AOTY Coup D'état

     I know everyone is probably wondering how we are doing in Pittsburgh, and it would be beneficial to our friends elsewhere to write about the amazing Formation House community and our adventures in the snow, but!....

I'm not going to do that....

(if you would like more of an update, check out Jay and Amber's blog-Adventures in Togetherness)

     It is December and I have been listening to music all year long to formulate an Albums of The Year (AOTY) 2010 list.  Just as this list has taken over my mind the past several weeks, I now take over our blog so I can share it with YOU!  It's just that exciting.  If you or someone you know is looking for new music, I recommend all of these.   To keep things sort of brief, I only wrote a few words about each album, but if you want to know more let me know.  SO!  Without further ado, I give you

 Ryan's Best Albums of 2010.

(also known as: The Best Albums of 2010 Period.)

10.  Broken Bells-  The High Road 

Fun album.  These guys are funky.  Honestly haven't listened to the lyrics, distracted by the beats.

9.  Josh Ritter- So Runs The World Away

Very low key.  Excellent song writing and story telling.  I think Mr. Ritter is a genious.

8.  The National- High Violet

Love their rhythm and orchestration on this album.  Took me a while to like their style.  Had "Bloodbuzz Ohio" in my head for weeks.

7.  Arcade Fire- The Suburbs

Upon second listen, completely fell for this album.  Heavy subjects and not as epic as past albums, but very catchy.  Every song is a win.

6.  The Crazy Heart Soundtrack

Watch the movie.  Great songwriting with a Country-Western flair.  Some of my favorite songs of the year.

5.  Sufjan Stevens- The Age of Adz

Good ol' Sufjan folk disguised in a mask of synthy-techno mess.   Excellent. 

4.  Mumford and Sons-  Sigh No More

Very positive message, great lyrics.  Upbeat banjo folky-folk. 

3.  The Tallest Man on Earth- The Wild Hunt

If you don't like his voice, keep listening. Great solo acoustic stuff, great lyrics.  Confessional and inspiring.

2.  The New Pornographers- Together

Completely overlooked excellence.  Have heard no buzz about this album.  I loved it on the first listen.  Very catchy.

1.  Dr. Dog- Shame, Shame

I hate to use the word "accessible," but if you are not into "weird" stuff, you might like these guys. This album is a lot of fun! Great music, great lyrics, a little bit of everything.  Now one of my favorite bands.

Any feedback?

After writing this, I realized we have not updated everyone in a while.  That needs to happen. More to come.  

-Ryan