Top 50 Albums of 2010 (10-1)

10) The Black Keys - Brothers. For the second album in a row, the blues rock duo has opted to work with producer Danger Mouse. Last time, on Attack & Release, the change in approach was hardly noticeable. The record seemed a little slower and more mellow than the band's earlier, more raucous material; but besides that, it was just another Keys album. With Brothers, the change is much more pronounced. As we found out with his excellent solo album, Keep It Hid, Dan Auerbach's voice and writing style works very well outside of the guitar/drums minimalist arrangements that have been the Keys' stock and trade for years. Fleshing out the instrumentation did not, necessarily, dilute the impact of the songs. Back in band mode, Auerbach, drummer Pat Carney, and Danger Mouse utilize the more fleshed out arrangement style of Keep It Hid, though doing it in a way that sounds less traditional and more modern. Don't worry, though, The Black Keys still sing the blues. The tempos may be a bit slower, and the guitar riffs may be a little less abrasive, but on Brothers, the boys show that change can be good. It is possible to grow as a band without growing old and tired.

9) It's True - It's True. On paper, the music of Omaha's It's True makes no sense. Saying a band mixes elements of Britpop, shoegaze, doo-wop, and good old fashioned "sad bastard" music sounds absurd. But after listening to It's True a few times, the mixture of those elements seems completely natural, and makes me wonder why experiments like this have not been tried before. The first thing that is likely to hit you when you first listen to It's True is the seemingly angelic voice of singer/guitarist/mastermind Adam Hawkins. The voice can be soft and unassuming in the band's quiet parts, and then become bold and strong during the louder parts. Hawkins' lyrics tend to me on the depressing side, frequently visiting themes of despair and hopelessness. Yet, at times, Hawkins shows that he is not such a sour puss, and does show signs of optimism. The musicianship of It's True, the band, is a large step above the average band on its first recording. So much so, that It's True, the album, sounds like a recording from a band with at least a decade under its belt. When It's True began generating buzz in late 2009 in Omaha, many who chronicle the local scene (including myself) felt that they were the best local band to emerge since the "mighty three" from the early 2000s: Bright Eyes, Cursive, and The Faint. The release of the CD only solidified that belief. When It's True announced its "break up" following its set at the MAHA Music Festival, a lot of musical hearts were broken. How could a band with so much potential just end after one album? It's a question for the ages. I have heard rumors that It's True is reforming with a slightly altered lineup. Cross your fingers.

8) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs. Arcade Fire are pretty much at the top of the heap in the current indie music world. What other rock band on an independent label can sell out Madison Square Garden? I'd venture none. With that status, however, comes a ton of extra pressure. After Arcade Fire's debut caused a worldwide freak-out, its excellent follow-up, Neon Bible, was criticized for being a little less awesome. For the band's third album, The Suburbs, the men and women of Arcade Fire have risen to the impossible challenge of topping their previous work. The record is a concept album of sorts that details leader Win Butler's youth growing up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. He described the sound he was going for as a combination of Depeche Mode and Neil Young. I'm not sure he achieved that, per se, but it's a great combination of sounds and styles, nonetheless. If anything, I think The Suburbs makes Arcade Fire this generation's R.E.M. Would that make The Suburbs Arcade Fire's Document?

7) The Hot Rats - Turn Ons. The Hot Rats are Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey of the defunct band Supergrass. The two wanted to make a covers record along the lines of David Bowie's Pin Ups. They enlisted Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich for the project, and the result is, perhaps, the best album of unoriginal material I have ever heard. The Hot Rats take songs from a number of different eras and genres and make them their own. The best example of the guys' ability to genre-bend is their cover of Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)," which comes out sounding like the early Who. It will take you a bit before you realize what song it is. It's so excellent. Other artists covered on the collection include Velvet Underground, Squeeze, Sex Pistols, The Cure, The Kinks, Elvis Costello, and more. This is a thoroughly enjoyable album, and one that makes me lament the end of Supergrass even more than I already did.

6) Spoon - Transference. On its seventh album, Spoon makes maturity cool. It's been one helluva long time since Spoon's music was confused with that of early inspiration the Pixies. By now, Spoon has developed its own unique sound, and the challenge for them now is how to keep long-time fans happy while continuing to move forward into new musical areas. Occasionally, that has meant augmenting the sound with horns or other instruments. On Transference, it means experimenting with tempos, textures, and styles. "The Mystery Zone," for example, is downright funky. "Written In Reverse," the first single, dabbles in piano blues. The songs, overall, are less overtly poppy, and force the listener to spend more time with them to appreciate the complexity. Perhaps this new approach is a reaction to the more mainstream success the band received from its last album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, or maybe its because produced the record themselves. Regardless, Spoon's Transference shows that after more than 15 years, this band is not out of new ideas, and refuses to rest on its laurels. I hope to be listening to Britt and the guys when they reach 30 years. I'm sure I will still marvel at what they come up with.

5) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil's Tattoo. BRMC has always been of two minds musically. On the one hand, the band loves the noise, fuzz, and droning feedback of early 90s shoegaze music; while on the other, they are hopelessly devoted to the blues. Finding a way to meld the band's two strongest musical influences has proved a challenge in the past. On its second record, Take Them On On Your Own, BRMC went 100% shoegaze; then on its next, Howl, they went all the way in the other direction. For the band's fifth, Baby 81, BRMC seemed to find the perfect merging of the two. It was something of a stalemate in the war of two muses. It would appear, however, that the blues has ultimately won out in Black Rebel land, as Beat The Devil's Tattoo, the band's newest, is steeped in it. The record opens with the very bluesy title track (complete with foot stomping and hand clapping) and stays knee deep in the delta for much of the record. There are hints of the other side of the BRMC coin later in the album ("Shadow's Keeper"), but just a few hints.

4) LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening. On the third proper album from James Murphy's LCD Soundsystem, much of the danceable punk sound that made the band an underground sensation is pushed aside in favor of longer, more melodic pop. Perhaps because this is rumored to be the final LCD record, Murphy and company decided to try some things that they had been wanting to try. Nowhere is this new pop sensibility more evident than on the amazing songs, "All I Want" and " I Can Change." There are certainly elements of 80s synth pop present, but it is hard not to notice a strong hint of late 70s David Bowie as well. Murphy clearly has a wide variety of vinyl in his collection, and you will have to as well to be able to figure out where he is coming from at any given time. But that is what record nerds (like myself) do. For everyone else, This Is Happening is just a great listening experience -- one that takes you all over the musical map without having to get up off the couch.

3) Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now. In this reporter's opinion, Jenny Lewis is probably the best songwriter of the modern era. She is freakin' amazing. Whether it is her songs on the various Rilo Kiley albums, her record with The Watson Twins, or her solo album, Jenny Lewis just does it for me. Her direct and conversational lyrics can paint the most vivid pictures, and her melodic sense is both unique and timeless. I feel like I can relate to Jenny Lewis more than any other contemporary rocker, even though we share almost nothing in common. For I'm Having Fun Now, Lewis teamed up with frequent collaborator Jonathan Rice to form Jenny and Johnny. And as the title implies, they sound like they are having a load of fun on this brief album. The songs implore Lewis's storytelling lyrical style with breezy, simple pop arrangements, and sing-a-long choruses. The two meld their voices together so much that sometimes it's hard to tell who created what. Generally, either Jenny or Johnny is taking the lead, but this is a very collaborative effort. My only complaint would be that I'd like a little more Jenny and a little less Johnny, which is why I would have preferred a proper solo album from Lewis. Still, it is a minor complaint because I'm Having Fun Now is really great.

2) Autolux - Transit Transit. Next to My Bloody Valentine and Guns 'N Roses, few artists seem to take as long between albums as Autolux. In the ten years since its formation, this is only the band's second album. But over the years that I have been an Autolux fan, I have learned the virtue of patience. That patience is rewarded with Transit Transit. Richly rewarded. Autolux, in many ways, is a band out of time. They should have existed in the early 90s when their feedback soaked, psychedelic, shoegaze music was more in vogue. In 2010, Autolux has few peers. For those who remember early 90s bands like Swervedriver, Ride, and My Bloody Valentine, listening to Autolux is like manna from heaven. Like MBV, Autolux eschews traditional rock arrangements for a looser, more spacey sounding feel. Drummer Carla Azar (formerly of Ednaswap) has a minimalist approach to her instrument, which is heavily complimented by the spaced out guitar wails of Greg Edwards (formerly of the legendary band Failure). The music is often at a slow simmer when bassist/vocalist Eugene Goreshter slides in with his soft ethereal vocals, and then rages into a full boil during the instrumental breaks. Despite the extra wait, I am so glad that Autolux does what they do. They don't seem to be on anyone else's timetable but their own, which is probably why they are supported by folks like Thom Yorke of Radiohead (known for his stubborn independence as well). Whatever the future holds for Autolux, the band can die happy knowing that it made a practically perfect album...twice.

1) Superchunk - Majesty Shredding.

It's been nearly nine years since North Carolina's finest delivered a new album. At the beginning of the 2000s, with over a decade of touring and recording under its belt, the members of Superchunk decided to part ways for a bit and focus on other things. Most notably, this included Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance's Merge Records label; but it also included taking time to raise families and work with other people. They never broke up, but there was not a real game plan for getting back together and making music. Seeing as how Superchunk are one of my favorites of all time, this was a great disappointment. But listening to the band's last two albums before the hiatus - Come Pick Me Up and Here's To Shutting Up - it seems obvious now that Superchunk were burning out. The tight, punchy, pop-punk that filled more than a half dozen albums in the bands career was being replaced with slower, more depressing music that featured keyboards, strings, horns, and other elements that just a few years earlier would have seemed incredibly out of place on a Superchunk record. But no band wants to keep repeating itself, no matter how great their past accomplishments might have been. Change is natural, and the desire for this band to change is understandable. But that didn't mean I had to like it.

Perhaps over the (almost) decade the band was apart (except for sporadic performances), the members realized what they liked about their past and what they liked about playing together. They must have, because when they finally returned with Majesty Shredding, they are playing with a renewed fervor and musical purpose not seen since 1995's Here's Where the Strings Come In. Majesty is a tremendous effort and a total return to form for this excellent band. Tunes like "Crossed Wires" and "Digging For Something" easily rank among the band's best singles, and when Superchunk chooses to slow it down ("Fractures in Plaster"), it no longer seems depressing and/or monotonous. After seeing Superchunk twice this year, I can attest to the fact that the band members seem to really be enjoying themselves again. It's hard for any band to re-capture the magic of an earlier time, but with Majesty Shredding, one can make a case for Superchunk doing just that. Love this band. Love this record.

Top 50 Albums of 2010 (20-11)

20) The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards. To many, The Dead Weather will always be a mere side project for Jack White of The White Stripes. That's too bad, because TDW is a great band in its own right, and the music on Sea of Cowards (the band's second album) deserves far more attention than just that from White Stripes completists. White plays drums in this band, and shares vocal duties with Alison Mosshart (of the criminally under-appreciated band The Kills). The songs are bluesy and strange, and clearly owe a debt to the late Captain Beefheart. At the rate he is going now, if Jack White keeps releasing great records with both The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, fans may start to consider The White Stripes the side project.

19) Surfer Blood - Astro Coast. Talk about a band coming out of nowhere! I saw these Floridians last Spring as the opening act for Mission of Burma, and was shocked at how freakin' young they looked. No one looked older than 18. But the music they make - a nice mix of 50s/60s surf music and bands like Weezer - sounds like it was created by guys who have been on earth a bit longer. Surfer Blood's debut album, Astro Coast, created a huge buzz in the usual indie circles (i.e. Pitchfork), and elevated these guys to the top of the indie heap. Fortunately, I think Surfer Blood is in it for the long haul. Though the short, poppy-er songs get the most attention, do not overlook tunes like "Alaska" and "Slow Jabroni." When the boys slow it down a little bit and stretch their music chops, the real magic of this band comes through.

18) Harlem - Hippies. I see a fair amount of concerts. I think that has been well established. Because of that, I am rarely surprised by anyone I see perform. The live set usually confirms what I already felt about a band. With the Austin, Texas trio Harlem, I never really heard them until I saw them perform - even though I had been playing them on my radio show for more than month prior. I just kinda connected with the goofy garage rockers from the moment they took the stage and announced how baked they were. Not too baked to be able to play multiple instruments, however. The two vocalists frequently switched between playing guitar and drums. I am always impressed when bands do that. Hippies is a fun record, and would sound great as background music at any party being thrown by someone under the age of 50.

17) The Thermals - Personal Life. On their fifth album, the Portland, Oregon trio, The Thermals mix it up a bit. The sound isn't too different than the last two Thermals records, but the content of the lyrics is. Rather than singing politically charged, catchy punk rock, the band now focuses its lyrical attack on the personal. Makes sense. Political music is mostly angry, and maybe they are tired of being angry. Who knows? Whatever the thought process was, Personal Life is yet another strong collection from this great band. Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla produced this one, and he doesn't tinker too much with all those studio knobs. He simply captures the band playing the songs in a big, open room, and The Thermals do the rest. Nice work.

16) Les Savy Fav - Root For Ruin. I fully admit that Les Savy Fav isn't the easiest band to like. The group's DC-inspired sound is an acquired taste, to be sure; and the bizarre, sometimes unhinged on stage antics of vocalist Tim Harrington makes some people a little uncomfortable. But, friends, you need to get past all that. On its fifth album, Root For Ruin, Les Savy Fav has streamlined its sound a bit (just a bit) and delivered what they used to call in the old days a "career defining" work. But since having a career in music is becoming increasingly difficult, and Les Savy Fav has already gone on hiatus once before, I suggest familiarizing yourself with these guys while you can. If you don't get the song "Lips n' Stuff" stuck in your head by playing it over and over, I question your taste.

15) Band of Horses - Infinite Arms. Though the line-up of Band of Horses only features one guy from the original band - singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell - you'd be hard pressed to explain the difference between Infinite Arms and BOH's 2006 debut. The band just has a consistency to its music. Band of Horses' mix of Gram Parsons style country, folk music, and middle-period Replacements delivers the goods for me on almost every track. There is a bit more of a sheen to the production on Infinite Arms, but that generally comes with major label support. I can't really say it makes the album less enjoyable.

14) Beach House - Teen Dream. I have to admit that prior to Teen Dream, I had never heard of Beach House. It's too bad, actually, because based on Teen Dream, it would seem that the music of Beach House is right up my proverbial alley. Droning keyboards, dreamy vocals, and atmospheric production make this band one of the more interesting additions to the indie world in the last few years. The group calls Baltimore its home, though singer Victoria Legrand was born in France.

13) Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul. DJ and producer Danger Mouse and Mark Linkous (aka Sparklehorse) collaborated once before on some tracks for a Sparklehorse record a few years back. It worked out so well that the two decided to collaborate on an entire album. The duo wrote songs together and brought in guest vocalists like Frank Black, Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips), James Mercer (The Shins), and many others. Once completed, the project was put on the back-burner by Capitol Records, and many wondered if it would ever see the light of day. Sadly, it was the suicide of Linkous last Spring that finally prompted the release. The album is fantastic and a real testament to what these two talented men could have kept creating if situations had been different. There are a number of limited editions of this collection, and some feature a photo book with pictures taken by director David Lynch (Lynch also contributes vocals to one track, as well). Dark Night of the Soul is an excellent collection, and it's too bad these guys will never be able to work together again.

12) Vampire Weekend - Contra. NYC buzz band Vampire Weekend delivers another set of impressive indie pop that still sounds like strong outtakes from Paul Simon's Graceland album. Apparently, there are still loads of people yearning for that style of music, as Contra debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album charts, and it was recently nominated for a Grammy. The band deals with some different topics lyrically on this album (no songs about an "Oxford Comma" for instance), with the most prominent theme having to do with fighting misconceptions and feelings of guilt over presumed privilege. It can be heady stuff if you listen closely. However, it is more than possible to just throw this record on and dance around the room, completely ignoring what the songs are actually about. Whatever works, right?

11) The Walkmen - Lisbon. Over the band's ten plus year career, The Walkmen have seen a lot of ups and downs. They have always been critical darlings, yet somehow a real buzz has never followed. This has started to change with the band's sixth album, Lisbon. Though the record is a tribute to the city of Lisbon, I can't really figure out how. But that hardly matters because the tunes on Lisbon are excellent, regardless of what they are about. "Woe Is Me" is probably my favorite track, but "Juveniles" and "Blue as Your Blood" rank pretty high, too. The album has a sparse, open feel that is not too cluttered by excessive instrumentation or production gimmicks. My favorite Walkmen record is still 2004's Bows + Arrows, but Lisbon comes as close to delivering that level of greatness as any record of theirs since then.

Top 50 Albums of 2010 (30-21)

30) Interpol - Interpol. Though there are many out there who have written off anything by Interpol after the debut album, Turn On the Bright Lights; for the rest of us, Interpol has continued to churn out some of the best post-punk indie rock of the 21st century. After a brief, one album experience with Capitol Records, Interpol has returned to its indie roots and released the new record on Matador Records. I highly doubt that had anything to do with the songs, but it may have something to do with the somewhat flat sound of the record. Flatness aside, with Interpol, the band has crafted another strong collection that rewards its listeners the more they play it. Don't believe the hype, Interpol is still a great band.

29) The Sword - Warp Riders. The Sword is an excellent metal band from Austin, TX. Fortunately, this band ignores pretty much every current trend in the metal world, and delivers a collection of what used to be called "doom" or "stoner" metal. Black Sabbath and Deep Purple are obvious influences, but so are lesser known bands like Sleep and Melvins. If you like your riffs slow and sludgy, and want your metal singers to do more than growl like Cookie Monster, give The Sword a try.

28) Various Artists - The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Motion Picture Soundtrack). I have a staunch anti-vampire viewing record when it comes to movies or TV, so I admit that I have not seen even a minute of any of the Twilight films. But the soundtracks to the movies are another story, all together. On the Eclipse soundtrack, there are new, original songs from The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, Muse, Beck, The Dead Weather, Band of Horses, and others. It's a solid soundtrack.

27) Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart. These Canadian rockers are frequently tagged as "psychedelic" and "retro" and I guess that's sorta true. Certainly Black Mountain has more in common with Led Zeppelin than, say, The Shins. For those of us who grew up on classic rock before "going indie" in our college years, listening to Black Mountain is a great return home.

26) Ted Leo and The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks. Mr. Leo and his Rx have been making music for more than a decade, but I am only a recent convert to it. The band's brand of catchy pop-punk has been around for a long time, but Leo's lyrical approach is what sets these guys apart. For example, the song "Bottled in Cork" tells the story of touring throughout Europe when the Iraq War started and feeling somewhat defensive about being an American. This is not your parent's pop-punk.

 25) The Futureheads - The Chaos. For the UK band The Futureheads, it would appear that the fourth time is the charm. The band's fourth album, The Chaos, is easily its best,;and perfectly encapsulates their manic, catchy, post-punk sound. Long time fans of The Futureheads (whose name comes from the Flaming Lips' album Hit to Death in the Future Head) will agree that The Chaos is the band's best since the debut.

24) School of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire. When Benjamin Curtis quit his post as guitarist for Secret Machines, I was disappointed. I mean, the band was pretty near perfect, and a change was definitely not required. But that band has soldiered on without him. With his new band, he is taking a very different approach. With his two band mates, identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, Curtis creates a much more ethereal and dreamy sound. According to interviews I've read, the band writes the lyrics first, and then tries to find the appropriate sounds to match. Kind of reminds me of My Bloody Valentine mixed with Cocteau Twins.

23) The New Pornographers - Together. The indie pop supergroup (featuring Carl A.C. Newman and Neko Case, among others) returns with its fifth album, and as usual, it is a real treat for those giving multiple listens. By now, you know the basic formula for the NP's, and they don't really stray from it on Together. But if you like well written and produced pop songs with thoughtful lyrics, The New Pornographers deliver another gem.

22) Neil Young - Le Noise. On what must be his 40th album or so, Neil Young has, once again, created an original, fresh sounding record while still maintaining the elements of what has made him so successful since the 1960s. Le Noise is a collaboration with producer Daniel Lanois (Bob Dylan, U2), and the only instrumentation is Young's guitar and some sonic experiments from Lanois. It's hard to believe, but after nearly 50 years in the music business, Neil Young can still create new sounds and make records more compelling than nearly anyone else out there.

21) The Bird and the Bee - Interpreting the Masters Volume One: A Tribute to Darryl Hall and John Oates. For their third album, the electro-jazz duo known as The Bird and the Bee have decided to honor one of their musical influences, Hall and Oates. The album has made me come to terms with something about myself that I have not always been open to admitting...I like Hall and Oates. Most of the hits are represented ("I Can't Go For That" "Maneater" "Rich Girl"), and singer Imogen Heap's voice gives the tunes a fresh, updated feel. There is Volume One in the title, so that implies there will be others. Can't wait to see what comes next. 

Top 50 Albums of 2010 (40-31)

40) The National - High Violet. For their fifth album, The National is not exactly breaking any new ground. The songs are generally slow and somber, the vocals are emotional and deliberate, and the playing is tasteful and intricate. In other words, High Violet is just like every other album by The National. Still, if you like every other album by The National, there is no reason why you wouldn't like this one. It seems the record did not get as much attention as the average National record would, so the label re-released it last month in an expanded form. Check out that version if you don't already own the CD.

39) Azure Ray - Drawing Down the Moon. The lovely ladies of Azure Ray have returned for their first new album in seven years with Drawing Down the Moon. The record begins right where the last one left off, and all of the same people are involved in the making of this one as the last one (i.e. Eric Bachmann as producer). Azure Ray's mellow tales of loves lost require you to be in just the "right mood" to fully enjoy them, but when you are in that mood, few artists deliver the goods as strongly as Azure Ray. Glad to have 'em back.

38) Murder By Death - Good Morning, Magpie. Not too many artists come from Bloomington, Indiana (except for John Mellencamp, of course) so it's hard to know what to expect when you hear where Murder By Death is from. Adding to the potential confusion is the very heavy metal sounding name of the band. But this band is not metal - not even close (it's probably more Mellencamp than metal, actually). MBD's sound is rooted in Americana, without sounding retro. There are guitars, bass, and drums, but there is also cello, which gives the band a gothic element. It's hard to do this band justice in words.

37) We Are Scientists - Barbara. The second album by this NYC trio, With Love and Squalor, made it into my Top 10 when it was released in 2005. The album was full of catchy, punchy, vibrant, poppy punk rock with decent lyrics, and it made a huge impression on me. The band's next one, Brain Thrust Mastery, didn't have nearly the same impact (though I have grown to like it more over the years). WAS returned in 2010 with Barbara, which is sort of a combination of the last two records. The production is a little flat on this one, but the tunes are still there.

36) The Mynabirds - What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood. The debut album by this Omaha via DC group, featuring former Georgie James singer Laura Burhenn, completely ignores the average indie pop of her former group and instead focuses on country and soul. In fact, Burhenn once said the goal of the band was to sound like Neil Young doing Motown (the name of this band is a tribute to an unheard band from the 60s featuring Young and Rick James). That's kinda what it's like, I guess.

35) M.I.A. - Maya. M.I.A.'s third album is a confusing mish-mash of styles, sounds, and themes that lacks the cohesiveness of her first two albums. Still, despite the critical and fan backlash, she has created a strong piece of art. In some instances you will have to dig a little deeper for the catchy melody ("Born Free"), and in others ("XXXO") you may be struggling to find the socially significant lyrics. You might not find either on some tracks. But M.I.A. has never been one to rest on her laurels, and this new album does take the controversial star in new directions. I am confident that in the future, music critics and fans will re-evaluate this record and give it proper praise.

34) No Age - Everything In Between. For their third album, the LA duo No Age has largely shed its older, noisy, fuzzed-out sound in favor of a more atmospheric and "spacey" feel. There is still some shredding, to be sure, but the boys of No Age have shown here that they are no one-trick ponies. NME has dubbed the band "the new Pavement." That is quite a comparison.

33) The Gay Blades - Savages. The two guys who make up The Gay Blades call their music "trash pop," and for good reason. Without sounding even slightly retro, the band is able to conjure up all the sleaze and trash of classic 70's Stones and New York Dolls, while infusing the music with a dance-ability that neither of those bands were able to get. I think it's safe to say that these guys have a few T. Rex and Bowie records in their stacks. The Gay Blades have the swagger, the tunes, and the drive to become a major force in pop music. Let's hope it happens for them.

32) Kele - The Boxer. Most people probably know Kele Okereke as the lead singer and songwriter of UK band Bloc Party. He's still with that band, but with his debut solo album, The Boxer, Kele is able to explore more dance sounds and rhythms than he can with his band mates. But anyone who has heard the more recent Bloc Party records knows that their sound has veered more into dance and electronic sounds. I wonder if this was a testing of the waters for a potential departure from the band. Let's hope not.

31) Sleigh Bells - Treats. This is a strange one, my friends. Sleigh Bells is yet another duo from New York, but unlike their NYC brethren, this band likes to make a lot of noise! The band mixes elements of noise and hardcore with electronic beats and delivers a thoroughly original (though sometimes difficult to listen to) album. Mastermind Derek Miller has a history in hardcore, and former members of this band have wound up in another 2010 buzz band, Surfer Blood. Treats is not fun, catchy, dance music by any means. It is abrasive, challenging, and difficult. Yet once you start listening to it, it becomes harder and harder not to like.

Top 50 Albums of 2010 (50-41)

On my radio show for the next two weeks I will be counting down my choices for the Top 50 Albums of 2010. I will do a brief re-cap here, with a more in-depth review of the Top 10. Here are 50-41:

50) Paul Weller - Wake Up the Nation. The legendary former leader of two of the UK's biggest bands of the 70s and 80s (The Jam and The Style Council), Paul Weller, has changed things up a bit with his latest solo release. Wake Up the Nation is a loosely constructed concept record that displays Weller's views on the numerous changes that have taken place in England over the last few decades. It is not overtly political, it is more social and economic changes that he is singing about. This is not Weller's best solo work, but it is still quite good.

49) Local Natives - Gorilla Manor. It is far too simple to say that LA's Local Natives are like Vampire Weekend. They both share an affection for afropop, and both use it in their music. But Local Natives' songs are generally slower, and seem more musically complex than Vampire Weekend. To me, they are more like Grizzly Bear. Gorilla Manor is an impressive debut, and I look forward to hearing where this band takes its music.

48) Versus - On the Ones and Threes. This veteran NYC band has been on something of a hiatus for the last ten years. Clearly they were able to dust off those amps and get right back to the business of making smart, guitar-driven indie pop. If you don't know about Versus, start with their masterpiece, The Stars Are Insane, from 1994. Once you are addicted to it, give this new one a try. You will then be a Versus fan. I guarantee it.

47) Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be. This LA based outfit is able to artfully mix classic 60s girl group pop music with garage rock on its debut album. DDG are so clued in to that vintage feel that they actually got Richard Gottehrer (writer of "My Boyfriend's Back" and "I Want Candy" among others) to produce the disc. I Will Be is good summertime party music - any time of year.

46) Girl In a Coma - Adventures in Coverland. These Texas ladies have crafted another impressive collection, and it baffles me as to why this band doesn't get more recognition. On Adventures, the Girls do all cover songs, and their choices are pretty solid. The songs chosen range from the late Latina pop star Selena to Joy Division, and from The Beatles to The Velvet Underground. A great mix of tunes. Seek this one out.

45) Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo. Avi Buffalo is the nickname for this young band's front man, Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg. You can see why he uses a nickname. These natives of Long Beach, California have delivered a soft and sophisticated take on young love on their debut album. The first single, "What's In It For?" was one of the biggest singles on the college charts for 2010. Fans of bands like The Shins might want to check these guys (and gals) out.

44) Devo - Something For Everybody. Devo's last album of original material was released in 1991, and since that time, the band members have all worked on different projects. Mark Mothersbaugh, for example, scores a number of television shows. But the lure of devolution was just strong enough to get the guys back together for a new album. Something For Everybody doesn't really provide what the title suggests, but for fans of classic Devo albums like New Traditionalists and Oh No! It's Devo, it will provide enough of what you like to make this a worthy purchase.

43) Robert Plant - Band of Joy. The latest record from the legendary Led Zeppelin singer continues Mr. Plant's exploration into different (i.e. non-Zep sounding) styles of pop music. Band of Joy is a collection of covers from a wide variety of artists ranging from Richard Thompson to Duluth, Minnesota indie band, Low.

42) The Corin Tucker Band - 1,000 Years. The numerous fans of Corin Tucker's previous band, Sleater-Kinney, have been waiting for a long time to hear what she would produce once out on her own. The wait is finally over with the release of 1,000 Years. While not as immediate and powerful as S-K, Corin still knows how to craft a good song with a strong social message in the lyrics. Sure, I will always long for a reunion of Sleater-Kinney, but based on this record, I can be held off for a time with Corin Tucker's solo output.

41) Matt & Kim - Sidewalks. The Brooklyn duo of Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino have been something of a buzz band ever since their first single premiered just a few years ago. But the upbeat, sing-songy pop didn't hit me until I heard the third album, Sidewalks. Comparisons to Mates of State are hard to avoid considering the make-up of the band, but in all honesty, I like Matt & Kim better. Like many bands that begin as a duo (i.e. Black Keys), I imagine at some point, they will have to expand their line-up to take the music in different directions. Hopefully, they will be able to maintain their fun and loose feel when they do.

I will have the next installment up tomorrow or Wednesday.