10. Supersilent | 6 | Rune Grammofon
A Norwegian quartet that mixes live drums, trumpet, synthesizers, and electronics to create lush improvised pieces that work so well that you'd swear they are carefully planned and composed. Continuing in the same ambient more melodic vein as their last 2 albums, as opposed to the more frantic and noisy nature of their first three albums, ' 6' has many moments of sheer beauty and brilliance to lull you to sleep on a cold winter night.

9. Rapture | Echoes | DFA
Showing up on many lists this year, it's hard to ignore this album. The amount of hype that built up around this album after months of delaying it's release seemed more like a clever marketing scheme than anything else, but it seemed to work, because this album flew off the shelves when it finally was released. Brash, snotty, discordant, melodic, danceable, and catchy as all hell. This album is more like a mix tape than an album, going from electro-piano driven ballad to the snotty Gang of Four-esque 'Heaven' to the club worthy "I Need Your Love", and some how The Rapture holds it all together with some kind of superglue that makes you hit repeat over and over and over.

8. Martin Siewart / Martin Brandlmyr | Too Beautiful To Burn | Erstwhile
A late comer to my list that may move it's way up higher upon further listening, 'Too Beautiful To Burn' is easily the best ambient album I heard this year, and it's improvised on top of that. Siewart conjures up layers of electronic drones, scrapes, clicks and hisses as Brandlmyr lends subtle percussion that at times could be confused for electronics, and sometimes is. A beautiful mix of two of my favorites from last year, "Playthroughs" & "Sheer Hellish Miasma", "Too Beautiful To Burn" mixes ambience with hints of noise. My only complaint is that its' 45 minute running time seems more like 20 minutes, but rest assured it is 45, I've checked repeatedly.

7. David Sylvian | Blemish | Samadhi Sound
Ex-Japan frontman David Sylvian returned this year with a new album on his own label, with guests Derek Bailey and Christian Fennesz. A dark yet moving album of electronically treated guitar work with Sylvian's buttery voice over top. Bailey lends his unique and distinct guitar improvisation to three tracks, while Fennesz appears on only the last track. Beautiful, dreamy and romantic this album will send shivers up your spine the entire time it is playing.

6. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks | Pig Lib | Matador
The follow up to his acclaimed solo debut, this ex-Pavement frontman continues to prove that he's got a style all his own. Somewhat bluesy off kilter guitar lines that seem to wander off into the woods, breezy pop tunes, and slightly subdued but still quirky lyrics make this album a whole lot of fun to listen to. This time giving credit to his backing band, The Jicks, makes more sense even on this one what with the epic jam on "1% of One". Better still, if you were able to catch the first run with the 5 track bonus disc that has outtakes and live tracks which in my opinion contains one of the best tracks on the album...or not on the album I guess.

5. Howling Hex | Introducing The Howling Hex | Drag City
Wow, I really enjoyed Neil Michael Hagerty's new album "The Howling Hex", but when this limited edition vinyl only release came out I nearly waited too long to take one home, but luckily I did before it was too late. No longer available, this lo-fi swampy jam fest is the obvious by-product of a drug addled weekend in the studio, but there in lies its charm. In this age of studio trickery and electronics, there is nothing fancy about this album. This ex-Royal Trux member and his new band will be releasing two more of these vinyl only releases in the near future, I recommend you do yourself a favor and snatch them up if you see them.

4. Ex Models | Zoo Psychology | French Kiss/X-Mist
Hands down the craziest 20 minutes pressed on to a CD or LP this year. Fast, frantic, noisy and obnoxious yet catchy, danceable and fun. One look at the FAQ on their web page will explain many things about this band and their ideas. Unlike most albums, if this one was any longer it would get annoying, it's a fast furry of noodling intertwined guitar riffs, thumping bass lines, and ever changing drumming. These guys have more energy than a playschool on 'Your First Coffee Day'.

3. Constantines | Shine A Light | Three Gut
Canada's Constantines have always received critical acclaim, and this year they made their move into the US market with this album being released by Sub Pop south of the boarder. "Shine A Light" is a rock solid rock album, there isn't anything crazy and new going on here, just solid songwriting, and masterful guitar work. My love of this album was concreted when they came to town this September and proceeded to demolish the crowd with their live performance. Easily one of the best rock shows I've seen in years, and one of the best rock albums I've heard this year.

2. Jaylib | Champion Sound | Stones Throw
Madlib and J-Dilla are Jaylib. Madlib has had a busy year, providing beats for numerous albums, including Diverse, Dudley Perkins, Wildchild, and more, not to mention his hugely successful remix album for Blue Note, "Shades of Blue". "Champion Sound" is different than all his other work this year, and thusly sticks out and floats to the top for me. Maybe it's the appearance of Madlib's alter ego Quasimoto, maybe it's the humor, but what ever it is, this album owned my ears after it came out. Unlike most hip hop that I like, this album is very clubby. It's ghetto, booty beats on the first listen makes the listener think that Madlib's gone gangsta, but a careful ear begins to catch the tongue in cheek rhymes and it all becomes clear what's going on. Madlib has shown again that he is one of the most creative and diverse producers working in the game today. Next year's Madvillian (his collaboration with MF Doom) stands to be equally as hot, if not better, and I can't hardly wait.

1. Azita | Enantiodromia | Drag City
Azita Youssefi's second solo album took me a few listens to get my head around. The first image that popped into my mind is a middle-aged woman after an ugly divorce drowning her sorrows in the bottle at a run down velvet walled lounge, she's taken over the piano and is subjecting the patrons to her woes. The usual suspects for any Chicago based album are all present on this one, Jeff Parker, John McEntire, Rob Mazurek and crew provide the cool 70's jazz back up to Azita's piano ballads. The tricky part with this album, is Azita's voice. But that is also the beauty of this album. While her piano playing is possibly the best and most original that I've heard in a while, her voice is incapable of hitting all the notes she is going for, and that is what makes it so great, she doesn't give a rat's ass. They are her songs, and she goes for it. If you don't like it too bad because she has seven more songs to sing and like it or not you are going to listen.