This list is not to be confused with my 10 favorite musical artists of all time, though at least one on this list would also make that one. I am focusing on those musical artists who are really top of mind right now, so I decided to exclude anyone who’s been performing with their current act longer than 20 years (which is why neither The Who nor Steely Dan are on this list). I also established the requirement that in order to be eligible for this list, the artist(s) must have at least three full-length albums to their credit (which is why neither Art Brut nor The Broken West are on this list).

Now that my parameters have been fully explained, let’s begin the countdown, shall we?



10. The Black Keys

Loud and raunchy guitar-drum duos may have been brought into vogue by The White Stripes, a band I am also quite fond of in their own right, but nobody does it louder and raunchier than Akron, Ohio’s own The Black Keys. Their most recent album, Attack & Release (2008), is one of their best. Here’s one of my favorite tracks from that one, “Remember When (Side B)”

9. Hayden

He’s Canadian, he’s introspective and he knows his way around a guitar. Though that seems like an apt description of Neil Young, I’m actually referring to Hayden Desser, who performs sans surname despite the risk of being confused for the cheerleader from Heroes or teen Anakin Skywalker. But his voice and music are much more reminiscent of a young Neil than a young Darth. His latest album, In Field & Town (2008), is excellent, and includes “Damn This Feeling”

8. The Long Winters

Based in Seattle, this band features John Roderick and a revolving cast of musicians, including Harvey Danger frontman Sean Nelson. Their melodious and intellectual brand of power pop has gotten better with each passing album, culminating with their best release to date, Putting the Days to Bed (2006). One of the most enjoyable songs from that record is “Fire Island, AK”

7. Neko Case

Blessed with one of the most beautiful voices on the planet, Neko Case has lent her immense talents to many projects, most notably the Canadian indie supergroup known as The New Pornographers. But Neko is at her most majestic when on her own, as evidenced by her brand new album, Middle Cyclone (2009). This soon-to-be-released record (March 3) is an early contender for album of the year, thanks to such fantastic songs as “People Got a Lotta Nerve”

6. M. Ward

Best known as the “Him” to actress/singer Zooey Deschanel’s “She” in the duo She & Him, retro guitar virtuoso M. Ward calls Portland, Oregon home. His whispery vocals are the perfect compliment to his folk rock musical stylings, never more perfectly displayed than on his new album, Hold Time (2009). Here is just one of many superb tracks from that record, “Never Had Nobody Like You”

5. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

When it comes to politically-charged indie punk rock, nobody on the scene today does it better than Ted Leo & The Pharmacists. Their high-energy music translates even better in a live setting, where the hyperkinetic Leo bounds around the stage with a euphoric intensity that drives the crowd into a frenzy. One of the best tracks from their latest album, Living With the Living (2007), is “The World Stops Turning”

4. Jim White

Jim White has mastered the spooky Southern gothic vibe and made it his own unique melange of sounds and imagery. He infuses his sublime music with equal parts wit and weirdness, telling stories better than just about anyone going today. His most recent album, Transnormal Skiperoo (2007), is among his finest works and includes such great songs as “Diamonds to Coal”

3. My Morning Jacket

Probably the best known band on my list, Louisville, Kentucky’s My Morning Jacket has been headlining big-time festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza for several years now. But do not mistake them for the jam bands who usually appear on the festival circuit, because MMJ delivers so much more than about any band around. They can slay you with full-throttle Southern fried rock and segue right into a ballad that would have sounded right at home on a Soul station in the ’70s. Their latest opus, Evil Urges (2008), contains several future classics, including “Thank You Too”

2. The Hold Steady

From Minneapolis by way of New York City, The Hold Steady is led by the most unlikely frontman in rock, a bespectacled middle-aged nebbish named Craig Finn. The fact that Finn really speaks more than he sings actually works brilliantly when backed by the monster riffs and propelling beats of his bandmates. Their signature are the gritty Springsteenesque lyrics, which often depict the brief highs and prolonged lows of the partying lifestyle. Stay Positive (2008), their most recent triumphant release, features “Magazines”

1. Spoon

Austin’s Jim Eno and Britt Daniel have formed the core of Spoon since they first burst onto the indie scene back in the mid-’90s. Their saga during the past 15 years has been fueled by major label betrayal and a drive to keep pushing the envelope with their one-of-a-kind brand of indie pop-rock. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga(2007) is one of the best records in their canon, and contains the fantastic song “Don’t You Evah”

I can’t say these are the best albums of the year, but they’re the ones that certainly got the most play by me. In reverse alphabetical order, no ranking.

1.The White Stripes, Icky Thump - This is only one of two albums from 2007 that I bought both the vinyl and CD version. ’nuff said, haters!

2.Wilco, Sky Blue Sky - Look, I own the Jeff Tweedy poetry book. I’m in deep with this band, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. “Sky Blue Sky” is another collection of solid songs from one of America’s most important bands.

3.Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, - Living with the LivingIt was good to see Ted expanding his bag of tricks, making an album that sounded both new and familiar at the same time. One of the few American musicians who actually thinks about politics these days, and sings about them. Last of the independents.

4.Once Soundtrack - Oh Glen Hansard, please forgive me. I didn’t care much for the last album by your band, The Frames, and that made me sad. But then you go and do this movie and do this soundtrack (which contained some songs I had previously written off), and I fall in love. Along with Marketa Irglova, the music on this soundtrack is beautiful and heartbreaking. I can’t wait for the film to come out on DVD so I can share it with friends and play it to death. (Finding a vinyl copy at Shake It Records with Shiv was a nice bonus, WORD).

5.The New Pornographers, Challengers - I’ve not been the world’s biggest fan of The New Pornographers. I’ve liked some albums, and others I’ve let fall out of my life completely after a few listens. “Challengers” is my favorite album from the band so far. There is just something epic about the songs on this that I really can’t get enough of… I know some diehard fans didn’t really like this one, but maybe give it another chance dudes.

6.M.I.A., Kala - MIA makes exciting, danceable political music. It makes me want to go to mysterious jungles and start shooting machine guns, I can’t explain it. There’s lots of layers to this music, and every time I listen to the album I hear something new. And I love the vinyl packaging.

7.Bloc Party, A Weekend in the City - Yo I think everyone sort of hated this album but I actually like it as much as their debut, “Silent Alarm.” Rich and textured in both music and lyrics. Still as fresh as when I picked it up in February.

8.Arcade Fire, Neon Bible - Okay that flash video they put out like a month ago was lame, let’s not kid ourselves. But this band is still living up to the hype, and that’s not an easy thing to do these days.

9.AA Bondy, American Hearts - When I played this at one Donewaiting.com Happy Hour, this old rambler came up to me and asked if I was playing Willie Nelson. Now, Bondy might not have the experience of Nelson, but he certainly knows how to strip it down to the essentials and make a really great record. In this case, less is more.

10. Psychedelic Horseshit, Magic Flowers Droned (Siltbreeze) - The most sincere record of the year. Despite it’s pasted-together ambiance, Magic Flowers Droned is a meticulously-crafted manifesto against the mundane, the disposable, and the transparent. Mr. Whitehurst is at once the most detail-oriented and haphazard person I know.

11. Panda Bear, Person Pitch (Paw Tracks) - Beautiful and uplifting without overstatement, Noah Lennox has trumped every dream-pop or collage-work record over the last fifteen years, including his own band’s best work, with Person Pitch. The most forward-looking album of 2007.

12. Blues Control, Puff (Woodsist) - True postmodern psychedelia. Guitar, keys, some pedals and a Walkman are all this duo need to create a 21st Century Atlantis. It’s like the bong is taking hits from you.

13. Justice - † (Vice/Ed Banger) - The Ed Banger hype finally culminates stateside with this French duo’s debut. House grooves, hi-jacked funk, disco strings, a Devo video sample…this is a rare dance record that will stand the test of time.

14. Pink Reason - Cleaning the Mirror (Siltbreeze) - Primal screams from Kevin DuBroux, the Midwest’s finest post-hardcore singer/songwriter (don’t call him that to his face). Rumors that he might end the PR book have me bummed.
Stream: Pink Reason

15. Los Llamarada, The Exploding Now (S-S) - Never-wave jams outta Monterrey, Mexico. This one climbed up my list as ‘07 rolled along, its scuzzy vibes finally able to penetrate my dense skull.

16. Times New Viking - The Paisley Reich (Siltbreeze) - I would probably put this in my top two or three if a) it were a tad longer, b) the drummer wasn’t my brother and c) they didn’t have the album of the year ‘08 coming out in a little more than a month. Still, a huge piece in the TNV puzzle and the most bang out of fifteen minutes ever.

17. Burial, Untrue (Hyperdub) - As big a breakthrough for dubstep you’ll see in the US, Burial takes a dated artform (minimal breaks) and somehow makes it vital again.

18. Shocking Pinks, Shocking Pinks (Astralwerks/DFA) - Not quite your older brother’s Kiwi Pop. DFA compiles the best from Nick Harte’s two Flying Nun albums to make this domestic long-player. Love the live feel of these recordings.

19. Der TPK, Harmful Emotions (Siltbreeze) - Read my full review

20. Sword Heaven, Entrance (Load) - Read my donewaiting.com review

21. R. Kelly - Double Up (Jive) - I wish Kels would serialize “Real Talk” like he did “Trapped in the Closet”. And isn’t it time he got his own reality show?

22.The Field, From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt) - A human pulse for adderall-fueled robots. Warmth + repetition = ecstasy.

23. Sonic Chicken 4, Sonic Chicken 4 (In the Red) - SC4 are a French group that play spirited garage in the VU/Kinks vein. Fun stuff, I’m really kicking myself for missing not one but two shows in Columbus this Fall.

24. Group Doueh, Guitar Music From the Western Sahara (Sublime Frequencies) - Sublime Frequencies’ first foray into new, album-length releases, Guitar Music showcases Doueh’s virtuosic string talents. This is their first official release outside of Morocco and deserves a much wider edition than its 1000 copy, vinyl-only run.

(and if you hear that song coming out of my iPod headphones while I’m walking down the street, you better watch out!)