After careful consideration, I've decided to pick my top ten albums of the year 2010. I don't think I did this last year, for whatever reason, but this year, I see no reason why I shouldn't. I'm not working, so I have nothing but time on my hands.
1. Neon Trees - Neon Trees
The Neon Trees apparently had an album similar to the one they put out in 2010, but I didn't hear that album; I heard this one. And what I heard on this album I loved to death. I listened to it approximately a thousand times and every single time I find something I like about it more and more. The song “1983” (see: year of JD’s birth) is so exceptionally written that it reminds me of shitty/great moments in my own life. The song they’re best known for is “Animal” which is a catchy tune, but not even remotely their best song. The best song on the album, for me at least, is “Your Surrender.”
Key tracks: ‘1983’, ‘Your Surrender’, ‘Animal’
2. Motion City Soundtrack – My Dinosaur Life
Motion City Soundtrack might be my favorite band. This is a true statement, but it might also be false, but the 3rd album on this list might belong to my favorite band. A favorite band is a band whose album you can listen to on repeat if you just can’t listen to new music, because you need that familiarity. Dinosaur Life has the makings of that kind of album, because it’s so similar, and yet so different, from every Motion City Soundtrack album. The albums that I personally love, are albums that I know all the words too (ie: Boston – Boston) and this is one of those albums. I can’t pick out a single track or a few tracks to pick, but I will say that “@!#?@!” is an anthem for doing your own thing, for being your own person, and for loving the New York Jets. Well, at least for me.
3. We Are Scientists – Barbara.
I can say for a fact that We Are Scientists are one of my favorite bands (oddly enough that list includes: Blink 182, Metallica, Motion City Soundtrack, and We Are Scientists …Say Anything is a distant 5th). The only thing wrong with Barbara is that it’s too short. It makes me yearn for more We Are Scientists music. My favorite track on the album is “Jack and Ginger” – so much so that I, stupidly, drank the title and it’s not a drink I am a fan of. WAS are not a band for everyone. I personally don’t know one other person that likes them, but I do. I’ve listened to every album and know every word to every song and consider myself a fan of theirs. If you want to put your ear to something refreshing and listen to some amazing lyrics, pick up this album.
Key tracks: ‘Jack and Ginger’, ‘Rules don’t stop’, ‘Ambition’
4. Eminem – Recover.
Like I have to say it; Eminem is back. He’s shucked off the stink of his Relapse album and come full force with Recovery. This isn’t the best Eminem album to date, but it’s probably number two. He’s not rapping in little kid voices anymore, Marshall Mathers is a man, man. And far be it for me to wax intellectual about it, because I’ve been a fan since day one, but Relapse was a giant piece of shit as far as Eminem goes, and he knows it. There’s times when a band you love comes out with an album that you just despise (ie: Metallica’s St. Anger) and you just try and try and try to love it, but you just can’t. That was me with Relapse, it was a horrible album.
Key tracks: ‘Won’t back down’, ‘Love the way you lie’, ‘Cinderella Man’
5. Against Me! – White Crosses
I’ve listened to this album probably a hundred times while I worked out over the summer and sometimes, not even working out, just listening to the harsh vocals and receptive lyrics. ‘I was a Teenage Anarchist/Looking for a revolution’ was the first album and basically they’re talking about all the thoughts you had of a teenager and all the options you had. It’s a damn good song, and so is the rest of the album.
Key tracks: ‘I was a Teenage Anarchist’, ‘Rapid Decompression’
6. Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
I remember when this album dropped and by dropped I mean it was obtainable…illegally…not by me of course, but by someone else, right? I remember this, because of how excited I was. Their second album The ’59 Sound was amazing, I loved every song on the album and can still recite the lyrics from memory. American Slang is the third album of gruff, almost mean sounding Gaslight Anthem, and it’s not as good as 59 Sound, but it’s still good enough to be on here. The lead singer, Brian Fallon, has a little Springsteen going on. Not to mention he’s from fucking Red Bank. Nooch.
Key tracks: ‘Old Haunts’ ‘American Slang’
7. Brandon Flowers – Flamingo
Brandon Flowers is the lead singer of the rock band The Killers, and this is his first solo album. All I have to say is that if is his first shot at putting out a solo album…I can’t wait for the second album. Flamingo is a mix of pop, rock, and melody enriched music that takes you from one extreme to the other. He croons about Las Vegas in Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, where the Killers originated, and he sings with Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley and Jenny and Johnny) in ‘Hard Enough’ – which is a pretty amazing duet. The album didn’t receive the most critical praise, but that’s expected, it’s a weird album with a very vague message (if any). It’s very catchy though and it’s an easy listen. It’s an album that you can just sit down and enjoy.
Key tracks: ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’, ‘Hard Enough’, ‘Magdalena’
8. Pete Yorn – Pete Yorn
I don’t know what it is with Pete Yorn, but every album he puts out is different. He had that awful album with Scarlett Johannson that was practically unlistenable and his prior solo effort was just way to soft and mellow to listen to. This album, however, returned Yorn to his Musicforthemorningafter days.
Key tracks: ‘Rock Crowd’, ‘Precious Stone’, ‘Velcro shoes’
9. Vampire Weekend – Contra.
I think I’m alone in liking Vampire Weekend, at least when it comes to my friends, but they’re awesome. They’re music is severely different compared to anything else out there and they sing about weird shit. I love that about them. At this point who hasn’t heard Holiday on those car commercials? I think my favorite song off the album is “Cousins” though, it’s quick, fun, and I’m not sure if it means anything, but whatever.
Key Tracks: ‘Cousins’ ‘Holiday’ ‘Giving up the Gun’
10. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
First of all, I could give a shit if Kanye West stole the microphone from Taylor Swift, there I said it. Kanye West is a lunatic, and he’s completely out of touch with reality, but that’s what makes him who he is. Everyone out there hates Kanye West, because of what he did to Taylor Swift, but I don’t care. Maybe West was drunk, maybe he was high, and who gives a crap. He made Taylor Swift famous and he made himself infamous in the process. Fantasy sold almost 500,000 copies in its first week and hit number one. Not to mention after everything that happened at the MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West was awarded MTV’s Man of the Year award. You can pretend to hate him, but you know you like him.
Key Tracks: ‘Dark Fantasy’, ‘Runaway’, ‘Power’
Honorable Mentions:
Drake – Thank Me Later
Wavves – King of the Beach
Bruno Mars – Doo Wops and Hooligans
T.I. – No Mercy
Trapt – No Apologies
Max Bemis and the Painful Splits.
