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Easily the most messy, pounding, animalistic album on my list, Grinderman 2 is a side project of dirty, dirty rock and roll side from Nick Cave and three Bad Seeds. Drenched in feedback-laden guitar and an absolutely raging rhythm section, Cave howls and growls out lyrics filled with innuendo and spite. The band plays with abandon and their spirit and intensity is easy to get lost in. I can't get enough.

Steve: The Grinderman stuff I've heard is a little too noisy for me personally. Interestingly, it seems our takes on Jack White and Nick Cave are in parallel if not in sync. I like his work with the Bad Seeds but less so with Grinderman. I'm skipping over The Black Keys - Brothers at number four to get to my number three album of the year, The Winter of Mixed Drinks by Frightened Rabbit. I feel this album was wrongly omitted from a lot of the best of lists I've read recently. I thought Frightened Rabbit achieved a fuller sound and a more hopeful tone on this album; Midnight Organ Fight in contrast was very raw and laid bare. Everything it wanted to communicate as a breakup album came across in Scott Hutchinson's voice. The Winter of Mixed Drinks sounds in comparison more cohesive. It works for me as a whole band effort, and a very solid follow up to MOF. I loved this album.

Noah: I'm a huge fan of Frightened Rabbit and also loved Winter of Mixed Drinks. It landed at number 12 on my list. I have to stop at number four on my list... Jonsi's Go.

This might be a whole other blog post, but the reaction I have to the music of Jonsi (and his main band - Sigur Ros) is made wholly from cliche. It touches my soul, man. Maybe that's a little overwrought, but Jonsi/Sigur Ros connect with me in a way that few other artists do.

Songs like Gong (from 2005's Takk....) have a level of melancholy and despair that shouldn't make me feel so good. Alternately, Inní mér syngur vitleysingur (from 2008's Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust) is one of the most joyous and thrilling pieces of music I've ever heard.

Lead singer of Sigur Ros Jón Þór Birgisson took time during the band's hiatus to record a side project with a different band - Jonsi. Inasmuch as a Sigur Ros-related album can be more traditional rock and roll, Go is just that. Among the more Sigur Ros-esque songs are a great number of more straightforward songs, many even sung in English. It's a fantastic, layered album and one I highly recommend.

Noah: My number three album is The National – High Violet. Simultaneously their most intricate and orchestrated album, High Violet is excellent from top to bottom. Even after many many listens, I still find new parts to love. Matt Berninger’s voice is so distinctive that it’s easy to imagine The National never finding a way to break out of their usual mellow, somewhat dark place. But High Violet definitely pulls them in a new direction.

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