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Bon Iver: For Emma, still getting used to the Volcano Choir, though.

Jenny Lewis' Acid Tongue. I'm a fan of contemporary rock acts who really revel in the music of the 1970s (M. Ward, Neko Case, Josh Rouse, Wilco, etc). Acid Tongue takes this to an extreme that is a joy to listen to, down to recording in the studio where Rumours and After the Goldrush were created. The album was recorded quickly and has a real live-in-the-studio sound, but still uses some fun stereo effects to let you know that it's an invention. Exciting performances all around.

The Flying Burrito Brothers: The Gilded Palace of Sin.

The Empyrean by John Frusciante.

New York Trio: Love You Madly!

Rust in Peace by Megadeth.

Brian Eno: Another Day on Earth.

The whole genre of Yacht Rock has brought me around to leading a more examined and open-minded method to discovering music's past.

Love's Forever Changes. No doubt.

Pearl Jam: Backspacer

Triangle by Perfume

Mudcrutch

The Fleet Foxes self-titled album and Vektamist by Grizzly Bear.

Melody Gardot: My One and Only Thrill

A Fistful of Dollars. (Ennio Morricone) Soundtrack, I guess—but whoa!

Bon Iver's For Emma.

One each from different genres: Wussy—a great underground rock band from Cincinnati, OH. Two songwriters, male and female. The new album is self-titled. Don't be afraid of the band name. JD Allen: The Shine. Great young-ish tenor saxophonist in a trio. Oumou Sangare: Seya. Mali's Aretha Franklin—she's always made great records, but this one's really a step up.

Strollin' by Chet Baker.

Just one album? Aaargh! How to narrow it down? Okay, here we go; Dub Colossus in a Town called Addis. Dub Reggae meets traditional Ethiopian singers. A big, atmospheric sound, and an enjoyable stylistic fusion.

Calexico: Carried to Dust

It's not like that they aren't any excellent albums (or artists) are out there, it's just that these albums usually do not measure up to past recordings in the different genres. No offense to the current crop of artists—the bar has long been raised and it's rarely achieved with the music currently available.

Mezzoforte: Live in Reykjavik. Also on DVD but I bought the double CD.

Porcupine Tree: The Incident. It's a modern progressive rock masterpiece, exquisitely recorded and engineered with the double vinyl version and 5.1 mix in mind. Throw in the gorgeous packaging and art work and it adds up to an an album I'll treasure for many years.

Chickenfoot's debut Chickenfoot. Finally, some rock for a 40 year old! No track deserves less than a 6 on a scale of 10. Hagar's rejuvenated! Harmonic vocals with Michael Anthony spot on. Smith brings raw energy, and it's about time that Satriani has been exposed to the masses! Long live rock!

The Wallflowers

If you fancy some cool electronic music, check this album out: Waldfreakquenz 3. This is progressive, psychedelic trance. This is great for some late night listening sessions. You won't find this in a shop though. Here is a link: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/waf/waf1cd003.html Lot's of great psychedelic elektronika here.

Telarc: Got The Blues. Its copyright was 10 years ago, but hey.

MewithoutYou: It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright What was once a screamo band with remarkable lyrics has become an amazing amalgam of sounds, with I think, the richest lyricist in the business. The album previous to this was fantastic and this continues the evolution.

Nothing new that I can think of, but an older one I'm really starting to love is Leona Naess' I Tried to Rock, But You Only Roll. Nice pop CD.

Dave Alvin's: Blackjack David. Haunting lyrics and melodies. Brilliantly recorded.