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#1DSU by Alex G (Orchid Tapes)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
It took months for this one to click, but once it did… boy. I'm tempted to call this the post-emo-revival album I was waiting for, but a quick trip to Alex G's bandcamp reveals that he's been making music like this for a few years now. DSU takes the melancholy of Elliott Smith, blatant honesty of the Kinsellas, sonic weirdness of Ryan Hemsworth, and without a scratch of irony comes up with the most warmly unfamiliar collection of songs I've heard this year.
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#2Sea When Absent by A Sunny Day in Glasgow (Lefse)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
Sea When Absent was my go-to all year any time I asked myself, "ehh what should I listen to." It never let me down. The production on this album doesn't even make sense, and this is precisely why it's such an invigorating listen. It's a dream pop album for all-time--how a band accomplished that 30 years after My Bloody Valentine is as bafflingly awesome as the music itself.
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#3Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs (Secretly Canadian)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
It was the first AOTY contender this year, and we all knew it. And, sure enough, it's hung around (maybe thanks to goofiness of Mark Kozelek). Tom Petty, Dire Straits, Bob Dylan, and all the comparative obviousness is part of the reason this album takes so well, but its real strength is how it finds space to breathe. It's one we can enjoy on the porch with a beer and a dog. It's not asking too much of us, but we sure as hell don't want to skip a single song or turn it off.
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#4Alvvays by Alvvays (Polyvinyl)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
Rookies of the year right here. Don't be bothered by the 'double v' in the name, just listen to the songs and marvel at the brilliant, gorgeous songwriting. There's a bright, youthful sadness inherent in Alvvays, akin to Belle & Sebastian or The Smiths. Also, Chad VanGaalen produced it.
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#5Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels (Mass Appeal)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
Best hip-hop release two years running now. El-P and Killer Mike know it too. When I interviewed Run the Jewels for CHIRP, Mike boasted "Now I know how the Dallas Cowboys feel--back to fuckin' back, baby!" Zack de la Rocha and Travis Barker bring it for their feature tracks, but nothing goes quite as hard as Gangsta Boo's verse on "Love Again." I suggested to my wife that it become 'our song' (no dice there unfortunately).
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#6The God Complex by GoldLink (self-released)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
Future bounce is here. Goldlink is very young, and very good. Rappers like this don't come along too often, so just get on it now so you don't miss the ride up. It's gonna be fun.
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#7Doss EP by Doss (Acephale)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
A perfect EP for an artist to debut a new aesthetic. When I shared Doss with a co-worker she quickly remarked, "Oh, it's like Alice DeeJay." After a short pause, I shouted, "Yes!" Somewhere between that, PC Music, and everything dance music ever needs to be--it's Doss.
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#8Still Life by Dawn Golden (Mad Decent)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
I guess this is my local pick? Dawn Golden is in LA with everybody else now, but he is definitely a Chicagoan. And you can hear it here. Now that winter has arrived, the saddest/coldest album I've heard all year will dominate my headphones for 6 months of misery. That this was released on Mad Decent is ridiculous and wonderful.
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#9Atlas by Real Estate (Domino)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
Oh yeah, my favorite band released an album this year! It doesn't quite have the hooks of Days or their self-titled, but Atlas is the Real Estate we all know and love. Can't beat this when I'm feeling chill. I'm always feeling chill.
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#10Days of Abandon by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Yebo)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
Might as well throw one more guitar album in here. There's just something unspeakable that happens inside of me when Kip sings, "Eurydice, I'll never stop losing you. Losing you." (sigh.)
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Honorable Mentions:
Best mix: Ryan Hemsworth's "Cool DJ Mix"
Best reissue: American Football
Best song: The Growlers "Going Gets Tuff"
Best video: Chet Faker "Gold"
Best remix: Wet - Don't Wanna Be Your Girl (Branchez Remix)
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