My Top 10 Albums Of 2010

Again, this has been a fantastic year for the music I love. This is the year of the veteran. All of them guys made strong albums; Jimi Hendrix's Valleys Of Neptune, Robert Plant's rootsy Band Of Joy, Elvis Costello's ultra-eclectic National Ransom, Eric Clapton back-to-basics self-titled effort, and of course Johnny Cash concluding his legendary American Series by rising from the grave yet again. The rest of 'em made it onto this list:


1. Le Noise - Neil Young


2. Mojo - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers


3. The Union - Elton John & Leon Russell


4. American Slang - The Gaslight Anthem


5. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire


6. Croweology - The Black Crowes


7. Reimagines Gershwin - Brian Wilson


8. The Big To-Do - Drive-By Truckers


9. No Better Than This - John Mellencamp


10. The Guitar Song - Jamey Johnson
I haven't got a chance to review this before. Liked most new and lesser known artists, I discovered this man through Rolling Stone's praising review of his latest double album. My verdict? Jamey Johnson is the most badass male country singer I've heard since Cash. He's one of the new generation of the outlaw country genre. This record showcases great live raw musicianship and stellar songwriting over 25 songs. A man bares his soul for us here.

Honorable mentions:
White Crosses - Against Me!
High Violet - The National
Heaven Is Whenever - The Hold Steady
Love It To Life - Jesse Malin & The St. Marks Social
Street Songs Of Love - Alejandro Escovedo