2010 Year End List

The staff at KPSU asked me to fill out a year-end list, of my top 10 favorite records of 2010. I don't normally do lists like this; most of the music I buy is not new, most of the music I listen to is not new, and I think year-end lists are extremely misleading, often because there don't have context. But, since I had to fill one out, here's my context:

These are the albums I listened to in 2010, that were released in 2010. This isn't everything that I was a fan of, nor is it everything that I listened to in 2010. It is merely the honorable mentions that were released in the year 2010, that I listened to in 2010. I'll be the first to say that the list is subjective, missing a ton of things that you would rather see on the list, and in some spots, I cheat. But this is the closest accurate reflection you will get from me about how 2010 went down, musically speaking. Enjoy!

01.) Ke$ha - Animal
If, for no other reason, "Tik Tok" made this album all worth while. I kept coming back to it, even when I knew I shouldn't.

02.) Moment In Static - Demos
Local math-rockers are stellar, live and recorded. Check out one of their rare live shows, or their archived KPSU performance.

03.) The Oblik - Demos
Pop rock like they used to make, with equal-parts goth and glam. Hooks and then some, and rewarding upon multiple listens.

04.) Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings - I Learned The Hard Way
You need this album the way you need to hit the clubs on a Friday night, but this is better for the wee hours of the night, when you're feeling introspective.

05.) The Black Keys - Brothers
This is what rock and roll is all about. The hyper-color disc says it all: this band either polarizes you one way or the other. For me, I became a full-on convert.

06.) Grinderman - 2
The most anticipated record of the year, and well worth the wait. Nick Cave with a sense of humor is the best kind of Nick Cave to listen to, and this record is something to get genuinely creeped out about.

07.) No Age - Everything In Between
Get this album. Listen to it twice daily. Then try telling me I'm wrong about it. I dare you.

08.) Weekend - Sports
This album snuck in late for me, as I found only a week or so ago. But it is, without a doubt, the best album of 2010.

09.) Quasi / Pavement - Live!
A chance to see Pavement was the highlight of the year, and the show delivered everything I wanted and more. Quasi was great, too.

10.) kpsu.org
When all was said and done, I had my computer locked on kpsu.org. It had all of this, and more, 24 hours a day.