Willie Colon - Cosa Nuestra: Latin music that served as telltale inspiration for Mars Volta.

The Bruisers - Cruisin' For A Bruisin': Far more melodically inclined than outward appearances suggested.

boysetsfire - While A Nation Sleeps: There are parts that I like, just not enough of them.

Billy Bragg - Worker's Playtime: A lot quieter than I was anticipating which took some getting used to. And still is.

Saves The Day - Saves The Day: Daybreak was so good and Ring Pop such a tease that it fails to meet expectations.

Wale - More About Nothing: Looking forward to more.

Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing: Extremely solid, Seinfeld aside.

Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series, Vol. 10: Each new volume becomes my favorite in the series.

Tame Impala - Lonerism: Struggled to fully invest.

Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now: Always enjoyable.

Swingin' Utters - Poorly Formed: Embarrassment may be too strong. But maybe not.

Sufjan Stevens - Chopped And Scrooged: More please.

Shai Hulud - Reach Beyond The Sun: Certainly listenable, but far from their peak.

Rival Mob - Hardcore For Hardcore: These guys have been paying attention.

My Bloody Valentine - m b v: Always disorienting when last track or 2 are the best.

Against Me! - True Trans: As if my anticipation had not already been bursting at the seams.

Against Me! - True Trans: As if my anticipation had not already been bursting at the seams.

Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love: No "Dying Is Fine" but still worth listening to.

MF Doom - Mm...Food: An essential part of his discography, and my collection.

Neil Young - Pyshedelic Pill: Not my favorite, but looking forward to more.

Yellowcard - Southern Air: Is the rest as good as this? If so, I have been missing out.

Watsky - Nothing Like The First Time: Both excited and terrified for his full length.

Jessie Ware - Devotion: Bamboozled, again, by the blogosphere.

The Walkmen - Heaven: Nothing fancy, just awesome.

Verse - Bitter Grace, Uncommon Clarity: Still one of the best bands in hardcore.

Two Gallants - The Bloom And The Blight: Five years made the heart, and ears, grow fonder.

Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon: Incredibly, almost unbelievably, catchy follow-up.

Trash Talk - 119: Hardcore that is not exactly innovative, but certainly more compelling than most.

Torche - Harmonicraft: Post-metal? Doom? Who cares? Turn it up!

Titus Andronicus - Local Business: Well that was unexpected.

Title Fight - Floral Green: I can see this being monster album live.

Coheed And Cambria - The Afterman- Descension: Triumphant conclusion to a hit-or-miss beginning.

Mission Of Burma - Unsound: Probably better after their reunion.

Bad Religion - True North: First half of the album runs together a bit.

Such Gold - Misadventures: Pop-punk is the best on rainy-day drives.

Such Gold - Misadventures: Pop-punk is the best on rainy-day drives.

Tall Firs - Out Of It And Into It: And I thought it could get anymore minimal.

Tall Firs - Too Old To Die Young: A musician's album.

Regina Spektor - What We Saw From The Cheap Seats: Would love to see her live.

Skyzoo - A Dream Deferred: I expect great things from him in the future.

John Samson - Provincial: Fairly standard folk rock.

The Roots - Game Theory: Incredible string of consistency.

The Roots - Phrenology: Almost too traditional. Almost.

The Roots - Things Fall Apart: Could make you fall in love with hip-hop.

Rites Of Spring - Six Song Demo: Need to revisit the rest of their catalog.

Public Image Ltd - This Is PiL: Extremely compelling listen.

Prize Fighter Inferno - Half Measures: Best release under the moniker.

Pentimento - Pentimento: Surprised at how well the full length held up.

Amanda Palmer - Theatre Is Evil: Always so close to great.

Of Montreal - Daughter Of Cloud: B-Sides for a reason.

Muse - The 2nd Law: Not my favorite of theirs.

Mumford and Sons - Babel: Some day, their greatest hits album will be amazing.

Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth: Best album of his in a while.

Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, mAAd City: I hope this is the beginning of a new golden age of hip-hop.

JJ DOOM - Key To The Kuffs: Always weird when the final track is the standout.

Jonsi - Go: No idea what he is saying, but I found it incredibly uplifting.

Imagine Dragons - Continued Silence: Monster singles.

The Hives - Lex Hives: Not as culturally relevant as they once were, they continue to be compelling.

Gogol Bordello - Trans-Continental Hustle: And by the third album in a row, the novelty has worn off. Immigraniada is the star of the show.

Green Day - Dos!: This is the Green Day you know and love before American Idiot. Simple, straightforward, and catchy.

Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory: Awesome.

Childish Gambino - Royalty: Continues to impress.

Bloc Party- Four: First single lulled me into a false sense of enthusiasm. I should have known better.

Andrew Bird - Hands Of Glory: Not his strongest, but good enough to justify my interest in everything he does.

Big Boi - Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors: Colossal disappointment coming off his last album.

Between The Buried And Me - Parallax II: Found myself unable to invest in the extremely varied musical landscape.

Ben Folds Five - Sound Of Life Of Mind: More somber than I was hoping for, but great to have them back.

Band Of Horses - Mirage Rock:: Demonstrating that their debut was a mirage of excellence, this one is merely good enough.

Fiona Apple - Idler Wheel: Sounds like a modern Fiona Apple.

Animal Collective - Centipede Hz: I would not be disappointed if they never made another album.