Top 10 CDs

Numbers nine and ten on the list, The Clientele and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, are our indie-rock mainstays; throwbacks, but throwbacks worth hearing and loving all the same. M83, number eight, combines elements from electronic and shoegaze to create an album beautifully thick with sound. TV on the Radio's debut EP at number seven is overflowing with promise for this young band. The Black Album might not be Jay-Z's best but its array of producers manage to encapsulate everything that's great about hip-hop right now, easily earning our number six spot. Numbers five and four are our loudest picks. Lightning Bolt and The Blood Brothers are the types of bands disillusioned nu-metal fans should know and love. Dizzee Rascal doesn't make rap but garage-rap -- the British equivalent; a genre interesting and innovative enough to earn spot three here. The New Pornographers write smart, concise pop songs: they're so good at it that they've earned our number two spot. R. Kelly makes it to number one if only for "Ignition (Remix)." -- Jess Keiser and Ruben Sanchez

10. The Clientele - The Violet Hour

9. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Pig Lib

8. M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts

7. TV on the Radio - Young Liars EP

6. Jay-Z - The Black Album

5. Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow

4. The Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island, Burn

3. Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner

2. The New Pornographers - Electric Version

1. R. Kelly - Chocolate Factory