HONORABLE MENTIONS

MGMT
"Oracular Spectacular" (Columbia)
Like Vampire Weekend, only as synth-dance rather than indie-rock, they convert a quality liberal education into thoughtful, anxious, faux-lite pop ("Kids," "Time to Pretend").

Frightened Rabbit
"The Midnight Organ Fight" (FatCat)
Earnest Glasgow brother band share their pain and add a song to the casual-sex canon ("Keep Yourself Warm," "My Backwards Walk").

Juaneco y Su Combo
"Juaneco y Su Combo" (Barbes)
Imagine the Ventures playing pan-cultural South American pop in the psychedelic '70s -- only really poky, say ("Ya Se a Muerto Mi Abuelo," "El Hijo de la Runamula").

Menya
"Puss Coital" (no label)
They [heart] Philly gurls' cheesesteaks -- eat them too ("Philly Gurls," "Diana [Heart U]").

El Goodo
"Coyote" (Grease)
Pitch-perfect, undiluted by irony, Welshmen re-create the folk-pop '60s, and if the Hollies sometimes made better albums, the Association never did ("Aren't You Grand," "Don't Worry Marie").

Okkervil River
"The Stand Ins" (Jagjaguwar)
Will Sheff should stop worrying about what a star he is, or isn't, or doesn't want to be, or ... -- normal obscurity is within his means, I swear it ("Lost Coastlines," "On Tour With Zykos").

Kathy Mattea
"Coal" (Captain Potato)
Living songs about the power of blackness and the illusory allure of green ("The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore," "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive").

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
"Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!" (Anti-)
Gosh -- at 50, he's almost Dylanesque for blessed moments, plus he utters the welcome words "Bukowski was a jerk" ("We Call Upon the Author," "More News From Nowhere").

Jay Reatard
"Singles 06-07" (In the Red)
Several of the best songs here aren't even the best songs on "Blood Visions," and then there's the momentum thing ("Let It All Go," "Hammer I Miss You").

Kaiser Chiefs
"Off With Their Heads" (Universal/Motown)
Funnier and simpler, they earn their snark ("Never Miss a Beat," "Addicted to Drugs").

Brian Wilson
"That Lucky Old Sun" (Capitol)
Born-again optimist's L.A. even has Mexicans in it ("Southern California," "Morning Beat").

The So So Glos
"The So So Glos" (Green Owl)
Like toddlers, born punks believe falling down is how you get where you're going ("We Got the Days," "99 Degrees").

D.O.A.
"Northern Avenger" (Sudden Death)
"Time has marched along, punks have changed, some are gone/Some have vision and some are gray, some have just been born" ("Golden State," "Last Chance").

Franz Ferdinand
"Tonight" (Domino)
They've got a question for us -- where will we be in five minutes' time? ("What She Came For," "Live Alone").

H Is for Hellgate
"Come for the Peaks, Stay for the Valleys" (Scissor City Sound)
Woman tells her bitter truths, which her guitar elaborates, or is it challenges? ("Pretty, Pretty Princess," "Blood").

Times New Viking
"Rip It Off" (Matador)
Moderately smart lo-fi punk lyrics await your magnifying glass, moderately cute lo-fi punk tunes await your shovel ("Faces on Fire," "[My Head]").

Tom Breiding
"The Unbroken Circle: Songs of the West Virginia Coalfields" (AmeriSon)
Entering new songs in the musical-historical record -- without, unfortunately, the bitter jokes I bet they tell there to this day ("Union Miner," "The Longest Darkest Day").

CHOICE CUTS

Chairlift
"Bruises"
"Garbage"
("Does You Inspire You" [Kanine])

H Is for Hellgate
"The Next 50 Winters"
"Belt of Light"
"Soundtrack to the Summer"
(H Is for Hellgate [Stereotype])

Eagles of Death Metal
"Wannabe in L.A."
"Anything 'Cept the Truth"
("Heart On" [Downtown])

Kaiser Chiefs
"Retirement"
("Yours Truly, Angry Mob" [Universal])

Tab the Band
"Sallie Mae Wilcox: Ramblings of a Suitor"
("Long Weekend" [North St.])