Keepers (2010 Edition)

Five years ago I started this list and by some miracle, all the albums still get regularly play. Now that 2010's chaff has been separated I'm left with a similarly small list.

As always, I struggle when albums with brilliant tracks don't lead to a cohesive whole. There's no debate about Bloodbuzz Ohio, but the rest of High Violet threatens onset of major depression. Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell reinforce their collaborative prowess on Hawk, a record marred by other contributors taking Lanegan's place on several tracks (That takes nothing away from the dusty You Won't Let Me Down Again. The Walkmen hinted at greatness on Blue as You Blood and While I Shovel the Snow, but they don't evolve enough on Lisbon. The Black Keys finally tossed in additional instruments - and Dan Auerbach's newly found falsetto, which delights on The Only One and Never Gonna Give You Up. They too disappeared by fall.

Most records will not stick around in 2011. The list below will. Modern ears quickly abandon new music, so the list stays short.

The Keepers for 2010

Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Roky Erickson & Okkervil River, True Love Cast Out All Evil
I wrote about both records at length, saw Erikson and Arcade Fire perform (in Louisville and the Ryman, respectively). Neither album has grown stale.

Spoon, Transference
A record comes out in January and spend six months in continual rotation. By December, it feels as though a lifetime passed. Not with Spoon. On the surface, Spoon churned out the same reliable record, but their first self-produced takes chances, scuffs up their sound. I cannot escape the infectious, bouncy Mystery Zone or the raw, angry I Saw the Light. I don't often listen to Goodnight Laura anymore, but it's a powerful, sparse ballad that shows the growth in Britt Daniel's songwriting.

Broken Social Scene, Forgiveness Rock Record
Broken Social Scene albums resemble a reunion of old friends. They're not all welcome, but the majority hold up well. When your friends include Feist, Amy Millan from Stars and BSC creators Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew, it all works out. After opening with a "typical" BSC tune, the group descends into the dark bassline, Morricone-style horns and strings of Chase Scene. The female harmonies on All is All smother the competition - except Emily Haines' comforting lead vocal on Sentimental X's. For its huge cast, BSC never sounded tighter. Meet Me in the Basement could be the best instrumental track this year not written by Fang Island. Speaking of whom ...

Fang Island, S/T
If a listen to Fang Island cannot improve a mood, few other things can. These joyous, multi-movement rock songs sound like fragments at first, with pieces of Thin Lizzy, Metallica and Queen strewn about But the mostly instrumental record effortlessly connects them. The band said they want the record to feel like everyone high-fiving each other. Fang Island never leaves you hanging.

Janelle Monae, The ArchAndroid
Aside from its Metropolis references, I can't claim to understand all of this album. But every note remains riveting. Usually I avoid hip-hop and R&B, but labels only hem in Monae's genre-blending masterwork. Breaking down tracks would strip away the accomplishment; The ArchAndroid needs to be heard in its entirety, and descriptions will not do it justice.

Jonsi, Go
Rock music doesn't embrace the flute often, and the Sigur Ros frontman offers a compelling case on the album opening Go do. With his sweet, sonorous voice challenging heights usually reserved for Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley, Jonsi serves up a batch of orchestral, catchy pop. He scales down the epic-length songs of Sigur Ros into more concise packages, preserving their emotional power. The manic, primitive percussion lines up perfectly with the electronic and symphonic flourishes on Animal Arithmetic, and Tornado's lush simplicity.

Belle & Sebastian, ... Write About Love
The slew of reissues that followed The Life Pursuit never allowed Belle & Sebastian to fade away, and .... Write About Love finds them pursuing a steady course. Fortunately, B&S records know how to surprise even when sticking to the template. With fewer high-tempo songs, their introspective edge shines on The Ghost of Rockschool and its sympathetic horn progressions. I Want the World to Stop threatens to turn into The Cure's Lovesong, but is saved by dynamic song structure.

Justin Townes Earle, Harlem River Blues
The beauty of Justin Townes Earle is how easy he makes it look. What he accomplishes here effectively distills his sound into a blend of old country and modern Americana. The title track easily ranks as the best gospel tune written about suicide, and Working for the MTA takes the classic country train song and places it underground. The longing on One More Night in Brooklyn rings out in JTE's clean, country tone.

Conan O'Brien, Live at Third Man Records
I wrote extensively about this when it arrived this summer. But the ousted comedian sounds as if he's having the time of his life on Jack White's little stage playing country classics, Elvis movie tunes and his own cockney take on Creep. Besides who would have predicted O'Brien's appearance on this list? As of December 2009, he was still trying to get his footing on the Tonight Show, and we know how that turned out. Nothing shouts 2010 as much as this live set.

Best Bet for 2011January drips with promise, thanks to Iron and Wine's Kiss Each Other Clean and The Decemberists' The King Is Dead. With Colin Meloy and Co. giving wisely concept records a break - plus prominent billing for Peter Buck and Gillian Welch - this country-tinged album should guide me through the rest of winter.