2010 Music Survey Results - Top 50 Albums (41-50)

# 41

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - I Learned The Hard Way (April 6, 2010)

"Go ahead, get after it with your serious face on." - Sandenuts

# 42

Ryan Bingham - Junky Starr (August 31, 2010)

"His voice has a coarse edge and style that's probably an acquired taste, but to me, he writes and sings the kind of songs that Kristofferson or Cash did 30 years ago." - JasonT

# 43

Grinderman - Grinderman 2 (September 14, 2010)

"I cannot get enough of this Nick Cave side project. So raw and damned clever. Best just-for-me LP of the year." - Jeremy

# 44

Delorean - Subiza (May 4, 2010)

"Sun-bleached danceable indie with a whole lot of heart. Delorean is my favorite new find this year." - Mona

# 45

J Roddy Walston and the Business - J Roddy Walston and the Business (July 27, 2010)

"Waltson's piano-based rock n' roll howls and sweats like a feral beast locked in the woodshed." - awmercy

"Piano-driven rock out of Baltimore. Slipped in there out of left field and been on heavy rotation. Just fun!" - Jeremy

# 46

Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty (July 6, 2010)

"I have always found Big Boi irresistibly dynamic. Speakerboxxx kills The Love Below." - Hotcatato

# 47

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor (February 16, 2010)

"Sweet harmonies. Great album." - NightraiN

"Great debut from a band with a great sense of dramatic tension and fantastic harmonies." - Tex

"Surprisingly harmonic, my new favorite song on this album changes monthly because they're all lovely, slow-builders." - Hotcatato

# 48

Best Coast - Crazy For You (July 27, 2010)

"Toe tapping fun. Also, the cat on the album art is named 'Snacks.'" - ve1cro

"'Ear candy' in every possible sense." - Mona

# 49

Tame Impala - InnerSpeaker (May 25, 2010)

"Straight up solid, unapologetic, psychedelic rock" - Taylor

# 50

Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer (November 9, 2010)

"I like the Gospel feel." - Julia

J Roddy Waltson - "Don't Break The Needle" video

Man, J Roddy Walston and the Business rule. Although I love just about every song on their album, "Don't Break The Needle" is one of the best. Incidentally, the video was sponsored by Black Star Beer, a beer I remember fondly from college but thought had gone out of business years ago. I remember sitting on our front porch with my brother, cooking giant steaks, eating burn-your-mouth spicy garlic bread and making our way through a case. It may be time to revisit that nostalgia.

Anyway, JRW and the Business are coming back through Portland on October 21st when they open for Deer Tick at the Crystal Ballroom. You can bet I'll be there after missing their last show, when I couldn't believe a band was actually taking the stage at 8 PM. Judging from the clip, I can't let that happen again.

J Roddy Walston And The Business - Self Titled (2010)

Who the hell is J Roddy Walston? I have no idea, but he fucking rocks. The album kicks off with "Don't Break The Needle" and a rolling piano that recalls old time rock n' roll in the vein of Huey Piano Smith or Fats Domino before the guitar plugs in and cranks up a giant amp. And it only gets better from there, as he heads for the hills on "Pigs & Pearls" for a country rocker with a great front porch singalong chorus. "Brave Man's Death" (mp3) starts off with a tinny ice cream truck keyboard before ratcheting it up with scratchy, yearning vocals. "Use Your Language" mixes in some down-home garage blues. Overall, this is a fantastic album of good timing piano-based rock n' roll.

If there album is any indication of their live performance, Walston might just burn Dante's down before the Dirty Dozen Brass Band can take the stage on Sunday night. And if you stick around afterward, it looks like the Sinferno dancers will continue the New Orleans experience. See you there.