This is becoming a catastrophe...

So I’ll let everyone know now that I was too lazy to write detailed reviews/descriptions of my favourite albums of 2010 and instead, only wrote 8. They are not in order either because I couldn’t bring myself to properly rank them. and these 8 are not necessarily my top 8. Enjoy.

Fixed At Zero - VersaEmerge

This is basically my ultimate favourite album of the year and if you haven’t jumped on the VersaEmerge bandwagon as of yet, I’d highly recommend doing so. In a world where the industry is filled with pop-punk female-fronted bands, VersaEmerge is a refreshing change without being totally obscure. Sierra Kusterbeck’s vocals are not only strong, but she also has incredible range (and hits high notes without that painful girly high-pitched shrill that is heard so often from female vocalists). The lyrical content is at time mysterious, at times emotional, but always enjoyable. The music is just as good and there are moments when it could be mistaken for a movie score. Each song has a distinct sound and never give off the ‘same sound, different track’ vibe.

Enemy Of The World - Four Year Strong

While I’ve always adored Four Year Strong, this album is by far their best work to date. It’s an album that makes you want to sing along and mosh at the same tie and why wouldn’t you? With a sound that still resonates Rise Or Die Trying but with a more developed, well polished edge, almost anyone could enjoy this album.

My Best Friend Is  You - Kate Nash

There is no album released this year by a female artist that displays lyrics as honest, relatable and gives off that ‘independent woman’ vibe quite like Kate Nash’s My Best Friend Is You does. In just 13 songs, Kate manages to cover a vast range of genres that most artists don’t even cover in their entire career. From female sing-a-longs about always being the friend and never the lover to grungy rock tracks complete with wailing and screams, My Best Friend Is You is sure to have something for everyone.

Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been a huge My Chemical Romance fan (yet I still bought two of their previous albums and I do listen to them from time to time) and I had fairly low expectations for this album, but that changed the instant I hard Na Na Na. It was almost like I was listening to a completely different band but with a sense of familiarity that I found comforting. This is exactly how the entire album felt for me. and it was incredible. It was as if MCR had been renewed with a brand new energy and had left the emo stereotype they’d perfected so well. The lyrics are powerful, the music is hard-hitting and fun at the same tie and it almost feels like an album of anthems. Whether you’re a long time MCR fan or have never listened to them before, I’d definitely recommend this album to anyone.

Summer House - Gold Motel

While I was completely clueless as to the existence of Gold Motel for the better part of this year, this is an album that should definitely not be disregarded. The sound is effortless and breezy with a few melancholy tracks mixed in making it the perfect summer album. This album proves that Greta Salpeter really can do no wrong.

My Dinosaur Life - Motion City Soundtrack

From the opening track Worker Bee, it’s already obvious that My Dinosaur Life is Motion City Soundtrack’s greatest album of their career. The lyrical content is not only as brilliant as always, but the sound is noticeably more mature and refined. The lack of synth throughout the album is also welcomed with open arms. Each song is as strong as the one before it and there is never a dull moment, and how many artists can get away with admitting to falling asleep watching Veronica Mars in a song?

Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn

I can guarantee that you will not find a more obscure album released this year - and with good reason. This album tells the story of a fictional pair of conjoined twins named Eva and Lyn (who both became just Evelyn due to confusion over which twin was which) who are not only chronically shy but have gone through hell and back (having their mother die at childbirth, joining a circus as a freakshow act, being used as child prostitutes and much more) to get where they are now. The act consists of Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley, a ukulele, a piano, many mentions of the number 11, the guitar and accordion. The tracks range from sing-a-longs, country-esque, spoken tales of their childhood to a breathtakingly beautiful ukulele cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart that brings on goosebumps. Although this album was love at first listen for me, it is definitely an acquired taste.

Light Me Up - The Pretty Reckless

Although the actress-turned-singer transformation is a total cliche and more often than not overlooked, The Pretty Reckless is one band that refuse to be ignored. Fronted by Taylor Momsen, Gossip Girl’s resident good girl gone bad -both onscreen and off - (and Courtney Love lookalike), I was a little skeptical before I heard Make Me Wanna Die late last year but was quickly surprised at the amount of talent she possessed as a singer. The album is filled with dark, provocative and lovelorn lyrics paired with even darker, heavier guitar work and there is not a single moment where Momsen’s voice is overshadowed by the instrumental element. The album isn’t all moody, grungy tracks however, it also features a chillingly tender acoustic love song that highlights Taylor’s unique voice and pitch range as well as the surprisingly casual track Nothing Left To Lose. While this album may not be for everyone, don’t be fooled by Taylor Momsen’s age and infamy as a demanding actress because the girl sure has talent.

Other favourite albums:

Hold Me Down - You Me At Six
The Upsides - The Wonder Years
High Violet - The National
I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart - Butch Walker (And The Black Widows)

Honourable Mentions:

Champ - Tokyo Police Club
Speak Now - Taylor Swift
Black And White - The Maine
Great Danger - The Audition

Biggest Disappointment of 2010:

Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

So I thought it might be fun for me to list the all the albums I buy this year, just to keep track of them (which I really should have done last year) Before you ask, yes, I did make my title rhyme intentionally. So here begins my list of Album I Buy in 2009!!! Enjoy!!
Album no.1 We The Kings -We The Kings
(technically I bought this album last year, but it didn’t arrive until the very first day of mail delivery this year. After hearing Check Yes Juliet last year, I fell in love.)
Album no.2 Folie A Deux - Fall Out Boy
(again, I bought this last year, but it didn’t arrive until this year - it’s also the American copy. I won’t even bother telling you just how much I love this album because it is honestly immeasurable.)
Album no.3 The All-American Rejects - The All-American Rejects
(I know I’ve liked them for years, but I was never able to find this album earlier. This is a really amazing album by only two band members.)
Album no. 4 iViva La Cobra! - Cobra Starship
(I also bought this last year, yet it never arrived so I ended up waiting to find a store that stocked it instead. Cobra Starship = LOVE.)
Album no. 5 When The World Comes Down - The All-American Rejects
(this is obviously their newest album, which I couldn’t buy until after I relocated. The first half is amazing, though I find it a little hard to get into the second half of this album to be honest.)
Album no. 6 Move Along - The All-American Rejects
(the album that caused me to fall in love with AAR so many years ago. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find a store that stocks it though)
Album no. 7 Underdog Alma Mater - Forever The Sickest Kids
(I’ve been attempting to buy this since last year, but had to wait until after my relocation. Very much in love with this album.)
Album no. 8 New Surrender - Anberlin
(Anberlin’s newest album. Usually I get all my Anberlin from Jacinda, but I couldn’t wait with this one. Breaking is the most beautifully addictive song I’ve heard in a while.)
Album no. 9 All We Know Is Falling - Paramore
(so sometimes I buy the newer album first - most of the time because it’s easier to find, that was the case with Paramore, which I bought on Valentine’s Day. Very different to Riot! but definitely in a good way.)
Album no. 10 City, Meet Hurricane - Girl vs. Ghost
(I know this is a single, but I bought a physical copy so I figured this should count. One of the nicest bands I’ve ever had the pleasure of chatting with.)
Album no. 11 Put Up Or Shut Up - All Time Low
(expect this list to grow rapidly over the next few weeks, cause I’ve started listening to some awesome artists much like All Time Low - I actually got my sister to buy this for me because I had to go to work.)
Album no. 12 One Of The Boys - Katy Perry
(I couldn’t contain or deny my love for Katy Perry for any longer, and I’m glad I bought this because I LOVE it.
Album no. 13 So Wrong, It’s Right - All Time Low
(This album is purely awesome and you’d have to be insane to deny it. Dear Maria, Count Me In never gets old.)
Album no. 14 Sticks and Stones - New Found Glory
(This is definitely an album I’ve been wanting for a while, and I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t buy their other albums as well.)
Album no. 15 Princess - Short Stack
(As always, I am aware that this is just a single, but they don’t have a full album yet so just deal with it.)
Album no. 16 Louder Now - Taking Back Sunday
(I can’t believe it took me this long to actually listen to TBS because they are honestly one of the best artists I’ve ever heard.)
Album no. 17 What To Do When You Are Dead - Armor For Sleep
(Although I heard about these guys a while back, I’ve only just started listening to them. This album is insane, especially the free booklet I must post pictures of later on.)
Album no. 18 Boys Like Girls - Boys Like Girls
(the last two albums I posted before this were all bought in one go with this album. I went on a bit of a splurge. This album is definitely awesome.)
Album no. 19 Other Voices, Other Rooms - The Getaway Plan
(It definitely took me a while to find this album in stores, but I found it in Sanity this Easter break and it came with a bonus Live DVD. WIN.)
Album no. 20 Hymns For The Nonbeliever - Kisschasy
(For some reason I’ve never bought a Kisschasy album, yet they were the first band I ever saw live in concert. They were, and still are, amazing.)
Album no. 21 Fragile Future - Hawthorne Heights
(I spent half an hour in JB Hi-Fi arguing with myself about whether or not to buy this album this soon, I must have looked insane. Definitely glad I ended up buying it.)
Album no. 22 That’s What She Said - The Friday Night Boys
(I actually downloaded a few of these track from FBR when it first came out, but I officially have a physical copy of the excellent EP.)
Album no. 23 VersaEmerge - VersaEmerge
(I first heard ‘Past Praying For’ from a friend this year, and really enjoyed it. After hearing the rest of this EP, I now realise the other tracks are just as good or even better in some cases. ‘Moments Between Sleep’ is one of my favourite songs of all time.)
Album no. 24 Where You Want To Be - Taking Back Sunday
(The inner debate was very heated on whether I should buy this or Senses Fail. Although I most likely will end up owning both of the albums at some point, I’m glad I bought this one because its a CD/DVD combo.)
Album no. 25 The Silence In Black And White - Hawthorne Heights
(I’ve had some track from this for a while from friends, although I finally bought a physical copy. Words could not express how much I love this CD/DVD, especially with what this band has had to go through and come out of it so well.)
Album no. 26 Still Searching - Senses Fail
(I’ve actually contemplated buying this album for a while now, but always chosen something else instead. I listened to this on iTunes over the weekend and realised the next time I went to JB Hi-Fi I HAD to buy it. It is amazing.)
Album no. 27 Skip School, Start Fights - Hit The Lights
(I’ve always thought about listening to Hit The Lights because they had an extremely catchy album title. Seriously though, I’m very glad I decided to add this album to my Glamour Kills order because it’s an instant favourite of mine.)
Album no. 28 New Again - Taking Back Sunday
(One of my most anticipated albums of the year, and although there’s quite a few people who didn’t enjoy it compared to their previous albums, I found it absolutely breath-taking. Definitely worth the wait.)
Album no. 29 The Same Old Blood Rush With A New Touch - Cute Is What We Aim For
(Quite some time ago my sister bought Rotation and during that time I really got into CIWWAF. Soon after I heard ‘The Curse Of Curves’ for the first time and fell in love entirely. )
Album no. 30 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day
(Lucky album no. 30 is none other than Green Day’s newest record. {well technically it’s not the 30th album I’ve bought this year because I haven’t counted pre-orders} It’s hard to believe it’s been 5 years since American Idiot, first released when I was back in primary school. To be honest, I only bought this album because my dad wasn’t going to like he usually does. Now he wants a copy of it. Figures, though I can’t blame him, it is pretty epic.)
Album no. 31 Off The Deep End - The Friday Night Boys
(I actually pre-ordered this album a while ago when it was first announced and I am very glad I did because it’s become an instant favourite. All the tracks are very well-written and have a nice feel-good vibe to them. I also got signed band photo from them because I was in the first 500 people to order so that’s even cooler.)
Album no. 32 Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie
(So if you know me very well you’d know I’ve had a fleeting interest in DCFC for the past few years after I saw the music video for ‘I Will Follow You Into The Dark’ very early one morning on Rage. Well during my first day of work experience at Sanity, Joe decided to put on an album. It was this one and I instantly fell back in love DCFC.)
Album no. 33 Everything In Transit - Jack’s Mannequin
(Over the past few weeks I’d been hearing a lot about Jack’s Mannequin and thanks to Idobi Radio - an online alternative radio station - a lot of the music.)
Album no. 34  In Defense Of The Genre - Say Anything
(So when I went shopping during this Winter break, the last thing I expected to see in JB Hi-Fi was a Say Anything album, let alone any album I would be interested in buying that I don’t own already. {Seriously, I think I’ve bought all their good albums out of stock} This is a two-disc album that cost under $10 yet is worth so much more. A lot of epic bonus vocals too.)
Album no. 35 Life Is Not A Waiting Room - Senses Fail
(My love and hope in JB Hi-Fi has been restored after tonight. Could not believe they managed to re-stock this because in all honesty it’s probably some of Senses Fail’s best work so far.
Album no. 36 Come Around - Sing It Loud
(Probably the last album I expected to see in JB Hi-Fi tonight, especially since I was going to buy this from eBay just last week and have been thinking about it ever since. Definitely great listening with some excellent guest vocals.) 
Album no. 37 Nothing Personal - All Time Low
(One of my most anticipated albums of the year. ‘Nothing Personal’ did not disappoint, unlike some people who severely disliked it because it somehow didn’t live up to their expectations. Stella is most definitely my favourite track. The only let down on the entire album is the painfully repeatitive track ‘Too Much’ which personally I felt could have had some real potential given the lyrics. It just ended up sucking. But hey, nothing personal right? ;P )
Album no. 38 Rise Or Die Trying - Four Year Strong
(Absolutely adore this album and it’s a surprise I’ve never though about buying it off the internet before. I would say lately I’ve gotten even more into these guys because of their covers {JB Hi-Fi actually had the covers album there but I figured I’d get this first} but since I’ve gotten out of buying albums on the internet I was almost speechless when I saw the new Four Year Strong section in JB Hi-Fi.)
Album no. 39 The Glass Passenger - Jack’s Mannequin
(Like all Jack’s Mannequin/Andrew McMahon’s work, this is a beautiful {and sensitive} album. I was planning on waiting for this album to actually go on sale but I realised I couldn’t live without this record for much longer.)
Album no. 40 Where The Heart Stops EP - Burning Brooklyn
(This is a completely free EP from a local Brisbane band who are yet to actually be signed. I love these boys and their work so far.)
Album no. 41 What Happens In Vegas… EP - The Cab
(So I’ve actually had this for a while but my parcel from Galit arrived the other day!! It’s be an understatement to say I was excited haha.)
Album no. 42 Greetings From… EP - A Rocket To The Moon
(I’ve had the track Dakota since this EP was released and I fell in love with it so effortlessly. I absolutely adore ARTTM/Nick Santino yet I didn’t own this EP until August of 2009. Why? Everytime I try to buy it with my other FBR stuff it just so happens to be out of stock. Yeah.)
Album no. 43 Stack Is The New Black - Short Stack
(I know what you’re thinking, more ~local bands right? Well I love Short Stack and I also love this album. You should all buy it haha.)
Album no. 44 Hot Mess - Cobra Starship
(HIGHLY anticipated. You would not believe how long I’ve been waiting/wanting this album. And now I own it, and also LOVE it so much. Yes, I did just list five albums at once - I actually got the last four on the same day haha.)
Album no. 45 Oh! And About Last Night…EP - Love, She Wrote
(So, in all honesty I’d never planned to buy this EP but after hearing the 30 second previews, I made my first ever album purchase from iTunes. Absolutely in love with this.)

so that’s my list for 2009 so far. Be sure to check back regularly to see if I’ve added any albums to my list, and believe me, with the amount of artists I’ve started listening to in these past years that are releasing albums this year, expect this to grow rapidly. Thnks for reading,
-Kirsty.XO.