The best records of 2010 you probably never heard

There was so much great music that came out this year. The only problem is you probably didn't hear any of it because Kesha and Kanye West sent you screaming to the nearest soundproof bunker. Well, it's time to resurface and discover a dozen worthy albums you may have missed.

Beach House: "Teen Dream" (Sub Pop)

The title of this Baltimore duo's third full-length release bears an unfortunate similarity to Katy Perry's latest pop enormity, "Teenage Dream," but the music couldn't be any more different. Cosmic and calm, the songs here leisurely float into view on a bed of vintage organs with Victoria Legrand's lovely harmonies leading the way. Adolescent angst has never sounded so palpable.

Download: "Lover of Mine"

Listen: beachhousebaltimore.com

Best Coast: "Crazy For You" (Mexican Summer)

The first release from Angeleno Bethany Cosentino, whose love of "Seinfeld" reruns is only matched by her enthusiasm for marijuana and random Tweets. On "Crazy for You," she effortlessly channels the delirious sound of vintage girl groups through the fuzz and flannel of the early '90s, creating the closest approximation of what Hole would have sounded like if it were a Ronettes cover band.

Download: "Boyfriend"

Listen: bestycoasty.blogspot.com

Bonobo: "Black Sands" (Ninja Tune)

The fourth full-length offering from mysterious British producer Simon Green is quietly innovative, drawing on jittery electronic rhythms, rich jazz grooves and lush soundscapes. His secret weapon is singer Andreya Triana, who has the kind of soulful voice that makes knees quiver.

Download: "Eyesdown"

Listen: www.bonobomusic.com

Delphic: "Acolyte" (Dangerbird)

The entire history of Manchester, England's pulse-quickening pop scene - from New Order's sleek beats to Oasis' chest-beating melodies - comes through on the first album by this unassuming trio. "Acolyte" sounds as brilliant on the dance floor as it does on the headphones, with singer James Cook bellowing the group's mantra, "Let's do something real."

Download: "Doubt"

Listen: delphic.cc

Delorean: "Subiza" (True Panther Sounds)

A throwback to the days when ecstasy-fueled knob-heads like 808 State and Orbital dominated dance clubs, this Spanish quartet waves its glow sticks with pride on its third CD, packed with synth-pop gems like "Stay Close" and "Infinite Desert."

Download: "Stay Close"

Listen: www.myspace.com/delorean

The Drums: "The Drums" (Moshi Moshi)

This floppy-haired Brooklyn outfit makes the kind of music you expect to hear in the middle of John Hughes movies, complete with cheap synths, finger snaps and handclaps. It's a bonus that front man Jonathan Pierce sounds a bit like Morrissey after downing a case of Red Bull.

Download: "Let's Go Surfing"

Listen: thedrums.com

Foals: "Total Life Forever" (Sub Pop)

This Oxford indie-rock group's tightly wound first album, "Antidotes," drew a few too many Bloc Party comparisons. No such problems here. "Total Life Forever" takes a great stylistic leap forward, exploding with widescreen melodies and sweaty momentum on tracks like "This Orient" and "After Glow." And with the epic "Spanish Sahara," it offers seven minutes of breathless meditation.

Download: "This Orient"

Listen: www.foals.co.uk

Janelle Monae: "The ArchAndroid" (Bad Boy)

It boggles the mind that Monae isn't the biggest breakout act of the year. Despite collaborating with heavyweight producers like Diddy and OutKast's Big Boi, sporting a magnificent pompadour and nabbing a Grammy nomination for best contemporary R&B; album, the genre-bending songs on her debut album remain criminally underplayed. From the frenetic pop of "Cold War" to the dizzying disco of "Locked Inside," each one deserves your full attention.

Download: "Cold War"

Listen: www.jmonae.com

John Grant: "Queen of Denmark" (Yep Roc)

This 41-year-old singer-songwriter from Denver, formerly the singer with the Czars, comes out and gets clean on his mesmerizing solo debut. With the backing of Texan folk rockers Midlake, he turns out a set of airy, lyrically lush acoustic-based tunes not properly heard since, oh, sometime in 1975. No wonder Mojo magazine selected this as its album of the year over the Arcade Fire and Black Keys.

Download: "Marz"

Listen: www.johngrantmusic.com

Karen Elson: "The Ghost Who Walks" (XL Recordings)

Maybe being Jack White's supermodel wife distracted from the actual music, but taken out of context this is stellar stuff. Elson has a smoky voice that works brilliantly with the retro American gothic sound her husband coaxes out of her Nashville-based pickup band, which happens to include members of My Morning Jacket and the Dead Weather.

Download: "The Ghost Who Walks"

Listen: www.karenelson.com

Tame Impala: "Innerspeaker" (Modular)

Australia is not really known for its secret cache of psychedelic rock bands, which makes this discovery doubly pleasurable. Hailing from Perth, the members of this shaggy-haired power trio obviously spent a lot of time with their parents' Cream and Hendrix LPs. The fuzzy songs on "Innerspeaker" aim for nothing less than an international trail of blown minds leading back to one of the most isolated cities in the world.

Download: "Desire Be Desire Go"

Listen: www.tameimpala.com

Warpaint: "The Fool" (Rough Trade)

A stunning debut from an all-girl Los Angeles foursome that truly sounds unlike anything else released this year. With wobbly folk guitars, ghostly harmonies and melodies that sound as if they were pulled from ancient clay, it's the kind of record that restores your faith in music after having had your brain pulverized by "California Gurls" one too many times.

Download: "Undertow"

Listen: www.warpaintwarpaint.com {sbox}

Follow Aidin Vaziri at twitter.com/MusicSF. E-mail him at avaziri@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page Q - 38 of the San Francisco Chronicle