The runners-up on my list (in alphabetical order) are:
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Deftones - Diamond Eyes
The Drums - The Drums
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard
Sleigh Bells - Treats
Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History
Release date: March 9, 2010
The release of the debut (and possibly the only) album from Broken Bells was met with great anticipation. Fans of James Mercer from his work as frontman for The Shins and Danger Mouse eagerly awaited the release from this seemingly unlikely duo. The results of their collaboration are the songs contained on one of the year's most euphonious releases.
Release date: February 23, 2010
I guess it's somewhat ironic that the post-hardcore genre has quickly deteriorated but bands like letlive. are helping to carry the torch for the next generation of angry musicians with a penchant for writing catchy hooks. Fake History has plenty of agressive riffs and jumps into pop melodies without ever seeming forced. You probably won't find Fake History at Best Buy but it is worth the $9.99 I paid for the album on iTunes just for the song 'Muther'.
Release date: August 2, 2010
In a year in which pop music seemingly dominated the Billboard charts and radio airwaves, it was nice to see that it is still possible to release a terrific album that garners both critical and commercial success. Arcade Fire had no flashy gimmicks or multi-million dollar promotional campaign, just the sixteen breathtaking songs that make up The Suburbs. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and has now received three well-deserved grammy nominations including Album of the Year.
Release date: May 4, 2010
Minus the Bear has been my favorite band for several years now and what appreciate is that they continue to evolve without fundamentally changing their sound. On OMNI, the band's first release with Dangerbird Records, they have gone to a more electronic sound than on previous albums. The opening track 'My Time' sets the tone with a synth-heavy chorus and dance beat throughout. All of the ten tracks on the album are significant in substance and length as the record clocks in at nearly 50 minutes but seems to be over far too quickly after each listen.
Release date: May 4, 2010
It was a long five years between albums from Broken Social Scene's self-titled released until Forgiveness Rock Record. But when you consider the members and their numerous side projects (Feist, Metric, Stars and solo projects by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning) it is understandable that it would take some time to assemble the band and write a new record. That being said, the latest release from Broken Social Scene was well worth the wait and their most accessible album to date.
Release date: July 27, 2010
I understand that a record company wants to set a release date for an album to create buzz and book a tour for the band to go out and support the album but Menomena experienced the downside of having a release date set months after the album has been completed. Due to be released in mid-August, their album Mines was leaked on the internet in May. The band was able to move up the release date but the damage had been done. It was a shame because Mines is one of the most unique and enjoyable albums in recent memory.
Release date: November 9, 2010
This year was a solid year for commercial hip-hop albums with Eminem, Kanye West, B.o.B. and The Roots all putting out successful and satisfying albums. Released just one week before Kanye West's very good but overhyped recent release and Man on the Moon II was this year's real hip-hop masterpiece. Some critics accused the album of being inconsistent but in my opinion Kid Cudi changes the sound and the tone on all seventeen tracks of this album without ever striking a wrong note. 'MANIAC' was one of my favorite tracks of the year but his somber ballad 'All Along' is equally impressive and profound.
Release date: May 10, 2010
The National were tasked with the duty of following up their 2007 release Boxer that was named by several critics as one of the best albums of the last decade. High Violet is louder and busier than the aforementioned Boxer but by no means does that make it inferior. The distinctive baritone vocals of lead singer Matt Berninger are what gives The National their unique sound in a crowded genre but that's not to discount the remarkable songwriting ability and the musicianship of the other members who make High Violet on the the year's best albums.
Release date: April 21, 2010
While attending the record release show for Broken Social Scene's Forgiveness Rock Record, the frontman Kevin Drew encouraged fans to buy some music from Amoeba to support the store regardless of what album they purchased. He mentioned several recent releases including Clinging to a Scheme from The Radio Dept. I purchased the album just a few days later and cannot thank him enough for the recommendation. Clinging to a Scheme has a way of doing what good music should do; it brings out your feelings and amplifies them- for better or worse.
Release date: January 15, 2010
I've been making these lists for several years now and there has never been an album that was released in the first two months of the year that stayed at the top of my list for the entire year. This year is different and I'm in the minority of people who consider Transference to be the best album of the year and the strongest album that Spoon has released to date. The very opening of the first track 'Before Destruction' starts with a simple drum beat then acoustic guitar and vocals that sound as if they are being sung into a microphone in a different room. The record has good production value but it is stripped down. What I enjoy most about Transference is that the entire album has a timeless quality; it could have been recorded at any time in the last 40 years. When listening to Transference you should like listening because it continues to get better as the album go along and as another sign of a great album, my favorite track has changed several times throughout my countless listens.
Honorable mention goes to:
Beach House - Teen Dream
B.o.B. - B.o.B. Presents the Adventures of Bobby Ray
Delorean - Subiza
Girl Talk - All Day
Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Best albums released in 2009 that I did not discover until 2010:
Bad Veins - Bad Veins
The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below
Hockey - Mind Chaos
Jack Peñate - Everything is New
Matt & Kim - Grand
Miike Snow - Miike Snow
The XX - The XX
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