9.10.2010 | 11:14 am

Top 10 Mediocre-To-Decent 2010 Brand-Name Indie Albums

I’ve written a lot this year about how the bigger names in indie rock have almost unanimously decided to stubbornly release extremely adequate 2010 albums. Not bad, not great. To document this phenomenon, I’ve decided to rank these mid-range classics for the year so far. (I would be remiss not to note that most of these earned Pitchfork Best New Music 8+s, which is the new “Three stars means never having to say you’re sorry,” maybe?) Anyway:

1. The National – High Violet
2. The Hold Steady – Heaven is Whenever
3. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
4. Midlake – The Courage of Others
5. Sun Kil Moon – Admiral Fell Promises
6. Liars – Sisterworld
7. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
8. Vampire Weekend – Contra
9. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
10. Interpol – Interpol

I’m looking forward to sighing and adding Sufjan Stevens’ Age Of Adz to the top five. Thoughts, folks?

(Editor’s note: In this year’s “good-to-great” range and thus not on this list: Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me, Spoon – Transference, The New Pornographers – Together)

More posts about: 2010, Lists

  • Goldstmark

    Walkmen's Lisbon is pretty fantastic too

  • Taylor

    I'd say High Violet, Suburbs, and This Is Happening are pretty great and will probably all make my top 10. Agree with the rest though, Heaven is Whenever, Courage of Others, Contra were big disappointments.

  • Pezbeth

    Is the Walkmen not an indie brand name? Surprised you didn't add them. I was all ready to get up-in-arms over your inclusion. Oh, well. Fight averted.

  • Dave Rawkblog

    Haven't heard that one yet but the single suuuuuucks

  • Cliff

    So is High Violet the best of the mediocre or is it the worst of the mediocre?

  • Dave Rawkblog

    The best.

  • geraldine

    spoon didn't even make the top 10 huh

  • geraldine

    oh nevermind i missed the Special Note at the end . WORST NEW COMMENTER

  • Dave Rawkblog

    Best Old BFF

  • http://twitter.com/ngaffney Nicholas Gaffney

    I dunno…I've been enjoying the VW and AC quite a bit more than either the Newsom, Spoon, or Pornographers ones. Which isn't to say that Good Intentions Pavement Co., Who Makes Your Money, or Sweet Talk Sweet Talk ain't great songs.

  • Pezbeth

    Based on your post about “Stranded,” you'll probably find the album particularly mediocre. “Angela Surf City” is really the only all-out rockin' anthem. The rest is pretty chill, or Grandfather rock, as I think you called it. Oh, and “Victory,” but that's pretty cheesy.

  • http://chromewavesradio.com Ariel.s

    the walkmen album is great. something doesn't have to be fast and loud to be good.

  • Cliff

    So then you think Age of Adz will be pretty good then?

  • gabe

    dave, what up man? i mean, putting transference and together in the good to great just seems weird, both were very average. also, s/t interpol is an embarrassment.

    majesty shredding deserves to be in the “good-to-great”. make it happen!

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    I think it'll be extremely three-and-a-half stars-y.

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    I think “Together” is the best New Pornos album in years, especially after the first couple tracks, and it's the best job the band has done yet of distilling everyone's talents (read: Neko and Dan's awesome styles, Carl's less awesome style) into a singular package.

    “Transference” is a totally satisfying Spoon record and does a much better job of being so than these other albums are to their respective bands. I'm not coming back to it as much as I thought I would, admittedly.

    Haven't heard “Majesty Shredding” yet but I hear it's great.

  • http://www.rawkblog.net/ David Greenwald

    I'll give it a spin, and the band's great at ballads when they want to be, but their last couple records had a few great moments and a lot of lack of inspiration.

  • Jake

    I'm gonna say 4 1/2… I am diggin the new songs…

  • http://twitter.com/Under5Feet Erin

    haha, this is the first top 10 mediocre to decent list I've ever seen =) cool

  • ariel.s

    i think that's a fair comment and can see how they can come across that way because i used to think the exact same thing, but then it became part of their attraction to me…kind of a complex simplicity of sorts. i enjoyed the first record, was on the fence with the second, they lost me pretty much entirely with the third, which led me to not listen to You & Me for a long time, but once i did i fell in love with it in pieces. it was a weird way to experience an album, but certain songs stood out at different times until ultimately i appreciated the whole thing. and today?…i love the new record minus 2 or 3 songs and i think it's because i grew to like You & Me. had i not bothered with You & Me i think i would've thrown it off as lazy and uninspired as well. i'm just sharing my experience with this band. it's been special to me only because of its uniqueness. i am in no way criticizing or trying to say your assessment is wrong…because we all know people opinions on this sort of stuff can't ever be wrong. cheers.

  • Dave Rawkblog

    Definitely. I'll give the new one a few listens. I've never been the band's biggest fan, honestly – they've done great things but plenty of people like them more than me.

  • zack

    You can go ahead and put Lisbon on that list.