Best of 2010 – J.D. Reager’s Top Ten Albums

1. The Posies – Blood/Candy
In truth, this is both my favorite record of the year, and probably my favorite Posies record of all-time. Ken Stringfellow‘s contributions (“Licenses to Hide,” “Take Care of Yourself,” etc.) in particular are his most soulful compositions to date, and immediately suck you in.

2. The Overnight Lows – City of Rotten Eyes
Fast, snarky, memorable hooks. For me, this is exactly what punk rock is supposed to sound like. Far and away the best Memphis-associated release of the year.

3. The City Champs – The Set-Up
Booker T & the MGs re-imagined.

4. The Vaselines – Sex With An X
Maybe the biggest surprise of 2010 is how great this comeback record is. Noisy guitar, big pop hooks, boy/girl vocals: three things I like.

5. Tim Kasher – The Game of Monogamy
I don’t even like Cursive that much . . . but this record found me at the perfect time.

6. Tommy Hoehn – Losing You to Sleep (re-issue)
Long out-of-print classic Memphis power pop + worthwhile bonus tracks and cool new cover art by Alex Warble.

7. Luv Clowns – Love Clowns
Children’s music for grown-ups. Features the best Mr. Rogers cover you’ll ever come across.

8. Pastor T.L. Barrett & Youth For Christ Choir – Like a Ship (re-issue)
The band is funky, the Pastor can sing his ass off, and the youth choir is loud and gloriously pitch-y. A great time, even for we non-Churchfolk.

9. The Magic Kids – Memphis
Over-the-top (in a very good way) sunshine-y pop music.

10. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Mojo
Still the fucking man.

A regular contributer to the Memphis Flyer and the co-host of the weekly “Sounds of Memphis” segment on the Chris Vernon Show, J.D. Reager might be the runner-up for sincerest local-Memphis music journalist of all-time, second only to the late, great Bartleby Vestiments (later shortened to Hulett). He also plays music – his debut solo album The Repechage is available wherever finer music products are sold and/or stolen, and his new band The Near Reaches is currently at work on a debut record in the studio.