There has been some amazing music out lately, I feel very lucky to be alive right now because of it. Here are some of my fav pics if you're feeling like your collection is getting stagnant, or even if you're a creep and like knowing these kind of things about me other people besides yourself.

10. Dragonette - Galore (Released throughout 2005-2007)
This album is so groovy, the 3/4 Canadian band Dragonette hits a lot of different notes in this album, and they rock my socks off. Dragonette first came to my attention when one of my favourite DJ's, the Van She Tech girls remixed "I Get Around". The song didn't peak anywhere near as high as it should've since it was released independently in 2005 before the band moved to London and signed a deal with Mercury Records.

Dragonette's making an encore performance on March 24th, 2008, come see what they're about.

9. Black Mountain - In The Future (January 22, 2008)
Released early this year, it came to my attention Christmas eve around the table when my Aunt let me know me cousin's Ashley and Amber Webber were in bands. We all played a few rounds of card games and Amber was telling me about the band she was in called Black Mountain. At the time I was completely ignorant, and when I say ignorant I mean it. The following months saw Black Mountain on the cover of Toronto's Exclaim, performing on Conan O'Brian and as the iTunes single of the week. Progressive rock at it's best, listening to this I feel like dancing provocatively like they did in 70's movies we don't believe. Oh yeah, they're also Canadian.

Black Mountain is playing at Habitat with Ladyhawk on April 2nd, 2008.

8. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (March 20, 2007)
James Murphy. DFA. 'Nough said.

7. Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve - George (April 23, 2007)
A combined effort between Erol Alkan & Richard Norris, I was waiting for this psychedelic act to hit the streets for so long. If you don't know who Erol Alkan is, you've been living under a rock. Or you're crazy. Probably both. Erol's a top DJ having remixed tracks from artists including Mylo, Bloc Party, Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, Digitalism, Scissor Sisters, Justice and Franz Ferdinand. However, this album isn't about Erol's dirty electro beatz or filthy bass lines, it's about his subtleties in production. This album is a phenomenal trip, it even sounds like it was mastered in the 70's.

6. Aqualung - Memory Man (March 13, 2007)
I was lucky enough to find this gem on one of the drives at my other job where my boss was hoarding it all to himself. I liked his last album somewhat so I gave this a listen, and I think this one is even better. Matt Hales (aka Aqualung) has had a lot of exposure in the last couple years. He's been almost impossible to miss, unless you're like me and didn't see that episode of The O.C., or A Lot Like Love, or that VW commercial, or have never stepped foot in an American Eagle (which, incidentally, I haven't for some time and never will again) Anyway, great and relaxing indie music. There's a reason everyone wants him playing everywhere.

5. Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree (February 25, 2008)
Goldfrapp themselves have described the album as a "sensual counterpoint to the glitterball glamour of Supernature", their last studio album from 2005. This album is beautiful, in every meaning of the world. If you've been following Goldfrapp since Felt Mountain, and you love everything they do like I do, you're going to love this. This whole album is like a picnic. Under a big tree. In spring.

4. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye (August 22, 2006)/Hot Chip - Made in the Dark (February 4, 2008)
Yes, this is a tie! What list is complete without one? The 2nd album by Junior Boys (more Candanadians!) and the 3rd by Hot Chip, the reason this is a tie is mostly because of the Gabriel & Dresden mixed Toolroom Knights, Vol. 2 where "In The Morning (Hot Chip Remix)" (which I was lucky enough to see/hear/touch/feel/taste them spin live in Vancouver last November) stole my heart. Both of these albums are pretty minimal electronic, and they're a perfect balance of dancey and chillaxy. Junior Boys highlights for me include "In The Morning", "Like a Child", and the Frank Sinatra cover "When No One Cares". Hot Chip highlights; "Ready for the Floor", "Shake a Fist", and "Wrestlers".

3. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime (March 26, 2007)
This minimal electronic album is critically-acclaimed (with good reason) with an average rating of 90% on Metacritic, From Here We Go Sublime was the highest rated album in 2007, and is thus far the 15th highest rated album in their database. It is widely considered the best album of 2007 by manypeople, with ratings including (but not limited to) All Music Guide 4/5, Almost Cool 8.5/10, BBC Collective 5/5, NME 8/10, Pitchfork Media 9.0/10, The Phoenix 4.5/5, Tiny Mix Tapes 4/5. Crazy!

2. The Moonbabies - Moonbabies at the Ballroom (May 29, 2007)
The first song I heard from The Moonbabies was "Dancing In The Sky" on a mix tape from someone I was dating at the time, it ended up being one of my most listened to tracks from that whole tape so I had to find the rest of the album. These guys are indie goodness from Sweden (If you like this, you may also like Alphabeat another Swedish band. Sweden knows where it's at right now...) The song "Take Me To The Ballroom" has over 100 listens on my Last.fm, just to give you an idea. These songs are catchy and delicious.

1. Fields - Everything Last Winter (April 2, 2007)
Indie, indie, indie, electronic! Straight outta the UK, this is by far my favorite album of the last 11 months. The first time I listened to Fields, the songs were maybe a 7/10, but repetitive listening, layered harmonies and intricate melodies made this album an 11/10. This album is hard to find, so you HAVE to buy it. If you want to hear an example, I recommend starting with "You Don't Need This Song (To Fix Your Broken Heart)" followed up with... the entire album! (I started writing other songs, but I ended up having half the album here.) They're mastering a new album, which means a tour sometime soon and I am trying my ass off to book them.

And one more, since I enjoy lying and can really appreciate nice and even numbers like 11. (12 due to the tie at number 4?)

BONUS: Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV (March 2, 2008)
I've only been listening to this since it came out last week so I can't say a whole lot about it yet other than to give it a listen since Trent is pretty much God. This is the seventh studio album by Nine Inch Nails. It contains 36 instrumental tracks and was recorded in ten weeks of autumn 2007. The tracks do not have names, and are only identified by their track listing, position, and album art on the EPs. It was released online on the official Nine Inch Nails website, without any prior advertisement or notice. And it's really, really meaty.

Love ya!

Extremely Honourable Mention (These are also GREAT albums from the last year or so):
Boys Noize - Boys Noize
Chris Walla - Field Manual
The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur
Coheed & Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV: Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow
Digitalism - Idealism
Electric President - Electric President
Justice - †
Girl Talk - Night Ripper
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Patrick Watson - Close to Paradise
The Used - Lies for the Liars

b.