So we are coming to an end for the 2010 year. It has been a hell of a year complete with great rock shows and an undefeated regular season for my Auburn Tigers. There have been tons of awesome albums released this year and I decided I wanted to make a list of my top 10 from this year. I hope you check out each and every one of these releases, and if any of them come even remotely near you, go see them! Without further ado, here are my top 10.
10) Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses- Junky Star- With Junky Star, Ryan Bingham really hit his stride. On this album, Ryan sings of everything from murder (from the murderee's POV, no less), depression-era poverty, and life on the run. It's a beautiful album really with a great mix of haunting, stripped-down and rollicking roadhouse numbers. I love all of Ryan's albums, but I think this one is clearly his definitive album, taking everything that worked from the previous two and leaving out what didn't.
9) Ben Harper and the Relentless 7- Live from the Montreal International Jazz Fesitval- How do you outdo your best album in years?? You take that album and the band that helped make it and make a live album. This album just blew me away. It had been a while since Ben Harper had actually turned the knob to 11 and broke it off. He did it with 2009's White Lies for Dark Times and with this album, he ups the ante, playing older songs, covering "Red House," and just absolutely ripping through the 2009 album.
8) The Gaslight Anthem- American Slang- This band really took me by surprise this year. I had heard so much about them in the past couple of years, so I finally decided to give 'em a chance. This is exactly what The Boss would have sounded like had he grown up in the 90s. There's a soft spot in my heart for songs about down trodden folks and the towns they are stuck in. Well, this album has that and more. It is a great rock'n'roll album full of athems that our generation should be singing for years to come.
7) J Roddy Walston and the Business- S/T- Holy shit! Take 1/3 KISS, 1/3 Guns N Roses, and 1/3 Jerry Lee Lewis. Mix violently. What you get is J Roddy Walston and the Business! These guys are incredible. To see them live is one of life's great pleasures. I was pretty unsure how they could ever really take that energy and put it on an album. But, wow, they did! This album just makes you want to stop whatever you are doing and turn the volume up, keep it up, and just move- whether that be, shake, dance, convulse. It just takes hold of you and doesn't let go until the 10 songs are finally, exhaustingly, over.
6) I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch In the House- Sounds of Dying- With a name like that, you either need to be a gimmick, or a band that undeniably rocks and rolls. Thank god these guys are the latter. I was, understandably, skeptical of this band, but after one listen to Sounds of Dying, I was hooked. This album completely grabs you and refuses to let you stop listening. It's loud, it's raw, it's dark. It's very reminiscent of the amazing 90s album Gentlemen by The Afghan Whigs. Whereas Gentlemen was a drug infused frenzy tale of relationships, Sounds of Dying is more of a whiskey drenched version. It's an album that's unforgiving- Michael Dean Damron refuses to take blame for anything, which is what's so harrowing and powerful.
5) American Aquarium- Small Town Hymns- What's that you say? BJ Barham has broadened his scope on his songwriting? No, can't be. Believe it! That sounds like a slam on Mr. Barham, but I assure you it is not. The man can write a heartbreaking song about girls and booze, no doubt about it. But on Small Town Hymns, BJ writes up 10 songs that really deal with living in a small town. From getting stuck in a small town to facing down demons at the bottom of the bottle, it's all so honest and almost . Coming from an incredibly small town, this album hit very close to home. The band is extremely tight on this album as well. This is American Aquarium's finest album. And that is saying a lot considering what they have put out in the past.
4) The Henry Clay People- Somewhere on the Golden Coast- Once again, a band that completely blindsided me this year. Thank god they did! Talk about a band that is straight up 70s and 90s rock'n'roll hybrid. This album takes everything that seemingly just plain sucks about being on the road and being dirt poor and makes it sound like it ain't so bad when you are doing what you love. There is fun and triumph in all of the songs on this album. This album also contains probably one of the coolest rock'n'roll lines: "We were working part time. All. The. Time." My suggestion to you is to go to their website and buy this album. And then, hope and pray they come near your city!
3) The Black Keys- Brothers- The Black Keys consistently churn out really great albums. The only exception, in my humble opinion, being the 2008 release, Attack & Release. So, when I heard about the new album, I was a little torn. Would I hate it? Would I love it? I wasn't sure. So, I tentatively gave it a listen. Whoa! The Black Keys brought it for this album. They went down to the rich history of Muscle Shoals, AL and recorded their best album since Rubber Factory. All of The Black Keys' influences show up on this album along with the bands and groups that made Muscle Shoals what it once was. The album is an incredible return to form for The Black Keys. They proved that they may have misstepped slightly on Attack & Relase, but were able to make up incredible ground with this strong album.
2) Drive-By Truckers- The Big To-Do- Between 2008's Brighter Than Creation's Dark and 2010's The Big To-Do, the DBT's released a live album and a rarities album. While these were all great albums, much of the fanbase was dying for a return to form (Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day, and The Dirty South). Some were disillusioned with the toned down setting of Brighter Than Creation's Dark- I was not one of those. So, in 2009, when DBT came out and said they were working on what would be very much a rock album, everyone was completely stoked! The DBT's delievered. The songs on this album are everything that makes DBT. They are gritty songs about strippers, circus acts, and a grisly murder among others. I could not think of a better way for them to return to their classic "southern" rock sound. With the addition of a full-time keys player, the band has really been able to broaden it's sound. The three guitar attack is still there, thank god. But, admittedly, it isn't as loud and as "hungry" as, say, Southern Rock Opera had been. That isn't to say that this album isn't as good. It's just different. It's still a rock album. It's still dark, yet undeniably hopeful. Everything I love about DBT is on this album, and more. Shonna has grown into her own and I look forward to hearing more from her in the future.
1) Two Cow Garage- Sweet Saint Me- Now for the main course! Where to even start on this band, let alone this album! As far as a band coming in and completely blowing all expectations out of the water, Two Cow Garage will forever hold the top spot. I had no idea who these guys were coming in to this year. But, thanks to another blog, ninebullets.net, I decided to check them out- specifically 2008's Speaking in Cursive. Wow. I was not disappointed. These guys were loud and uncompromising. They were also honest and incredible. I just couldn't believe that it had taken me this long to hear them. So, as soon as I heard they were due to release another album in 2010, I quickly went over to suburbanhomerecords.com and pre-ordered the album. Sweet Saint Me is pure rock'n'roll glory. It is everything that we love about rock'n'roll. It's girls, it's booze, it's questioning religion, it's murder. The song cycle here is incredible. I was floored by the subject matter of this album and how incredibly accessible it is. I think the biggest disservice one can do to themselves would be to overlook this album. This album will be in my rotation for many, many years to come. I think it has the sort of staying power to be relevant in 10 years, hell, 30 years from now. Go. Go now, and get this album. iTunes or whatever. Just go get it. I promise you will not be disappointed.
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