Larson’s Favorite Albums of 2016

1. Beyonce - Lemonade

My wife said “I want to watch Beyonce’s Lemonade” one Friday evening. I was like I don’t know really what that’s all about but I heard it’s potentially about marital drama… and you know. Maybe it is. I watched the video having only previously heard “Formation” months prior. I’m not even going to attempt to write about how fucking good this is. So I’ll do what I do best… talk about me. When I was younger I felt it was important to be anti-MTV because you know… it’s mainstream and I was punk rock. However, that whole time I watched MTV constantly and was in love with the combination of music and video. The Lemonade film is the most amazing example of music and video I have ever seen. I am 100% not afraid to say that I cannot watch/listen to it without tearing up. Hey man… I’m sensitive as fuck. Additionally, I think that it is the women of the world who are going to get us out of some of the terrible bullshit going on these days. I’m with HER.  

    

2. Avalanches - Wild Flower      

I had no idea this was coming. I listened to Since I Left you so much that I was honestly fine if nothing else ever came out of the Avalanches camp. Their ability to create familiarity out of that which is unfamiliar is astonishing.           

3. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo            

So much to say and so little to say. I’m not going to argue with anyone. I will say this though. The first time I listened to it I wasn’t feeling it. It was far from an immediate click. However, I’m a  fan of the long game. I’m a pretty mellow guy for the most part. However, if you try to tell me this isn’t art I hope you’re ready for me to talk at you for an hour.        

       

4. Martha - Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart          

I am in love with the trend of new young bands playing 90s style music with more technique and production. I have never been afraid of production. Lo-Fi is great but when you can see a bands ideas fully realized through production it is magic to me. I’m not usually a fan of comparisons (maybe cuz I’m just not that good at it) but this band reminds me of a mash-up of Hefner and Idlewild. Now I know that might seem like a pretty deep cut bullshit comparison but it’s true. Idlewild lyrics and fury with Hefner complexity and Boy/Girl vocals. I’m probably not helping my case but whatever. I love this album.

5. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity 

I saw these Australian weirdos play in an in-town venue that is not known for having good shows. It felt at times like the place was going to explode. The non-stop energy of this band combined with zero fucks given of the crowd made for an incredible experience. They have songs with names like "Gamma Knife" and "Evil Death Roll"!!! Plus the album sequenced to play in a loop. Do it.      

     

6. Sheer Mag - III             

Not an album. I know right?! These guys can do in 4 songs what it takes some bands 4 albums to do. If you aren’t moved by “Worth The Tears” I doubt you and I have much to talk about.

7. Låpsley - Long Way Home      

Another album that came out of nowhere to me via Vinyl Me Please. I had no idea what to expect and was still a bit befuddled when I first started listening. The first time I hit track #5 entitled “Operator" I was super dupes confused. What is this stuff? Why is it all over the place. Why does it seem so familiar yet so new? From there on this album was on regular rotation in our house.        

     

8. Bat For Lashes - The Bride      

I listened to this album while trying to fall asleep on Tuesday November 7th 2016, or what I like to refer to as the worst night of sleep ever. It helped.        

9. Manatee Commune - Manatee Commune     

The song “Second Guess” was a standout track in a late night KEXP listening session. I’m not a big fan of genre’s and a don’t really know what this genre is. I just know that I’m into it. So clean and chilled out and technical without losing the human element. If it sounds like I don’t know what I’m talking about then your right. Listen to it start to finish and I bet you’ll want do it again.   

     

10. DJ Shadow - The Mountain Will Fall

I have routinely listened to "Nobody Speak" really loud while dropping my kids off to school (Kindergarten and First Grade). I suggest you do the same.       

   

11. La Sera - Music For Listening To Music To     

People in love making music for people who love music. Or something like that. I never listened to the Vivian Girls (heard they’re good) and had never heard of Todd Wisenbaker prior to him re-recording 1989 with Ryan Adams. I bet they’re awesome people and they certainly make great music together. It’s quick, it’s tight and it’s delightful.       

Serena's Favorite Albums of 2016

1. Beyonce-Lemonade 

If you have not watched Lemonade, stop what you are doing and do so. You can come to my house and watch it. Be warned that I cry every time I watch. 
     

2. Solange-A Seat at the Table                  

3. Kanye West-Life of Pablo       

Name one genius that ain't crazy, amirite!?  
       

4. The Avalanches-Wildflower 

Worth the wait!! Also the video for Because I'm Me is a joyful celebration of black bodies, I recommend it             

5. Manatee Commune-Manatee Commune   
                    

6. Bat For Lashes-The Bride             
           

7. Common-Black America Again  
           

8. Glass Animals-How to Be a Human Being   
                    

9. A Tribe Called Quest-We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service             
                

10. DJ Shadow-The Mountain Will Fall   

Paul's Favorite Albums from 2016

1. The 1975 - I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it     

     

Of all the albums released in 2016, this was the one that caught me off guard. It's 80s synth-pop-influenced but it combines that sound with an alternating mix of mean-spirited cynicism and beautiful bare sincerity. Whatever it was about this album, it got its hooks in me and stayed on repeat for at least a month... and now I'm listening to it again. I regret nothing. 

2. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool      

The relentless driving strings on Burn The Witch may make for the best opening to an album in 2016, but get past that and you'll find a quieter album that is content to lurk in the background without overwhelming the listener. The quiet allows the impassioned singing of Thom Yorke to shine in a way that somehow gets lost on more complex Radiohead albums. This is truly one of their best.    

3. Beyonce - Lemonade

All hail Queen Bey! A surprise album drop full of deeply personal but instantly catchy songs? Yeah, that was pretty damn cool, but did you see that video??? That thing is stop-you-in-your-tracks beautiful. Oh, and Jay-Z, you better watch yourself or you're going to end up with a six-inch heel stuck in your back. 

4. Tegan and Sara- Love You To Death   

Check your cynicism at the door for this one. Love You To Death is an album full of songs about the best parts of love, told through synthesizers with a distinctly 80s Madonna vibe. If listening this album doesn't give you that new-relationship feeling, you may be broken inside. 

5. Frank Ocean - Blonde              

It's quiet. It's experimental in the way the best Kanye West albums can be. It's beautiful. I'm not sure anything could have ever topped Channel Orange but this comes damn close. Of everything that came out in 2016, this is the album I feel like I'll get the most out of by listening to it again.    

6. Radiation City - Synesthetica

Oh, Radiation City, you've gone and made an amazing album! Beautifully paced; it holds back just enough to allow those moments when it lets loose with the soaring vocals to truly stand out. How will you ever top this? Oh, you're going to breakup and never make another album together? Yeah, seems reasonable.      

7. Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack   

           

No one sells depression and pain better than Scott Hutchinson. If you need richly toned songs about lives half-lived, crumbling relationships, and regrets, this album should be your first stop.  

           

8. Candace - New Future             

The perfect amount of reverb. Crunchy and droning guitars. Vocals that almost fade into the background. This is shoegaze at its best.      

9. Summer Cannibals - Full Of It

Fast, fierce, and over in 33 minutes.       

10. Tove Lo - Lady Wood             

This is dark pop that hits hard. If I went out to a club and True Disaster or Cool Girl, I'd wonder what the hell was wrong with DJ.

11. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo          

Kanye West, I'm mad at you. You put out an amazing album and then did everything you possibly could do to 1) not let me hear it (I'm not signing up for your streaming service) and 2) make me never want to hear you speak again. You get relegated to the overflow list. Please be a better person next year.                    

QuickCrit's Top 25 Albums of 2016

1. Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack


“No one sells depression and pain better than Scott Hutchinson. If you need richly toned songs about lives half-lived, crumbling relationships, and regrets, this album should be your first stop.”- Paul

“The National's Aaron Dessner's fingerprints are all over this album, and the partnership is a hauntingly beautiful one. Somehow, this album is both deeply sad and uplifting at the same time.” -

Eric

“Their mastery of celebratory self-loathing is peerless.” - Jesse

“On heavy rotation.” - Nesto

2. Beyonce – Lemonade


“The Lemonade film is the most amazing example of music and video I have ever seen. I cannot watch/listen to it without tearing up. I think that it is the women of the world who are going to get us out of some of the terrible bullshit going on these days. I’m with HER.” - Larson

“All hail Queen Bey! A surprise album drop full of deeply personal but instantly catchy songs? Yeah, that was pretty damn cool, but did you see that video??? That thing is stop-you-in-your-tracks beautiful. Oh, and Jay-Z, you better watch yourself or you're going to end up with a six-inch heel stuck in your back.” - Paul

“If you have not watched Lemonade, stop what you are doing and do so. You can come to my house and watch it. Be warned that I cry every time I watch.” - Serena

3. The Avalanches – Wildflower


“I listened to Since I Left you so much that I was honestly fine if nothing else ever came out of the Avalanches camp. Their ability to create familiarity out of that which is unfamiliar is astonishing.” - Eric

“Worth the wait!! Also the video for Because I'm Me is a joyful celebration of black bodies.” - Serena

“I'll be unpacking this album for all of 2017 too.  Dense with carefully curated samples and something like 14 years in the making.” - Tex

4. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo


“I’m a pretty mellow guy for the most part. However, if you try to tell me this isn’t art I hope you’re ready for me to talk at you for an hour.” - Larson

“Kanye West, I'm mad at you. You put out an amazing album and then did everything you possibly could do to 1) not let me hear it and 2) make me never want to hear you speak again.” - Paul

“Name one genius that ain't crazy, amirite!?” - Serena

5. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth


“Driving straight past his Nashville ascendance, this Waylon-loving iconoclast headed west to Memphis for a countrified soul epic.” - Jesse

“A country throwback who can channel the great ones with his own creativity. Clearly, the album is revered in and out of the country music scene and it’s really not surprising why.” - Eric

“Nods to Motown are throughout, but there's really not a single sound to pin down, it's truly an album worth listening to in order, in its entirety. And his Nirvana cover kicks serious ass.” - JT

6. Augustines - This is Your Life


“Even after nearly a decade of Augustines/Pela fandom, I still find the passion and emotion in their songs to be nothing short of addicting. If they are truly calling it quits for good, I will forever miss putting their albums in my top ten lists.” - Eric

“Pull me along on their stumbling late night anthems in a way that U2 and their ilk never could. Take a shot, spread your arms, and soar.” - Jesse

“An appropriate finale scene.” - Nesto

7. DJ Shadow - The Mountain Will Fall

“I have routinely listened to "Nobody Speak" really loud while dropping my kids off to school (Kindergarten and First Grade). I suggest you do the same.” - Larson

“no words diks, right” - Dan

8. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool


“An album that is content to lurk in the background without overwhelming the listener. The quiet allows the impassioned singing of Thom Yorke to shine in a way that somehow gets lost on more complex Radiohead albums. This is truly one of their best.” - Paul

9. Radiation City – Synesthetica


“‘Fully realizing their breathtaking potential. So many layers of art pop awesomeness.” - Jesse

“Oh, Radiation City, you've gone and made an amazing album! Beautifully paced, it holds back just enough to allow those moments when it lets loose with the soaring vocals to truly stand out. How will you ever top this? Oh, you're going to breakup and never make another album together? Yeah, seems reasonable.” - Paul

10. Sheer Mag – III


“Cranking up this album makes any day feel like Friday night and every beer taste like a High Life.” - Jesse

“Not an album. I know right?! These guys can do in 4 songs what it takes some bands 4 albums to do. If you aren’t moved by “Worth The Tears” I doubt you and I have much to talk about.” - Larson

11. Martha - Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart


“I am in love with the trend of new young bands playing 90s style music with more technique and production. This band reminds me of a mash-up of Idlewild lyrics and fury with Hefner complexity and Boy/Girl vocals. I love this album.” - Larson

“They draw me in with their popping duets, but deceptively clever in their quirkiness.” - Jesse

12. Paul Cauthen - My Gospel


“Great throwback country album; cut from the same cloth as Merle and Waylon. This album probably benefitted the most from being released late in the year, because it’s been front of mind for the last few weeks, and I can't stop listening.” - Eric

“Is most listened to in Houston, Stockholm, Manhattan, and Austin. Win.” - Nesto

13. Candace - New Future


“Just packed with killer dreamy shoegaze. And as you'd hope, it's fantastically noisy live.” - Jesse

“The perfect amount of reverb. Crunchy and droning guitars. Vocals that almost fade into the background. This is shoegaze at its best.” - Paul

14. David Bowie – Blackstar


“I didn't like this album. I loved the man. I listened to this album more times than ANY other album this year and it's the only album that made me cry again and again...” - Rain

15. Kishi Bashi – Sonderlust

“Everybody wants a honeybody someday.” - Nesto

“I am a huge Kishi Bashi fan and love his live show. This album dropped off a little bit for me from his prior releases, but his talent and songwriting are still astounding.” - Eric

16. The Lumineers – Cleopatra


"They're trying really hard to replicate the "Hey Ho" earworm, and after hearing O-O-phe-LIA for a few months over and over I really did wind up liking it. In fact, if I listen to it shuffled with the debut, it all just kind of blends together." - JT

17. Bat For Lashes - The Bride


“I listened to this album while trying to fall asleep on Tuesday November 7th 2016, or what I like to refer to as the worst night of sleep ever. It helped.” - Larson

18. Manatee Commune - Manatee Commune


“The song ‘Second Guess’ was a standout track in a late night KEXP listening session. So clean and chilled out and technical without losing the human element. Listen to it start to finish and I bet you’ll want do it again.” - Larson

19. Photo Ops – Vacation


“I think most people needed a good feel-good album during this rather dark 2016, and Vacation was that album for me. Echoing the harmonies and patience of Pet Sounds, this album washes over you like a warm summer day and lifts the spirits like an ice cold High Life.” - Eric

“I hear some Fleet Foxes in these guys, just smelling less of campfire, which could mean they both just build on sweet Beach Boy indebted harmonies.” - Jesse

20. Summer Cannibals - Full Of It

“Damn, these songs are explosive. Feeling this righteous anger more than ever.” - Jesse

“Fast, fierce, and over in 33 minutes.” - Paul

21. The Record Company - Give It Back To You


“Rock and roll, people, doesn't lie. The Record Company gets down to business with some bluesy, rockin' tracks that come straight at you like some of the best bands from the 70s.” - Eric

“Only knock against this great retro soul/blues album is I started rocking half the songs so long ago that they sound fresh again. Luckily, the new songs are some of the best.” - Jesse

22. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter

“It's country because it has to be when the singer lived in a trailer, lived in a tent, went to jail, grew up on her daddy's farm before he lost it, and mentions whiskey in more than half the songs. And if you ever wondered what Loretta Lynn would have sounded like if she recorded a disco funk song with BB King cutting a solo in the middle of it, then check out "Four Years of Chances." - JT

23. The Head and the Heart - Signs of Light


“Major label signing and a major directional shift for Head and the Heart, from moody Northwest folk of the 2010s to sunny SoCal harmonies of the 1970s. It took me about a half dozen listens before it clicked, but once it did, I was hooked.”' - JT

24. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity


“I saw these Australian weirdos play and it felt at times like the place was going to explode. The non-stop energy of this band combined with zero fucks given of the crowd made for an incredible experience. They have songs with names like "Gamma Knife" and "Evil Death Roll"!!! Plus the album sequenced to play in a loop. Do it.” - Larson

25. Lucius - Good Grief


“Art pop masters let their identical hairdos down and get noisy.” - Jesse

QuickCrit's Top 25 from 2013

1.     The National - Trouble Will Find Me

“Conjugal sad.” -Sir Beatdown

“Once again they have fully won me over and I love all the tracks. Every week I have a new favorite track and they’ve all (all!) held the slot at some point in the seven months since I bought the disc.” -Jeremy
“I have to reward my favorite band with the number 1 position again this year.  They evolve, but never change so much as to alienate their fan base, and from my perspective, just get better and better.” -Tex

“These guys are such a class act.“ -Ancient Indian Wizard

“What's not to love?” -ve1cro

“My wife got this and I rolled my eyes because I've never really liked The National. But I liked this, a lot. To me, they sounded like a different band.” -JT

“Boxer or High Violet, it is not. Berninger, Devendorfs and Dessners slow it down and still put together something amazing.” -NightraiN

“‘You said it would be painless It wasn't that at all' (classic National... lovely dark & dire little numbers).” -Joshua

“I don't care that most of the songs sound the same.” -Nesto

2.     Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe

“This is what I wanted the new Tegan and Sara album to sound like.” -ve1cro
“I had to put a moratorium on listening to this album for a few weeks.  It's so catchy that it was always in my head.  I love it so much that I started to hate it.” -Tex
“More Chvrches songs were stuck in my head this year than from any other band. Amazingly tight for such a young band.” -CloningMishap
“Watching 'live' videos of these Scots is a reminder that nobody looks cool playing a sampler but that we're happy that somebody does.” -Ancient Indian Wizard 

3.     Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends

“If there is such a thing as being musically blindsided, it's PTM.” -Nesto
“Built around a serious of recurring themes, this is the album that finally made me stop ignoring Portugal. The Man. Songs flow into each other and produce an album that, unlike so many these days, is impossible to listen to a track at a time.” -CloningMishap
“P.TM and Danger Mouse... a recipe for awesomeness.” -NightraiN
“Long-time favorite keeps the streak alive. With each stylistic shift I love them even more.” -awmercy

4.     Kanye West - Yeezus

“Dirty, disgusting, and full of pure genius. Built around the most interesting beats Kanye West has ever produced, Yeezus is a celebration of everything terrible in celebrity life.”  -CloningMishap
“Uh huh, honey.” -The Crane Wife
“Kanye's music is so out there & his lyrics so over-the-top insane that I find myself unable to dislike this shit.” -Joshua  

5.     Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love
        You

“This album got me through some interesting moments this year!”-ve1cro
“I love her and I love the songs ‘Calling Card’ so much!!” -Ancient Indian Wizard
“I'm a sucker for anything she does. Because she really does kick ass. Her explanation for "Man" and its less than traditional outlook: "My grandma always referred to herself as a guy. [Old-lady voice.] 'Well, how does a guy get on the 90 from here?' I would talk like that because of her, then I would get corrected, and I’d be like, 'Fuck off! I’m a guy if I wanna be a guy.'" -JT

6.     HAIM - Days Are Gone

“Stevie Nicks and Kate Bush made triplets and they sent them in a time machine back to 1993. And it was good.” -The Crane Wife
“I've come to believe that the ‘Throwback’ bands are not just novelty or niche.  They're taking the sounds that shaped them and refining them and putting out really quality music.  It's the same with punk and garage, so why can't it be true for 90's R & B?” -Tex
“I get hints of Stevie Nicks and undertones of early 90’s R&B.  It’s phenomenal.” - Ancient Indian Wizard

7.     Jason Isbell - Southeastern

“It's meditative, and with one damn gut-punch of a song about cancer. Listening to this album is like reading William Faulkner to me. Similar to Kasey Musgraves but better, these are real stories set to music.” -JT
“He’s got a bracing confidence in both his singing and his songwriting these days, and this album showcases both. Many songs are carried almost entirely by his strong vocal performance, and like a good short fiction writer, his songs suggest fully realized characters with a life beyond the songs.” -Jeremy
“A beautiful album that carries on the tradition of Mr. Isbell simply creating superior to most of his peers.” -NightraiN

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8.     Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

“Lyrically deeper than their previous albums but still with a touch of fun. What it lacks in pop sensibilities, it gains in depth.” -CloningMishap
“Listen to the bit in 'Hannah Hunt' where he shifts into the higher register & sings/pleads 'If I can't trust you then damnit Hannah... there's no future, there's no answer'... sooo good, so raw.” -Joshua
“Lame album title but a surprisingly lovable album.” -ve1cro 

9.     Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

“A nearly perfect loving homage to the prog side of disco.” -Paul
“Clever in ways that Daft Punk haven't been before. They took their knowledge of music production and used it create a meditation on disco and dance.” -CloningMishap

10.    Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze

“This album played so much at my office that a coworker dressed up as a female Kurt Vile for Halloween. True story.” -Joshua
“Just love this guy's sound.” -Tex 

11.    Mikal Cronin - MCII

“A late addition, but a mainstay on my recent playlists.” –Nesto
“Fresh. Unexpected. One of my go-to records of the year even though I never heard of this kid before 2013.” -Joshua

12.    Ha Ha Tonka - Lessons

“Put on the album, turned off the lights, got in the shower... and rocked out to the entire thing. Best album listening experience of the entire year.” -NightraiN
“This is what modern Americana should be.” -Nesto

13.    Phoenix - Bankrupt!

“One of the few albums of 2013 where I was aware of its release date (I live under a rock).  They had a rad epilepsy inducing website up before the album launched too.” -Ancient Indian Wizard

 14.   The White Buffalo - Shadows, Greys & Evil Ways

“Not for the weak of heart and those who can't handle their alcohol.” -Nesto
“The story of Jolene + Joe seems to get better with every listen... touching and epic.” -NightraiN

15.    Battleme - Weight On The Brain EP

“It wasn’t even a contest this year. After being blown away live, these songs kept those moments fresh on my stereo, again and again.” -awmercy
“4 tracks that stayed on repeat and finally captured what it's like to see Battleme in concert. Bring on a full-length release!” -CloningMishap

16.    Lucius - Wildewoman

Hailing from Brooklyn, hmm. I forgive! A little indie-folk, a little girl group...hits my music sweet spot." -Brasilliant
"Damn... those harmonies are tight.” -awmercy

17.    Josh Ritter - The Beast In Its Tracks

“More stripped-down than recent releases. This is basically a concept album about a guy (himself) breaking up, getting divorced, and getting over it. But it's never really sad. In fact, it's pretty uplifting.“ -JT
"I was determined to not have Josh Ritter grace my top five this year, but then he went and recorded "Beast in its Tracks." Damn you Ritter! You are my crack." -Brasilliant

18.    The Head And The Heart - Let's Be Still

“At first glance this band seems like just another Luminonsters and Sons, but then the songs surprise you by taking you someplace different. This was true on the first album and even more so on this second one. An expansive, creative album that rewards multiple listens.” -Jeremy
"My favorites playlist found happy relief in the Head and the Heart from hundreds (or thousands) of repeats of the Lumineers. They calm my brain, even through the toughest editing assignments." - Brasilliant

19.    Phosphorescent - Muchacho

“The first track's Smile-era Beach Boys giving way to the objectively & astonishingly beautiful 'Song for Zula' is one of the finer points of music in recent memory.” -Joshua
“Really, really good on a few tracks... less interesting on others.” -NightraiN

20.    Arcade Fire - Reflektor

“I feel like this is Arcade Fire's Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness -- a sprawling album showing that they've mastered their craft. It may not feel new, but it doesn't stumble a single time across two cds.” –CloningMishap
“An easy listen.” -Graham 

21.    PAPA - Tender Madness

“Since the EP release to now, PAPA has been crushing my speakers with Springsteen-esque catchy tracks.” -NightraiN
“Great mix of light and heavy. Does not disappoint.” -Nesto

22.   Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob

“Beautiful without being wasteful, and the most purely happy album I listened to this year.” -CloningMishap
“Whenever people are complaining about an album being over produced they’re usually talking about an album that I like. Case in point.” -Ancient Indian Wizard

23.     Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse

“The melancholy that’s always laced even in their most uptempo songs is more front and center here, and some of the songs are quite dour (which I don’t mind at all) but their signature crescendos and epic builders are still here.” -Jeremy
“A little more mature and self-aware than anything else they've put out.“ -CloningMishap

24.    Air Review - Low Wishes

“Moving and beautiful.” -Nesto
“Found it late in the year, but have been enjoying the indie folk harmonies.” -NightraiN

25.    J Roddy Walston & The Business - Essential Tremors

“Grows on me with each listen. More even, restrained, and less raucous than their earlier albums, but still good garage rock.” -JT
“Somewhere between shredded and blown out, J Roddy Walston has mastered the rock scream, imbuing his otherwise simple songs with pain, urgency, passion, and explosiveness.” -awmercy

2010 Music Survey Results - Top 50 Albums (1-10)

# 1

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (August 3, 2010)

"The combination of epic anthems & suburban doldrums just does it for me. This was the first album I liked immensely immediately in a long while." - Cursivebuildings

"I knew it would be good, I didn't know it would be this good - like just turn it on & sit back for an hour listening at the kitchen table good. The mix of bland suburban themes & epic anthems just does it for me." - Anonymous

"I almost excluded this from my own list of nominees, based on the fact that I couldn't imagine The Suburbs NOT placing in the top 5 of every list.  I think I felt like it was an unfair fight.  Like the Harlem Globetrotters and the Washington Generals." - Tex

"The big news is that Arcade Fire sold a ton of records their first week. For some reason this caused a controversy... personally I would much rather have the youth of America, for just one week, be listening to The Suburbs than whatever else is usually beat over their heads. This is Arcade Fire turning introspective. Suburbs maintains their epic emotional power while showcasing a more subtle sonic approach. It suits them well." - Luc

"I don't know if Arcade Fire considers this a concept album or not, I haven't really read much about it, honestly. But it feels like a concept album to me, and it feels like they hit it just perfectly." - War Machine

"Soundtrack for a summer trip to the Austin, Texas suburbs." - Jeremy 

"Was there a choice to not include this album?" - Ernesto

"Alright - it was engineered to make top ten lists. But it's good. And it's thematic. Whatever happened to the thematic album?" - JC Hackett

"The thinking man's music, Arcade Fire makes." - Mona

"All in all, at 16 tracks and an hour of playtime, this is an ambitious release that puts the band's genre-jumping range, thoughtful and poetic songwriting and exceptional talents on full display." - NightraiN

"Like a summer afternoon, this album makes you want to lay in the park getting soaked and drink champagne." - Layne

Recommended track: "The Suburbs"

# 2

The National - High Violet (May 11, 2010)

"In the time of track-by-track musical enjoyment and critique, High Violet shows that the summation can truly outweigh it's parts....sometimes putting a bunch of pretty things in a frame together can really make something outstanding.  As individual tracks leaked before this album came out, I found myself pleased, but not expecting it to place very high at the end of the year.  After a few listens to the whole package, coupled by a live performance in October, it is unquestionably my favorite album of the year." - Tex

"Something about The National is so deeply comforting and passionate that it makes me reflectively sad and inexplicably happy at the same time -- the perfect mix of musically induced emotion." - NightraiN

"To my mind, the best band working today. The music is rich and intricate, both lyrically and sonically, they've released three straight incredible albums which all sound different from each other, and they put on what might just be the best live show I've ever seen." - Jeremy

"If I was stuck on a desert island and could only listen to one band, it might be The National.  I used to prefer their older stuff... until they released this album." - Hotcatato

"The truth is High Violet was just 1 or 2 great songs from being at the top of this list. Ten years in, this band has finally achieved greatness ... The Boxer was their breakout and this moody masterpiece is the proof that it was no fluke.  Frontman Matt Berninger lays his soul bare on this one - Violet is a testament to broken love, anxiety, regret & guilt. "It'll take a better war to kill a college man like me..."  Well said good sir, well said..." - Luc

"Matt Beringer's vocals are what is to be expected from one of the most talented singers and song writers of the 21st century. Deep, dark and under-caffeinated." - Layne

"This is also a great record, a close second to favorite of the year. The music, as always, is real interesting & the lyrics are, as always, sad dude stuff that never strays into whiny territory (that's a plus!)." - Cursivebuildings

"Sometimes I wonder if this is just an adult male thing, but my friends & I listen to these guys & wonder how they manage to record our hearts." - Anonymous

"This seems like a pretty common choice but maybe there's a reason for that!" - Joanie

"Of course this one of my top picks. I fell fast and hard to this album and really enjoy Matt Berninger's sultry voice." - ve1cro

"I read somewhere that the National had intended to write a happy album when they started this thing. I'm fairly certain that's not possible. This one will remove an organ and put it on the table and demand you to look at it and reckon the reality of the situation you're presented with." - JC Hackett

"Like Frightened Rabbit, they make fairly nonsensical lyrics sound amazing." - TheCraneWife

"Good follow up to Boxer, but not quite as well rounded." - Taylor

"Dark and ethereal." - Mona

Recommended track: "Bloodbuzz Ohio"

# 3

The Black Keys - Brothers (May 18, 2010)

"Great album all around: I love their sound, good lyrics, and some great videos." - Julia

"I kinda feel bad for picking them every year, but then I listen to them, and don't feel bad at all." - Sandenuts

"Soulful, pounding blues. This is my comfort food." - awmercy

"Hard hitting, no frills, ROCK!" - Max D

"First time I listened I felt sure I MUST have heard these songs somewhere before.  This is the kind of music that would be a hit no matter what decade its released." - Hotcatato

"Exactly what you'd expect from the Black Keys." - War Machine

"Hard to get tired of this one." - Ernesto

"These dudes are legends already... this album and especially a few choice tracks just heightens their profile that much more. Sick." - NightraiN

"It's almost criminal how great this album is.  Catchy, bluesy-rock like this never goes out of style." - Mona

Recommended track: "Tighten Up"

# 4

Beach House - Teen Dream (January 26, 2010)

"Dreamy-pop at it's best." - Max D

"This album has a huge, atmospheric sound and this band has finally hit the truly haunting sound that they've been hinting at all along and which we all always knew was waiting to come out." - JC Hackett

"Its dreamy..." - Hotcatato

"The only thing I love more than wishing I could write sweet, dreamy indie pop is listening to a band that's incredibly good at making it themselves." - Mona

"Third time's the charm, Beach House!  I'd periodically listened to their first two releases over the last few years, almost getting to the point where I liked them, but never quite crossing the threshold.  Teen Dream grabbed my interest from the first listen, and it's really rewarding to see what this band has grown in to." - Tex

"There's a lot to titles sometimes. Beach House is probably the most ideal name for this band & "Teen Dream" perfectly describes their best album to date. Beach House's move to Sub Pop didn't change their sound much-lush indie pop set to a melancholy summer of love and heartbreak...It just boosted their recording budget to par with their awesome talent." - Luc
 
"Beach House's prettiest and most upbeat album perfectly captures that woozy late night/early morning feeling." - awmercy

Recommended track: "Zebra"

# 5

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (February 16, 2010)

"Lyrically...unstoppable." - Robert

"Oh, Marcus Mumford.  You make me want to pick up a banjo and celebrate the myriad ways that I love you." - Mona

"Hearing them harmonize last summer at Sasquatch on a side stage at 2pm was one of the most awe inspiring things I have witnessed in quite a while... 'nough said." - Abbie

"This is my favorite album to listen to when I'm looking for inspiration." - Julia

"Fantastic album - really works wonderfully AS an album." - Anne

"This London-based quartet, whose name sounds more like a general store or cobbler shop than a band, takes their vocal harmonies and instrumentation real seriously, with nearly every track making a slow-building skyward arch until your heart is lifted and your speakers are overflowing with sound." - NightraiN

"Marcus Mumford's voice is gruff and romantic. When combined with beautiful harmonies and the strum of a banjo, it makes for perfect folksy ballads." - Brasilliant

"Perhaps too too folksy at times, but perfect if you are in the mood." - Ernesto

Recommended track: "Little Lion Man"

# 6

Vampire Weekend - Contra (January 12, 2010)

"The tragedy of Vampire Weekend is this: haters perceive them to be ivy league brats attempting to infiltrate their indie rock world. Truth is that VW are a soulful garage pop band that has managed to infiltrate & give us a glimpse the blue blood world. "Contra" is  a minor miracle in 21st century music- a perfect pop album, organically created by a rock band who is not afraid of obscurity or fame." - Luc

"I actually did not enjoy this album the first time I listened: call it a case of second child syndrome.  With further listening I realized the continued genius of this band; seriously, how many genres can one band seamlessly wrap into an album!?" - Abbie

"I would have put money on this one being a sophomore slump.  Vampire Weekend's debut album was so good, so quickly accepted by so many people of different attitudes and tastes, that it had to be a fluke.  In fact these guys are genuinely talented, and show great songwriting, production decisions, and marketing (exception being trusting that the album cover photographer had all of his release-signing ducks in a row).  I'm excited to see what's coming up next." - Tex

"Eminently listenable; infectiously fun." AnnMT

"I don't understand what this album has to do with California.  Whatever." - TheCraneWife

"I still love horchata!  The drink and the song..." - Ancient Indian Wizard
 
"Even though the lead singer creeps me out this album is hard not to like. "Holiday" is so catchy that it takes up permanent residence in your head after one listen." - Layne

"Last year, this was my most anticipated album of the year. I'm just glad it's not heading up my overrated list. Tight album. Looking forward to their junior year." - JC Hackett

Recommended track: "Horchata"

# 7

LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening (May 18, 2010)

"LCD Soundsystem takes first for me even though this is a more uneven album than my #2 because Dance Yourself Clean is one of the best dance tracks I've ever heard. It starts quiet, so you have to turn it up, then builds the suspense, then hits you with this incredible wall of sound. Just perfect. You can't play it loud enough. I Can Change is great as well. I've even come to appreciate Drunk Girls." - War Machine

"I couldn't stop listening to this album all year long.  It only gets better." - Patrick

"Not their best album - I had some high hopes - but still very good." - Julia

"I love a dance party!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And I have been known to be a drunk girl!!!!!" - Abbie

"Brutal and exposed. The guy is really finding his sound. "I Can Change" has a great spin." - JC Hackett

Recommended track: "Dance Yrself Clean"

# 8

Frightened Rabbit - The Winter Of Mixed Drinks (March 9, 2010)

"So many good songs full of manic strumming." - awmercy

"Hello old friends, so happy that you joined me this year!" - ve1cro

"Best named album of the year. The contents of this book is up to par with its cover. That almost makes no sense..." - Rain

"They make the line "are you a man or are you a bag of sand?" sound not ridiculous." - TheCraneWife

"A great album with probably the best title of the year; however, a slight drop-off from Midnight Organ Fight, which was magical." - NightraiN

"Big percussion sound and a large voice and usually some well-placed clapping... a CD to jog to but also to get ya looking inward. Their cliched lyrics and dead metaphors are somehow fresh... not quite sure how." - JC Hackett

Recommended track: "Swim Until You Can't See Land"

# 9

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (November 22, 2010)

"I know it's been said a million times now, but this really is the best album of the year." - Ben

"Pretty much all of the songs save one or two are brilliant and fantastic.  And those one or two are pretty offensive." - TheCraneWife

"Kanye is such a bitch, but fuck if I don't love all of his albums.   In my mind he's kind of like R Kelly - so crazy, so sincere about their crazy, and so good at whatever it is they're doing." - Hotcatato

 "Named to sell albums and capitalize on his scandal. Strange thing? He has the talent to back up the hype." - JC Hackett

Recommended track: "Runaway"

# 10

Jonsi - Go (April 6, 2010)

"I'm gonna quote myself here...  'Jonsi from Sigur Ros can certainly make mundane tasks feel a lot more epic...'" - Ancient Indian Wizard

"Taking the pop from the last Sigur Ros album and putting it center stage while maintaining a unique sound." - Robert

"Jonsi speaks the language of love. I always feel inspired and happy after listening." - ve1cro

"I bet you already know Jonsi is gay, but did you know that he is also blind in one eye?" - TheCraneWife

"Fans of Sigur Ros will not be disappointed by frontman Jonsi's solo efforts... In fact "Go" may earn him many new friends (fans of Passion Pit & Animal Collective listen up please). Bright, textured & propulsive "Go" is like Sigur Ros on speed... without forfeiting any of Ros' epic-ness. If that makes any sense." - Luc

Recommended track: "Go Do"

Everybody Was In The French Resistance - Fixin' The Charts

Everybody Was In The French Resistance, a side project of Art Brut's Eddie Argos and the Blood Arm's Dyan Valdés, revives the long tradition of answer songs. They seemingly chose a random assortment of pop songs to respond to from Michael Jackson to Bob Dylan to Kanye West. I'm not sure these will ever reach the heights of Etta James' "Wallflower" or Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama", but it's surprising how consistently good and cohesive the album is. The songs are all entertaining and clever even if you don't know the original songs, although listening to each song back to back with its inspiration is a lot of fun. In particular I like "GIRLFREN (You Know I Got A)", a response to Avril Lavigne' s "Girlfriend", and "Superglue", a response to Elastica's "Vasaline". All the songs are loaded with pop culture observation and undeniably Argos, especially "Walk Alone", which is just as good on its own.