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“What really matters is what you like, not what you are like… Books, records, films — these things matter.”
— High Fidelity

Etcetera

Best Albums of the 2010s

This was the decade I finally reached music saturation, and realized that the albums at the lower rungs of this list, let alone the ones that did not make it, were records I barely listened to. Only the top 20 or so truly had a huge impact on me in the past 10 years, mostly being ones to which I can attach memories and moods.

The 2010s were also a decade defined by a handful of artists, whom all appear here more than once: Sharon Van Etten, Thao Nguyen, Matt Berninger, Katie Crutchfield and her sister Allison, Kristian Matsson, Jenn Wasner, Phil Cook, and Justin Vernon. It is no coincident that most of these artists are friends and collaborators, many of them united around the nexus of Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver and others) and Bryce Dessner (of The National and others).

In countless ways, those two bands, Bon Iver and The National, whom I fell in love with in the previous decade, have shaped my musical taste in the years since. From attending Eaux Claires festival to catching each of them live closer to home whenever I could, they have become my north stars, not just for the music, but for the way they go about their business, building a community of collaborators and friends out of shared principles and desires.

As I age, this sort of thing, seemingly ancillary to the enjoyment of a record, has come to the forefront, and those records to which I respond with the most emotion are those which stick with me. Sometimes it’s just about an e•mo•tion if you know what I mean, but for the most part, these records definitely sound like something a thoughtful, (gasp) now-40-something dude would be listening to.

  1. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

    The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

    Wye Oak

    Merge, 2018

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs”, “Symmetry”

  2. Future Me Hates Me

    Future Me Hates Me

    The Beths

    Carpark, 2018

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Future Me Hates Me”, “Not Running”

  3. Face Your Fear

    Face Your Fear

    Curtis Harding

    Anti-, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “On and On”, “Need Your Love”

  4. Need to Feel Your Love

    Need to Feel Your Love

    Sheer Mag

    Sheer Mag, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Need to Feel Your Love”, “Can’t Play It Cool”

  5. Dark Bird Is Home

    Dark Bird Is Home

    The Tallest Man on Earth

    Dead Oceans, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Sagres”, “Timothy”

  6. No Time for Dreaming

    No Time for Dreaming

    Charles Bradley

    Daptone, 2011

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Why Is It So Hard”, “No Time for Dreaming”

  7. Saint Bartlett

    Saint Bartlett

    Damien Jurado

    Secretly Canadian, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Kalama”, “Arkansas”

  8. We the Common

    We the Common

    Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

    Ribbon Music, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Every Body”, “Holly Roller”

  9. The Road From Memphis

    The Road From Memphis

    Booker T. Jones

    Anti-, 2011

    Choice Cuts: “Progress”, “Representing Memphis”

  10. Naomi

    Naomi

    The Cave Singers

    Jagjaguwar, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Have to Pretend”, “Northern Lights”

  11. Return to the Moon

    Return to the Moon

    EL VY

    4AD, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, with Crescendo)”, “I’m the Man to Be”

  12. The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us

    The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us

    Beach Slang

    Polyvinyl, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Hard Luck Kid”, “Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas”

  13. Heretofore

    Heretofore

    Megafaun

    Hometapes, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Volunteers”, “Carolina Days”

  14. Woman

    Woman

    Rhye

    Republic, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Major Minor Love”, “3 Days”

  15. Double EP

    Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas

    Courtney Barnett

    House Anxiety, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Avant Gardener”, “History Eraser”

  16. Sorry Is Gone

    Sorry Is Gone

    Jessica Lea Mayfield

    ATO, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Sorry Is Gone”, “World Won’t Stop”

  17. Pedestrian Verse

    Pedestrian Verse

    Frightened Rabbit

    Atlantic, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “The Oil Slick”, “The Woodpile”

  18. A Man Alive

    A Man Alive

    Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

    ??, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Astonished Man”, “Nobody Dies”

  19. Nashville Obsolete

    Nashville Obsolete

    Dave Rawlings Machine

    Acony, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Pilgrim (You Can’t Go Home)”, “Candy”

  20. Black Hours

    Black Hours

    Hamilton Leithauser

    Ribbon Music, 2014

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “11 O’Clock Friday Night”, “I Don’t Need Anyone”

  21. Metals

    Metals

    Feist

    Cherry Tree, 2011

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “The Circle Married the Line”, “The Bad in Each Other”

  22. Tramp

    Tramp

    Sharon Van Etten

    Jagjaguwar, 2012

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “We Are Fine”, “Serpents”

  23. B’lieve I’m Goin’ Down

    b’lieve i’m goin’ down

    Kurt Vile

    Matador, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Wild Imagination”, “Pretty Pimpin”

  24. Fake Sugar

    Fake Sugar

    Beth Ditto

    Virgin, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Oo La La”, “Fire”

  25. Impersonator

    Impersonator

    Majical Cloudz

    Matador, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Turns Turns Turns”, “Bugs Don’t Buzz”

  26. Big Wheel and Others

    Big Wheel and Others

    Cass McCombs

    Domino, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “There Can Be Only One”, “Home on the Range”, “Aeon of Aquarius Blues”

  27. I Love You. It's a Fever Dream.

    I Love You. It’s a Fever Dream.

    The Tallest Man on Earth

    Dead Oceans, 2019

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “I’m a Stranger Now”, “Waiting for My Ghost”

  28. Collapse Into Now

    Collapse Into Now

    R.E.M.

    Warner Bros., 2011

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Überlin”, “It Happened Today”

  29. Hanging Gardens

    Hanging Gardens

    Classixx

    Innovative Leisure, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Holding On”, “I’ll Get You”

  30. Yes Lawd!

    Yes Lawd!

    NxWorries

    Stones Throw, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Lyk Dis”, “Sidepiece”

  31. Love’s Crushing Diamond

    Love’s Crushing Diamond

    Mutual Benefit

    Soft Eyes, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Advanced Falconry”, “Golden Wake”

  32. Currents

    Currents

    Tame Impala

    Interscope, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Cause I’m a Man”, “Let It Happen”

  33. Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son

    Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son

    Damien Jurado

    Secretly Canadian, 2014

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Metallic Cloud”, “Plains to Crash”

  34. The Worse Things Get

    The Worse Things Get…

    Neko Case

    Anti-, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Night Still Comes”, “Local Girl”

  35. If You See Me, Say Yes

    If You See Me, Say Yes

    Flock of Dimes

    Merge, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Everything Is Happening Today”, “Semaphore”

  36. Over and Even

    Over and Even

    Joan Shelley

    No Quarter, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Over and Even”, “No More Shelter”

  37. Everybody Works

    Everybody Works

    Jay Som

    Polyvinyl, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Baybee”, “The Bus Song”

  38. Freetown Sound

    Freetown Sound

    Blood Orange

    Domino, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Best to You”, “But You”

  39. Epic

    Epic

    Sharon Van Etten

    ??, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Love More”, “Peace Signs”

  40. case/lang/veirs

    case / lang / veirs

    case / lang / veirs

    Anti-, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Atomic Number”, “Best Kept Secret”

  41. Morning Phase

    Morning Phase

    Beck

    Capitol, 2014

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Blue Moon”, “Country Down”

  42. Crazy for You

    Crazy for You

    Best Coast

    Mexican Summer, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “When I’m With You”, “Summer Mood”

  43. The French Press

    The French Press

    Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

    Sub Pop, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Julie’s Place”, “French Press”

  44. Golden Sings That Have Been Sung

    Golden Sings That Have Been Sung

    Ryley Walker

    ??, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “The Roundabout”, “Sullen Mind”

  45. We got it from here

    We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service

    A Tribe Called Quest

    Epic, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “The Space Program”, “We the People…”, “Movin Backwards”

  46. Bark Your Head Off, Dog

    Bark Your Head Off, Dog

    Hop Along

    Saddle Creek, 2018

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “How Simple”, “Not Abel”

  47. The Lion’s Roar

    The Lion’s Roar

    First Aid Kit

    Wichita, 2012

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “King of the World”, “Emmylou”

  48. Ivy Tripp

    Ivy Tripp

    Waxahatchee

    Merge, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “La Loose”, “Breathless”, “Air”

  49. Carrie & Lowell

    Carrie & Lowell

    Sufjan Stevens

    Asthmatic Kitty, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “The Only Thing”, “All of Me Wants All of You”

  50. Lonesome Dreams

    Lonesome Dreams

    Lord Huron

    I Am Sound, 2012

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Time to Run”, “The Man Who Lives Forever”

  51. People Are My Drug

    People Are My Drug

    Phil Cook

    Thirty Tigers, 2018

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Miles Away”, “Now That I Know”

  52. D

    D

    White Denim

    Downtown, 2011

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Street Joy”, “Drug”

  53. Good Grief

    Good Grief

    Lucius

    Mom + Pop, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Madness”, “Born Again Teen”

  54. Are We There

    Are We There

    Sharon Van Etten

    Jagjaguwar, 2014

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Tarifa”, “Every Time the Sun Comes Up”

  55. Fast Moving Clouds

    Fast Moving Clouds

    Sarah Bethe Nelson

    Burger, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Every Other Sunday”, “Fast Moving Clouds”

  56. Remind Me Tomorrow

    Remind Me Tomorrow

    Sharon Van Etten

    Jagjaguwar, 2019

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Seventeen”, “Comeback Kid”

  57. Near to the Wild Heart of Life

    Near to the Wild Heart of Life

    Japandroids

    Anti-, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Midnight to Morning”, “Near to the Wild Heart of Life”

  58. Sometimes I Sit

    Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit

    Courtney Barnett

    Mom + Pop, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Depreston”, “Pedestrian at Best”

  59. Lost in the Dream

    A Deeper Understanding

    The War on Drugs

    Atlantic, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Up All Night”, “Strangest Thing”

  60. The King Is Dead

    The King Is Dead

    The Decemberists

    Columbia, 2011

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “This Is Why We Fight”, “Down by the Water”

  61. Mines

    Mines

    Menomena

    Barsuk, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Dirty Cartoons”, “TAOS”

  62. Short Movie

    Short Movie

    Laura Marling

    Ribbon Music, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Don’t Let Me Bring You Down”, “I Feel Your Love”

  63. Black Messiah

    Black Messiah

    D’Angelo

    RCA, 2014

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Till It’s Done (Tutu)”, “Really Love”

  64. American Weekend

    American Weekend

    Waxahatchee

    Don Giovanni, 2012

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Be Good”, “Grass Stain”

  65. Multi-Love

    Multi-Love

    Unknown Mortal Orchestra

    Jagjaguwar, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone”, “Multi-Love”

  66. If I Was

    If I Was

    The Staves

    Nonesuch, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Steady”, “Make It Holy”

  67. The King of Limbs

    The King of Limbs

    Radiohead

    XL Recordings, 2011

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Give Up the Ghost”, “Separator”, “Codex”

  68. Blue Wave

    Blue Wave

    Operators

    Last Gang, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Cold Light”, “Blue Wave”

  69. They Want My Soul

    They Want My Soul

    Spoon

    Loma Vista, 2014

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Inside Out”, “Do You”

  70. The Order of Time

    The Order of Time

    Valerie June

    Concord, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Astral Plane”, “Shakedown”

  71. Product 3

    Product 3

    Beat Connection

    Anti-, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Another Go Round”, “Hesitation”

  72. Lemonade

    Lemonade

    Beyoncé

    Parkwood, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Freedom”, “Sorry”

  73. Hope Downs

    Hope Downs

    Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

    Sub Pop, 2018

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Talking Straight”, “Mainland”, “The Hammer”

  74. Days Are Gone

    Days Are Gone

    Haim

    Columbia, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Honey & I”, “The Wire”

  75. High Violet

    High Violet

    The National

    4AD, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Afraid of Everyone”, “Conversation 16”, “Terrible Love”

  76. This Is Happening

    This Is Happening

    LCD Soundsystem

    Virgin, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Dance Yrself Clean”, “Home”, “I Can Change”

  77. Wildewoman

    Wildewoman

    Lucius

    Mom + Pop, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Until We Get There”, “Two of Us on the Run”

  78. Just Give In / Never Going Home

    Just Give In / Never Going Home

    Hazel English

    ??, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Make It Better”, “Never Going Home”

  79. Seeds

    Seeds

    TV on the Radio

    ??, 2014

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Trouble”, “Happy Idiot”, “Ride”

  80. Good Thing

    Good Thing

    Leon Bridges

    Columbia, 2018

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Beyond”, “Bad Bad News”

  81. Tourist in This Town

    Tourist in This Town

    Allison Crutchfield

    Merge, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Mile Away”, “I Don’t Ever Wanna Leave California”

  82. Out in the Storm

    Out in the Storm

    Waxahatchee

    Merge, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Recite Remorse”, “Never Been Wrong”

  83. Megafaun

    Megafaun

    Megafaun

    Hometapes, 2011

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Hope You Know”, “Resurrection”

  84. Random Access Memories

    Random Access Memories

    Daft Punk

    Columbia, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Get Lucky”, “Fragments of Time”, “Touch”

  85. The Suburbs

    The Suburbs

    Arcade Fire

    Merge, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “We Used to Wait”, “Ready to Start”, “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”

  86. The Idler Wheel

    The Idler Wheel

    Fiona Apple

    Epic, 2012

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Hot Knife”, “Every Single Night”

  87. E•MO•TION

    E•MO•TION

    Carly Ray Jepsen

    Interscope, 2015

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Run Away With Me”, “I Really Like You”

  88. boygenius

    boygenius

    boygenius

    Matador, 2018

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Souvenir”, “Me & My Dog”

  89. Love & Hate

    Love & Hate

    Michael Kiwanuka

    Polydor, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “One More Night”, “Black Man in a White World”

  90. Celebration Rock

    Celebration Rock

    Japandroids

    Polyvinyl, 2012

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “The House That Heaven Built”, “Younger Us”

  91. Eyes on the Lines

    Eyes on the Lines

    Steve Gunn

    Matador, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Heavy Sails”, “Ancient Jules”

  92. Seasons of Your Day

    Seasons of Your Day

    Mazzy Star

    Rhymes of an Hour, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “In the Kingdom”, “Common Burn”

  93. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

    My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

    Kanye West

    ??, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Power”, “Lost in the World”, “Blame Game”

  94. Tied to a Star

    Tied to a Star

    J. Mascis

    Sub Pop, 2014

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Wide Awake”, “Drifter”

  95. Camp Cope

    Camp Cope

    Camp Cope

    Poison City, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Lost (Season One)”

  96. The Wild Hunt

    The Wild Hunt

    The Tallest Man on Earth

    Dead Oceans, 2010

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Love Is All”, “King of Spain”

  97. Malibu

    Malibu

    Anderson .Paak

    OBE, 2016

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Am I Wrong”, “Room in Here”

  98. Repave

    Repave

    Volcano Choir

    Jagjaguwar, 2013

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Byegone”, “Dancepack”

  99. Bon Iver

    Bon Iver

    Bon Iver

    Jagjaguwar, 2011

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Michicant”, “Perth”, “Holocene”

  100. What Now

    What Now

    Sylvan Esso

    Loma Vista, 2017

    Read Notes

    Choice Cuts: “Die Young”, “Just Dancing”, “Rewind”