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Shiv's picks | Mike's picks | Joe's picks

This album was more of a grower for me than Alligator, which hit me immediately. Once I let this simmer a little bit, the songs revealed themselves to be just as perfect even if it is subtler than its predecessor.

Key Tracks: "Mistaken For Strangers", "Apartment Story"

I've been living with this album for a full year as the band sent me an advance copy as soon as it was mastered at the tail end of 2006. This is the best, and certainly most fun, indie pop album of the year. The songwriting and production here are top-notch and I can't wait to hear what TEE will do next.

Key Tracks: "Fake Do-Gooders", "All Bets Are Off"

When I reviewed this album for the station I wrote on the cd: "This one could push her into the mainstream. Or at least the 'VH-1-stream'." I think it would have happened even without a multi-million dollar ad campaign from Apple. This is just a lovely collection of songs and "1234" only scratches the surface of the gems on display.

Key Tracks: "My Moon, My Man", "I Feel It All"

What else can really be said about this album? From the 1st minute I heard "15 Step" after downloading it, I was in love. This one's a keeper, no matter the bitrate.

Key Tracks: "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", "House Of Cards"

With an arsenal of catchy hooks and simple, but revelatory lyrics, James Murphy avoided the sophomore slump in a big way. You cannot deny the brilliance of "North American Scum", but the track the hit me the hardest was "Someone Great". With a soft buildup and gentle xylophone-accented melody, this stands as one the year's best singles (and holds its own online in a widely circulated mash-up with Justin Timberlake's "My Love").

Key Tracks: "Someone Great", "Time To Get Away"

I don't care that most people hated this album. I agree that it doesn't hold up as a cohesive start-to-finish record, but on an individual basis, these are perfect little pop songs. YES it has a strong SoCal 1970's influence, but I love every song (except one) here. In an era where you are more apt to listen to your iPod on shuffle anyway, Under The Blacklight seems custom made to surprise you each time a track from it pops up unexpectedly.

Key Tracks: "Silver Lining", "Dreamworld"

I never thought I'd live to see the day when Bjork would team up with Timbaland, but this year my dreams came true. "Earth Intruders" is the most striking and accessible track she's released in a decade. It's by far the highlight of the record, which really came to life for me after seeing her perform live this Spring out at Red Rocks.

Key Tracks: "Earth Intruders", "Innocence"

The lovely lads from Brooklyn followed up two very strong EPs with their long-awaited debut album this year. Songs that were previous Lounge Act favorites for me turned up here in recordings that really captured the spirit and energy of their live sets. The guys are already back in the studio recording their second album so I'm already looking forward to their re-appearance in '08!

Key Tracks: "Tenement Teeth", "Waiting On The Stairs"

This Mercury Prize-nominated album from the UK was a genuine surprise for me this year. When I originally read the press release that explained how James Chapman recorded this entire record in his bedroom and then I listened to it for the first time, I was damn near blown into the next room.

Key Tracks: "Elouise", "It Will Find You"

Full disclosure: I am obsessed with all things Mark Ronson. I love his internet radio show ("Authentic Shit"). I love his production style. I love his accent. There's plenty of haterade for this dude out there, but I'm not having any of it. This record is a fucking blast.

Key Tracks: "Oh My God", "Amy", "Valerie"

It's no great surprise that since I love Mark Ronson's production that I was gonna love this one. I had heard a few tracks from Amy's earlier UK effort Frank, but that could hardly prepare anybody for this barnstormer of a record. It is truly heartbreaking that we're all sitting back and watching such a talented person slowly kill herself, but this album will stand the test of time (and crazy!).

Key Tracks: "Rehab", "Back To Black"

The more I listened to Kala the more I found myself loving it…even more so than Arular. It's pretty telling that the weakest track on the album is the tune she did with Timbaland because M.I.A. is never going to comfortably fit into the mainstream and that track just feels a bit forced.

Key Tracks: "Paper Planes", "Boyz"

I enjoyed songs off of Patrick's previous two albums, but in the end they were a bit too 'out there' for me to fully embrace. Maybe that's why I was stunned at how accessible The Magic Position truly is. There are certainly still some oddball cuts (like the Marianne Faithful collaboration "Magpie"), but there are a lot of joyful and enthusiastic tracks that found me revisiting this album over and over again as the year rolled on.

Key Tracks: "Accident & Emergency", "The Magic Position"

Most people heard this group before they ever had a clue who they were. The placement of "Ice Cream" in an HP commercial (I believe it was) brought them to my attention, but this album is stacked with songs that would be massive hits in a parallel universe. Somehow, even in the UK they had trouble cracking the Top 40 singles charts, but their slinky grooves did get a nod for the Mercury Prize.

Key Tracks: "Jerk Me", "The Bomb", "Ice Cream"

This Brooklyn band found a new label home with Misra for their fourth, and best, full-length album. The quality of the songwriting reaches new highs for the quartet with this collection of tunes and, as always, their harmonies are highly polished.

Key Tracks: "Our Haunt", "You're Keeping Us Up"

Released overseas in '06, Charlotte Gainsbourg's second solo album finally surfaced stateside this year thanks to Vice Records. It barely cracked the Billboard Top 200 here, but was a #1 hit at home in France and quickly became one of my favorite chill-out records this year. Working with Air, Jarvis Cocker, and Nigel Godrich, her seductive voice floats over 11 gorgeous and often haunting songs.

Key Tracks: "Everything I Cannot See", "The Songs That We Sing"

File under: WHAAAAA? I've never been a fan of Led Zeppelin, but have become enough of a fan of Alison Krauss over the years to pop this cd in when an advance copy arrived at the station. I was floored at how much I fell in love with it. Working under the guidance of T-Bone Burnett, Plant sings in a more low-key nature than usual. As the duo rips through a series of lesser-known classics from the history of roots music, it feels like eavesdropping in on a secret meeting.

Key Tracks: "Gone Gone Gone", "Please Read The Letter"

Truth be told, I've never fully embraced The White Stripes. Certain songs hit me more than others, but I can't say I've ever really loved one of their albums before now. Icky Thump consistently engaged me from start to finish, and it is the first album of their now massive career that I can genuinely say that I am a big fan of.

Key Tracks: "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)", "Rag and Bone"

Legal battles and record label nonsense kept Pharoahe Monch off the charts for almost 8 years. When he finally returned with his 2nd album it was, by and large, criminally slept on. It's the best hip-hop album of the year (and yes Kanye, that includes you). There are so many should-have-been smash hits on this record, I don't even know where to start.

Key Tracks: "Body Baby", "Let's Go", "Free"

I could listen to Ms. Thorn sing the phonebook with a mouthful of marbles. Lucky for all of us, her first solo record since 1982 far exceeds that minimum requirement. The stunning voice behind Everything But The Girl alternates between genuine dancefloor hits and sharp ballads that recall the early days of EBTG.

Key Tracks: "It's All True", "Grand Canyon"