10 Menomena – Friend And Foe
Really original album, these guys are great live too.

09 Jamie T – Panic Prevention
I’ve been listening to this one pretty much non stop since early in the year.

08 Babyshambles – Shotter’s Nation
I think a lot of people think I’m crazy, but I am completely in love with this record. Good job, Pete.

07 LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver
Wow, so incredible. And I’m not normally a fan of the whole electronica/dance thing…

06 Kevin Drew – Spirit If…
Same thing everyone else said…

05 New Pornographers – Challengers
Far exceeded my expectations. Contrary to most NP fans, I like this one even better than Twin Cinema.

04 Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
I was lucky enough to get this one while it was still being self-released. It’ll be coming out on Jagjaguwar next year, and it’s beautiful enough to land on planty of 2008 lists too.

03 Okkervil River – The Stage Names
These guys just keep getting better and better. Just when you think Will Sheff can’t top himself lyrically, he goes and surprises you.

02 Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
This is another that was beyond what I could have ever expected. Mysterious Production Of Eggs was near perfect, and I never thought Andrew would do better. I was wrong.

01 The National – Boxer
This one and Andrew Bird were battling out all year for the top spot on my list. Apartment Story, by far the song of the year, swung it The National’s way. I also got to see them in concert a couple months ago, which was amazing.

I can’t put mine in order – it was hard enough deciding on the ten. So, in no particular order:

Cats On Fire – The Province Complains

Brilliant scandinavian brit-jangle, like Morrisey without the O.T.T. nationalism…

Miracle Fortress – Five Roses

A happy melody-laden little gem of an album – the sound of summer, despite it being autumn when I had it on heavy rotation on the iPod

Holy Fuck – Holy Fuck

Holy mindfuck! Album of the year, for me. Insanely danceable, energetic, witty.

Various – Do the Pop! (Australian Garage-Rock Sound 1976-87)

Double CD of indispensible Aussie 3 minute gems by Hoodoo Gurus, The Saints, The Stems et al.

Broken Family Band – Hello Love

This band once again fail to produce an album that I can’t love. Misanthropy has never sounded so sweet!

KSA – The Extraordinary Rendition of the Khe Sanh Approach

RIP the Khe Sanh Approach – East Anglia’s best and most indelible live experience. This 4 track EP goes some way to illustrating what was amazing about them.

Battles – Mirrored

Like jazz, but not wanky! Guaranteed to make me smile this year.

The Royal We – The Royal We

Wait! Don’t split up! I’ve just discovered you!

Various – Truck 10

Another great compilation from the Oxford label and festival crew, this went some way to consoling me for the cancellation of July’s Truck 10. Standout tracks from Goldrush, Idlewild, Piney Gir and more.

The Wave Pictures – The Wave Pictures

Where have this band been up until now, and why did no-one introduce them to me sooner? Lyrically spot-on, from describing a debauched small-town night out; spending Christmas with your in-laws; haunted coffee machines and more. Listen, and smirk in recognition of YOUR LIFE!

10 – Taken By Trees – Open Field
I didn’t enjoy this the first couple of times I heard it, but I gave it a month and came back to it, wham! I love it, minimal production from Bjorn of PB&J, beautiful songs and that particular accent of Victoria Bergsman.

9 – The Twilight Sad – Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
What Hughes said.

8 – 31 Knots – The Days And Nights Of Everything Anywhere
A riot of an album, wildly inventive rock. frothing at the mouth to an indie rock Mardi Gras. As good as their last album, Talk Like Blood.

7 – Parts & Labor – Mapmaker
Anthemic punching the sky melodies and awful distorted noise. One of those really solid and exciting indie rock albums I tend to find every year, like The Velvet Teen’s Cum Laude from last year.

6 – Explosions In The Sky – All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
One of my favourite bands, this album lives up to it’s predecessors which is what I want from them really. Love the new elements of piano and noise, and I’m glad to see the martial drumming back again (which isn’t to say I missed it on The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place, but still).

5 – Aereogramme – My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go
Goodbye Aereogramme. It truly feels like they explored everything they could on their 3 albums and 2 EPs, and this one was a beautiful way to finish. Also, another album with excellent drumming.

4 – PJ Harvey – White Chalk
Blown away by this release. I’ve seen people call it mystical, gothic and fantastical, but to me it’s just an incredibly sad album, especially the mini theme of abortion in the middle. Pushing the vocal pitch up and not using guitars was a brilliant idea that serves the songs well.

3 – Nina Nastasia And Jim White – You Follow Me
I’m just going to quote my “TLOBF Loves:” post: “I think it’s a stunning album, Jim White is an unbelievably good drummer, his contributions are equal to that of Nastasia’s, despite only playing drums… Nastasia is so focused and delicate in both lyrics and guitar, narrators hark back to the old times in dusty sepia and a Depression weighs down on the world around the relationships and situations she explores.”

2 – Miracle Fortress – Five Roses
Out of nowhere comes Graham Van Pelt. Love love love love this album, some of the catchiest songs of the year and a brilliant organic cut and paste production. There are little whirls and snags all the way through the album that are just aural bliss. Also, I think this is a really good pairing with Panda Bear’s Person Pitch, they’re both using Brian Wilson influences in different ways.

1 – The National – Boxer
One of those albums that goes straight onto the hypothetical “Favourite Albums Ever” list. I don’t really think I can say anything that would add to what has been said already, so I’ll leave it at that.

10. Lucky Soul – The Great Unwanted
OK, it’s not going to change the world, but sometimes you just need a bit of froth, and it’s coming up to Christmas party season. They are a breeze live too.

9. Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade
Nice to hear Steve happy for once after all he’s been through. Almost for that reason alone it warmed the cockles of my heart. Dancing to Steve Earle – who would have thought it?

8. Ed Harcourt – Until Tomorrow Then
Not sure I could take each past individual album fully on board, but this ‘best of’ just grew and grew in my estimation as time went on.

7. Maria McKee – Late December
Long time fan and she never fails to deliver the goods. A more rounded album than usual. Perhaps fewer risks taken than with some of her artistic journeys, but still, those melodies … that voice …

6. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Less challenging and with fewer absolute highs than I’ve come to expect from Mr. Tweedy and co., but at the same time generally more consistent. The archetypal grower, and gets turbo-charged when performed live.

5. St. Vincent – Marry Me
An aural treat. Perky and entertaining – sounds fresh with every listen. May be a one-off, but who cares when it’s that good.

4. Emmylou Harris – Songbird
About an albums worth of unreleased material in this collection, and can’t get Snowin’ On Raton out of my head. Hey, it’s Emmylou – end of argument.

3. Devotchka – How It Ends
Magnificent of itself, but also gets extra points for memories of the single best live show I’ve seen this year. So under-rated it’s untrue.

2. The National – Boxer
It was love at first listen to Start A War. And at least the rest of the indie pundits might leave me alone now.

1. Augie March – Moo, You Bloody Choir
And out of nowhere they came. All I need: melody, artistry, variety, and balls. See you there whenever they get to the UK.