10. Muse- The Resistance

They opened up for U2 this year in stadiums and have the chops to have the music that could fill them on Sundays to get NFL fans pumped for big games.  Oh yeah and some sweet psychedelic album art.

9. Converge- Axe to Fall

Grind-metal-hardcore dudes make an album that’s as good as the one that they opened the decade with “Jane Doe” albeit heavier and more obscure sounding.  Seems like one long guitar riff while listening.

8. Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest

If Jay-Z shouts this guy out and brings him on stage I gave it a shot and liked it.  Was great background music for reading on a plane also.

7. Sonic Youth-The Eternal

One of my favorite bands of all time.  An album that sounds like its spanning their whole career with each track.

6.Them Crooked Vulture-Them Crooked Vulture

Or as I like to call them Queens of the Foo Zeppelin. Everything that is good about Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin, and Foo Fighters all rolled into one.

5. The Horrors-Primary Colours

It’s like if shoegaze and Joy Division had a kid and it wasn’t a bad kid.

4. Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Yeah just one of those albums that makes you shake your ass while cleaning your house

3. Cursive-Mama, I’m Swollen

One of my favorite bands.  Rumored to be touring with Alkaline Trio next year, holy crap that is insane

2. U2- No Line On The Horizon

Another favorite bands, put out a great album and a great show.

1. Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavillion

Oh yeah you heard it here.  This is going to be on about 80 best of lists this year.  Perfect album for anything: reading, drinking, dancing, flying, sleeping, waking up and anything else.  Also the best album artwork for the year.

Yeah I didn’t take the time to put up album artwork for these so what. There were a ton of albums released this year that were awesome, these were the few I can remember listening to on repeat more than a few times.