It finally happened. Winter arrived. Snow fell and we woke up this past Sunday with about three inches of the stuff. I’m glad it didn’t arrive earlier, as Friday saw me at KSVR for a four hour stint of music.

The first two hours flirted with folk music and the latter half was full-on garage rock, garage pop and psychedelic pop. Much of the 10 to midnight show came courtesy Finest Kiss, who posted some great 2011 lists.

Taking a week off from radio this Friday, as in appreciated for covering Stuarto’s show on the 13th he’ll be covering mine on the 20th. Here’s the list. Get ready, it’s a long one!

“Sunset Tulips” by Night Genes off Like The Blood
“What Never Comes” by Crooked Fingers off Forfeit/Fortune
“Cavern In A Square” by Ham 1 off Let’s Go On And On And On With Ham 1

“Valhalla” by Jack Wilson off S/T
“End of Days” by Brown Bird off Salt For Salt
“Can’t You Tell” by Vetiver off The Errant Charm

“My Pillow Is The Threshold” by Silver Jews off Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
“The Stations” by The Gutter Twins off Saturnalia
“Be Invited” by The Twilight Singers off Dynamite Steps

“Sixteen, Maybe Less” by Iron & Wine with Calexico off In The Reins
“Changing” by The Moondoggies off Don’t Be A Stranger

“The Wrong Light” by Kasey Anderson and The Honkeys off Heart of a Dog

“Close My Eyes” by Ólöf Arnalds off Ólöf Sings
“Smoke Will Rise” by The Lower 48 off Where All Maps End

“Wings Won’t Behave” by Whistle Peak off Half Asleep Upon Echo Falls

“Alphabet” by The Twilight Sad off No One Can Ever Know
“The Jessica Numbers” by The New Pornographers off Twin Cinema
“Yoshi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1″ by The Flaming Lips off Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

“Here Comes Success” by Royal City off 1999-2004
“No Reply” by Giant Sand off Chore of Enchantment
“October Boy” by Mick Harvey off Sketches from the Book of the Dead

“Dance” by Astrid Williamson off Pulse

“Moon See, Day See” by The Heligoats off Live Free & Let Loose
“Golden Friends” by Leopold And His Fiction

“Don’t Wait” by Bears off Greater Lakes
“Summer Gang” by Afternoon Naps off Summer Gang 7″

“If You Choose To Stay” by The Webelos off Shadow Seasons
“(I’ve Got) Trouble In Mind” by The Limiñanas off (I’ve Got) Trouble In Mind 7″
“Israeli Blues” by Index off Black Album + Red Album + Yesterday & Today [Disc-1]

“As Times Change” by Sea Lions off Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid To Ask
“Can You Feel The Backwash” by A Classic Education off Call It Blazing
“Pretty When You Smile” by Sweater Girls off Pretty When You Smile 7″

“Pretty Ballerina” by Left Banke off There’s Gonna Be A Storm – The Complete Recordings 1966-1969
“Like Dylan in the Movies” by Belle & Sebastian off If You’re Feeling Sinister
“Conventional Lullabies” by Young And Sexy off Panic When You Find It

“Roosevelt Island” by Eleanor Friedberger off Last Summer
“Dour Percentage” by Of Montreal off Paralytics Stalks
“The Golden Age” by The Resonars off Bright And Dark

“Catamaran” by Allah-Las off Catamaran b/w Long Journey
“Malkaus” by The Panthers off Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumentals 1966-1976
“Where You Gonna Go” by People’s Temple off Sons Of Stone

“Invitations” by Puberty off Invitations 7″
“Shari Vari” by The Dirtbombs” off Party Store

“Tuscaloosa Bar” by Indian Wars off Walk Around The Park

“Sycamore Tree” by Crystal Stilts off In Love With Oblivion
“Raspberry Thighs” by The Mantles off Raspberry Thighs 7″
“Bad Feeling” by Veronica Falls off Veronica Falls

“Give Me Back My Man” by Boyracer off Little Darla Has A Treat For You [Vol. 24 Disc 1]
“Blowing Kisses” by Exlovers off Blowing Kisses 7″
“So High” by Ringo DeathStarr off Colour Trip

“Plastic Disaster” by Little Cuts off Plastic Disaster 7″
“I Wanna Join The Army” by Dan Sartain off Too Tough To Live

“The Start of Something” by Voxtrot off The Start Of Something

They say, Oh, don’t call this group a supergroup! But I disagree, and there’s a distinct reason why. It’s because each member in The New Pornographers is, well, super. A.C. Newman adds his unique songwriting and vocal styling and he backs it with the phenomenal song-craft and vocals of Neko Case and Dan Bejar (Destroyer). Blaine Thurier is a film producer and lends keyboard expertise to the band, while John Collins, Todd Fancey, Kurt Dahle and Kathryn Calder round the songs out on various instruments, many of whom also lend backup vocals. This entourage of greatness is at it again with Together, their fifth proper full-length.

“Your Hands (Together)”, the somewhat title track off Together, picks up where Challengers left off. And it takes the band to the next level. The New Pornographers have always been a band with the immense ability to create a full, cohesive, and all-around outstanding album; with each new release, the excitement begins again. It’s not necessarily relevant whether this song tops the last favorite or comes short, because you can almost liken the group to Radiohead — you know you’re going to like it, no matter what changes.

Together comes out tomorrow on Matador Records Above photo by Jason Creps.

Download: “Your Hands (Together)” by The New Pornographers

Let me tell you a story. In 2007 some notable things happened. I attended the annual music festival SXSW (the image above is of myself and The Lovely Sparrows’ Shawn Jones, taken by Abandoned Love Records/Virgin Of The Birds’ Jon Rooney), I grew a mustache, and I met a beautiful girl named Andi at the Capitol Hill Block Party. We hit it off and ditched the after-party to get a sprite (her) and coffee (me) at Denny’s in Ballard (sadly no longer there) at 1:30am. I still have the mustache and I’m still dating Andi. A lot of pretty notable things happened that year, and a lot of great releases came out…

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Ooops: Pulling Up Floors, Pouring On New Paint by The Lovely Sparrows

We begin tonight with an error, an accidental and tragic omission from 2006 as it was ultimately one of my favorites from the year; that being The Lovely Sparrows’ phenomenal EP Pulling Up Floors, Pouring On New Paint. 2007 was the first time I heard it live and it absolutely blew me away, just as the EP had many times over. Here it is, a track from my favorite show from 2007 (well, from their EP that is):

The Lovely Sparrows: Chemicals Change [mp3]

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1/3. Wizards Of Ahhhs by Black Kids

Black Kids were my #1 hype band of 2007. Shunning label and any released material, with exception to this here digital EP, the group took off with astounding force. Their debut LP didn’t quite live up to the hype, but was still pretty good. This year (2009) the album finally got a physical release, and it happened during the famed Record Store Day. The 10″ EP is sitting in my collection right now.

Black Kids: I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You [mp3]

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33. The Bird Of Music by Au Revoir Simone

You can view this band in two ways. At first glance, Au Revoir Simone’s make up is of three attractive nerdy women with Casio keyboards and an affection toward Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure. But the deeper you look into their music, the more you find that these three women are sirens and muses ready to swallow your soul in the most delightful of ways. You’ll practically beg for them to take it.

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32. The Stage Names by Okkervil River

I really love how The Stage Names concludes with “John Allyn Smith Sails”, a song that channels The Beach Boys’ classic “Sloop John B”. The Stage Names was part one of a conceptual pair of albums, the second of which, The Stand Ins was released in 2008.

Okkervil River: Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe [mp3]

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31. In Stormy Nights by Ghost

The experimental Japanese classical group Ghost is an interesting collective of artists. In Stormy Nights is, without question, among their more accessible releases. With sole exception to the 28 minute “Hemicyclic Anthelion”, the album was pretty cohesive in its piecing together of full songs. It wasn’t a musical rant of avant garde as found in that lone lengthy track. “Motherly Bluster” and “Gareki No Toshi” and “Caledonia” were actually catchy, a term not likely included in any prior mention of the band.

You can stream the entire album over at Drag City.

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30. For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver

Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago is an album of insurmountable beauty. Soft acoustics fronted by Justin Vernon’s pleasant falsetto made tunes like “For Emma” and “Flume” stand out. While not necessarily bedroom pop, the album included many of that subgenre’s sensibilities yet defied its true nature. Bon Iver is much too folky to be that.

Bon Iver: Skinny Love [mp3]

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29. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is my favorite Spoon album since Kill The Moonlight. “Don’t Make Me A Target” and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” hinted at that earlier album’s greatness yet took the band’s progression of the years between into account. Absolutely wonderful!

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28. Cold City by Eux Autres

Their sophomore release, Eux Autres continued to pump out quality lo-fi, French-influenced pop music. Raw and at times minimal, the brother-sister duo began to expand into a trio and add keys to the guitar/drums/vocals mix. “Molly”, “When I’m Up” and “Anne Boleyn” were early favorites, but “The City All To Himself” topped them all.

Eux Autres: When I’m Up [mp3]

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27. In Camera by Arthur & Yu

Hardly Art’s first release as a label, In Camera is an album that references Summer of Love and a decade’s old style of San Francisco folk-pop. There’s plenty here to love.

Arthur & Yu: Come To View (Song For Neil Young) [mp3]

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26. Red Bloom Of The Boom by Bear In Heaven

With Red Bloom Of The Boom, Bear In Heaven followed in the footsteps of freak-folk and pop artists such as Animal Collective, but their music is also likely to find itself in the crowd with AC spinoff Panda Bear. For fans of more avant-garde indie, Red Bloom Of The Boom is a must have for your collection.

Bear In Heaven: Bag Of Bags [mp3]

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25. The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly by Le Loup

When I saw Le Loup live at CMJ in 2007, I knew I needed their debut album from Hardly Art. Somewhat of a concept album, The Throne delves into the psyche and psychosis of Sam Simkoff. Spirits are at work here—light versus dark—and the result is a miraculous journey into a brilliant mind.

Le Loup: We Are Gods! We Are Wolves! [mp3]

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24. Autumn Of The Seraphs by Pinback

Slightly more rock-centric with a bit higher production value and a little less orchestration is how Autumn Of The Seraphs came to us. Pinback continued their pointed and oft angular sounds that has always made them a wholly unique band. I’ve been kicking myself for not picking up their albums before this one, as Seraphs was ultimately my introduction to the band.

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23. No Shouts No Calls by Electrelane

The last Electrelane album before their (hopefully not) eternal hiatus is without a doubt my favorite. From the singles “The Greater Times” and “To The East” to the epic post-rock “Saturday” and “Cut And Run”, No Shouts No Calls is truly a remarkable album.

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22. The Flying Club Cup by Beirut

Condon’s voice continues to mature, though one would think it impossible. Deep and rich, his vocals and trumpet alike fill the air with boisterous glee. The album also found Condon relinquishing some of his domination on the album (as Beirut’s entire debut was put together by Condon himself) to other artists, which was a welcome feature. The Flying Club Cup is a definite must-have from 2007.

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21. The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse by The Besnard Lakes

…Are The Dark Horse eluded me in 2007; I listened to it for the first time within 24 hours of publishing my original Best of 2007 list and was devastated I wouldn’t be able to include it. There are infectious pop moments thanks to Beach Boys-like harmonies, but the instrumentation is thick and atmospheric. This band is one of a kind.

The Besnard Lakes: And You Lied To Me [mp3]

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20. Parades by Efterklang

Parades blends the orchestrated pop sensibilities of Sigur Ros with a massive experimental orchestral pop sound. With emphasis on multiple vocal parts, immense percussion, and an intense horn section, Efterklang’s Parades took a sound similar to that of Anathallo and expanded it to epic proportions.

Efterklang: Cutting Ice To Snow [mp3]

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19. Everything Is A Miracle Nothing Is A Miracle Everything Is by Kickball

This pristine 10″ LP found Kickball outdoing themselves. Previously, ABCDEFGHIJ saw them capitalizing on a math-y, in-your-face style of lo-fi gritty emotive puck rock. Everything Is A Miracle Nothing Is A Miracle Everything Is took this sound to the next level, from opener “Underground Husbands” to epics like “Hotelsmotels” and “Sometimes”. It’s a truly beautiful piece of work, this album.

Kickball: Pocketknife [mp3]

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18. Eulogy For Evolution by Ólafur Arnalds

One wouldn’t expect classical music to make a list like this, but here it is, Ólafur Arnalds’ outstanding Eulogy For Evolution. As the album builds from the pleasantries of “3055″ into “3326″, it goes from a calm hypnosis into tense strings. Then the album bows out with “3704/3837″ hitting hard with an anthemic electric guitar. Arnalds is truly the modern king of classical composition.

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17. In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars

Stars always lag a bit when it comes to me. There’s a progression here that’s a bit strange, yet it’s consistent with all of their recent releases. At first, I’ll dislike the album completely. It’ll sit on my shelf for some time, possibly as long as a year or more. Then I’ll pick it up and it’ll blow me away. In Our Bedroom After The War was nowhere to be found on my original 2007 list, and I mistakenly added it toward the end of my 2008 list (oops!) and was called on the error. Yet here it is, now within the top 20. It makes me wonder what one, maybe two more years will do to it.

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16. Let’s Drag Our Feet by BOAT

D. Crane will likely remain at the forefront of my list of friendliest musicians. There’s something about his demeanor, party enhanced by his continual slight smile, that makes you simply know he’s a fun guy. It’s like he finds the world and life in general flat out amusing. And he injects that outlook on life directly into the heart of his music. “Period. Colon. Backslash” from this album was once dedicated to my mustache at a show in Seattle. Totally awesome.

BOAT: (I’m A) Donkey For Your Love [mp3]

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15. Voxtrot by Voxtrot

I often say that nothing will top Voxtrot’s debut EP and so far nothing has, simply because of the power behind the two singles, “The Start Of Something” and “Raised By Wolves”. Their debut self-titled LP is a lovable album that includes many single-worthy tracks, bringing the band forward in indiepop with a broader, slightly more produced sound.

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14. Fleeting Frequencies by Patience Please

I love these guys; it’s no secret. Their songs fill me with joy, whether it’s the tribute to your parents’ sale of your childhood home in “Exclusively Windermere” or the choo-choo drums by Chris at the beginning and end of “Coal Enough For Steam”. Jordan and Ray’s lyrics are thoughtful and clever, and Keegan’s work on keys and backup vocals round out the quartet perfectly. It was sad they disbanded a few months after Fleeting Frequencies hit stores.

Patience Please: If You’re Sure [mp3]

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13. Challengers by The New Pornographers

Twin Cinema never caught on for me. Neither did Mass Romantic. There were several tracks off Electric Version that I fell in love with, but the album was never on constant repeat. Challengers changed all that. God this is a great album!

The New Pornographers: Myriad Harbour [mp3]

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12. Andorra by Caribou

“Melody Day” continues to be one of the top songs from 2007. Andorra was somewhat of a gracious tribute to 30th anniversary of The Summer Of Love, and it fits the 70s sound of psychedelic folk-pop beautifully. Fronted by Dan Snaith, who has a Ph.D. in mathematics, it’s obvious that this album is quite a trip!

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11. In Rainbows by Radiohead

The hottest of hot bands and most hype-driven and noteworthy artist of the past decade is Radiohead. Snubbing their record label and the following hurrah’s of a pay-what-you-want model, the band knowingly found themselves in the eye of a faltering industry. They shunned all ties to create a pave their own path with In Rainbows, favoring the aforementioned consumer friendly model with added promotional elements in various web-casts. In Rainbows was, obviously, like virtually the entire Radiohead library: an instant classic.

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10. Sound Of Silver by LCD Soundsystem

Sound of Silver is a more than viable follow-up to the self-titled release from a few years ago. This is obvious thanks to one of the best songs of the decade, “All My Friends”, as well as opening power trio “Get Innocuous”, “Time To Get Away” and “North American Scum”. Even the slower, more emotive tracks like closing tune “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” were awe-inspiring.

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9. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? by Of Montreal

I remember first hearing “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” – at a hair under 12 minutes, it was hard to miss. The song is one of Kevin Barnes’s most introspective and personal tracks yet, and the rest of the album compliments it well. “Suffer For Fashion” and “Cato As Pun” and “She’s A Rejecter” remain among of my favorites by the band. This furthered Barnes along the path toward icon status.

Of Montreal: Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse [mp3]

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8. Person Pitch by Panda Bear

Panda Bear’s relation to Animal Collective is obvious beyond the group’s makeup. Added to the bizarre nature of AC’s eclectic experimental folk sounds are Beach Boys-esque vocal patterns that make Person Pitch that much more unique. “Bros”, “Comfy In Nautica”: beautiful.

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7. Cryptograms by Deerhunter

It’s amazing to think how far Deerhunter has come since Flourescent Grey. Cryptograms found the experimental band solidifying their sound with some of the year’s best tracks, including the title track, “Lake Somerset”, and “Strange Lights”.

Deerhunter: Cryptograms [mp3]

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6. 23 by Blonde Redhead

23 is a tight-knit album, but it’s to be expected from a band as solid as Blonde Redhead. It works both as a cohesive unit and as individual songs. From “The Dress” to the title-track “23” to the album favorite “Publisher”, with 23, Blonde Redhead put yet another phenomenal album under their collective belts.

Blonde Redhead: 23 [mp3]

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5. Invitation Songs by The Cave Singers

Discovering great music is a wonderful feeling, but doing so by mistake is even better. I wanted to be in the front row for Grand Archives’ Capitol Hill Block Party performance so I showed up a performance early. And that’s when I was introduced to The Cave Singers. Invitation Songs is a glorious album of semi-religious folk tunes, dusty and gritty like a dust bowl-era wanderer.

The Cave Singers: Helen [mp3]

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4. All Hour Cymbals by Yeasayer

Likened to a barbershop quartet gone eclectic indie rock, Yeasayer’s All Hour Cymbals drew a lot of hype upon its release at the tail end of 2007. “Sunrise” and “2020″ were instant favorites. Word on the street is that they’ve got a new one slated for early 2010; it’ll be interesting to see how the two albums stack up. All Hour Cymbals will be a very difficult one to top.

Yeasayer: 2080 [mp3]

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3. Friend And Foe by Menomena

I didn’t understand what was so fascinating about Menomena until I saw them live at Bumbershoot in 2007. The group added a choir in their backline, and the songs that made up Friend And Foe became instantly recognizable as awe-inspiring anthems. After that, I was absolutely hooked and I have been ever since.

Menomena: Wet And Rusting [mp3]

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2. Night Falls Over Kortedala by Jens Lekman

Night Falls On Kortedala took me by surprise. Lekman’s prior albums were strong with tunes about getting arrested, naughty words that begin with F, a few spanning a movie featuring Cher and Eric Stoltz, and the cool taxis of London. But none are as powerful as a whole as that of Night Falls On Kortedala. “Postcard to Nina” and “And I Remember Every Kiss” and “Sipping On The Sweet Nectar” and “Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo” are all vastly memorable tunes. Add to it plush orchestration and you have Fense’s top album of 2007.

Jens Lekman: The Opposite Of Hallelujah [mp3]

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1. Albatross by Fishboy

Theif! Fishboy stole best album of 2007 from Jens Lekman. It was close to begin with, but it’s really no contest. Concept albums can be brilliant and Albatross is a prime example, perhaps the optimum example. The album tells the story of how the protagonist “failed to save the lone star state with the power of rock and roll.” Touring the country, Fishboy plays their so-called Rock Opera in its entirety from start to finish in what I hail as one phenomenal phucking performance! The story is fodder for a low-budget indie film. The day that film is made will be the day my life is complete.

Fishboy: Half Time At The Proper Name Spelling Bee [mp3]

The summer of 2003 was a hot one in eastern Washington, and my concrete bunker of an apartment contained the heat like no other. Granted, the above image wasn’t shot by yours truly until 2004, but it sure seemed hot enough to ignite even the least combustible of items. I wrapped up my undergraduate that December, which was cold as Antarctica, and upon that milestone I moved to Seattle. It was a good year for the Northwest; many of my favorite albums came from Seattle labels like Sub Pop and Barsuk. As for the list, I’ve expanded it to 20. Couldn’t help it.

Do you have an album from 2003 not included below that would have made your best of list? Feel free to add a comment and include what makes it special to you. As all of these Retrospectives go, we’re reminiscing on good times. Here is my list of favorite albums from 2003:

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20. Mouthfuls by Fruit Bats
Folk-pop tinged with a hint of back-country with highpoints “A Bit Of Wind” and “Seaweed”, and Mouthfuls by Fruit Bats gets the number 20 spot on my top albums of 2003. You just can’t lose with lyrics like It takes mouthfuls of Niagara Falls. It seems this album is a bit more centered around folk than their newer stuff, and these sensibilities keep the songs on the verge of subtlety; soft and subdued, they were perfect for unwinding after a long day. Grab a glass of wine, and let the good tunes flow.

Fruit Bats: A Bit Of Wind [mp3]

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19. Hate by The Delgados
As much as I liked Emma Pollock’s 2007 solo release, Watch The Fireworks, revisiting The Delgados‘ old albums it’s easy to hear that there’s no comparing them. Hands down, The Delgados win. “All You Need Is Hate” tops the group’s library as one of their best songs, playing off The Beatles “All You Need Is Love”, giving it a super catchy chorus and packing the instrumentation with beloved strings.

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18. Dusk In Cold Parlours by Norfolk & Western
Dusk In Cold Parlours may not be as hard-hitting as its dual 2006 successors, A Gilded Age and The Unsung Colony, but it is good melodic orchestral folk. Looking back, yes I do miss those freak-outs, those forays into loud instrumental breakdowns (“Barrels On Fire” and “A Porch Destruction”) that really defined the persona of Norfolk & Western. Dusk In Cold Parlours just didn’t have them, at least to the extent of those which came later. Instead, we got real orchestral folk pop, and that in itself is worth of lauding.

Norfolk & Western: Impossible [mp3]

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17. Dear Catastrophe Waitress by Belle & Sebastian
There’s a reason I consider Belle & Sebastian one of my all-time favorite bands. Dear Catastrophe Waitress is, as a whole, one of my least favorite albums by the group, yet it’s still in the top 20. This is in part due to the fact that few songs are mainstays on my playlist. Exceptions exist, like “Stay Loose” and “If She Wants Me” and “Piazza, New York Catcher”; it’s also in part due to the fact that I haven’t listened to it in its entirely with much frequency.

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16. No Culture Icons EP by The Thermals
Is it wrong to include EPs in lists of so-called Best Albums? I could put in More Parts Per Million but that album wasn’t quite as taking as No Culture Icons. The song, “No Culture Icons”, is my all-time favorite by The Thermals. The lyrics Hardly art, hardly starving may be what gave the Sub Pop spin-off label Hardly Art their name. True or not, it doesn’t discount the fact that the song, and album, are a stunning display of social and political commentary in the form of lyrical poetry. Backed by punk-pop noise, The Thermals’ fuzzy guitars and basement drums are the perfect accompaniment. Their more recent works seem to lose some of that crude early production, which fit so well with the topics at hand. What really set this EP apart from their debut LP was “Everything Thermals”, a self-anthem that fit their brand of wild but cohesive punk rock/pop.

The Thermals: No Culture Icons [mp3]

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15. Down With Wilco by The Minus 5
I never could tell whether this album was titled sarcastically or not, at least from the songs held within. Knowing that the album actually included contributions from Wilco (something not entirely unheard of from The Minus 5) made complete sense as Down With Wilco has a very Wilco-esque nature to it. It also includes collaborations with Ken Stringfellow (The Posies) and Peter Buck (R.E.M.).

The Minus 5: The Town That Lost Its Groove Supply [mp3]

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14. The Concretes by The Concretes
There’s something truly special about that Swedish accent, namely the accent sung in a female voice; it’s enough to make you wonder if the sirens from Greek Mythology hailed from Scandinavia. In my world, they do. Former lead singer Victoria Bergsman coos like no other on “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Lonely As Can Be”. Revisiting this album, as well as others by The Concretes, it’s easy to hear why this band deserves inclusion in these lists; their music is romantic and sad and heartfelt, yet not overly sappy. It’s pop music at its finest.

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13. Son by Jeff Hanson
I met Jeff Hanson a few years after this album was released, shortly after the release of his self-titled follow-up. And what I remember of him is contrast. His music was that of mystery; the pleasant falsetto vocals and acoustic guitar was surprising coming from a burly man with thick stubble. But this man was gentle and kind, and his songs were true to his nature. We lost a great musician this year (he passed a few months back), but he won’t be forgotten. Nor will his music.

Jeff Hanson: Hiding Behind The Moon [mp3]

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12. Lesser Matters by The Radio Dept.
“Where Damage Isn’t Already Done” by The Radio Dept. is one of my favorite songs of 2003. It contains a rapid percussion that doesn’t quite rival that of The Walkmen’s “The Rat” which would come soon hereafter, but the concept is similar. Backed by fuzzy, jangly guitar pop and an up-close-and-personal vocal style, Lesser Matters remains among The Radio Dept.’s best work yet. Many would side on the newer, more electronic side the band is taking on, but this early stuff totally takes the cake for me.

The Radio Dept: Why Won’t You Talk About It? [mp3]

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11. Naturaliste by The Lucksmiths
The Lucksmiths have always written song lyrics as though they were poems with plots. Staring At The Sky neared perfection for the band and that trait lent much to the EP’s greatness. Still, one of their most admired songs, a cross-section of falling in love, is “Camera Shy”, the opening track off Naturaliste. The album doesn’t stop there, going on to give us greats like “Midweek Morning” and “There Is A Boy That Never Goes Out” (a play off The Smiths’ “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”, which the band covers on the Romantic & Square Is Hip & Aware comp).

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10. The Long Goodbye by The Essex Green
The Essex Green have always put out great pop records, from the Kindercore release Everything Is Green (on wonderful green vinyl nonetheless) to The Long Goodbye. Where other artists rely on sad stories and homeless romanticism, The Essex Green always seemed to contain more purity. Those other things may have been there, but songs like “The Late Great Cassanova” and “Our Lady In Havana” just don’t sound like it. They’re upbeat and joyful.

The Essex Green: Our Lady In Havana [mp3]

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9. Her Majesty The Decemberists by The Decemberists
For a very long time, “Shanty For The Arethusa” remained my favorite song by The Decemberists. Castaways & Cutouts was great, but this new theatrical element the group added in Her Majesty The Decemberists allowed their music to expand to new heights. As a whole, C&C may have been stronger, but Her Majesty had a few tracks that trumped their debut, like “The Bachelor & The Bride” and “The Soldering Life”.

The Decemberists: The Soldering Life [mp3]

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8. Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone by The Unicorns
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone was an album ahead of its time. Case in point is the popularity of post-The Unicorns group Islands. The songwriting style is no more mature than found here, and only a hair more produced and refined. The Unicorns were truly unique when it came to wacko tracks like “I Don’t Want To Die” and “Jellybones”. Odd as they were, you couldn’t help falling in love with each and every one of them.

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7. The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions In The Sky
The name Explosions In The Sky bears is so undoubtedly fitting; they always live up to the moniker and The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place is no exception. From the breathtaking gradual build in “First Breath After Coma”, continuing with “The Only Moment We Were Alone” and on through “Your Hand In Mine”, The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place remains EITS’ best album to date.

Explosions In The Sky: Your Hand In Mine [mp3]

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6. Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins
Oh, Inverted World was pretty damn great. No question about it. But boy Chutes Too Narrow came close to being just as powerful and noteworthy as its predecessor. I’d forgotten just how great an album it was until just now, revisiting songs like “Kissing The Lipless” and “Pink Bullets” and “So Says I”. This is an album that really should never be forgotten, and its a travesty I haven’t listened to it, or anything by The Shins for that matter, in well over a year. Seriously.

The Shins: Kissing The Lipless [mp3]

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5. When I Pretend To Fall by The Long Winters
Such a straightforward pop record, When I Pretend To Fall was The Long Winters‘ second album and it matched their debut stride for stride. The Long Winters have always succeeded in creating unambiguous pop-rock music entirely accessible yet just escaping the dreaded “contemporary” label. John Roderick is a rocker with a soft side, an educated songwriter with a sense of humor and whit. And it shows throughout When I Pretend To Fall.

The Long Winters: Stupid [mp3]

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4. Give Up by The Postal Service
I’d say 2007 was the last time I really gave Give Up by The Postal Service a good listen, maybe even 2006. In the time between its release and my last listen, I overplayed the album extensively. The hiatus in the time that followed is the curse of incessant repeat listens. Revisiting the album now, it’s easy to hear why it became such a regular for so long. Give Up really was a great album, and it is more than worthy of both praise and a high spot on any best of 2003 list.

The Postal Service: Such Great Heights [mp3]

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3. Electric Version by The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers really outdid themselves on Electric Version. The album is jam-packed with solid tracks, from the awkward-ish, title-track opener to the Dan Bejar-fronted “Testament To Youth In Verse”. Many would credit Mass Romantic, the group’s debut, as an all-time favorite; in my opinion Electric Version trumps them all. “Ballad Of A Comeback Kid” and “From Blown Speakers” round out some of my favorite tunes by the supergroup (yes, I called it that, despite knowing they frown on the association). Really, they are. Not because their members make up some of today’s most appreciated artists, but because they pack their albums with stellar tracks and because each member’s contribution refuses to go unseen.

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2. Echoes by The Rapture
When greatness occurs early on, it’s tough to live up to it in that which follows. That’s the curse of having a stellar debut. Echoes may not have been The Rapture‘s debut, but it was definitely great. Songs like “Olio” and “Sister Savior” were instant favorites, easily followed by “House Of Jealous Lovers”, “Heaven” and “I Need Your Love”. The inclusion of DFA, in hindsight, demonstrates perfectly the intricacies and influence this album possesses; and, in a way, you could almost say that early LCD Soundsystem gives Echoes a few healthy nods.

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1. Up Against The Legends by The Legends
Few records have had more impact on me as a person than that of Up Against The Legends by The Legends. Coincidentally, another such album is Sing Along With The Acid House Kings by Acid House Kings, also of Johan Angergård’s collection of groups. With Up Against The Legends, The Legends debuted with a gritty, raw album of distorted fuzzy garage pop well ahead of its time. To this day, this remains one of my all-time favorite albums, and one 2009′s garage-y fuzz-pop obsessives should get to know.

The Legends: Call It Ours [mp3]