Top 10 Albums of 2010... Cause I said so!

2010 in music was a disaster. Very few diamonds came up in all the rough this year. Soon, the Grammy's will be on... pimping their usual brand of glitzy bullshit and one-trick ponies whose names you won't remember four years from now. It's sad watching the recording industry cling so desperately to it's antiquated business model, frowning on most anything revolutionary and embracing the same old teen angst and bubble gum cliches. I guess that's just the way it goes.

I am a genius in every sense of the word. This list should be your list, disagreeing with me is pointless. Go listen to these albums and then thank me for telling you to.

10. John Legend and The Roots - Wake Up
Do you like Motown? You'll like this album. It lags in a few places but, overall, is worth the listen.

9. Deftones - Diamond Eyes
There's really nothing new going on with this album, just pure Deftones greatness. I've come to respect that the Deftones (much like AC/DC) haven't changed their style, they just stick to doing what they do best... I used to hate bands for being that way, maybe I'm groing up?

8. Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives
Excellence in hip hop, Nas and Jr. Gong make a great team, they flow into and out of each other seamlessly. A must listen.

7. Karnivool - Sound Awake
I was turned on to this Australian band earlier this year by a friend, and I am grateful for it. Most people I've played these guys for say it reminds them of Tool. I can hear that, but it makes me think more of The Mars Volta. If you like well thought-out rock/metal with melodic (no-screamy) vocals, definitely get your hands on this album.

6. Mogwai - Special Moves (Live)
I love Mogwai. To me, they are the quintessential post-modern rock band. This live release is wonderful and captures their essence beautifully.

5. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
A great album, start to finish. My choice for the Grammy Album of the Year. Not because I really think it is the best album of the year, but when put up against Lady Antebellum, Eminem (really? I wanted to like Recovery but I'm so sick of the same thing over and over, lyrically and from a production standpoint) and Katy Perry (I don't think this needs an explanation, Teenage Daydream for album of the year? Could the Grammy's make their cash-profit motive a little more obvious? I think not).

4. Clint Mansell - Black Swan (Soundtrack)
As of writing this, I have yet to see the film. This soundtrack is intelligent, moving, disturbing and oddly beautiful (as I am sure the film is, Aronofsky is the man!). It's hard to believe that the former Pop Will Eat Itself front man has produced so many beautiful film scores, but there you have it.

3. The Black Keys - Brothers
I don't think there's a lot to say about this album. It's very good and I put it at number three, though I'm wondering if I should have put number four in this slot.

2. The Roots - How I Got Over
Easily the best hip hop record of the year. The Roots know how to do it and, honestly, I'm surprised this album didn't really get any attention.

1. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network (Soundtrack)
I could (and do) listen to this album over and over again. Done much in the vein of Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts album, this ambient/pseudo-techno/industrial score is thoroughly enjoyable and has a high relistenability rating as far as I'm concerned... and, as I stated in the title of this post, my opinion is really the only one that matters.


Honorable Mentions

Tom Caruana - Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers (Wu-Tang Clan vs. The Beatles)
It's no Danger Mouse's Grey Album, but Wu-Tang fans will enjoy this work.

Jonsi - Go
Jonsi gets a mention, though I say it with a frown... this guy just isn't the same outside of Sigur Ros. Much like Thom Yorke's solo work, something just seems to be missing.

Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
Good work, could have been better. Death Of Autotune makes it a worthwhile listen.