ALBUMS (descending points)
1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
2. Sloan - Never Hear the End of It
3. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends
4. The New Pornographers - Challengers
5. Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You
6. The Besnard Lakes - Are The Dark Horses
7. 1990s - Cookies
8. Dungen - Tio Bitar
9. Datarock - Datarock Datarock
10. Spank Rock - Fabric Live 33

ARTISTS
1. James Murphy
2. Radiohead
3. Jay-Z
4. Les Savy Fav
5. Oakley Hall (underrated)

COMMENTS
LCD Soundsystem
"Sound Of Silver" (DFA)
Best album of the year. Hands down. "Silver" is a collision of the electronic and rock sides of James Murphy's noodle—he no longer relies on cow bell, disco grooves and whimsy, instead digging deeper into post-punk's rich past with fully baked instant classics like "Watch the Tapes" and "North American Scum." Random thoughts: I read somewhere that Murphy records everything, basically, live (no Pro Tools in sight), which made me like the album more. If there was ever a way to describe what goes through my head when stuck walking through the LES on a Saturday night if would be "North American Scum." Though the song could be about how Europe perceives the assy-ness of the US people and government. New York the greatest if you get someone to pay the rent. Wa-hooo.

Les Savy Fav
"Let's Stay Friends" (French Kiss)
"Friends" affirms the Fav's commitment to remain fresh and relevant while backhanding the monthly breakup rumors that have floated around blogs for the past couple of years. One way to stay current: invite some of your hot-button buddies to contribute, including Eleanor Freidberger (Fiery Furnaces), Emily Haines (Metric) and the three members of Enon. The results are strong, with guitarist Seth Jabour upping his game with Gang of Four lines ("Patty Lee") and space rock reveries ("What Would Wolves Do"), and Harrington growing as a leader, expanding his vocal and songwriting range with attempts at falsetto ("Pots & Pans") and an ambitious duet with Freidberger ("Kiss Kiss is Getting Old"). But the frontman excels most when sing-shouting about the absurdly amusing—"Raging in the Plague Age" takes the perspective of a dying king, kicked out of his own castle while his vassals drink blood red wine. "Being the king was pretty cool / I'd have to say that ruling ruled / And I'd be in throne still / Had I not one day fallen ill." If only Sofia Coppola would have substituted the tune for that bizzaro title sequence in "Marie Antoinette."

The New Pornographers
"Challengers" (Matador)
With this mature, genre-stretching album, The New Pornographers are anything but the indie-pop supergroup you spazz danced to a few years ago. "Unguided" is a gorgeously arranged epic, with strings, a Nashville-tuned acoustic guitar and flutes leaking in at the sixth minute (paging Jethro Tull). The Neko Case-lead "Go Places" is a tender love song, straightforward and knee-buckling. "Mutiny, I Promise You" is the best compromise between the band's old and new sounds, with an organ hook (old school), off-kilter time signatures (new school), a slow, sweeping bridge (new school) and Case/Newman harmonies (both schools, thankfully).

Sloan
"Never Hear the End of It" (Yep Roc)
Sloan, my favorite band, laid a couple eggs with their previous two releases—2004's "Action Pack" was as big of a bummer as...the 2004 elections. So when word came out that the band was releasing a 30-song epic, I was dubious. Fortunately, the Canadian crew is back to "Navy Blues"-era form with an album that is beyond concept. It's a showcase of immense musical chops, an exhausting journey with four-part harmonies ("Flying High Again"), post-punk throwback ("HFXNSHC"), soaring like the Eagles ("I Understand") and the cheesy ballad with a wink ("Last Time In Love").

Spank Rock
"FABRICLIVE.33" (Fabric London)
I listened to this set like 434 times at the gym and it never got stale. Spank Rock is DJs Chris Devlin and Ronnie Darko and MC Naeem Juwan. You may have heard Juwan rap on "Rick Rubin" or "Lohan's Revenge" or read about their appearance at the mtvU Woodie Awards. Or heard the proper album they put out this year, the super-thin booty bass homage "Bangers & Cash." Nothing trumps this mix. Mylo's "Drop The Pressure" folded into "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" is the heart. Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" rubbing up with "Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above" is the soul. Bonde Do Role "Melô Do Tabacco (XXXChange Remix)" is the buried treasure.

Oakley Hall
"I'll Follow You" (Merge)
Alt-country has long been overused shorthand for country music that: 1) isn't played on traditional radio; 2) doesn't suck. Oakley Hall gives credence to the term by taking traditional country elements (lap steel guitars, twangy boy/girl harmonies) and padding it with organs, psychedelic guitar spurts ("No Dreams") and an all-around punk rock ethic. The band's new label Merge wisely spent some of those Arcade Fire ducats in recording their raw energy with producers Peter Katis (Interpol, The National) and Nicolas Vernhes (Fiery Furnaces, Ted Leo). On "Angela," singer Rachel Cox takes a valiant shot at knocking Neko Case from atop her country chanteuse pedestal.

The Besnard Lakes
"Are The Dark Horses" (Jagjaguwar)
This album was forwarded to me from a musician friend who is REALLY into Dandy Warhols and Spiritualized and other modern psychedelic-rock bands, and admittedly it didn't really grab me at first. (The album's coolest song, "And You Lied To Me," is over seven minutes long, starts really slow and is peppered with these odd screeches that sounds like mating Canadian geese). But the track is a snapshot of Besnard Lakes' brilliance—just when things seem to be winding down half-way through, percussion picks up which then dominos into layers of shreds. The following song, "Devastation," takes a simple five note bass loop and builds it into drumming and ambient...devastation. "On Bedford and Grand" is probably about Williamsburg in some way, and poppy with walls of pianos and distorted vocals leading the extended chorus.

Robbers on High Street
"Grand Animal" (New Line)
There is no denying that when Robbers frontman Ben Trokan sings he sounds a lot like Spoon's Britt Daniel: a man's man sorta voice, very warm and maybe not the best match for the Trokan's whimsical character sketches found en mass on this album. ("The Ramp" imagines a young boy, on the brink of death, meeting Leonardo DiCaprio for a meet-and-greet. "Kick 'em in the Shins" is a deconstructed pop song, where straightforwardness breaks into weirder, jammier guitar shreds, at a moment's notice.

1990s
"Cookies" (Rough Trade)
Ah, the 1990s....Monica, OJ, Pogs! This Scottish three piece proves zero allegiance to the slacker decade—unfortunately, tight jeans, not Skiddz, are the band's pantaloon of choice. Lame name aside, these guys kill it with fun songs filled with "ah ah ah" ("See You At The Lights") and aggressive guitar grooves. And a song about talking telephones, talking to clowns and shining lights on things. It's called "Weed."

Dungen
"Tio Bitar" (Kemado)
Ok, I don't speak other languages. But there is no reason to understand a lick of Swedish to feel this dreamy, fuzz-guitar-loaded collage. NME said "Dungen are the band The Mars Volta wish they were." Good call.

Datarock
"Datarock Datarock" (Young Aspiring Professionals)
Earlier this year WOXY wore this album out (DJ Shivy played every song, like, every day) and I got sick of it. So after checking out the band's inspired set at CMJ (see my top concerts list), I returned and liked it even more. "Princess" ramps up to 200 bpm with drums played on top of a drum machine track, while "Night Flight To Uranus" (not on the US release...boo!) is a soulful ode to...space travel! The rhythm guitar in "Sex Me Up" marches along like it ripped off a "Talking Heads 77", while the soaring keyboard chorus is pure Scissor Sisters.

6 shows I really enjoyed
Stevie Wonder / Madison Square Garden
Sloan / Southpaw
Junior Senior / Highline
1990s / The Annex
Les Savy Fav / Music Hall of Williamsburg
Datarock / Blender Theatre at Gramercy

1 show I liked fine enough
Daft Punk / Keyspan Park

Never again...
The Rentals / Nokia Theater
Mark Ronson / Highline Ballroom