HONORABLE MENTIONS

Dub Colossus
"A Town Called Addis" (RealWorld)
Ethiopian with dub flavor rather than vice versa, and believe it: Dubulah knows his enjira ("Azmari Dub," "Ambassel").

Iron & Wine
"The Shepherd's Dog" (Sub Pop)
Pastoral escape put to the tasks of magic social realism and skanky beats ("Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car," "Resurrection Fern").

Little Jackie
"The Stoop" (S-Curve)
The refreshingly ordinary wisdom of Imani-from-the-block, with all too ordinary hooks to match ("Guys Like When Girls Kiss," "Cryin for the Queen," "28 Butts").

Fort Knox Five
"Radio Free DC" (Fort Knox)
Half live and half sampled, go go evolves, making everything funky ("The Spirit of '75," "Papa Was Stoned").

Yo Majesty
"Futuristically Speaking: Never Be Afraid" (Domino)
Christian lesbians from Florida go upside your booty with electro bass from the U.K. ("F----- Up," "Leather Jacket").

The Streets
"Everything Is Borrowed" (Vice)
The sound of a bloke thinking big thoughts, which are less impressive than the bloke ("Everything Is Borrowed," "On the Edge of a Cliff").

Todd Snider
"Peace Queer" (Aimless)
Musings of a slacker who knows too well why he chose that path ("Mission Accomplished [Because You Gotta Have Faith]," "Is This Thing On?").

Grant Peeples
"It's Later Than You Think" (grantpeeples.com)
Natural-born naysayer returns to north Florida, combats depression by describing what he sees ("Sunshine State," "OD Holton, 1979").

Karl Hector & the Malcouns
"Sahara Swing" (Now Again)
Really Sahara funk, inauthentic as hell yet true to its school ("When the Sun Breaks Through," "Sahara Swing").

Of Montreal
"Skeletal Lamping" (Polyvinyl)
Fleshing out the biggest drawback of the bi life, which is that love is complicated enough when there's only one sex to choose from ("Gallery Piece," "Women's Studies Victims").

Blitzen Trapper
"Furr" (Sub Pop)
Alt-rock leapfrogs alt-country into country-rock -- rock as tuneful pastoral escape ("Fire and Fast Bullets," "Black River Killer").

Why?
"Alopecia" (Anticon)
Self-aware for white-rap fatalists, plus they play their own instruments ("Good Friday," "These Few Presidents").

Magik Markers
"Boss" (Ecstatic Peace!)
Avant-jamming trio turned duo lend form to their alienation ere they ionize into the ether ("Taste," "Last of the Lemach Line").

I'm From Barcelona
"Let Me Introduce My Friends" (Mute)
Like most expressions of childish pleasure, charming until it turns annoying ("We're From Barcelona," "Glasses").

Billy Roy
"The Cape Fear Delta Sessions" (Billy Roy)
Lady bartender's brother reports jocularly from southernmost North Carolina ("Wall Street Pirate," "21st Century American Farmer").

Murs
"Murs for President" (Reprise)
How about vice principal of a small Afrocentric high school? ("The Science," "You Think You Know Me").

Chris Knight
"Heart of Stone" (Drifters Church)
A life full of music without much transcendence, a life touched by sin without much guilt ("Another Dollar," "Crooked Road").

CHOICE CUTS

Jerry
"Wall Street"
("First Time Out" [Infostar])

Baby Dee
"Big T---y Bee Girl (From Dino Town)"
("Safe Inside the Day" [Drag City])

My Morning Jacket
"Librarian"
("Evil Urges" [ATO])

Stuart Rosh & the Geniuses
"When a Woman and Man (Become Friends)"
("Fundamental" [Winged Flight])

Valorie Miller
"Fire Song"
("Autumn Eyes" [valoriemiller.com]).