics matched with Win Butler’s unique vocals is simply perfect, and Arcade Fire succeeded, in my mind, in living up to the hype.
2. This Is Happening – LCD Soundsystem
Lead Singer James Murphy claims This Is Happening is LCD Soundsystem’s final album together. If so, they went out with a bang. Where their previously albums focused mainly on dance/electronic music, their newest effort plays on a mix of those two genres, as well as rock. “Dance Yrself Clean” has to be one of the most epic and outstanding dance songs of the year, beginning modestly, but then launching head-first into massive electronic beats and blasts. In other words, it is not possible to listen to this album without breaking out into some dance. “One Touch” and “I Can Change” call back to 80’s electronic, “Drunk Girls,” which resembles their debut album’s hit “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House,” channels pop-rock, with a sarcastic attitude, and the 9 minute “You Wanted A Hit” is the band’s response to critics’ belief that their music is inaccessible. Look on the bright side: Murphy said the band would break up after their last album, but they stayed together and made this classic alternative/dance/rock album. Hopefully he’s lying again this time.
1. Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons
I was a little concerned when a website I trust posted the release date for this album as October 2009. Fortunately, that date was the UK release date of the album, and this fantastic mix of country rock and beautiful harmonies was released in the U.S. in February 2010. This British foursome put together an unbelievable debut record that is an emotional roller coaster. I dare you to listen to this album all the way through (as it should be heard) without feeling emotionally stirred. The band plays song after song of reassurance that “it was not your fault, but mine,” and “love, it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free.” The well-known “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave” are definitely highlights, but it would not do the album justice to just listen to those singles. Start from the soothing beginning, “Sigh No More,” and finish with the intense rock that is “Dustbowl Dance.” You will not regret it. Expect big things, and eventually stardom, to come from Mumford & Sons.
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