These are the albums that I couldn’t/can’t get enough of. The ones that impacted me enough to make me pay attention, that made me want to share them immediately, or keep them a secret for fear of losing something so personal. Some of them are, or were, on repeat for days, weeks, or months. Some of them, not so much – but they still meant something to me, or have stuck with me since their release.  Please, enjoy. And more than that, seek some of these out if you haven’t already.

Killer
 
Tigers Jaw – Two Worlds/Split with Balance and Composure

No other band this year has captured my attention, and heart, the way this band has. They are an infinitely listenable mixture of music from my formative years – The Get Up Kids, The Anniversary, The Impossibles, etc – but unflinchingly modern in their delivery. This may be one of the most underrated, unknown bands I’ve ever listen to.  I simply can’t get enough, and hope that I never do.

Via Audio – Animalore

There’s really no way an album like Animalore should work. There are simply too many jumps in musical logic to make this a cohesive, definitive statement. But it’s one of the few perfect albums of 2010. Stunning is a word I’ve used to describe this album. Hypnotizing, as well. There’s not one wasted track, one wasted minute. It’s simply beautiful, and it is absolutely Via Audio.

The Chariot – Long Live

This is the first album by this band to really, truly grab my attention. I’ve always been a fan, but this album was simply stunning in its unbridled messiness. Angular, dissonant, chaotic. It’s aggressive without being angry, which is a bit paradoxical, but allows for some truly unique moments to take place. This is Hardcore as it should be – unbound by what we think Hardcore is.

Maps & Atlases – Perch Patchwork

I (re)discovered Maps & Atlases this year, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The tracks from their first two EPs racked up a few hundred plays for me, and became my first genuine musical obsession in quite some time. Perch Patchwork was a huge curveball of a record, but the more I listened to it, the more I grew to appreciate the subtle, sublime anti-chaos of one of the year’s loveliest releases.

Tides of Man – Dreamhouse

This is an album that absolutely came out of nowhere – as did my addiction to it. I was asked to review this for Lush Beat, and was actually shocked at how much I enjoyed it on my first few listens. Taking cues from Circa Survive, adding the chaotic guitar work of bands like Closure In Moscow, and adding their off-beat, multi-tempo, surprisingly accessible touches, Dreamhouse is all-around awesome.

The Gay Blades – Savages/Songs for Cities Series

Trash-Pop. Alt-Garage Rock. Whatever The Gay Blades are, they are unequivocally The Gay Blades. This album was a big step for the duo, now trio. Bigger, badder production. A label with a loyal following backing them. They are on the verge of breaking out in a big way, and that warms my cynical little heart. As well, The Songs for Cities series is inspired. The Gay Blades for(n)ever.

Fake Problems – Real Ghosts Caught On Tape

This was another curveball of a record from one of my favorite live bands I’ve had the pleasure to see. Reigning in the comically chaotic tendencies of their last, It’s Great To Be Alive, they found life and vitality in making a cohesive album that states in no uncertain terms that this band is nothing short of talented, genuine lovers of music, as well as exceptional songwriters.

Colour Revolt – The Cradle

I’ve followed this band very closely since the release of their first EP and tour with Brand New. That live set was jaw-dropping, and the EP and following full-length were both incredible. They are a band mired in the sounds of the South, but never to their detriment. With The Cradle, they’ve somehow trimmed the already small amount of fat and crafted an album that is an experience, and one that should be listened to from beginning to end.

Look Mexico – To Bed To Battle

Another band I discovered this year. After absorbing as much of their back catalog as I could, To Bed To Battle immediately became one of my favorite albums of the year. Its Indie rock, but never falls prey to some of that genre’s more tepid and unnecessary tendencies, instead focusing on bringing intelligent Rock and sincerity to the forefront. It’s a great balance, and a terrific album.

Sleigh Bells – Treats

Raucous and unironic, Treats is an exercise in bombast that somehow manages to not come off as excessive. Make no mistake, though, this is an album built on excess – crunchy guitar lines over speaker busting, ultra-crushed beats, with repetitive, trance-like female vocals – it’s an album that justifiably warrants constant repetition itself.
 

Rad

Stay Ahead Of The Weather – We Better Get Goin’ If We’re Gonna – I just got this album a few days ago, so I’m thrilled I held off on writing this thing up. Another band steeped in nostalgia – Pop Punk, Emo, and Indie – it’s the perfect combination. Downside? It’s only 5 songs.

Good Old War – Self-Titled – This album radiates Summer. Beautifully orchestrated harmonies, loosely and lightly alt-Country style instrumentation, it’s a record that just feels good.

Murder By Death – Good Morning, Magpie – If it’s possible for Murder By Death to make a “sunny” record, this would be it. Cello, piano, Adam Turla’s anachronistic vocals. Just an all-around great album.

Minus The Bear – Omni – This feels like Minus The Bear’s attempt to make an album of the sexiest music that they could. Success. This one just screams good times, if you know what I mean…

Norma Jean – Meridonial – Where Vs. The Anti-Mother sort of veered ever so slightly from the trajectory started with Redeemer, Meridonial has become the quintessential Norma Jean experience – chaos and harmony, brutality with purpose. A great, heavy album.

Underoath – Ø Disambiguation – This is the album Underoath has been dying to make. Dark, multi-faceted, absolutely brutal. Spencer Chamberlain steps up in a big way and positively nails it. This is his band now.

The Ocean – Heliocentric/Anthropocentric – “Epic” seems like a suitable word. “Ambitious” comes to mind, as well. This double release is the work of master craftsmen, pushing any and all boundaries we thought we had when it comes to heavy music.

Make Do And Mend – End Measured Mile – Unapologetically melodic post-Hardcore Punk rock. This is the best Punk rock album released this year. Enough said.

husband&wife – Proud Flesh – A honest to goodness, genuine Rock record with some solid Indie leanings, this turned in to a surprise favorite of mine, and quite a few others.

Zlam Dunk – Noble Ancestry – Unsigned? Who cares? Straight-up dance-tinged Rock and Roll, this album is fun and furious, self-released and easily identifiable, it’s a rather brilliantly realized full-length debut. And it totally rocks.

Far – At Night We Live – We should consider ourselves fortunate that a band can come back from 10 or more years of not playing music and make an album as accomplished and downright great as this. It’s big, epic, and further proof that Jonah Matranga is one this scenes most gifted voices and songwriters.

Infantree – Would Work – This is a strange one, and an album that sort of defies description. Dark, and vaguely Alt-Country, it’s a brooding, somber work that captivates on its first listen, but demands repeated visits.

Lizzie Huffman – Lizzie Huffman and Her Brother’s Band – Sublime and genre defiant, it’s an album built to showcase Huffman’s unique voice – one that’s as suited for hazy, smoke filled bars as it is for filled to capacity clubs.

This Or The Apocalypse – Haunt What’s Left – Probably the most straightforward Metal album on my list, it’s nonetheless a technicality driven heavy music beast of epic proportions. I dig it.

Azure Ray – Drawing Down The Moon – Their first album in some time, Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor remind us how desperately they were missed. Elegant and subtle, quiet yet striking, it’s a remarkable return for two of Indie rock’s most beautiful voices.

The Narrative – Self-Titled – Death Cab for Cutie meets sincere, genuine piano-driven Pop with great male/female vocals, it’s one of the most complete debuts from any band – signed or otherwise – that I’ve heard in a long, long time.

Jukebox The Ghost – Everything Under The Sun – Bright, sunny, Pop, with dark undertones that aren’t even close to apparent upon initial listens, this was a great introduction to a band that seems to be picking up major momentum.

Letlive – Fake History – Glassjaw who? This album straight up RIPS it. It came out of nowhere and more than scratches that particular itch. More straightforward, and brilliantly produced, it’s a shockingly more-than-solid release.

Deftones – Diamond Eyes – If ever there was an album that could be considered a “return to form,” it’s this one. For 14 years I’ve been a fan of this band, and this record proves why.

Circa Survive – Blue Sky Noise – We should consider ourselves lucky that this album was as strong as it ended up. Major labels would have turned a lesser band in to something disingenuous, or worse, but Circa Survive managed to make a perfectly Circa Survive album.

Bars Of Gold – Of Gold – How could I not fall immediately in love with a band made up of members of Bear Vs. Shark? Sharing similar sonic tendencies, but comfortable in its dissimilarity, it was a welcome return of one of the post-Hardcore’s most unique voices.

Bear In Heaven – Beast Forth Rest Mouth – Electronic music that’s more Indie in execution, Metric introduced me to their unique brand of Psych-whatever. It’s just good stuff.

The Devil Wears Prada – Zombie EP – No one is more surprised than me by how much I like this release. They wisely kept the premise to an EP, and managed to make a well-executed Hard/Metal-core Zombie Apocalypse sound enticing.

Four Year Strong – Enemy of The World – Pop-Punk and Hardcore mixed to the perfect blend of energy, fun, and heaviness. A big leap forward for the band and a pinnacle for the genre itself.

The Sleeping – The Big Deep – A digression of sorts, or maybe more of a deconstruction. While always dark, it’s never been so apparent. Their dissonance and passion are on full display, while atmosphere and mood turn this record in to something else entirely.

- Jared