2010 Year In Music
If you thought I like books, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
I remember one time seeing this cheesy independent movie that was probably self-funded with no budget for the music. You don’t realize the importance of a soundtrack until it is non-existent or just plain terrible. There were scenes with absolutely no background music and when there was, it just didn’t fit the mood.
Great music directs emotions and shapes atmospheres. I like to view my life as a blockbuster movie for which I am responsible for the score.
There are plenty of people that did their Top 10 Albums of 2010. I don’t really buy a ton of new music anymore. That’s pretty crazy for someone who once used to go to Best Buy EVERY Tuesday to buy a new CD. That’s probably why I have over 95GB of music in my iTunes.
Music takes a little more time to sink in these days but once it does, it goes into heavy rotation. That’s why most of what you’ll see in my lists aren’t albums that came out this year. I decided to go through my Most Played songs (highest to lowest) of this past year and compile the list below. I also included the full albums I had in heavy rotation. I hope you enjoy and maybe find something new:
2011 Soundtrack
- I Surrender/Spontaneous Song – Kim Walker
- Where You Go I’ll Go – Brian & Jenn Johnson
- Beauty For Ashes – Anthony Skinner
- Burning Ones – Jesus Culture
- See His Love – Kim Walker
- Jesus Make Me Yours – Audra Lynn
- Noticed – Mutemath
- Wings – Alberto & Kimberly Rivera
- Across Water Again – Blindside
- Cold Condition – Edison Glass
- In Regards To Myself – Underoath
- Abracadavers – Classic Crime
- Clipping – Mutemath
- Breathe Into Me – RED
- In The Middle – Harbour Music
- Psalm 18 – Cory Asbury
- Falling Out Of Trees – Barcelona
- Sons and Daughters – Jason Upton
- The Truth of a Liar – August Burns Red
- Glassgow Kiss – John Petrucci
Albums In Heavy Rotation
- Kim Walker – Here Is My Song
- Jesus Culture – Consumed
- Mutemath – Armistice
- Editors – The Back Room
- The Temper Trap – Conditions
- Barcelona – Absolutes
- Keane – Under The Iron Sea
- John Mayer – Continuum
- Ray Lamontagne – Trouble
- Anberlin – Cities
- Edison Glass – Time Is Fiction
- Great Awakening – Cities
- Rodrigo y Gabriela – 11:11
- Frederico Aubelle - Gran Hotel Buenos Aires
- Andrew Ehrenzeller – Beauty Is What Remains
- Gungor – Beautiful Things
- Jesus Culture – Come Away
What was your favorite song or album of this past year?
Stryper “The Coverings” review at RockEyez http://www.rockeyez.com/
Your missing Need to Breathe, a great band and awesome albumns!
I did enjoy it but I classified that in the “too new to review” category for this year.
My favorite album so far this year was Alter Bridge III. Great inspirational epic hard rock. Love Insomnium, Amon Amarth, As I Lay Dying, Megadeth, Pink Floyd, Oceansize just to name a few.
Oh wow, Alter Bridge is the band from Creed right? I remember when they formed up. I never got any of their stuff though.
I dig the heavy stuff too. An Ocean Between Us is my favorite As I Lay Dying album. Some other great ones are All That Remains, The Human Abstract & War of Ages.
I don’t listen to Christian music. I like Irish Punk, torch songs, Big Band/Swing, show tunes, some opera, and dance music
I’m willing to find new stuff, though!
Don’t worry Kristin, I’ve totally been there. I used to only listen to worship music on Sundays.
If you want to cut your teeth on amazingnificant fantasticalness, I can’t recommend anything more highly than the “Beautiful Things” album by Gungor. If you don’t like it, I’ll give you a money back guarantee. It might be the best worship album I’ve ever heard in my life.
My favorite find of the year was The Paper Raincoat. I absolutely LOVE them. And though I’m totally late to the party, I’ve been loving Mumford & Sons for the past week. Awesome.
Happy to see RED & Mutemath in your list. Love those bands too.
Just previewed TPR. Not my genre of choice but I definitely dig the creativity. Cool sound.
Mutemath is my fave! I had VIP tickets to see them in concert Nov of last year. I was like 5 feet away from Paul Meany. He leaned over into the crowd and I got to play his keytar! I got some great pics and some rad vids of the show.
Best. Concert. Ever.
Oh dear. I have nothing to add because I RARELY listen to music (pretty weird for a musician.) I would almost always be alone with my thoughts….am very sensitive to “noise pollution” for some reason.
This was true even before the boys came along…but now that I am subjected to noise ALL THE TIME, I crave silence even more! It’s gotten to where, when my hubby is watching TV and commercials come on, I lunge for the remote to mute them. Just don’t like noise.
Whenever I do listen to music I enjoy it, of course. I just never turn it on.
Wow, that was a whole lotta nothin’.
Wowsers! Sometimes I’ll pull the “If you had to choose, would you rather be deaf or blind?” question out with my friends. I always choose blind simply for the fact that I could NOT live without music.
I guess you would rather be deaf, huh?
100 million times, yes…deaf.
I listened a lot to Jesus Culture and I also listened a lot to Ascend the Hill (one you suggested). There was definitely some Misty Edwards thrown in there quite a bit. Lots of great music out there! Thanks Tony.
I listen a lot to Misty’s first one “Eternity”. There has never been another album I’ve heard quite like it. Absolutely incredible.
If I had to pick one favorite bought this year, it would likely be John Mark McMillan’s “The Medicine.” Once you get past “How He Loves” (which was just too overplayed on radio and at church for me) the album is incredible.
I’ve previewed it a few times but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I need to quit procrastinating.
P.S. There is no better version of How He Loves than the original from his first album (Song Inside the Sounds of Breaking Down). I tear up every time I listen to it. The emotion in his voice is so raw as his voice cracks as he weeps over his friend. That song wrecked me for life.
Nice to see Barcelona on your list! In 2010, I loved The Drums, The Mary Onettes, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Minipop, Bad Lieutenant (former New Order), The Meeting Places, Arcade Fire and Faunts. Not all were recorded this year, but this was the year I came upon them.
If you like shoegaze, dream pop and electronica at all, give a listen to Ulrich Schnauss’s CD “A Strangely Isolated Place.” Listen to it at sunrise and sunset. And through headphones (for intimacy). Here is a sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_6Z5C8cE0Q.
I’m still letting the new Arcade Fire grow on me. It’s getting there.
I’m diggin’ the Schnauss song. This is great writing music!
Favorite Album: The Ascendicate-To Die As Kings
Favorite Song: I Hate All Your Show-Jon Foreman
Hadn’t heard of TDAK but I’m listening now. Major cool points for you. I LOVE heavy! I’ll have to grab this one.
I haven’t yet checked any of Foreman’s solo stuff but I’ve heard good things.
I actually like Foreman’s solo stuff better than his Switchfoot stuff, which is saying a lot. I probably draw more inspiration from him than just about anything.
Tony: I used to buy a lot of music (CDs) but have slowed down tons because of focusing on getting out of debt. I will, however, spring for one. (I just now got an iPhone but have no desire at this point to do iTunes). My musical tastes are different than yours since I lean toward rock/classic rock. My favorites would be Stryper’s “Murder by Pride” and the last two Pillar offerings. (Stryper is coming out with a new one in 2/11 called “The Coverings” in which they do covers of the songs that shaped their music. So far it sound awesome!). I did buy Awake, North Point’s worship CD. It was very good and I like Fee, who is a big part of it. I also listen to classic rock but won’t go much further with that (Styx, Journey, etc)
I like a lot of Classic Rock too, I just don’t listen to it regularly. Most of the picks that aren’t worship here are Christian Rock albums. I do like Pillar and Skillet but I lean more toward the indie-rock flavor.