The Golden Republic : The Golden Republic

Midwestern rockers put fun back into music.

French Toast : In a Cave

Their music is as tasty as their name.

AM Sixty : Big as the Sky

This one’s a bit “quirky.”

Inara George : All Rise

Not for fans of adult contemporary.

LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem : LCD Soundsystem

A Guaranteed top 10 contender for 2005, no foolin’.

Strange : Things in Night

Dark and rocking, but not particularly “strange.”

Kasabian : Kasabian

Kasabian am the resurrection.

Minus Story : Heaven and Hell

Great Flaming Lips-inspired pop in a compact package.

Ben Lee : Awake is the New Sleep

Former Noise Addict frontman releases his best album to date.

Ash : Meltdown

Irish rockers release their “American” album.

Ivy : In the Clear

Return to form for Adam Schlesinger’s “real” band.

Andrew Bird : The Mysterious Production of Eggs

And the mysteriously continuous production of stellar songs.

Wolf Eyes : Burned Mind

They just don’t give a fuck.

Montag : Alone, Not Alone

M83 collaborator goes solo with pretty, electronic set.

A Gun Called Tension : A Gun Called Tension

Mixing Pac-NW indie rock with hip-hop.

Eluvium : Talk Amongst The Trees

It hits you like a slow drug.

Various Artists : Love Rocks

Two cds worth of pop tunes for a great cause.

Doves : Some Cities

One of the best bands in Britain reminds us, yet again, how amazing they are.