HONORABLE MENTIONS

Michael Hall
"The Song He Was Listening to When He Died" (Freedom)
Even for a journo-musician he's getting too old to know more about music than love, but he's never been a quick study ("America," "The Song He Was Listening to When He Died").

The Naysayer
"Smoke Reality" (Red Panda)
Poker-faced folk joker models hippie drag in Cali and Oregon, then returns to Brooklyn, where she belongs ("Do It on a Leaf," "I'm a Shark").

The Roots
"Game Theory" (Def Jam)
Damn right Jay-Z ruined them -- convinced them not to go for the hook ("False Media," "In the Music").

Spank Rock
"YoYoYoYoYo" (Big Dada)
Their squelchy electrobeats are as funny as their laughing-gas sex rhymes ("Backyard Betty," "Top Billin' From Far Left").

Jerry Lee Lewis
"Last Man Standing" (Artists First)
Decades later, generation-gap duets are just a bunch of old guys singing -- pretty good, too ("That Kind of Fool," "Rock and Roll").

Viva L'American Death Ray Music
"In the Meantime . . ." (New York Night Train)
TIYL Velvets, Television, "Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy)" -- that is, roots music, Lower East Side style ("Thieves Oh Glorious Thieves," "Needle to the Heart of the Matter").

East River Pipe
"What Are You On?" (Merge)
Living-room loserdom at a very peak of depressive tunefulness ("Druglife," "What Does T.S. Eliot Know About You?").

Justin Timberlake
"FutureSex/LoveSounds" (Jive)
"She's freaky but I like it"?? Dude's more confused than he wants you to think ("My Love," "SexyBack").

Thunderbirds Are Now!
"Justamustache" (Frenchkiss)
Art-punks thrash around their garage-rock town ("From: Skulls," "Better Safe Than Safari").

Maria Muldaur
"Classic Live!" (Dig Music)
McGarrigle, Parton, Holiday, Dan Hicks -- add some Gershwin-Porter-Arlen and she'd have herself the ideal modern cabaret repertoire ("Work Song," "Searchin'").

Sufjan Stevens
"The Avalanche" (Asthmatic Kitty)
Outtake songs that fail to top the alternate versions of "Chicago" subsumed by outtake art-rock Glass-style, which beats Moussorgsky-style, Copland-style, Messiaen-style ("Dear Mr. Supercomputer," "Adlai Stevenson").

Pharrell
"In My Mind" (Star Trak/Interscope)
Keepin' it playa like he says, for exactly what that's worth ("Raspy Shit," "Number One").

North Mississippi Allstars
"Electric Blue Watermelon" (ATO)
They've learned to lilt, or else agreed to let their daddy show them how ("Hurry Up Sunrise," "Bang Bang Lulu").

Maria Muldaur
"30 Years of Maria Muldaur: I'm a Woman" (Shout! Factory)
Solo, she improved with age ("Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You," "Rockin' Chair").

Basement Jaxx
"Crazy Itch Radio" (Astralwerks)
Interchangeable ladies detail interchangeable ups and downs over beats whose changeabilty supposedly renders them indelible ("Take Me Back to Your House," "Run 4 Cover").

NOFX
"Wolves in Wolves' Clothing" (Fat Wreck Chords)
They play loaded, they own their masters, they write off their vacations and still they're not satisfied ("100 Times Fuckeder," "Doornails").

George Jones and Merle Haggard
"Kickin' Out the Footlights . . . Again!" (Bandit)
Hag keeps getting Haggier, but that thing in George's voice that was grainy like cornbread is turning to mush ("Things Have Gone to Pieces," "Footlights").

The Decemberists
"The Crane Wife" (Capitol)
Recognized for well-dressed poesy, remembered for well-camouflaged hooks ("The Perfect Crime No. 2," "Summersong").

Charlie Burton & the Dorothy Lynch Mob
"Salad" (Wild)
Repatriated Nebraskan jokes around for love (or lack thereof) ("I Wonder: Is Propecia Right for Me?" "Apples & Oranges").

Psalm One
"The Death of Frequent Flyer" (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Life is more macaroni than cheese for a rapper girl fronting alt beats ("The Living," "Peanuts").

Shout Out Louds
"Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" (Capitol)
Note that in nominally socialist Sweden, simple pop emotions remain a spiritual possibility ("The Comeback," "Very Loud").

James Luther Dickinson
"Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger" (Memphis International)
Unorthodox producer and damn fine session pianist chooses songs better than he sings them ("Red Neck, Blue Collar," "Hadacol Boogie").

NOMO
"New Tones" (Ubiquity)
Great idea for instrumental funk -- Afrika 70 meets Detroit 00 ("Nu Tunes," "New Song").

CHOICE CUTS

Sufjan Stevens
"Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!" "Holy, Holy, Holy," "Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time!" "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" ("Songs for Christmas" [Asthmatic Kitty])

Rufus Wainwright
"Spotlight on Christmas" ("Elton John's Christmas Party" [Hear Music])

Pet Shop Boys
"It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" ("Elton John's Christmas Party" [Hear Music])

Los Lobos
"Free Up" ("The Town and the City" [Hollywood/Mammoth])

Flaming Lips
"Free Radicals" ("At War With the Mystics" [Warner Bros.])

NOFX
"You're Wrong" ("Never Trust a Hippy" [Fat Wreck Chords])