Here it is. Nearly 100 recommended albums from 2010 by our esteemed Twangville editors. Last year it was Lucero topping the list just edging out Justin Townes Earle by a nose. One year later, it’s Earle who sits at the top with Harlem River Blues our Best Album of 2010. All links below go to Twangville reviews. Special thanks to all our reviewers this year. We hope you’ll come back throughout 2011 for more.
Check out our “Best of Year” category to see all of our individual picks for the year.
-
1. JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, Harlem River Blues (135)
-
2. JOE PUG, Messenger (102)
-
3. HOLD STEADY, Heaven is Forever (83)
-
4. ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO, Street Songs of Love (80)
-
5. CALEB STINE, I Wasn’t Built For A Life Like This (66)
-
5. DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, The Big To-Do (66)
-
7. PATTY GRIFFIN, Downtown Church (57)
-
8. PHOSPHORESCENT, Here’s To Taking It Easy (56)
-
8. TWO COW GARAGE, Sweet Saint Me (56)
-
10. ROBERT PLANT, Band of Joy (49)
- 11. OLD 97’s, The Grand Theatre Vol. One (48)
- 12. MUMFORD & SONS, Sigh No More (46)
- 13. THE NATIONAL, High Violet (42)
- 14. MATTHEW RYAN, Dear Lover (The Acoustic Version) (40)
- 15. BOBBY BARE JR., A Storm, A Tree, My Mother’s Head (38)
- 15. ELI “PAPERBOY†REED, Come And Get It (38)
- 17. KASEY ANDERSON, Nowhere Nights (37)
- 18. PAUL THORN, Pimps & Preachers (35)
- 19. PETER WOLF, Midnight Souvenirs (34)
- 20. BUTCH WALKER, I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart (33)
- 21. RAY LAMONTAGNE & THE PARIAH DOGS, God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise (31)
- 21. JOHN HIATT, The Open Road (31)
- 23. LEEROY STAGGER, Everything is Real (27)
- 24. JAKOB DYLAN, Women and Country (25)
- 24. KANYE WEST, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (25)
- 26. STONEHONEY, The Cedar Creek Sessions (24)
- 27. CROOKED STILL, Some Strange Country (24)
- 28. JAMEY JOHNSON, The Guitar Song (23)
- 28. JESSE MALIN & THE ST. MARKS SOCIAL, Love It To Life (23)
- 30. AUSTIN COLLINS, Wrong Control (22)
- 30. CONSTELLATIONS, Southern Gothic (22)
- 30. JUSTIN CURRIE, The Great War (22)
- 30. THE AVETT BROTHERS, Live Volume 3 (22)
- 34. JOHN PRINE, In Person & On Stage (21)
- 35. .357 STRING BAND, Lightning From the North (20)
- 35. CARRIE RODRIGUEZ, Love & Circumstance (20)
- 35. DAMIEN JURADO, Saint Bartlett (20)
- 35. DOC DAILEY & MAGNOLIA DEVIL, Victims, Enemies & Old Friends (20)
- 35. MAVIS STAPLES, You Are Not Alone (20)
- 35. RYAN BINGHAM & THE DEAD HORSES, Junky Star (20)
- 41. BETTYE LAVETTE, Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook (19)
- 41. CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS, Genuine Negro Jig (19)
- 41. THE BLACK KEYS, Brothers (19)
- 44. BEN SOLLEE & DANIEL MARTIN MOORE, Dear Companion (18)
- 44. GLOSSARY, Feral Fire (18)
- 44. LOCAL NATIVES, Gorilla Manor (18)
- 44. TERRI HENDRIX, Cry Till You Laugh (18)
- 48. AGAINST ME!, White Crosses (16)
- 48. ELIZABETH COOK, Welder (16)
- 48. THE SWORD, Warp Riders (16)
- 51. BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, Beat The Devil’s Tatoo (15)
- 51. STEELDRIVERS, Reckless Side of Me (15)
- 53. GREAT AMERICAN TAXI, Reckless Habits (14)
- 53. THRIFT STORE COWBOYS, Light Fighter (14)
- 53. MARTY STUART, Studio B Sessions (14)
- 56. DELTA SPIRIT, History From Below (13)
- 56. GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals (13)
- 56. KINGS OF LEON, Come Around Sundown (13)
- 56. THE STONE FOXES, Bears & Bulls (13)
- 60. BOW THAYER & PERFECT TRAINWRECK, The Bottom of the Sky (12)
- 60. BROOKE FRASER, Flags (12)
- 60. JASON & THE SCORCHERS, Hacylon Times (12)
- 63. CHIP ROBINSON, Mylow (11)
- 63. DIERKS BENTLEY, Up On The Ridge (11)
- 63. FRIGHTENED RABBIT, Winter of Mixed Drinks (11)
- 63. JOHN MORELAND & THE BLACK GOLD BAND, Things I Can’t Control (11)
- 63. JONATHAN TYLER & THE NORTHERN LIGHTS, Pardon Me (11)
- 63. THE HONEY DEWDROPS, If the Sun Will Shine (11)
- 69. KARA SUZANNE, Parlor Walls (10)
- 69. OTIS GIBBS, Joe Hill’s Ashes (10)
- 71. AMY COOK, Let the Light In (9)
- 71. ELEVEN HUNDRED SPRINGS, This Crazy Life (9)
- 71. FRONTIER RUCKUS, Deadmalls and Nightfalls (9)
- 71. RED MOLLY, James (9)
- 71. SHINYRIBS, Well After Awhile (9)
- 71. J RODDY WALSTON & THE BUSINESS, J Roddy Walston & the Business (9)
- 77. DOUG BURR, O Ye Devastator (8)
- 77. RECKLESS KELLY, Somewhere In Time (8)
- 77. SCREEN DOOR PORCH, Screen Door Porch (8)
- 77. JON DEE GRAHAM, It’s Not As Bad As It Looks (8)
- 81. BACK DOOR BAPTISTS, Broken Hearts & Bad Decisions (7)
- 81. BAND OF HORSES, Infinite Arms (7)
- 81. AMY CORREIA, You Go Your Way (7)
- 84. GUY CLARK, Somedays (6)
- 84. JENNY AND JOHNNY, I’m Having Fun Now (6)
- 84. TALLEST MAN ON EARTH, The Wild Hunt (6)
- 87. CHATHAM COUNTY LINE, Wildwood (5)
- 87. ERIC BRACE & PETER COOPER, Master Sessions (5)
- 87. SUPERCHUNK, Majesty Shredding (5)
- 90. JOHN LEGEND & THE ROOTS, Wake Up! (4)
- 90. THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM, American Slang (4)
- 92. PETER CASE, Wig! (3)
- 93. ELLIOT RANDALL & THE DEADMEN, Caffeine & Gasoline (2)
- 93. LUKE DOUCET, Steel City Trawler (2)
- 95. INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS, Things That Fly (1)
- 95. TAYLOR CARSON, Defending The Name (1)
- 95. TODD MATHIS & ZACH SEIBERT, Epiphany (1)
About the author: Washington, D.C. area creative by day. Music is my muse. I host Twangville’s weekly Readers‘ Pick.