My 10 Favorite Albums of 2010

It’s that time of year once again. The end of the year, where we pause to reflect on all that has happened over the last 12 months while pondering what the future has in store. And as I look back, it’s particularly nice to know that 2010 was another year filled with vast musical greatness. That’s what makes picking the 10 best albums of the year such a hard one.

After much thought, listening, re-listening, and deep scrutiny, I was finally able to come up with a list of my 10 favorite records. My choices are below. Feel free to leave a comment with what you felt were the best records of 2010.

10. The Movie We Are In – Pete Francis

Pete Francis was new to me this year. The singer/songwriter released a modern folk masterpiece in The Movie We Are In earlier in 2010. With a hybrid of acoustic folk and electric rock, The Movie We Are In is a fantastic and fun record. Lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally talented, Pete Francis is a musician that more people should be paying attention to. His lyrics are deep, his voice is excellent, and the music he creates is simply stunning. The Movie We Are In is a fine example of his work and an album worthy of adding to any music lover’s collection.

9. Time – The Rebellion

Canadian rockers, The Rebellion, released an exceptional album in Time this year. Blending the styles of Coldplay, U2, and The Fray, The Rebellion is a modern rock act worthy of recognition. Time, which is their debut album, is a showcase of just how grand the band is. With a modern sound worthy of everyday radio, powerful vocals, catchy hooks, and riffs that you will be singing along to, Time is worth seeking out.

8. Sting In The Tail – The Scorpions

In 2010, The Scorpions recorded what is reported to be their final album. The multiple guitar attack of Rudolph Schenker and Matthias Jabs decorates Sting In The Tail with color and style. Their finger picking is at its finest and the shredding solos performed by each of them helps to vibrantly color the record. Sting In The Tail is a fine record that has the The Scorpions going out on a high note. If this truly is the final piece of their legacy, it’s a good one to leave behind.

7. Easy Wonderful – Guster


This past fall, Guster returned to bless us with a new album. I was certainly happy that they did. Filled with the delightful sounds that I’ve come to expect from this band, Easy Wonderful was a breath of fresh air into the music scene. Guster sent us a beautiful piece of art that can be enjoyed for hours on end in Easy Wonderful.

6. 13 Arcane Hymns – The Unravelling


2 guys. 1 album. Simply amazing. 13 Arcane Hymns by The Unravelling rocks hard and heavy. It’s heavy metal for the new generation. It’s hard to believe that only two guys came up with such an amazing album. If you’re a fan of heavy, dark, rock, than 13 Arcane Hymns is a record you should own. With bold and beautiful music, lyrics that make you think, and lead vocals that range the spectrum like not many can, The Unravelling’s 13 Arcane Hymns is a solid album worth listening to over and over again.

5. Slash – Slash


Branching out with his first solo record, Slash, fans weren’t sure what to expect. The album is jam packed with guest vocalists (including Fergie, Lemmy, and Ozzy) and a lot of exceptional guitar work. Slash is a solo album done right. While Slash is the obvious centerpiece of this record, the wise decision to bring in multiple guest vocalists help push this disc over the top. It was a very unexpected treat in the 2010 releases.

4. Scream – Ozzy Osbourne


Ozzy Osbourne proves that he still has it and maybe never lost it on his latest record Scream. Released this summer, I had the opportunity to review Scream for Hard Rock Hideout and man was I impressed. I wrote that “Scream is an album that renews faith in the current state of rock and roll and solidifies Ozzy’s status as a rock god.” Those words are still true months later. Scream is an incredible album.

3. Lightning On The Strings, Thunder On The Mic – Gangstagrass

It’s bluegrass. It’s hip-hop. It’s Gangstagrass. One of the most unique records to be released in 2010, Lightning On The Strings, Thunder On The Mic is a magnificent album and a trailblazer for a new musical style. More than just a passing fad, Gangstagrass have pioneered a whole new genre that’s worth listening to. Lightning On The Strings, Thunder On The Mic is a unique experience that everyone will enjoy.

2. Social Code - Rock N Roll


Debuting with their first major label record this year, Social Code showed all the other newcomers how rock was meant to be played. Best described as dirty (or gritty) rock, Rock N Roll is a powerful album. Blending the styles of Hinder, Lynch Mob, and Papa Roach, Social Code is the real deal and Rock N Roll proves it. Bar jamming, foot stomping, good time hard rock is what Rock N Roll is all about. Social Code has my vote for best new band of the year, and Rock N Roll has my vote for best hard rock album of 2010. If you like rock, you need to pick up a copy of this record.

1. The Lucky Ones – Doug Keith


I was blessed with the gift of Doug Keith’s The Lucky Ones very early this year. When I reviewed this album back in February, I stated that if you purchased only one record this year, it had to be The Lucky Ones. That statement is still true in December. By far, the best album I have heard in 2010 (and I’ve heard a lot) is Doug Keith’s The Lucky Ones. A fantastic modern folk record that everyone needs to own and enjoy.

Gangstagrass - Lightning On The Strings, Thunder On The Mic

Fresh. Exhilarating. Magnificent. These are all fitting adjectives to describe Lightning On The Stings, Thunder On The Mic, the bluegrass hip-hop amalgam by Gangstagrass. However, there is one adjective preferred above all others – stunning. That is the initial reaction after a first listen to this album.

The idea that the combination of bluegrass banjo picking, fiddle playing, and foot stomping accompanied by turntable scratching and rap lyrics would be a grand hybrid is absurd! Except for one thing – it really works. This highly intelligent cocktail is not something that anyone with a turntable and a banjo can pull off though; it takes highly skilled professionals with precise timing and talent. In other words, don’t try this at home, kids!

Fortunately for the listeners’ ears, Gangstagrass is full of exceptional musicians. Leading the way is Rench, an acoustic guitar playing madman that provides smooth harmony vocals and lays out all of the beats for the music. His partner in song for this record is T.O.N.E-Z, a talented hip-hop artist with extreme, fresh rhyme schemes and a great voice to rap them out.

Surrounding the duo are a banjo, fiddle, and a turntable DJ that provides the backdrop for the hip-hop mix which blends with the bluegrass style. Interesting does not even come close to describing the sound or the songs. This is downright superb. Hip-hop beats over bluegrass banjo is a brilliant touch.

While Rench’s guitar work is solid and sound defining, his vocals are the perfect contrast to T.O.N.E-Z’s, who raps hard and tight while writing deep, meaningful rhymes. Songs like I’m Gonna Put You Down and Put Your Hands Up High showcase the duos talent on vocals, rhyme schemes, and overall song enjoyment.

With the exception of Big Branch, which is worn down with a repetitive chorus that is more grating than fun, there is not a bad song on this album. Every track is pure enjoyment. Neither of the musical styles comes to the forefront, allowing both the hip-hop and the bluegrass their time in the spotlight. The marriage, while seemingly strange up front, is perfect when recorded.

What really stand out are the instrumentals. Both Click Ol’ Gun and My Enemies Lay Beneath The Prairie may not contain any vocals at all, but what they do have is foot-stomping power. With Rench providing fantastic acoustic guitar and Prepmode working the turntables, these two songs put smiles on faces and have feet moving on the dance floor. Rounded out by Matt Check’s beautiful banjo and Jason Cade’s fantastic fiddle these instrumental tracks are simply breathtaking.

Urban gangster. Old school cowboy. The two have met and the pairing has resulted in one of the greatest albums of the year. While Kid Rock may have been the father of mixing hard rock and rap and bringing it to the mainstream, Rench and T.O.N.E.-Z are the original bluegrass, gansta rap group, bringing Gangstagrass to the forefront of the modern radio world. Never before has a sound like this been experienced.

If there’s one album that you need to experience this summer, GangstaGrass is it. You will be amazed by the talent contained on this record. After multiple listens and several spins, you will still find yourself going back to this record again and again. The uniqueness of the style demands repeat plays, and obliging this request is a treat, not a chore.

Ryo’s Rating: 9 (out of 10)

Track Listing
That’s Right I’m Good
I’m Gonna Put You Down
Trouble Everywhere I Go
Click Ol’ Gun
I Go Hard
Nobody Gonna Miss Me
Big Branch
In My Aching Heart Shadows Linger
My Enemies Lay Beneath The Prairie
Put Your Hands Up High