Damn! I forgot about Envy. It's hard to make a list with all these great albums

The year's not over yet but here's my albums of the year (so far)

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1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Lol predictable wasn't it? Well to be honest this was the album that defined 2010 for me, i'll have plenty of great memories attached to it. It's just a fantastic album from them, very much on par with Funeral. There's plenty of different styles and moods to be found on this album and it doesn't seem to drag despite it's long running time. Just an epic album.

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2. Beach House - Teen Dream
It took me a while to grow to love this album but it's a truly amazing listening experience. I just love immersing in those beautiful, dreamy soundscapes, a really great album to lose yourself in. I'm very interested to hear what they do next.

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3. Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms
By far their most accomplished and realised album to date. Songs like 'Laredo' and 'Dilly' show that this band has evolved while still staying true to their original sound. The band certainly sound like they're on the top of their game.

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4. School Of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire
I was confident that this album would be far better than it's patchy predecessor Alpinisms, and i was certainly far from disappointed. The band have really found their sound here on this album. The combination of electronics and guitars has never sounded better, and the vocals sound really amazing. A very addictive and memorable album.

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5. Alcest - Écailles de Lune
A seriously epic album. It's not quite as good as 2007's incredible Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde but it is truly an amazing album. What i really love about this album is the atmosphere, the music certainly lives up to it's awesome album cover. The combination of quiet instrumental passages, heavy guitars, hushed vocals, and haunting black metal screams make this album and amzing listening experience.

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6. Butterfly Explosion - Lost Trails
My Irish album of the year. This album really hits the spot for me, it has no shortage of memorable songs and it's beautiful dream-pop/shoegaze-influenced soundscapes sound truly amazing. The guitars just sound really amazing.

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7. Autolux - Transit Transit
Was this album worth the wait? Hmm maybe. Is it better than Future Perfect? Probably not, but it's still one of the best albums released this year. This album sounds a bit darker and heavier at times and there's some really great experimentation going on. This album is certainly a welcome release and hopefully we wont have to wait as long for the follow-up.

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8. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Probably the most surprising album of the year for me. Having never really grown to understand the appeal of Microcastle this album has certainly changed my perspective on the band. The songwriting and musicianship here is really amazing and the songs have enough variety to keep you hooked from start to finish. Great stuff.

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9. The National - High Violet
I do admit that i'm a bit of a latecomer to The National, but when this album finally clicked inside my head i went and got the rest of their discography. A really passionate and emotional album with memorable, well-written songs.

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10. The Depreciation Guild - Spirit Youth
Ok i only got this album like a week ago but **** it, i've been playing it pretty much non-stop. Certainly one of the most addictive albums i've heard this year and is jammed-packed with amazing songs. It's not as experimental as their debut but the songs sound all the better. Great stuff.


Might as well mention a few more:

11. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
12. Blood Red Shoes - Fire Like This
13. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
14. Villagers - Becoming A Jackel
15. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
16. Les Discrets - Septembre Et Ses Dernieres Pensees
17. Fight Like Apes - The Body Of Christ, And The Legs Of Tina Turner
18. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
19. Wintersleep - New Inheritors
20. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way (2010)
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Awesome music from one badass soul-ishious lady, Sharon Jones. If want something with that old-school soul sound, check it out.
Favorite songs: "I Learned the Hard Way" and "Mama Don't Like My Man".


Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid (2010)
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I read an online review of this album that described her sound as "Stevie Wonder meets Outkast meets Alicia Keys". It's pretty accurate, but that doesn't mean hers is a rehashed sound from other artists. She's definitely made the music her own. And the album concept is just too awesome not to like: spacey-scifi-hip hop goodness.
Favorite songs: "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)" and "Tightrope"


The Knife in Collaboration with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock - Tomorrow, in a Year (2010)
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This one is really difficult to describe. It's definitely has the sound of other The Knife albums, but it's more operatic and moody. It seems like there is a lot more noise/sound experimentation on this album, for example the song "Variation of Birds". It's a song that fits it's name so well. Really I think that song is perfect, but strangely I cannot listen to it all the way through. You might see why if you give it a listen.
Favorite song: "Schoal Swarm Orchestra"


Soundgarden - Telephantasm (2010)
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Soundgarden: The sounds of my teenage years. That is the biggest reason I can give for absolutely loving this album. It's nothing special I suppose, just a compilation of previously released output. But man, this takes me back. I feel like I'm being transported to 1995 everytime I listen to it.
Favorite songs: "Spoonman", "Pretty Noose", "Burden in my Hand".

I like a good bit of hip-hop and rap, but this does nothing for me. I don't like his voice. I heard a song on the radio earlier in the week, I also failed to hear the genius in it. His style just has no appeal to me, I don't think it's very good.

I agree, Sidewinder. I'm no hip-hop connoisseur but I've listened to that album once through, and then in bits. It's really... OK.

I generally have a hard time enjoying hip hop albums the whole way through, and that is one of the few albums of the genre that keeps me interested start to finish.

I thought it was just okay until I heard the uncensored version (like an idiot I downloaded the clean version, and that seriously ruins the experience).

I find it has too many shortcomings to be exceptional, but it's pretty big news. A lot of ideas that had been brewing in the hip-hop world were all put together and tried out cohesively on Fantasy..., and that's kind of where all the praise comes from. The excitement lies in the fact that a hip-hop album in the mainstream IS pushing quite a few envelopes. Of course, because it comes across effortlessly, a lot of detractors will claim it's not even there. Sort of like how some people are with Wu-Tang. Albeit I hate 2-3 of the tracks, and a few are just boring to me, but the rest is just too sweet.

Music aside (maybe, as you say, that's where the pushing of the envelope is taking place), I think his voice is very blahhhhhh. VERY.

I'm new here and am probably repeating some selections, but here's mine:

1.) MGMT - Congratulations
2.) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3.) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
4.) Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
5.) Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
6.) Spoon - Transference
7.) The Black Keys - Brothers
8.) Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues
9.) The Like - Release Me
10.) Local Natives - Gorilla Manor