Critics' Top Ten Lists

2004 was a year for protesting and dancing . . . but not necessarily in that order. Just ask our critics, who chose the intercontinental grooves of Scotland's Franz Ferdinand and Las Vegas' the Killers slightly more often than Green Day's Bush-bashing punk-rock opera American Idiot and Nellie McKay's Norah Jones antidote Get Away From Me.

It was also a year for blockbuster breakouts (Kanye West's The College Dropout), tearful goodbyes (Elliott Smith's From a Basement on the Hill) and impressive returns to form (U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

Before the ball drops, Let's count 'em down:

STEVE BALTIN
1. Green Day, American Idiot (Warner Bros.): As impressive as the ambition of the album is, it wouldn't mean a thing without the songs. Green Day delivered the most memorable tracks of their career.
2. PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her (Island): It's easy to take her for granted, but if a new artist had come out with this record, critics would still be drying their underwear.
3. Tom Waits, Real Gone (Epitaph): From instructional dance numbers to anti-war ballads, another brilliant and wide-reaching collection from an artist who seems to be working on a different plane.
4. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous (Barsuk): The L.A. band serves up a delicious smattering of indie hooks that reminds us that pop can have substance as well as be fun.
5. Twilight Singers, She Loves You (One Little Indian): Greg Dulli took songs from artists as wide-ranging as Bjork and Mary J. Blige and made them into his own soulful, twisted tales of love.
6. Midnight Movies, Midnight Movies (Emperor Norton): Conjuring up memories of Nineties critical faves the Geraldine Fibbers, this L.A. trio delivered a rocking and mind-expanding trip into alternative psychedelia.
7. Beta Band, From Heroes to Zeroes (Astralwerks): The Scottish band announced their breakup shortly after the album's release, definitely leaving us wanting more.
8. Patti Smith, Trampin' (Columbia): Smith might be mellowing a bit musically, but she remains an eloquent and moving spokeswoman.
9. Various Artists, Garden State Soundtrack (Epic Soundtrax): A smart collection of indie and alternative songs that came to new life in writer/director Zach Braff's opus (and the best film of the year).
10. Nellie McKay, Get Away From Me (Columbia): In a very strong year for debut artists, her eclecticism and wit shone through.
Reissue: Dream Sydnicate, Ghost Stories (Rykodisc): A tough call between this and Jeff Buckley's expanded Grace, but this unheralded 1988 collection of guitar-heavy alternative rockers shouldn't be overlooked twice.

KAREN BLISS
1. Alexisonfire, Watch Out! (Equal Vision): A Canadian phenomenon (gold with no radio support), the "screamo" band is forcing the industry to pay attention.
2. K-Os, Joyful Rebellion (Astralwerks): The singer/rapper is a destined superstar -- opinionated, respectful and innovative.
3. Muse, Absolution (Warner): Finding its place before Ours and sticking to it more than Radiohead, Muse are headed for the pantheon of power trios.
4. Avril Lavigne, Under My Skin (Arista): Pushing herself as a songwriter and musician (guitar, piano, drums), Avril is a little powerhouse, whose talent the media doesn't recognize, or want to see.
5. The Streets, A Grand Don't Come for Free (Vice): Lower-class charmer Mike Skinner is the musical equivalent of Coronation Street, unpacking the mundane shit in his 'ead into odd brilliance.
6. The Killers, Hot Fuss (Island): Catchy, dark, and a killer use of Eighties influences.
7. Velvet Revolver, Contraband (RCA): They made it intact -- on record, at retail and out of rehab.
8. Rachael Yamagata, Happenstance (RCA): There hasn't been too much in the way of cool, new non-pop females, but Yamagata has the potential to push the limits.
9. Death From Above 1979, You're a Woman, I'm a Machine (Vice): They're a two-piece; they're a machine.
10. Keane, Hopes and Fears (Interscope): Soaring, sweet guitarless piano pop that stuns you into submission.
Reissue: The Clash, London Calling -- The Legacy Edition (Legacy): The band's political and social messages still call twenty-five years later.

DAVID CHIU
1. Bill Janovitz and Crown Victoria, Fireworks on TV! (Q Division): A passionate, heartfelt album from the Buffalo Tom singer that includes the first-ever ballad about jailed schoolteacher Mary Kay Letourneau.
2. Greta Gertler and Peccadillo, Nervous Breakthroughs (Goldfish Prize): This Australian-born, Brooklyn-based singer draws on European classical and Burt Bacharach for this appealing set of chamber pop.
3. Jessie Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Oh, My Girl (Barsuk): Heavy on the Southern Gothic overtones, this group's bleak music casts a hypnotic spell.
4. Paul Brill, New Pagan Love Song (Scarlet Shame): The electronics used on this record doesn't overwhelm but rather enhances Brill's thoughtful and arresting melancholic Americana folk.
5. Patti Smith, Trampin' (Columbia): The somber meditations and driving rock on the godmother of punk's latest shows why her music is still vital today.
6. Prince, Musicology (NPG): A spiritual but no less seductive Purple One emerges on this fine return to the straightforward, old-school funk he pioneered.
7. Caetano Veloso, A Foreign Sound (Nonesuch): The Brazilian legend's English language album is an exquisitely crafted effort that covers standards, Dylan, Cobain and that horrible dreck "Feelings."
8. The Von Bondies, Pawn Shoppe Heart (Sire): On their second studio album, the Detroit rockers deliver exhilarating garage punk that does that city's favorite sons the Stooges and MC5 proud.
9. Sam Phillips, A Boot and a Shoe (Nonesuch): Spare and elegant bohemian folk pop for the adult-alternative crowd, sung in Phillips' distinctive world-weary voice.
10. Duran Duran, Astronaut (Epic): The Fab Five reunion album is a satisfying, infectious throwback to the razzle dazzle of past glories.
Reissue: The Velvet Underground, Live at Max's Kansas City (Atlantic/Rhino): The legendary bootlegged show, now in its entirety, captures Lou Reed's final hurrah with the band. Notorious poor sound quality remains intact.

STEPHEN CHRISTIAN
1. Clinic, Winchester Cathedral (Domino): One of the most underrated bands on the planet continues its streak.
2. Madvillain, Madvillainy (Stones Throw): Madlib and MF Doom team up for an intensely blunted, shambolic masterpiece.
3. Sufjan Stevens, Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre ): Top songwriting and ethereal, intelligent folk tunes.
4. Devin the Dude, To Tha X-Treme (Rap-A-Lot): Sensitive player tales from Texas' best export.
5. Ghostface, The Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam): Another predictably brilliant and freaky set of jams from the Wu's MVP.
6. Kerrier District, Kerrier District (Rephlex): Luke Vibert proves his genius again with the weirdo disco album of the year.
7. Phoenix, Alphabetical (Astralwerks): Supreme electronic pop straight outta Paris.
8. Battles, B EP (Dim Mak): Heavy, funky post-rock for your next drunken house party.
9. M83, Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts (Mute): Lush analog noise pop . . . fluff free.
10. Dizzee Rascal, Showtime (XL): Dizze Diz said it best himself, "I'm a lovely lad/I'll give you the loveliest beatin' that you ever had".
Reissue: Can, Ege Bamyasi (Mute): Remastered version of Krautrock's finest moments.

JASON COHEN
1. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Domino/Epic): Their SXSW show was not just a rare believe-the-hype performance -- it actually felt like being in a packed tent at the Reading Festival.
2. Nellie McKay, Get Away From Me (Columbia): She writes 'em better than she raps 'em, but otherwise, Nellie's the not-exactly-nineteen Prefab Sprout-meets-Sondheim-meets-Bill-Hicks chanteuse of anybody's dreams.
3. Razorlight, Up All Night (Universal): "England's Strokes?" How 'bout, England's best mash-up of riff, minimalism, melodrama and source material since Definitely Maybe.
4. Camper Van Beethoven, New Roman Times (Pitch-a-Tent/Vanguard): This lysergic lefty rock-opera was woefully overlooked, as both a political statement and a mind-scramblingly eclectic (yet cohesive) addition to the CVB ouevre.
5. The Dears, No Cities Left (spinART): Prog romanticism from a Smiths-obsessed black guy with a Jewish name (Murray), three swarthy dudes who think they're Black Sabbath and two beauties playing keyboards.
6. The Futureheads, The Futureheads (StarTime International/Sire): Bafflingly named after a Flaming Lips album, this U.K. foursome is young, not-so-dumb and full of drums . . . and harmonies, and sharply constructed, less-is-more jackhammer pop.
8. The Libertines, The Libertines (Rough Trade): Peter Doherty may be more fucked up than Courtney Love -- he's certainly a better songwriter. Carl Barat? Kinda like Dave Grohl by comparison.
9. Electrelane, The Power Out (Too Pure/Beggars): Moody, groovy, hypnotic and, yes, original (except for that mild Stereolab influence). Even better live -- gritty, loud and downright fun.
9. Plush, Underfed (Drag City): A stripped-down version of nutter Liam Hayes' massively budgeted (and orchestrated) Japan-only brood-soul masterpiece.
10. Athlete, Vehicles and Animals (Astralwerks): Not so much a great album as hooky single after hooky single after hooky single -- finally available in the U.S.
Reissue: Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: L.A.'s Desert Origins (Matador): The best record of 1994, 2004 and quite possibly, every year in between. Often misinterpreted as "snarky" or post-modern.

BILL CRANDALL
1. The Dears, No Cities Left (spinART): A Baroque rock masterwork from Murray "The Black Morrissey" Lightburn and his merry men and women of Montreal.
2. The Futureheads, The Futureheads (Sire): Not a single jerky guitar riff or vocal yelp is wasted on this sharp, punchy debut from these northern England boys. Bonus points for the Kate Bush cover.
3. Wilco, A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch): Alternately melodic, hypnotic and chaotic, Ghost is the rare sound of a mighty rock band moving forward.
4. Ricky Fante, Rewind (Virgin): Muscle Shoals soul for the new millennium. Derivative? Sure. But if we can stomach 9,000 Stooges, what's wrong with a guy who does Wilson Pickett proud?
5. The Trashcan Sinatras, Weightlifting (spinART): Bankruptcy didn't kill Britpop's cleverest tunesmiths -- it just gave them more time to write.
6. Gilles Peterson, In Brazil (Ether): Pasty white British DJ journeys to the tropics and discovers the soundtrack of the summer. Imprevisto indeed.
7. Iron and Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop): Sam Beam's exquisite acoustic gothic ballads evoke Simon and Garfunkel . . . if they ran moonshine.
8. U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb(Interscope): Muscular and often majestic, Bomb is the return to form that everybody pretended the last record was.
9. Van Hunt, Van Hunt (Capitol): Sweet soul that doesn't commit crimes against manliness.
10. Rufus Wainwright, Want Two (Geffen): The long-delayed sequel to Want One is even more pretty . . . and witty . . . and gay.
Reissue: Bettye Swann, Bettye Swann(Astralwerks): Long-lost countrified soul sister who served up heartbreaking originals with inspired reworkings of Merle Haggard, Hank Cochran . . . and the Brothers Gibb.

JOHN DUGAN
1. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Domino/Epic): Best thing to come out of Scotland since kilts, the art-school underground takes a swig and ends up at a swinging disco.
2. Devendra Banhart, Nino Rojo (Young God): Always look for a wandering troubadour like this fella to remind us that the best songs aren't just magical, they are about animals.
3. Animal Collective, Sung Tongs (Label): Unexpected shades of Beach Boys loveliness elevate the rustic fourth album from these kooks.
4. Ghost, Hypnotic Underworld (Drag City): Reclusive Japanese group delivers a magnum opus of prog-psych-folk that the sixties should have.
5. Blonde Redhead, Misery Is a Butterfly (4AD): Kazu and the Pace twins conjure the gauzy, dramatic dream world of torturous love.
6. Paul Weller, Studio 150 (V2): Covers collections are simply never this inspired. Pure mod gold.
7. Holly Golightly, Slowly But Surely (Damaged Goods): This English dame makes beatnik rock and sophisticated roots music that defies the term garage.
8. Van Hunt, Van Hunt (Capitol): Apparently the son of a pimp, Van Hunt's debut shows us the sleazy wee hours as seen through the smoky lens of neo-soul.
9. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (Anti): Cave brings the dark and light together, the gore and good on this gospel-infused two-album collection.
10. CocoRosie, La Maison de Mon Reve (Touch and Go): Bizarre and beautiful jazzy pop (like Billie Holiday singing into a dictaphone), possibly recorded in a Paris bathtub.
Reissue: Various, Eccentric Soul: The Bandit Label (The Numero Group): Obscure Chicago soul unearthed complete with a freaky back-story.

TRACY E. HOPKINS
1. Kanye West, College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella): His sonics are gospel and blues rooted, and anyone who can make hardcore hip-hop heads nod to rhymes about Jesus deserves props.
2. De La Soul, The Grind Date (Sanctuary): Packed with nostalgic soul samples, De La Soul check in with their best album since 1991's De La Soul Is Dead.
3. Jay-Z and Linkin Park, Collision Course (Warner Bros.): Not to be outdone by the unauthorized Grey Album, Jay-Z doesn't lose any street cred on this rockin' mash-up with Linkin Park.
4. VHS or Beta, Night On Fire (Astralwerks): With dance-pop melodies that recall Duran Duran, this Louisville band sound straight out of London circa 1984.
5. K-Os, Joyful Rebellion (Virgin): With his socially aware rhymes and reggae-tinged beats, this thoughtful Canadian MC could be the Bob Marley of the hip-hop generation.
6. Jill Scott, Beautifully Human (Hidden Beach): A more subdued offering than her vivid debut, but jazzy Jill still holds it down for independent sisters livin' life like its golden.
7. Chaka Khan, Classikhan (Earthsong/Sanctuary): Note to Rod Stewart: Classy soul siren Chaka Khan recorded a compelling collection of standards without sounding the least bit schmaltzy.
8. Saul Williams, Saul Williams (The Fader Label): Although not as genre-bending as Amethyst Rock Star, Williams continues to walk the taut rope between theatrical hip-hop and thrash rock.
9. Prince, Musicology (Columbia): His name is Prince, and he's still funky.
10. Van Hunt, Van Hunt (Capitol): Lyrically, Van Hunt combines Prince's masochistic tendencies with Curtis Mayfield's knack for poignantly portraying ghetto life.
Reissue: Britney Spears, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (Jive): It took two quickie marriages, but we finally get it: Britney's really not that innocent, which makes her Lolita-pop even more delicious.

GREG HELLER
1. Mylo, Destroy Rock and Roll (Breast Fed): Perfect organic electronica -- oxymoron be damned -- vivid and wildly imaginative. Surely this was born on a windswept Scottish isle. And it was.
2. The Go! Team, Thunder Lightning Strike (Memphis Industries): Torch bearers of the obscure double-dutch beats revival, these South Englanders made a hand-clap masterwork for the grownups' playground, a.k.a. dancefloor.
3. Razorlight, Up All Night (Universal): Goddammit all, I couldn't not love these guys. CRAP!
4. Rosalia de Souza, Garota Differente (Schema): A squad of noodling phenoms meet de Souza's honey tongue and the end is world's greater than either part. Extra double thumbs-up for the breathtaking rethink of "Maria Moita."
5. Kanye West, College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella): Why "School Spirit" wasn't the single biggest hip-hop smash of the year I will never understand. But he had a few other hits, so that's cool.
6. Erlend Oye, DJ-Kicks (Studio K-7): Not totally sure who's remixing what here, but I am sure I don't care. If all house music were this lovely, I might consider moving to Europe.
7. The Futureheads, The Futureheades (Sire): Hands down winners of the neo-angular movement, and bless you lads for having a sense of humor. Doubters need only see them live once.
8. Team America World Police, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Atlantic): Listworthy for "Everyone Has AIDS" alone, a laugh-'til-you-hurl slice of spot-on satirical genius, tailor made for "thespians" everywhere.
9. Decapitated, The Negation (Earache): In an otherwise lame year for death/thrash, these pissed Polocks unleashed a furious but precise kielbasa of hate.
10. The Fauxknees , I Know I Am but What Are You? (Ajendah): And the Grammy for best song title of the year goes to, "The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Absolutely Positively Suck." Funny. Because it's true.
Reissue: Perfect, Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe (Ryko): The omission of "Peg Song" was criminal, but otherwise thrilled to have this rock & roll hostage finally liberated.

JOHN D. LUERSSEN
1. U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Interscope): It's official: U2 are, without a doubt, the biggest and best rock band in the world.
2. Ryan Adams, Love Is Hell (Lost Highway): The brilliant, brooding counterpart to 2003's Rock N Roll fuses two brilliant EPs to make one stellar long player.
3. Keane, Hopes and Fears (Interscope): Less like Coldplay than the hype would have you believe, but in some ways more magical.
4. Bad Religion, The Empire Strikes First (Epitaph): Probing questions and scorching riffs collide as Graffin and Gurewitz craft the punk album of the year.
5. Green Day, American Idiot (Reprise): An addictive, forceful and disillusioned masterpiece well worth a four-year wait. See you again in 2008, fellas.
6. Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News (Epic): Good news for people who always believed in a man named Isaac Brock.
7. Robyn Hitchcock, Spooked (Yep Roc): As inventive and peculiar as ever, Hitchcock teams with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings for what may be the warmest album of his twenty-five-year career.
8. The Killers, Hot Fuss (Island): As glittery as their Las Vegas home base and infectious as hell.
9. Uncut, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here (Paper Bag): Jagged riffs and hypnotic beats yield the album Interpol should have made.
10. Stereotypes, 2 (Earthling): Garage-punk fireworks and Aussie-like Rickenbacker pop collide with exhilarating results.
The Kinks The Village Green Preservation Society (Deluxe Expanded Edition) (Sanctuary): The Davies Brothers' finest-ever album gets expanded from fifteen to an epic sixty-two songs! Take that, London Calling.

ALEX MAR
1. The Arcade Fire, Funeral (Merge): Straight out of the gate, this eccentric Montreal quintet produced an incredible album jammed with wild, heartfelt pop songs about death and life. The year's most impressive debut.
2. Elliott Smith, From a Basement on the Hill (Anti-): This proves that, before his violent death, Smith was actually creating the most beautiful and ambitious music of his career. Leaves us wondering what more he could have done.
3. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Domino/Epic): Though un-listenable by year's end, this was one of the punchiest albums of 2004. Long live the skinny tie.
4. The Libertines, The Libertines (Sanctuary): For all the talk of Pete Doherty's crack-cum-heroin habit, the much bigger thrill would have been if these Clash disciples had stuck together.
5. The Walkmen, Bows and Arrows (Record Collection): One of New York's greatest live bands, these moody boys are getting closer to capturing the intensity of their shows. "The Rat" is the rock song of the year.
6. Nirvana, With the Lights Out (Geffen): A must-have collection of rarities, unreleased tracks and early amateur video footage from the trio that mashed the Pixies, late punk and early blues into an angry, unbeatable sound.
7. Rufus Wainwright, Want Two (DreamWorks): This generation's daring diva turns his operatic voice, lush arrangements and obscure allegories into songs that combine the eighteenth century with Chelsea Hotel decadence.
8. Bjork, Medulla (Elektra): The Icelandic artiste makes as many sounds as possible from the human voice, from her own showboating to Rahzel's beatbox. You have to respect an art project like this.
9. The Streets, A Grand Don't Come for Free (Vice): Mike Skinner keeps the hipsters happy while continuing to prove that white Englishmen can rap.
10. The Unicorns, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? (Alien8): Obsessed with ghouls and rainbows, this Montreal trio won over the indie set with "Tuff Ghost," in which the dead brag about how they can lift weights without sweating.
Reissue: Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: L.A.'s Desert Origins (Matador): This double-disc reissue of the indie godfathers' best album showcases their only pop hit, "Cut Your Hair," alongside some of their most crafted, prog-rock experiments.

LYNNE MARGOLIS
1. Ollabelle, Ollabelle (Columbia): A bunch of white New Yorkers who sound like they grew up in New Orleans Baptist churches, Ollabelle give a whole new meaning to gospel soul.
2. Neko Case, The Tigers Have Spoken (Anti): Neko's live, unadorned voice embodies what country music is supposed to be all about: real emotion. No artificial sweetening needed.
3. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Domino/Epic): Pure pop for now people. Or maybe we should call it "pop rocks" -- energetic explosions of flavor just when you need 'em.
4. Bob Schneider, I'm Good Now (Shockorama): Schneider's rockin', punky, funky and slightly reggae-ish styles convey a G. Love/Jack Johnson kinship, which we can toast with "a glass of see ya laterade."
5. The Flatlanders, Wheels of Fortune (New West): You can call it country, Americana, or whatever the hell you want. Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock are what Texas music is all about.
6. Patty Griffin, Impossible Dream (ATO): She may be a "sensitive singer-songwriter," but Griffin's emotive lyrics and angelic soprano are things of beauty that transcend such simple tags.
7. Wilco, A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch): It takes a few listens to plumb the depths of this disc, but subtlety is just another facet of Jeff Tweedy's brilliance.
8. The Zutons, Who Killed . . . the Zutons? (Epic): Sucking up music history like a sponge, the Zutons rewrite it with unpredictable twists, but never let us forget the Kinks-y brilliance of their forebears.
9. The Hives, Tyrannosaurus Hives (Interscope): Because we always need brash boys who wanna be rock gods, and the Hives' Swedish shtick makes their attempt at world domination that much more interesting.
10. Steve Earle, Live From Austin TX (New West): Earle's first Austin City Limits performance was filled with the heady promise -- and slight cockiness -- of a hot young talent just breaking big.
Reissue: Faces, Five Guys Walk Into a Bar . . . (Rhino): This box illuminates just how big a role these five fun-lovin' guys -- Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Kenney Jones -- had on all the rock that followed.

LILY MOAYERI
1. The Mooney Suzuki, Alive and Amplified (Columbia): The Mooney Suzuki's dirty rock is spit-shined on their second album, giving it not as much of a polish as a more distinct definition of their Kiss-meet-T. Rex style.
2. Phoenix, Alphabetical (Astralwerks): This French group's sophomore effort defines perfect pop much the same way Andy Gibb did, all the while maintaining a cool, independent edge.
3. Martina Topley-Bird, Anything (Palm Pictures): Spine-chilling, seductive and languid, Tricky's muse has a caressing voice that is as open and vulnerable as a wound, as strong and solid as lead.
4. The Delays, Faded Seaside Glamour (Rough Trade): Greg Gilbert's delicate, effeminate vocals give this album a graceful tone that harvests from the past with a sensitive touch that results in tasteful modern pop.
5. The Cooper Temple Clause, Kick Up the Fire and Let the Flames Break Loose (RCA): The Coopers are not afraid to rock out, or to show emotion. They charge you up with the hard stuff and give you an antidote to calm you down.
6. The Libertines, The Libertines (Rough Trade): Bringing back all that is appealing about being a rock star, the Libertines' carefree, mindless, disorganized sound is packed with Clash-like punchy tunes and hooky choruses.
7. The Shore, The Shore (Maverick): With their dreamy harmonies, grand instrumentals and genuine emotion, this Los Angeles trio is the answer to Verve fans' prayers.
8. Angela McCluskey, The Things We Do (Manhattan): Billie Holiday is living through this Scottish diva's classic torch singing. Heartbreakingly tender, searing and intense, there's a sense of timelessness.
9. Earlimart, Treble and Tremble (Palm Pictures): All about extremes, devastating lows and great highs, there is elegant depression here as well as overwhelming doom and anger, all balanced with finesse.
10. West Indian Girl, West Indian Girl (Astralwerks): What the Stone Roses and Ride were doing fifteen years ago is taken to a higher level of dreamy experimentalism here, infused with both aural (and otherwise) influences.
Reissue: The Clash, London Calling -- The Legacy Edition (Sony Legacy): Some things just get better with time. A whole new appreciation for the Clash is fostered with this Special Edition remastering of the original recording.

MEREDITH OCHS
1. Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose (Interscope): On this inspired collaboration with Jack White, the tough and tender country treasure proves she can rock.
2. Tony Joe White, The Heroines (Sanctuary): White loves the coolest women in country music -- Lucinda, Emmylou, Shelby Lynne and Jessi Colter -- and they love him back on this collection of duets.
3. William Shatner, Has Been (ShoutFactory!): Who says a gag can't lead to a great album? Shatner teams with Ben Folds, like they once did for Priceline.com, to make introspective talking pop.
4. Tegan and Sara, So Jealous (Vapor): Gay twin sisters who fly folk songs through Eighties synth-pop sensibility, emerging like Sleater-Kinney on a sugar bender. A Red State antidote.
5. Demolition String Band, Where the Wild Flowers Grow: The Songs of Ola Belle Reed (Okra-Tone): Thank you Elena Skye and Boo Reiners for honoring the late Ola Belle Reed, a remarkable banjoist, songwriter ("High on a Mountain") and Appalachian music legend.
6. The Holmes Brothers, Simple Truths (Alligator): They dwell at that sublime intersection of rock, blues, gospel and soul, and it doesn't stop them from covering Willie Nelson, Hank Williams and Bob Marley.
7. Guy Davis, Legacy (Red House): Davis offers his soul to the devil and challenges his teenage son to swap hip-hop for blues. Devil says no thanks, son says no way.
8. Jolie Holland, Escondida (Anti): Holland's sweet voice is jazz, like a horn playing improbable note bends, and her travel tales and broken-hearted poems are bleak and haunting.
9. Nellie McKay, Get Away From Me (Columbia): McKay is a drag queen, political analyst and dog lover wrapped up in the body of a perky twenty-something, piano-playing chanteuse.
10. Dios, Dios (Star Time): Like that "other" band from Hawthorne, California, the Beach Boys, Dios (now "Dios Malos" thanks to Ronnie James Dio's legal threats) makes complex, soaring SoCal-soaked pop.
Reissue: Various Artists, Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970 (Lost Highway):Memphis wasn't the only Tennessee city where Southern soul helped invent rock. The R&B singers here, like Arthur Alexander and Etta James, cut their best sides in Nashvegas.

ROB O'CONNOR
1. David Berkeley, After the Wrecking Ships (Ten Good): The Atlanta-based troubadour's second album explodes with ripe vignettes, historically based and timelessly rendered with shades of Nick Drake and David Ackles.
2. Patty Griffin, Impossible Dream (ATO): Griffin sounds stressed, frustrated, remorseful, spent yet beautifully poised throughout this mournful and hopeful song cycle of acoustic guitar and piano ballads.
3. Mark Lanegan, Bubblegum (Beggars Banquet): Former Screaming Trees leader and modern-day Northwestern blues singer turns on the electricity and duets with PJ Harvey.
4. Ataxia, Automatic Writing (Record Collection): This is what you get when you lock the Chili Peppers' John Frusciante in a room after a night of listening to Nineties German Krautrock.
5. Tom Waits, Real Gone (Epitaph): This is what you get when you lock Tom Waits in a room with no piano. Dirty sounds made darker by habit.
6. Jens Lekman, When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Secretly Canadian): One minute he's the new Magnetic Fields, the next he's Tim Buckley. Behind the mimic and wiseguy rest sublime melodies.
7. John Frusciante, Shadows Collide With People (Warner Bros.): As a solo act, Frusciante can do anything, and he's determined to do just that as he dances from genre to genre.
8. Iron and Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop): Quiet, reflective songs that at first whisper past then gently nag your conscience with the subtle hooks in place.
9. Anders Parker, Tell It to the Dust (Baryon): Is it country with hints of psychedelia or psychedelia with hints of country? Parker drops the Varnaline name and stands proudly alone.
10. Tom McRae, Just Like Blood (Nettwerk): Winner of the now annual Nick Drake award in England, McRae makes an album too lush for its own good. No need to hide, mate.
Reissue: Various Artists, Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the 80s Underground (Rhino): Music from the decade that happened by innuendo and rumor. Four CDs that tell a very different story than radio and MTV.

BRIAN ORLOFF
1. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous (Brute/Beaute): Jenny Lewis and Co.'s sophomore effort is appropriately titled. Lewis has perfected the ambivalent love song, and it's beautiful.
2. Kanye West, College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella): West was always a respected producer but he's proven that he has what it takes to be in front of the mike too. Plus he has God on his side.
3. The Killers, Hot Fuss (Island): The Killers know this year's sound de jour favors Eighties nostalgia and New Wave grooves, but the Vegas band pens solid songs including "Somebody Told Me," definitely the single of the year.
4. Bjork, Medulla (Elektra): Bjork's choral opus Medulla is a challenging tangle of human voices, sensual chanting and primal rhythms that evokes secret, corporal landscapes (she says the disc was inspired by her pregnancy).
5. Nellie McKay, Get Away From Me (Columbia): Three cheers for Nellie McKay for assuming the needed role as the anti-Norah. This brassy double-disc is audacious fun.
6. The Dears, No Cities Left (Spin Art): The Dears are masters at sweeping psychedelic pop with romantic bursts.
7. Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose (Interscope): Thanks Jack White for revitalizing Lynn's career. The hype is true. This disc is divine.
8. Air, Talkie Walkie (Astralwerks): This French duo creates warm, electronic spaces that soothe and seduce. Listen to their silky harmonies crest amid layers of textured, keyboard-led pop.
9. PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her (Island): PJ Harvey is back at her raw best. Stripped to grumbling electric guitars, nervy bass and drums, Harvey growls and stomps through her spindly tunes.
10. Blonde Redhead, Misery Is a Butterfly (4AD): Misery Is a Butterfly is Blonde Redhead's most realized disc to date, a fragile collection of atmospheric compositions.
Reissue: Jeff Buckley, Grace (Columbia): This reissue reminds us what a voice the late Buckley had and offers a generous second-disc for fanatics.

DAVID PEISNER
1. Kanye West, College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella): Sure, it bridged the gap between gangstas and backpackers, but it also sounded cooler than any other record all year.
2. The Hives, Tyrannosaurus Hives (Interscope): A gigantic, though admittedly subtle, step forward from their Stooges-inspired breakthrough that was strangely slept on.
3. Jadakiss, Kiss of Death (Interscope): Now that Jay-Z's, um, retired, there's pretty much nobody with a more compelling flow. And here he's even got something to flow about.
4. The Von Bondies, Pawn Shoppe Heart (Sire): "C'mon C'mon" is such a throttling tune, it's lost no potency despite having been sold to every advertiser that's come a-calling. The rest of the album almost lives up to it.
5. Dogs Die in Hot Cars, Please Describe Yourself (V2): Scottish five-piece makes a buoyant pop album that nods to a bunch of bands you never knew you missed (Dexy's Midnight Runners, XTC, Madness).
6. The Hiss, Panic Movement (Sanctuary): You can play spot the influences (Led Zeppelin, MC5, Oasis) all day, but the raw power of this debut is impossible to ignore. Though many did.
7. Elliott Smith, From a Basement on the Hill (Anti-): Lionizing the dead is such a cliche, but sometimes they deserve to be lionized. An imperfect, yet still utterly enthralling swan song.
8. The Distillers, Coral Fang (Reprise): Far and away the best Courtney Love album of the year.
9. Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose (Interscope): Put aside all the Jack White hype and the critical salivating and you still have one hell of a Loretta Lynn album.
10. Cee-Lo, Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine (Arista): Cee-Lo is doing things with soul, funk and hip-hop that not even his hometown compadres in OutKast can hold a candle to.
Reissue: Vic Chesnutt, West of Rome (New West): The best of a series of four reissues of early work as Chesnutt was wobbling poetically between his redneck roots and his bohemian future.

GREG PRATO
1. Eagles of Death Metal, Peace Love Death Metal (Ant Acid Audio): Another year, another Queens of the Stone Age side band. But Eagles of Death Metal are the best yet -- down and dirty rock & roll.
2. Queen, On Fire: Live at the Bowl (Hollywood): Sure I like the Darkness, but this is the real deal. No frontman could touch Freddie during his 'moustache era.'
3. Various Artists, Freaks and Geeks: Original Soundtrack and Score (Shout Factory): The greatest TV show ever finally gets a soundtrack release. Perfect balance of the original score and Seventies/Eighties nuggets ("Groove Line," anyone?).
4. Probot, Probot (Southern Lord): Who knew Dave Grohl could hang with the mullet-sporting, tight-Iron Maiden-shirt-wearing set?
5. Todd Rundgren, Liars (Sanctuary): You'd think it's still 1982 from all the synths here. Doesn't matter to Todd though -- he's equipped with his best new tunes in ages.
6. Paul Weller, Studio 150 (V2): Covers rarely top the originals, but Weller succeeds more times than not.
7. Chris Goss/Masters of Reality, Give Us Barabbas (Brownhouse): Answers the popular question -- What would it sound like if the Beatles jammed with Black Sabbath?
8. Mike Watt, The Secondman's Middle Stand (Columbia/Red Ink): The only album to ever feature a storyline that centers around the bursting of an internal abscess in a perineum (with Hammond Organ, to boot!).
9. William Shatner, Has Been (Shout Factory): The squaring off of Shatner and Henry Rollins in "I Can't Get Behind That" is the most intense bout since Rocky Balboa vs. Clubber Lang.
10. Fantomas, Delirium Cordia (Ipecac): One song, seventy-four minutes. Guaranteed to numb your brain.
Reissue: Talking Heads, The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads (Rhino): We all knew that the Talking Heads were one of the greatest live bands from Stop Making Sense, but this expanded double-disc set confirms it.

CHRISTINE RICHMOND
1. Les Savy Fav, Inches (Frenchkiss): Les Savy Fav's brash and confident art-punk sound, highlighted on this collection of singles and B sides, combines pounding drums, angular guitars and lyrics that are screamed more than sung.
2. Madvillain, Madvillainy (Stones Throw): The result of a collaboration between two underground hip-hop heavyweights, Madvillainy brings together MF Doom's gritty, imaginative rhymes with Madlib's jazzy beats.
3. Arcade Fire, Funeral (Merge): This Montreal group's lush, emotive and disarming debut dazzles with a potent mix of twinkling piano, mournful strings and soaring vocals.
4. Elliott Smith, From a Basement on the Hill (Anti-): Amid some controversy, Smith's estate reworked some of the tracks on this album before releasing it. Still, the songs showcase his unmistakable blend of delicate melodies and hushed angst.
5. Tangiers, Never Bring You Pleasure (Sonic Unyon): This Toronto group's taut, retro-sounding guitar rock is punctuated by sunny keyboards and the strong vocals of guitarist Josh Reichmann and bassist James Sayce, who split the album's songwriting duties.
6. The Beta Band, Heroes to Zeros (AstralWerks): The final album by experimental Scottish rockers the Beta Band distills their noisy, layered, multi-instrumental sound into polished pop gems.
7. TV on the Radio, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (Touch and Go): Commanding lead vocals backed by a striking falsetto deliver introspective lyrics over a brooding and murky sonic landscape.
8. The Futureheads, The Futureheads (Sire): Produced by Gang of Four's Andy Gill, The Futureheads brings together brisk post-punk with pronounced, British Invasion-style vocal harmonies.
9. Brian Wilson, SMiLE (Nonesuch): Wilson's self-described "teenage symphony to God," a collection of intricate and shimmering pop tunes, took more than thirty years to see its release.
10. The Streets, A Grand Don't Come for Free (Vice/Atlantic): Mike Skinner returns with more witty, slice-of-life rhymes, this time with a stronger storyline and sparser, more experimental production.
Reissue: The Kinks, The Village Green Preservation Society (Sanctuary): Casual fans of the group's once-slept-on masterpiece will enjoy the collection of bonus tracks; rabid listeners will gush over the full mono edition.

PAUL ROBICHEAU
1. U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Interscope): Bono and the boys deliver grand, melodic statements that echo past glories, while connecting with the heart of the present.
2. Angelique Kidjo, Oyaya! (Columbia): Afro-pop star Kidjo captures her onstage spark on this final piece to a trilogy that traces African roots in the New World, tackling Caribbean styles with crisp authority.
3. Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose (Interscope): The grande dame of country mines authentic ground with conspirator Jack White, bringing an airy grace and grit to her songs.
4. Green Day, American Idiot (Reprise): These West Coast punks have long nodded to the Who with their coiled combustion, but take it up a notch with this seamless, Bush-whacking rock opera.
5. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (Anti): The prolific prince of post-Goth darkness branches to extremes on this peak work, a double CD that balances gospel-blues outbursts and adventurous ballads with a tongue-in-cheek touch.
6. Kanye West, The College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella): Hip-hop’s hot producer lays rhymes with Jay-Z and Co. while mixing gospel and sped-up samples on this cocky, cynical and catchy debut.
7. Elvis Costello and the Imposters, The Delivery Man (Lost Highway): Costello hits comfortable prime with rootsy rock, backup from Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, and the brilliant touch of visualizing the other Elvis in the title track.
8. Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News (Epic): Much like accomplices the Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse float from indie-rock cultdom to major-label breakthrough with this fractured, hypnotic blend of psychedelic funk, orchestral minimalism and Talking Heads-styled exhortations.
9. Grant Lee Phillips, Virginia Creeper (Zoe/Rounder): Mystery and melancholy steeped in Americana; the ex-leader of Grant Lee Buffalo finds his place again with charming songcraft.
10. Mission of Burma, ONoffON (Matador): The tunefully discordant mash of this Boston avant-punk band’s knotty guitar, melodic bass and riptide rhythms has only tightened in contrast to Burma’s sole previous album from 1982.
Reissue: Brian Eno, Another Green World (Astralwerks): Before he produced masterworks for David Bowie, Talking Heads and U2, Eno hatched this abstract jewel of ambient pop simplicity.

CHRIS RUBIN
1. Joseph Arthur, Our Shadows Will Remain (Vector): The singer-songwriter from Akron weaves his dark tales through tempestuous music, and Shadows is as good as music gets.
2. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Domino/Epic): The most exciting debut since Talking Heads, Gang of Four and others of their ilk hit the scene. Filled with explosive energy and lacerating wit.
3. Sarah Fimm, Nexus (Sarah Fimm LLC): She sings like an angel - seraphim . . . get it? -- and her dark, haunting and very lush music calls to mind Sarah McLachlan and Peter Gabriel.
4. Little Axe, Champagne and Grits (Real World): Just your average blues album -- if the band was from Mars. Very spacey stuff.
5. PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her (Island): The parental advisory sticker offers a clue that Harvey hasn't yet settled down or found true happiness, which is a good thing for us.
6. Martin Gordon, The Joy of More Hogwash (Radiant Future): The former Sparks bassist crafts clever pop that's every bit as twisted as the best of Robyn Hitchcock, yet rocks like Cheap Trick.
7. Youssou N'Dour, Egypt (Label): A huge departure from the mbalax-style music on his previous works, Egypt features orchestral sounds behind these songs about N'Dour's Sufi faith.
8. David Byrne, Grown Backwards (Nonesuch): Who else would have the balls to tackle a couple of arias -- and who else could make you want to listen again?
9. Broken Spindles, Fulfilled/Complere (Saddle Creek): The Faint's Joel Petersen takes a break for a solo project, and it's filled with angular, intelligent rock.
10. Jan Garbarek, In Praise of Dreams (ECM): Manu Katche (Peter Gabriel, Sting) brings loops and his usual superb drumming to the great sax player and composer's music.
Reissue: Brian Eno, Before and After Science (Astralwerks): Eno's early solo efforts are some of the most fascinating, ground-breaking efforts in all of rock, and this oddly beautiful one tops the list.

RICHARD SKANSE
1. Terri Hendrix, The Art of Removing Wallpaper (Wilory): Americana-folk-pop's most consistently refreshing voice reveals her most personal (and even sensual) collection of songs yet, and fires fearless broadsides at Clear Channel and religious hypocrites just for good measure.
2. U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Interscope): Yeah, technically, they're still backpedaling. But whether they're moving forward, backward or running to stand still, U2 remain timeless, and their latest "miracle drug" packs one hell of an emotional wallop.
3. Chrissy Flatt, Walk With Kings (chrissyflatt.com): A "singer-songwriter" with a rocker's bite and a wicked way with melody worthy of Del Shannon and Buddy Holly. Not bad with a Kinks cover, either.
4. Nellie McKay, Get Away From Me (Sony): Why split an hour's worth of music over two discs? Because there's too much talent, wit, charm and inventive pizzazz here to fit onto just one. The year's best debut.
5. Jon Dee Graham, The Great Battle (New West): The former True Believers guitarist's fourth solo album is half ragged, rocking and raw and half tender and wise. At its best (the title track), it's all that at once.
6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (Anti-): The Gospel according to Nick, chock-full of supernatural wrath and beauty. Staggering in lyrical wit and musical scope.
7. Wilco, A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch): I don't have a clue what "pure bug beauty" is, but I'm pretty sure it sounds just like this. I'm also sure that no song has ever sounded better on an open road than "Spiders (Kidsmoke)."
8. The Real Heroes, Greetings From Russia (Rec. Center): Proof that prime Bowie and Cheap Trick go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Austin's Real Heroes are the best rock band in America you haven't heard of. Yet.
9. Kasey Chambers, Wayward Angel (Warner Bros.): Motherhood and mainstream success (at least Down Under) have polished away some of her gritty edge, but her one-of-a-kind voice and melodic instincts remain impeccable.
10. The Tragically Hip, In Between Evolution (Zoe): Canada's answer to R.E.M., U2 and occasionally even the Rolling Stones serve up their best batch of anthems since 1998's Phantom Power.
Reissue: The Kinks, Muswell Hillbillies (Konk/Velvel/Koch): The deluxe, three-CD import Village Green Preservation Society is a doozy, but all those bonus tracks pale next to the ramshackle beauty of Ray Davies' "Americana" album in glorious SACD.

MARIE ELSIE ST. LEGER
1. Van Hunt, Van Hunt (Capitol): Not a clunker in the bunch. The singer-songwriter-guitarist channels Sly Stone, speaks from his soul and performs his sexy electric funk soul with disarming conviction.
2. Rogue Wave, Out of the Shadow (Sub Pop): David Rogue packs quite a punch with his cynical, drole observations. He spices his lyrics with enough irony to prick up the ears.
3. Jill Scott, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 (Hidden Beach): A neo-soulful chronicle of life in love, Beautifully Human dashes any worries of Scott suffering from sophomore jinx.
4. Patty Griffin, Impossible Dream (ATO): This collection of new and old songs sounds dewy fresh, with Griffin showing off her powerhouse angelic vocals and ever-more impressive songwriting craftsmanship.
5. Mos Def, The New Danger (Geffen): Rap fans waited impatiently for this sophomore solo. Def finally delivers the goods -- getting freaky, keeping political and riding a smooth flow all the way.
6. Anthony David, 3 Chords and a Guitar (Brash Music): The singer-songwriter cut his teeth on India Arie's Acoustic Soul. Varied in tone and texture, the honest 3 Chords makes a solid case for neo-soul's future.
7. David Kilgour, Frozen Orange (Merge): Who'da thunk the Clean's proto-punk would release such a pretty indie? Melodies rule, and Kilgour's guitar playing, jangly and expressive, melts the heart.
8. Brad Mehldau, Live in Tokyo (Nonesuch): Tokyo made this best-of primarily for the jazz pianist's version of Radiohead's "Paranoid Android." The nineteen-minute opus is worth the price of the CD.
9. Sarah Harmer, All of Our Names (Cold Snap/Zoe): Singer-songwriter Harmer shares tales of obsession and loss with little fuss and no muss. She does pop right: clean, adult and eminently listenable.
10. Iron and Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop): With very little vocal inflection but a wellspring of folk's soul, Sam Beam manages to knock down tall buildings with a single, soft word. His modern folk leaves your heart rendered and grateful.
Reissue: U2, The Complete U2 (Universal): The career-spanning retrospective includes limited-edition singles, rarely heard live tracks and the Edge's singular guitar work all over the place. Thank heaven.

ANDREW STRICKMAN
1. Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Funeral for a Friend (Ropeadope): A start-to-finish New Orleans jazz funeral celebrates life in perfect sonic and reverential form. Everyone belongs in the second line for this stunning recording.
2. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Domino/Epic): Furious fun and a beat you can dance to. Rock hasn't been this fun in quite a while.
3. Mofro, Lochloosa (Swampland): Bringing a bit of the Florida swampland to your town, Mofro's second studio release is nothing less than a perfect groove. Down home, dirty soul.
4. Gift of Gab, Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up (Quannum Projects): Blackalicious frontman Gab dials back the beats and focuses instead on his chilled out wordplay skittering over Seventies-flavored soul.
5. Danger Mouse, The Grey Album (bootleg): Part of this honor falls merely to the genius behind bringing such two divergent artists together seamlessly. But beyond the concept, Danger Mouse actually created a terrific record.
6. Green Day, American Idiot (Reprise): Their first records revealed Green Day's smarts, but this epic "rock opera" was still a surprise. The band's best record since Dookie.
7. The Killers, Hot Fuss (Island): The first half of Hot Fuss clearly outshines the second, but is so freakin' good that it still deserves a slot here.
8. Iron and Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop): Sam Beam comes out of the mud room and makes an aural step forward while holding tightly to his hushed folk lullabyes.
9. The Walkmen, Bows and Arrows (Record Collection): Edgy atmospheric soundscapes from a super-tight band that knows its way around a musical arrangement. Urgent rock that fires straight to the heart.
10. Cardigans, Long Gone Before Daylight (Koch): Forget sugary pop -- Nina Persson is best suited for the lights-low, bedroom eyes that these songs suggest.
Reissue: Candi Staton, Candi Staton (Astralwerks): Damn. Before her disco era hits, Staton was a soul singer. A phenomenal soul singer whose voice, on the twenty-six tracks here, reveals raw emotion rarely heard.

DENISE SULLIVAN
1. Green Day, American Idiot (Reprise): Green Day aren't just for kids, though American Idiot is the the best teenage rock opera since Tommy (and it makes more sense).
2. Camper Van Beethoven, New Roman Times (Pitch-a-tent/Vanguard): Another rock opera from a band with Bay Area roots. Add last year's Greendale and you've got a made-in-Cali contemporary protest music trilogy.
3. Morrissey, You Are the Quarry (Attack): He's mad at America and the world situation too and he turned his rage into his best songs since the wicked good ones on Viva Hate.
4. Chuck Prophet, Age of Miracles (New West): San Franciscan Prophet is at the controls of his best-ever studio effort; vocalist Stephanie "I Saw Farenheit 911 Twice" Finch is solid gold.
5. Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat (Rough Trade): Politically at large, siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger's anger is directed at each other and is more palpable than Jack and Meg's.
6. Soledad Brothers, Voice of Treason (Sanctuary): These militant Rust Belt rockers could be from Frisco: Named after a Black Panther prison gang, they rock as raw as the Flamin' Groovies.
7. The Black Keys, Rubber Factory (Fat Possum): If Ohio's Black Keys had run for president, there would have been no confusion over who won their home state.
8. Mark Lanegan, Bubblegum (Beggar's Banquet): Blues from the blue state of Washington, Lanegan has more gravel on his vocal chords than original rapper Waits.
9. Tom Waits, Real Gone (Epitaph): Simply because all wretched year long, there was no sadder song than "The Day After Tomorrow."
10. Los Lobos, Ride This (Hollywood): When they cover Waits and "Shoot Out the Lights," it makes me forget all the all the crap that went down this year.
Reissue: The Clash, London Calling (Legacy): The definitive statement from the band that still matters now more than ever; their least political, yet it's their most potent piece of work.

JAMES SULLIVAN
1. Danger Mouse, The Grey Album (bootleg): Astounding art project combining the best pop group of all time, a reigning rapper and a guy in a mouse suit.
2. Muse, Absolution (Warner Bros): Yes, they sound like some other bands. They'll also fry your brainpan.
3. Ray LaMontagne, Trouble (RCA): Yes, he sounds like some other singer-songwriters. He'll also knock you to your knees.
4. Iron and Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop): Honey hush.
Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose (Interscope): With Jack White, a match made in Gothic heaven. Far superior to Tammy Wynette's collaboration with the KLF.
6. The Dears, No Cities Left (spinART): Black Canadian named Murray makes the best Morrissey album since the Smiths broke up. Eh?
7. Nick Cave, Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus (Anti-): How many other rockers keep getting better with age? The answer might be zero.
8. Elliott Smith, From a Basement on the Hill (Anti-): Unfinished? The life, not the last album.
9. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Shake the Sheets (Lookout): Everyone's favorite Commie-pinko Jersey mall rat.
10. Brian Wilson, SMiLE (Nonesuch): Our Prayer: Old Master Painter, Song for Children. Wonderful. Surf's Up!
Reissue: Various Artists, The Hip Hop Box (Hip-O): Imperfect -- what, no Snoop? no LL? -- but a damn fine starter kit, spanning a quarter-century and a remarkably broad range of styles.

MARGARET WAPPLER
1. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Domino/Epic): This is a no-brainer. These Scots are so quicksilver with a hook and beat, it's like they cut the songs out with an Exacto knife.
2. TV on the Radio, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (Touch & Go): Alienation from self and the mystery of the soul are just two of the themes these heady Brooklynites grapple with on this fearless debut.
3. Scissor Sisters, Scissor Sisters (Universal): Imagine Elton John as a twentysomething at a gender-bender party in Manhattan's meatpacking district and you're getting there. Fitting for the party and the hangover.
4. A.C. Newman, The Slow Wonder (Matador): Gracious pop from the main New Pornographer: inventive, expressive songs with airy, autumnal harmonies and starched guitars. "Come Crash" is the perfect denouement to an Indian summer.
5. Devendra Banhart, Rejoicing in the Hands (Young God): The reigning prince of the San Francisco freak-folk scene, Banhart is a raving vagabond finger-picking and giggling his way through sixteen gorgeously earthy songs.
6. Joanna Newsom, The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City): Freak-folk's fairest maiden, Newsom's wizened tender-then-steely vocals and childlike fascination with fairytales and the arcane beautifully round out her harp compositions.
7. VHS or Beta, Night on Fire (Astralwerks): A hedonist's last hurrah that lights up the darkest corners of the dance club with delightfully narcotic guitar licks and calculated yet soulful vocals.
8. The Legends , Up Against the Legends (Lakeshore 5): For the fuzzy Phil Spector handclaps alone, this album would soar, but we're also treated to some of the most flawless mod-inflected slow pop in years.
9. Interpol, Antics (Matador): After the hype, these N.Y.C. gothsters could've derailed. Instead, they pulled back the drapes and allowed a little bright light to infuse the murk.
10. Blonde Redhead, Misery Is a Butterfly (Label): Finally! The international trio ditches its preoccupation with noise rock and takes flight with a beautifully restrained moodpiece inspired by the most dramatic of film scores.
Reissue: Talking Heads, The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads [Expanded] (Rhino): A showcase of the seminal Eighties band at its most edgy and primordial. Byrne is all stutters and screeches as he catalogs the creepily mundane.

DOUG WATERMAN
1. Ron Sexsmith, Retriever (Nettwerk): This guy probably comes up with melodies in his sleep. Each remarkable album somehow beats out the previous album. The best singer-songwriter out there.
2. Charlie Mars, Charlie Mars (V2): Easily the most addictive album of the year. Soaring pop/rock from a Southerner who's here for the long haul.
3. The Killers, Hot Fuss (Island): Hooks galore, these guys naturally go from a Cure-ish vibe to mainstream power-pop appeal and make both elements relevant and captivating.
4. Jesse Malin, The Heat (Artemis): Queens spokesman follows up seminal debut with equally majestic follow-up, fusing keen, city-life poeticisms with witty realism.
5. Julie Roberts, Julie Roberts (Mercury): South Carolina-bred soulful crooner takes mainstream country to another level with beautifully cohesive writing, song selection and interpretation.
6. Drive-By Truckers, The Dirty South (New West): The best of three Southern rock epics from one of the most gutsy, genuine bands in music today.
7. Todd Snider, East Nashville Skyline (Oh Boy): Initially I was skeptical and strangely standoffish of this raw recording, but, as a Snider fanatic, I came around to witness its inherent splendor.
8. Grant-Lee Phillips, Virginia Creeper (Rounder): A perfectly crafted and executed batch of Americana that indeed transports the listener to an earthier, more substantive place.
9. J.J. Cale, To Tulsa and Back (Sanctuary): Acting like not a single day has passed since his 1972 debut, the unassuming swampy, bluesy, jazzy, folky, funkster (and everything else) troubadour bears his best here.
10. The Thrills, Let's Bottle Bohemia (Virgin): More coherent than their highly touted debut, the follow-up from these Irishmen boasts "Not for All the Love in the World," a gorgeous lyrical soundscape.
Reissue: Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Matador): One of the greatest albums of the Nineties. Pavement made it OK to be sloppy and sing off-key, but somehow everything came together with undeniable finesse.

GAIL WORLEY
1. Pre(thing), 22nd Century Lifestyle (V2): An acid-rock masterpiece predestined for obscurity by the untimely death of lead vocalist/guitarist Rust Epic just weeks before the CD's release.
2. Steve Morse, Major Impacts 2 (Magna Carta): A legend of instrumental guitar rock pays homage to his own influences.
3. Ambulance Ltd., Ambulance Ltd. (TVT): Penny Lane is in their ears and in their eyes.
4. Audio Karate, Lady Melody (Label): L.A. punk-rock revivalists blend disarming melody and authentic grit with a little help from producer Bill Stevenson (All, Descendents).
5. Josh Todd, You Made Me (Label): Ex-Buckcherry frontman and his eponymous new band made one of the year's best albums while keeping rock & roll in the gutter, where it belongs.
6. The Killers, Hot Fuss (Island): This Sin City foursome validated its advance hype, combining the hipster synth-pop of Duran Duran and Ultravox on the most original sounding album of the year.
7. VAST, Nude (FourFiveSix): Arena-worthy thinker rock for the modern progressive.
8. Jonny Polonsky, The Power of Sound (Loveless): Audio savant Jonny Polonsky graduates from the School of Rock with straight As to show all the whiny brat rockers how it's done.
9. Doug Gillard, Salamander (Pink Frost/Big Takeover): Flawless Beatles-esque pop that sounds like the Lemonheads meet Guided by Voices without all the substance-abuse issues.
10. Green Day, American Idiot (Reprise): Ever wondered what the Who's Tommy would sound like recorded by Green Day? Here's your answer.
Reissue: Reissue: The Clash, London Calling (Sony Legacy): Two words: Bonus DVD.