9. The Rapture — Echoes (Universal). With Pitchfork having named Echoes its album of the year, the hype surrounding this album continues to exceed what the album deserves. Echoes is a very good album that deserves at least some of its lofty accolades — including a spot in both my and NMWYH's Kevin's best-of lists — since the Rapture's release of the "House of Jealous Lovers" 12" on DFA Records. The long-awaited Echoes has plenty of catchy, angular new wave stomps. The re-working of "Olio" is the closest reproduction of early Robert Smith that I have heard since.... well, Pornography or so. There are also distinct hints of Public Image Limited here as well. Check out danceable tracks like "The Coming of Spring" as well as the storied "Jealous Lovers," in which the the frolicking bass drives the rhythm and Luke Jenner's vocals shriek like Lydon's (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten). For how much I love 8 of the album's 10 tracks including the slowest track "Infatuation" (which was properly placed as the closer), however, the fourth track, "Open Up Your Heart", not only disrupts the fluidity of the album, but also plainly does not mesh well with the balance of the songs. The latter comment can also be said of "Love Is All", the second-to-last track on the album. In sum, the high points of this album are as good or better than any other music released this year. But with minor tweaks in track placement and the exclusion of a poorly placed song, Echoes would have appeared closer to the top of this list. Stream bits of each of the album tracks as well as all of "Jealous Lovers" at the Rapture's website. And check these cats out live when they swing by your local venue.

8. Atmosphere — Seven's Travels (Epitaph). Regional bias aside, Minneapolis-based Atmosphere could easily be the next big thing in hip hop. After having initially accepted an offer to move to a major label from his own label, Rhymesayers, emcee Slug (a.k.a. Sean Daley) reneged on the offer and, instead, signed with SoCal punk label, Epitaph. Slug hints at this wavering in his lyrics to the album's hit, "Trying to Find a Balance": "In the days of Kings and Queens I was a jester / Treat me like a God, oh they treat me like a leper / You see me move back and forth between both / I'm trying to find a balance." As much as any other MC on the scene, Slug truly lays it all out in his lyrics. But pigeonholing Slug's passionate lyrical style as "emo rap" (as some critics have done) is both misguided and misinformed. And none of this review is meant to overshadow Ant's creative and catchy, though not groundbreaking, DJ stylings. An essential. Download one of the best hip hop tracks of the year, "Trying to Find a Balance". Other tracks to check out are "The Keys to Life vs. 15 Minutes of Fame" and "Cats Van Bags".