Music Worth Hearing from 2010...

Most years, I do an entry of my favorite music of the year, ranking them in order of how much I like them, etc. This year, I have no clue when I will be able to actually think through and process last year's music well enough to give a ranking and so forth, so instead, I offer this entry, with music from the year I'd recommend, and a small blurb about each, listed in no particular order. Hopefully I won't leave anything out. Enjoy.
_____________________________________________________
*Gungor--Beautiful Things. I was already a Michael Gungor fan, but this album blows me away. It is one of the best 'worship' albums I've ever heard. Challenging, beautiful, haunting, moving, consistently good throughout, unlike a lot of worship stuff where I like a couple of songs and the rest runs together.

*House of Heroes--Suburba. I was already a big House of Heroes fan, but this album keeps coming back to me over and over. It is a look at God and life and relationships and growing up and materialism, themed around life in the suburbs. Quality rockin' tunes with a focus on Christ.

*Robert Randolph and the Family Band--We Walk This Road. Another amazing entry by an incredible band. This one is a little more laid back, but still showcases their bluesy and rockin' steel guitars and amazing musicianship, with a little bolder statement of faith than at times in the past. GREAT music.

*Shane and Shane--Unending Worship. The funny thing is this is advertised as their 'first worship album,' but I've always seen their stuff as leading people in worship. It's got a few previously released tracks, a few covers of congregational worship songs, and a few new originals. It's Shane and Shane at their best, and it's easy to worship God along with them on this.

*Arcade Fire--The Suburbs. Funny, this came out the same day as the House of Heroes Suburba album, with a similar theme, and a different style, and though somewhat spiritual, it is a mainstream album. I had heard of AF before, but with this album I became a big fan. The music is indie pop rock, and it is beautiful, at times quirky and haunting, and a statement on modern culture missing its heart and being disconnected. GOOD stuff.

*Jars of Clay--The Shelter. I've always been a huge JOC fan, and though nowhere near my favorite of their collection, this is them at their best, changing from album to album, this time with a theme of community, and guest artists on nearly every track. It showcases the idea of our need for each other and how we do life and faith best with others, with typical JOC acoustic guitars and harmony vocals.

*Mumford and Sons--Sigh No More. Acoustic folk from a British band, lyrics of searching and hope, sometimes pointing to God. I will caveat this though, one song, "Little Lion Man" has a profanity in it, which was disappointing, but doesn't ruin the whole batch for me. The album is amazing, and one I keep coming back to over and over.

*Anberlin--Dark is the Way, Light is a Place. Amped up a bit over their last album, and a little darker, Anberlin still offers hopeful rock that points to Someone and Something greater.

*Robbie Seay Band--Miracle. Another very solid worship focused album. Like Gungor, RSB goes a little outside the box of typical worship albums, and crafts a solid release.

She and Him--Volume 2. Wow, Zooey Deschanel can sing. Not just the bathroom scene on Elf either. She has an amazing voice, and I fell in love with the lo-fi indie pop of She and Him this year. Both Volume 1 (from 2008) and Volume 2 are beautiful, with songs of life and relationship and pop songs that cut across several generational stylings.

Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs--God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise. I guess you could say this is the year I fell in love with stripped back and laid bare acoustic folk. Organic sounds, with songs of bittersweet yet soothing optimism.

*The Rocket Summer--Of Men and Angels. I became a much bigger TRS fan after seeing them in concert this year. What can you say about Bryce Avary besides that he knows how to show his skills in FUN songs of pop/rock that ultimately point to the Creator.

*Third Day--Move. I am nowhere near the Third Day fan I used to be, but this is another solid entry that gets more back to what I used to love so much about them but that it seemed they had lost for a while before Revelation. In short, it rocks.

*Johnny Cash--American VI: Ain't No Grave. I'm a big JC fan, and though some see posthumous releases as silly, I'm glad Rick Rubin has released the last couple of installments because they show the rawness of Cash, lyrically and vocally, in the last days of his life.

*Sandra McCracken--In Feast or Fallow. Derek Webb's wife, who he has always said is more talented than he is, she is an acoustic singer/songwriter, and this is an awesome entry in her discography, with stripped back hymns and beautiful tunes.

*Jennifer Knapp--Letting Go. JK disappeared for a while, came back, outed herself and released new music. Though I don't agree with her lifestyle choices, she still makes solid music. Though some of the tunes are a little dark and angry, overall, it's a solid album and it's nice to have her back.

*Dave Barnes--What We Want, What We Get. I love DB's voice. Though I enjoyed his last album more than this one, it's still solid pop with a jazzy bent and fun stuff about relationships, with God and others.

*Andrew Peterson--Counting Stars. I had more trouble getting into this one than some of his past stuff, but Peterson continues to be one of THE master storytellers in Christian folk music. He never disappoints.

*Andrew Osenga--Choosing Sides. Another fantastic storyteller, Osenga has been someone I've enjoyed since his days in the Normals, in and out of solo music, and more recently as a part of Caedmon's call. Like Peterson above, he never disappoints, even if this wasn't my favorite of his music.

*Caedmon's Call--Waking the Dead. A bit of a step back from Overdressed, CC still knows how to take their individual parts and make a solid whole of an album. Acoustic pop, multiple instrumentalists, multiple vocalists, and good music.

*The Reign of Kindo--This is What Happens. These guys came out of a Christian rock band called This Day and Age, and now they make some amazing music. Indie piano jazz rock, and it's beautiful music.

*Flatfoot 56--Black Thorn. Christian Celtic Punk Rock. Fun stuff...an acquired taste, but fun stuff.

*Justin McRoberts--Through Songs I Became Undone. This is Justin's 'covers' album, a 10 track journey through songs that influenced his journey musically and otherwise. It's a solid album, and enjoyable, but I much prefer most of his other stuff.

*Showbread--Who Can Know It? Raw honest lyrics, a rawer and more stripped back rock sound than their past stuff, this album made me much more of a Showbread fan than I was before.