Tons of great music this year, but from looking at your lists and then looking at mine, I think many of us were on the same page. I didn't listen to as much jazz or "out" music this year, so my list of course reflects that. AC went wire-to-wire with me, which has never happened. I just never fell out of love with the record.

1. Animal Collective :: Merriweather Post Pavilion/Fall Be Kind EP
2. Wilco :: Wilco (The Album)
3. Pillowdriver :: Sleeping Pills
4. Sonic Youth :: The Eternal
5. Avett Brothers :: I And Love And You
6. Patterson Hood :: Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)
7. Grizzly Bear :: Veckatimest
8. Hayden :: The Place Where We Lived
9. Deer Tick :: Born On Flag Day
10. John Doe & The Sadies :: Country Club
11. Willie & The Wheel :: S/T
12. Eels :: Hombre Lobo
13. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy :: Beware
14. Prison Book Club :: Required Reading
15. Pearl Jam :: Backspacer
16. Dinosaur Jr. :: Farm
17. (tie) Son Volt :: American Central Dust
(tie)Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard :: One Fast Move Or I'm Gone:Kerouac's Big Sur
18. David Bazan :: Curse Your Branches
19. Lou Barlow :: Goodnight Unknown
20. Slaid Cleaves :: Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away
21. Yppah :: They Know What Ghost Know
22. Vic Chesnutt :: At The Cut
23. Magnolia Electric Co. :: Josephine
24. The Flaming Lips :: Embryonic
25. Karen O & The Kids :: Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack

Some more that didn't make the cut, but nevertheless were listened the hell out of:

*Memory Tapes :: Seek Magic
*Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros :: S/T
*Meanderthanls :: Desire Lines
*The Black Heart Procession :: Six
*Booker T. Jones :: Potato Hole
*Damon Fowler :: Sugar Shack
*David Crowder Band :: Church Music
*Do Make Say Think :: Other Truths
*Early Day Miners :: The Treatment
*Gloriana :: S/T
*Greenland Is Melting :: Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass Is Blue
*James Yorkston & The Big Eyes Family Players :: Folk Songs
*Jason Upton :: On The Rim Of The Visible World
*Nathan Johnson :: The Brothers Bloom soundtrack
*Noveller (2 albums) :: Paint On The Shadows/Red Rainbows

nice. this guy is sorely underrated.

I have to say, so far this list has been most surprising to me. Way more conventional (for lack of a better word) than what I expected. What's that Deer Tick all about, that's popped up on a few lists from people whom I generally agree with.

Yeah, its just been that kind of year for me. Like a lot of people on the board, I've got a broad range of tastes, and this year I kinda was just in the mood mostly for the folk/country/roots stuff. Who knows next year, I might be back heavily into the more obscure stuff. Doing the show, obviously, impacted me too. Now that its on hiatus, I wasn't really drowning myself in those releases.

Deer Tick is a folkyish band from RI. They released an album called War Elephant in 2007 that made its rounds on various blogs. When it got re-released more people got in on the buzz, and it built to this year when they released their new record. Its good songwriting and tones.

Probably no surprise, but I heartily approve this list.

Yeah, this is one of the lists I'll try to grab some new music off of.

super extra mega bonus points for not just having hayden on your list, but in the top 10

Great List

I have not seen alot of love for Bonnie "Prince" Billy's latest this year. I really liked that record as well.

Seeing him live really cemented this for me. I was lucky enough to catch him at an amazing place called The Birchmere in Alexandria, Va where you eat dinner then the performer comes out.

We have a place called the Iron Horse here that's kind of the same concept.

I never did hear that Sonic Youth album. Also, I haven't had a desire to listen to a new Pearl Jam album since Vs. but Backspacer is getting tons of praise on year-end lists. Is it really that good?

Good list, and one that looks somewhat similar to mine so I'll try to make it a point to check some of this out.

The new PJ is a lot looser and more fun than the string that they've had previously. It feels like an EP, and is just simple rock songs. I think they are finally feeling comfortable being a long-standing band and that means not having to prove anything. The new deal with Target probably prompted the record being what it is as well.