TripWire

Alright, I haven't seen this thread made yet so I am gonna start it.
What a weak year for music (for me) and the albums critics love I am not a huge fan of (Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear)
I don't even have a real #1 album, everything kinda feels like it should be a 5, but ah well, here it is.

1. The Doves - Kingdom of Rust
2. The Antlers - Hospice
3. Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another
4. Sonic Youth - The Eternal
5. The Horrors - Primary Colours
6. We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
7. The Veils - Sun Gangs
8. A Place To Bury Strangers - Exploding Head
9. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
10. Bad Veins - Bad Veins

Honorable Mentions: The Twilight Sad, Placebo, Air, Dinosaur Jr, The Dead Weather, Russian Circles, The XX, Lymbyc Systym, St. Vincent, Ume, Girls, Division Day, and The Big Pink

Biggest Dissapointments: Muse, Editors, Islands, and The Raveonettes

Biggest Meh Albums: Moby and Built to Spill

And a surprisingly good EP award goes to Modest Mouse

cactusoly

1) Black Sabbath :The Devil You Know
2) Shadows Fall :Retribution
3) Ace Frehley :Anomoly
4) Slayer : World Painted Blood
5) Megadeth :Endgame
6) Lamb of God :Wraith
7) Kiss :Sonic Boom
8) Bullets and Octaine :Laughing in the Face of Failure
9) Powerman 5000: Somewhere on The Other Side Of Nowhere
10) Five Finger Death Punch : War is The Answer

Rypro 525

Shogun came out last year

here's mine

1.Between the Buried and Me "the Great Misdirect"
2.Mastodon "Crack the Skye"
3.Kylesa "Scapegoat"
4.Arkona "Go Goi Rode"
5.Dying Fetus "Descend into Depravity"
6.Muse "the Resistance"
7.Vader "Necropolis"
8.Iwrestledabearonce "Its All Happening"
9.Eluveitie "Evocation I - The Arcane Dominion"
10.Shadows Fall "Retribution"

EEz28

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix
2. Swoon - Silversun Pickups
3. Fantasies - Metric
4. Middle Cyclone - Neko Case
5. The XX
6. Vekatimest - Grizzly Bear
7. Two Suns - Bat for Lashes
8. It's Blitz - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
9. Kingdom of Rust - Doves
10. Armistice - MUTEMATH

Rocketdog2000

Still working on finalizing my list, but I'll add it later this week. Already do see some similarities with what's been posted, though.

Sessa17

The official 10 Best albums this year that everyone with ears whould own. . .

1. Antlers - Hospice Probably the only album released this year that I would consider an absolute classic album that I would rate a near perfect 10. It's a concept album relating the tale of a man whose wife has terminal bone cancer, beginning with her diagnosis (Prologue/Kettering) and ending with her demise (Wake/Epilogue). Just awe-inspiring lyrics (culminating with the masterpiece that is Two) and truly a work of art. Should be in every music fans heavy rotation.

2. The Thermals - Now We Can See Get in your car ,crank the volume and play the title track, go for a drive & then tell me you don't love this song & album. Filled with energy and ridiculously infectious hooks this is a truly must-own album.

3. The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You I always respect a band that attempts something a little new & makes an effort to make a body of music that sounds different than one fans expect. The Brothers Avett venture away from their bluegrass roots to make more mainstream Rick Rubin-procuded pop, which I planned on hating once I heard that would be the approach. But the harmonies are exquisite and the songs powerful.

4. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer Spencer Krug is one of the most gifted talents in all of music. I love the loony audicity of his side-project filled almost entirely of near 10-minute songs that defy listeners expectations. If you like your compact, factory-produced for the masses 2 & a half minute radio friendly fluff, then this album isn't for you. But if you love innovative musicianship and sophisticated art rock then this is a must own.

5. Baroness - The Blue Record Vastly superior to the horribly overrated Mastodon album filled with songs than just repeat themselves over & over again. It doesn't have the cleaned up highly produced sound Mastodon has which is why people probably dismiss it as inferior to their maintream breathren but the musicianship is far superior. I'm not a metal fan at all so it takes a damn good album to resonate with me.

6. St. Vincent - Actor One of the most beautiful women in music & a better guitar player than most men, Annie avoids the sophomore slump with her second phenomenal album. If there is any complaint its that her innovative guitar style only comes across in concert and not on the album. But the quirky melodies and complex textures elevate her music from others.

7. Juliana Barwick - Florine My roomate says this music is like the sounds of Angels farting. It's not for everyone, but if you are like me & prefer the unique over the traditional this is completely riveting. Utterly astonishing multi-tracked & layered vocal music.

8. Iron & Wine - Around the Well Love Vigilantes alone makes this a must own album. A band that can do no wrong this double album actually features a lot that I have never heard before.

9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz I think I panned this album as dissapointing when it first came out. It sounded (& still does) like Karen just developed an unhealthy obsession with mimicking Emily Haines but I realized that when done right that really isn't a bad thing. Skeletons is right up there with Maps as one of the greatest songs they have ever produced.

10. Dan Deacon - Bromst I could put about a dozen different albums in this 10 spot but right now this gets the nod because I've been listening to it so much lately. It's not as bat-shit insane as Spiderman of the Rings but overall a better work of art. Like the Baroness album, this album is similar to another horrendoulsy overrated album of the year in Animal Collective's new one. Critics jizz all over AC so people eat it up when the album is utterly repetitive from everything they have ever done. For fans of swirlings sounds that can respect the talent in actually using real instruments as opposed to AC's looping tracks of alienating computers this is the far superior album.

maxfisher

1. The Antlers - Hospice
2. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
3. Doves - Kingdom of Rust
4. The Veils - Sun Gangs
5. White Rabbits - It's Frightening
6. We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
7. Dead Man's Bones - Dead Man's Bones
8. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
9. Metric - Fantasies
10. The Swell Season - Strict Joy

Rypro 525

1. Antlers - Hospice Probably the only album released this year that I would consider an absolute classic album that I would rate a near perfect 10. It's a concept album relating the tale of a man whose wife has terminal bone cancer, beginning with her diagnosis (Prologue/Kettering) and ending with her demise (Wake/Epilogue). Just awe-inspiring lyrics (culminating with the masterpiece that is Two) and truly a work of art. Should be in every music fans heavy rotation.

I'll be honest, this review has me inerested. Who would you say that they kind of sound like, since youtube and myspace has been acting really badly on my computer, and i'd rather not deal with it lol

CapRockBrewingCo.

1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
2. Richmond Fontaine - We Used to Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River
3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
4. Wilco - Wilco (the Album) (it's nowhere near the best Wilco has done)
5. Iron and Wine - Around the Well (although it's not really new stuff)
6. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
7. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
8. Girls - Album
9. Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day
10. Avett Brothers - I and Love and You (not as strong as their older stuff)

conscience

I don't have a top ten, but my favorite album of the past year is probably The First Days of Spring from Noah and the Whale.

Sessa17

Tough call, as it is a very unique sounding album. I would say the closest band to compare them to would be Modest Mouse, but quite different.

Here is my favorite track off the album. I've posted this in other threads, you shouldn't have problems playing it. It's a complex song, lots of different layers to the music & lyrically its astounding. One of the rare songs that can give you chills once you realize what the story is about.
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FatTony

Best Albums


Honorable Mentions


Best EPs


Overall Thoughts
These lists are always fun just for myself if only because I'm usually kinda harsh on the year as a whole until I actually sit down and reflect to the music I've heard, the movies I've watched, etc. The one thing that really stands out from my Top 10 list is that there are no new bands on my list. They're all artists that I've been following for at least a couple of years. Not sure if that's indicative of listening to fewer new bands this year or that the new bands I checked out just didn't impress me enough to knock out any old favorites.

Aegean2007

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
4. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. The xx - xx
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
8. St. Vincent - Actor
9. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
10. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

Honorable mentions (11-20):
Raekwon, The Flaming Lips, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Girls, Neko Case, The Antlers, Dinosaur Jr., The Very Best, Bill Callahan, Sunset Rubdown

anomynous

1. Megadeth - Endgame
2. Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club
3. Wale - Attention Defecit
4. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: The End of the Day
5. Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue
6. lamb of God - Wrath
7. Method Man & Redman - Blackout! 2
8. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
9. Shadows Fall - Retribution
10. Slayer - World Painted Blood

Monica Clinton

Not in Order. I'll come up with more later.

Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot
Colbie Caillat - Breakthrough
Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Prince - Lotus Flow3r

A few let downs:
Queensryche - American Soldier
Shakira - She Wolf

al_bundy

Not in any order

21st Century Breakdown - Green Day
DarkHorse - Nickelback
The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga (they will be playing videos of this well into 2010)
Foo Fighters Greatest Hits
Daughtry
Pink


lots of other decent stuff from Linkin Park, Avett Brothers, New Republic and others where i may have heard a song or two but haven't had a chance to listen to the entire album

brokenhanger

I finally settled on a list yesterday, though this year was frustratingly difficult - outside of #1 which was no contest.

01 La Roux - La Roux
02 The Boxer Rebellion - Union
03 Pet Shop Boys - Yes
04 Dragonette - Fixin To Thrill
05 Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
06 The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
07 Little Boots - Hands
08 Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
09 Lady Sovereign - Jigsaw
10 Charlotte Hatherley - New Worlds
HM Annie - Don't Stop

Thoughts here.

Indio

I'm liking the metal representation I am seeing in many lists here. Still working on finalizing mine. I do a top 25 every year and discuss with a group of friends.

Travis McClain

For the first time in about a decade, I don't know that I even bought ten new releases this year!

Really Enjoyed
Rosanne Cash - The List*
Norah Jones - The Fall
Miranda Lambert - Revolution
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!
George Strait - Twang

Like What I've Heard
Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill
Jewel - Lullaby
Those Darlins - Those Darlins

Okay
Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night
Hank Williams, Jr. - 127 Rose Avenue

*I've heard The List in its entirety, but have yet to buy it for myself.

Rocketdog2000

Ok, I'm going to preface this by saying these are my favorite albums of the year, if not necessarily what might be considered the best, since that is completely subjective anyway. These are the ones I listened to, and for various reasons, enjoyed the most. This year I'm only going 15, although I would normally go 20 - but overall, it was a less than stellar year compared to others. Some artists who have made my list before, and I thought would again this year, didn't even place (*see below).

1. Our Lady Peace - Burn Burn Burn
2. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust
3. Metric - Fantasies
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. KISS - Sonic Boom
7. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
8. Cheap Trick - The Latest
9. Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major
10. As Tall As Lions - You Can't Take It With You
11. Mute Math - Armistice
12. Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
13. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight:Franz Ferdinand
12. Bleu - A Watched Pot
13. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
14. The XX - XX
15. Superdrag - Industry Giants

*Disappointments (personally, at least)
Muse - The Resistance - Probably my least favorite album they've released. It wasn't all bad, and there were a few great songs - but in comparison to what preceded it, it barely held my interest. I was hoping for more, and didn't find it.
Placebo - Battle for The Sun - Like Muse, I've grown accustomed to each album released by this band being better than the last. This one, however, seemed like a giant step back. To me, there was hardly anything memorable about it - except the single ("For What's It's Worth"), and that was only because part of the melody 'borrowed' from a Kiss song ("I Was Made For Loving You"). But at least they weren't alone in that endeavor, Springsteen lifted the same melody for his "Outlaw Pete" this year, too.
Rhett Miller - Rhett Miller - And again, the same situation here. This one got some good critical press, which I didn't understand at all, because it's the most boring work he's done in or out of the Old 97's. The songs, which usually in Miller's case are great, just weren't there.

The Bus

tommy28

agreed..... fucking Nickelback.

JasonF

I hate Top Ten lists. They are so artificial, I can never narrow it down to ten, and since I have only listened to a minute fraction of the music that came out this year, it's completely pretentious for me to purport to identify the ten best albums.

So here, in no particular order, are ten good albums that came out this year and that I happened to have listened to:

The Thermals: Now We Can See
The Sounds: Crossing the Rubicon
Taking Back Sunday: New Again
Street Sweeper Social Club: Street Sweeper Social Club
Sonic Youth: The Eternal
Silversun Pickups: Swoon
Art Brut: Art Brut vs. Satan
Cocktail Slippers: Cocktail Slippers
Florence & the Machine: Lungs
The Ettes: Do You Want Power

Daytripper

Some great titles here so far guys. Mine:

1) The Gossip - Music For Men
2) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3) Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe
4) Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers
5) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
6) Muse - The Resistance
7) La Roux - La Roux
8) Lily Allen - It's Not Me It's You
9) Spinnerette - Spinnerette
10) Metric - Fantasies

[email protected]

1. Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3. Derek Trucks - Already Free
4. Wilco - Wilco
5. White Lies - To Lose My Life
6. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
7. Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
8. Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
9. Dead Weather - Horehound
10. Maxwell - BLACKsummer's Night

Runners up:
Muse - The Resistance
U2 - No Line on the Horizon
Levon Helm - Electric Dirt
Black Crowes - Before The Frost
Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart