1. "Fleet Foxes LP" and "Sun Giant EP"- Fleet Foxes- incredibly refreshing folk-pop with lyrics laced with nature, summer, friends, and life.
2. "Vampire Weekend"- Vampire Weekend- energetic 3-chord, college rock filled with chamber strings, college, African beats and fast paces. Thoughtful in a energetic shell, with potential to grow into The Police level stardom.
3. "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends"- Coldplay- produced by Brian Eno, it takes their jovial, amorous spirit to a brand new level. A little political, grandiose, spectacular, and sweet as strawberries.
4. "The Rhumb Line"- Ra Ra Riot- Vampire Weekend's energy, with more wisdom. The album deals with death, love, and coming of age. Although only 10 songs, it's pounding and energetic, but with a string section and wisened lyrics to make you think and feel.
5. "Old Home Movies"- The Botticellis- incredible surf, but a little more structure and backbone. Dazzling arrangements, coaxing harmonies, and infectuous melodies. Just sing along.
6. "3 Rounds and a Sound"- Blind Pilot- suddle, quaint, acoustic, and gorgeous. These songs create large family barns to hide in with your first love, and old volvos to drive across the state. Wherever you are, you can relate to these songs.
7. "That Lucky Old Sun"- Brian Wilson- what else would you expect from Mr. Wilson? This album is 60's sunshine, LA-rock, and autobiographical all at once.
8. "Saturdays = Youth"- M83- loud, groovin', dark, happy, electro/80's techno rock; from France. Wow. The album title highlights the young, 80's brat-pack film feeling of the songs.
9. "Oracular Spectacular"- MGMT- sexy, college psychedelic/techno/pop from two genius college kids. Pop it in and start making out immediately.
10. "Furr"- Blitzen Trapper- Folksey like Blind Pilot, gutsy like Dylan, sly like The Shins, and down-home like Indie's own Lynard Skynard. No one would've guessed that folk would meet synths in such an incredible way.
11. "Bring Me Your Love" -City and Colour- like the Canadian version of Iron & Wine, but peradventure even better. Very sincere, cold, and endearing songs.
12. "Feed the Animals"- Girl Talk- the next groove for 2008; in the likes of a chemical engineer from Pennsylvania. Gangsta rap, the Beach Boys, 80's pop; it's all mashed up. Nothing is off limits from Girl Talk, and why would I want it any other way?
13. "For Emma, Forever Ago"- Bon Iver- another great folk record, this time much more minimalist. Vernon's voice moans and cries in his own unique way, but never sounds anything but confident.
14. "Ode to Sunshine"- Delta Spirit
Perfect fusion of white boy soul, shimmering Indie rock guitars, Bob Dylan ballads, and a badass cowboy with a big heart.
15. "Pretty. Odd." -Panic at the Disco
Ditch the "!", add the "Sgt. Pepper", drop the emo, you've got a good psych/pop record with a little bit of the emo flaws left over but they are overall outshined by the baroqueness.
