HONORABLE MENTIONS

John Mayer
"Continuum" (Aware/Columbia)
Saying in so many words what his less-gifted, more-pretentious contemporaries think it's cool to camouflage ("Waiting on the World to Change," "The Heart of Life").

Jay-Z
"Kingdom Come" (Roc-a-Fella)
The pleasures of going legit ("Minority Report," "30 Something").

Lady Sovereign
"Public Warning" (Def Jam)
Volume duly fiddled, "Fiddle With the Volume" still isn't a banger ("Love Me or Hate Me," "Random"). 

Nellie McKay
"Pretty Little Head" (Hungry Mouse)
Too much too soon, and also too late, a syndrome that cries out for professional advice ("Cupcake," "Food").

Andy Fairweather Low
"Sweet Soulful Music" (Proper American)
"Born to be the who I am," "secondary modern boy" pushes 60 ("One More Rocket," "Zazzy").

The Shins
"Wincing the Night Away" (Sub Pop)
"Faced with a dodo's conundrum" -- he said it, I didn't ("Girl Sailor," "Australia").

The Pernice Brothers
"Live a Little" (Ashmont)
Tuneful of course, but even if all this convolution is easier for him, it isn't for us ("High as a Kite," "Somerville").

"The Rough Guide to West African Gold" (World Music Network)
Golden-age ecumenicism, late '50s to early '80s -- Francophones trying out their English, Ghana respecting Mali, Nigerian Hawaiian guitar (Bembeya Jazz, "Whiskey Soda"; Eric Agyeman, "Abenaa Na Aden?").

Gnarls Barkley
"St. Elsewhere" (Downtown)
Actually, I liked how weird he is better when he was producing himself ("Gone Daddy Gone," "Go-Go Gadget Gospel").

Regina Spektor
"Begin to Hope" (Sire)
A bigger heart than her piano-playing New York City counterparts but a slightly smaller talent, a problem that could prove chronic or lessen with time ("That Time," "Another Town").

Eccodek
"More Africa in Us" (White Swan)
Ethnotechno soundscape, sometimes a shade too comfortable or anonymous, sometimes just eerie enough ("In This Drum a Secret," "Bodhichitta Dub").

Big Lou's Polka Casserole
"Doctors of Polka-Ology" (Accordion Princess)
Prefers accordions and novelty songs to polka, still likes polka a lot, and for your information is a girl ("Hey, Mr. Travel Agent," "Boys in the Backroom").

Mutant Press
"Idiots Rule" (Mutant Press)
If the MC5 hadn't kicked the bucket, they'd be older than these guys, but not louder, grayer or more revolutionary ("Idiots Rule," "CIA").

Hallelujah Chicken Run Band
"Take One" (Alula)
Fun mbira-guitar history lesson, with Thomas Mapfumo only a bit player ("Mudzimu Ndiringe," "Tamba Zimba Navashe").

Kelis
"Kelis Was Here" (LaFace)
Good for sex and not much else, which in a fantasy object is plenty ("Blindfold Me," "What's That Right There").

M. Ward
"Post-War" (Merge)
Loud is over if you want it ("Magic Trick," "Rollercoaster").

Ali Farka Touré
"Savane" (World Circuit/Nonesuch)
Grave to the grave ("Yer Bounda Fara," "Ledi Coumbe").

Cat Power
"The Greatest" (Matador)
With the Hodges brothers keeping her together, she might actually pick you up at the methadone clinic like she said she would ("Could We," "Love and Communication").

Willie Nelson
"Songbird" (Lost Highway)
Now he knows -- if he wants somebody who can't stop writing songs, better Harlan Howard than Ryan Adams ("Hallelujah," "$1000 Wedding").

"American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986" (Rhino)
Beyond Black Flag, Bad Brains and Flipper, 23 driven bands with a track apiece disappear into one anonymous blur (Bad Brains, "Pay to Cum"; Black Flag, "Nervous Breakdown").

CHOICE CUTS

Loudon Wainwright III
"Good Ship Venus," "Turkish Revelry" ("Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, & Chanteys" [Anti])

Stan Ridgway
"Hanging Johnny" ("Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, & Chanteys" [Anti])

Ralph Steadman
"Little Boy Billee" (Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, & Chanteys" [Anti])

Fergie
"Fergalicious" and "London Bridge" ("The Dutchess" [A&M])

+44
"When Your Heart Stops Beating" ("When Your Heart Stops Beating" [Interscope])

Ne-Yo
"Get Down Like That (Remix)" and "So Sick" ("In My Own Words" [Def Jam])

Snoop Dogg
"Get a Light" ("Tha Blue Carpet Treatment" [Geffen])

The Bird and the Bee
"F*cking Boyfriend" ("The Bird and the Bee" [Metro Blue])

The Green Arrows
"Mwana Waenda" ("The Green Arrows" [Alula])