The Musicmen Cometh!

Best of 2010 Records

2010 was a great year for music. I’m not sure if it beats 2009, or I still herald 2003 as the best year in music since I started compiling lists. And I also measure every year to 2003. (2003 brought us Damien Rice’s debut, Nada Surf’s reinvention record, Rufus Wainwright’s “Want One,” and Cat Power’s “You are Free”, to name a few). But alas, here is my list of my favorite records of 2010.

Top 15 Records of 2010

15 | The National - High Violet

I love this band. They seem to get better with each release. Best Track: Anyone’s Ghost

14 | The Antlers - Hospice

Sad sounds of music here. But I love it. Great lyrics, great quiet tempos, good guitar work. A great late discovery of 2010. Best Track: Kettering

13 | The Black Keys - Brothers

This band finally achieved what I believed it was capable of, since I heard their debut record, years ago. Best Track: Tighten Up

12 | The Apples in Stereo - Travelers In Space and Time

If this whole record matched some of the best songs, then it’d probably be higher on the list. I LOVE this record, but in truth, I love this record because there’s so many great handfuls of songs. Best Tracks: Dance Floor, Told You Once, Hey Elevator, Nobody But You

11 | Beach House - Teen Dream

The first time I heard “Zebra”, I instantly fell in love. I hadn’t heard much of their stuff before, but I’m glad I checked out this record. Soothing vocals played over shoegazey tones make this a great fall/winter record to enjoy. Best Track: Norway

10 | Jars of Clay - The Shelter

I love everything these guys put out. This record stands out more than the previous, due to all of the collaborations with some fine musicians. Best Tracks: The Shelter, Run in the Night, Call My Name

09 | Yeasayer - Odd Blood

This was another instant love for me. I heard “O.N.E.” and knew it’d be a sound that I’d connect with. The record holds up, for sure. Great record from a band that had a pretty good debut. Best Track: Ambling Amp

08 | Mumford & Suns - Sigh No More

At first I wrote these guys off as an Avett Brothers knock off. Sure, they may have capitalized on the Brothers’ sound that got them where they are, but Mumford, the more I listen, goes more for the driving four-to-the-floor beat than the quiet, tenderness of the Avett Brothers at times. Best Tracks: Sigh No More, Awake My Soul, The Cave

07 | The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

I think everyone knew when this came out that it’d be killer. No letdown here. This band just stands atop of their peers by leaps and bounds, in my opinion. Weird/odd frontman or not, these guys rule. Best Tracks: Sprawl II, Empty Room

06 | Brandon Flowers - Flamingo

I was ecstatic that these songs Brandon wrote were recorded. I love the Killers, but this is where the best of the best really is. Brandon being Brandon, is what I call it. We saw glimpses of this with The Killers at times, but this is more mature, with better lyrics and musicianship. Best Tracks: Magdalena, Only the Young, Hard Enough

05 | Fun. - Aim & Ignite

What a fine record this turned out to be! From the moment they released “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)”, I couldn’t wait for more. I saw these guys live this year and they played every song verbatim in the finest way. Great melodies and well written indie pop. Best Tracks: I wanna be the One, All The Pretty Girls

04 | Tokyo Police Club - Champ

Another outstanding band that I got to see live. Gone are the pulsulating riff-jams that defined them early on (see, “Cut Cut Paste”), but that’s not a band thing. This is a fine record that is good from start to finish. Best Tracks: Favorite Food, Bambi, Wait Up (Boots of Danger)

03 | Hammock - Chasing After Shadows… Living With Ghosts

Not too much to say about this except that everything this band releases seems ethereal and outerwordly. It’s heaven’s soundtrack. I read somewhere from some kid that said, “God is a fan, for sure.” Sounds about right. Best Tracks: The World We Knew As Children, Little Fly/Mouchette, Dust in the Devil’s Snow

02 | Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History

This was my most recommended to others record of 2010. I told more people about this band than any other. I declared it as 2010’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”. And rightly so - every freaking song is a winner. Best tracks: I Can Talk, Do You Want It All, Come Back Home

01 | Vampire Weekend - Contra

No words can really describe how much I love this album. I didn’t really like their debut record (I do now, fyi), but once I saw them on SNL this year, I was hooked. Everything about this record is what defines my tastes in music. Great hooks, stellar writing, and innovative melodies. Best Tracks: Giving Up The Gun, Run, Horchata, Giant (Itunes Extra)

Best Tracks of 2010

Athlete – Superhuman Touch

The Bird Day – Space Feeling

Chromeo – Night By Night

Joel Willoughby – Hazelnut Moon

KT Tunstall – Fade Like A Shadow

Kyle Andrews – Sushi

Taylor swift – Sparks Fly

Matt & Kim - Cameras

Donkeyboy - Sometimes

Kanye West - All of the Lights

Favorite Non-2010 Records I listened To

Just Jack - All Night Cinema

Mansions - New Best Friends

Harry Nilsson - Son of Schmilsson

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line