i'm just going to say it - i really love my music.
i like finding new bands to love and loving new albums from favourite bands.
this year was a bit of both...
it wasn't a particularly ground-breaking year music-wise for me. i mean, there was a lot of new stuff that i liked, but i spent a lot of the year listening to older music! i guess some albums that are always on high rotation can't be beaten!

in spite of this, there were some albums that did stand out and move me, and these make up my top albums of 2010.

the first of these has the be the national's new album high violet



while i don't think it is as good as their previous albums, there were some really stand out songs - sorrow, lemonworld and conversation 16 are my favourites. they just didn't seem to hit the same intensity as the songs on earlier albums such as sad songs for dirty lovers and boxer. but hey, i still love 'em!

secondly was midlake's new album the courage of others



actually, this one is tied with the national if i think about it. what puts it up there is that i went and saw midlake in concert last year and they were just simply unbelievable - it was one of my best concerts. they are so very talented! and were so humble and down-to-earth and came out after the gig to hang out with us plebs. my favourite songs on the album are core of nature and rulers, ruling all things. this is simply because of how amazing these songs were in concert. yeah i love midlake haha.

so next on the list would be a self-titled album by a newly-discovered band - the unwinding hours.



for a first album, it seemed very tidy - the songs all seemed to flow nicely, and it is just a lovely little gem. favourite songs would have to be knut, solstice, traces and the final hour. actually, i could also add peaceful liquid shell to that too... its a good album.

i would have to put local natives - gorilla manor next.



best tracks would be wide eyes, airplanes, who knows who cares and stranger things. i really like airplanes for the softly building drum beat. wide eyes is a good driving song too.

the ep from scottish band we were promised jetpacks called the last place you'll look would have to be next.



this five-song ep features two songs from their previous album these four walls, short bursts and this is my house this is my home. i could not stop listening to short bursts for a few weeks there in 2010 - just the way it builds up in its quiet way is incredible. the newer songs on the ep were also amazing.

ok i can't put them in order anymore! its just too hard. so i will just go through them...

titus andronicus - the monitor



favourite songs are richard II, four score and seven, to old friends and new and the battle of hampton roads. great album.

caravela - on the belvedere ep



caravela is a side-project of members of the band moving mountains, who are one of my favourites (their album pneuma is one of the ones which is always on high rotation in my playlist). the projector was one song that got played over and over... oh so good!

danger mouse and sparklehorse - dark night of the soul



poor mark linkous. while i love this album, it makes me sad that the man behind sparklehorse committed suicide early in 2010. he was talented, to be sure.
the album is written by sparklehorse and danger mouse, and features singers such as james mercer of the shins, jason lytle of grandaddy and scott spillane of neutral milk hotel.

and on that note, those are my top... what is it... eight albums of 2010. i look forward to the music to be released this year!