Top 10 Albums of 2010 - Better Late Than Never

I was telling a friend the other day that I absolutely suck at blogging.  Work, and life in general, got really busy over the past few months.  Therefore, I completely ignored my Dogwood site.  With all of 5 readers, I doubt it bothered anyone other than myself.

Regardless, I'm back at it again.  My last bit of playing catch-up will involve posting my Top 10 Albums of 2010 list which I formulated back before Christmas.  A great year for music overall, 2010 introduced me to some great new artists (Angus & Julia Stone), gave me solid releases from old favorites (The National, Arcade Fire, Jimmy Eat World, etc.), and even disappointed me at times with somewhat forgettable outings from traditionally amazing bands (The New Pornographers, Belle & Sebastian, etc.).  2010 also saw artists like Jenny Lewis and Scott Lucas venture away from their traditional calling card sounds to different territories on a couple of wonderful new projects.

The list:

10. Jimmy Eat World - Invented

As far as shiny, shimmery pop rock goes, these guys are the kings in my book.  It's not as good as Futures, but it fulfills a lot of the same cravings.  I spun this a ton when it first came out, and I find myself revisiting it pretty frequently.

9. Scott Lucas & The Married Men - George Lassos the Moon

Local H frontman gives us some Dylan and Young inspired tunes that hit home perfectly for me.  I really hope we hear more out of this project.

8. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

Gone this time around is the heavy reverb on the vocals and some of the nostalgic mood that dominated The '59 Sound which is one of my favorite albums of the last ten years.  Still present, however, are energetic rock tunes reminiscent of Springsteen and The Clash.  This formula works well for Gaslight, and it has quickly propelled them up the ranks as one of my favorite bands going.

7. Angus & Julia Stone - Down the Way

I had never heard of this Australian duo until 2010, I'll admit.  As I often do, I took a chance on this based on recommendations from certain trustworthy online sources.  I feel lucky to have this album in my possession now, as it's been one of my most frequently played collections of the year.  The vocals may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the songs soar enough that it doesn't even matter.  Indie-folk-pop-acoustic-whatever, it's beautiful.

6. Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

This one is a little "safe" compared to previous records, but it's still Band of Horses.  There are some amazing Beach Boys-style melodies and harmonies here.

5. Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now

Jenny can do no wrong in my book; some of the best sunny day driving tunes out there.

4. Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away

It's funny, had I written this list back at the end of the year this album would have fallen somewhere around number nine or ten.  This thing just keeps getting better and better for me.  I've always loved Ritter, and this is just another example of some of the best songwriting out there currently.  Biggest grower of the year.

3. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

This album actually won the Grammy for Best Album of 2010, and it was a great moment for everyone who has been following the monumental and epic sounds of Arcade Fire for all of these years.

2. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

There is nothing groundbreaking or earth-shattering about what this guy does, but I can't get enough of it.  Acoustic folk that is perfect for outdoor listening in the afternoon with a cold one.

1. The National - High Violet

Is there any surprise that this landed at number one for me?  Call it indie if you want, but I just call it rock.  These are some intelligently written tunes, and this one will stay in my rotation for years and years.