Here it is!  The moment that some of you have been waiting for… my top 10 favorite albums of the year!  Be on the lookout for tomorrow’s first post where I reveal numbers 100-91 from my ludicrous 100 favorite songs of 2010 compilation.

10. DAS RACIST - Sit Down, Man

“Fashion Party (feat. Chairlift)”

With the year’s most clever rhyme slants and structured semantics on social commentary, backed by an impressive production crew of eclectic artists, Das Racist have compiled 2010’s must-listen-to mixtape.

09. ALCEST - Écailles De Lune

“Percées De Lumière”

Fiery distortion, liquid guitar melodies, and soaring vocal rasps are conjured from atop an ancient castle turret and cast upon an army of snarling mythological beasts — heavy.

08. JÓNSI - Go

“Tornado”

Equal parts whimsical and heart-wrenching, the once enigmatic Sigur Rós frontman has crafted a grand opus of childhood memories set to your favorite Disney storyboard. 

07. LOCAL NATIVES - Gorilla Manor

“Shape Shifter”

An afro-tinged pop rock album with each melody, harmony, and rhythm meticulously crafted and optimally refined.  Sing-a-long choruses galore.

06. HOW TO DRESS WELL - Love Remains

“Decisions (feat.Yüksel Arslan)”

An expounded detailing of a primarily blog-driven, lo-fi pop aesthetic.  ’Haunting’ and ‘soulful’ are typically used to describe Tom Krell’s compositions; however, I find that a feeling of close physical proximity to be the most appropriate characterization.  Love Remains whispers to you in the dark of night, reminding you that life doesn’t last forever. 

05. TAME IMPALA - Innerspeaker

“Solitude Is Bliss”

Propulsive psychedelic rock with plenty of injected crystalline guitar to seep into your bloodstream and alter your mind.  Out of all those supposed ‘Beatles-influenced’ artists, Tame Impala have risen above this restraint as confident, and more importantly, unique songwriters.

04. TWIN SHADOW - Forget

“I Can’t Wait”

A refreshing and highly effective collection of new-wave.  Subtle flourishes of disco, shimmering guitar plucks and strums, earnest vocal soul, and some spot-on production.  George Lewis, Jr.’s Forget grooves, careens, and infects your body with unforgettable pop panache.

03. ONRA - Long Distance

“Long Distance (feat. Olivier DaySoul)”

Parisan production architect Onra has erected a colossal monument of fused R&B, hip-hop, and dance-club stylings.  Long Distance is a jaw-dropping and creative accomplishment of side-chain synth compression, dancefloor thumps, and late-night city soul. 

02. FUTURE ISLANDS - In Evening Air

“Inch Of Dust”

Self-described as post new-wave, Future Islands’ In Evening Air is filled with cinematic conviction and sparkling melancholy.  Kinetic bass hooks, dazzling webs of synth melodies, and the most powerful vocal theatrics you’ll hear all year.

01. KANYE WEST - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

“Blame Game (feat. John Legend)”

A precarious balance of gaudy egotism and self-deprecating introspection.  No one else makes beats as consuming, delivers rap choruses as affecting, or enlists a more cohesive set of featured artists, yet Kanye’s 13 scene pseudo-rap-musical is a nuanced and transparent explication on the details of celebrity and its subsequent social obsession.  It will most certainly be some time before we hear something as visceral as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.