Top Albums of 2010

Fully realizing we still have a few 2010 selections to check out, this is where we're at in December 2010. There may be a few additions and subtractions to come at some point but we're confident these will stand up fairly well as highlights from the past year.

1.The National - High Violet
Following up 2007's highly rated album The Boxer was always going to be difficult for the Ohio via Brooklyn NY band but they did it admirably with High Violet. Opening the album with one of the songs of the year, "Terrible Love" starts things off with a high. From there the album is an embarrassment of riches from "Afraid of Everyone" to "Lemonworld" to first single "Bloodbuzz Ohio". While it may not be as loved as The Boxer, High Violet is a very successful follow-up.

2. Beach House - Teen Dream
Right from its early 2010 release, Beach House's Teen Dream was an early contender for album of the year. Full of longing, the tone of the album fit perfectly for cold wintry nights. This was exemplified with the band's appearance on Pitchfork.tv surrounded by fake fur and a sparse all white set. The run of songs from the single "Zebra" right through to "Lover of Mine" might just be the strongest set of songs on any album released this year.

3. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
It just wouldn't be a "best of year end list" without an appearance from Bradford Cox. Deerhunter's Microcastle was a highlight of 2008 just as his side project Atlas Sound's Logos was a bright spot of 2009. Featuring such highlights as "Revival", "Helicopter" and "Fountain Stairs", Bradford Cox and Deerhunter consistently jump from strength to strength.

4. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West's last album, 808's and Heartbreak, separated his fans into two camps - ones that wanted him to strictly stick to hip hop and ones that wanted him to keep exploring his many emotions and styles. My Beautiful brought these two camps together by marrying some of the best beats of the year to his all over the place thoughts. Confident, confused, full of contradictions, sad, brash, and star-studded - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy continues Kanye's ascent as the most important artist of the last 10 years.

5. M.I.A - MAYA
It's been a rough year for Maya Arulpragasam. First a NY Times article tried its very best to tear her down then the video for "Born Free" came under heavy criticism for its violence and lastly the album was met with much derision from music critics. The album expected to push M.I.A further into the mainstream instead pushed her further to its fringes. However, people that were listening without prejudice found many gems hidden within its noise and harsh beats. "XXXO" is one of the best dance singles of the year, "It Takes a Muscle" with its faux reggae beat is a top rate pop song and "Space" closes the album with a dreamlike quality. Great album for those who looked past the headlines.

6. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
If we're to believe Soundsystem leader James Murphy, this is the band's swansong and they will now hang up their synthesizers. If this is true, millions of fans and music writers will be wiping away tears for years to come. It's hard to believe that this could be it what with the indie dance perfection of "I Can Change", "You Wanted a Hit" and "Dance Yrslf Clean". No, this can't be it but if it is then cherish these songs long after the band has disappeared.


7. Vampire Weekend - Contra
Two years on from their debut, Vampire Weekend continue to be loved and hated in equal measure. Without making a major departure from their signature sound (African rhythms with a generous dash of indie rock), Contra continues to explore avenues already taken with a few new stops. "Horchata" is a giddy rush of a first single while "Giving Up the Gun" adds a dancefloor ready beat to their sound. A strong sophomore album to prove their debut was not a fluke.

8. Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love
Four years on from their last album, 2006's The Life Pursuit, Belle & Sebastian return with another collection of 60's indebted Scottish pop. While Write About Love feels more like a compilation than a cohesive album and doesn't quite reach the highs of their last two releases, the fact that B & S are able to continue making such strong songs at this stage of their career is simply astonishing.

9. Sleigh Bells - Treats
Plenty of noise in the debut from this New York duo. Mixing rough and ready dancebeats, female vocals, and crunching guitar stabs saw Treats make quite the splash when released in the early summer of 2010. While it can sound a bit samey in some areas there are enough hands in the air great moments to see the listener through. And with a bit of foresight, songs like "Rill Rill" and "Riot Rhythm" could be hits for a pop starlet in the hands of the right producer.

10. The Drums - The Drums
Every once in a while the NME gets it bang on and they did so in spades by heavily promoting this American band in mid 2009. Following up the Summertime EP, The Drums released their debut this year to a fair amount of hype. The songs sound like lost indie treasures found on early 80s teen drama soundtracks which in our opinion is a compliment to the highest order. And while its hard to fight comparisons to 90s chancers Menswe@r, well, let's just say we liked them too.

11. These New Puritans - Hidden
The NME album of the year for 2010 makes an appearance on our list as well. Another band that avoided the dreaded sophomore slump, These New Puritans brought the racket of war mixed in with classical interludes. "We Want War" mixes all the best elements of the album while "Three-Thousand" was our pregame track to kickstart many nights out. Ridiculous in spots? Oh yes, but gloriously so.

12. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles II
With all the hype Crystal Castles brought with them in 2008, its surprising their debut didn't desintegrate upon release. Instead, it was one of the brightest lights from that year. Two years later, the Canadian duo are back to slay the indie dancefloor... and with a slightly more polished sound, they did! "Baptism" and "Pap Smear" are two of the darkest dancefloor fillers from the past year while the inspired Platinum Blonde cover "Not In Love" was our favourite track of 2010. Cold, eerie, and angry in places - Crystal Castles's continue their assault on listener's ears.


13. Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy
Not the most likely performer to be based out of New York but Matthew Houck holds up that city's wealth of transplanted talent quite well. Tinges of country mixes in with 70s soft rock. One of the most immediately likeable albums of 2010, Here's to Taking it Easy is a breezy filled joy.

14. Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon
Like Bradford Cox from Deerhunter/Atlas Sound, Dave Sitek, the mastermind behind Maximum Balloon, is no stranger to year end lists with his band TV on the Radio and in the producer's chair for bands such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Maximum Balloon is his first solo album and features both of his band mate singers from TVOTR as well as Karen O from YYY and the Talking Heads' David Byrne. Katrina Ford somewhat steals the show from bigger names with second track "Young Love". While the album does start to fade towards the end, there is still a considerable wealth of interesting music to explore.

15. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Yet another band who had the task of following up a successful debut, Yeasayer's second album Odd Blood did a fine job way back in the early winter of 2010. The rush of tracks from "The Children" through to "O.N.E" may only have been matched by Beach House in 2010. As we mentioned in our review of the album on Earshot-Online.com, the second half doesn't quite match the greatness of the first half of songs but even so, Odd Blood is still a memorable listen from 2010.