Here’s our list with staff picks…
| Rank | Artist | Album |
| 01 | U2 | HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB |
| 02 | Elvis Costello and the Imposters | THE DELIVERY MAN |
| 03 | Eric Clapton | ME & MR. JOHNSON |
| 04 | Cowboy Junkies | ONE SOUL NOW |
| 05 | R.E.M. | AROUND THE SUN |
| 06 | Norah Jones | FEELS LIKE HOME |
| 07 | Marah | 20,000 STREETS UNDER THE SKY |
| 08 | Wilco | A GHOST IS BORN |
| 09 | Ben Harper | THERE WILL BE A LIGHT |
| 10 | Crosby & Nash | CROSBY/NASH |
| 11 | Ani DiFranco | EDUCATED GUESS |
| 12 | Morrisey | YOU ARE THE QUARRY |
| 13 | k.d. Lang | HYMNS OF THE 49th PARALLEL |
| 14 | Tom Waits | REAL GONE |
| 15 | Phish | UNDERMIND |
| 16 | Ryan Adams | LOVE IS HELL |
| 17 | Jesse Malin | THE HEAT |
| 18 | Cake | PRESSURE CHIEF |
| 19 | Indigo Girls | ALL THAT WE LET IN |
| 20 | Los Lobos | THE RIDE |
| 21 | Joss Stone | MIND, BODY AND SOUL |
| 22 | The Cure | THE CURE |
| 23 | Old 97’s | DRAG IT UP |
| 24 | Gov’t Mule | DEJA VOODOO |
| 25 | Elliot Smith | FROM A BASEMENT ON THE HILL |
| 26 | Patti Scialfa | 23rd STREET LULLABY |
| 27 | Finn Brothers | EVERYONE IS HERE |
| 28 | Allison Krauss & Union Station | LONELY RUNS BOTH WAYS |
| 29 | Joe Grushecky & The House Rockers | TRUE COMPANION |
| 30 | Jeff Buckley | GRACE (Legacy Edition) |
| 31 | G. Love | THE HUSTLE |
| 32 | David Byrne | GROWN BACKWARDS |
| 33 | Steve Earle | THE REVOLUTION STARTS…NOW |
| 34 | Chris Robinson | THIS MAGNIFICENT DISTANCE |
| 35 | Steve Forbert | JUST LIKE THERE’S NOTHIN’ TO IT |
| 36 | The Polyphonic Spree | TOGETHER WE’RE HEAVY |
| 37 | The Damnwells | BASTARDS OF THE BEAT |
| 38 | They Might Be Giants | THE SPINE |
| 39 | Clarence Clemons | LIVE IN ASBURY PARK, VOL. 2 |
| 40 | Jem | FINALLY WOKEN |
| 41 | The Thrills | SO MUCH FOR THE CITY |
| 42 | Bjork | MEDULLA |
| 43 | Diana Krall | THE GIRL IN THE OTHER ROOM |
| 44 | Patty Griffin | IMPOSSIBLE DREAM |
| 45 | Death Cab for Cutie | TRANSATLANTICISM |
| 46 | Paul Westerburg | FOLKER |
| 47 | Camper Van Beethoven | NEW ROMAN TIMES |
| 48 | Jason Mraz | TONIGHT, NOT AGAIN (live CD/DVD) |
| 49 | Todd Rundgren | LIARS |
| 50 | The Polyphonic Spree | THE BEGINNING STAGES OF…THE POLYPHONIC SPREE |
| 51 | Belle & Sebastian | DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS |
| 52 | Badly Drawn Boy | ONE PLUS ONE IS ONE |
| 53 | Toots & The Maytalls | TRUE LOVE |
| 54 | Citizen Cope | THE CLARENCE GREENWOOD RECORDINGS |
| 55 | Loretta Lynn | VAN LEAR ROSE |
| 56 | Jill Sobule | UNDERDOG VICTORIOUS |
| 57 | Jamie Cullum | TWENTYSOMETHING |
| 58 | My Morning Jacket | IT STILL MOVES |
| 59 | Robyn Hitchcock | SPOOKED |
| 60 | Sonic Youth | SONIC NURSE |
| 61 | Keb Mo’ | KEEP IT SIMPLE |
| 62 | J.J. Cale | TO TULSA AND BACK |
| 63 | Nick Drake | MADE TO LOVE MAGIC (2004) |
| 64 | Juliana Hatfield | IN EXILE DEO |
| 65 | Tommy Stinson | VILLAGE GORILLA HEAD |
| 66 | Lloyd Cole | MUSIC IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE |
| 67 | Various Artists | POR VIDA compilation |
| 68 | Patti Smith | TRAMPIN’ |
| 69 | Sun Kil Moon | GHOSTS OF THE GREAT HIGHWAY |
| 70 | Drive By Truckers | THE DIRTY SOUTH |
| 71 | Rachael Yamagata | HAPPENSTANCE |
| 72 | Richard Shindell | VUELTA |
| 73 | Jonatha Brooke | BACK IN THE CIRCUS |
| 74 | Sondre Lerche | TWO WAY MONOLOGUE |
| 75 | Hothouse Flowers | INTO YOUR HEART |
| 76 | Kasey Chambers | WAYWARD ANGEL |
| 77 | Charlie Musselwhite | SANCTUARY |
| 78 | Keane | HOPES AND FEARS |
| 79 | Christe McVie | IN THE MEANTIME |
| 80 | Dr. John | N’AWLINZ DIS DAT AND D’UDDA |
| 81 | Air | TALKIE WALKIE |
| 82 | Jeffrey Gaines | JEFFREY GAINES LIVE |
| 83 | Big Head Todd & The Monsters | CRIMES OF PASSION |
| 84 | Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers | AMERICANO! |
| 85 | De Sol | DE SOL |
| 86 | Hem | EVENINGLAND |
| 87 | Various Artists | LORD OF THE RINGS:RETURN OF THE KING soundtrack |
| 88 | Various Artists | 50 FIRST DATES soundtrack |
| 89 | Railroad Earth | THE GOOD LIFE |
| 90 | Mark Knopfler | Shangri-La |
| 90.5 | American Music Club | Another Morning |
Jeff Raspe’s Picks
- How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb- U2
- Bastards Of The Beat- THE DAMNWELLS
- Trampin’- PATTI SMITH
- Split The Difference- GOMEZ
- Mind, Body & Soul- JOSS STONE
- Finally Woken- JEM
- Happenstance- RACHAEL YAMAGATA
- The Delivery Man- ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS
- Slow Down Kid- VAL EMMICH
- Around The Sun- REM
Leo Zaccari’s Picks
- ACTION PACT - SLOAN
- FINALLY WOKEN - JEM
- PARTYS OVER - NICOLE ATKINS
- DRAG IT UP - OLD 97S
- HAPPENSTANCE - RACHAEL YAMAGATA
- REVENGE OF THE BRUNETTE - APRIL SMITH
- FORGET YOURSELF - THE CHURCH
- JUST LIKE BLOOD - TOM MCRAE
- LEAVE THE LIGHT ON - BETH HART
- EVENINGLAND - HEM
Rich Robinson’s Picks
- THIS MAGNIFICENT DISTANCE- Chris Robinson
- RESURRECTION- Brian Vander Ark
- ACTION PACT- Sloan
- TRAMPIN’- Patti Smith
- BASTARDS OF THE BEAT- Damnwells
- VUELTA- Richard Shindell
- UH HUH HER- PJ Harvey
- TOO CLOSE TO SEE FAR- Cosmic Rough Riders
- HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB- U2
- ME & MR. JOHNSON- Eric Clapton
Tom Brennan’s Picks
- MEDULLA- BJORK
- THE SPINE- THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
- SONGS FROM THE FRONT PORCH- MICHAEL FRANTI
- HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB- U2
- THIS MAGNIFICENT DISTANCE- CHRIS ROBINSON
- PRESSURE CHIEF- CAKE
- FUTURE SOUNDTRACK FOR AMERICA- VARIOUS ARTISTS
- THE DELIVERY MAN- ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS
- TALKIE WALKIE- AIR
- UNDERDOG VICTORIOUS- JILL SOBULE
Top Indie Albums
- The Heat- JESSE MALIN
- In Exile Deo- JULIANA HATFIELD
- Songs From The Front Porch- MICHAEL FRANTI
- Championship Boxing- CANTINERO
- One Moment More- MINDY SMITH
- Into Your Heart- HOTHOUSE FLOWERS
- Action Pact- SLOAN
- This Magnificent Distance- CHRIS ROBINSON
- Transatlantic Ping Pong- GLENN TILBROOK
- Vuelta- RICHARD SHINDELL
