The Top 50 Albums of 2010

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Top 50 Albums of of 2010

By: A.D

2010 was an insanely better year for music than 2009. There were dozens of excellent debuts, surprise breakthroughs, and veterans at the top of their game. It’s difficult to produce a list like this that satisfies everyone because taste can vary so much from person to person. Someone could show me another list with fifty completely different albums that gave them just as much joy as these albums gave me. With that being said, here’s how I saw things stack up.

50. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers-Mojo

I couldn’t imagine a better way to kick off this list than with a Petty album. With this being Petty’s twelfth studio album along side The Heartbreakers and fifteenth if you include his solo work it would be understandable to assume the man might have lost his edge over the course of the last 35 years. This album plays like it was released in 1978 with a blues based classic rock that sounds vintage even for Petty. I’ve always admired Petty’s discography because you could play me this album and I'd have no idea where to put it chronologically amongst his other works. Petty has stayed true to his sound throughout the course of his career and here’s to hoping for another summer tour.

49. Cotton Jones-Tall Hours in the Glowstream

If you’ve ever seen the first Back to the Future you know how wild dances used to get back in the 1950s. In listening to this album I can’t help but picture this band playing for a crowded gymnasium in honor of the class of 1955’s Senior Prom. The wispy southern vocals play over the slow harmonic rhythms to create a folk/pop mixture that sounds like an import from 55 years ago.

48. Warpaint-The Fool

Debut albums commonly lack a since of identity. It’s a common cliché to note that a band has a lifetime to make their debut album and only a few months to record the follow up. While this is commonly used to point out the amount bands are rushed to produce a follow up, it also points out that most debuts are packed with music written over the course of the bands existence, which could naturally lead to a bit of an identity crises on the album. The Fool is an exception to this train of thought. The band appears focused and the sound remains tight creating blend of Psychedelic and Art Rock that smoothly transitions throughout the nine tracks.

47. Robyn-Body Talk Pt. 1

When it comes to dance music, Europe wins. On her fifth studio album the Swedish recording artist returns with a collection of dance floor burners that utilize hard bass lines and plenty of hooks. Robyn also finishes close second to Cee-Lo Green for funniest refrain to scream out when drunk with: “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do.”

46. Phantogram-Eyelid Movies

It’s easy to argue that singer Sarah Barthel is the strength behind Phantogram. Her insightful lyrics can stay in your head all day, her ambient melodies on the keyboard complement her vocals, and…she’s pretty hot. I would counter with Josh Carter’s contribution on the guitar. Every track is defined by his catchy melodies that drive the album from start to finish. His vocal contributions must also be dually noted on several of the electo-pop duo’s debut album that comes across as danceable as it is listenable.

45. Damien Jurado-Saint Bartlett

Damien Jurado plays a George Harrison style of folk music. Layered with rock and pop influences, Jurado crafts an album that captures the listener’s attention with its accessible sound and maintains interest with his folk based lyrics. He remains accessible to the average listener due to his rock influences that drive the rhythms of the album.

44. Male Bonding-Nothing Hurts

Grunge music hasn’t just died, it has completely vanished. This isn’t to say that people don’t look back on the 90s and reminisce over the golden age while listening to the classics. But as a current genre its up and evaporated from the scene. Male Bonding could bring it back. On the band’s debut album they combine distorted vocals and guitars with poppy bass lines to make….well, grunge. The songs are short and fast. In a little under thirty minutes the listener is left wondering why music like this ever lost the spotlight.

43. Beach Fossils-Beach Fossils

2010 was undoubtedly the year of lo-fi surf rock. Besides Beach Fossils, three other albums grace this list with their “lets hit the beach on a Wednesday” sound. However, compared to their counterparts, Beach Fossils appears slightly more genuine. The lo-fi sound seems natural amongst the nineteen sixties psychedelic guitar riffs and simplistic drums. The result is that warm sound the sixties were known for and a perfect sunny day soundtrack.

42. The Black Keys-Brothers

The Black Keys play heavy music. Not heavy in a since of metal’s thundering guitars or house music’s booming drum kicks but heavy in its abrasive rough around the edges sound. Brothers is a drummer’s album. Each song is heavily dictated by the rhythm of the drums with the bass and guitar playing off its lead. The album successfully fuses blues and rock as The Keys have done throughout their career. Despite a few filler tracks on the back end, the album flows as smoothly as any individual piece.

41. Surfer Blood-Astro Coast

The members of Surfer Blood grew up surfing in South Florida. They make music that lives up to this image, never trying too hard or overpowering the songs on their debut album. There’s plenty to like about the upbeat single “Swim,” which serves as a surfer anthem and is far and away the highlight of the effort.

40. Cee-Lo Green-The Lady Killer

Cee-Lo Green has come a long way from Goodie Mob. These days he’s become R&B’s answer to indie rock. This is a role Green has readily accepted after his work with indietastic producer Danger Mouse on the Gnarls Barkley project and he appears to stay to form here by closing the album out with an extremely well done Band of Horses cover. The lead single, “Fuck (*Forget*) You” is as well produced as any song this year and is sure to have as much lasting power as “Crazy” did.

39. Mumford and Sons-Sigh No More

It’s hard to take Mumford and Sons seriously. What the band lacks in authenticity they clearly compensate for through their songwriting abilities and vocal harmonies. The problem is the lack of sincerity that comes through in their lyrics. They lack a human feel and come across as manufactured. It’s like they are trying to convey some unearned wisdom. It’s not hard to imagine lead singer Marcus Mumford as a pretentious Classics student at The University of Edinburgh. It is, however, much harder to ignore his outstanding songwriting abilities and band’s vocal harmonies that are reminiscent of Fleet Foxes 2008 album.

38. MGMT-Congratulations

Expectations, they’re a bitch. Just ask Greg Oden or Barack Obama. At the early stages of this record band members Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden were faced with an almost impossible question: How do you follow up an album you hate without either isolating your entire fan base or sacrificing your artistic integrity? The easy answer is, you can’t and the duo may have lost some fans in the process. This album shows moments of sincerity (“Congratulations”), moments of stupidity (“Siberian Breaks) and moments of almost brilliance (“Flash Delirium”). The problem with “almost brilliance” is that brilliance tends to be an all or nothing investment. When shooting for it, anything that comes short sounds…really, really strange. Here’s to hoping MGMT’s third album is slightly more refined, a lot more focused, and builds off the massive potential shown here.

37. Brian Eno-Small Craft on a Milk Sea

If it weren’t for Brian Eno, David Bowie would have never recorded the Berlin Trilogy. The Talking Heads would have never released a string of groundbreaking albums at the end of the nineteen seventies. Radiohead wouldn’t have half their influences and thus three quarters of the albums on this list would sound entirely different or would have never been released. In 2010 the godfather of all things pop and rock returned for a solo instrumental album that is reminiscent of his early experimentations into ambient music. The album combines elements of industrial rock with Eno’s trademark ambient sounds to create an extremely thought provoking listening experience.

36. The Hold Steady-Heaven is Whenever

It’s only appropriate for The Hold Steady to be one of the hardest working bands in music. Their blue color southern sound fits the image of a band on the grind day and night. A large portion of The Hold Steady’s fifth studio album was written while the band was on tour. It’s not hard for me to imagine them riding in the tour bus at night crafting the piano driven ballads that are graced with lyrics that are as blunt as they are insightful.

35. Vampire Weekend-Contra

Vampire Weekend had no trouble developing a niche. In the wake of their first album the band garnered a cult following that embraced their 21st century Paul Simon sound. With their sophomore effort, Contra, the band expanded their listener base with an album loaded with radio ready songs. The band also makes an attempt to slow down on many of their tracks and change up the sound enough to keep fans interested. In the wake of this release, which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, it goes without saying that Vampire Weekend’s following has grown a long ways from the niche it started from.

34. Neil Young- Le Noise

Some voices can only be described legendary. At 65 years old, singer/songwriter Neil Yong has placed himself on my shortlist of vocalists next to Lou Reed and Bob Dylan. This is album showcases the emotion in Young’s voice with ballad driven songs that hang Young’s heartfelt vocals over a storm of distorted guitars. The end result is one of Young’s most personal albums, yet one that places emphasis on the powerful lyrics that the singer has penned.

33. The Walkmen-Lisbon

The Walkmen have a knack for creating massive musical climaxes in their songs. This has never been seen clearer than in their newest album’s lead single, “Angela Surf City.” The song is everything I imagine a Walkmen song could be: emotional, energetic, and built up to a specific moment. Throughout The Walkmen’s sixth studio album it becomes clear that the band has fully refined their craft. Every sound is perfectly placed and the band appears to have a full grip on their identity. The result is the most complete album of their career that serves as a blueprint for everything they have done over the last ten years.

32. Wavves-King of the Beach

Being king is fucking awesome, but no one said it was easy. For bandleader Nathan Williams the strains of being a rock star became all too real last year leading to his now infamous on stage meltdown in Barcelona (“Mixing ecstasy, valium and xanax before having to play in front of thousands of people was one of the more poor decisions I've made”). It’s pretty hard to miss the self-loathing on Wavves third album, ironically titled King of the Beach. Williams sings “I’d say I’m sorry/but it wouldn’t mean shit” when discussing the friends he’s isolated over his rise to the top. The now clean(er) bandleader returns on this up beat surf rock album for one of the most unexpected comebacks of the year.

31. The Roots-How I Got Over

The Roots are the hardest working band in music. With a solo album released this year, a collaboration with John Legend and a day job to hold down on Jimmy Fallon the Philadelphia natives kept as busy as anyone in 2010. For a band that will do pretty much anything to make a quick buck, the band has avoided the almost inevitable branding of “sell out” that has been placed on almost every nineties rap artist still producing music today (cough Dr. Dre). What’s more, the band remains culturally relevant including up and coming stars Joanna Newsom and Jim James on this genre crossing album.

30. Portugal. The Man-The Satanic Satanist

Possibly the most slept on band in music right now is Portugal. The Man. The band has released a sting of excellent albums over the last five years but hasn’t seemed to receive the critical acclaim many of their counterparts have enjoyed. On their latest release they mold their signature blues based sound with an electronic synth driven accent. As the band’s sound continues to develop, their hooks become catchier and the albums play out tighter. It should also be noted that “When the War Ends” is an absolute jam.

29. Matt & Kim-Sidewalks

Sidewalks is Matt & Kim’s most fun album yet…and that’s saying something. Each song delivers another catchy melody courtesy of Matt and drum beat from Kim that is eerily similar to the work of Meg White. The Synthpop duo bring a level of energy that seems unobtainable for a band that’s been on tour for the better part of two years promoting their previous release Grand. This album is the band’s most loaded top to bottom and never grows tiresome with seven or eight songs that could easily end up in the next iPod commercial.

28. The Morning Benders-Big Echo

There are few names that fit a band’s image better than The Morning Benders. They play a slow, harmonizing sound that mirrors the feeling of the dreaded morning after. Big Echo was produced by Grizzly Bear bassist Chris Taylor, and it is easy to draw comparisons between the two band’s sounds. The band uses vocal harmonies to build up energy on hooks, but then quickly brings the mood of the music back down to the melancholy feeling that their name suggests.

27. jj-n3

There were few moments when an album made me smile this year like the opening track of jj’s second studio album predictably titled n3 (n1 was an EP). After making a name for themselves on their previous effort by releasing a single that directly sampled Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” the group opened their follow up with a slowed down acoustic rendition of The Game’s “My Life.” jj doesn’t take themselves too seriously and that certainly comes through in their spacey pop music. This short album clocks in at just over 27 minutes, but makes use of its time by packing in short, catchy, and ambient pop singles.

26. Belle & Sebastian-Write About Love

Some formulas work so well it seems foolish to ever change or develop into something new. Belle & Sebastian have found one of these niches. There is plenty to like about Belle & Sebastian’s eighth studio release in the same way the rest of their discography has shined. This isn’t to say the band has failed to develop at all over the course of their career. Their songwriting has improved, and features some of their most upbeat music, which is when they are at their best.

25. Broken Bells-Broken Bells

Brian Burton can do no wrong. In the last two years he has been on the production end of Beck’s Modern Guilt and The Black Key’s Brothers and now he has assumed a more proactive role as half of Broken Bells. Burton’s use of organs and synthesizers layered over drum loops that are reminiscent of his work on Modern Guilt produce a perfect framework for James Mercer’s vocals and guitar. Mercer’s role on this album can be directly compared to 2004 Matt Lineart on USC: There are a lot of people who have the talent to take his place, but they couldn’t make it look nearly as good.

24. Caribou-Swim

The bass lines were the first thing to garner my attention. Producer Daniel Snaith creates a collection of funky dance epics on his latest release Swim. Snaith’s work is reminiscent of James Murphy’s with LCD Soundsystem, due to his drawn out dance anthems that develop from slow starts to powerful rhythms. Caribou appears to take more influence from the world music scene with a South American feel that shares many characteristics with the work of dub step producers.

23. John Legend & The Roots-Wake Up

With the number of similarities in the roots (pun intended) of both gospel and hip-hop music, collaboration between the two would seem more common. It could have to do with the lack mainstream gospel musicians in music today or the fundamental differences between most mainstream rap artists and the nature of gospel music in general. Regardless, this is one of the first times I have heard the two genres mixed and the result is outstanding. John Legend belts out heartfelt hooks alongside an overqualified backing band in The Roots to being the project together. There are just enough guest cameos to keep things interesting. Overall, the album mixes well with some of the best work of John Legend’s career.

22. Revere-Hey! Selim

It’s tough for British bands to get noticed in America. Hell, it took the Beatles three albums before anyone in America paid them any mind. Muse has been on the grind for almost twenty years and they are only now getting the same headliner treatment in the United States that they’ve enjoyed in the UK for almost a decade. Revere has a long road in front of them before developing a following in America, but albums like Hey! Selim are extremely helpful to the process. Although it sounds like an unfair comparison to make, Revere combines the emotional pinnacles Arcade Fire obtains in their songs with the dark subdued sounds of Muse to create an outstanding release.

21. Broken Social Scene-Forgiveness Rock Record

If you are currently unfamiliar with Broken Social Scene’s most recent release, then on your next sunny day drive, I implore you to bring this album along for the ride. I like to picture all of members of BSS recording this music in the studio with massive smiles on their faces the entire time. The album is bright, happy and all around smile inducing with playful guitar riffs and build-ups where the massive nine-person band comes together to jam in perfect harmony.

20. Big Boi-Sir Lucious Leftfoot…The Son of Chinco Dusty

There are some rappers that I could listen to reciting the phone book and be completely content. Tu Pac is one, Big Boi is another. On what’s almost impossible to believe is his first solo release, the southern rapper brings a smooth flow over the quick drumbeats laid out for him by an army of producers. Big Boi brings along an all-star cast of support that surprisingly only feature Andre 3000 on a single production credit. Big Boi uses this album as a creative explosion after playing bridesmaid for years with his debatably crazy counterpart from Outkast. Although there may have been doubt about his career solo, fifteen tracks later listeners are convinced Big Boi will be fine on his own.

19. Deerhunter-Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter didn’t sell me on Microcastle. I was a fan of their spacey dream rock but they never stood out past the thousands of other alternative rock bands floating around the Internet. This album legitimizes their hype for me. The music takes influence from the psychedelic pop of the late sixties. The band combines this with their characteristic Shoegaze sound to create an album that distinguishes them beyond the other bands soliciting your online interest.

18. Janelle Monae-The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)

Janelle Monae is a sick flow away from being the reincarnation of Lauryn Hill. She blends influences from R&B, hip-hop and the late 1930s sounds of boogie-woogie over the course of her debut album. If you played me “Oh, Maker” and told me it was a demo for Lauryn Hill’s latest comeback, I’d be convinced. She hits the rights notes and has emotion in her voice when discussing Ms. Hill’s favorite subject, love. Monae shows off her ability to distinguish herself amongst a hip hop song on lead single Tightrope featuring Big Boi which could hopefully lead to a few interesting collaborations in the upcoming years.

17. Jonsi-Go

Solo projects have a way of sounding just like the original band, only not as good. This is natural considering the same person is writing the songs, but they don’t have the help of talented musicians surrounding them. On Sigur Ros’ lead singer Jonsi’s solo effort, Go, he steps out of the norm to provide a more upbeat pop inspired album. Go still shares many of the orchestral characteristics Sigur Ros is known for, but there is a distinct difference between this album and the band’s catalog. The songs have been simplified and striped down to become more accessible for new fans without sacrificing too much from the artist’s past work.

16. Local Natives-Local Natives

It’s hard for a band to sound fresh in alternative rock these days. When attempting to win over new fans, indie bands are required to sell them on an entire album as opposed to single songs that major labels may push on their artists (See: Kings of Leon). Local Natives don’t do anything on their debut album that hasn’t already been done before. They just do it with consistency that’s rare for rookies such as themselves. The album never lags and doesn’t rely on one or two singles, even though “Airplanes” is pretty catchy. This completeness proves their songwriting ability and shows that Locals Native are here to stay past the hype of single or two.

15. Crystal Castles-Crystal Castles II

There are few bands that can take the listener to a place of pure euphoria quite like Crystal Castles. On this sequel to their similarly titled debut album the duo return with a product that out shines the original. Alice Glass’ vocals convey emotion though the heavily distorted sound and harmonizing synthesizers. Their music is dark and almost frightening but they energy behind it empowers the listener, especially when they’ve had a few.

14. Best Coast-Best Coast

The crown for surf rock in 2010 goes to Bethany Cosentino and her Best Coast cohorts. Best Coast delivered an album of short and energetic rock songs that played out like a teenager’s diary set to California surf rock. The album does an excellent job of conveying the nostalgia of growing up in summer time through the simplistic guitar riffs and lo-fi recordings. To all those critics who complained about the simplistic lyrical content: The Beatles first five albums make Bethany look like Immortal Technique and no one gives them any shit for it.

13. Sufjan Stevens-The Age of Adz

When Jay-Z announced the death of auto tune, there were several exceptions, Kanye West was one of them, Sufjan Stevens was another. The Age of Adz is Sufjan’s most personal album to date. The track listing itself was sure to turn several heads with 11 tracks and almost 75 minutes featuring the epically composed “Impossible Soul” that clocks in at just over twenty-five minutes. That track alone takes listeners though layers upon layers of Sufjan’s creative brilliance transforming and evolving over its gradual development. It is the perfect climax for an album that pushes the limits of Sufjan’s diverse catalogue.

12. Dr. Dog-Shame, Shame

“When you can’t be yourself, there’s just too much to be” sings Scott McMicken on Shame, Shame, Dr. Dog’s strongest album to date. This is a problem Dr. Dog know all too well. Developing an identity was something the band struggled with early in their careers. It wasn’t until their previous album, Fate, they begin to find their convert zone and it is fully realized on this follow up. The band successfully uses multiple songwriters in a way that few modern groups have done to amplify their creative output and produce their trademark folk inspired music that embraces the harmonizing ability that comes with having multiple lead singers.

11. The Drums-The Drums

With catchy sixties California pop reminiscent of the early work of the Beach Boys, The Drums win the award for best debut album of 2010. The Brooklyn band released an album full of wholesome, vanilla beach rock straight out of the nineteen sixties. The album shows variety from a upbeat start with “Best Friend” and “Lets go Surfing.” It evolves to demonstrate heartfelt anthems such as “Down by the Water.” The album sounds like nothing that was released this year and hopefully they can continue to develop this untapped sound in the future.

10. Titus Andronicus-The Monitor

If the nineties were the decade that rocked, the upcoming ten years has the makings of the one whimpered. These days bands are afraid to rock. It’s a sensitive subject that commonly gets looped together with either the over heavy sounds of death metal or the sensitive subject of being branded “emo.” Titus Andronicus rocks like bands used to back in the nineties. From the opening chords of “A More Perfect Union” the band sets the tone for the rest of the complex, loosely concept based album. The loose affiliation with the civil war throughout the album fuels the energy of the songs and builds up suspense for the upcoming music between the tracks.

9. The Tallest Man on Earth-The Wild Hunt

Kristian Matsson isn’t actually that tall, in fact according to his homeland of Sweden’s standards he’s actually rather short. But folk music has roots in fables and if Matsson chose to belt out the story of how he lost his height over an acoustic guitar in the future, I’d have a tough time not believing him. The Wild Hunt is the most personal album of 2010 with simplistic acoustic guitar tracks driven by Marsson’s vibrant voice. It’s difficult to not be moved by his screeching vocals stretching out quivering notes as long as he can over the gentle guitar riffs. It’s natural to make comparisons to the great Bob Dylan and Matsson even gives the legend a shout out on the stand out track “King of Spain” calling for his “boots of Spanish leather.” The similarities between the two don’t appear as numerous as first listen would imply. Matsson never uses a political agenda to guide his lyrics, which are much more based on personal experience than social commentary. Through the peaceful nature of his songs, Matsson’s conveys the emotion and storytelling ability that have been cornerstones in folk music since its inception.

8. Miniature Tigers-Fortress

Albums are long, and easy to mess up. Suppose a band really nails six of the eleven songs on their album, while this might be considered outstanding in baseball and acceptable for free throws it’s rather disappointing in music. On Fortress Miniature Tigers never loose their edge. There isn’t a single misplaced guitar riff or song that runs on for a little longer than needed. Slow songs transitions for fast ones, lows are perfectly matched with highs and production is outstanding. The album is sharp, start to finish and never lags proving quick movement from track to track. The sound builds off oriental influences to create a unique sound that results in one of the strongest alternative rock releases of 2010.

7. Gorillaz-Plastic Beach

When all is said and done, how will Damon Albarn be remembered? As the pretty boy front man of Britpop princes Blur, or the crazy genus that created the most successful animated band ever (suck it Alvin & the Chipmunks). In the United States the answer is clear. Albarn’s ability to craft a mixture of pop, orchestral, and hip-hop music on Plastic Beach might have taken more creative ideas than the entire Britpop movement ever produced. Albarn cast his album perfectly, placing an outstanding supporting cast of vocalists throughout the track list, each providing their own dimension to the final product. The lead role was saved for Albran himself and he delivered, turning solo tracks “On Melancholy Hill” and “Rhinestone Eyes” into highlights that showcase the singer’s ability as a rock and roll star.

6. Joanna Newsom-Have One on Me

If you haven’t yet had time to give a good listen to Joanna Newsom’s triple album Have One on Me wait for a rainy day, brew a pot of your favorite tea, turn on this album and drift away on the two hour journey provided by Ms. Newsom. The term beauty gets thrown around a lot in music, mostly without much merit. Have One on Me can safely be described in this category in the same way that Sigur Ros’ Ágætis byrjun and Fleet Foxes’ debut album earned the title. Newsom’s vocals flutter gently over captivating musical arrangements that are predominantly led by her work on the harp. The album’s title, which is humorously ironic based on the effort placed into such an ambitious release, also alludes to the personal nature of the lyrics. The album is remarkably relatable and can evoke memories and feelings for any listener. When Newsom opens the second disk with the heartfelt “On a Good Day” it is impossible no to be moved by her ability to capture the difficulties of remaining hopeful amidst the worst of things.

5. The National-High Violet

How big can The National get? Three year ago the Brooklyn based band broke into the national spotlight with Boxer. Today they may be the best band in music. It's only appropriate the blue color musicians grew to fame the hard way: by releasing a string of brilliant albums and then touring the hell out of them. High Violet is the culmination of The National’s hard work; it is the finished product of a sound that they have been refining for the last decade. Where Alligator had trouble sustaining listeners and moments of Boxer seemed forced, High Violet never lays off its heartfelt appeals to the struggles of being normal. The cold and dark sounds associated with their previous work remain, which leads us back to the original question of: How big can The National get? The great Bruce Springsteen found ways to seamlessly fuse radio ready songs with the heavier ballads that provided the heart and soul of his albums. When modern band Modest Mouse attempted to replicate this feat they lost the sincerity that had been the foundation of their previous albums. This the fundamental problem for bands like The National and without universal tastes changing drastically, there will never be a place for their ghostly ballads on top 40 radio.

4. Beach House-Teen Dream

Buzz bands have a way of growing insignificant quickly. Whatever niche they temporally filled can grow tired with the insistent annoyance of their single on repeat week after week. It’s uncommon for a buzz band to spend much time developing their sound, instead they traditionally take whatever got them there and ride it out until no one can stand to listen. Most importantly, it should be noted that buzz bands never match their first album. I used to think Beach House was a buzz band, but Beach House didn’t follow this format. They steady developed over the course of their last three albums to craft a masterpiece that provides a collage of perfectly layered sound. Teen Dream surprised me in the same as imagining Passion Pit releasing an album of this caliber four years from now. This album shows Beach House is a sustainable force in the music world, relaying on their skill as songwriters and musicians as opposed to a few catchy songs that placed them in the limelight.

3. Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

I wanted to see Kanye West fail. I avoided his Friday downloads like the plague, telling myself I wouldn’t like them. When he announced the working title of Good Ass Job I took joy in making light of the various ways to read the name and when he switched the title to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy I thought it sounded even dumber. The first time I heard “Runaway” performed at the VMA’s, I convinced myself it was a dumb cry for attention with a catchy beat. But upon hearing the rapper/producer/singer/everything-musically-related’s fifth studio album, I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

This is the best work of Kayne’s career. Better than his hit heavy Graduation even better than his throw back debut The College Dropout. This album will do to the next ten years of hip-hop what The Blueprint did in 2001 and what Illmatic did in the mid nineties. Every subsequent release in the genre will be influenced by his work in some way. His collaboration with dozens of artists leads to an album that could have seven or eight radio singles. There has never been a better produced hip-hop album, ever. Every moment is perfectly refined to sound exactly as Kanye intended, hell it’s of some value to note that Kanye sucks at singing, but you wouldn’t think it based on the production of the album. This is the comeback story of the year and the reason why Kanye’s ego is, at times, warranted.

2. Arcade Fire-The Suburbs

For Arcade Fire’s third studio album they chose to release a concept driven sixteen-track effort that examines the nature of mortality by relating it to the image of a childhood in Middle American suburbs. To say it was ambitious would be a massive understatement. Keep in mind Arcade Fire are at about the same point in their careers as southern rockers Kings of Leon were when they started writing songs about how their sex was on fire. With that being said, they are also in a similar position Radiohead was in when they released OK Computer.

The concept behind The Suburbs is complicated, but in short the album uses the insatiable desire to return back to one’s childhood to demonstrate the impending mortality of life. While this concept is remarkably heavy, it finds lead singer Win Butler in his most human form. On the closing track when the front man finds himself begging to have back all the time he wasted, just so he could waste it again, he has one of the most relatable moments of his career.

The easy complaint found in The Suburbs is the length, clocking in at just over an hour. The album flows together with dual tracks leading into each other and a constant message driving the music. There are no tracks that I would feel comfortable removing from the hour-long album without potentially weakening the message. This message aims to show that human life should be treasured and we can’t waist our time getting too pissed off that youth is indeed wasted on the young. While this album finished second this year it very well may grow into a classic and ten years down the line, I just might fancy it’s chances in a re-vote.

1. LCD Soundsystem-This Is Happening

There are two ways to look at the title of LCD Soundsystem’s latest release This is Happening. The first is the straightforward approach. After three long years of waiting James Murphy and Co. have completed the well-documented creation of the front man’s self proclaimed retirement album. This is indeed happening, the album is finally being released, and the dream is over. This take seems a little too egotistical to be Murphy’s main inspiration. The second approach would be to consider the subject matter of the album. This is Happening is the most narrative of LCD’s works and it’s lyrical content evokes the feelings of doubt, discouragement, and desperation that come with the realization that life doesn’t always go as planned. In choosing the title This is Happening, Murphy illustrates the realization that one day we will grow old, and it can be difficult to accept.

Murphy himself is one of the most interesting elements of LCD Soundsystem’s music. The forty-year-old musician has no reservations in writing songs that play off his toughest moments. At an age where most people begin to loose their musical relevance Murphy is producing the best work of his career due to his ability to sincerely express the issues of a middle aged man that few pop stars have experienced. If it wasn’t for Murphy’s background, his songs wouldn’t carry the same power. In the same way that it would be hard to take Vampire Weekend’s rendition of “Fuck tha Police” seriously, listening to Justin Bieber beg for someone to give them a last chance at love would not evoke the same emotion that Murphy evokes when he pleads his significant other to give him another chance on standout track “I Can Change.”

Musically the album shows LCD Soundsystem at their best. The songs infuse pop music greats like David Byrne, Brian Eno, and David Bowie together with modern dance music to create an uncommonly vintage feel for a dance record. “All I Want,” the sixties glam rock ballad, emphasizes this by borrowing the distorted guitar riff directly from Bowie’s Heroes and using it as the foundation of the song. In looking at how this album relates to the rest of Murphy’s work it is arguable that this is a more complete album than 2007’s Sound of Silver and more focused than the band’s self titled debut. If this truly is the end of James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem, they can be confident that they went out at the top of their game.