The Top 50.

Instead of taking three months to write goofy repetitive reviews, here's the skinny. Below are 50 records that made my year, the year encompassing the biggest changes of my life so far. The soundtrack has been:

1) Bon Iver : For Emma, Forever - Jagjaguwar
2) The Mae Shi : HLLLYH - Team Shi / Moshi Moshi
3) Black Mountain : In The Future - Jagjaguwar
4) TV On The Radio : Dear Science - Interscope / 4AD
5) Girl Talk : Feed The Animals - Illegal Art
6) Fucked Up : The Chemistry of Common Life - Matador Records
7) DJ /rupture : Uproot - The Agriculture
8) Diplo/Santogold : Top Ranking - Mad Decent
9) Benga : Diary of an Afro Warrior - Tempa Recordings
10) Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair - DFA
11) Passion Pit - Chunk Of Change EP - French Kiss
12) Raveonettes : Lust Lust Lust - Fierce Panda / Vice
13) Deadbeat - Eastward to Mecca EP/Versionist Carmot EP - Wagon Repair
14) Cut Copy - In Ghost Colors - Modular
15) Man Man : Rabbit Habits - Anti
16) Chad Vangaalen : Soft Airplane - Flemish Eye/Sub Pop
17) Lykke Li : Youth Novels - LL Recordings
18) Stars : In Our Bedroom After The War - Arts & Crafts
19) The Bug : London Zoo - Ninja Tune
20) Yeasayer : All Hour Cymbals - We Are Free
21) Marnie Stern : This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That - Kill Rock Stars
22) Sebastien Grangier & The Mountains : Sebastien Grangier & The Mountains - Saddle Creek/Outside
23) Vampire Weekend : Vampire Weekend - XL Recordings
24) Venetian Snares - Detrimentalist - Planet Mu
25) Fuck Buttons : Street Horrrsing - ATP Recordings
26) Nomo : Ghost Rock - Ubiquity Records
27) The Dears : Missiles - Dangerbird/Maple

28) Beck : Modern Guilt - Interscope
29) Matmos : Supreme Balloon - Matador
30) Arkells : Jackson Square - Dine Alone Records

31) Women : Women - Flemish Eye/Jagjaguwar
32) Cadence Weapon: Afterparty Babies - Upper Class/Anti
33) Okkervil River : The Stand-Ins - Jagjaguwar
34) Kings of Leon : Only By The Night - RCA
35 ) Duffy : Rockferry - A&M/Polydor
36) The Hold Steady : Stay Positive - Vagrant Records
37) Portishead : Third - Island
38) Stereolab : Chemical Chords - Duophonic/4AD
39) Shad : The Old Prince - Black Box Recordings
40) MGMT : Oracular Spectacular - Columbia Records
41) Of Montreal : Skeletal Lamping - Polyvinyl
42) Kelley Polar : I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling - Environ
43) Lil'Wayne : Tha Carter III - Cash Money

44) Crystal Antlers : EP - Touch & Go
45) Morgan Geist : Double Night Time - Environ
46) Lindstrom : Where I Go You Go Too - Smalltown Supersound
47) 2562 : Aerial - Tectonic
48) Noze : Songs on the Rocks - Get Physical
49) Booka Shade : The Sun and the Neon Light - Get Physical
50) Falko Brocksieper : Heavy Day - Sub Sonic

And that's that.

Also getting some major earplay are these three to-be-released records coming out in '09 that sound seriously promising:
-Gentleman Reg : Jet Back - Arts & Crafts
-J Tillman : Vacilando Territory Blues - Western Vinyl
-Circlesquare: Songs About Dancing and Drugs - K!7 Recordings

Check it.

When I have some time over the holidays I'll post some standout tracks from this list. Until then be well, party safe and dance dance dance.