7. Live from SoHo - Tokyo Police Club - I can't wait for this band to release their first full album. Their EP from last year kicked more ass in 15 minutes than that time I got my ass kicked for 15 minutes in 6th grade. Great vocals, great lyrics, tons of interesting time signatures and guitar riffs. This is not really fair to include since it's an "iTunes exclusive" live performance. but it's my list. fuck off.
BEST MOMENT: When the lead singer says: "Operator! Get me the President of the world! This is an emergency." and the band kicks into high gear.
BEST LYRIC: "It's not the way my mother talks / it's not the people that she mocks."

6. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero -- annoying concept aside (did the album really need 2 opening tracks that both suck?), there are some great songs on this. "Capital G" is a fine fine song, even without all the Bush-bashing (that just makes it sweeter). "My Violent Heart" and "Survivalism" and "In This Twilight" are all strong pieces -- stronger than anything he's done since The Downward Spiral. The music is great, but the real greatness is the fact that he didn't rely on Dave Grohl for the drums. Reznor needs to have fancy rhythm to cover up his lame lyrics. This album does that.
BEST MOMENT: When Reznor starts singing on The Great Destroyer (track 13) there's this weird feeling that there's still something magical waiting to happen. It comes just over 1:30 later when he yells "I am the Great Destroyer!" and the song turns into a fantastic mess of digital studio noise that hasn't been heard from NIN since, maybe, Reptile on The Downward Spiral.
BEST LYRIC: "The biggest problem with the way we've been doing things is / the more we let you have the less that I'll be keeping for me."

5. Serj Tankian - Elect the Dead - Lead singer to System of a Down. I didn't know what to expect from the album, but as it turns out, it's very similar to System. There's a bit more piano, and a bit less nonsense. Best tracks: "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," the poorly titled: "Beethoven's Cunt" and "Honking Antelope."
BEST MOMENT: After 11 pretty heavy songs, track 12 starts with a simple, thumping piano chord. The song never blows up. It's the perfect come down to the album.
BEST LYRIC: "Life affirming men are such a joke!"

4. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha -- At first I felt this was a step backward for Bird, who relishes crammed lyrics, guitars, whistles, and violins. i sense that he's probably too intellectual for his own good. But ultimately the album won me over with the subtle hooks. "Imitosis" was immediately good; "Armchairs," "Darkmatter," and "Plasticities" revealed their genius slowly.
BEST MOMENT: When Simple X hits the phrase at 1:11 "For your neurons ..." the vocals travel up and down much like the drums (which is in some crazy time signature).
BEST LYRIC: "It was anything but hear the voice that says that we're all basically alone."

3. Editors - An End Has a Start - their first album was pretty straightforward. Catchy songs with driving beats. The songs don't vary much on this album, but there's something deeper and more satisfying this time around. "When Anger Shows" is easily the best, but the title track and "Put Your Head Towards the Air" kick ass as well. they appeal to my love of british music with strong vocals.
BEST MOMENT: Opening vocals "Pulllll the blindfold downnnnnn so your eyes can seeeee then run as fast as you cannnnn through this field of treeeees" and the different melodies for the verse, bridge, chorus, and whatever other song parts there are.
BEST LYRIC: "These thoughts I must not think of / dreams I can't make sense of / I need you to tell me it's okay."

2. Radiohead - In Rainbows [w/Bonus Disc] - I'm not being too cool for school by denying my favorite band the top spot. my number 1 was just more satisfying. Plus, I think the studio versions of many of the songs are not nearly as good as the live versions. (Bangers & Mash, Nude, Reckoner -- i'm looking at you); Up on the Ladder misses out on getting a little crunchier in certain places. Overall, it's mellow, more song-oriented, and as usual the bonus songs are better than most people's regular output. and as long as I'm crazy enough to drop large stacks o cash on seeing them live, i'll have the thrill of both the studio and live versions to enjoy. plus there's that whole internet thing where people share bootlegs and junk. (By the way, I got loseless vinyl rips of the album and it does sound a bit better. who knew?)
BEST MOMENT: lots to choose from. The vocal melody in 4 Minute Warning; the climax of All I Need (2:55); the climax of Jigsaw Falling into Place (3:11); the closeness of Yorke's voice at the beginning of "Faust Arp." I don't feel like choosing.
BEST LYRIC: "You'll go to hell for what your dirty mind is thinking." still one of the best radiohead lines, even after almost 10 years in existence. damn. 10 years since that song first showed up.

1. Menomena - Friend and Foe - Easily my favorite album of the year. I'm still listening to it constantly. great mixture of drums and noises. better vocals than their previous (and now too quaint) album. the last track is amazing. as are "The Pelican" & "Wet and Rusting" & "Boyscout'n." Fuck, every track is good.
BEST MOMENT: The overlapping lyrics in "Wet and Rusting" that take it to the end ("This is the closest I've come to touching you the way I want to. / It's hard to take risks.")
BEST LYRIC: "Take it! / when I'm enjoying! / Take it from my mouth while I'm still chewing! / Don't you feel it / when I start pulling back?" ( i love singing this on my way to work.) & "Honey / this will be / the future you should care enough to / carve your heart / into a tree / initial it with someone special"