Top 15 Albums of 2010
15. Grinderman - Grinderman 2
Grinderman 2 is an adventure into mayhem. It's reckless in oh, so many ways. Grinderman 2 is at its best when it's at its most uncontrollable. Cave seemingly spews whatever drops into his sick mind and as a result, we're all left to debate its merits.
14. Weezer - Hurley
Message to all you so-called hardcore Weezer fans: Stop waiting for Weezer to record the next Pinkerton or Blue. It’s not going to happen. Once fans move past their obnoxious critiquing of Weezer for never matching their previous successes, the sooner we can get to appreciating what Weezer has left in the tank. No, Hurley is not as good as Blue, Pinkerton, Maladroit or Green, but it’s a fine album none-the-less.
13. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
The combination of pop aficionado James Mercer (The Shins) and studio master Danger Mouse is nothing short of a match made in heaven. Broken Bells’ debut has the fingerprints of Mercer and Danger all over these recordings. The songs on this album at their very core carry Mercer’s pop sensibilities, but Danger Mouse doctors them up with detailed and intricate atmospheric landscapes adding to the aura.
12. Peter Case - Wig!
Kind of like the Deftones, Peter Case encountered his own set of personal tragedy. In 2009, Case underwent heart surgery. Following the surgery, Case would go on to write Wig! a dirty blues album that features an authentic tenacity.
11. Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos - Buzzard
Buzzard received little to no critical acclaim, and little to no attention from the masses. I suppose the latter is to be expected, but the former is somewhat of a mystery to me. Buzzard is a superb album from top to bottom. Electric guitars take hold while Richard Edward’s lyrics are completely unpredictable and imaginative in a way that seems to mirror a blunt teen. Between the great musical back-drops and the reckless lyrics, Buzzard may be Margot’s best effort to date.
10. Wolf Parade - Expo 86
What amazes me about Wolf Parade’s Expo 86 is the energy it exudes. Spencer Krug’s raving vocals jump around in an anarchic manner while the keyboards, drums and guitars sound meticulously crafted. It’s finely layered post-punk machine that never stops running.
9. Fitz & the Tantrums - Pickin’ Up the Pieces
Revivalism is a relative term. There are revivalists like Wolfmother who draw heavy inspiration from Classic Rock and sprinkle in their own modern twists. Then there are revivalists like Fitz & the Tantrums who make it sound like the past 40 years didn’t exist. Fitz & and the Tantrums are authentic Motown, and while listening to Pickin’ Up the Pieces, you’ll never forget it.
8. The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
Alison Mosshart - that’s pretty much all I have to say, but who am I to keep it brief. In the words of former Mets coach Jerry Manuel, her vocals are “absolutely filthy.” She was on fire for The Dead Weather’s debut, but on Sea of Cowards, she is blazing. There is a tenacity in her vocals that almost make you forget this is another Jack White side project. This is blues at its raunchiest.
7. Fen - Trails Out of Gloom
Fen is an alternative/heavy metal band that often veers into progressive rock territories likening them to the sounds of Porcupine Tree and Opeth. Unlike countless other bands in the same genre, Fen manages to always stay centered, never losing themselves to moments of self-indulgence or falling victim to being overly obscure.
6. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Bruce Springsteen, move on over. This quartet hailing from the great state of New Jersey has been taking notes and has taken Bruce’s signature heartland rock and added a dab of punk to the equation. The Springsteen influences are overt, but The Gaslight Anthem don’t seem to have any intentions of hiding the fact. The bands punk tendencies are light at best, but American Slang shows that the bands strongest suit may be heartland rock. Hopefully this is a sign of their future direction.
5. Deftones - Diamond Eyes
It’s funny how tragedy can turn in to something wonderful. In 2008 Deftones bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a catastrophic auto incident that forced the band to bring in a replacement. Prior to the accident the band recorded a new album, but would later scrap it entirely due to their bassists mental state. With a new bassist in hand, the band recorded a brand new album. The result of the journey was Diamond Eyes. A heavy and emotionally fueled roller coaster which has a powerful sense of optimism behind the violent riffs.
4. MGMT - Congratulations
MGMT prematurely apologized to fans for the sound of Congratulations. Why you may ask? I suppose because it wasn’t as commercially viable as their debut album, Oracular Spectacular. Instead, Congratulations sounds like a modern day Pet Sounds, and while it may not be as revolutionary, it’s definitely as good.
3. Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow
Coheed has struggled to find a true identity since their inception. On Year of the Black Rainbow, they hone in on one sound and deliver in ways they have never done before. It’s a dark, cerebral, sludgy masterpiece that abolishes all those hints of emo that were holding them back.
2. The Black Keys - Brothers
The songwriting of The Black Keys is truly phenomenal, and Brothers is the epitome of that. Brothers is a bit more mellow than their previous albums, but it’s also their strongest. The melodies from the first track to the last are unbelievable and bleeding through every second is an uncanny amount of blues drenched soul.
1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
I had freakishly high expectations for this album, and the scary thing is, not only did they meet those expectations, they surpassed them. I envision The Suburbs as being an album I will cite in twenty years and say, “Now that is a band who hit full stride.” Every time I listen to it I feel like I’m listening to something special.
If you're interested in checking out lists from some great bloggers, below is a list of other sites who also took part in counting down the greatest albums of the year.
Grinderman 2 is an adventure into mayhem. It's reckless in oh, so many ways. Grinderman 2 is at its best when it's at its most uncontrollable. Cave seemingly spews whatever drops into his sick mind and as a result, we're all left to debate its merits.
14. Weezer - Hurley
Message to all you so-called hardcore Weezer fans: Stop waiting for Weezer to record the next Pinkerton or Blue. It’s not going to happen. Once fans move past their obnoxious critiquing of Weezer for never matching their previous successes, the sooner we can get to appreciating what Weezer has left in the tank. No, Hurley is not as good as Blue, Pinkerton, Maladroit or Green, but it’s a fine album none-the-less.
13. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
The combination of pop aficionado James Mercer (The Shins) and studio master Danger Mouse is nothing short of a match made in heaven. Broken Bells’ debut has the fingerprints of Mercer and Danger all over these recordings. The songs on this album at their very core carry Mercer’s pop sensibilities, but Danger Mouse doctors them up with detailed and intricate atmospheric landscapes adding to the aura.
12. Peter Case - Wig!
Kind of like the Deftones, Peter Case encountered his own set of personal tragedy. In 2009, Case underwent heart surgery. Following the surgery, Case would go on to write Wig! a dirty blues album that features an authentic tenacity.
11. Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos - Buzzard
Buzzard received little to no critical acclaim, and little to no attention from the masses. I suppose the latter is to be expected, but the former is somewhat of a mystery to me. Buzzard is a superb album from top to bottom. Electric guitars take hold while Richard Edward’s lyrics are completely unpredictable and imaginative in a way that seems to mirror a blunt teen. Between the great musical back-drops and the reckless lyrics, Buzzard may be Margot’s best effort to date.
10. Wolf Parade - Expo 86
What amazes me about Wolf Parade’s Expo 86 is the energy it exudes. Spencer Krug’s raving vocals jump around in an anarchic manner while the keyboards, drums and guitars sound meticulously crafted. It’s finely layered post-punk machine that never stops running.
9. Fitz & the Tantrums - Pickin’ Up the Pieces
Revivalism is a relative term. There are revivalists like Wolfmother who draw heavy inspiration from Classic Rock and sprinkle in their own modern twists. Then there are revivalists like Fitz & the Tantrums who make it sound like the past 40 years didn’t exist. Fitz & and the Tantrums are authentic Motown, and while listening to Pickin’ Up the Pieces, you’ll never forget it.
8. The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
Alison Mosshart - that’s pretty much all I have to say, but who am I to keep it brief. In the words of former Mets coach Jerry Manuel, her vocals are “absolutely filthy.” She was on fire for The Dead Weather’s debut, but on Sea of Cowards, she is blazing. There is a tenacity in her vocals that almost make you forget this is another Jack White side project. This is blues at its raunchiest.
7. Fen - Trails Out of Gloom
Fen is an alternative/heavy metal band that often veers into progressive rock territories likening them to the sounds of Porcupine Tree and Opeth. Unlike countless other bands in the same genre, Fen manages to always stay centered, never losing themselves to moments of self-indulgence or falling victim to being overly obscure.
6. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Bruce Springsteen, move on over. This quartet hailing from the great state of New Jersey has been taking notes and has taken Bruce’s signature heartland rock and added a dab of punk to the equation. The Springsteen influences are overt, but The Gaslight Anthem don’t seem to have any intentions of hiding the fact. The bands punk tendencies are light at best, but American Slang shows that the bands strongest suit may be heartland rock. Hopefully this is a sign of their future direction.
5. Deftones - Diamond Eyes
It’s funny how tragedy can turn in to something wonderful. In 2008 Deftones bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a catastrophic auto incident that forced the band to bring in a replacement. Prior to the accident the band recorded a new album, but would later scrap it entirely due to their bassists mental state. With a new bassist in hand, the band recorded a brand new album. The result of the journey was Diamond Eyes. A heavy and emotionally fueled roller coaster which has a powerful sense of optimism behind the violent riffs.
4. MGMT - Congratulations
MGMT prematurely apologized to fans for the sound of Congratulations. Why you may ask? I suppose because it wasn’t as commercially viable as their debut album, Oracular Spectacular. Instead, Congratulations sounds like a modern day Pet Sounds, and while it may not be as revolutionary, it’s definitely as good.
3. Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow
Coheed has struggled to find a true identity since their inception. On Year of the Black Rainbow, they hone in on one sound and deliver in ways they have never done before. It’s a dark, cerebral, sludgy masterpiece that abolishes all those hints of emo that were holding them back.
2. The Black Keys - Brothers
The songwriting of The Black Keys is truly phenomenal, and Brothers is the epitome of that. Brothers is a bit more mellow than their previous albums, but it’s also their strongest. The melodies from the first track to the last are unbelievable and bleeding through every second is an uncanny amount of blues drenched soul.
1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
I had freakishly high expectations for this album, and the scary thing is, not only did they meet those expectations, they surpassed them. I envision The Suburbs as being an album I will cite in twenty years and say, “Now that is a band who hit full stride.” Every time I listen to it I feel like I’m listening to something special.
If you're interested in checking out lists from some great bloggers, below is a list of other sites who also took part in counting down the greatest albums of the year.
All Metal Resource — http://allmetalresource.com/
Bring Back Glam — http://bringbackglam.squarespace.com/
Hair Metal Mansion — http://hairbangersradio.ning.com/
Hard Rock Hideout — http://hardrockhideout.com/
Heavy Metal Time Machine — http://metalmark.blogspot.com/
Metal Excess — http://metalexcess.com/
Metal Odyssey — http://metalodyssey.wordpress.com/
The Ripple Effect — http://www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com/
Hard Rock Nights — http://hardrocknights.wordpress.com/
Layla’s Classic Rock — http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/
The Metal Minute — http://rayvanhornjr.blogspot.com/
Heavy Metal Addiction - http://heavymetaladdiction.com
posted by Jeff at 9:12 AM
6 Comments:
Great list man! I'm finally going to check out Fitz and the Tantrums and the Gaslight Anthem. I've been avoiding it for too long, so thanks for reminding me.
Both are great albums. I can't stop listening to "Moneygrabber" by Fitz - it's insanely catchy. The Gaslight album is great too, especially if you like Bruce.
Great list. I'm a big fan of the Deftones album (and all their albums, especially White Pony). I think they unfairly got lumped in with Korn and "nu metal" in the 90's. They are very unique in sound and style.
Deftones along with Coheed And Cambria really created some excellent music in 2010... I'm going to revisit those two albums without question.
Enjoyed this list.
- Stone
Let's compare notes: Grinderman - check, Weezer - check, Broken Bells - check, The Dead Weather - check, The Gaslight Anthem - check, Deftones - check and The Black Keys - check. (Saw Deftones live last night - huge!)
I'm gonna check out Fitz & The Tantrums. If you like that kinda revivalist stuff, check out The Jim Jones Revue - they'd be on my list for sure.
YourZ
I am ok with The Arcade Fire being at #1. I really like that album. Lots of people are either up or down on it.
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