Cleveland Bachelor's Top 10 Albums of 2010

I really fell off my early 2010 (and especially 2009) music writing pace, but in the spirit of finishing the year (and decade) strong, I decided to quickly crank out a list of my top 10 favorite albums of the year. I know, a far cry from my top 25 of the previous year. These are the ones I found myself playing over and again, mentioning to friends, pining to see live when/if they came through Cleveland or, better yet, their touring paths happening to cross mine while away from home on work. I endorse a visit to each of these band's websites and the purchase of their music in whatever form you digest it these days, especially some of those bands you might not yet be familiar with, like The Octagon and This Moment in Black History.

In another spirit - that of community - I'm intrigued to hear your own thoughts on best album of the year or, should you check out any of these records on my lists, what you happen to think about them.

With that, I bring you CB's Top Ten Albums of 2010...

10) Everybody Was In the French Resistance ... Now!, Fixin' the Charts, Vol. 1 (Cooking Vinyl) (Check out my 2009 interview with the band's frontman, Eddie Argos, here.)
9) Menomena, Mines (Barsuk) (Check out my 2009 interview with one of the band's members, Brent Knopf, here.)
8) Best Coast, Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
7) Golden Triangle, Double Jointer (Hardly Art)
6) Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella)
5) CocoRosie, Grey Oceans (Sub Pop) (Check out my album review - kinda - here.)
4) Phosphorescent, Here's to Taking it Easy (Dead Oceans)
3) Titus Andronicus, The Monitor (XL)
2) Beach House, Teen Dream (Sub Pop)

... and ...

1) The Octagon, Warm Love and Cool Dreams Forever (Serious Business Records) (Check out my album review here.)

Honorable Mentions:

Best Local Album - This Moment in Black History, Public Square (Smog Veil)

Best EP - Small Black, s/t (Jagjaguwar)