TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2010

Two Thousand and Ten! When did it start? How is it already over? If you didn't know, I kinda like music. ALOT. Sort of overly obsessed. This year brought in some serious gems. Any other year the National would have been my #1 album, but Arcade Fire and LCD had to put out some amazingness that just blew mind. Does it get any better than when "Dance Yrself Clean" clean breaks? Does it get any better than putting headphones on and listening to The Suburbs all the way through like 90 times in a row? And why isn't Robyn my girlfriend yet? FYI, Damon Albarn is genius. Blur better play the U.S. in 2011. Champ by Tokyo Police Club is definitely the most underrated album of the year. And the Walkmen keep churning out albums that make me feel like I should be driving across the country on a deserted highway. When Chris Keating of Yeasayer sings the following on "Ampling Alp," you just know that everything is right in the world and 2010 was indeed an amazing year for music. "Now the world can be an unfair place at times/But your lows will have their compliment of highs/And if anyone should cheat you/Take advantage of or beat you/raise your head and wear your wounds with pride." Nuff said. Thank you 2010.

1. Arcade Fire-The Suburbs
2. LCD Soundsystem-This Is Happening
3. The National-High Violet
4. Robyn-Body Talk Trilogy
5. Gorillaz-Plastic Beach
6. Local Natives-Gorilla Manor
7. Yeasayer-Odd Blood
8. The Walkmen-Lisbon
9. Tokyo Police Club-Champ
10. Hot Chip-One Life Stand
11. Wild Nothing-Gemini
12. The Golden Filter-Voluspa
13. Miami Horror-Illumantion
14. Fitz and the Tantrums-Pickin' Up the Pieces
15. Twin Shadow-Forget
16. Surfer Blood-Astrocast
17. Vampire Weekend-Contra
19. Sleigh Bells-Treats
20. Diamond Rings-Special Affections
21. Die Antwoord-$.O.$.
22. Tame Impala-Innerspeaker
23. The Soft Pack-The Soft Pack
24. Secret Colours-Secret Colours
25. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club-Beat The Devil's Tattoo

***Kanye should be on this list but I've only had it for 3 weeks now, so it's tough to say where it would fall.

Honorable Mentions: Rusko-O.MG.!
BBU-Fear of A Clear Channel Planet
Gaslight Anthem-American Slang
Best Coast-Crazy For You
Frightened Rabbit-The Winter of Mixed Drinks

Download Now: "Pickin' Up the Pieces"-Fitz and the Tantrums

A few people have accused me of only listening to one type of music--dance music. That's an extremely false accusation. I listen to all different kinds of tunes on a daily basis. Just today I've listened to the Walkmen, LCD, The National, Hussle Club, Bowie, BRMC, The Horrors, Syl Johnson, Foals, and The Golden Filter. There's no method to my madness! I love it all. If you pigeon-hole yourself to only listening to one type of music, you're making a mistake in life. You're also dumb, ugly, and empty inside. God gave us all these different music genres so they could be heard and enjoyed. The least you could do is have an open mind and explore the wonderful gift that is music.

Although I'm not an expert in the genre, I do indeed like cutting a rug to some good soul music. As of late, there's been somewhat of a trend of white guys getting on the soul train and taking it for a ride. Mayer Hawthrone, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, and Los Angeles-based Fitz and the Tantrums are just 3 examples of why white guys singing soul music is kinda the new black. Though only time will tell where the above mentioned fall in soul's history, on "Pickin' Up the Pieces," Fitz and the Tantrums do it real and perfectly. Soul music comes from the soul and hits you in the soul. With lyrics like "I am oh so tired of loneliness/But the world don’t change" and "But i’m inclined to tell you somethin’/you never show me how you cared for me," this holds very true. I feel like my soul is getting stung by a punch from Ali while I'm simultaneously floating like a butterfly from such a grooving rhythm that the Tantrums provide. To top off it off, "Pickin' Up the Pieces" has dueling vocals. Dueling vocals always get me, but guy/girl dueling vocals are the best. On the second verse, backup vocalist Nicole Scaggs almost outshines Fitz on what is one hell of a track.

Download Now: "Pickin' Up the Pieces"-Fitz and the Tantrums

Editor's Note: You're not dumb and ugly.