Our life is not a movie or maybe

For the past three years, I've been coming up with a list of my top 10 albums for the year. And as with every year, this list is not limited to albums that were released during the said year, but more like albums that I've heard for the first time that year.

It breaks my heart to exclude a lot of albums but in the end, there can only be 10. Here goes..

10) Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)
Dear Catastrophe Waitress is actually a sad album in disguise. With great melody, pop-like hooks and happy beats laced with melancholic lyrics, Belle and Sebastian has successfully written the soundtrack to recovering broken hearts. This album replaces 'If You're Feeling Sinister' as my favorite B&S album of all time. Download the song 'I'm a Cuckoo' and you'll see why.

9) Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964)
Not knowing there's another Charlie Brown album, I bought this thinking it was 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. Not entirely a stupid move though, as this album provides the same laid back piano from Guaraldi as I expected it to be. A good book, camomile tea, cold weather and this album really go well together. It's appreciating albums like this that make me realize I'm getting old. Yikes!

8) Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That (2006)
I liked Phoenix's first two albums, and it doesn't come as a surprise that I like this one. Like their previous album 'Alphabetical', this French group still has the ability to deliver impressive, slow danceable (more like head-bobbable) and easy-listening tunes. Really great. This album just solidifies Phoenix's entry into one of my favorite pop-rock groups of recent years.

7) Matt Pond PA - Several Arrows Later (2005)
Perfect for long bus or train rides alone (add a little rain outside for good measure), this album has a mood that just makes you pause for a brief moment and reflect. This album sounds like being on a long journey embraced by the excitement of reaching your destination, yet still finding time to savor every moment of the trip. Which is pretty much where everyone is at any given point in time, right? And this is the reason why I think this album has the ability to connect with almost anyone.

6) My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
The measure of any great album lies in it's ability to remain timeless, and My Bloody Valentine's 'Loveless', fits that description perfectly. Upon hearing this album for the first time in 2006, I just couldn't imagine how they could've possibly managed to come up with this album 15 years ago, a time when music to me was Vanilla Ice and the term 'greatest band in the world' belonged to GN'R. Filled with ambient guitar noise and under-layered vocal tracks, this is a marvelous gem. If Radiohead's 'OK Computer' was labeled as ahead of it's time in 1997, then MBV is a fuckin' Nostradamus.

5) Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens (2005)
Every year, I discover something Nick Drake-esque, and this year, Jens Lekman is it. This album, actually a collection of Lekman's first three EPs released, renders sad, intimate and heart-felt songs, moving enough to make you shed a tear or two. Where this Swedish gent succeeds is in making use of his raw vocals to the last drop to emotionalize the power of his words. Too bad though, Lekman announced that he is taking an indefinite leave from recording. Oh, don't be so silent, Jens. The world (not only Sweden) needs your music.

4) Band of Horses - Everything All the Time (2006)
How appropriately titled! Band of Horses' 'Everything all the time' is exactly that, like listening to everything, all the time. Happiness, sadness, excitement, frustration, and everything in between. They sound like a cross between My Morning Jacket and Matt Pond PA, but I like this the best among the three groups.

3) Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not (2006)
Oasis they are not, but there's no doubt that the over-hyped Arctic Monkeys put out a very solid debut. With the band's average age at 21 years old, it's interesting to see what the world has in store for them. They could challenge U2 as the greatest band on the planet, or they could also fade into obscurity like Oasis did. Anyway, listening to the Arctic Monkeys is actually a fun experience, somewhat similar to Kaiser Chiefs 'Employment'. Only better. Way better.

2) Feist - Let It Die (2004)
Lounge acts seem to be on an upswing these days with El Perro del Mar and Joanna Newsom coming out with their critically acclaimed CDs in 2006. But in 2004, Leslie Feist, an occasional vocalist for bands like Kings of Convenience and Broken Social Scene, came up with her awesome debut and possibly sparking this trend. With a sultry and alluring voice, backed by stripped down melodic harmonies and charming beats, this is one sexy record perfect to keep you company on a Saturday night, dateless or otherwise.

1) Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
The opening riff to Neighborhood # 1 (Tunnels), the album's first track feels like a lot of things. A child's birth. Waking up. The sunrise. Basically, all of which are concepts conveying the idea of perfect beginnings and a hope for a great unraveling. And if this is any indication at all, 'Funeral' does just that, taking you on a roller coaster of sorts, turning you inside and out, before pumping you down to a halt. At the end of the album, as you catch your breath, you'd have no choice but to say 'Wow!'. Definitely a masterpiece. This makes it to my top 10 albums of all time.

So there you have it. It's sad that I couldn't make more space for a lot of other really great albums that I've thoroughly enjoyed for at least a brief moment this year, like

The Boy Least Likely To's 'The Best Party Ever',
Imogen Heap's 'Speak For Yourself',
Sigur Ros' 'Takk',
Snow Patrol's 'Eyes Open',
My Morning Jacket's 'Z',
Frou Frou's 'Details',
El Perro del Mar's self-titled album,
Saturday Looks Good to Me's 'Every Night',
Kings of Convenience's 'Quiet is the New Loud',
Brendan Benson's 'Alternative to Love',
Camera Obscura's 'Let's Get Out of this Country'

and especially

Bob Dylan's 'Modern Times'.

But hey, it's my list. Got a problem? Looking for Gnarls Barkley? Then make your own list.