#6: Regina Spektor - Far

Regina Spektor has been a musician for most of her life - from humble beginnings in Moscow as a young child, to finding a piano in the basement of her synagogue after moving to New York, to now releasing her fifth full length album. Spektor creates music that is diverse, combining elements of classical, folk, hip-hop, jazz, rock and punk - and on Far, there is no exception to this rule.

For her songwriting she draws heavily on her Jewish and Russian roots, with each song almost telling a story in and of itself. She has stated, however, that her songs are merely out of her imagination with no connection to real or actual events in her life. This fact is only a further testament to the creativity exhibited in her writing.

On Far, Spektor's 3rd album for Warner Brothers' Sire Records imprint, her music and her lyrics again come together to form an experience all their own. From her use of the glottal stop on "Folding Chair" to the incredibly sadness of the story unfolded in "Genius Next Door" to her subtle (or not so subtle) commentary on our perspective of God on "Laughing With", Regina Spektor has created a masterpiece.

Far - Regina Spektor

#7: Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree in the Ear

Okay, so I realize it is already day 3 of 2010 so I need to get these posts finished!

As our second band hailing from North Carolina, Roman Candle - although they now call Nashville, TN home - Roman Candle is made up of the Matheny family (brothers and sister): Skip, Logan and Timshel. From their days at UNC - Chapel Hill, the group has been making music that is both quirky and fun.

After making a foray onto the major label scene with their debut album - first it was recorded by Hollywood Records, shelved, then bought by V2 Records - Roman Candle is back on an independent label, Carnival Recording Company out of Nashville, and while they faced a challenge to follow up the amazing The Wee Hours Revue, they have kept true to their form on this new album.

Oh Tall Tree In The Ear - Roma...

#8: Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound

There are always those bands that come along and are offered as a free download everywhere you turn, or so it seems. Most of the time, they might be fun for a moment or two, and then are quickly lost in the infinite abyss that is the iTunes library.

Blind Pilot's debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, is one of those that decided to stick around. While it was technically released in 2008 under Expunged Records, the album was picked up and rereleased this year by ATO records. It is indeed a fun record, and also one that I simply could not stop listening to.

3 Rounds and a Sound - Blind P...

#9: Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band - Outer South

For the past two years Conor Oberst has been one busy guy. With a solo album released last year and this album with The Mystic Valley Band, as well as releasing an album this year with some friends as Monsters of Folk, there has not been a lack of new material from this modern day Dylan, as he has been called. Of course, with Oberst's tenacity for songwriting, this is of no surprise.

For this album, Conor has received criticism for allowing the influence of other, supposedly sub par, songwriters to contribute to his repertoire. Admittedly, Conor himself has changed, but I don't believe we can expect any artist to continue to be the same today as he was yesterday. To do so would be to set such an artist on a path towards blandness. What we can do is appreciate the willingness for Conor to break outside of his own creativity and allow others into that circle.

Outer South - Conor Oberst and...

#10: Ben Harper & Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times

From a young age Ben Harper was surrounded by music. With artists like Taj Mahal and Leonard Cohen passing through his grandparents' music store it isn't surprising that his music infuses elements of blues, classic rock, jazz and folk to create his own unique style.

On his tenth studio album, Harper is backed by a new band, Relentless7. The album is an incredible combination of rock, on songs like "Number With No Name" and "Shimmer and Shine" as well as folk, as on "Skin Thin" and "Faithfully Remain."

It is great to see an artist still coming out with such honest and sincere songs after so many years.

White Lies for Dark Times - Be...

#11: Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Neko Case has been compared to veteran country music artists such as Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, and while those claims may be well founded, her voice also lends an almost haunting aspect to her music. As a singer Case may be superb, but her songwriting meets if not exceeds her vocal abilities.

There is the darkness she exhibits on "This Tornado Loves You": "I carved your name across three counties, and ground it in with bloody hides." And the loneliness on "Prison Girls" when she sings: "Where am I tonight? My hotel room won't remember me." However, as she sings "Middle Cyclone" we get a glimpse of the part of Neko that is yearning for love: "I lie across the path waiting, Just for a chance to be, A spider web trapped in your lashes, For that, I would trade you my empire for ashes, But I choke it back, how much I need love."

Middle Cyclone - Neko Case

#12: The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come

As the first of three North Carolina bands that made this year's best of, John Darnielle's The Mountain Goats have called Durham, NC home since 2006, after close to 15 years of working out of California.

As a self proclaimed agnostic, Darnielle has experienced his share of both physical and emotional challenges in the past few years. He has alluded to the fact that as a result of these experiences he has taken a harder look at God and spirituality than he ever has. While his songs on this album are each named for a verse in the Bible, there is no preaching going on. The result is an album of inspiration for humanity - that this life is full of pain and confusion, but in the end, maybe there is something to all of this God stuff.

Darnielle does not profess to be a Christian after this album, but it is an incredible look at the journey one man is taking towards a relationship with God.

The Life Of The World To Come ...