My Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2010

10. The Tallest Man On Earth "The Wild Hunt"

When Swedish folk singer Kristian Matsson first burst into the music scene in 2006 under the moniker The Tallest Man On Earth with his debut self-titled EP, people were quick to compare him to Bob Dylan. And with good reason. An extremely masterful acoustic guitar player, Matsson's highly-colorful songwriting mixed with his unique voice often resembled Dylan in his early years, or Nick Drake in the early 70s. His second LP "The Wild Hunt" is an amazingly huge step forward in his songwriting skills from his 2008 LP "Shallow Grave", and it's very nice to see folk artists like Matsson around today.

Favorite tracks: Burden of Tomorrow, King of Spain, Love Is All, A Lion's Heart

9. Deerhunter "Halcyon Digest"

Atlanta-based shoegaze band Deerhunter's fourth LP titled "Halcyon Digest" is very different than their past albums. As opposed to the on-the-edge tension present in their 2008 album "Microcastle", you get a more straightforward yet euphoric sound. Which is not a bad thing. What I like about Deerhunter is that they can mix My Bloody Valentine guitar sounds with nice, simple melodies that can be at times beautiful, yet they can make tense, dark music at the same time. Halcyon Digest does this perfectly, and it is a truly great listen.

Favorite tracks: Earthquake, Revival, Desire Lines, Helicopter

8. Eminem "Recovery"

Marshall Mathers, a very famous rapper from Detroit, has been in and out of the public eye since 2004's "Encore". The death of his friend Proof in 2006 mixed with his troubled family issues resulted in him taking a 5-year hiatus. In 2009 he returned with "Relapse", but with the exception of a few standout tracks, the album was fairly mediocre. This year, however, he has learned from the mistakes of that album and created a fantastic hip-hop record that is a huge step forward in his music and his career. He raps about his troubled past and his future ambitions, and while it may not be a return to form, it is still great to see him put out great rap tunes.

Favorite tracks: Talkin' 2 Myself, Going Through Changes, No Love, Space Bound, Cinderella Man, 25 to Life

7. Brian Eno "Small Craft on a Milk Sea"

Ambient music pioneer and producer Brian Eno has been making innovative ambient and experimental music since the 70s. He has produced such classic albums like "Remain in Light", "The Joshua Tree", and David Bowie's "Low". He has made great music his whole career, and 2010's "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" is no exception. Brilliantly crafted and cohesive, it mixes his staple ambient sounds with tribal drums and guitar reverb, which all together forms a cacophony of unique sounds and song structures. Overall this is a very welcome addition to Brian Eno's already huge discography.

Favorite tracks: Emerald and Lime, Horse, 2 Forms of Anger, Paleosonic, Calcium Needles

6. Vampire Weekend "Contra"

In 2008, Vampire Weekend released their self-titled debut LP to great reviews. Highly influenced by Paul Simon and afropop, it was a charming breath of fresh air. This year, their newest album Contra builds upon that sound with orchestrated strings, tribal drum patterns, and lush production. This might be the best production I've heard all year. You can really hear every instrument clearly, and not a single time are any of the instruments drowned out in the background. Contra is a really fun record and it makes me glad that there are bands like Vampire Weekend around today.

Favorite tracks: Horchata, White Sky, Holiday, Cousins, Giving Up the Gun

5. Titus Andronicus "The Monitor"

When New Jersey-based indie punk band Titus Andronicus released their debut album "The Airing of Grievances" in 2008, it was neat to see an indie band release ambitious and energetic rock music with a strong punk aesthetic. Their sophomore LP "The Monitor" is an even more ambitious album, with highly-energetic punk rock songs that can exceed to lengths of over 14 minutes long. Throughout "The Monitor", you can hear all of their influences which range from the surreal songwriting of Neutral Milk Hotel to the singing style of their lead singer that resembles Bruce Springsteen and Conor Oberst to the dynamic instruments that soar with punk energy. Overall, "The Monitor" is an incredibly ambitious album that is a very very good listen.

Favorite tracks: A More Perfect Union, A Pot in Which to Piss, To Old Friends and New, The Battle of Hampton Roads

4. Sufjan Stevens "The Age of Adz"

Sufjan Stevens is a man that can't really stick to one sound. Whether it be the experimental sounds of "Enjoy Your Rabbit" or the fragile folk stylings of "Seven Swans" and "Illinois", Sufjan is a very versatile musician who seems to master every genre he touches. With "The Age of Adz", he mixes electronics with the lush, cinematic orchestration that you might find in a Disney movie. On top of that, his songwriting here is very top-notch. The electronic sounds on this album are very pleasing to my ears. It really makes you wonder how a man with an indie-folk past can make these kinds of sounds. The songs are very ambitious, too. Taking up over a third of the album's length, the final track on the album "Impossible Soul" is a 25 minute long journey through the twisted mind of Sufjan Stevens. And dammit, does it sound amazing. Overall, I really enjoy this new musical path Sufjan is going down, and I hope Sufjan continues to make music like this in the future.

Favorite tracks: Too Much, Age of Adz, I Walked, Now That I'm Older, I Want to Be Well, Impossible Soul

3. Arcade Fire "The Suburbs"

Canadian indie-rockers Arcade Fire are one of the biggest names in indie rock. And with good reason. The beautifully somber lyrics of "Funeral" and theatricality of "Neon Bible" really make this band unique. Their third album "The Suburbs" is a much more ambitious album than their previous two, and the songs here are very good. Whether it be singer Win Butler's great lyrics on "The Suburbs" or the lush string section on "Rococo" or the nostalgic hook on "We Used to Wait" or the brilliant chorus on "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)", Arcade Fire are a band whose sound never copies itself, and every song is a different musical adventure waiting to be explored. It really makes me wonder what new music they will release in the future.

Favorite tracks: The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Modern Man, Rococo, We Used to Wait, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

2. Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

Kanye West is a rapper who is usually made out to be a bad guy in the media. It seems like every thing he does or says is somehow twisted around to make him look like a bad person, but I don't really care about that. The man has made some awesome music in the past, and "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is no exception. Not only is it his best album, it's highly innovative and a gigantic leap forward in the world of hip-hop. There are songs on here that exceed 9 minutes in length. He is also on top of his game in the songwriting department as well. He raps about the media and pokes fun at his "hatas" that have tried to bring him down in the past. The beats are some of the best and unique beats I've ever heard in a rap album. There are also a lot of infectious hooks on this album that can get stuck in your head for days. Love him or hate him, Kanye is a very innovative hip-hop artist that makes excellent songs while laughing in the face of the music industry.

Favorite tracks: Dark Fantasy, Power, All of the Lights, Monster, Runaway, Hell of a Life

1. LCD Soundsystem "This Is Happening"

James Murphy is a man who knows his music. His band LCD Soundsystem is very good at making great dance music with a subtle punk aesthetic, but unlike a lot of dance music, LCD Soundsystem is a very sophisticated group that can make epic music with brilliant grooves. After their amazing first two albums "LCD Soundsystem" and "Sound of Silver", James Murphy has taken all the epicness and infectious grooviness of those two albums and has mixed it together to make a brilliant record called "This Is Happening". This album is just pure ambition. Every song travels through many different dynamics while maintaining a solid groove, with Murphy's David Bowie-style voice on top of it all. Overall, "This Is Happening" is an amazing album that can deliver incredible dance music that is a very fun and rewarding listen. This is by far my favorite album of the year.

Favorite tracks: Dance Yrself Clean, Drunk Girls, One Touch, All I Want, I Can Change, You Wanted a Hit

Honorable mentions:

MGMT "Congratulations"
Lil' Wayne "I Am Not a Human Being"
Grinderman "Grinderman 2"
Gorillaz "Plastic Beach"
Deftones "Diamond Eyes"
The Dillinger Escape Plan "Option Paralysis"
65daysofstatic "We Were Exploding Anyway"
Janelle Monáe "The Archandroid"

Titus Andronicus "The Monitor"

1. orgasmic
2. amazing
3. incredible
4. fantastic
5. orgasmic
6. incredible
7. amazing
8. orgasmic
9. great
10. orgasmic

Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

1. orgasmic
2. incredible
3. orgasmic
4. great
5. orgasmic
6. orgasmic
7. amazing
8. amazing
9. orgasmic
10. orgasmic
11. fantastic
12. incredible
13. great

Sufjan Stevens "The Age of Adz"

1. incredible
2. fantastic
3. orgasmic
4. orgasmic
5. incredible
6. amazing
7. amazing
8. incredible
9. amazing
10. orgasmic
11. orgasmic

LCD Soundsystem "This Is Happening"

1. orgasmic
2. orgasmic
3. orgasmic
4. orgasmic
5. orgasmic
6. orgasmic
7. fantastic
8. incredible
9. fantastic

John Lennon "Imagine"

1. orgasmic
2. fantastic
3. great
4. good
5. fantastic
6. great
7. fantastic
8. orgasmic
9. great
10. great

Brand New "Deja Entendu"

1. filler
2. great
3. amazing
4. fantastic
5. orgasmic
6. fantastic
7. amazing
8. amazing
9. fantastic
10. orgasmic
11. orgasmic

The White Stripes "Elephant"

1. fantastic
2. fantastic
3. fantastic
4. orgasmic
5. orgasmic
6. amazing
7. great
8. orgasmic
9. orgasmic
10. great
11. fantastic
12. amazing
13. orgasmic
14. great

The White Stripes "White Blood Cells"

1. orgasmic

2. fantastic

3. amazing

4. orgasmic

5. fantastic

6. great

7. amazing

8. amazing

9. orgasmic

10. orgasmic

11. fantastic

12. amazing

13. amazing

14. fantastic

15. amazing

16. amazing

Kings of Leon "Come Around Sundown"

1. great

2. amazing

3. great

4. amazing

5. amazing

6. good

7. good

8. alright

9. good

10. good

11. filler

12. amazing

13. okay

The Smiths "The Queen Is Dead"

1. fantastic

2. fantastic

3. great

4. amazing

5. orgasmic

6. orgasmic

7. incredible

8. fantastic

9. orgasmic

10. euphoric

Jeff Buckley "Grace"

1. amazing

2. orgasmic

3. fantastic

4. amazing

5. fantastic

6. orgasmic

7. amazing

8. ethereal

9. awesome

10. fantastic

The Cure "Disintegration"

1. ethereal
2. great
3. euphoric
4. orgasmic
5. decent
6. great
7. fantastic
8. euphoric
9. filler
10. fantastic
11. good
12. amazing

Arcade Fire "The Suburbs"

1. orgasmic
2. incredible
3. fantastic
4. incredible
5. great
6. great
7. good
8. great
9. fantastic
10. incredible
11. great
12. amazing
13. orgasmic
14. fantastic
15. orgasmic
16. euphoric

Nirvana "Bleach"

1. amazing
2. alright
3. orgasmic
4. fantastic
5. great
6. great
7. okay
8. awesome
9. great
10. cool
11. good
12. good
13. great

Nick Drake "Pink Moon"

1. amazing
2. euphoric
3. amazing
4. incredible
5. filler
6. incredible
7. orgasmic
8. great
9. great
10. amazing
11. euphoric

Faith No More "Angel Dust"

1. amazing
2. amazing
3. orgasmic
4. great
5. amazing
6. great
7. fantastic
8. amazing
9. great
10. fantastic
11. great
12. fantastic
13. euphoric
14. orgasmic

Arcade Fire "Neon Bible"

1. orgasmic
2. amazing
3. great
4. great
5. fantastic
6. euphoric
7. orgasmic
8. euphoric
9. orgasmic
10. fantastic
11. orgasmic

Modest Mouse "The Lonesome Crowded West"

1. amazing
2. fantastic
3. amazing
4. euphoric
5. euphoric
6. orgasmic
7. fantastic
8. amazing
9. great
10. good
11. amazing
12. orgasmic
13. great
14. amazing
15. fantastic

Radiohead "Hail to the Thief"

1. orgasmic
2. great
3. great
4. amazing
5. amazing
6. fantastic
7. amazing
8. great
9. orgasmic
10. orgasmic
11. great
12. good
13. great
14. orgasmic

The Beatles "The White Album"

1. orgasmic
2. orgasmic
3. amazing
4. amazing
5. filler
6. great
7. orgasmic
8. orgasmic
9. great
10. amazing
11. fantastic
12. good
13. good
14. fantastic
15. amazing
16. amazing
17. fantastic
18. orgasmic
19. fantastic
20. amazing
21. orgasmic
22. great
23. orgasmic
24. filler
25. great
26. good
27. orgasmic
28. alright
29. great
30. fantastic

Mastodon "Remission"

1. good
2. orgasmic
3. amazing
4. amazing
5. fantastic
6. great
7. amazing
8. orgasmic
9. great
10. orgasmic
11. great

Mastodon "Crack the Skye"

1. orgasmic
2. orgasmic
3. amazing
4. orgasmic
5. great
6. fantastic
7. orgasmic

Mastodon "Blood Mountain"

1. orgasmic
2. amazing
3. orgasmic
4. orgasmic
5. great
6. amazing
7. orgasmic
8. great
9. great
10. good
11. amazing
12. okay

Tom Waits "Rain Dogs"

1. good
2. great
3. okay
4. amazing
5. alright
6. great
7. good
8. great
9. great
10. alright
11. filler
12. good
13. fantastic
14. filler
15. decent
16. good
17. okay
18. filler-to-the-max
19. okay

Dream Theater "Scenes From a Memory"

1. euphoric
2. euphoric
3. great
4. euphoric
5. amazing
6. fantastic
7. euphoric
8. orgasmic
9. great
10. good
11. fantastic
12. fantastic

Brand New "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me"

1. orgasmic
2. orgasmic
3. orgasmic
4. orgasmic
5. fantastic
6. amazing
7. amazing
8. fantastic
9. great
10. filler
11. great
12. good

The Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour"

1. fantastic
2. amazing
3. good
4. great
5. great
6. orgasmic
7. amazing
8. orgasmic
9. amazing
10. amazing
11. orgasmic

Death "The Sound of Perseverance"

1. amazing
2. fantastic
3. fantastic
4. fantastic
5. amazing
6. orgasmic
7. amazing
8. fantastic
9. orgasmic

The Stooges "Fun House"

1. great
2. amazing
3. fantastic
4. fantastic
5. amazing
6. fantastic
7. filler

Mastodon "Leviathan"

1. orgasmic
2. amazing
3. amazing
4. great
5. amazing
6. fantastic
7. great
8. cool
9. fantastic
10. filler

The Smiths "Meat Is Murder"

1. orgasmic
2. good
3. great
4. amazing
5. fantastic
6. orgasmic
7. amazing
8. amazing
9. orgasmic
10. fantastic

David Bowie "Low"

1. nice
2. amazing
3. great
4. great
5. great
6. great
7. nice
8. amazing
9. good
10. good
11. filler

The Dead Weather "Sea of Cowards"

1. amazing
2. great
3. good
4. good
5. great
6. good
7. amazing
8. alright
9. good
10. good
11. alright

Alice in Chains "Alice in Chains"

1. orgasmic
2. amazing
3. orgasmic
4. orgasmic
5. orgasmic
6. fantastic
7. fantastic
8. amazing
9. great
10. great
11. fantastic
12. great

Godspeed You! Black Emperor "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven"

1. amazing
2. orgasmic
3. amazing
4. fantastic

Nine Inch Nails "The Downward Spiral"

1. good
2. great
3. amazing
4. amazing
5. orgasmic
6. fantastic
7. amazing
8. amazing
9. filler
10. good
11. great
12. orgasmic
13. filler
14. amazing

Nine Inch Nails "The Slip"

1. filler
2. amazing
3. great
4. orgasmic
5. amazing
6. amazing
7. great
8. ethereal
9. filler
10. fantastic

Kings of Leon "Youth and Young Manhood"

1. orgasmic
2. good
3. bad
4. good
5. meh
6. orgasmic
7. meh
8. orgasmic
9. great
10. amazing
11. amazing

Pink Floyd "Meddle"

1. fantastic
2. great
3. orgasmic
4. amazing
5. great
6. orgasmic

Weezer "Pinkerton"

1. amazing
2. amazing
3. great
4. great
5. fantastic
6. orgasmic
7. amazing
8. amazing
9. fantastic
10. amazing

Pavement "Slanted and Enchanted"

1. amazing
2. good
3. good
4. good
5. great
6. great
7. okay
8. amazing
9. great
10. great
11. good
12. good
13. alright
14. alright

The Stone Roses "Second Coming"

1. orgasmic
2. amazing
3. great
4. great
5. great
6. great
7. amazing
8. amazing
9. fantastic
10. great
11. good
12. orgasmic

MGMT "Congratulations"

1. okay
2. good
3. good
4. good
5. good
6. good
7. decent
8. filler
9. great

Arcade Fire "Funeral"

1. amazing
2. amazing
3. great
4. great
5. good
6. fantastic
7. orgasmic
8. great
9. orgasmic
10. amazing

Green Day "21st Century Breakdown"

1. filler
2. alright
3. shit
4. shit
5. filler
6. okay
7. decent
8. good
9. meh
10. filler
11. good
12. filler
13. awesome
14. bad
15. filler
16. shit
17. meh
18. filler

Modest Mouse "The Moon & Antarctica"

1. orgasmic
2. ethereal
3. fantastic
4. great
5. amazing
6. great
7. good
8. good
9. fantastic
10. great
11. amazing
12. amazing
13. amazing
14. awesome
15. fantastic

Between the Buried and Me "Colors"

1. euphoric
2. good
3. good
4. good
5. amazing
6. orgasmic
7. great
8. orgasmic

Nine Inch Nails "Year Zero"

1. cool
2. amazing
3. great
4. good
5. okay
6. great
7. amazing
8. fantastic
9. good
10. good
11. awesome
12. filler
13. okay
14. okay
15. alright
16. good

Yes "Fragile"

1. orgasmic
2. nice
3. great
4. amazing
5. filler
6. good
7. nice
8. amazing
9. wonderful

The Jimi Hendrix Experience "Electric Ladyland"

1. filler
2. great
3. orgasmic
4. amazing
5. great
6. great
7. great
8. good
9. amazing
10. fantastic
11. orgasmic
12. filler
13. orgasmic
14. fantastic
15. orgasmic
16. orgasmic

The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

1. orgasmic
2. orgasmic
3. fantastic
4. amazing
5. amazing
6. great
7. orgasmic
8. great
9. amazing
10. wonderful
11. amazing
12. orgasmic
13. orgasmic

The Beatles "Rubber Soul"

1. orgasmic
2. orgasmic
3. good
4. great
5. fantastic
6. amazing
7. wonderful
8. amazing
9. fantastic
10. amazing
11. orgasmic
12. marvelous
13. great
14. fantastic

Deftones "Diamond Eyes"

1. ethereal
2. awesome
3. good
4. awesome
5. amazing
6. good
7. awesome
8. decent
9. awesome
10. good
11. amazing

The White Stripes "Icky Thump"

1. orgasmic
2. orgasmic
3. amazing
4. okay
5. orgasmic
6. meh
7. filler
8. fantastic
9. great
10. amazing
11. great
12. orgasmic
13. amazing

Pink Floyd "Animals"

1. amazing
2. orgasmic
3. fantastic
4. orgasmic
5. amazing

Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"

1. orgasmic
2. orgasmic
3. amazing
4. orgasmic
5. fantastic
6. orgasmic
7. amazing
8. amazing
9. orgasmic
10. great
11. orgasmic
12. fantastic
13. awesome
14. good
15. awesome
16. amazing
17. amazing

The Dillinger Escape Plan "Option Paralysis"

1. amazing
2. amazing
3. fantastic
4. awesome
5. good
6. amazing
7. awesome
8. orgasmic
9. awesome
10. fantastic

Muse "Black Holes and Revelations"

1. meh
2. bad
3. orgasmic
4. great
5. decent
6. good
7. meh
8. bad
9. alright
10. meh
11. orgasmic

Death From Above 1979 "You're a Woman, I'm a Machine"

1. awesome
2. amazing
3. good
4. amazing
5. amazing
6. orgasmic
7. orgasmic
8. amazing
9. awesome
10. orgasmic
11. orgasmic

Radiohead "Amnesiac"

1. amazing
2. fantastic
3. okay
4. orgasmic
5. great
6. orgasmic
7. amazing
8. good
9. filler
10. amazing
11. great

Portugal. The Man "American Ghetto"

1. amazing
2. filler
3. awesome
4. cool
5. decent
6. pretty good
7. good
8. awesome
9. filler
10. okay
11. amazing

Neutral Milk Hotel "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"

1. orgasmic
2. amazing
3. orgasmic
4. great
5. good
6. orgasmic
7. fantastic
8. good
9. decent
10. filler
11. orgasmic

Godspeed You! Black Emperor "F♯A♯∞"

1. amazing
2. ethereal
3. fantastic

Kyuss "Welcome to Sky Valley"

1. orgasmic
2. good
3. amazing
4. awesome
5. orgasmic
6. orgasmic
7. incredible
8. filler
9. awesome
10. orgasmic

Black Sabbath "Paranoid"

1. orgasmic
2. awesome
3. ethereal
4. great
5. amazing
6. okay
7. decent
8. incredible

Radiohead "Kid A"

1. orgasmic
2. great
3. amazing
4. incredible
5. ethereal
6. orgasmic
7. amazing
8. orgasmic
9. amazing
10. great

Muse "Absolution"

1. horribly filler
2. fantastic
3. decent
4. awesome
5. amazing
6. great
7. pretty cool
8. good
9. orgasmic
10. good
11. decent
12. alright
13. orgasmic
14. amazing

The Beatles "Revolver"

1. amazing
2. orgasmic
3. great
4. decent
5. pretty good
6. not-that-great
7. good
8. filler
9. fantastic
10. great
11. alright
12. decent
13. good
14. great