Best Albums of 2010

Top Five Friday #4
-Best Albums of 2010-

You have no idea how hard it is to limit the top albums of 2010 to only five (5), as there are so many albums which are definitely deserving of attention and admiration that released in the past year. I, would of course, urge you to check out various other music sites or blogs that might give you a more comprehensive list so that you get a full view of the year in music. However, it's called Top Five Friday for a reason and that allows for just five albums.

These are the albums that have been on repeat over and over since they've been released. These are the albums that have occupied me on numerous times driving and kept me going during the various road trips that I've taken. These are the albums that have made me happy and amazed me with the creativity of musicians throughout the year. These are the albums that everybody should buy, in my humble opinion and these are my personal choices for the top five albums of the year.

Not only will I give you the top five albums of the year, but with each album, I'll include three tracks to listen to to give you an idea of what the album is like. If you like those tracks, then there is a good chance you'll like the rest of the album and if you don't like those songs, then there is something very wrong with you.

5. Contra (Vampire Weekend)
Vampire Weekend's follow up to their self-titled debut is filled with some of the most fun songs that you'll hear from the past year and definitely doesn't fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump. Their second album is filled with not only more confidence but also a sense of excitement that makes this album so enjoyable to listen to. Contra also retains the charm and creativity that fueled the first album, which makes me look forward to their inevitable third album even more.
Listen to: White Sky
Holiday
Horchata

4. Together (The New Pornographers)
Anytime the New Pornographers release an album, it's almost guaranteed to make my top five albums of the year and this year is no exception. This Canadian supergroup produces epic pop melodies sound effortless and easy to create. This is their fifth album and as the album title would suggest, it's definitely a group effort. Utilizing the talents of everybody from A.C. Newman to Neko Case, this is another fantastic album of power pop that is worth listening to. Repeatedly.
Listen To: Your Hands (Together)
Moves
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk

3. Treats (Sleigh Bells)
Not only one of the best albums of the year, but definitely one of the best new artists of the year. The sound of the album is fresh, exciting and nothing short of phenomenal. This is perfect for blasting out of your stereo, driving on a summer day. This is one of the loudest albums of the year and hopefully it's loud enough to get the attention it so richly deserves. It's a bold and fantastic debut here. Hopefully they'll be around for a long, long time - if we're lucky.
Listen To: Infinity Guitar.
Crown On The Ground
Tell 'Em

2. Suburbs (Arcade Fire)
On their third album, Arcade Fire proves that the old saying "third time is a charm" holds true. This is the best album from this indie rock group, proving just as engaging and captivating as the previous two outings. Arcade Fire's debut Funeral was an audacious debut, shooting right out of the gate and while they lost their footing slightly with their sophomore debut Neon Bible, there is no doubt that they've found their footing and voice once again in this stunning musical examination of the ideal American dream. No doubt at all that you should listen to and appreciate this album at your earliest opportunity.
Listen To: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Empty Room
Suburban War

1. Fang Island (Fang Island)
Fang Island describes their sound as "every high-fiving everyone" and that is exactly what you'll want to do after listening to this groups first full-length album. There are so many words to describe this album, but all of them are positive. It's just an amazing accomplishment and an even better album. Just pure mind-blowing and ear-pleasing awesomeness. The album starts off with fireworks (literally), which is to say this album starts off with a bang and is an indication of how epic this album is. Plus, the album ends with fireworks as well, so that you can put it on repeat and just listen to it over and over. Trust me - you'll never want to leave Fang Island.
Listen To: Daisy
Dream Of Dreams
The Illinois

And that it's, folks. Those are my top five albums for the year. If you enjoyed any of these albums that I've recommended (and I can't recommend them more highly), please go to your local or online retailer as soon as possible to purchase these. Pure auditory awesomeness. Don't miss out!

Until next time, stay classy!

The Boy Scouts Would Be Disappointed

-The Boy Scouts Would Be Disappointed-
-(But the Zombies Delighted)-

Some of you might know that I'm very kinda concerned about the impending zombie apocalypse. I have the Zombie Survival Guide and always take it with me on a trip. You never know when it might come in handy. According to my parents - never.

Late last year, there was a headline about a Zombie Satellite. It had me momentarily excited as I clicked on the link as I thought that perhaps the government was finally taking the zombie threat seriously and had dedicated a satellite to track them. As you might guess, not so much.

My brother and I, one fateful summer where I was actually motivated, worked out. My brother prepared me on different training techniques to help fight off zombies and worked on running a lot, which trust me, will come in handy if zombies come around. Thank you, hermano, for attempting to keep me prepared for World War Z.

Since that time, I have not kept up with that same level of diligence. I should, as Professor Moody is so fond of saying in the Harry Potter series, maintained "Constant Vigilance!". Unfortunately, I haven't.

I realized this as we started to have what newscasters are labeling as a "blizzard" here in Illinois, with some news organizations suggesting we might have two feet of snow or more. I'm not a big fan of snow, but I am just a little bit excited about the possibility of a snow day, which I haven't had in years. Even at my most recent job, they never closed and I lived right across the street, so I would be the one called in when everybody else called off. So, fingers and toes crossed for a snow day.

In the meantime, being the amazing son that I am, I called my parents to make sure they were okay since Indiana is also having some "adverse weather conditions". We began to discuss the weather and the conversation turned to what would happen if the electricity went out. Did I have candles? Enough food items that I could eat without the use of a stove or microwave? Did I have a flashlight? Did I have enough blankets? Did I have a first aid kit?

The answer to all of those, on my end, was surprisingly "no.". At this point, I came a shocking realization.

Not only was I not prepared if the power went out, but -dramatic pause-

-My parents are more prepared for the zombie apocalypse than I am!-

Which is obviously unacceptable and indeed, sad.

Not to say a candle is going to solve your zombie problem by any means. In fact, lighting a zombie on fire is not going to do you much good at all. Blinding them with a flashlight or throwing a blanket over them won't help you much either, though with any of these, you might be able to distract them long enough to run away. The number one rule of Zombieland is cardio. Don't forget that lesson.

But, the important lesson, I think, to take away from this entire situation is all about being prepared. Once I can get out of my house again, then I will make it my mission to be more prepared. Not just for the zombie apocalypse or in the event of electricity going out, but in general. So, please, if you think of anything I should need to help with being prepared for an emergency, ranging from the basic, such as the electricity going out or extreme, such as a velociraptor attack or any other situation you can imagine, please feel free to share.

Same goes for everybody else out there who reads this blog (all three of you), it's important to be prepared. It's equally important for us to help one another to be prepared, because as Shaun (Simon Pegg) says in the film Shaun of the Dead,: "As Bertrand Russell once said, "The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation."

However, as he so also so eloquently states in the same film, "As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team.."

Words to live by.