I’m off to Houston, TX today to visit my brother.  It will be nice to escape the volatility of the Rochester weather for a bit; Houston should be at least 75 degrees each day I’m there.  I’m seeing The Walkmen tomorrow night at Fitzgerald’s, so if you’re from that part of Texas and want to meet up for a beer at the show (or another time while I’m in the area), let me know via Twitter or email.  I’ll still be connected those ways.

In honor of the flight, I’ve put together a few airplane related tracks.  I have my own playlist for the travel, and a bunch of Angry Birds, I’m sure, to get me to Detroit and then on to my destination.  Have an excellent rest of your week.  I’ll be back on Monday.  Dave, et. al, will see you through the rest of the week.

Josh Rouse – Flight Attendant (Live at “The Loft” on SIRIUS/XM) [mp3] from El Turista En La Radio

Local Natives – Airplanes (Daytrotter Session) [mp3]

Theophilus London – Flying Overseas (feat. Devonté Hynes & Solange Knowles) [mp3]

Here they are: the five albums that we thought were the best ones released in the past year.  These lists are unbelievably subjective, but after writing about music nearly every single day for the past 12 months, it’s kind of nice to revisit what resonated most.

I had a conversation not long ago about how writing this blog affected my love of great songs and albums, and my response was that I still fall in love with albums and songs, but the time I allot for listening to them repeatedly is reduced significantly.  Whereas I may have listened to Jeff Buckley’s Grace for a year straight, now even the best albums get merely a few weeks – and that’s with lots of other music mixed in.  It’s a great problem to have, and I hope it continues.

On a personal note, we’d both like to thank you for taking the time to read what we put out here – whether you’ve just discovered us this week or you’re a regular.  We do appreciate it, and we hope you all have a safe and happy New Year.

Beach House // Teen Dream

The fact that Teen Dream was released in January and still ranks this high is a testament to how good it actually is.  Filled up with gorgeous dream-pop, Teen Dream is a natural and honest progression for the duo, and one that worked extremely well. -A

[mp3] Beach House :: Norway

The Morning Benders // Big Echo

The first time I listened to this album, I was at work, very early on a Saturday morning back in the earlier parts of 2010. I was able to stream the entire album on the gone-but-not-forgotten music site LaLa. The ability to stream the record in its entirety solidified my decision to immediately order the record on vinyl. I’ve probably listened to this record more than any other this year, and it’s still as fresh. -D

[mp3] The Morning Benders :: Excuses

The Walkmen // Lisbon

There’s an air about The Walkmen’s latest album – something almost freeing – when it’s compared to 2008′s You & Me.  Perhaps due to the fact that it was recorded in a span of five days, Lisbon comes off as more loose than its predecessor.  And while most might not think it was nearly as good, it was certainly good enough to deserve this spot. -A

[mp3] The Walkmen :: Angela Surf City

Tame Impala // Innerspeaker

Andy’s personal #1 of 2010, Tame Impala’s first proper full-length combined Lennon-like vocals with psychedelic, expansive music; while that style might be oft-repeated, few pull it off so convincingly well.  Innerspeaker wears its influences well, but the band doesn’t allow them to get in the way or make them feel forced.  This is an album to listen to as a whole; it’s a rare thing to find a cohesive album these days. It’s even more rare that it’s this good. -A

[mp3] Tame Impala :: Solitude Is Bliss

Deerhunter // Halcyon Digest

In a surprise (to me) win, my personal #1 album of the year is the blog’s collaborative top record. Without prior knowledge of each other’s rankings, Andy rated Halcyon Digest one spot higher than I did Innerspeaker.

While I wouldn’t have considered it out of the question, I didn’t believe this record would land in our top spot. I assumed our eventual #2 would take that honor, though either is certainly worthy of it. I speak often of expectations, but mine couldn’t have been higher for Deerhunter following 2008′s Microcastle, an album I consider at times to be my favorite record ever. I assumed I would love this album, that I eventually did and came to rank it as my favorite was not a foregone conclusion, but rather one that was earned. -D

[mp3] Deerhunter :: Revival

…until next year