Best albums of 2010? Help me!

Now re-revised(!) (as of 12/6) (through 1/1/11) to include new LPs I’ve picked up and suggestions from readers.

If you’re a big music fanatic/critic, I want/need your help in populating my list of eligible Best Albums of 2010.

Amongst the 952 projects that I took on this November, I’ve begun to think about the “Best of 2010” albums list I’m going to compile next month.

Mozella's Belle Isle was retroactively my LP of the year in 2009. Do not sleep on this album, dudes. Trust me.

I haven’t done such a thing for a long time, because I haven’t bought and listened-to enough LPs in most years to issue anything like a definitive list. Last year when December rolled around I checked out all of the year-end lists and was shocked that I hadn’t even heard of most of the discs past the top few.

As a result, some of the 2009 albums I played into the ground this year I didn’t even hear until January of 2010 – namely, discs by MoZella, St. Vincent, A Fine Frenzy, and Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. I’m still finding 2009 favorites – the past few weeks I can’t turn off the K’Naan record.

This year I really think it’s going to happen, because I’ve been making a point of cruising New Release lists at least once a month for highlights. That said, I need your help in catching the LPs I’ve missed so far.

First, we have my list of eligible albums already owned or heard – numbering 78 over a hundred more than 175. I already know I have some heavy favorites in this group, as well as some clunkers.

Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
Amanda Palmer – Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele
Andrea Nardello – My Aeroplane
Anna Eriksson – Garden of Love
Ani DiFranco – Live at Bull Moose Music
Antony & The Johnsons – Swanlights
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo (2010) *
Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
Beach House – Teen Dream
Besnard Lakes – Are Roaring Tonight
Best Coast – Crazy For You
Bettye Lavette – Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
The Bird and the Bee – Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates
Bilal – Airtight’s Revenge
The Black Keys – Brothers
Blitzen Trapper – Destroyer of the Void
Blue Giant – s/t
Brandon Flowers – Flamingo
Brodka – Granda
Broken Bells – Broken Bells
Bruno Mars – Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Burning Hotels – Novels
Caribou – Swim
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Genuine Negro Jig
Cee-Lo – The Lady Killer
Chief – Modern Rituals
Chikita Violenta – TRE3S
Circa Survive – Blue Sky Noise
Circa Survive – Appendage
The Corin Tucker Band – 1,000 Years
Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea
Cyndi Lauper – Memphis Blues
The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards
David Byrne & Fatboy Slim – Here Lies Love
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
Drink Up Buttercup – Born and Thrown on a Hook
Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
Duffy – Endless
Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
Elvis Costello – National Ransom
Emma Pollock – The Law of Large Numbers
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh
Evelyn Evelyn – Evelyn Evelyn
Far – At Night We Live
Fistful of Mercy – As I call You Down
Flobots – Survival Story
Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
Flyleaf – Remember to Live
Foals – Total Life Forever
Fooling April – Abbey Road (live)
Freelance Whales – Daytrotter Session
Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Glasser – Ring
Gigi – Maintenant
Grinderman – Grinderman 2
Girl Talk – All Day
Girls – Broken Dreams Club
Goldfrapp – Head First
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Indigo Girls – Staring Down the Brilliant Dream
The Irrepressibles – Mirror Mirror
Heart – Red Velvet Car
Hindi Zahra – Handmade
Hole – Nobody’s Daughter
House of Heroes – Suburba
How to Destroy Angels – s/t
Husky Rescue – Ship of Light
Imelda May – Mayhem
Interpol – s/t
Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid
Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
Joanna Newsom – Have One on Me
Joel Alme – Waiting for the Bells
John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up!
Jónsi – Go
Joshua Popejoy – After the Ash
Julia Stone – The Memory Machine
Juliana Hatfield – Peace and Love
Junip – Fields *
Kaki King – Junior
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Katie Melua – The House
Katy Perry – Teenage Dream
Keane – Night Train
Ke$ha – Animal
Ke$ha – Cannibal
Kings Go Forth – The Outsiders Are Back
Kings of Leon – Radioactive
KT Tunstall – Tiger Suit
Land of Talk – Cloak and Cipher
Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
Laura Veirs – July Flame
LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
The Liars – Proud Evolution
Lissie – Catching a Tiger
The Living Sisters – Love to Live
Local Natives – Gorilla Manor *
Liars – Sisterworld *
The Love Language – Libraries
Magnetic Fields – Realism
Marina & The Diamonds – The Family Jewels
Mark Ronson – Record Collection
Marnie Stern – s/t
Maroon 5 – Hands All Over
Mates of State – Crushes (The Covers Mixtape)
Maximum Balloon – s/t
Menomena – Mines
Michelle Branch – Everything Comes and Goes
Minus the Bear – Omni
Motion City Soundtrack – My Dinosaur Life
My Chemical Romance – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous
The National – High Violet
Neon Trees – Habits
Neil Young – Le Noise
Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday
Of Montreal – False Priest
OK Go – Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Patty Griffin – Downtown Church
Pendulum – Immersion
Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard
Robert Plant – Band of Joy
Robyn – Body Talk Pt. 1
Robyn – Body Talk Pt. 2
Robyn – Body Talk
The Roots – How I Got Over
Rx Bandits – Live at Park Avenue (EP)
Rufus Wainwright – All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu
Sade – Soldier of Love
Sara Bareilles – Kaleidoscope Heart
Sarah McLachlan – Laws of Illusion
Scanners – Submarine
The Script – Science & Faith
Secret & Whisper – Teenage Fantasy
Shad – TSOL
Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way
Sharon Van Etten – Epic *
Shearwater – The Golden Archipelago
Sheryl Crow – 100 Miles From Memphis
The Shondes – My Dear One
The Shondes – Lines & Hooks + 3
Shout Out Louds – Work
Sia – We Are Born
Sleigh Bells – Treats
St. Lola In the Fields – High Atop the Houses and the Towns
Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
Tallest Man on Earth – Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
Taylor Swift – Speak Now
Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – Mojo
Tracy Bonham – Masts of Manhatta
Tracy Thorn – Love and Its Opposite
Trembling Blue Stars – Fast Trains and Telegraph Wires
Tristan Allen – s/t
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
Typhoon – Hunger & Thirst
Turin Brakes – Outbursts
Vampire Weekend – Contra
Various Artists – Hope for Haiti Now
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal
The Watson Twins – Talking to You, Talking to Me
We Are Scientists – Barbara
We Were Promised Jetpacks – The Last Place You’ll Look
The Weepies – Be My Thrill
Woman – Public Strain
Xiu Xiu – Dear God, I Hate Myself
Yeasayer – Odd Blood
Yearsayer – Live at Ancienne Belqlque
The Young Veins – Take a Vacation!
Various Artists – Burlesque

That’s a lot of records! However, there are also more than 120 110+ just over 100 albums nearly 200 LPs that have the potential to be list-worthy that I haven’t heard a lick of – and the next MoZella or Thao could be in there! I’ve starred added releases from a specific recommendation or a best-of list I trust. Strikethru indicates an album I heard and didn’t think I’d enjoy. (This includes some live/archival releases, which probably won’t make my EOYlist).

65daysofstatic – We Were Exploding Anyway
Akala – DoubleThink
Alcest – Écailles de lune
Alina Orlova – Mutabor
Alizée – Une enfant du siècle
Alkaline Trio – This Addiction
The American Dollar – Atlas
Anaïs Mitchell – Hadestown
Analog Rebellion – Ancient Electron
Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here
Angus & Julia Stone – Down the Way
Anni Rossi – Heavy Meadow
Apocalyptica – 7th Symphony
April Smith – Songs for a Sinking Ship
Arandel – In D
Arnaud Fleurent-Didier – La Reproductions
The Bamboos – 4
Beach House – I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun (EP)
Beach House – Zebra (EP)
The Books – The Way Out *
Bei Bei & Shawn Lee – Into the Wind
Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart *
Black Tambourine – Black Tambourine *
Blonde Redhead – Penny Sparkle
Boy Crisis – Boy Crisis
Brandi Carlile – XOBC
Brant Bjork – Gods & Goddesses
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
The Budos Band – The Budos Band III *
Buke and Gass – Riposte
Capsule – Player
Celph Titled & Buckwild – Nineteen Ninety Now
The Clientele – Minotaur
Christian Scott – Yesterday You Said Tomorrow
Chromeo – Business Casual *
Citay – Dream Get Together
The Claudia Quintet – Royal Toast *
Crime in Stereo – I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone *
Crystal Castles – s/t
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – Double Down
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – Live in Las Vegas
David Bowie – A Reality Tour
Dax Riggs – Say Goodnight to the World
The Dear Hunter – Branched (EP)
Delphic – Acolyte
Dinosaur Feather – Fantasy Memorial
The Diogenes Club – Versailles EP
Dirty Projectors – No Intention
The Drums – s/t *
The Duke Spirit – Kusama
Ef – Mourning Golden Morning
Efterklang – Magic Chairs
Eli “Paperboy” Reed – Come and Get It!
Fanfarlo – College Radio Sessions E
Emancipator – Safe in the Steep Cliffs
Engineers – In Praise of More
Erland & the Carnival – Erland & The Carnival *
Elizabeth & the Catapult – The Other Side of Zero
Fang Island – Fang Island
Ferraby Lionheart – The Jack of Hearts
Field Music – Field Music (Measure)
Four Tet – There Is Love in You
Francis and the Lights – It’ll Be Better
Frankie Rose & The Outs – s/T
Freeway & Jake One – The Stimulus Package
The Fresh & Onlys – August in my Mind
Future Islands – In Evening Air
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Kings Ballad
Gayngs – Relayted
Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner *
Gonzales – Ivory Tower
The Head & the Heart – s/t
Heart – WTF + 4
Holly Miranda – The Magician’s Private Library
Horse Feathers – Thistled Spring
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Hurts – Happiness
I Am David Sparkle – Swords
I Am Kloot – The Sky At Night *
The Indelicates – Songs for Swinging Lovers
Jack Rose – Luck in the Valley
Jaga Jazzist – One-Armed Bandit
Jewel – Sweet and Wild
Jimmy Eat World – Invented
John Grant – Queen of Denmark
Josh Ritter – So Runs the World Away
Junip – Rope & Summit E
Justin Rutledge – The Early Widows
Kelis – Flesh Tone
Kno – Death Is Silent
Laurie Anderson – Homeland
Les Savy Fav – Root for Ruin
The Like – Release Me
Lindstrøm & Christabelle – Real Life Is No Cool
Maps & Atlases – Perch Patchwork
Mary Gauthier – The Foundling *
Malory – Pearl Diver
Massive Attack – Heliogland
Matt Costa – Mobile Chateau
Megan McCormick – Honest Words
Melissa Auf der Maur – Out of Our Minds
Melissa Etheridge – Fearless Love
Memoryhouse – The Years
Miles Kurosky – The Desert of Shallow Effects
Miniature Tigers – Fortress
Minipop – Automatic Love
Miria – Under the Surface
The Morning Benders – Big Echo
Moto Boy – Lost in the Call
Munday & The Lupercallians – Petr & The Wulf
Mystery Jets – Serotonin
Killjoys
Nathaniel Rateliff – In Memory of Loss
Nina Nastasia – Outlaster
No Age – Everything in Between
The New Pornographers – Together
Ocean Colour Scene – Saturday
Oceana – Clean Head
One for the Team – Ghosts
Owen Pallett – Heartland
Owen Pallett – A Swedish Love Story
Pain of Salvation – Road Salt One
Patrick Wolf – Conqueror
Phantogram – Eyelid Movies
Polock – Getting Down From the Trees
Quasi – American Gong
The Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme
Ray LaMontagne – God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise
Reckless Love – Reckless Love
The Rescues – Let Loose the Horses
The River Empires – The River Empires (Epilogue)
Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 – Propellor Time
Rogue Valley – Crater Lake
Róisín Murphy – Momma’s Place
Sadistik & Kid Called Computer – The Art of Dying
Sam Amidon – I See the Sign *
Sambassadeur – European
Sarah Harmer – Oh Little Fire
Sarah Jaffe – Suburban Nature
Scala & Kolacny Brothers – Circle
The School – Loveless Unbeliever
School of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desire
Scissor Sisters – Night Work
Scout Niblett – The Calcination of Scout Niblett
Shy Child – Liquid Love
Skunk Anansie – Wonderlust
Spoon – Transference
Stornoway – Beachcomber’s Windowsill
Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People (EP)
Sun Airway – Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier
Sun Kil Moon – Admiral Fell Promises
Sun Kil Moon – I’ll Be There
Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
Susanne Sundfør – The Brothel
The Album Leaf – A Chorus of Storytellers
The Bird and the Bee – Just Stop, and Think
The Electric Pop Group – Seconds
The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
These New Puritans – Hidden *
This is Me Smiling – Only Uphill
Tift Merritt – See You on the Moon
Tocotronic – Schall und Wahn
Tori Amos – Live From the Artists Den
Toro Y Moi – Causers of This
Treat – Coup de Grace
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Social Network
Tricky – Mixed Race
Twin Shadow – Forget *
Twin Sister – Color Your Life
Uffie – Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans
Various Artists – A Single Man
Via Audio – Animalore
The Walkmen – Lisbon
The Watch – Planet Earth?
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Daytrotter Session
The Whigs – In the Dark
Warpaint – The Fool
Wild Nothing – Gemini
Wild Nothing – Evertide
Wire – Red Barked Tree
Wolf Parade – Expo 86
Woods – At Echo Lake
Woven Hand – The Threshing Floor
The xx – Do You Mind?
東京事変 – スポーツ (Sports)
Various Artists – Whom the Moon a Nightsong Sings

This is where you come in. What albums am I missing? What albums in my “to hear” list aren’t worth chasing down?

My tastes run to mainstream pop, tons of harmony, female singer-songwriters, male rockers that can really sing, and live instruments or social conscious hip hop. I’m hit/miss on instrumental, meh on metal, and dislike commercial rap. I’m all for local artists, even if they aren’t from Philly – my LP of the year in 2008 was a local artist.

Your thoughts?