Top 10

10. CATFISH HAVEN
Please Come Back
For 2006, this album doubled as my 70s-influenced rock staple as well as my breakup album. It's great to find a record like this, one that can get your toes tapping, your air drums banging -- and still have it act like therapy. Most full-lengths don't have as much impact as these six songs.

9. JOANNA NEWSOM
Ys
I wasn't sure what to make of a 55-minute album with five songs. With every listen it grew apparent that to measure this album in songs would be to completely miss the point. The song suites do their absolute best to keep you clinging to each melody line. The melodies can drag, repeat and leave for minutes to extinguish the slightest feeling of repetition a 17-minute song can bring. Along with Joanna's new confidence in her voice, the amazing arrangements of Gus Van Dykes make this record the best solo album of the year.

8. THE LIARS
Drum's Not Dead
Drum's Not Dead has the same great plodding qualities of Sigur Ros and a healthy dose of unhinged tribal rhythm found in bands like Animal Collective and Glissandro 70. What's even better(if you know and like these bands) is that it's all wrapped together in a dark, psychedelic journey between these two sides of the coin. It's not the type of album you can listen to every hour of the day, but when the sun goes down and you're looking to chant and dance like a demon there is no other album like this.

7. GRIZZLY BEAR
Yellow House
Out of all the albums on this list, this one is the hardest to describe. The band relies heavy on atmospherics, chant-like vocals and repeated guitar themes. The orchestration reminds me of some earlier Beach Boys songs, only on more depressants.

6. ROCK PLAZA CENTRAL
Are We Not Horses
There is always room on my stereo for a dynamic concept album about robot horses with real feelings. Seriously. The vocals on "Are We Not Horses" may turn some listeners off, but that would be a shame. To me there's not another voice this year that has found a better musical match. Tonally, it doesn't change as much from song to song as it should, but the performances still communicate the big themes of mortality, frustration and hope.

5. DANIELSON
Ships
There is certain point in many songs on Ships where the track will flip dynamics in a spiral of high-spirited successes or failures. The percussion, choir of vocals and barrage of instruments sometimes bark out at you so fiercely that Danielson and crew manage to come across like a cheerleading squad in a strange collaboration with the class valedictorian. If this statement sounds like an insult, you've got to hear the album for yourself.

4. HOT CHIP
The Warning
The vocals on The Warning are the most engaging instrument on this album. Everything about the other instrumentation is perfect in its own place. The electronics are not overly ornate and and are quite self-serving to the themes of each song. The danceable beats seem to enter the mix fully aware of their purpose: to make you boogie down to your failures, doubts and irritabilities. This is the Beta Band album I've been waiting for.

3. CAMERA OBSCURA
Let's Get Out Of This Country
This is one of two break-up albums in my top ten. As Catfish Haven gave their southern-tinged plea for love, Camera Obscura takes the subject matter of the break up as a plea to move on. The quiet, intimate songs ("Country Mile") sound great juxtaposed between the more exclamatory/relevatory jangle-pop tracks ("If looks Could Kill"). By sporting a solid tracking order, this album has the rare ability to feel as though each track is answering the concerns of the one before it.

2. ISLANDS
Return To The Sea
I became a fan of the Unicorns way after the hype machine left, so it seemed fitting to experience the modest hype of Islands play out in front of my face. I fell in, and it wasn't long before I was listening to it over and over again -- starting with nine-minute opener "Swans" all the way through to the 10+ outro/secret song "Bucky Little Wing" and back again to the beginning.

1. TV ON THE RADIO
Return to Cookie Mountain
This album is always finding my mood and contorting it strictly to the Cookie Mountain atmosphere. The multiple vocal tracks and emphasis on soul, ambience and raw rhythm draw me in on every listen. It's also one of only a few albums I have bought in quite some time. After a few listens, almost every track became an instant classic.