In the fifth and final portion of our Best Albums of 2008 we reveal our top ten albums of the year.

#10 Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash 

It’s astounding that, after years of creating music, Stephen Malkmus can still write and record an album as good as Real Emotional Trash. The band sounds more focused than ever, and the jamming that turned some listeners off on the previous two Jicks albums has now become a definite strength. The riffs are some of the biggest Malkmus has ever written and the man is still as goofy as ever, singing about sleestaks and dragonflies eating pie with his signature deadpan delivery, and that’s why you really listen to him anyway. – Matthew Kalogerakis

#9 Okkervil River - The Stand Ins 

Wrapped around a theme that combined film and music, last year’s The Stage Names influenced Okkervil River’s belated reverence and recognition. This year’s The Stand Ins follows suit. It’s the companion piece to The Stage Names and is another collection of sparkling songs, the kind that gleam with skillful songwriting, radiate with compelling melodies and most importantly, dazzle with inspiration. Like every other erstwhile album, there is something to love for every music fan. The marvelous wordplay between Will Sheff and Jonathan Meiburg on “Lost Coastlines” makes up one of the best songs of the year, the fantastic storytelling that is “Calling and Not Calling My Ex” all encompassed into one catchy ball of rock, or the luminous guitar work and fitting horns on the laid-back “Starry Stairs” all add up as one of the best albums of the year. It’s okay to let go of the old times with new and inviting songs as influential as the aforementioned, and if not, as Sheff sings, “If you don’t love me, I’m sorry.” – Bryan Sanchez

#8 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend 

What can you say about the year these Columbia boys just had? The band’s self-titled debut album came out in January and they were off to the races, gaining praise from all journalistic venues, getting name-dropped by Hollywood stars, and appearing on multiple magazine covers. The shock in all this is that Vampire Weekend plays surprisingly heady and wonderful music. Rooted most notably in Afro beat, its sound is something most privileged white kids hadn’t heard before, but their penchant for amazing hooks and clever lyrics are really what put them on this list. Even if it is “trust fund frat rock,” songs like “A-Punk” and “Walcott” are a fucking good time, so who cares? – Matthew Kalogerakis

#7 Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. 

Over the years, experimental rock band Deerhunter have slowly transformed their aggressive noise-rock into a friendlier dream-pop sound, culminating with this year’s excellent album Microcastle. It was a crowning achievement, a hybrid of hazy and three dimensional ambient and indie-rock. This ethereal mix of multi-layered and textured sounds includes both brooding and dynamic instrumentals and shimmering, atmospheric indie-rock. The songs can be overflowing with thick and complex guitar swirls or awash in soft and airy synth lines, some include open and soothing passages while others employ more adventurous and exploratory musical segments that provide originality and distinction. The band even mixes in dabs of droning shoegaze and some electro-style beats to augment its pop experimentation. The result is a rewarding album of novel and well-crafted songs that are always a joy. As a bonus we also got the aesthetic continuation of last year’s epicCryptograms on Weird Era Cont.. – Matt the Raven

#6 Lil’ Wayne - Tha Carter III 

As someone who is picky about hip-hop, my enjoyment of Lil Wayne and almost everything he does comes as somewhat of a surprise to me. Songs like “A Milli,” “Let the Beat Build,” and “3 Peat” had some shockingly clever rhymes and beats that stuck in your head for days. His appearance on Kevin Rudolf’s “Let It Rock” solidified the fact that he has real creative talent, and “Phone Home” was a certifiable hit. This album made Lil Wayne a legitimate superstar and is a bright spot in his burgeoning career. Not all the tracks are phenomenal, but if Lil Wayne’s future releases are as impressive as Tha Carter IIIthen he’s on track to make good on his claim of being the greatest rapper alive. – Claire Schuster

#5 The Hold Steady - Stay Positive 

Even though they didn’t release an album in 2007 you can’t say the Hold Steady took some time off. After their usual round of endless touring they headed into the studio with more ears than ever awaiting the results. As on its previous three records the band didn’t disappoint. Stay Positive was full of excitement, melody, and Craig Finn’s world weary characters. This time around the focus was on maturing gracefully and the band grew along with them. By incorporating new instrumentation and additional guests it expanded its sound without compromising a thing. That makes the Hold Steady one of the best, most entertaining, and honest bands working today. – Matthew Smith

#4 No Age - Nouns 

With the success of last year’s compilation, Weirdo Rippers, there was a definite buzz surrounding No Age. It’s been quite the year for the California rockers though: Dean Spunt and Randy Randall toured the U.S., were featured on everything from Pitchfork T.V. to MTV, were signed to a major indie label, and oh yeah, they made a gritty, noisy, mess of a beauty withNouns. Sprawling with loud and spiraling two-minute songs, this thirty minute gem was everything anyone could have hoped for: lyrics that embrace the new youth, music that can be piercing and still have a wonderful melody deep inside, and do-it-yourself spirit that portrays earnestness and realness. There are moments throughout the album of ambient coziness (“Things I Did when I was Dead”), where everything just washes over you like a cloud of comfort and an even-keel of raucous sound-beaters to choose from. It’s a gripping clutter of the best kind of noise: the kind of album that will leave you giddy with excitement, the kind of listen that shocks all of your senses, and the kind of music that you just want to play repeatedly, without ever stopping. – Bryan Sanchez

#3 TV On The Radio - Dear Science 

TV on the Radio’s Dear Science is, without a doubt, one of the best albums released this year. Though more accessible than 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science is incredibly dense and its complexity can only be fully appreciated through repeat listens. Andrew Sitek’s production is impeccable, creating lush soundscapes with layer upon layer of synthesized ambience and spiraling rhythms. At its core, beneath the massive wash of sound, the album is full of good songs. From its charging opener, “Halfway Home,” to the danceable “Crying” and “Golden Age,” to the haunting ballad “Family Tree,”Dear Science never gives your ears the opportunity to get bored. Whether heard passively in the background or fully experienced with closed eyes through headphones, it delivers. – Christopher Witter

#2 Portishead - Third 

Almost ten years in the making, this long awaited effort by the Bristol-based trio was perhaps aptly dubbed “the Chinese Democracy of trip-hop” by some; the difference certainly being that Third was worth the wait. Although this marks a fairly obvious departure from their sound on classic release Dummy, Gibbons’ familiar, ethereal voice ties everything together nicely, making this distinctively a Portishead album. This offering is at times haunting and beautiful and, at other times, downright disturbing to listen to; the album, both musically and lyrically, drips with menace, shame and guilt. Shunned by many “fans” of the band, simply because it isn’t a re-hashing of Dummy, this is certainly a challenging and thought-provoking listen. Those looking for repetition should look elsewhere. It’s a new century and it was time to change the record – and Portishead did that with style on Third, producing one of the most interesting and one of the best releases of the year. – Laura Bettney

#1 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes/Sun Giant EP 

At the beginning of 2008 there was a buzz surrounding Fleet Foxes that is unmistakable in our line of work. There were whispers of “instant classic” before they even had an official release date. The accolades heaped upon the band’s self-titled album and Sun Giant EP upon their release were well warranted. Robin Pecknold’s honey-toned voice sounded instantly timeless when combined with the band’s baroque, mainly acoustic compositions. Clearly their predecessors are groups like The Beach Boys, The Zombies, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Neil Young, and Phil Spector but there is an unidentifiable originality here that is practically inarguable. Maybe it’s those tender, picturesque vocals sounding utterly glorious and significantly poignant, or maybe it’s the pristine, nearly flawless instrumentation and production (by The Shins main man, Phil Ek), or maybe it’s the culmination of one of the most emotionally charged albums of the year, but whatever it is, Fleet Foxes delivered something stunningly beautiful. Fleet Foxes sound magically gorgeous, and it’s easy to regard their self-titled album and its accompanying EP as true masterpieces. – Joe Davenport & Bryan Sanchez

In the fourth part of our Best Albums of 2008 we uncover numbers 20 through 11…

#20 She & Him - Volume One 

M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel were made to play music together. Deschanel’s sweet, country voice is second in beauty only to Neko Case, and M. Ward’s haunting, airy harmonies blend well with their debut’s undeniable, homely charm. Volume Onetakes the best of Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins and peppers it with wispy, nostalgic lyrics and upbeat,rambling rhythms on tracks like “This Is Not A Test” and “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”, along with the occasional downtrodden, bittersweet cowboy ballads such as “Take It Back” and “I Should’ve Known Better”. Volume One reigns supreme as the best pop country album in a long time. Well, at least until Volume Two comes out. – Matt Cohen

#19 Aufgehoben - Khora 

In the record store the other day I saw a copy of Khora with a sticker on it that read “kings of fractured avant-rock.” No doubt Aufgehoben reigned supreme in 2008, obliterating all other albums volume-wise and achieving a level of sophistication that other ensembles struggle to reach. I’m not even sure the word “rock” could possibly encompass the group’s capabilities regardless of the descriptive prefix attached to it. You can call it noise if you want, but somehow that doesn’t quite do it justice either. These guys are taking music to a place that’s simply untethered by genre. The massive riff from “Jederfursich” sounds warped right from the beginning and the group navigates through several variations on it before the whole thing just melts. “A Bastard Reasoning” contracts and contorts during its sections of electronic abuse and ear-splitting percussion before a broken sounding crystalline denoument. You say your amp goes to eleven? I believe Aufgehoben have volume knobs that register beyond that! – Joe Davenport

#18 MGMT - Oracular Spectacular 

One of the most interesting releases this year had to be NYC based MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular. MGMT (previously called The Management), consisting of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden make instantly likeable synthesized psychedelic pop music. “Time to Pretend,” a sarcastic origin myth of the band as hedonistic rock gods, opens the album and sets the tone for what follows. “Weekend Wars” and “The Youth” are great tunes, as is the spaced out electro-funk of “Electric Feel”. Although the album does begin to taper a bit towards the end, as a whole Oracular Spectacular is solid. It will be interesting to see what direction MGMT takes in following up this ambitious release. – Christopher Witter

#17 Blitzen Trapper - Furr 

This year Blitzen Trapper followed its eclectic 2007 hit, Wild Mountain Nation, with the more polished and cohesive Furr. The band still showed a lot of range, but the transitions between tracks were not as jarring. In a span of three songs, the modus operandi changes three times: From the free spirited feel of “Saturday Night”, to the sinister narrative of “Black River Killer”, to the melancholic ballad “Not Your Lover”. The heart of each song beats with a throbbing, folksy vein that vaults Blitzen Trapper ahead of other groups of its nature. Furr catalogs a creative, inspired band with identity. – Damon Wright

#16 R.E.M. - Accelerate 

The fact is that Accelerate wasn’t the return to form for R.E.M. that was much hyped, meaning more up-tempo rock songs. The band has always succeeded at that, from “Begin The Begin” to “Turn You Inside Out” to “Departure.” How it was a return to form is that the album got back to them writing quality R.E.M. songs. It’s been over ten years, an eternity really, since the band crafted songs that mattered, that had a real soul to them. Blame the departure of Bill Berry all you want but the fact is the band thrives when the world around them is at its wits’ end. In the mid to late ’90s things were pretty much alright and that led to middle of the road songs. Then with Around The Sun things got worse for everyone. Still stinging from that experience the three piece, with former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin in tow, got down to it, got angry, and got motivated. – Matthew Smith

#15 Girl Talk - Feed the Animals 

There is not a catchier, more accessible album this year than the latest by DJ/not a DJ Greg Gillis. Feed The Animals has easily trumped the loveable, insanely frantic Night Ripper by upping the energy, originality, and danceability by a factor of ten. Gillis’ encyclopedic knowledge of hip hop and pop music and divine ability to make any song dance worthy puts this record on the tip of everyone’s tongue and first on the playlist for any party. But don’t take my word for it. Stephen King’s blurb in Entertainment Weekly says it all, claiming Feed The Animals is as “dense and elusive as James Joyce’s Ulysses only you can dance to it.” All pretensions aside, this is one of those albums that defines the artistic sensibility of a decade, and needs to be heard at home and in the club to truly appreciate. – Matt Cohen

#14 Beck - Modern Guilt 

Just as it seemed that this year’s deluxe reissue of his 1996 masterstroke, Odelay, might damn much of Beck’s output since 1999’s shiny and somewhat soulless Midnight Vultures, he bounced back with the majestic Modern Guilt. Teaming-up with the hip-hopular Danger Mouse proved to be a risk worth taking for ten tightly-wrapped pop-noire packages. Blurring the electronic with the organic, melding melancholia with misbehaviour, fusing the futuristic with the arcane, Modern Guiltcrawled a thousand sonic floors to deliver its miniature pockets of melodic bliss during the course of just 33 minutes. From the terpsichorean gleam of “Gamma Ray,” through the gazing gloom of “Chemtrails,” via the strutting electro-funk of the title-track, over the transcendental and Arabesque “Walls,” inside the Four Tet-like “Replica,” spun into the chugging churn of “Profanity Prayers” and right down into the redemptive space-blues of the closing “Volcano,” Beck Hansen nailed-down his best long-player since 1998’s seriously undervalued Mutations. Better a decade late than never. – Adrian Pannett

#13 Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs 

Narrow Stairs was Death Cab For Cutie’s follow-up to 2005’s stellar Plans. It was a really good record, full of memorable melodies and music both optimistic and pessimistic. “You Can Do Better Than Me” opened like a lost track from The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, and “Grapevine Fires,” the best track on the disc, will stay with you for a long, long time. Unfortunately, “I Will Possess Your Heart” wasted its first half with a stagnant, unmoving jam, and several other tracks just didn’t showcase Death Cab’s fantastic writing abilities. But overall, it’s a release that would have made any band proud – Jordan Blum

#12 Department of Eagles - In Ear Park 

One of the most personal and intimate albums of 2008, Department of Eagles’ Daniel Rossen and Fred Nicolaus crafted a seemingly flawless album. Dedicated to Rossen’s father, In Ear Park is named after a park the two used to frequent when Rossen was a child. It’s with these memories and lost images that the album is inspired, and they are stunningly presented. The music, which is a few hundred steps from the electronic flurries that were on the group’s previous album, is a mature, spellbinding, riveting listen that immediately sucks you in. The touches of instrumentation are what truly make it enthralling; there are swirling strings, soaring pianos, and the occasional ethereal vocal progression. With the help of a few of Rossen’s Grizzly Bear compatriots, the songs on In Ear Park are utterly mesmerizing. “No One Does it Like You,” for example, can at first sound like a silly teenage love song, but upon further listens, it reveals a somber homage to Rossen’s father. Complete with Rossen’s full-bodied guitar, the emotion of the recordings is unrivaled, and it’s hard to imagine that the album won’t have a lasting impact. – Bryan Sanchez

#11 Bonnie “Prince” Billy - Lie Down in the Light 

The prolific Will Oldham released a grinning collection of Americana on Lie Down in the Light. The artist’s most celebrated album may be I See a Darkness, but Oldham consistently proves he can make good music on sunny days, too. Lie Down in the Light may be his best example yet. As musical inspiration goes, comfort isn’t the sexiest topic. History is full of comfortable artists making lazy music. But Lie Down in the Light,like so much of Oldham’s catalog, so sincerely conveys peace of mind, that it is hard not to feel the warmth. Guest musicians and combinations of gospel, country and folk influences add some tweaks to this stellar Bonnie “Prince” Billy album. – Damon Wright

Part three in list of the Best Albums of 2008 continues with 30 through 21…

#30 James - Hey Ma 

The creative, alternative, Brit-rock band James put out nine distinct, innovative, and sometimes glorious, rock albums before calling it quits in 2001. Fortunately, though unexpectedly, they re-formed in 2008 and released their tenth studio album,Hey Ma. Re-charged with a new energy, James borrowed from the vast array of superb sounds that graced their last four albums to formulate an impressive and awesome new record with a pulse on the present and an eye to the future. Mixing clever, politically charged lyrics and humming guitar textures over rich, layered melodies, the 11 stellar songs are a majestic mix of eclectic indie-rock styles and anthemic stadium rock, complete with magniloquent horns and alternative pop hooks. – Matt the Raven

#29 Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer 

The leading lady of The Dresden Dolls delivers a solo dose of punk cabaret, with a host of guest performers including Zoe Keating, East Bay Ray and Annie Clark of St. Vincent. For the most part this album showcases a more introspective, softer side to Palmer’s song writing skills, but nevertheless also delivers at least a few songs with some of the raucous, punk attitude we’ve come to expect from her. There’s something magical about this album; perhaps it’s the passion with which Palmer paints the characters that people her songs, or perhaps it’s her capacity to command the listener’s emotions so easily. Whatever that special quality is it has produced one of the best albums of the year. – Laura Bettney

#28 Women - Women 

This album is a testament to the vitality of the indie spirit. It crosses boundaries between ’60s pop, experimental, rock, no-wave, and post-punk (to name just a few) without respecting any of the constraints of each. This is a rare work in these times of musical commodification and homogeneity. It’s almost unreal how well the band executes on its promise. The songs show as much passion as they do ingenuity. “Shaking Hand” has to be my favorite single of 2008 for all of its energy, feeling, intricacy, and unexpectedness. How often do you find an album that continually keeps you guessing and engaged at the same time? Repeated listens only reinforce the respect I have for this album and this band. – David Smith

#27 Shearwater - Rook 

Encompassing themes of mortality, the magnificent environment we live in, and even love itself, Rook is easily one of the best albums of the year. It ends how it begins — intimate and personal — and encompasses a myriad of other emotions in between. Hook-laden rockers rub elbows with affectingly genuine ballads. For Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg, deciding to leave his first band, Okkervil River (who also appear elsewhere on this list), this year was difficult. But what he and his bandmates accomplished with Rook is something both impressive and commendable. Mirroring the transformation of late-period Talk Talk, this is the kind of music initially known as post-rock and not the snore inducing crescendo crush of Mogwai’s wave of imitators. – Bryan Sanchez & Joe Davenport

#26 M83 - Saturdays = Youth 

Pure pop music was in its rarest form on this album, which transported the listener back to the ’80s in the best sense possible. Sunny and optimistic, tracks like “Kim & Jessie,” “We Own the Sky,” and “Graveyard Girl” would have made every John Hughes movie even better. It is quintessential feel-good music, and casts a fresh light on what it means to make “pop” music today. The album is excellent all around; there is little repetition and it never sounds forced. Saturdays = Youth is both joyous and introspective. It time travels backward without being overwrought or overtly “retro.” – Claire Schuster

#25 Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel 

Upon first listen, Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound sounds a lot like his full time project, Deerhunter, with more keyboards. Repeated listens, however, reveal a sort of closeness and intensity that can only happen when one person controls the output. Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel sounds like a journey through the dreams of one of the underground’s most embattled figures. The songs are settled halfway between Bjork’s Vespertine and a panic attack, which makes it about par for the course for the guy who once titled an album Turn It Up Faggot. – Matthew Kalogerakis

#24 The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust 

Frankly, I had never been impressed much by The Raveonettes previous releases. Lust Lust Lust was another case of a band that made such a vast improvement that it made my head spin. Gone were the polite pop songs of albums like Chain Gang of Love and Pretty in Black. In their place were attributes like the avalanche of feedback wrangled out at the end of “Aly, Walk With Me” or the Jesus & Mary Chain fuzz on “You Want the Candy.” Not only is Lust Lust Lust the band’s strongest album to date, it’s one that practically begs to be heard by those like myself that might have previously dismissed the band as “safe” or “boring.” – Joe Davenport

#23 Kaki King - Dreaming of Revenge 

Underrated and under-appreciated, Kaki King is the one of the strongest guitarists around today. Her latest release swims with dense, noodling riffs and soaring, breath-taking melodies. Dreaming Of Revenge feels effortless, with its sublime compositions that never seem to drag or bore. King knows when to showcase her amazing virtuoso skills and when to hang back on the track and let an intricate, hooking rhythm take center stage. This is one record you really shouldn’t pass up. – Matt Cohen

#22 Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust 

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust showed off a slightly different side of Sigur Rós this year. Gone were the bombastic arrangements and long-form compositions of albums such as Ágætis byrjun, (), and Takk. In their place were, for the most part, the usual melodies packed tightly into simpler folk songs. I don’t recall hearing a bowed guitar anywhere on here. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea it certainly proved that the band was willing to branch out from its trademark sound even if it wasn’t quite far enough to truly distance the album completely from past works. We will have to mention the awful artwork separately from the album. Sorry dudes.- Joe Davenport

#21 Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst 

What is there to say about Conor Oberst? Putting his Bright Eyes moniker on hold seems to have had an effect on his music. Its sunnier moments are very bright and even his quieter moments have an uplifting quality to them. It’s interesting to note that this album was recorded in Mexico, and as much as we might have guessed that he would be influenced by the native music, it has only bled slightly into the mix. This collection of solo music truly does live up to his Dylan comparisons, but it isn’t gratuitous or stale. His impersonation is lovingly punctuated by his own unique croon and youthful aplomb. Conor Oberst’s self-titled effort truly is one of the best of the year thanks to countless catchy songs. Not to mention, it’s a damn fun listen. – Jose Vela

Part two in our look back at the Best Albums of 2008 continues with 40 through 31…

#40 The Duke Spirit - Neptune 

Back in February, The Duke Spirit delivered a slice of good old-fashioned rock and roll in the form of Neptune. With her throaty, smooth vocals and lyrics about strength and courage, joy and optimism, and desire and obsession, Liela Moss is a pretty special front woman. Musically the band moves smoothly between stirring, anthemic rock songs (“Into The Fold,” “The Step and The Walk”) and stunningly beautiful pop songs (“Dog Roses,” “Lassoo”); whatever style they pick though, it’s consistently good. The best song here is “Neptune’s Call,” a rolling, surging rock number with sensual lyrics about devotion and passion. This is truly one of the few albums I’ve bought this year that has been on my play list pretty consistently – great stuff! – Laura Bettney

#39 Astrobrite - One Hit Wonder 

Astrobrite mastermind Scott Cortez is at his best when he experiments with the fundamentals of pop music like some haphazard child investigating the insides of a favorite toy. The gang’s all here, girls and sex and love and velvet, but buried under a playful fog of noise. He’s pretty much pushed the shoegaze genre to its end, as far as dissonance-contra-pop is concerned, as One Hit Wonder brims over with equal parts sonic supernova and bubblegum preciousness (a string of song titles should clue you in: “Purr,” “Sparkleface,” “Furrysweet Big Muff”). This is the music that would’ve been played at your prom had Kevin Shields and Brad Laner chaired the organizing committee. – Jacob Price

#38 Able Baker Fox - Voices 

Anyone familiar with Small Brown Bike and The Casket Lottery should be aware that they were once creative cohorts. Able Baker Fox reunites the post-hardcore supergroups for – big surprise – an impressive album. On [i]Voices[/i], it toggles between The Casket Lottery’s howling verses and Small Brown Bike’s refined choruses. The pointy, meandering guitars are reminiscent of the former, and straight up “rock out” parts the latter. Both frontmen of the former bands share vocal duties on the record. Could that have something to do with the album’s title? It was bound to sound like their old bands, but I didn’t see anything wrong with that. I heard reports that they were making the diehards proud out there. These guys should take breaks from adult life more often. Comeback of the year! – Brian Kraus

#37 Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak 

Experiencing heartache, due to the loss of his fiancée as well as the death of his mother, Kanye West naturally took some time off to gather himself and prepare for his next album. During this hiatus, West realized something deep and profound. He realized that his mother and God would want him to channel all of his hurt and pain into music. It was with this epiphany that West assured himself that he belongs with the pantheon of musical giants. Inspired by the TR-808 machine that producer and friend Jon Brion introduced him to, he developed his most direct album to date. 808s & Heartbreak is a gorgeously poignant, electronically-infused, and ingeniously crafted album. The music is startling brilliant: it features choir-like vocals and tribal beats, loud booming basses, rhythmic snares, and precise toms with West singing on every single song. The subject matter revolves around love, loss, depression, moving-on, grief, mourning and yes, heartbreak. 808s & Heartbreak is honest and sincerely powerful. – Bryan Sanchez

#36 Totimoshi - Milagrosa 

This 11 song gem is Totimshi’s first semi-conceptual album. The trio’s Latin heritage, Tony Aguilar’s unique voice, and their all-around desert-scorching sound add dimensions to the essence that are so very lacking elsewhere in the hard-rock genre. Totimoshi uses both words and music so effectively that the slow burn of its songs – especially when dug into over repeat listens – will leave an indelible mark. The group isn’t so serious that anything here is boring, but the focus and mental acuity shine through every riff and lyric. It’s a superb addition to this wholly underrated group’s catalog and worthy of any hard rock fan’s attention. If you’ve tired of nothing but party bands to toke up with behind their van in the parking lot at the bar, thenMilagrosa should prove as thoughtful a listen as it is engaging. Thoughtful doesn’t mean the album is lacking an edge, but it does mean you might just gain something a little more personal than just a good time. – Jennifer Patton

#35 Secret Shine - All of the Stars 

The 1990s U.K. “shoegazer” band returned with a stellar album high on distorted guitar-driven dynamics, catchy melodies, and sweet to melancholic, sky-gazing male and female harmonies. While Secret Shine is not as well-known as luminaries like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, the band crafts similar soundscapes of dense, wall-of-guitar squalls, dreamy, ethereal lulls, and starry-eyed vocals. On All of the Stars, soaring, angelic vocal atmospherics interweave with abrasive guitar textures, and the band members expand upon the layered guitar structure by incorporating piano and synth notes, strings, and electronics. The overall sound leans towards dream-rock instead of dream-pop, with restlessly swirling, rough-edged guitars and shifting drum tempos sparring with the sweeping rush of stratospheric male and female vocals. Sublime. – Jen Stratosphere Fanzine

#34 Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue 

Parc Avenue is a powerfully expansive album with a lot to offer. Ragged, rootsy Americana lies at the heart of these tracks. But Plants and Animals take that heart and exercise it rigorously with flourishing arrangements, yielding songs that are packed with feeling. The band freely and confidently explores any genre its heart desires. A single track may take several turns, but each turn is organic, and never sounds overindulged. In addition to the solid musicianship, smart and focused yet ambling sound benefits from the warmth of analog recording. – Damon Wright

#33 Opeth - Watershed 

Watershed, Opeth’s latest output, was yet another excellent release from this Swedish metal band. The new drummer and second guitarist (Martin Axenrot and Fredrik Åkesson, respectively) play their parts masterfully and add to the creativity of mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt. The disc has some of the group’s most beautiful moments, such as “Coil” and “Burden,” as well as some really heavy numbers, like “Heir Apparent” and “Hessian Peel.” Also, their prog side shines throughout, and they even venture into a jazzy middle section on “The Lotus Eater.” Throughout the album, Opeth continues its trademark duality of brutal metal and beautiful acoustic passages, with Åkerfeldt’s vocals switching between demonic and angelic. Overall, Watershed is another brilliant release by one of the greatest metal bands around today. – Jordan Blum

#32 Kings of Leon - Only By the Night 

A departure from their earlier, more raucous albums like Youth & Young Manhood, the Kings of Leon have crafted a masterful, epic collection of songs that show both the band’s creativity as well as their maturation. Lead singer Caleb Followill has finally started using his vocal prowess to its full potential, and the sparse intentionality of each track’s composition is spectacular. The band has said this album coincided with some difficult times in their lives, and the tracks reflect that beautifully. Why the Kings are so famous worldwide without a large following in the States is mind-boggling, few bands rock as hard and as consistently. “Crawl” is a prime example of this, while the sweeping chords of “Cold Desert” are haunting and poignant. “I Want You” is reminiscent of their material on Aha Shake Heartbreak, as is the increasingly popular “Sex on Fire.” – Claire Schuster

#31 James Blackshaw - Litany of Echoes 

James Blackshaw’s Litany of Echoes was the aural equivalent to painting’s pointillism. It’s Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon, had all those hoity-toity park folks discarded their parasols in favor of texts on metaphysics and arcana. Flurries of notes conglomerated to form beautiful melodic images – Blackshaw’s manic picking really demanded you take in the work as a whole since, otherwise, you’d wind up analyzing sporadic sounds rather than a coherent sum. His critics said he was just rehashing the same record over and over, but Litany probed at a hypnotic minimalism his previous works had only hinted at, and with a serenity often reserved for the spiritual. – Jacob Price