I know I may be a little late to the party, but I couldn't let  
another year lapse without submitting my list.
All the records mentioned below were released in this calendar year,  
and were pretty much in constant rotation in my car CD-player and iPod.

1. Kate Nash, "Made of Bricks.": Technically, this record was really  
released in 2007, but didn't get released stateside until last  
January, so I'm including it on my list. There are some who deride  
the whole Lilly Allen/BRIT School/ LDN Axis, but in "Foundations,"  
and "Birds," Nash shows herself to be a deft lyricist, and the tunes  
are so hooky they stick in your head all day long.

1. Vampire Weekend, s/t: And we have a tie for first. These Ivy  
Leaguers melded Talking Heads' polyrhthyms with indie rock  
sensibility to create one of the most compulsively listenable records  
of the year. Can't miss: "Cape Cod Kwasa Kwasa," and "Oxford Comma."

2. REM, "Accelerate.": There are still records that I buy  
reflexively, and that includes anything by REM, even though they've  
spent the better part of a decade consistently breaking my heart. I  
nearly gave up after "Around the Sun," but as soon as I heard  
"Supernatural, Superserious," I knew they were finding their way out  
of the wilderness. They're not all the way out yet, and could still  
well remain lost in the weeds, but this is a healthy sign of a  
creative resurgence. This record was also one of two that I played  
pretty much constantly to get me through long road trips during  
Campaign 2008. As a newspaper reporter, I logged more car miles than  
I care to remember. At least the driving was made a little more  
pleasant.

3. Bob Mould, "District Line.": Another "reflexive-buy" artist, and  
another cure to long road trip blues. This record is worth it for the  
sonic blast of "The Silence Between Us" alone.

4. Tim Lee 3, Good 2B3: Since coming out of quasi-retirement in 2001,  
the former Windbreakers' co-leader has been quietly putting out some  
of the best roots-pop around. The latest record finds Lee's band  
pared to a trio that includes bassist/wife Susan Bauer Lee (who also  
takes some vocal turns). The reduced line-up means that Lee's guitar- 
work is front and center. And it's stunning. Key tune: "Saving Gracie."
(Dept. of Full Disclosure: Lee and I are label-mates on Paisley Pop;  
he co-wrote a tune on the first Milkshake Jones EP, and Susan Lee did  
the graphix work for our last release "Gala Days." Therefore, I  
challenge to a duel anyone who doesn't see the genius of this man.)

5. Steve Wynn, "Crossing Dragon Bridge":  Wynn's first record after  
his "desert" trilogy is a much more stripped-down affair that reminds  
me of his 1994 disc "Fluorescent." Most tunes are Wynn and his  
acoustic and some strings. It's a welcome departure, even if it is a  
little inconsistent in parts.

6. The Streets,  "Everything Is Borrowed." I'd nearly given up on  
Mike Skinner after "The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living." This one  
doesn't come anywhere close to "Original Pirate Material," or his  
masterwork "A Grand Don't Come for Free," but it's still damned good.

7. Marty Willson-Piper, "Nightjar." It's the first solo record in  
eight years for the guitarist for The Church. Of all the members of  
the veteran Aussie psych-rock unit, Willson-Piper has always had the  
poppiest sensibilities. And that shows through on tunes like "Lullaby  
for the Lonely," and "High Down Below."

8.  Steve Kilbey, "Painkiller." Another solo entry from The Church  
camp. This is Kilbey's first proper solo record since 2001's  
"Dabble," and, notably, his first since pretty much kicking a  
debilitating drug habit and immersing himself fully in Yoga and  
vegetarianism. He's clearly the better for it. His voice has never  
sounded better. And, joined by musicians such as Ricky Maymi (Brian  
Jonestown Massacre) and bandmate, drummer Tim Powles, his songs have  
never been sharper. This is Kilbey's best solo record.

9. Jeff Heiskell, Clip on Nose Ring: The newest solo record from the  
former lead-singer of The Judybats. The 'Bats were a favorite of mine  
in the mid-1990s, courtesy of a young woman I was dating at the time.  
The 'Bats tune "Daylight" ranks somewhere on my list of top 20 pop  
tunes of all time. This effort is a little different, and finds  
Heiskell exploring his identity as a gay man -- and in quite vivid  
terms. That might turn away some listeners, but the songs are so well  
done, that, after a while, it really doesn't matter at all. The disc  
has the added benefit of being produced by my old pal Tim Lee, as well.

10. The Reducers, Guitar, Bass and Drums: I grew up listening to  
these guys when I was but a young slip of a lad in Connecticut. In  
fact, they were the first interview I ever conducted. I vividly  
remember convincing my mom to drive me up to UConn one rainy Saturday  
night from my home in Canton, Conn. I was 16, and didn't have my  
license yet. They were gracious, warm and funny. Moreover, they took  
me seriously. I'll never forget that. Of all their early LPs, "Let's  
Go," remains my all-time favorite. There's not much new ground broken  
here, but hell, these guys know what they do well, and they do it  
amazingly on this record.


Debut of the Year: Duffy, "Rockferry." I couldn't get this one out of  
the car stereo this summer either. It would have been in the top 10,  
but I decided to give her a category all her own.

Return to Form Award: Oasis, "Dig Out Yer Soul." I loved the first  
two records, cried at the third and fourth, and watched as they spent  
the next two finding their way out of the wilderness. They're back.  
Now, if only they'd let Andy Bell sing.

Records I Resolve To Listen to in 2009:
Cliff Hillis' newie, Michael Carpenter and the Cuban Heels, The Well- 
Wishers and Chris Difford's "The Last Temptation of Chris."

Top 30 Tracks:
As a creature of the Internet age, I now mostly listen to single  
tunes. Here's the ones that were the favorites:

1. "Cape Cod Kwasa Kwasa," Vampire Weekend
2. "Constructive Summer,"  The Hold Steady
3. "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You," Black  
Kids
4. "The Silence Between Us," Bob Mould
5. "Supernatural Superserious," REM
6. "Foundations," Kate Nash
7. "Mercy," Duffy
8. "All I Want To Do," Sugarland (Dept. of Full Disclosure: I played  
bass in one of Kristian Bush's high school bands. Gotta give it up  
for an old classmate)
9. "The Shock of the Lightning," Oasis
10. "Love Song," Sara Bareilles (ear-worm of the year)
11. "Tu Es Ma Came," Carla Bruni (zut alors!)
12. "Golden Age," TV on The Radio
13. "Daddy's Gone," Glasvegas
14. "You Could Make The Four Walls Cry," The Zutons
15. "I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me," Annie
16. "I Was Made For You," She and Him
17. "Viva La Vida," Coldplay
18. "I Will Possess Your Heart," Death Cab for Cutie
19. "Train Ride," Tahiti 80
20. "High Down Below," Marty Willson-Piper
21. "The Escapist," The Streets
22. "Strange Overtones," Byrne/Eno
23. "Crystalline Rush," Steve Kilbey
24. "That's Not My Name," The Ting-Tings
25. "Juno," Tokyo Police Club
27. "Carpetbaggers," Jenny Lewis and Elvis Costello
28. "And I Was a Boy From School," Hot Chip
29. "Guilt," The Long Blondes
30. "Dying Is Fine," Ra Ra Riot

Records That Made My 3-Year-Old Daughter Dance:
Yo Gabba Gabba Soundtrack
"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," The Wiggles
"Good 2B3," The Tim Lee 3
"Reggae Hit LA," The Aggrolites
And anything by her Daddy.

Favorite Music Podcasts:
Guardian Music Weekly
Sound Opinions
Sub-FM Podcast (the best in dub-step)
Iain Lee on Absolute Radio
Russell Brand on the BBC  (until that ugly bit at the end with Manuel)

Favorite Comic Books (this should make Joe Field very happy!):
The Vinyl Underground
The Young Liars
Unknown Soldier
The Spirit
Project Superpowers
Justice Society of America
Supergirl (now that Sterling Gates has taken over)
Teen Titans Year One
Teen Titans Standalone Special


Wow, in reflection, it was quite a year. Here's hoping for an even  
bigger 2009.
Happy Holidays and Merry New Year,

john micek