3 Inches of Blood Fire Up the Blades
Vancouver's top power-metal exponents delve successfully into the dungeons of yore with cataclysmic rockers like "Night Marauders" and "Trial of Champions". Here's hoping out-of-commission screamer Jamie Hooper regains full use of his vocal cords in 2008.> Lucas Aykryod

The 69 Eyes Angels
On this Helsinki glam-rock quintet's ninth album, Jyrki 69's Elvis Presley-indebted intonation atop swinging numbers such as "Perfect Skin" somehow validates shedding a nostalgic tear for Billy Idol's prime.> Lucas Aykryod

Abernethy College Grove
Droll and weirdly addictive chamber pop that's part Morrissey and part Syd Barrett. I could make some calls, but I won't, or I haven't yet, so Vancouver's Joseph Abernethy will remain a mystery for now. I suspect that the austere mastermind behind College Grove would prefer it that way.> Adrian Mack

The Acorn Glory Hope Mountain
Veering from strummy, low-key folk to percussive, Animal Collective freakishness, Glory Hope Mountain is full of beautiful surprises. Try listening to "Oh Napoleon" without feeling a chill.> Shawn Conner

Against Me! New Wave
This year's best argument that–despite what Good Charlotte would have us believe–punk's not dead. AbsolutePunk.net fans predictably screamed sellout. As usual, they had no idea what they were talking about.> Mike Usinger

Alex Cuba Agua del Pozo
B.C.–based, Havana-born guitarist Alex Cuba writes in the centuries-old tradition of trova, which blends Spanish folk roots and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. His songs are romantic but never cloying, with a jazzy, funky feel that swings like a hammock in a hurricane.> Tony Montague

Alicia Keys As I Am
This raw, deeplypersonal project proved a soothing salve for all that is wrong with pop music. (That's a lot, by the way.)> Tara Henley

Amorphis Silent Waters
Lyrical exploration of the Finnish national epic poem the Kalevala is nothing new for this sextet. However, the melding of melancholy piano and propulsive, Queensrí¿che-like guitars on the title track magnificently epitomizes how Amorphis has transcended its early '90s death-metal roots.> Lucas Aykryod

Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective Wátina
Singer and guitarist Andy Palacio fronts a multi ­generational lineup from Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, playing soulful songs with African roots and grooves that cut deep. A big hit in Europe, Wátina looks destined to be a world-music classic.> Tony Montague

Animal Collective Strawberry Jam

• Although it's the most straightforward Animal Collective album to date, Strawberry Jam is still weird as hell. Thankfully, the hillbilly space jam "Peacebone" and the piano loop/blast beat excursion "Cuckoo Cuckoo" are light-years away from normal pop songs. > Gregory Adams
• I'm no connoisseur of this genre, but for my money this is the best indie-rock record of the decade. > Martin Turenne
• Since this album of resolutely noncommercial art noise was released, a team of scientists has been trying to figure out if it's insufferably pretentious or groundbreakingly beautiful. Put me down for the latter, but bear in mind that I own and enjoy several Yoko Ono records.> Elaine Corden

Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare
These British lads are the storytellers of their generation. Infusing fast, funny, and fearless songwriting with tales of street smarts and broken hearts, this sophomore record is both dance-floor ready and guitar-heavy.> Deena Cox

Ari Koivunen Fuel for the Fire
Topping the Finnish charts for 12 weeks as your nation's Idol winner is nice. It's even nicer when your debut album explodes with Iron Maiden–style fist-pumpingness instead of MOR pap. This 23-year-old singer's Bruce Dickinson–like approach shines on anthems like "God of War" and "Heartstealer".> Lucas Aykryod

Bellowhead Burlesque
This debut from 11-piece ensemble Bellowhead is the most inventive and exciting recording from the English folk scene in years. Although most songs are traditional British Isles fare, the arrangements incorporate elements of jazz, klezmer, Cuban, Brazilian, and classical music. > Tony Montague

The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
"Disaster"–with its codeine-laced falsettos, weeping strings, and swirling guitars–is one of the few perfect songs you'll hear in your lifetime. The other seven tracks are pretty good too.> Gregory Adams

Bill Callahan Woke on a Whaleheart
Bill Callahan comes out from behind the (smog) to record under his own name, and rambling, deep-voiced pastoral folk ensues. If you haven't already fallen in love with Callahan, check out "Day" and "Night" toward the end of this album. Sigh.> Elaine Corden

Bjí¶rk Volta
A welcome return after the self-indulgent, over-intellectualized garble of Medúlla and Drawing Restraint 9, Bjí¶rk brings bizarre back with Volta's meandering squawks, grunts, and growls. Throw in some Asian-influenced string arrangements and the crown prince of the androgenoids, Antony Hegarty from Antony & the Johnsons, and it's a full-blown, fantastic freak show.> Deena Cox

Black Francis Bluefinger
You can call him Black Francis, or you can call him Frank Black. I call the former Pixies leader one of the most impressive punk-edged guitar-rockers around today. Bluefinger sounds a lot like the Replacements in their prime.> Steve Newton

Black Lips Good Bad Not Evil

• No, not "evil", but there's an amoral charm to the Black Lips that adds some spice to the brew. The important thing here is that the pee-drinking Atlantans rip off the sounds of the Count Five because they genuinely have no choice. > Adrian Mack
• Snot-nosed, Nuggets-style fuzz delivered by mere babies. Getting the riotous single "O Katrina!" out of my head was the hardest thing I had to do all year.> Elaine Corden

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings Let’s Frolic Again!
The follow-up to last year's Let's Frolic sees peerless singer-songwriter-guitarists Colin Linden, Tom Wilson, and Stephen Fearing going to town on startling roots-rock originals and the occasional track by their perpetual muse, Willie P. Bennett. The Wilson-sung rendition of Murray McLauchlan's "Down by the Henry Moore" is worth the price of admission alone.> Steve Newton

Blonde Redhead 23
The veteran New York indie-rock act hits a career high with this collection of songs, blending soaring falsetto singing with reverb-drenched guitars to create an invitingly dreamy sonic sphere that sounds unlike anything else released this year.> John Lucas

Boats! Intercontinental Champion
An idea-stuffed piñata of an album that sounds like Modest Mouse after a heavy intake of laughing gas, International Champion mixes melody, humour, thrift-store synths, and Mat Klachefsky's impossible-to-take-seriously vocals. "You Have Nothing to Lose Except Your Arms and Perhaps Your Legs" features what may be the year's best opening line in a song: "Your clothes will someday be a Halloween costume."> Shawn Conner

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Strength & Loyalty
The Cleveland crew returned to show the '80s babies how it's done. One would be hard-pressed to find a more emotionally honest track than the Akon-laced "I Tried", which made hip-hop heads everywhere take a break from their dope-boy bullshit and do some much-needed soul-searching.> Tara Henley

Brant Bjork and the Bros Somera Sól
Former Kyuss and Fu Manchu member Bjork hooks up with three talented Bros–including onetime Queens of the Stone Age drummer Alfredo Hernández–for some beautifully organic guitar-boogie and cosmic stoner-funk.> Steve Newton

Brother Ali The Undisputed Truth
On "Truth Is", Ali summed up how so many of us in hip-hop felt this year about the nonsense flooding the airwaves: "Children need to hear more truth when y'all teach them/Damn, I want to hear a plan from the dude preachin'/Got new seeds with true needs, and who's leadin'?/I truly believe every word I ever uttered on a drum break/Right or wrong, life go on, but it wasn't nuttin' fake/I demand you start listening to the crowd/If not, we gonna burn this shit to the ground."> Tara Henley

Burial Untrue
If sad and self-reflective is what you're after, check out this album, authored by an enigmatic Englishman who calls himself Burial. Nominally, this collection of smeared electronic soundscapes is known as dubstep, but as rendered here, it's like 2-step garage sent through an echo chamber and swaddled in thick layers of gorgeous, silken gauze.> Martin Turenne

Chet Fight Against Darkness
Full of maudlin lyrics, orchestral songwriting, and lump-in-the-throat vocals (the latter courtesy of Ryan Beattie, currently serving time as a guitarist in the vastly inferior Frog Eyes), Fight Against Darkness is the best yet from this Victoria quartet. Buy this record. Please.> Elaine Corden

Chris Cornell Carry On
Relying more on melodic songcraft than the punchy riffs of his previous bands, Soundgarden and Audioslave, Cornell shows himself to be a singer-songwriter of great emotion and depth. I could have done without his version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", though.> Steve Newton

Chrisette Michele I Am
From the moment she surfaced on the haunting hook of Jay-Z's "Lost One", it was clear that this fresh-faced church girl from Long Island had something with her sweet, smoky vocals and old-soul sensibility. Justin Timberlake may have brought sexy back, but Michele brought classy back.> Tara Henley

Circus Maximus Isolate
Lie back, stare at the ceiling, and let these Norwegian proggers sweep you away with waves of technical, melodic, and gloomy introspection on their second full-length CD.> Lucas Aykryod

Common Finding Forever
I used to love H.I.M., and post–Erykah Badu, I love him still.> Tara Henley

Cuff the Duke Sidelines of the City
Who says everything from Toronto has to suck? This Hogtown roots-rock quartet, led by founding singer-guitarist Wayne Petti, sure doesn't. "By Winter's End" is a new Canadian classic, and not just because it sports a guitar freak-out that Neil Young would die for.> Steve Newton

David Torn Prezens
A phantas ­magorical tour de force, session guitarist and soundtrack composer David Torn's Prezens folds the past 20 years of avant-guitar exploration into a sprawling, sample-laced invocation of the modern metropolis.> Alexander Varty

Dean and Britta Back Numbers
Ever wondered what saccharine, sexy love songs would sound like underwater? This is it. With a mix of quirky cover tunes and original material, the duo composed of Galaxie 500/Luna veteran Dean Wareham and his bass-playing wife, Britta Phillips, makes mushy melodies cool again. > Deena Cox

The Donnas Bitchin’
There's more girl power on this 14-track masterpiece than the Spice Girls have mustered in their entire career. From the exuberant defiance of "Don't Wait Up for Me" to the pure sing-along value of "Tonight's Alright", these Palo Alto goddesses dish up a fun, fresh, pop-metal vibe that would make Def Leppard jealous.> Lucas Aykryod

Echoes of Eternity The Forgotten Goddess
Last year, MTV.com dubbed singer Francine Boucher as "the hottest vixen in extreme metal since Arch Enemy's Angela Gossow". But on this Los Angeles–based band's debut release, the Quebec native proves she is so much more than that. Boucher offsets her bandmates' catchy thrash riffs with confident, cascading-choir vocals.> Lucas Aykryod

Electrelane No Shouts No Calls
The Brighton, England, gals' fourth album is a proggy, Stereolab-ish trip that would float off into the stratosphere if it weren't anchored by wicked hooks and alluring melodies.> Shawn Conner

Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton What is Free to a Good Home?
Metric's main babe, Emily Haines, continues her solo trek, with dampened piano and understated snare brush strokes disappearing into the background. She puts a lifetime worth of dread and despair to music while exploring the work of her late father, the poet Paul Haines.> Deena Cox

Eyes of Eden Faith
Songwriter-guitarist Waldemar Sorychta, best known for producing Lacuna Coil, needed faith to pull off his newly minted, female-fronted gothic-metal project. Losing original vocalist Sandra Schleret to health problems was a blow, but replacement Franziska Huth brings an enchanting, Enya-like dimension amid hard-edged riffage and shimmering strings.> Lucas Aykryod

Federico Aubele Panamericana
Buenos Aires guitarist and songwriter Aubele creates chilled-out Latin grooves for urban sophisticates. Produced by Thievery Corporation's Eric Hilton, Panamericana is an artful and sultry cocktail of pop, downtempo beats, dub, and finely textured electronica, with elements of tango, samba, bolero, and reggae.> Tony Montague

The Field From Here We Go Sublime
Sublime Swedish producer Axel Willner's first full-length takes the Kompakt Records template–immaculate textures set to swishy 4/4 rhythms–and adorns it with chopped-up vocal samples, creating a polished version of Matthew Herbert's hiccupping house.> Martin Turenne

Film School Hideout
Until My Bloody Valentine finally gets off its collective ass and puts out that long-delayed Loveless follow-up, fans of old-school shoegaze will have to make do with Film School's noisy assault of gauzy guitars and boy-girl harmonies. And yes, it really is good enough to fill that considerable void.> John Lucas

Gamelan Cudaman i Odalan Bali
A cheaply packaged souvenir sold during the Indonesian troupe's North American tour, Odalan Bali is also a rare opportunity to get acquainted with composer Dewa Ketut Alit. The former UBC guest instructor is a master of Balinese tradition, but he's not afraid to stir things up in his incredibly energetic and complex percussion scores.> Alexander Varty

The Good, the Bad & the Queen The Good, the Bad & the Queen
Damon Albarn's bittersweet love letter to England proves that Britpop, much like Ol' Blighty herself, isn't always sunny. Melancholy, dub-heavy dissertation "Kingdom of Doom" conjures up images of rain-soaked London, leaving me thankful that I don't live in a city that's covered by clouds 10 months of the year”¦ (cough)> Gregory Adams

Great Lake Swimmers Ongiara
This collection of gentle love songs to art and the Canadian landscape begs to be played on long road trips. Tony Dekker's whisper-soft delivery could make each passing mile feel like a step on an epic spiritual journey.> John Lucas

Grinderman Grinderman
Nick Cave leaves his Steinway and hits the basement with a stripped-raw quartet that includes the Dirty Three's Warren Ellis. Feral and stinking of subterranean grime, Grinderman leaves no doubt that, although he now does lunch with Hollywood, Cave remains the baddest motherfucker this side of Stagger Lee.> Mike Usinger

Gruff Rhys Candylion
A side project from Super Furry Animals' frontman Gruff Rhys, Candylion is, as the name implies, both sweet and ferocious. Offering all the layered psychedelia you'd expect from a member of SFA, but tempered with a throwaway breeziness, this sophomore solo effort is like Margarita ­ville for the Syd Barrett set: the perfect soundtrack for a sunny after ­noon with your favourite bong.> Elaine Corden

Gus Gus Forever
Whenever Icelandic weirdoes make music, it's bound to be brilliant. Gus Gus's fifth studio album since 1995 shows little evolution musically, but when you've nailed the danceable, 3 a.m. house vibe, who cares?> Deena Cox

Handsome Furs Plague Park
A rather lovely surprise from Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner and his better half, Alexei Perry, this nine-track gem takes some work to describe. The best I can do is "Ziggy Lightfoot": equal parts spacy dystopia and plaintive-yet-anthemic earthiness.> Elaine Corden

Heartbreak Scene The Szabo Songbook
Lurking in the shadows of Vancouver's indie scene, Mark Szabo is one of the city's most underrated tunesmiths. On The Szabo Songbook, vocalist Marcy Emery and a host of local players collect and revamp a bunch of Szabo's songs–such as the melodic and lyrical heartbreakers "Daytime Emmy", "Don't Make Me Sorry", and "Alibi"–and give them the second chance they so richly deserve. Can "The Situation" be the last tune I hear before I die?> Shawn Conner

Iron and Wine The Shepherd’s Dog
Sam Beam sacrificed some of the intimacy of his signature hushed-folk approach for a more expansive–and often subtly trippy–roots-rock sound, but his always calming voice benefits from the music's increased urgency.> John Lucas

Jay-Z American Gangster
This was Hova in top form: his poetics as dense as those of his early career, his delivery smooth in his trademark late-era style. American Gangster is, finally, what hip-hop should sound like as it approaches middle age.> Martin Turenne

Jimmy Eat World Chase This Light
Great rock albums were hard to come by this year. Fortunately Chase This Light, particularly with the go-for-broke "Big Casino" and the roaring "Feeling Lucky", filled the gap.> Shawn Conner

John Fogerty Revival
The former Creedence Clearwater Revival main man's long-held antiwar sentiments shower down like holy hell on George W. Bush and his warmongering cronies. Protest music never sounded so good. Or so timely.> Steve Newton

John Scofield This Meets That
On first hearing, I thought it was just more of the same old Sco–which is fine, but I probably own 20 of his CDs. In time, though, I've come to appreciate the leader's quietly eccentric horn charts, and having Steve Swallow on bass is always a treat.> Alexander Varty

Julie Doiron Woke Myself Up
The brief Eric's Trip reunion on three tracks is nice, but I dug Doiron's gentle and pragmatic view of the domestic life now looming over her generation. > Adrian Mack

Jully Black Revival
Enough to restore your faith in the healing power of music. > Tara Henley

Kanye West Graduation

• Give this man his props or face the tongue-lashing of your life. Thankfully, with this remarkable outing, West deserves every iota of praise he demands–and all eight Grammy nominations too. > Tara Henley
• Neither as good nor as ambitious as his first two records, West's third full-length is nonetheless remarkable, less a rap album than a strange experiment in electro-pop. Part of me wishes the Chicagoan would focus more on producing than being a frontman, but either way, we're lucky to have him.> Martin Turenne

Kevin House World of Beauty
Local painter and songwriter Kevin House has had the audacity to set a James Joyce lyric ("Chamber Music") to an original melody, so you'd better grab this before the Irish author's famously protective heirs send in their legal SWAT team. The wonder, though, is that House is as good a songwriter as his literary idol.> Alexander Varty

Laura Veirs Saltbreakers

• Portland singer-songwriter Laura Veirs marries elliptical lyrics to unusually memorable tunes, but drummer-producer Tucker Martine's rich and nuanced soundscapes make this the headphone record of the year.> Alexander Varty
• Portland-based singer-songwriter Laura Veirs and her band, the Saltbreakers, mix ephemeral ballads and smart rockers on an album burning with wisdom and soul.> Shawn Conner

LCD Soundsystem 45:33 / Sound of Silver
I'm hard-pressed to think of another contemporary artist–Kanye West, perhaps–who shows such profound love of music for music's sake as James Murphy. Bodily, intellectually, emotionally–the LCD Soundsystem mastermind investigates the art form in all its dimensions. While 45:33 was a Nike-commissioned continuous mix of original disco-themed tracks, Sound of Silver was a conventional album. On both releases, the bearish New Yorker grazed the sublime–the first a private experience designed for the headphoned jogger, the second an outward-looking collection of songs that reconciled the physicality of club music with the personal expression of the singer-songwriter tradition.> Martin Turenne

Led Zeppelin Mothership
After recently spending an hour swilling Chardonnay out of an old coffee cup while waiting for a ferry with Led Zep cranked, I had an epiphany: Robert Plant is the sexiest motherfucker to ever lay lips on a microphone. Bandwagon. Jumped.> Deena Cox

Lightning Dust Lightning Dust
Moonlighting Black Mountaineers Amber Webber and Joshua Wells launched a side project that's more about tremulous beauty than alt-prog bombast. Shimmering keyboards, dying-campfire guitar, and incandescent vocals make this debut a natural for lying in star-dusted fields on cold winter nights.> Mike Usinger

Lil Wayne Da Drought 3
Where James Murphy is in love with music, Louisiana rapper Lil Wayne delights in words–for their rhetorical powers, for their ambiguities, and for the sounds they make. Da Drought 3 was just a mix tape, not an album, but its stunning verbal dynamics recalled Bob Dylan, circa Bringing It All Back Home.> Martin Turenne

Loudon Wainwright III Strange Weirdos
Like an old court jester, Loudon Wainwright III possesses a sharp, sardonic wit that gets under the skin and sticks. Whimsical and wise, self-absorbed yet self-deprecating, he delves fearlessly into the darker and more sensitive areas of his psyche on this folk-based collaboration with fellow songwriter Joe Henry. > Tony Montague

Low Drums and Guns
As a snapshot of our strife-torn Zeitgeist, Drums and Guns makes for uneasy listening. As a peek into Alan Sparhawk's fragile psyche, it's downright disturbing. Fortunately, Low offers plenty of beauty–including gorgeous vocal harmonies–to stop the gloom from turning oppressive.> John Lucas

M.I.A. Kala

• No song this year said more about modern-day war profiteers than Kala's "Paper Planes", where gunshots alternate with a ringing cash register over a sample of the Clash's "Straight to Hell". Offering everything from Bollywood new wave to Australian Aboriginal grime-hop, the rest of this globally minded mashup is only marginally less brilliant.> Mike Usinger
• Recorded in six countries, Kala is the record you'd play at a block party where everyone in the world was invited. This is a pop album in the literal sense: it pops out of the speakers with an abandon rarely heard in these sad, self-reflective times. > Martin Turenne

Mando Diao Ode to Ochrasy
Swedish guitar-rockers the Hellacopters recently announced that they're breaking up, which is sad news to anyone who's heard High Visibility or By the Grace of God. Thankfully, there's ripping bands like Mando Diao to take up the slack in Scandinavia.> Steve Newton

Manu Chao La Radiolina
An indie-rock megastar in Europe and the Latin world, Chao is little known in North America. La Radiolina, the Spanish-based singer's fourth release, should change that. Its exuberantly global songs crackle with intelligence and fierce energy, fusing hard rock, punk, reggae, ska, folk, rumba flamenco, and salsa.> Tony Montague

Maroon 5 It Won’t Be Soon Before Long
Memo to friends of mine who like to say things like, "Well, I didn't like them at the time, of course, but I have a grudging respect for the songcraft of Hall & Oates, blah blah blah”¦" Maroon 5, dummies. Same deal. Get onboard–now.> Adrian Mack

Master Kong Nay & Ouch Savy Mekong Delta Blues
"The Ray Charles of Cambodia" really does sound like a great unknown blues genius, albeit one who sings in Khmer and plays the lutelike chapei dong veng instead of the piano or the guitar. His 21-year-old female apprentice Ouch Savy adds a touch of sweetness to music that's otherwise beautifully strange–and strangely familiar.> Alexander Varty

Mavis Staples We’ll Never Turn Back
A veteran of the '60s Civil Rights movement, Staples revisits social injustice and political corruption in America in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq war. This brilliant album, helmed by Ry Cooder, showcases the singer's richly nuanced voice with a mix of gospel, blues, pop, soul, and R&B songs–all performed with warmth, grace, and total conviction. > Tony Montague

Meat Puppets Rise to Your Knees
Comeback of the year, as in, bassist Cris Kirkwood basically came back from the dead. Humble, inspired, and gorgeous.> Adrian Mack

Metric Grow Up and Blow Away
Recorded between 1999 and 2001 but mired in record-company red tape ever since, this synth-pop-electro-rock explosion showcases a very primitive yet recognizable Metric sound that blends spoken word and spun-out guitars with a healthy dose of trademark sarcasm.> Deena Cox

Miracle Fortress Five Roses
Montreal's Graham Van Pelt stretched the boundaries of new-recording software this year with this stupefyingly ornate homage to both Brian Wilson and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Gorgeous, if a tad ubiquitously spun toward the end of the year.> Elaine Corden

Music Soulchild Luvanmusiq
Because you haven't lived until you've experienced the love-in that is a Musiq Soulchild live show. Once you have, the disc will forever stay on heavy rotation in your crib.> Tara Henley

The National Boxer
Brooklyn's the National followed up its 2005 breakthrough, the masterful Alligator, with a disc brimming with unexpectedly stately string arrangements and more of singer-lyricist Matt Berninger's wry observations on crumbling friendships and love affairs that bloom and die in squalid apartments.> John Lucas

The Nels Cline Singers Draw Breath
Those who enjoyed Wilco's highly touted Sky Blue Sky mainly for Nels Cline's glistening guitar solos will find a world of pleasure here, along with brutally harsh noisemaking and John Coltrane–inspired sheets of sound.> Alexander Varty

New Buffalo Somewhere, anywhere
Australian wunderkind Sally Seltmann's sophomore New Buffalo release, with soothing bass lines underpinning synthy-sweet vocals, continues to get good traction thanks to her songwriting credit on Feist's breakout track "1234". Note to Seltmann: some songs are simply too good to give away.> Deena Cox

Ne-Yo Because of You
His boss, Jay-Z, has heralded him as the new king of pop. That may not be too far off, considering this silver-tongued young stunner has almost single-handedly steered radio hip-hop away from tedious playboy pillow talk and back to the art of adoring women.> Tara Henley

Nick Lowe At My Age

• A perfect slice of old-man rock that doesn't attempt to beguile or postulate. In a gimmicky, postmodern world, this is elegance of the highest order. > Elaine Corden
• He might play dad-rock, but on At My Age Nick Lowe is still a songwriter's songwriter. Here, on his first disc of new tracks since 2001's The Convincer, he delivers witty, acerbic, and even hopeful tunes, including the hugely entertaining, if slightly depraved "I Trained Her to Love Me". > Shawn Conner

No Age Weirdo Rippers
Equal parts syrupy shoegaze and rough-and-tumble hardcore, Weirdo Rippers is the shape of punk to come. Get ready.> Gregory Adams

Northern State Can I Keep This Pen?
Although not quite as goofy as its title, this CD is still an impossible-to-resist charm attack from a trio of fast-talking New York State hipsters. The "Mother May I?" line "Have a lemonade spritzer/With Eliot Spitzer" says it all.> Shawn Conner

Of Montreal Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer?

• I can only hope the soundtrack to my inevitable nervous breakdown will be as gleeful as Kevin Barnes's latest heart-wrenching masterpiece. The giddy mix of electro-funk and indie pop diverts attention from what was, lyrically, 2007's most devastating album.> Gregory Adams
• By his own account, Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes went through a devastating marital split that left him on the verge of a mental breakdown. Instead of setting his despairing lyrics to a bunch of weepy ballads, however, Barnes channelled his angst into this exuberant neon-paisley swirl of psychedelic disco-pop. He also took to flashing his flaccid trouser mouse on-stage, but that's a different story.> John Lucas
• Rock music for crossword devotees. One of American pop's few true polymaths, Kevin Barnes sets coded messages of heartbreak to Krautrock beats, then swaddles them in layers of electronically processed guitars and keyboards. > Alexander Varty

Okkervil River The Stage Names

• Okkervil River's Will Sheff officially arrives with a collection of musical stories as majestic as they are poetic. The devastating "A Girl in Port" alone will leave you wondering what the hell you ever saw in the Arcade Fire. > Mike Usinger
• The scope of The Stage Names blew me away. It's exhausting, even with only nine songs. And the suicide-note denouement to "John Allyn Smith Sails", which cribs from the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B" when singer Will Sheff wails, "This is the worst trip I've ever been on," is the single most transporting minute of indie rock I've heard all year. > Adrian Mack

Outlaw Social Dry Bones
Victoria string band Outlaw Social mixes traditional songs from Appalachia and original material with a bluegrass and country-rock flavour. The musicianship is impeccable, and the singing unusually strong. Bassist Oliver Swain's agile voice will make the hairs bristle on the back of your neck. > Tony Montague

Ozomatli Don’t Mess With the Dragon
The strongest release yet from 10-piece band Ozomatli, this gritty party disc seamlessly integrates all aspects of the Angelinos' wide-ranging tastes–rock, pop, funk, hip-hop, and world music–while maintaining a progressive edge.> Tony Montague

Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet
It's not often I'll pick a bluegrass record as a favourite, but soaring singer Peter Rowan and flashy flatpicker Tony Rice are never less than magical on everything from folk classics "Shady Grove" and "Cold Rain and Snow" to Patti Smith's "Trespasses".> Alexander Varty

Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs
Zach Smith and Rob Crow return with more brain-twisting rhythms, interweaving vocal melodies, and the best bass-playing this side of Les Claypool. Oh, and a few of the songs–including the twitchy opener, "From Nothing to Nowhere"–come dangerously close to rocking out.> John Lucas

PJ Harvey White Chalk

• Musical shape-shifter PJ Harvey trades in her guitar for treated piano and Mellotron. The captivatingly creepy results sound like something Victorian-era depressives might have reached for when the absinthe wasn't working. > Mike Usinger
• This time out, Polly Jean Harvey explores the quiet-storm route, with ghostly and stunning results. > John Lucas

Po’ Girl Home to You
What's not to love about a gaggle of East Van homegirls who rock the low-register clarinet, bring it on the banjo, and give Dolly Parton a run for her money?> Deena Cox

Pride Tiger The Lucky Ones
Former members of Vancouver metal act 3 Inches of Blood and punk band S.T.R.E.E.T.S. hook up for a '70s guitar-rock hoedown that screams Thin Lizzy, but brings a contemporary vibe to the dual-lead party.> Steve Newton

Radiohead In Rainbows

• By no means can In Rainbows be called the feel-good disc of the year. Radiohead still gets its mope on, but "All I Need" and "House of Cards" crackle with an optimism the group hasn't shown since The Bends. > Gregory Adams
• Say what you like about the way Radiohead chose to release In Rainbows; it's a stunner. Epic in reach, meditating on everything from Faustian bargains to simple love affairs, the triumph here is not that the group released something great (what would you expect?), but that it released something accessible. > Elaine Corden

Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad
It takes an awful lot to steal Beyoncé's thunder, seeing as Jay-Z calls her "the hottest chick in the game". But with her sun-drenched smile and hypnotic, singsong vocals, Rihanna has come pretty damn close. Rest assured, if it rains, Little Miss Sunshine will have no shortage of umbrellas on offer.> Tara Henley

Rilo Kiley Under the Blacklight
There is something so intrinsically wrong about Rilo Kiley's glossy major-label debut. Ditzy disco tunes "Breakin' Up" and "Dejalo" should start a full-scale barf-a-rama among long-time fans, but somehow the over-the-top phoniness works in the disc's favour. Shallow doesn't often sound this fun.> Gregory Adams

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Raising Sand
An alliance of two artists from opposite ends of the musical spectrum makes for an unlikely killer. Led Zep's blues screamer and the queen of bluegrass find beautiful common ground on songs with a left-field country and rockabilly feel.> Tony Montague

Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters Hope Radio
Tone master Earl is possibly the greatest blues guitarist on the planet. Every note he touches turns to gold on these 11 tracks, recorded live in the studio in front of a very small–and extremely fortunate–audience.> Steve Newton

Rufus Wainwright Release the Stars
More baroque pop soul from Canada's leading Judy Garland impersonator, Release the Stars isn't a classic on the level of 2003's Want One, but it still boasts some of the year's best tunes ("Do I Disappoint You", "Nobody's Off the Hook", "Going to a Town"), not to mention one of the worst ("Tulsa").> Shawn Conner

Ryan Adams Easy Tiger
God, he's such a prick, but this–honestly–is the Ryan Adams album I've been waiting for since Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac. Considering what he's put his fans through between then and now, both musically and with his unwavering pursuit of flaming assholery, Adams should be issuing apologies, not new albums. But Easy Tiger will do for now.> Adrian Mack

The Sadies New Seasons
Somewhere in heaven's Bucket of Blood Saloon, Gram Parsons, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, and Johnny Cash are sitting around in a thick Jim Beam haze, happier than hell that the Sadies have chosen to carry the torch. > Mike Usinger

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights
Although the full Sharon Jones experience can only be gained through seeing her live, 100 Days is a pretty good approximation of how awesome this queen of soul is. Will make even the most Footloose-obsessed no-funster dance.> Elaine Corden

Shout Out Louds Our Ill Wills
Some of the songs may be reminiscent of the Cure's more upbeat moments, but is that really such a bad thing? If you can only invest in one Swedish indie-pop record this year, make it this one.> John Lucas

Sister Vanilla Little Pop Rock
A patchwork album by the Jesus and Mary Chain's Jim and William Reid, with their little sister Linda on vocals. "Honey's Dead and Psychocandy/I listen to them all the time/They make songs sound like heaven/drives me out of my mind," she sings on "K to Be Lost". You and me both, sister.> Adrian Mack

Southern Culture on the Skids Countrypolitan Favorites
Favorites SCOTS has spent two decades pretending to be fried chicken–eating, trailer park–dwelling, demolition derby–loving white trash. How surprising, then, that this collection of classy covers (including songs by the Who, T. Rex, and Don Gibson) shows the three-piece to have outrageously good taste.> Mike Usinger

Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
The booming Motown brass-and-bass number "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" is the finest slice of blue-eyed soul Britt Daniel has written since 2001's Girls Can Tell. The hauntingly sparse piano-and-vocals arrangement of "The Ghost of You Lingers" may well make this the best song of his career.> Gregory Adams

St. Vincent Marry Me
A collection of love songs settled in the sounds of old-timey jazz cafés, '40s film scores, and the occasional guitar freak-out, Marry Me is essential listening for both hipsters and their grandparents.> Gregory Adams

Stars of the Lid And Their Refinement of the Decline
Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie have achieved something remarkable here: they've created ambient music with a distinct personality. This is what you might get if you asked the members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor to re-create Brian Eno's Music for Airports from memory.> Martin Turenne

Steve Earle Washington Square Serenade
He may be losing his hair, but Steve Earle's talent for honest, heartfelt songs about love, life, and death is as abundant as ever. A whimsical ditty like "Sparkle and Shine"–a shot of affection for his seventh wife and musical cohort Allison Moorer–captivates with its simple beauty.> Steve Newton

Sunset Rubdown Random Spirit Lover
Darting even further away from his hard-rocking Wolf Parade cohorts, Spencer Krug's latest disc mashes Gaelic jigs and breezy steel drums into Sunset's chaotic carnival sound. The jaw-dropping "Winged/Wicked Things" has me hoping Krug's in no rush to return to his "main" band.> Gregory Adams

Tegan and Sara The Con
Impossibly, the Quin twins keep getting better. The Con is a perfect blend of high-drama emotional turmoil, gut-punching hooks, and solid rock 'n' roll muscle. Considering they're only 27 and already on their fifth disc, it's kind of, well, awesome to think Tegan and Sara might make an even better record than this.> Shawn Conner

Threshold Dead Reckoning
It's too bad singer Andrew "Mac" McDermott quit the veteran English prog-metal band just before its 2007 tour, citing his desire to "make a decent living". Here, "Slipstream" and "This Is Your Life" are right on the money: intricate but accessible, they wouldn't sound out of place on Dream Theater's Images and Words.> Lucas Aykryod

Tiger Army Music from Regions Beyond
Normally, I would run screaming from something like this. Psychobilly on the plastic-punk Hellcat label? Puh-leeze”¦ But Tiger Army makes the list for reminding me that I know dick about shit when it comes to either myself or my music.> Adrian Mack

Tinariwen Aman Iman: Water Is Life
With Ali Farka Touré gone, his fellow Malians in the Touareg group Tinariwen have become custodians of the desert blues. Rightly so, because their spare, loping music has all the stark power of the arid landscape they call home.> Alexander Varty

Various Artists Death Proof soundtrack
Giving frustrated video clerks everywhere one more reason to hate him, Quentin Tarantino went digging in the crates and unearthed smouldering retro gold by Eddie Floyd, the Coasters, and Joe Tex. For maximum enjoyment, crank in the stereo of a Vanishing Point–white 1970 Dodge Challenger.> Mike Usinger

VietNam VietNam
This big, purple bruise of a buzz-kill looks and sounds like the Symbionese Liberation Army jamming with Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue, and then killing and eating them. Or, as we like to call it at my house: Saturday night.Droll and weirdly addictive chamber pop that's part Morrissey and part Syd Barrett. I could make some calls, but I won't, or I haven't yet, so Vancouver's Joseph Abernethy will remain a mystery for now. I suspect that the austere mastermind behind College Grove would prefer it that way.> Adrian Mack

Ween La Cucaracha
Arguably the best and brownest Ween album since Chocolate and Cheese. If you thought "Mister, Would You Please Help My Pony?" was fucked, check out the dentist's office soft-rock of "Your Party", in which David Sanborn honks on the sax while Gene Ween dreamily recounts a night of bourbon and cream puffs, golden meat platters dripping with succulent juices, and "the wife" playing fevered games of chance.> Mike Usinger

Witchcraft The Alchemist
The third album from Sweden's Witchcraft offers 1970s-flavoured doom-metal with toe-tapping folky moments, pentatonic Sabbath fury, and enthrallingly organic production.> Lucas Aykryod

Young Galaxy Young Galaxy
Another great locally grown band debuts with a zero-gravity stunner that is part garage, part arena, and all amazing. Perfect for road trips ­–and for tripping–Young Galaxy was one of my staple albums in 2007. > Deena Cox