Well, another year is drawing to a close. People are gearing up for the holidays and it’s almost time for us to start creating our New Year’s resolution lists. But before we begin looking to the future, let’s employ a different kind of list to help us appreciate the past. You know what I’m talking about. Yep, a Top Ten list! Each day for the next couple weeks I’m going to publish a different Top 10 albums of 2010 list for you to praise, completely disagree with, or just outright ignore.
Today’s list comes from Tommy, our managing editor and producer of the Dying Scene Sessions. You can check out his picks for the 10 Best Albums of 2010 here.
What’s up? My name is Tommy! It’s been a memorable year filled with some good music, news, shows, interviews, and some drama between bands and labels (is anyone as interested as I am with what’s happening between Streetlight Manifesto/”insert-band-name-here” and Victory Records?!) We were stoked to bring you our first original content series, the Dying Scene Sessions, which wouldn’t have been possible without the support from PunkVideosRock.com, and Raw Cut Media.
Some of my favorite bands released kick-ass albums, making it extremely difficult to narrow my list down to 10. Judging by the lists that some of my co-writers came up with, I’m obviously the more “mainstream” on our team haha. Special thanks to the team for being a pleasure to work with, those bands I’ve come to befriend and work with, the labels/PR firms & publicists/managers, and most importantly, you readers for your continued support!
-Tommy
Here’s my list!
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10. Flatfoot 56 – Black Thorn
Chicago’s Flatfoot 56 put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. The music is fast, the melodies and harmonies in the songs are class, and the guys are great guys to talk with. I’m expecting big things from Flatfoot 56 in 2011.
Favorite track: “Shiny Eyes”
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9. Halifax – Align (EP)
Halifax fell off the face of the earth for the longest time, only to resurface with a brand new singer and a brand new EP. Although it was released without much fanfare, fans were surprised that it’s still the same Halifax they’ve come to love. In my personal opinion, the vocals even got BETTER.
Favorite Track: “Tonight”
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8. Streetlight Manifesto – 99 Songs Of Revolution
I love cover albums. I really do. I was stoked to find out that these guys were releasing a cover album that included Bad Religion & NOFX. The songs are fun, the song selection is top notch. I went to see them at the House of Blues in Anaheim with Johnny X and they put on a hell of a live show. Can’t wait till Vol. 2!
Favorite Track: Bad Religion’s “Skyscraper”
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7. Gogol Bordello – Transcontinental Hustle
Who doesn’t love Gogol Bordello? Eugene Hutz has the most unique voice in all of punk, or Gypsy punk for that matter, and this album has some of the best melodic progressions of any album released this year. In my opinion, the best album this band has put out.
Favorite Track: “Rebellious Love”
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6. Alkaline Trio – This Addiction
I love this album. I bought the deluxe version with the acoustic songs at the end and was pleasantly surprised to find that the acoustic songs, in my opinion, are extremely high quality. I’m tempted to say that they’re better than the original versions. They were a welcome addition to Warped Tour and both sets (Carson and Pomona) were completely different. I dig it!
Favorite Track: “Dine, Dine My Darling”
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5. Street Dogs – Street Dogs
WOW! This album blows me away. It’s easily the best that Street Dogs have put out, and it has me really excited about what they’re going to do in the future. They were our second guests for the Dying Scene Sessions. You can also read my interview with frontman Mike McColgan here. The album is a “beginning to end” album, no doubt!
Favorite Track: “Bobby Powers”
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4. Bad Religion – The Dissent Of Man
You can read my review of the album here to see how I feel about this album. One of the best that Bad Religion have ever released. This particular song comes to exemplify what Bad Religion is all about: The lyrical content, the melodic progression, and some of the best “oozin-ah’s” i’ve heard from the band EVER. Listen specifically to the build up to the chorus!
Favorite Track: “The Pride and the Pallor”
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3. The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
Band frontman & guitarist Brian Fallon is on a completely different level, musically and lyrically. This album is a masterpiece and when the dust settles, Fallon will stand as one of the greatest songwriters of our generation. Mark my words!
Favorite Track: “The Diamond Church Street Choir”
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2. Joey Briggs – “Politics, Touring, and Self-Loathing” (EP)
Ever since Joey released “37 cents” during the summer of 2008, I had high expectations about what his solo material was going to be like. This past year, Joey released song after song, culminating with the release of his first solo EP. The songs covered everything: life, music, touring. He was also our first guest ever for the Dying Scene sessions. His solo work is a massive step forward for “Joey Briggs – the musician,” and for The Briggs. Read my review of the album here and an interview with Joey here.
Favorite Track: “So Let Down”
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1. Blacklist Royals – Semper Liberi
“Semper Liberi” is my favorite album of the year. It didn’t leave my CD player for the first two months and during my road trip from Boston back to Southern California, I made sure to listen to it through every state. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. Whether you’re a punk, you’re into rock, country, psychobilly, this album will be incredibly refreshing. I hung out with the guys before their show at The Slidebar in Fullerton, CA and you couldn’t meet a bunch of cooler dudes than the Blacklist Royals.
Favorite Track: “Tennessee Blues”