Monsta's Thoughtful and Spot-On Analysis of 2010

Good year overall.  The list is top heavy, and there were about 10 albums that could have made the bottom 5.

The Exceptions:
Can’t count them as “new”, but both the “Exile on Main Street” bonus disc and Springsteen’s “The Promise” were exceptional, and would have been near the top of this list

The Honorable Mentions:

Henry Clay People - "Somewhere on the Golden Coast"
Alejandro Escovedo - "Street Songs of Love"
Superchunk - "Majesty Shredding"

The Top 10

10. Robert Plant “Band of Joy”– Props to Plant for re-inventing himself as an Americana artist.  Good players and his eclectic choice of covers was well done.

9. Two Cow Garage “Sweet Saint Me” – Yes, they peaked on III and yes, they’re wildly inconsistent.  Doesn’t change the fact that there are 5 legitimately great songs here.

8. Southern Culture on the Skids “Kudzu Ranch” – A microcosm of their career. Its not flashy, but its unfailingly very good.

7. Mavis Staples “You Are Not Alone” – Tremendous singing, great mix of covers and originals. Spiritual while not overly preachy.

6. The Hold Steady “Heaven is Whenever” – Speaks volumes about this band that this disc was a definite drop-off from their last two, but was still solid enough to land here.

5. Peter Wolf  “Midnight Souvenirs” – This year’s token great album from a seemingly forgotten veteran.

4. Gaslight Anthem “American Slang” – Heartfelt soul-inflected punk that wears its influences proudly.

3. Drive By Truckers “The Big To-Do” – They do what they do: play high-energy loud rock and roll with lyrics that read like short stories.

2. Black Keys “Brothers” – My go-to disc of the year, played it constantly.  A startling mix of blues, vintage rock and classic R&B that manages to incorporate some 21^st century production touches while remaining true to its roots.

1. Titus Andronicus “The Monitor” – A mind-blowing, fantastic, brilliant epic.