Best of 2010

1. Len Price 3 - Pictures
Not just retro, but a stellar group of songs that recalls our early heroes, but does not ape them.

2. Jason & The Scorchers - Halcyon Days
Another kickass effort from this underrated band. Not a sour note or bad song in the lot and the best of them are great.

3. Two Cow Garage - Sweet Saint Me
They’ve been listening to too much Hold Steady, but that doesn’t stop this album from being everything you would want from these boys.

4. Ike Reilly - Hard Luck Stories
Another underrated artist with a kickass, literate and funny record.

5. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
Most interesting release of the year marred only by it’s occasional overindulgence

6. Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing
Too power pop to be described as 70’s style arena rock, but too arena rock to be called power pop. So we’ll just call it ROCK.

7. Bruce Springsteen - The Promise
Wasn’t sure where to put this as the overall package (with the 3 DVDs) was the best thing released all year, but the music only portion ranks right around here.

8. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
See #6

9. Against Me - White Crosses
Too many good songs to ignore this solid, passionate, rock album

10. Drive By Truckers - The Big To Do
Even I’m finding it hard to believe it’s down this far. Maybe I made a mistake.

Here’s a list of bands that got close to making the list. Note that these are NOT honorable mentions, but note also the this list is in NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
Gaslight Anthem, Grinderman, J Roddy Waltson & The Buisness, Waaves, Ryan Adams, Taylor Hawkins, Peter Wolf, Glossary, the Hold Steady and the Black Keys