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)