1) Bennie Maupin Quartet "Early Reflections" - Probably best known as the multi-reedist on "Headhunters" and "Bitches Brew", his solo material is equally as brilliant.. haunting, sparse, breathy sketches. The melody of "Escondido" will follow you around for days.

2) Dr. Dog "Fate" - This collection of songs falls into my head like Tetris pieces.. effortlessly placing themselves into the most pleasing perfect
shapes. How is that humanly possible?

3) Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel "Dual Hawks" - Will Johnson and Scott Danbom's voices are like lil' angels making love to my ears. Soft, sweet,
gorgeous love.

4) Lambchop "OH (Ohio)" - Been a fan of Kurt Wagner & Co. for a decade now with nary a disappointment. The usual large ensemble supports Wagner's gentle storytelling without overwhelming a bit.. his best since "Is A Woman".

5) Brad Mehldau Trio "The Complete Friday Night Sets" - Mehldau's phrasing is insane. The group's tightness and almost psychic level of interplay lives up to the best trios. Worth downloading the lengthy hi-fi set from the Nonesuch Records website.

6) Portishead "Third" - Beth Gibbons voice is a beast, intense and fragile in its gait, softly creeping toward the kill. A hypnotic album and one
of the most powerful live shows I saw this year.

7) Boris "Smile" - Just as brutally beautiful as 2005's "Pink" but taking us to quieter places this time around with the moments of noise and assault
(and those are still plentiful) feeling especially more focused without losing any of their skull-caving intensity.

8) Genesis "1970-1975" - The first five Genesis albums, completely remixed & remastered, in one convenient boxed set. 13 discs documenting the weird, majestic magic before Peter Gabriel's departure and the band's decent into the land of lame, weak pop.

9) Testament "The Formation of Damnation" - The other "return of thrash" record this year plays like the lost soundtrack to a school bus ride in
'88, but does so without feeling dated. Not a throwback but a new classic from an underrated metal legend.

10) Steve Jablonsky and the Skywalker Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus "Gears of War 2 Soundtrack" - How else am I going to spend a lengthy, cold winter than in a recliner with a bag of Raisinets, a pot of coffee & an Xbox controller close at hand? I like to imagine that the Skywalker Chorus is made up entirely of Jawas.