For fans of: the Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, Mr. Oizo, Dimitri From Paris

*Best Experimental Album of the Year
The Moth Bulletin
2. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum (Graveface)
This isn't just a breakthrough. This is more like a break in and the music industry was obviously not ready for it. The world doesn't have enough security to stop something with this much energy going for it.

I didn't know what to think at first either, but by the third listen, I knew it was an unbelievably joyous, psych-rock, techno-prog party. This is better than perfect. It's just mystifying in all the right ways and like nothing I've never heard before which is one of the many things it has going for it. This is a ball of fire and a shining light in a universe full of just way too much darkness and if that's not enough for you, then I kind of feel a little bit sorry for you.

For fans of: Air, Daft Punk, Jesu, Skinny Puppy, Battles, Caribou, and The Octupus Project

*Best Rap Album of the Year
Blu's Next
1. Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens (Sound in Color)
This is simply the best thing I heard in all of 2007 and that is saying more than you may ever know. The year was just magnificent for music. Old favorites came through in the clutch and countless new players pushed them out of the way and placed their stamp on the shape of things to come. Blu was the best rapper, the best artist and the best newcomer I came across and while I debated who would be number one for a long time, he and Exile more than deserve it.

At one point, I had about 1000 songs from 2007 on my iPod and I remember countless times hearing these fresh joints and having to contain myself from going to check who it was until the song was over and while this happened with quite a few of the albums on this list, it happened over and over and over again with rapper Blu and producer Exile's masterpiece Below the Heavens. While Blu's rhymes, composure and wisdom beyond his years ultimately made him the undisputed MVP of 2007, Exile's contributions as right hand man and stellar beat maker cannot be understated. His beats were made for Blu and vice versa, but I don't think many MC's out there could have pulled it off as successfully as Blu did.

Below the Heavens is the best out-of-nowhere classic rap album since Edan's Beauty and the Beat and that is no small feat. But this is better and more consistent than that wonderful record. Blu is the voice of a new generation and the rest of the game should be scared, but unfortunately, a lot of them will probably not even care. In case of embracing his genius and trying to let some of it rub off on them, or just enjoying the fierce competition, the majority of mainstream rappers will continue to make lackluster albums with garbage subject matter, uninspired vocals, and shittier beats. They really should follow Blu's lead. It seems as if he studied every hip hop classic of all time and in turn, he ended up upstaging many of them. But a lot has to be said for his natural smarts and ability, because he's probalby not even old enough to have had enough time to hear all those albums.