OK. So this is very late this year. Kellie and I have been lazy, and admittedly, 2010 was not a year that drew the same level of music passion as years past. I didn’t have many artists that struck in the same way Death Cab, Frightened Rabbit, and Florence + The Machine did.

Nonetheless, there were some great tunes and albums. Here are our picks. We’d love to know yours, so send them our way if you compile a list too.

Here are our 15 tracks for the year:

• Deer - The Pack A.D. Starts with a kick. Simple, hard rockin’ and catchy. Not quite “melt your face off”, but a fantastic way to kick off some fun or a workout.
• Solitude is Bliss - Tame Impala. I love the groovy riff that runs through this tune. Very retro and cool as hell.
• Undertow - Warpaint.The song is one that you’ll be at the edge of skipping for the first minute, then you’ll realize there’s something about it. Then you’ll listen to it again, and again. A unique sound. I’m a big fan of Warpaint. Shadows is great too, if you’re looking for another recommendation from them.
• Yellow Brick Road - Angus & Julia Stone. From one of my favorite albums of the year, I couldn’t stop listening to Angus & Julia Stone’s mellow vibe and Yellow Brick Road is my favorite from them. Once it seeps into your bones, you’ll have it on repeat.
• Swim Until You Ca’t See Land - Frightened Rabbit. It’s no secret that I love this band. This year’s album wasn’t their best, but had a couple tunes I really loved. Their lyrics are great. Checkout The Wrestle and Things if you’re looking for other tunes to explore. Go download Good Arms vs Bad Arms (from a previous year) if you haven’t listened to FR before.
• Sun Hands - Local Natives. Cool sound. Great song to get lost in while driving. I look forward to future work from these guys.
• The High Road - Broken Bells. Favorite album of the year. Hands down. The High Road is a great showcase of this team up from Danger Mouse and the lead singer of the Shins. Big props for a sound that offers something new.
• The Dreamer - The Tallest Man on Earth. Something about this guy. Unique voice, reminiscent of Dylan occasionally. I like his sound, and The Dreamer is one of his best.
• One Day - Matisyahu. Hard to be in a bad mood after listening to this song. Takes you to a great place. Grabs you and makes you want to sing.
• This is the Remix - Girl Talk. This guy is friggin genius. The sheer number of songs that he samples and weaves into each song seamlessly is seriously impressive. This is the Remix is a great example. See how many samples you can call out. Thanks to Pakman for highlighting this song to me again recently. Here’s a link to listen on YouTube .
• Howlin’ For You - Black Keys. These guys kick ass. Another great album, one of my favorites of the year. I love the sheer simplicity of their music. Howlin’ for You is a great example. It has a fantastic hook that I selfishly hope Girl Talk samples at some point in the future.
• We Used to Wait - Arcade Fire. I’m a fan of Arcade Fire, but I don’t have the same degree of feeling about them that many of my friends do. That said, The Suburbs is a solid album and We Used to Wait is a standout song for me. If you haven’t seen it yet, go checkout The Wilderness Downtown, an experiment Arcade Fire did with the song. Pretty cool.
• Closer - Corinne Bailey Rae. I have to admit. I really dig the latest album from CBR. I wasn’t really a fan before, and it definitely surprised me to find myself putting Closer on repeat. Clean and easy to listen to.
• You’re Not Listening - The Rescues. A group with four solid vocalists, including Gabriel Mann, who we’ve been fans of for a while. We really like the texture on You’re Not Listening that the interchanging vocals offer. I hope we see more from The Rescues.
• Like Rock & Roll Radio - Ray Lamontagne. Like Rock & Roll Radio is a sad, haunting song. You can feel the pain through the tough lyrics and Ray’s voice. Simple. Powerful. Raw. Honest. Songs like this are why I love music.

Give them a listen below. Hope you like ‘em.