Top 5 Albums of 2010 - A Year in Review

I generally do reviews, but it's been a busy holiday season, so I will fill this space with what I feel were the 10 best albums I came across this year.

To say the Athletics had a great year is an understatement. An amazing album, a huge move, and a record deal with Deep Elm Records, what more could a talented, young indie band ask for. I'm looking forward to their tour schedule in 2011. Hopefully they'll be in my area at some point.

No Randy, No! by Sledding with Tigers was an unexpected gem. Coming from a guy and his acoustic guitar, these reflective punk tunes made a great listen...almost to the point of singing along with my headphones on (N.B. this is frowned upon in an office environment).

I've been listening to Matt Pond PA for awhile now and their latest effort The Dark Leaves was a welcome listen after 3 years without a recording. Deep and introspective, this album is filled with great rainy day tunes

While it was released in Europe in 2009, Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More didn't make it across the pond until February of this year. And we're glad it did. Every song on this album is powerful and passionate. There is no downside, even for a band with percussion, but no actual drummer.

What list of best albums is complete without Bad Religion? These guys are, hands-down, my favorite punk/hard-core band of all time. Although they have been doing this for 30 years, they haven't missed a step and are always poignant, fast, and intelligent. Dissent of Man is no different.

That's a quick list. There are many more bands I enjoyed this year, and I'm sure not everyone agrees with my picks, but time and space is limited. Let's hope 2011 is another year of great music.