{Head and the Heart photo by Victoria VanBruinnisse from the Imaginary Flickr Photo Pool}

I love this time of year. Besides the {sometimes forced} joyous disposition of folks and my annual fancy birthday breakfast {on December 24 for those keeping track}, we all get to ruminate on the best albums and songs of the year for hours on end.

Next Monday {12/27}, I'll be at KUOW {94.9 FM} chatting about said favorite releases on KOUW's Weekday show from 9am-10am with host Steve Scher and fellow guests Josh Powell {Vera Project Programming Co-Director} and Larry Mizell Jr. {wordsmith at The Stranger, Raindrop Hustla, KEXP DJ, and Commissioner, Seattle Music Commission}.  I've been reviewing my lists of tops for a week or so now, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something {official top 10 favorites list coming this week!}.  I get to bring three songs to throw into the mix and right now I'm debating tracks from these bands' stellar releases:

~ The Young Evils
~ Math and Physics Club
~ Seapony
~ Thee Sgt. Major III
~ Quasi
~ Head and the Heart
~ The Thermals
~ Damien Jurado

What have I forgotten? What are your favorite Pacific Northwest {and beyond} favorite releases of 2010? 

If you're near a radio or computer Monday morning, tune into KUOW, 94.9 FM from 9a-10a! For those outside of Seattle, you can listen online.  And if you want, email the station (weekday@kuow.org) or call in and let us know your thoughts on what you're going to go see and what your favorite 2010 releases are. The phone number is 206.543.KUOW (800.289.KUOW).