In alphabetical order, these are the 25 records I think represent the best of what the music biz had to offer this year. One of which I think stands out above the rest…I won’t say which one that is until the very last week of December. Or the first week of January. Okay, I’m not sure when but stay tuned!!!

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Beach House – Teen Dream
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: the Son of Chico Dusty
Broken Bells – Broken Bells
Budos Band – Budos Band III

Cee-Lo Green – The Lady Killer
Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
Girl Talk – All Day

Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
How to Dress Well – Love Remains
John Legend & the Roots – Wake Up
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening

Liars – Sisterworld
Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
The National – High Violet
No Age – Everything in Between
The Roots – How I Got Over

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – I Learned the Hard Way
Sleigh Bells – Treats
Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
The Walkmen – Lisbon
Vampire Weekend – Contra

Side note: should Bruce Springsteen‘s The Promise be considered a “new” album?