2010 Music Survey Results - Top 50 Albums (21-30)

# 21

MGMT - Congratulations (April 13, 2010)

"When I was a kid, I heard the Supertramp song "Breakfast in America" and I was, somehow, deeply affected by it. This bubblegum pop song made me feel like I was, in a way, rushing towards a future that contained things my 10 year old consciousness couldn't fathom. Well, 30 years later, this album makes me feel that way too. Or, I may be having a stroke..." - Rain

"A classic sophomore curveball. Congratulations finds MGMT abandoning their synth-pop utopia for much darker territory.This is the comedown, the freak-out... the claustrophobic nightmare after the dream. Transfigurations this violent can be frightening for the world at large but make no mistake- this is a work of courageous quality and you get the feeling that this may just be the beginning of a brilliant career." - Luc

# 22

Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown (October 19, 2010)

"Kings of Leon could write songs about unicorns and fairy dust and it would still sound sexy. The gut wrenching, sexified vocals of Anthony Followell are still there and could make any girl swoon (or make out with the closest guy)" - Layne

"The music was a little slower than what I anticipated." - Julia

# 23

Twin Shadow - Forget (September 28, 2010)

"Soaked in the '80s. Love those thumpy bass lines and Talking Heads-esque vocals. Rising on the significant other scale as the year ends." - Jeremy

"'At My Heels' creates an instant dance party in our house...  even for the member of our family who can't walk yet." - Ancient Indian Wizard

# 24

Broken Bells - Broken Bells (March 9, 2010)

"We used 'The Ghost Inside' in a skate clip at work this year.  I got to hear the song like 100 times and I still love it." - Ancient Indian Wizard

"I was sad when the Shins stopped making interesting music. This album combines James Mercer's unique voice with an updated sound. Solid album" - Brasilliant

# 25

The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang (June 15, 2010)

"Fresh and refreshing, but with an old-style influence and character. So awesome on album & in person." - NightraiN

"Fuck those Jersey Shore kids, Gaslight's killer tunes make me proud to be a Jersey native." - Mona

# 26

Wolf Parade - Expo 86 (June 29, 2010)

"A solid third release from a band that always puts out flawless and exciting indie rock albums.  I fucking love Wolf Parade, there's really not much else I can say." - Mona

"Perhaps the greatest triumph of our modern independent rock is it's acknowledgment & mastery of every era of rock music. Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug & Dan Broeckner seamlessly merge the hiccup of post punk & 90's indie with the guitar crunch & epic scope of classic rock. Expo thinks hard and rocks harder... and it's damn good driving music." - Luc

"Another artist whom I'd come close to finding kinship with in recordings past, Wolf Parade nailed it for me this year with Expo '86.  Another band I should have seen live this year but had to miss, sadly. Dreamy, ominous, and rockin'." - Tex

"This has been a grower on me... Jerky, jumpy and energetic." - NightraiN

"Love everything they do, but needs a little more time to marinate." - Ernesto

# 27

Hillstomp - Darker The Night (July 20, 2010)

"A two-man wrecking crew that pounds and sweats out the blues with hypnotic guitar riffs, 5-gallon buckets and a country-mile of duct tape." - awmercy

"My favorite new band this year. More banjo please." - Sandenuts

# 28

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (March 9, 2010)

"Very different kind of sound (as always) and pretty awesome, though I wouldn't say I loved all the songs." - Julia

# 29

Sharon Van Etten - Epic (September 21, 2010)

"Great songs, outstanding voice. I'm a sucker for a little slide guitar too. One song sounds like The Cranberries and I don't even mind." - Jeremy

# 30

Free Energy - Stuck On Nothing (May 4, 2010)

"Feel good classic rock. Every song feels like a celebration of youth, friends and just having fun." - awmercy

"Like awesome 70s FM radio never went away. And, for my own list, something other than Americana/roots." - JasonT

Popquizkid's Summer Short List

Oh, hey. It's been a while.

This week Jesse asked for "five things related to music that have rocked your socks in 2010" and since I rarely listen to albums in their entirety, I found the latest Five Things format quite liberating. Just in time for a little holiday called Independence Day. Am I right?

5. TIE: I love Florence & the Machine's Dog Days Are Over. But do I love it more than this Brazilian baby dancing samba?

4. Hot Chip and The xx show. This was my second Hot Chip show at DC's 9:30 Club, and both shows rank among the best shows I've ever seen anywhere. The xx sounded exactly like their studio recording - breathy, sultry, intimate, and the slightest bit ominous...oh, and really great - but the duo's look surprised me; there was more androgyny than I had imagined, and there were many, many more amulets.

3. Bands with the word "bells" in their name. First there was the Sleigh Bells "Treats" album. I would say that it's both an aural assault and a piece of pop candy, but somebody already did that. I love that something so difficult to listen to can simultaneously bring me so much pleasure. Then I scored a free ticket to the very solid Morning Benders & Broken Bells show at the 9:30 Club. Highlights other than the free ticket included Broken Bells' oh so random and oh so foxy covers of “Crimson and Clover” and “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me.”

2. Greyson Chance singing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi." This kid is in the 6th grade. His talent makes me think illegal thoughts. (Watch the blonde on the back row fall in love.)

1. The future! Including the Deer Tick & Wye Oak show that I'll see on my birthday later this month. And the She & Him concert that I'll see this weekend on the beach at Governor's Island. Maybe I'll even review it. Have a safe and happy 4th, everyone.

The Morning Benders - Big Echo (2010)

Mark you calendars, Friday, May 21st at the Regency Ballroom The Morning Benders will be rolling into town to open for Broken Bells. I'm not sure which is more of a treat: Two stellar "groups" playing one show or The Morning Benders' new album Big Echo. The Berkeley to Brooklyn based band nails it on the head on this one. I was originally turned onto these guys because of their similarities to Ra Ra Riot, but I feel like they have taken great leaps forward with this release and established not just a sound, but a level of independence from defining comparisons. Although, there are some elements of Ra Ra Riot and Elvis Perkins mixed in with Beach Boy harmonies, I think it is fair to say that The Morning Benders have come to the party to stay by their own right. "Excuses" is the type of single that connects with you immediately and kicks off the album in a way that draws you in real close with its indie pop catchiness. Once "Excuses" sets the table for the rest of the album, you can enjoy the layered instrumentation and vocals that can be both relaxing and invigorating, depending on the mood - I could both fall asleep and prep for a night out to this album. This is a great album that I highly recommend. In addition to "Excuses," check out "Cold War" and "Hand Me Downs."

Broken Bells - Broken Bells (2010)

Please do not limit your experience with this album to subdued enjoyment through tinny, acute computer speakers. When in the hands of a producer like Brian Burton, whom you may know as Danger Mouse and I have come to thoroughly respect, you know the full range of sound shall be explored. To really FEEEEL the experience, turning the bass up and putting the top down is absolutely essential. Let me put it this way: If your band’s lead singer was your teenage daughter, and you were a protective father, you would not want said daughter venturing out on her own with a wave-maker possessing Danger Mouse-like skills and experience because she’ll go places she’s never gone before (musically speaking). The man’s resume speaks for itself (Google it!). The freshest notch on his producer belt is James Mercer, lead singer and songwriter for The Shins, whom most people seem to like or at the very least, respect. On their self-titled release, Mercer’s vocals are laced exquisitely over the soft-landing beats and orchestration that Burton lays down, and if you are any sort of radio listener, I’m sure “The High Road” has graced your speakers, whether you knew it or not. Tracks like “The Ghost Inside,” “Citizen” and “October” prove to the naysayers what kind of brilliance the cross-over collaboration can achieve; but, perhaps the lofty prospects and expectations of such a high-profile collaboration are too astronomical to be comprehended, because at the end of the day, this is pretty much what you would expect from two stellar artists coming together. If you like what Burton’s electronic production added to The Black Keys' recent nugget, Attack and Release, and if you have followed The Shins' path since their inauguration, then you’ll know precisely what you’re getting, in a good way. Although The Shins’ audience is not small, there is enough beat-dropping to extend the appeal beyond the indie rock crowd. And if you are a card-carrying fan of these hombres independent of each other, your mind might not be entirely blown, but you will find a best-of-both-worlds collision that you'll be over-playing in no time.