10. Envy on the Coast - Lowcountry
It took me until the end of November (four months after their breakup) to actually fully listen to this record all the way through and it ended up cracking my Top 10 for the year. Enough said. If you've ever heard Envy on the Coast described as a mix between Incubus and Glassjaw, this is a perfect example of that sound.
MP3: "Southern Comfort"
9. Beach House - Teen Dream
This dream-pop band out of Baltimore (Ball-e-more) crafty lucid gems that float with such spine-tingling weightlessness that you'll have to pinch yourself just to snap back into reality. Victoria LeGrand's full, smokey croons simmer underneath the shimmering instrumentation that's recalls flowers blooming and Nordic lake water rippling in slow-motion.
MP3: "Gila"
8. Cee Lo Green - The Ladykiller
Cee Lo Green mashed together classic soul, cinematic 007 cheesiness, and his own oddball style to make one of the most fun and vibrant records of the year. "Fuck You" is hands down the best song of 2010 ("I Want You" is a close-second) and this dude has every reason to represent for all the pink suit-wearing gospel folk out there.
MP3: "Fuck You"
7. The Roots - How I Got Over
The Legendary Roots Crew scaled back the darkness and amped up the jazz for How I Got Over, resulting in a collection of songs that's worth a listen both for it's superior musicianship and ever-concious lyrics. ?uestlove is still the best band leader around, Black Thought can still spit ferocious bars, and their excellent guest spots (Blu, Jim James, and Joanna Newsome) never fail to disappoint.
MP3: "The Day" (feat. Blu, Phonte, Patty Crash)
6. King of Leons - Come Around Sundown
Yeah, yeah the cries of "sellouts" got exponentially louder after the release of their follow-up to 2008's breakout Only By The Night. If you put your PBR down and stop brain-storming eccentric ways to shape your facial hair, and really listen...you might find the KOL are working their way towards the becoming the U2 of the Deep South. Varying from huge arena rockers ("The End") to a doo-wop ode to Mary Jane ("Mary") to a true jam-band singalong ("Back Down South"), the Followill's further confirm they deserve their regal namesake.
MP3: "Back Down South"
5. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
It would be hard to make a record that's a better front-to-back play than 59' Sound. Too bad that's exactly what the Gaslight Anthem did with their second LP. Packing in more crunchy punk riffs, Boss-esque howls, and lyrics about getting out of this town, Brian Fallon and co. give our younger generation a reason to associate the Garden State with something other than fist-pumping and "smushing".
MP3: "The Diamond Church Street Choir"
4. The Black Keys - Brothers
It's hard to find artists than can salvage more purity from grit that the Black Keys. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney up the fuzz and thump in their garage-blues, but emerge with songs that are so sparklingly tender ("Everlasting Light", "Never Give You Up") that you'll need to dim the lights to set the mood. If blues is your go-to following heartbreak, don't fear. Lead singles "Next Girl" and "Tighten Up" pack enough venom to sting any sinister temptress.
MP3: "Next Girl"
3. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Truly an album for any season, the multi-talented dudes from L.A.-based Local Natives dish out Beach Boy-esque harmonies, thundering percussion, and just about everything else that makes you want to dance and sing-a-long.
MP3: "Wide Eyes"
2. Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise
If you've read this blog before, you should be well-versed in the nature of my man crush on Anthony Green. This is being their first major label effort, it is much more streamlined and much less "out there" than their past works. However, no substance is lost, as they use brute force ("Get Out"), experimental composition ("Fever Dreams") pop sensabilities ("Imaginary Enemy", "I Felt Free") and, as always, Green's tantalizing vocal abilities to drop another stunner.
MP3: "Spirit of the Stairwell"
1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West dominated 2010, so it's only fitting he also drops by far the best record of the year. Epic and ambitious across the board (9 of the 14 songs exceed five minutes), Yeezy gives every other artist in the game a serious lesson in sampling (King Crimson???), wordplay ("Too many Urkels on your team/that's why your Winslow"), and guest selection (Elton John, Jay-Z, two members of Wu-Tang, and Bon Iver).
As Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield put perfectly: "There’s a famous story about Queen making "Bohemian Rhapsody": Whenever the band thought the song was finished, Freddie Mercury would say, "I’ve added a few more ‘Galileos’ here, dear." But nobody can out-Galileo Kanye."
MP3: "All Of The Lights (feat. Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Fergie, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Elton John, Charlie Wilson, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Tony Williams & Elly Jackson)"
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