1.
Portugal. The Man :
The Satanic Satanist Simply the best album I've heard in a long, long, time, period. I've gone weeks on end with these gems stuck in my head.
2.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs :
It's Blitz! They get better and better with every release.
3.
Florence + The Machine :
Lungs I love the passion and delicate energy of Florence Welch's voice. Definitely one to pay attention to in 2010.
4.
dredg :
The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion A departure in style from previous albums, yet pays off.
5.
Blue October :
Approaching Normal Jumps from dark to uplifting subject matter with great ease.
6.
Chevelle :
Sci-Fi Crimes This one will be sure to get your ass outa bed!
7.
Wolfmother :
Cosmic Egg Manages to release a remarkable effort based on the strength of Andrew Stockdale's craftmanship, in spite of a completely new supporting cast.
8.
Metric :
Fantasies One of my favorite Canadian indie bands with their best release thus far.
9.
Islands :
Vapours This six-piece ensemble hailing from Montreal, Canada releases an album as fun and unique as it is catchy.
10.
Handsome Furs :
Face Control Seeing this married duo light it up on stage in front of no more than 40 people in the room was a sight to behold!
11.
The Mars Volta :
Octahedron The latest release from former At the Drive In's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Baxler have a knack for taking the acute listener on an unexpected journey.
12.
Green Day :
21st Century Breakdown Green Day seemed to turn a corner with their 2001 Grammy Award-winning American Idiot. Their follow up 21st Century Breakdown expands on it.
13.
Phoenix :
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix All I can say is, wow this is catchy!
14.
AFI :
Crash Love Clearly still figuring out their ever-morphing sound, A Fire Inside has what it takes to be a prolific band for years to come.
15.
Alice in Chains :
Black Gives Way To Blue Back from the ashes of frontman Lane Stayley's untimely drug-related death, AIC led by Jerry Cantrell, seem to be in a much healthier place, and it shows on Black Gives Way to Blue.
16.
Flyleaf :
Memento Mori This young band has the energy to cover up any noticeable deficiencies.
17.
Andrew Bird :
Noble Beast The Birdman does it again with his unique and quirky style.
18.
Castledoor :
Shouting At Mountains
19.
The Dead Weather :
Horehound Notable members Jack White of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, and Alison “VV” Mosshart of the Kills join to create this monster.
20.
Dethklok :
Dethalbum II Initially created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha for Adult Swim's Metalocalypse, the two have again created one of the best Metal albums of the year.
21.
Muse :
The Resistance While admitedly taking a more "symphonic" approach on this album, it surprisingly fits quite nicely.
22.
Vitalic :
Flashmob Fans of electronica will love these catchy beats. If this doesn't make you want to dance, well, nuff said.
23.
Dave Matthews Band :
Big Whiskey & The Groogrux King While admittedly, not big fan of DMB, I was drawn to notable tracks "You & Me" and "Why I Am" on this tribute album to late band member LeRoi Moore. BW&GK seems to dictate that DMB is alive and well.
24.
Monsters of Folk :
Monsters of Folk This indie/folk supergroup consisting of Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (both of Bright Eyes), Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) and M. Ward connects with all that a folk album should be.
25.
Paramore :
Brand New Eyes
A band learning on the fly shows fantastic potential.
Honorable Mentions:
The Dead Weather
Two Suns - Bat for Lashes
Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear
Album - Girls
Primary Colours - The Horrors
Phrazes For The Young - Julian Casablancas
