Andy Giles is a former buyer for Philly's Spaceboy and New York's Other Music. He still tends the bins part time at Tequila Sunrise, and as a musician, performs under the name Adoration.

His top five albums of 2008, and why: Grouper Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill
Reverence, awe, and inspiration... not unlike some of those essential foggy 4AD classics… melodies drift, weave, and mesmerize.

Sic Alps U.S. EZ
Damaged pop with flashes of Keith Moon and the Beatles... there were several great records this year that I would file alongside U.S. EZ (a couple of them were also on Siltbreeze) but it's the Sic Alps that my heart keeps coming back to.

Evangelista Hello, Voyager
Where others fear to tread, you might find Patti Smith and Scott Walker along the way, it's only Carla Bozulich whom I would unreservedly follow.

Svarte Greiner Til Seters
Elegiac ambience from the cold blood-caked shores of Norway. Lynchian (yes) but thankfully offering more than the tag would imply.

Endless Boogie Focus Level
Sweet boogie chooglin' that would make Hooker and Heat proud. Think cold beer and a roomful of friends.

Beth grew up in the Midwest listening to bands you listen to when you live in Ohio: Guided By Voices, Pavement, J. Mascis, some Uncle Tupelo... She worked as a promoter while attending college in upstate New York before moving to Philadelphia.

Her top five albums of 2008, and why: Taken By Trees Sweet Child O Mine and Sweetness
The first full length by ex-Concretes singer Victoria Bergsman technically came out in late '07 (called Open Field) but these singles were released in '08 with another amazing song, "Above You."

No Age Nouns
It's got no age, this album gets better the more you listen to it—I'm still not sick of it.

Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
He puts songs together like Dr. Seuss—a milly witty, trippy tracks for any occasion.

Kid Cudi Plain Pat & Emile Present A Kid Named Cudi Mixtape
Not just because he's from my hometown of Cleveland, but because Kanye agrees: This is only the beginning.

Girl Talk Feed the Animals
Girl Talk's party keeps evolving. This is definitely the rowdiest
album of '08.

Jeffrey Berkowitz likes to drum on his steering wheel while driving around, which explains why his steering column is loose, and the lights on his dashboard are shorted out.

His top five albums of 2008, and why: Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
Jeff: I think Bon Iver is good at 3am with a bottle of wine. That's pretty much what I am going to say. Nobody is going to give a crap about my picks. They are all mellow downers.

Alex [Jeff's friend]: You should include that whole sentence because it is crazy awesome. I would listen to pretty much anything described as a "mellow downer." And I'm being 100 percent serious.

Jeff: Do you think they would print it?

Alex: I don't know. But it's Urban Outfitters...they should be printing shit like that.

Jolie Holland The Living and the Dead
If this had been released during the summer it might have been my number one pick. It's a return to form for Jolie Holland. This will hold me over until the next Eleni Mandell or Neko Case album. Or, until it gets hot outside again.

Noa Babayof From A Window to a Wall
This Israeli singer/songwriter has pieces of Nico, Bridget St. John, Sandy Denny, maybe even Nick Drake in here (apologies for dragging out the Nick Drake comparison). This could be a lost '70s gem.

Islaja Blaze Mountain Recordings
You have to have a very long middle finger to make music like this.

Marnie Stern This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
This album gives me a headache and ruins my hearing, but it seems to keep my ADHD in check. It is not a "mellow downer."

Meredith Bonner loves singing along to just about anything and uses flashy dance moves to compensate for getting the lyrics wrong.

Her top five albums of 2008, and why: Santogold Santogold
All the songs on this album are still totally infectious regardless of being used in every bad commercial of the year, making them good enough to dodge the Moby Effect. Seeing her live made me feel both instantly ecstatic and like the most uncool person who has ever lived. Her dancers are so amazing they are most likely not human.

El Guincho Alegranza!
The exclamation point used in this album's title kind of sums it up in one go—fun and punchy. This is candy, Latin, neon music that just makes me want to get people together for drinks with umbrellas in them and pretend like life is all a game of limbo.

Dodos Visiter
The pace of this album is crazy catchy and the songs seem somehow both minimal and wild at the same time. I love the breadth of the songs on this album, from the seemingly near out of control "Red and Purple" to the bare boned "Undeclared," a sweet little love song if there ever was one.

High Places High Places
This duo recorded their debut full length album at home and part of their charm is definitely the roughness of the songs. I discovered them by mistake when they were opening for No Age, and though my first reaction was more on the "WTF?" side, by the end, I was sold.

The Walkmen You & Me
I love the sweeping, cinematic quality of their music and this album definitely didn't disappoint in this regard. It kind of coddles you and has a slight melancholy that I'm always a sucker for.

Daniel Keenan is known for his promotion and use of psychedelics, alcohol, other mind-altering substances, firearms, and his iconoclastic contempt for authority. He also loves his mom and dad very much.

His top five songs of 2008, and why: Ladyhawke "My Delirium"
Amazing track off a great album
I almost didn't hear in '08.

Santogold "Creator"
Straight fire.

Lykke Li "Dance Dance Dance"
I heart Sweden.

Crystal Castles "Vanished"
How many Goth kids does it take to change a light bulb?
None, we like it dark, dark like our souls...

Cut Copy "Far Away"
Who knew the kids down in
Australia were so deep?

For Winona Barton-Ballentine, music is a family affair: In New York, she's in a band, Childress, with her mother and two friends, and can also be found in upstate dancing and singing in her father's country two-step band, the Minnewaska Mountain Ramblers.

Her top five albums of 2008, and why: Gang Gang Dance Saint Dymphna
I never really listened to the ever talked about Brooklyn classic GGD until this year when I saw them play at the 88 BoaDrums in the park by the East River on a summer night. I think they were channeling the devil and I liked it. The album is totally witchy weird and most of all I don't understand how any human would come up with sounds like this and therefore I love it.

The Big Sleep Sleep Forever
Straight up awesome '90s guitar rock, driving continuous chords, male and female vocalists, catchy lead guitar solos, what more can you ask for? It makes me want to drive 100 mph and crash into something.

Michna Magic Monday
This album is an intricate web of noises and beats all created by one dude  (and his friends) at a computer. Tons of carefully layered soundscapes, riffs, and noises I've never heard are mixed with smooth, catchy, and even somehow-emotive trombone playing. I like to listen to it on headphones and get swept away in all the tiny details.

Beach House Devotion
Victoria's voice is rich and haunting and and Alex's guitar sounds like floating memories. Perfection. I actually like their first album more, but that was one of my favorite albums of all time, so I had to squeeze this one in here.

Crystal Stilts Alight of Night
I can't tell one song from the other but it's better that way because if you listen the whole album at once it's like one long 40 minute song that never gets boring and puts you into a droney '60s drumming, sick (in a good way) echo-y guitar trance.