#1. Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala:
I had to invoke the pleasure principle here. A guy once described as “Sweden’s answer to the back massage,” crooner Jens Lekman has mastered the fine art of the feel-good pop album. With its lush orchestration and quirky arrangements, Night Falls Over Kortedala has a slick feel and sense of whimsy that never feels gratuitous or kitschy. It’s also one of the wittiest records all year (e.g. lyrics like “you’re getting older…so you get a gun & name it after a girlfriend.” “Hey you stop kickin’ legs/I’m doing my best, can you pass the figs”). For me, the highlight of the record is buried all the way back at track 11 with “Kanske Ar Jag I Dig.” Here Jens pairs doo-wop singers with a glitzy dance beat and droll storyline of trying to impress his girlfriend with random stories about what he saw on television and mostly just making an ass of himself (but then impressing her anyway): “I saw on TV about this little kid who had a pig for a pet/this has of course nothing to do with anything/I just get so nervous when I talk to you.” It’s this kind of bright songwriting and awkward charm that makes Night Falls Over Kortedala my most-listened to album of the year and my #1.
#2. St. Vincent, Marry Me:
This rich and varied debut album has that shimmer of a major artist on the verge. Annie Clark, the singer-songwriter behind St. Vincent vacillates between playful sentiment and seething venom. At one moment Clark’s quirky mezzo-soprano can swoon, “you heart is a strange little orange to peel, what’s the deal?” while hissing “excuse me while I slip poison in your ear.” Marry Me runs through an appealing and varied runs the table from flourishing, jazz-inspired ballads to kinky industrial opera. Little touches like the triangle and flutes floating around in the background of “What Me Worry” gives this album a theatrical, fully conceived quality. Marry Me is an ambitious, dramatic album that often listens like a continuous suite or score.
#3. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky:
I like to think of this album as Wilco’s answer to Nashville Skyline. After two darkly epic records like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born it’s not surprising to me that Wilco went small with this one. There’s something sublime about their restraint on Sky Blue Sky. I’m particularly taken by the melodic simplicity of songs like “Either Way,” “Impossible Germany,” and the title track. This makes Wilco’s signature dissonance all the more surprising (and rewarding) when it does come up at other moments.
#4. The 1900s, Cold & Kind:
Something exciting is going in the Chicago music scene and elsewhere with the “orchestral pop” movement. The 1900s are the best of the bunch in a genre that includes bands like The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (also from Chicago) and the Besnard Lakes. Cold & Kind is highlighted by its rich vocal harmonies, solid alt-country songwriting, and, of course, full orchestral arrangements.
#5. Elvis Perkins, Ash Wednesday:
No one has done melancholy this well or made depression seem this beautiful in a long time. Perkins’ nasal drawl, stripped down arrangements, and taste for minor keys make Ash Wednesday a wistful slow burn. The heartfelt emotion and swaying melodies of songs like “Moon Woman 2” and “While You Were Sleeping” take Perkins’ record to harrowing and sublime heights.
#6. Feist, The Reminder:
The fact that the apparent “queen of indie rock” Leslie Feist hit it big selling Starbucks and Ipods this year takes nothing anything away from the fact that The Reminder was a really fantastic record. It does. however, bring up the question for me of what’s passing for indie music these days? To my mind, this was simply a great melodic songwriting.
#7. The Arcade Fire, Neon Bible:
Was it as good as Funeral? Hard to say. The Arcade Fire’s initial splash was so big largely because they sounded so new and different. On Neon Bible the Arcade Fire still does gloomy rock atmospherics in a way that that no one else can. The tormented cast of characters, pulsing drums, crunchy guitars and ominous church organ gives this album a big, apocalyptic theatricality.
#8. Shout Out Louds, Our Ill Wills:
With Jens Lekman at my #1 and now Shout Out Louds, my #8, I’m beginning to think I should be making that case that Sweden is the new Seattle. In this case, the Shout Out Louds seem to do New Wave better than actual New Wave ever did. But is that really such a bad thing? Shout Louds put an upbeat spin on the old clichés of gaudy synths and breathy melodramatic vocals. The opening track, the angst-anthem “Tonight I Have to Leave It” embodies so much of what’s cool about this band, pairing danceability with a sense of romantic abandon. Coming out of the song’s bridge, lead singer Adam Olenius starts at a low whisper “why won’t you give love” to the big wailing crescendo “Giiiiiiive Loooooove!” I need to see this band play live.
#9. Architecture in Helsinki, Places Like This:
Architecture in Helsinki’s infectious stop-start-pop and nonsense lyrics make for fun, chaotic indie rock. Their experiments with a spectrum of different kinds of instrumentation and dance beats gives Places Like This a musical ambition that set the album apart from releases by similar bands like Modest Mouse and Of Montreal. From the rock-disco of “Hold Music” to the glockenspiel/steel drum rhumba of “Heart it Races” Places Like This is over-the-top indie rock at its best.
#10. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, 100 Days, 100 Nights:
This is a great no-frills soul album that’s right up there with anything that ever came out of Motown. The Dap Kings, played on records by Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and even Robbie Williams this year. But it’s backing Jones’ powerful voice where they hit their stride. The swirling horns, hard-swinging beats and Jones’ fiery vocals give this album a spontaneous energetic vibe. On songs like “Nobody’s Baby” and the title track, “100 Days, 100 Nights” Jones and the Dap Kings conjure up a compelling mix of passion and regret.
10. “Neon Bible“ - The Arcade Fire – I wasn’t as crazy about as this as I was for Funeral. Moments like the opening of “Intervention” that go right to your tear ducts made it great. However, moments like the opening of “Black Wave / Bad Vibrations” made me reach for the skip button on my iPod. In sum total though, an excellent album from a band I’m sure we all hope to see more from. 
9. “Year Zero “ - Nine Inch Nails – I think when industrial fans heard that NIN was putting out a post-apocalyptic concept album, the expectations were really, really high. The clever and intriguing marketing campaign added a lot to that. So when the album came out and wasn’t phenomenal, a lot of critics ripped it apart. I can’t say it’s Trent’s best work, but give it another listen – not groundbreaking, but Trent is still God when it comes to industrial. It peaks too early, but there are a lot of great tracks. Survivalism, Capital G, and God Given are all worth downloading.
8. “Alright, Still” - Lily Allen– When this album came out, I think every chick out there, including me, wished they had a friend like Lily Allen – the kind who would take you out for a night of debauchery after you got dumped. The melodies are playful and pleasant and the lyrics are hurtful and scathing…what a great combination. If you take being called cheeky as a compliment, this album is for you. Key Track: Alfie, Knock ‘Em Out. 
7. “Back to Black” - Amy Winehouse – Yes, she is currently on the fast train to Britsville, but think back to when this was released and how we were all reminded that sometimes….just sometimes….popular music is popular because it’s great. This long overdue update of the Motown sound has to be appreciated, as does the huge voice that comes out of Winehouse’s tiny, bony frame.
6. “Happiness LTD” Hot Hot Heat –(9/11/07) – I really enjoyed their previous two albums, but Happiness LTD shows a much more polished side of the band, in a good way. Steve Bays has an incredibly unique voice and can write a great hook. Check out “Let Me In” which either lets out his romantic side, or is a stalker confessional. Think of “Every Breath You Take” but dancier. 
5. “The Black & White Album” The Hives – Given my affinity for bands who color-coordinate (see: White Stripes) and go by nicknames (see: Electric Six, Eagles of Death Metal) not surprising that these guys make my list. Disclaimer: If you don’t care for noise punk, this album probably isn’t going to convince you. But if you, like me, enjoy screeching foreigners and thrashing guitar, you’ll be in heaven. Key Tracks: Hey Little World, Giddy Up, You Dress Up for Armageddon.
4. “Hey Hey My My Yo Yo” & “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” EP - Junior Senior – Their last release, D-D-Don’t Stop the Beat, was such a fantastic dance record it seemed like it would be impossible to improve upon. They didn’t, but this is still a pretty damn good album. You can’t help but be charmed by their lighthearted wit and earnestness. The real quality tracks are on the “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” EP that comes in this set – very 80s electro, in a good way. Key tracks: Together for One Last Dance, Can I Get Get Get.
3. “Kala” - M.I.A. – What else can I say about this album that hasn’t already been said? I read somewhere M.I.A. explaining that what differentiates her is that, while most hip-hop artists get their giant budgets and immediately buy beats off of some expensive producer, she actually went out and created something new and exciting from scratch. Kudos for the use of Pixies lyrics on “$20”. 
2. “Icky Thump” - The White Stripes – So far, of the White Stripes albums my favorite was the self-titled debut and each subsequent album seemed to fall more and more short of the previous. Icky Thump has broken that trend. What I always liked about the Stripes is that the strange balance between Meg’s steady drumming and Jack’s complex riffs gave the listener the sense that the two of them were constantly ready to go into battle – whether it be against ex-lovers, the big 3 motor companies, or….monkeys (Jimmy the Exploder). Well, they’re back in battle mode on this album, but have managed to maintain the playfulness that made them so popular - and to top it off they combine that energy with a lot of experimentation (bagpipes?). While the title track is the one everyone’s been inundated with so far, the real gems lay on the back half of the album – download “Rag & Bone” and “Little Cream Soda” for a dose of serious Jack Attack.
1. “Era Vulgaris” - Queens of the Stone Age – This album drips suspense from every pore. Just like a Tarentino film, even when the scene seems mundane and innocuous, you sense that something awful is brewing just beneath the surface – just before it explodes into intensity and violence. An example of this is the opening songs – “Turning On The Screw” ambles along, giving you a false sense of mellow composure – and then “Sick Sick Sick” erupts in a frantic explosion of harsh vocals and riffs. It also has to be said that Josh Homme is an extremely underrated songwriter, laying down some classic lyrics – one of my favorites being on “I’m Designer” where he issues a scathing critique of his own generation: “the thing that’s real for us is fortune and fame, all the rest seems like work”. Key tracks to download: I’m Designer, Battery Acid, Make it Wit Chu, Suture Up Your Future, and Run Pig Run (the best anti-cop songs since Nine Inch Nails “Hey Pig”).
Electric Six – I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me that Prevents me from Being the Master
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters – Original Soundtrack
“Into the Wild” – Eddie Vedder
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Is Is (7/24/07) – A great little handful of distortion rock (is that a genre?). Down Boy is an especially good track – really highlights the range of this band…goes from vulnerable to brooding in .1 seconds.
2. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
3. Menomena - Friend & Foe
4. White Rabbits - Fort Nightly
5. Iron & Wine - Shepherds Dog
6. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
7. Vampire Weekend - Blue CD-R
8. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
9. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
10. Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
#4. The 1900s, Cold & Kind: 
#6. Feist, The Reminder: 
#7. The Arcade Fire, Neon Bible: 
#9. Architecture in Helsinki, Places Like This: 
1. Porcupine Tree “Fear of a Blank Planet”
2. Radiohead “In Rainbows”
3. Alison Krauss and Robert Plant “Raising Sand”
4. Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
5. Tegan and Sera “The Con”
6. Sound of Silver “LCD Soundsystem”
7. Ween “La Cucaracha”
8. Battles “Mirrored”
9. Elliott Smith “New Moon”
10. White Stripes “Icky Thump”