I really like a lot of what I've heard this year, or rather what I've heard this year that I like I REALLY like it. I won't really do a list or anything, just name some records I've been rocking out to:

Panda Bear - Person Pitch
If you forced me to pick a #1 it would probably be this. This album is sublime. The best way I can describe it is this way. Imagine if when you went to sleep you didn't visualize anything and your dreams only presented themselves to you audibly. If that were the case then they'd probably sound like Person Pitch.

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Yeah, yeah so they get a lot of hype. You know what? They freaking deserve it. This band is the truth. They don't really present you with anything that's profound, they just manage to sound...essential.

Kings of Leon - Because the Times
This is my underdog album of the year. Ignore just about everything you've ever heard from this band and just listen to this. Actually if you haven't heard their earlier stuff then check it out if only to hear how much and how quickly they've matured. I can barely stop listening to it.

Pissed Jeans - Hope for Men
I'm not just sucking up because the drummer of this band is one of our very own. I listened to this jonx over and over again the first day I heard it and quite a few times in the days since. I'm no hardcore afficianado by any stretch of the imagination but this is amazingly compelling stuff. You push "play" not simply because you want to hear it again but for fear of what might happen to you if you don't.

The Bad Plus - Prog
These guys are kind of a recent discovery for me but I'm loving what I've heard so far. The Bad Plus is tecnically a jazz band but when they want to they will, they will rock you. Throwing a handful of dazzling reinterpretations of famliiar rock tunes (covering Tears for Fears, Rush and David Bowie) with their own often riveting compositions, Prog is jazz for the iPod generation.

Other Good S**t:
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band - Live in Dublin
Feist - Reminder
K-Os - Atlantis: Hymns for Disco
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
Jesse Malin - Glitter in the Gutter
I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends
Dr. Dog - We All Belong (I can never listen to their single "Worst Trip" just once)

And from the category of unheralded gems let me offer Strange Weirdos: Music from and Inspired by the film "Knocked Up" by Loudon Wainwright III. I still haven't seen the accompanying cinematic counterpart but this album stands on its own, regardless.