ambrose (Leuven, BELGIUM)

1. Mountain Goats - Tallahassee (insanely catchy tunes, superb imagery)
2. Notwist - Neon Golden (wunderbar! one more reason to like Germans)
3. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight (the jumpiest album of the year!)
4. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (OK, it's in my list too, now let's shut up about it)
5. Radar Bros - And The Surrounding Mountains (the perfect 'let's call it an early night' record)
6. Doug Martsch - Now You Know (brooding, bluesy, bright)
7. Sukilove - Talking In The Dark EP (the one essential (?) 2002 disc out of Belgium)
8. Jackie-O Motherfucker - Change (haven't figured out yet why I bother, but I do)
9. Jessica Bailliff - Jessica Bailiff (Cat Power in a Brian Eno mood)
10. Neko Case - Blacklisted (the one Christmas present that sticks)
11. Bright Eyes - Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground (wait 'till this guy gets focused)
12. Reindeer Section - Son Of Evil Reindeer (just plain nice)
13. Hayden - Skyscraper National Park (so quiet and laid-back it makes the Radar Bros rock)
14. Low - Trust (not Low's highpoint, but a peak in 2002's musical landscape nonetheless)
15. Luna - Romantica (if you listen closely, you can hear Dean Wareham falling in love with Britta Phillips)

Anton (Lund, SWEDEN)

1. Sigur Rós, "()"
2. Godspeed you! black emperor, "Yanqui U.X.O"
3. System of a down, "Steal this album"
4. The third and the Mortal, "Memoirs"
5. The Streets, "Original pirate material"
6. Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man, "Out of season"
7. David Bowie, "Heathen"
8. Otep, "Sevas Tra"

Manuel Aragón (Madrid, SPAIN)

1. Baby Dee - Love´s Small Song (absolute beauty, the voice that breaks your heart. Such "small" music for such a BIG record!)
2. Tori Amos - Scarlet´s Walk (Complete sucker for Tori, after the last dissapointment, she has TOTALLY blow me away! Just cant stop LOVING her!!)
3. Stina Nordenstam - This is... (Sweet voice for such an underestimated artist. Incredible Stina from sweet Sweden!)
4. The Czars - X would rather listen to Y than suffer through a whole lot of C of Z´s EP (I want more! Such a long title for a very short EP!)
5. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (They might be playing just like the 80´s, but if they do it this well, just let them rock! Great all the way through!)
6. Sondre Lerche - Faces Down (What will Sondre do when he grows up?!Amazing songwriting talent for a norwegian kid!)
7. múm - Finally we are no one (What do they feed kids up there in Iceland! Magic!)
8. Low - Trust (How can this "boring" music be so fucking GOOD!)
9. Beth Gibbons & Rustin´ Man - Out of Season (Maybe ´cos she reminds me of Portishead, maybe ´cos its just GOOD!)
10. The Czars - The Ugly People vs. The Beautiful People (Amazing discoveries! On of THE VOICES of the decade! Saw them live and nearly cried! )
11. Vague Terrain Recordings - A Viable Alternative to Actual Sexual Contact (Dunno if they really are Matmos, but sure are as good! Bring on the PORN!)
12. Xinlisupreme - Tomorrow never comes (Had to come from Japan.Sweet heavy noise)
13. The Notwist - Neon Golden (Cute pop from Germany)
14. Piano Magic - Writers without Homes (Varied record from an ecclectic band. "Season is long" has the Czar´s singer on it!!!!)
15. Sigur Rós - ( ) (Jonsi marry me! Seeing them live again in Feb, and just can´t wait to stalk them!)

Alex Aslanidis (Athens, GREECE)

1. Ugly Casanova - sharpen your teeth
2. Erase Errata - other animals
3. Low - trust
4. Sigur Ros - ( )
5. Tram - a kind of closure
6. El Guapo - super system
7. Notwist - neon golden
8. Town & Country - c'mon
9. Loscil - submers
10. Do Make Say Think - & yet & yet
11. Giddy Motors - make it pop
12. Pan American - the river made no sound
13. Liars - they threw us all in a trench and stuck a monument on top
14. Interpol - turn on the bright lights
15. Wilco - yankee hotel foxtrot

Vincent Bergeron (Victoriaville, Quebec - CANADA)

1. Tujiko Noriko - Hard Ni Sasete
2. Alain Bashung - L'imprudence
3. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
4. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
5. Bob Drake - Skull Mailbox (and other horrors)
6. Sigur Rós - ()
7. Tom Waits - Blood Money / Alice
8. Schneider TM - Zoomer
9. Xiu Xiu - Knife Play
10. Spring Heel Jack - Masses and Amassed
11. Clinic - Walking With Thee
12. Neko Case - Blacklisted
13. Jim O'Rourke - I'm Happy, And I'm Singing...

Brad (Austin, TX, USA)

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
2. Shearwater - Everybody Makes Mistakes.
3. the Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages of...
4. Mountain Goats - Tallahassee.
5. Books - Thought for Food.
6. Snowglobe - Our Land Brains.
7. the Curse of Blefuscu - The Island of Terra Immobilis.
8. Spoon - Kill the Moonlight.
9. Q and Not U - Different Damage.
10. the Notwist - Neon Golden.
11. Sigur Ros - ( ).
12. Golden Shoulders - Let My Burden Be.
13. Bangs - We Want More.

Bren (Boston/Manila)

1. Sybarite, Nonument
2. Julia Fordham, Concrete Love
3. Coldplay, A Rush Of Blood to the Head
4. Bjork, Family Tree
5. The Mountain Goats, Tallahassee
6. Sigur Ros, ()
7. U2, The Best of 1990-2000
8. Belly, Sweet Ride
9. Piano Magic, Writers Without Homes
10. Thievery Corporation, The Richest Man in Babylon

Will Breuer (Nottingham, UK)

1. Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet
2. Mum - Finally We Are No One
3. Murcof - Martes
4. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
5. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
6. Tanakh - Villa Claustrophobia
7. Susumu Yokota - The Boy and the Tree
8. Sigur Ros - ()
9. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O
10. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
11. Cornelius - Point
12. Badly Drawn Boy - About a Boy
13. Eminem - The Eminem Show
14. DJ Shadow - The Private Press
15. Lemonjelly - Lost Horizons

Brian (Boston, MA, USA)

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2. Capitol K - Island Row
3. Dalek - From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots
4. Ms. John Soda - No P. or D.
5. Mum - Finally We Are No One
6. RJD2 - Deadringer
7. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
8. Sigur Ros - ()
9. ...And you will know us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
10. Blue States - Man Moutain
11. Faultline - Your Love Means Everything
12. EL-P - Fantastic Damage
13. Doves - The Last Broadcast
14. Mr. Lif - I Phantom
15. Dot Allison - We're only Science

Matt Bryan (Spartanburg, SC, USA)

1. Sigur Ros - ( )
2. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
3. Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
4. Beck - Sea Change
5. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
6. Tom Waits - Alice
7. DJ Shadow - The Private Press
8. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
9. Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed The Fish?
10. Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
11. Badly Drawn Boy - About A Boy
12. Clinic - Walking With Thee
13. Tom Waits - Blood Money
14. Chemical Brothers - Come With Us
15. Damien Rice - O

Florian Bülow (Dortmund, GERMANY)

1. Bohren und der Club of Gore - Black Earth
2. Radian - Rec.Extern
3. DJ Vadim - USSR/The Art Of Listening
4. Akufen - My Way
5. Exhaust - Enregistreur
6. Kimya Dawson - I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean
7. John Zorn - Filmworks XIII
8. Radio 4 - Gotham
9. Keith Fullerton Whitman - Playthroughs
10. McLusky - McLusky Do Dallas
11. Loscil - Submers
12. Kreidler - Eve Future
13. Guitar - Sunkissed
14. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
15. Thomas Bangalter - Irreversible O.S.T.

Marc Burkhardt (San Francisco, CA, USA)

1. Doves – The Last Broadcast
2. The Streets – Original Pirate Material
3. Laura Cantrell – When the Roses Bloom Again
4. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
5. Solomon Burke – Don’t Give Up On Me
6. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Yanqui U.X.O.
7. Jean Grae – Attack of the Attacking Things
8. The Black Keys – The Big Come Up
9. Josh Rouse – Under Cold Blue Stars
10. The Negro Problem – Welcome Black
11. Mary Timony – The Golden Dove
12. Cornershop – Handcream for a Generation
13. Steve Earle – Jerusalem
14. My Computer – Vulnerabilia
15. Iron & Wine – The Creek Drank the Cradle

Dainis Bushmanis (Riga, LATVIA)

1. Savoy Grand - "Burn The Furniture" (England) [Glitterhouse]
2. Sigur Rós - "( )" (Iceland) [Fat Cat]
3. King Crimson - "Ladies Of The Road" (England) [Discipline Global Mobile]
4. Univers Zero - "Rhythmix" (Belgium) [Cuneiform]
5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Yanqui U.x.o." (Canada) [Constellation]
6. Do Make Say Think - "& yet & yet" (Canada) [Constellation]
7. Early Day Miners - "Let Us Garlands Bring" (USA) [Secretly Canadian]
8. Jakob - "Subsets Of Sets" (New Zealand) [Midium]
9. Timonium - "Resisit Education" (USA) [Pehr]
10. Arca - "Cinématique" (France) [Les Disques Du Soleil Et De L'Acier]
11. King Crimson - "Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With" (England/USA) [Sanctuary]
12. Migala - "Restos de un incendio" (Spain) [Acuarela]
13. Pierre Vervloesem - "Vervloesem's Grosso Modo" (Belgium) [Carbon 7]
14. Porcupine Tree - "Metanoia" (England) [Delerium]
15. Low - "Trust" (USA) [Kranky]

Carles (Barcelona, SPAIN)

1. AKUFEN - MY WAY
2. LOW - TRUST
3. OUT HUD - S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D.
4. BOOM BIP - SEED TO SUN
5. SUB OSLO - DUBS IN THE KEY OF LIFE
6. RJD2 - DEADRINGER
7. SONIC YOUTH - MURRAY STREET
8. MISSY ELLIOTT - UNDER CONSTRUCTION
9. BLACK HEART PROCESSION - AMORE DEL TROPICO
10. LIARS - THEY THROW US IN A TRENCH...
11. THE STREETS - ORIGINAL PIRATE MATERIAL
12. SPOON - KILL THE MOONLIGHT
13. BLACKALICIOUS - BLAZING ARROW
14. ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM - ARRYTHMIA
15. BEEF - LA BOHEME

Evan Carson (Davis, CA USA)

1. Little Wings - Wonderue
2. Golden Shoulders - Let My Burden Be
3. the Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
4. Brendan Benson - Lapalco
5. Sondre Lerche - Faces Down
6. Supergrass - Life On Other Planets
7. Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel
8. Pulp - We Love Life
9. Iron and Wine - the Creek Drank the Cradle
10. Jackpot - Shiny Things

Cory (Sacramento, CA, USA)

1. Hella "Hold Your Horse Is" (After much debate I finally settled on this one. If you all don't know Hella yet, you're not cool, I can tell you that much. Just downright impressive instrumental rock that proves people out there still believe in making good music and being talented at their instruments. Find me a better drummer than this, people! www.hellaband.com)
2. Do Make Say Think "& Yet & Yet" (Three cheers for great instrumental stuff that never seems to grow old! I especially love alot of the electronic effects on this one.)
3. Sweep The Leg Johnny "Going Down Swingin'" (Once again these guys tear it up with their sound that I want to call progressive post-hardcore something or other (oh god, I can't wait for people to e-mail me saying I don't know what I'm talking about). Well, maybe I don't. An amazing album; love the song titles.)
4. Ent "Farewell To Metropolis" (So what if this is a vinyl with only two songs? One of the finest instrumental bands out there. Too bad they broke up...well hopefully only for now. www.entband.com)
5. Oxes "OXXXES" (Rock on, dudes! Heavy instrumental stuff with two (aluminum) handmade guitars and drums! The artwork for the cd and lp are enough to get this band on my top ten list.)
6. Fly Pan Am "Ceux Qui Inventent N'ont Jamais Vecu(?)" (Ok, so the title is in French, I'll let them get away with it cuz' this album rules. Hey, is this cd skipping??? Noooo...it's just those silly Canadians dicking around with it. Neato!)
7. Crime In Choir "Crime In Choir" (Still trying to get a copy of this...I know, how weak is that!? Good bass lines, fun electronic sounds and awesome drumming make this a great album.)
8. Ugly Casanova "Sharpen Your Teeth" (Songs with chains being slammed on the floor are fun!)
9. Beck "Sea Changes" (Even though an acoustic guitar and singing are nothing new, I like this album alot. Plus most of my favorite stuff at the time came out last year, so I gotta find something to fill space.)
10. Aphex Twin "Drukqs" (Yeah yeah, I'm not big on techno or electronica, but I have followed James for awhile and I like his sometimes over the top avant crap.)

Ryan Dee (Lincoln, NE, USA)

1. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi  {Warp Records}
2. L'Altra - In The Afternoon  {Aesthetics}
3. Arvo Pärt - Orient & Occident  {ECM New Series}
4. The Books - Thought For Food  {Tomlab}
5. Asa-Chang & Junray - Jun Ray Song Chang  {The Leaf Label}
6. Deerhoof - Reveille  {5RC / Kill Rock Stars}
7. Sigur Rós - ( )  {Fat Cat / PIAS}
8. The Fire Show - Saint The Fire Show  {Perishable}
9. Múm - Finally We Are No One / Loksins Erum Við Engin  {Fat Cat}
10. Eminem - The Eminem Show  {Interscope}
11. Black Dice - Beaches & Canyons  {DFA}
12. El-P - Fantastic Damage  {Definitive Jux}
13. Ekkehard Ehlers - Plays  {Staubgold}
14. Herrmann & Kleine - Our Noise  {Morr Music}
15. Wire - Read & Burn 01 / 02  {Pink Flag}

Andrzej Dregiel (Warsaw, POLAND)

1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Yanqui U.x.o."
2. interpol - turn on the bright lights
3. and you will know us by the trail of dead - source tags and codes
4. Do Make Say Think - & yet & yet
5. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
6. Coldplay — A Rush of Blood to the Head
7. Radio 4 - Gotham
8. Cinematic Orchestra - Every Day
9. Low - "Trust"
10. Exhaust - Enregistreur

lauren dziuban (Pittsburgh, PA, USA)

1. Boom Bip - Seed to Sun (Lex) "I was floored from the moments Roads Must Roll dropped. Epic. Beyond classification."
2. Digitonal - 23 Things Fall Apart (Toytronic) "Proof positive that subtle grandeur is not an oxymoron. Beautiful symphonic arrangements and ambient textures."
3. Lucky Pierre - Hypnogogia (Melodic) "Aiden Moffat gets props for making a chill out album that doesn't suck. Dreamy mood music and cheeky lullabies."
4. Nautilis - Are you an Axolotl (Planet Mu) "Makes me smile everytime. Spliced up album of breaks, hard techno, digital noise, jazzy croonings, and Nautilis on the M-I-C."
5. Neko Case - Blacklisted (Beaver) "Haunting, soul-wrenching torch music with a western slant. For those of us who secretly worship the soundtrack to Nashville."
6. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Warner) "What hasn't been said? Dazzling production, swirling melodies, general quirkiness abound!"
7. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (Warp) "I personally drove half the record store clerks in Pittsburgh drazy waiting for this one. Dark, hazy psychedelic listening music that makes you feel twenty leagues under the sea."
8. Bill Wells Trio - Also in White (Geographic) "Rich, elegant textures which build at a unhurried pace. Amazing what only three instruments - a piano, trumpet and a guitar - can do. Another album that immobilized me upon first listen."
9. Decal - 404 Not Found (Planet Mu) "A major progression in their sound - gone are the dancefloor burners, replaced with delicate and soft electro-acoustics, mesmerizing drones and glitches. There's something new to hear with each listen."
10. Giardini de Miro - The Academic Rise of Falling Drifters (2.nd Rec) "A divine remix album that allows some great artists in their own right (styrofoam, dntel, herrman & kleine, isan) to lovingly tinker and expand on the exquisite, melancholy songs of Giardini de Miro."
11. Multicast - Multicast Presents Further Oblique Perspectives (K20) "Aching, beautiful soundscapes that sweep down the plains. The resonance of wide open spaces."
12. DJ Brokenwindow - Parallel Universe #1 (Tigerbeat6) "Mash-ups that actually seek out songs that work well together. Yes, some of these will make you laugh but there are some incredible combinations to be found here. So much fun that you may not realize how masterfully conceived it really is."

Kareem Estefan (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2. Max Tundra - Mastered by Guy at the Exchange
3. The Notwist - Neon Golden
4. The Books - Thought for Food
5. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
6. Iran - The Moon Boys
7. Isis - Oceanic
8. Destroyer - This Night
9. DJ Shadow - The Private Press
10. The Roots - Phrenology
11. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
12. Sleater Kinney - One Beat
13. Capitol K - Island Row
14. Mum - Finally We Are No One
15. Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet

Ewan (Lexington, KY, USA)

1. tie Interpol - "Turn on the Bright Lights" / Lily Chou-Chou OST
2. The Books - "Thought for Food"
3. Wilco - "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
4. Mum - "Finally We Are No One"
5. Soft Boys - "Nextdoorland"
6. Sigur Ros - "( )"
7. Flaming Lips - "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"
8. Coldplay - "A Rush Of Blood to the Head"
9. Godspeed You ! Black Emperor - "Yanqui U.X.O.
10. Boards Of Canada - "Geogaddi"

Adrian Fergus (Chester, UK)

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2. Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season
3. ...Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
4. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
5. NERD - In Search of....
6. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
7. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
8. Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages of...
9. The Notwist - Neon Golden
10. Martin Grech - Open Heart Zoo
11. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
12. Gemma Hayes - Night on my Side
13. Beck - Sea Change
14. Neil Halstead - Sleeping On Roads

andrew forell (melbourne, AUSTRALIA)
in no particular order...

• boom bip - seed to sun
• andreas tilliander - elit
• interpol - turn on the bright lights
• godspeed you! black emperor - yanqui uxo
• akufen - my way
• biosphere - shenzhou
• black dog w/ black sifichi - unsavoury products
• dub syndicate - murder tones
• john coltrane - love supreme redux/deluxe reissue
• scion - arrange & process basic channel
• tom waits - alice/blood money
• farben - textstar
• ladytron - light & magic
• wire - read & burn 01
• sigur ros - ()

Forrest (Rock Hill, SC, USA)

1. Pavement- Luxe and Redux: Slanted and Enchanted (reissue)
2. (tie) Interpol- Turn on the Bright Lights/...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead- Source, Tags, and Codes
3. Flaming Lips- Yoshimi...
4. Doves- The Last Broadcast
5. Sigur Ros- ()
6. Boards of Canada- Geogaddi
7. Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Yanqui UXO
8. Wilco- YHF
9. Pulp- We Love Life
10. Spoon- Kill The Moonlight

martin friberg (örebro, SWEDEN)

1. désormais - climate variations (intr_version)
2. testbild! - the double life of testbild! (radio khartoum)
3. hanged up - kicker in tow (constellation records)
4. jessica bailiff - s/t (kranky)
5. hans appelqvist - tonefilm (komplott)
6. no source one - face take shape (komplott)
7. tape - opera (häpna)
8. seamonster1 - :eplektriknastr (amphibient broacasting)
9. keith fullerton whitman - playthroughs (kranky)
10. low - trust (kranky)
11. el-p - fantastic damage (definitive jux)
12. mokira - plee (mille plateaux)

Alex Garcia (Madrid, SPAIN)

1. Lauryn Hil-Unplugged
2. Delgados - Hate
3. Montgolfier Bros - World is flat
4. Mum -Finally we are no one
5. Saint Etienne -Finisterre
6. Flaming Lips -Yoshimi
7. Notwist -Neon Golden
8. Boards of Canada -Geogaddi
9. Streets -original pirate material
10. Ladytron -Light and magic

Neville Giles (NEW ZEALAND)

1. The Doves - Last Bulletin
2. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
3. Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
4. The Coral - The Coral
5. Idlewild - The Remote Part
6. The Datsuns - The Datsuns
7. The Music - The Music
8. Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons
9. Beth Orton - Daybreaker
10. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

Christopher Gramstadt (London, UK)

1. Bees - Sunshine Hit Me
2. Sigur-Ros - ( )
3. Clinic - Walking with Thee
4. The Notwist - Neon Golden
5. Underworld - 100 Days Off
6. Coldplay - Rush of Blood
7. JJ72 - I to the sky
8. Max Hecker - Infinte Love Songs
9. James Yorkston - Moving Up Country
10. Low - Trust
11. Beck - Sea Change
12. Radio 4 - Gotham
13. Idlewild - The Remote Part
14. Mum - Finally We are No-one
15. Beth Gibbons - Out of Season

Aaron Grauer (Lincoln, NE, USA)

1. Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
2. Spoon, Kill The Moonlight
3. Sigur Rós, ( )
4. Notwist, Neon Golden
5. DJ Shadow, Private Press
6. Boards Of Canada, Geogaddi
7. Books, Thought For Food
8. Anti-Pop Consortium, Arrhythmia
9. Blackalicious, Blazing Arrow
10. ...Trail Of Dead, Source Tags & Codes
11. Aluminum Group, Happyness
12. Badly Drawn Boy, About A Boy
13. Doves, Last Broadcast
14. Andrew Pekler, Station To Station
15. Coldplay, Rush Of Blood To The Head

isao (Tokyo, JAPAN)

1. epic 45 - reckless engineers - where are my
2. giardini di miro - the academic rise of falling drifters - 2.nd rec
3. sierpinski - this geography of ours - jonathon whiskey
4. art of fighting - wires - trifecta (2001)
5. vinyl dog joy - stories from the halfway house - bmg dk/black mask (2001)
6. jackie o motherfucker - change - textile
7. 90 day men - to everbody - southern
8. boom bip - seed to sun - lex
9. wilco - yankee hotel foxtrot - nonesuch
10. bright eyes - lifted or the story is in the soil, keep your ear to the ground - saddle creek

Ivan (Barcelona, SPAIN)

1. Wire - Read & Burn, volumes 01 and 02
2. Sleater-Kinney - One Beat
3. Minus The Bear - Highly Refined Pirates
4. Out Hud - S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D.
5. The Standard - August
6. And You Will Know Us... - Source Tags & Codes
7. Mr. Lif - I Phantom
8. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
9. Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown
10. Black Dice - Beaches & Canyons
11. The Fire Show - Above the Volcano Flowers

Jake (Madison, WI, USA)

1. Lambchop - Is A Woman
2. Songs: Ohia - Didn't It Rain
3. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
4. Sigur Ros - ()
5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
6. Tom Waits - Blood Money
7. Pere Ubu - St Arkansas
8. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
9. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
10. Tom Waits - Alice
11. Howard Hello - Howard Hello
12. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
13. Pan American - The River Made No Sound
14. French Kicks - One Time Bells
15. Pimmon - Secret Sleeping Birds

Javier (MEXICO)

• And You Will Know Us by The Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
• Babasonicos - Jessico
• Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
• Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
• Godspeed You Black emperor! - Yanqui U.X.O.
• Kinky - Kinky
• Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
• RJD2 - Dead Ringer
• The Books - "Thought for Food
• The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi battles the pink robots
• The Music - The Music
• The Notwist - Neon Golden
• Thievery Corporotaion - The Riche

Manish Kataria (NJ, USA)

1. Dj /rupture - Minesweeper Suite (Tigerbeat6)
2. Cornelius - Point (Matador)
3. Agf - head slash bauch (Orthlorng Musork)
4. Akufen - My Way (Force Inc.)
5. El-P - Fantastic Damage (Def Jux)
6. Various - Superlongevity (Perlon)
7. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (Warp)
8. 2 Many DJ's - As heard on radio soulwax pt.2 (PIAS Recordings)
9. Amon Tobin - Out from out where (Ninja Tune)
10. Blevin Blectum - Talon Slalom (Deluxe)
11. Timeblind - Rugged Redemption (Orthlorng Musork)
12. Jazzanova - In Between (Jazzanova Compost Records)
13. Various - Montreal Smoked Meat (Force Inc.)
14. Scion - Arrange and Process Basic Channel Tracks (Tresor)
15. Caural - Paint ep (Chocolate Industries)

john kendelhardt (Pittsburgh, PA, USA)

1. interpol - turn on the bright lights
2. fire show - saint the fire show
3. hot cross - a new set of lungs ep
4. godspeed you! black emperor - yanqui u.x.o.
5. and you will know us by the trail of dead - source tags and codes
6. q and not u - different damage
7. hot hot heat - knock knock knock ep
8. do make say think - & yet & yet
9. hot snakes - suicide invoice
10. the roots - phrenology
11. city of caterpillar - s/t
12. my morning jacket/songs:ohia - split
13. mum - finally we are no one
14. sigur ros - ( )
15. the mars volta - tremulant EP

Jon Kinzler (Phoenix, AZ, USA)

1. Boards of Canada- Geodaddi. What else is there to say? If you haven't heard it, get it. If you have, it's on your top ten as well. Electronica that makes you remember why you started listening to the damn stuff in the first place.
2. The Streets- Original Pirate Material- the English Eminem. "Let's Push Things Forward" may be the best single of the year.
3. Death In Vegas- Scorpio Rising. Sexy, creepy, polished. Yummy.
4. Beck- Sea Change. The tongue in cheek slacker icon channels Nick Drake and finds his own heart. If this is what tragedy does to him, I hope his dog dies next year.
5. Queens of the Stone Age- Songs For The Deaf. The thinking man's Def Leppard AND proof positive that Dave Grohl is the best drummer in rock.
6. Wilco- Hotel Yankee Foxtrot. Gorgeous broken china melodies with sharp edges.
7. weneversleep- Let's Hear It For The Vague Blur- Orbital goes drinking with David Lynch and everyone ends up watching "Girls Gone Wild" videos.
8. Timothy Hitler- Jerry Springer Uber Alles- a hardcore version of Barbara Streisand's "Evergreen" (?!?) With a drum machine (!!!) WTF? What punk rock was supposed to be, before it got cute and started selling Nissans.
9. N.E.R.D.- In Search of... The Neptune's ARE the new Parliament
10. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O. Daydream Nation's insane younger brother- the quiet one that ends up stabbing you in the head.

kevin (New York, NY, USA)

1. The Breeders- Title TK
2. My Favorite- The Kids Are All Wrong EP
3. Mclusky - Mclusky Do Dallas
4. Imperial Teen- On
5. Sleater Kinney - One Beat
6. Noonday Underground- Surface Noise
7. Neko Case - Blacklisted
8. Tahiti 80- Wallpaper For the Soul
9. Interpol- Turn on the Bright Lights
10. The Quails- Atmosphere

Tyson Kkkkk (Sydney, AUSTRALIA)

1. Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet
2. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
3. ...Trail Of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
4. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
5. The Books - Thought For Food
6. Radian - Rec.Extern
7. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
8. Sonic Youth - Murray Street
9. Keith Fullerton Whitman - Playthroughs
10. Missy Elliot - Under Construction
11. Iron & Wine - The Creek Drank The Cradle
12. Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth
13. Susumu Yokota - The Boy & The Tree
14. Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
15. Radar Brothers - And The Surrounding Mountains

KM (Chicago, IL, USA)

1. Early Day Miners - Let us Garlands Bring
2. Notwist - Neon Golden
3. Luna - Close Cover before Striking
4. L'Altra - In the Afternoon
5. Cub Country - High Uintah High
6. Knife in the Water - Crosspross Bells
7. French Kicks - One Time Bells
8. Cinerama - Torino
9. Six Parts Seven - Things Shaped in Passing
10. Black Keys - Big Come Up

Mark Knight (Melbourne, FL, USA)

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
3. Sonic Youth - Murray Street
4. Clinic - Walking With Thee
5. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight
6. Sigur Ros - ( )
7. Yo La Tengo - The Sounds of The Sounds of Science
8. Doves - The Last Broadcast
9. Outhud - S.T.R.E.E.T.D.A.D.
10. Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Godwin Leung (Toronto, Ontario, CANADA)

1. Sigur-Ros - ( )
2. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
3. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
4. Max Tundra - Mastered By Guy At The Exchange
5. Amon Tobin - Out From Out Where
6. Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed The Fish?
7. Mum - Finally We Are No One
8. The Notwist - Neon Golden
9. Do Make Say Think - & yet & yet
10. The Books - Thought For Food

Charis Mak (Hong Kong, CHINA)

1. Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season
2. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
3. Kepler - Missionless days
4. Low - Trust
5. Mum - Finally we are no one
6. Mus - El Naval
7. The Notwist - Neon Golden
8. Sigur Ros - ( )
9. Various Artists - You don't need darkness to do what you think is right
10. Wilco - Yankee hotel foxtrot

Marshall (Athens, Ohio, USA)

1. Sigur Ros - ( )
2. Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Yanqui X.U.O.
3. Low - Trust
4. The Black Heart Procession - Amore Del Tropico
5. Songs: Ohia - Didn’t It Rain
6. Tom Waits - Blood Money
7. Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet
8. Sleater Kinney - One Beat
9. Isis - Oceanic
10. 27 - Animal Life
11. Clinic - Walking With Thee
12. The Standard - August
13. Azure Ray - Burn & Shiver
14. Tram - A Kind of Closure
15. Mum - Finally We Are No One

math (Washington, D.C. USA)

1. Hella - Hold Your Horse Is (the future of music)
2. Mars Volta - Tremulant
3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui UXO
4. Frodus - Radioactivity
5. Joy Electric - The Art and Craft of Popular Music
6. Various Artists - 20 Years of Dischord
7. Pixies s/t
8. Stavesacre s/t
9. Beat Happening - Music To Climb The Apple Tree By
10. Sigur Ros - ( )

Kyle McConaghy (?)

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: hype/ rise from stardom does not take anything away from something this good
2. Turn On Your Bright Lights: hype/ being influenced does not take anything away from something this good
3. They Threw Us All In A Trench..., Liars: one of the building blocks of a new musical revolution?
4. Everyone Who Pretended..., The Walkmen: tails off toward the end, but has a handful of the best songs of the year
5. Kill The Moonlight, Spoon: funnest album of the year
6. Source, Tags, and Codes, ...Trail of Dead: nothing ground-breaking, but phenomenal, nevertheless
7. ( ), Sigur Ros: overrated by some, underrated by others. beautiful, regardless.
8. Finally We Are No One, Mum: not as good as "Yesterday Was Dramatic..." but not a slouch.
9. Make Up The Breakdown, Hot, Hot, Heat: I do not know why, but I like it.
10. Last Broadcast, The Doves: solid

chris mcdowall (auckland, NEW ZEALAND)

1. the brunettes - holding hands, feeding ducks (brilliant pop time-warpers from new zealand - www.lilchiefrecords.com/brunettes/)
2. the blood group - volunteers (intimate, spooky, and beautiful)
3. mum - finally we are no one (icelandic genius)
4. ms. john soda - no p. or d. (delicate beats and an ear for pop - reminiscent of recent mum with their combination of electronics and traditional instruments)
5. cornelius - point (not as immediate as fantasma, but has grown on me over the year)
6. opiate - while you were sleeping (typewriters, subtle melodies and ducks)
7. p:ano - when it's dark and it's summer (a great little album that seems different every time i listen to it)
8. beck - sea change (thank you mr beck)
9. windy & carl - introspection: singles & rarities (3 blissed out cds from the king and queen of space rock)
10. low - trust (a bit disappointing but some real gems - in the Drugs, last snowstorm of the year, la la la song)

John McGlone (Coventry, ENGLAND)

1. Coldplay - "A rush of blood to the head" (quite astonishing. Mainstream, but filled with so much emotion and beauty)
2. Doves - "The last broadcast" (another album to mix beauty and mainstream appeal)
3. Brendan Benson - "Lapalco" (how pop music should be)
4. Silverman - "Speed of life part 2" (go and find this, velvety smooth melodies, and an angelic voice to boot)
5. My Computer - "Vulnerabilia" (truly unique, and astonishing in places)
6. Interpol - "Turn on the bright lights" (just brilliant. The atmospherics provide such depth and beauty to their songs)
7. Queens of the stone age - "Songs for the deaf" (pure rock 'n roll brilliance)
8. The Libertines - "Up the bracket" (very english, very funny and very very good)
9. The Coral - "The Coral" (another truly unique album, yet with a tunefulness and character we can all only aspire to)
10. The Flaming Lips - "Yoshimi battles the pink robots" (not as good as the soft bulletin, but does that mean I didn't love it? hell no)

Joshua McGregor (Airdrie, Alberta, CANADA)

1. Notwist-Neon Golden (What an epic, sumptuous mélange of electronic and organic elements! This German release compelled me to find Notwist's other, previous releases, and they are also superb; however, Neon Golden possesses something very special and singular that makes it the preeminent release of 2002. This album shall retain pleasant nostalgia for a long while, bringing me back always to early 2002.)
2. Kent-Vapen & Ammunition (This colourful release by the Swedish band Kent nearly stole my number one spot for best album of 2002. As it happened, it came in close at number two. This work is uplifting and energising, as Kent seem to have found a beautiful, melodic key all on their own, without compromising their love for rock. The Swedish tongue never sounded so sweet as this.)
3. Porcupine Tree-In Absentia (I no longer care for 1960's and 70's rock and roll, so when I first heard a few songs of England's Porcupine Tree and some of their guitar work, I was at first hesitant. I am severely glad I did not remain so. In Absentia is a very solid, dark album, and the guitar is surrounded by too much else to really sound anything like 60's or 70's rock. The lead singer's voice is brilliant, and the acoustic guitar on the album is vibrant and alive. This was unlike anything else this year: indeed, I found Porcupine Tree late in the year, but I have probably listened to this album the most out of any this year.)
4. Univers Zero-Rhythmix (It is nearly impossible to believe that these chaps from Belgium were making such astounding and original music so far ahead of their time in the 1970's and 1980's! Rhythmix, however, was released in 2002, and it is indeed the most unique album of the whole year. Somewhere betwixt chamber, rock, and mediaeval court music is where this album inhabits. What really impressed me about this release was the complex time signatures and the manner in which the band changes them instantaneously.)
5. SIANspheric-The Sound Of The Colour Of The Sun (I know this was released in 2001, but it deserves mention as I only discovered this Ontario band this year, and I am ecstatic that I did. To me, this release embodies, and is indeed the very epitome of dream\space rock. I felt this album was far superior to Sigur Ros's ( ). SIANspheric has a layered, dreamy, spacey feel that is perfectly nocturnal and releasing. Take my advice, put on this album, lay back, close your eyes, and dream of floating past nebulae, exploding stars, and distant galactic objects.)
6. Boards of Canada-Geogaddi (I felt this release from Scottish/Albertan team Boards of Canada was a vast step up from their previous Music Has The Right To Children. Put simply, the darker material suits them. There are some very delicate, almost orchestral tracks here, along with fresh, serious eletronica.)
7. Silverbullit-Citizen Bird (This Swedish rock group is known as both Silverbullit and Citizen Bird. This is sometimes straightforward, but never boring, rock. At other moments, it approaches physchadelia and dream pop. It makes for a splendid combination, and the lyrics are wonderful.)
8. Doves-The Last Broadcast (I enjoyed this almost as much as Lost Souls, which is saying much. I loved Lost Souls, and now I love The Last Broadcast. This is grand acoustic music, and The Last Broadcast is something I can listen to time and time again without becoming weary. This appealing rock music album is now a classic. Doves know how make feel-good music. They deserve far more popularity, in and out of Britain.)
9. Coldplay-A Rush Of Blood To The Head (Yes, yes, I know, it is fairly pop-cultured. However, Coldplay always seem to wheedle their way in to my brain when I am experiencing pleasant moments in life, such as their album, Parachutes, did. They hold good memories for me, and AROBTTH is actually quite good music as well.)
10. Shalabi Effect-The Trial Of St Orange (This album took some while before I became fond of it. I considered discarding it after the first listen. Just what on earth was this, anyway? One thing it is is unique. Occasionally it defies music completely, and turns to random noises and sounds, but it nevertheless was an intriguing release from the Canadian musicians.)

Henrique Mendes (Portugal)

1. Sonic Youth - Murray Street
2. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
3. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
4. Lambchop - Is a Woman
5. Sigur Rós - ()
6. Low - Trust
7. Liars - They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top
8. Múm, Finally We Are No One
9. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
10. Max Tundra - Mastered by the Guy at the Exchange
11. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
12. Dntel - Life Is Full Of Possibilities
13. Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet
14. The Sea and Cake - One Bedroom
15. Secret Machines - September 000

Mikele (Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA)

1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O. (Music doesn't get much better than this)
2. Gåte - Jygri (I don't think norwegian folkore has never sounded so young and powerful)
3. Sigur Rós - ( ) (These guys know what beauty is about)
4. Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk (The best Tori is back)
5. Tenhi - Väre (If Tenhi's music's an accurate description of Finland, then I want to live there)
6. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (I hate rock'n roll but I love The White Stripes)
7. Opeth - Deliverance (My favorite metal band has blew my mind again)
8. Agalloch - The Mantle (They sure know how to create those irresistible dry landscapes)
9. Tanya Donelly - Beautysleep (This album is like candy)
10. Ulver - Lyckantropen Themes (Not their best release but everything Ulver has recorded is great)

Malcom Miles (Lincoln, NE, USA)

1. Bright Eyes - Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, KeepYour Ear To The Ground
2. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
3. Neko Case - Blacklisted
4. Liars - They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top
5. Sigur Ros - ( )
6. Sonic Youth - Murray Street
7. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
8. Mum - Finally We Are No One
9. Sleater-Kinney - One Beat
10. Beck - Sea Change
11. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
12. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
13. Antibalas - Talkatif
14. Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk
15. (or the number one cover album of the year) Sinead O'Connor - Sean-Nos Nua

Christian Mortensen (Copenhagen, DENMARK)

1. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2. ...Trail Of Dead – Source, Tags & Codes
3. Sigur Rós – ( )
4. Notwist – Neon Golden
5. Low – Trust
6. Under Byen – Det Er Mig Der Holder Træerne Sammen
7. Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
8. Doves – The Last Broadcast
9. Lise Westzynthius – Heavy Dream
10. Bright Eyes – Lifted (Or...)
11. Granada – Takes A Lot Of Walking
12. David Bowie – Heathen
13. Mikael Simpson – Os 2 + Lidt Ro
14. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Yanqui U.X.O.
15. Múm – Finally We Are No-One

Neil (Dover, UK)

1. Hrsta - L'eclat du ciel etait insoutenable
2. Sigur Ros - ( )
3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
4. The Reindeer Section - Son Of Evil Reindeer
5. The Breeders - Title TK
6. Low - Trust
7. Jessica Bailiff - Jessica Bailiff
8. The Delgados - Hate
9. Part Chimp - Chart Pimp
10. David Grubbs - Rickets And Scurvy
11. Mum - Finally We Are No One
12. Malcolm Middleton - 5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine
13. Sonic Youth - Murray Street
14. Hyperjinx Tricycle - The Songs Of Jack Medicine, Daniel Johnston And Ron English
15. Lucky Pierre - Hypnogogia

Nicholas (Paris, FRANCE)

1. Amon Tobin - Out From Out Where
2. Mastodon - Remission
3. High Tone - Acid Dub Nucleik
4. Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
5. Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Jamaican E.T
6. Neko Case - Blacklisted
7. RJD2 - Deadringer
8. High on Fire - Surrounded by Thieves
9. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
10. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
11. DJ Shadow - The Private Press
12. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
13. AM60 - Always Music Sixty
14. Herbaliser - Something Wicked This Way Comes
15. Cinematic Orchestra - Every Day

Nick (Sacramento/Rocklin, CA, USA)

1. Hella - Hold Your Horse Is (This sucks...)
2. Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet
3. Ent - Fairwell Metropolis 7" (I'm copying Cory... but this band is awesome!)
4. Cheval de Frise - Cheval de frise (Although I do not own this... yet, the stuff I have heard is awesome. And it's French too!)
5. Mercury Program - A Data Learn The Language
6. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.x.o
7. Tarentel - Ephermera (I think it came out this year...)
8. Sigur Ros - ()
9. Doves - The Last Broadcast

Gonçalo Nobre (Lisboa, PORTUGAL)

• Notwist - Neon Golden
• The Books - Thought For Food
• Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
• Sigur Ros - ( )
• Spoon - Kill the Moonlight
• Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
• Sparks - Lil’Beethoven
• Beck - Sea Change
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
• Carla Bruni - Quelqu'un m'a dit
• Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone
• RJD2 – Deadringer
• Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It in People
• Badly Drawn Boy – Have You Fed the Fish
• Chris Cacavas - Bumbling Home From the Star

Paco (Granada, SPAIN)

1. The Notwist - Neon Golden (That's the way to blend clicks, cuts and pop tunes)
2. Sleater Kinney - One Beat (Best rock album of the year; Vines, Hives and all neogarage bands should listen to it carefully)
3. The Streets - Original Pirate Material (I'm not a Londoner myself, but that's the way kids in my district feel, nice flow, nice accent, superb beats)
4. Nosoträsh - Popemas (Precious tiny pieces of jewellery fron North Spain worth listening overseas; have the lyrics translated to enjoy these delicatessen to the full)
5. Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season (Classics are always welcome, especially when including delights such as "Mysteries")
6. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (In spite of getting a little bit rusty by the end, the first five tracks deserve this post)
7. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (50% obscure 50% shiny; hard to get into at first but eventually enjoyable)
8. DJ Shadow - The Private Press (This is no endtroducing but it is another show of strength)
9. El-P - Fantastic Damage (I'm not very acquainted with hip hop but I must acknowledge its value - Deep Space 9mm & Dead Disnee)

François Papineau (Montréal, CANADA)

1. Delgados - hate
2. Godspeed - yanqui u.x.o.
3. Trail of Dead - source tags and codes
4. Cowboys fringants - break syndical
5. Mùm - finnally we are no one
6. Doves - the last broadcast
7. Sigur Ros - ()
8. Amon tobin - out from ou where
9. Do Make Say Think - & yet & yet
10. Radar Bros. - and the surounding mountains

Ralph (NY, USA)

1. Boards of Canada-Geogaddi (Warp) (This album more than earned its place on my list. Rather than try and totally rework their sound (as many artists do, god bless em), they delve deeper into their unique brand of folk-electronica. Like a lot of Autechre and Aphex Twin, BOC live in a universe all their own. Very nostalgic, somewhat disorientating and disturbing. Not for those who are afraid to get in touch with themselves.)
2. Autechre-Gantz Graf (Warp) (Admittedly, this isn't an album either. However, I think this is the best thing Autechre has ever done. Also, I'm probably the only person who feels that way. There are only 3 songs here, but they greatly surpass Confield's tedious, unfeeling noises and ep7's sad attempt to sound revolutionary. The video for Gantz Graf is also amazing.)
3. Philip Glass-Naqoyqatsi Soundtrack (Sony) (If you've never seen/heard any of Glass' "Qatsi" movies, you really should do yourself a favor and check them out. I got the oppurtunity to see the first (Koyaanisqatsi) performed live this year, so perhaps I'm still a little Glass obsessed.)
4. Plaid-P-Brane (Warp) (Alright, so this isn't technically an album, but it still manages to win its way to my heart. Anything from Plaid is a welcome suprise, and the video for "Eyen" is on here too. )
5. Sage Francis-Personal Journals (Anticon)
6. Sigur Ros-() (Fat Cat)
7. Squarepusher-Do You Know Squarepusher (Warp) (Most people say that this release sucks, and in many ways it does. But the live cd it is packaged with and the title track make it all worthwhile.)
8. Interpol-Turn On the Bright Lights (Matador)
9. Godspeed You Black Emperor-Yanqui U.X.0. (Constellation)
10. Alias-Other Side of the Looking Glass (Anticon)

Michelle Reinhardt (Chicago, IL, USA)

1. low - trust
2. fly pan am - ceux qui inventent n'ont jamais vecu (?)
3. chicago underground duo - axis and alignment
4. zelienople - pajama avenue
5. organum - sphynx
6. godspeed you! black emporer -yanqui uxo
7. polmo polpo - the science of breath
8. loscil - submers
9. jeb bishop trio - afternoons
10. jessica baliff - s/t
11. sonic youth - murray street
12. jim o'rourke - I'm happy and I'm singing and a 1,2,3,4
13. keith fullerton whitman - playthroughs
14. ekkehard ehlers - plays
15. vandermark 5 - free jazz classics

Richie (Goleta, CA, USA)

• Sigur Ros - () (Maybe it's because it's not dripping with production. Maybe it's because it's all blank. Maybe it's because I didn't have any real expectations for it in the first place. Whatever the reason, I think I may like this better than their debut.)
• Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet (At 7 tracks, it may seem like & Yet & Yet is too limited of a release, but there's so much to be heard in those seven tracks that it more than satisfies. A CD of lush, layered, instrumental pop rock; the first track, "Classic Noodlanding", is just that, classic.)
• The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone (After hearing such superlatives about this album ("amazing", said one listener,) and the wide variety of unique-sounding instruments and musical components (sandpaper? the musical whip?), hearing it was somewhat of a disappointment. Nevertheless, this Washington DC-based band produces art-garage music better than your average New York band.)
• Múm - Finally We Are No One (Although I have not heard their first CD or their batch of remixes, Múm is one of my favorite bands. Making beautiful, warm electronic music that hearkens back happy childhood memories, they've been able to capture emotions no other musical act has been able to. I can't wait to hear their next effort.)
• Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (Everyone's favorite electronic duo once again makes a CD of eerie downtempo melodies brimming with samples of children's voices. A sophisticated piece of work that demands being listened to and appreciated as a whole.)
• Gomez - In Our Gun (A versatile, genreless album. The band finds themselves attempting to be a funked-up Radiohead (I know, that's so cliche) often, but then they find their niche with a new sort of country music. There's no song on here that isn't fun to sing along with.)
• Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons (Eight long instrumental songs that have been described as 'musical sunshine' by one reviewer. Lemon Jelly incorporates joy and humor in each song. A great travel album.)
• Royksopp - Melody A.M. (This CD came out in 2002, right? Well, even if not, it deserves to be on a best-of-year list somewhere. An absolutely solid album that explores both the positive and melancholy sides of electronic music. "Poor Leno" and "Remind Me" may at first seem like nothing more than simple dance songs, but man, do they grow on you.)
• Boom Bip - Seed to Sun (cLOUDDEAD may have taken hip hop, destroyed it, and rebuilt it into a long journey of an album of avant raps and bizarre samples, with none of the tracks ever finding much of a direction. Now, Boom bip takes these elements and gives them more shape. The results are musical candy, and guest stars include cLOUDDEAD's doseone, as well as Buck65, rhyming what someone described as 'goth-rap.')
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O. (Five hugely epic tracks, broken into three different songs. Not much different from their other attempts, but that's not a bad thing. "rockets fall on Rocket Falls" is so explosive and apocalyptic that listeners may have to be hospitalized after hearing it.)

Daniel Rizer (?, ?)

1. Laddio Bolocko "The Life & Times Of..."
2. Sigur Ros "( )"
3. the Books "Thought For Food"
4. Clinic "Walking With Thee"
5. The Flying Luttenbachers "Infection & Decline"
6. Antipop Consortium "Arrhythmia"
7. Beck "Sea Change"
8. Black Dice "Beaches & Canyons"
9. El-P "Fantastic Damage"
10. Xiu Xiu "Knife Play"
11. Racebannon "Satan's Kickin' Yr. Dick In"
12. Total Shutdown "Reflections"
13. Hot Snakes "Suicide Invoice"
14. Wire "Read & Burn 01"
15. Low "Trust"

Ryan (York, PA, USA)

1. mirah - "advisory committee"
2. i am the world trade center - "the tight connection"
3. hooverphonic - "hooverphonic presents... jackie cane"
4. the yeah yeah yeahs - self-titled ep
5. bright eyes - "lifted or the story is in the soil keep your ear to the ground"
6. denali - self-titled
7. bjork - "family tree" box set
8. the microphones - "mt. eerie"
9. the badger king - "the tongue and tooth" ep
10. ladytron - "light & magic"

Safra Radio (SINGAPORE)

1. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising (With this towering record, the boss has the rest of his peers eating dust. An poignant essay of the human spirit which delivers hope to the American people)
2. Interpol - Turn Off The Bright Lights (2002's The Strokes in terms of hype and well, really good melodies)
3. Sigur Ros - ( ) (With this album, the quartet firmly established themselves as the best thing to come out of Iceland since Bjork)
4. Sonic Youth - Murray Street (The wait is over for the best Sonic Youth album since Daydream Nation)
5. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Gorgeous melodies abound and amazing production work by Jim O' Rourke esp. on the fisrt track)
6. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (Chris Martin and Co. obviously never heard of the term "sophomore slump")
7. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (A triump for Dave Fridmann who brought the Lips to scale even greater heights)
8. Doves - The Last Broadcast (Unexpected source of hummable brit ditties, it ruled my CD player for two months)
9. Joseph Arthur - Redemption's Son (This is slightly weaker compared to its majestic predecessor but is still a cut above other singer-songwriter wannabes)
10. Mum - Finally, We Are No One (Best thing outta Iceland since yes, Sigur Ros!)

John Schietinger (Ann Arbor, MI, USA)

1. Doves - The Last Broadcast
2. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
3. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
4. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
5. Idlewild - The Remote Part
6. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
7. The Coral - The Coral
8. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
9. Beck - Sea Change
10. DJ Shadow - The Private Press
11. Sigur Ros - ()
12. RJD2 - Deadringer

M Simmons (Houston, TX, USA)

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
3. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
4. The Notwist -Neon Golden
5. Amon Tobin - Out From Out Where/Verbal EP
6. The Cinematic Orchestra - Every Day
7. Sigur Ros - ( )
8. Blackalicious - Broken Arrow
9. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight
10. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
11. El-P - Fantastic Damage
12. Luna - Romantica/Close Cover Before Striking EP
13. Max Tundra - Mastered By Guy At The Exchange
14. Trail Of Dead - Source Tags And Codes
15. Mum - Finally We Are No One

Roger Simonsen (Lincoln, NE, USA)

1. fly pan am - ceux qui inventent n'ont jamais vecu? (this is the most interesting release i heard in 2002. it takes the tortoise mystique and runs into abandon fields of opportunity and unpretentious experimental joy. will it hold up? who cares it's #1 on my top ten list -- isn't that good enough for now?)
2. boards of canada - geogaddi (a swampy swather of delight. loses a little toward middle and end for me but still very other worldly imagination capturing music. highly recommended for sloths and other marsupials.)
3. low - trust - (the more i listen to this release the more i like it (which is usually a good sign). the most spiritual sounding band that i've come across in recent years. 2000's U2? you heard it here first folks - brian eno produces their next album!)
4. godspeed you black emperor! - yanqui u.x.o. (an unknown party cdr'd this one for me and unfortunately it skips around alot about 2/3 way thru. nevertheless, continued hilites abound. hard to criticize anything here because godspeed continues to break new ground by remaining themselves. only thing better will be their live show - and the proper cd. ps - if you look up the word cresendo in the latest edition of webster's you now find a picture of efrim menuck.)
5. bad orb - bless you (just as fast as the orb seem to fade into the, uh, orb…their badorb continues to fade even faster. must be some astrophysical law at work. oh well, i'm still high on almost all the releases and the compilation while not breaking a lot of new ground still has some really fun moments that shouldn't be missed.)
6. roedelius - evermore (this one gets my nod simply for being yet another truly unique offering from the german electronic pioneer/swami. nothing else sounds like this one and perhaps that's a good thing. can you imagine a world with two roedelius'?)
7. autechre - gantz graf (yes, i know this is an ep but hey i'm running short of things i heard that rate the worthiness of a top 10. i may be alone on this call but who cares? this is the perfect companion to autechre 5 with it's dark stark fall off the world obliterations. buy the dvd version for xtra entertainment!)
8. stockholm monsters - alma mater (total pandering plug here of first time cd release of my all time favorite factory records lp. this overlooked album is a gem that combines the dark new order period with trumpets and decay, melodies and marquees, procession and disintegration - did i mention the monsters had two other backcatalogue reissues this year? bonus tracks a plenty)
9. brute - co-balt (vic chesnutt is back with widespread panic backing band. i'll still take vic's solo stuff over this but since his last release came out in '01 i'll settle for this in the #9 spot. it rocks, and if you hit scan just right on your cd player you can even hear it roll.)
10. the good life - black out (hey, i'm not just rating this one because i produced their profile on public tv. ok, maybe i am, but monsieurs kasher and mogis combined to pull off a distinctive, accessible release here. thumbs up saddle creek.)

Jake Skinner (Toronto, Ontario, CANADA)

1. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Robots
2. Interpol - Turn on the bright lights
3. Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
4. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
5. Sleater Kinney - One Beat
6. Guided By Voices - Universal Truths
7. DJ Shadow - Private Press
8. Blackalicous - Blazing Arrow
9. Pretty Girls Make Graves - Good Health
10. Sonic Youth - Murray Street
11. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
12. RJD2 - Deadringer

Jean-René Sylvestre (Deux-Montagnes Quebec, CANADA)

1. Sigur Ros - ()
2. Mùm - Finally we are no one
3. Interpol - Turn on the bright lights
4. The Books - Thought for food
5. Aarktica - ...or you could go through your whole life and be happy anyway
6. Do make say think - & yet & yet
7. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
8. Isis - Oceanic
9. Hanged up - Kicker in tow
10. Clinic - Walking with thee

threefreecoffee (Hong Kong, CHINA)

1. the books - thought for food
2. Do Make Say Think - & yet & yet
3. mum - finally we are no one
4. Sigur Ros - ( )
5. Liars - they threw us all in a trench and stuck a monument on top
6. Interpol - turn on the bright lights
7. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
8. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
9. Windsor for The Derby - Emotion Rescue LP
10. Libertines - Up The Bracket

ROB TOSTE (TORONTO, ONTARIO)

1. SIGUR ROS-( )
2. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR-YANQUI U.X.O.
3. BOARDS OF CANADA-GEOGADDI
4. LEMON JELLY-LOST HORIZONS
5. APHEX TWIN-DRUKQS
6. MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO-RUOK?
7. LADYTRON-LIGHT & MAGIC
8. TOM WAITS-ALICE
9. BETH GIBBONS & RUSTIN MAN-OUT OF SEASON
10. CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA-EVERYDAY

väinö (helsinki, FINLAND)

• ...and you will know us by the trail of dead - source tags and codes (at first listen i heard nothing special about this. has grown on me a lot since.)
• neko case - blacklisted (neko's voice is just amazing. her best yet.)
• fall - totally wired (i can't believe i've ignored the fall until now. this must be the compilation of the year.)
• flaming lips - yoshimi battles the pink robots (i like soft bulletin better. one of the best anyway.)
• kemialliset ystävät - kellari juniversumi (psychedelic folk from finland. one of the most beautiful things i heard this year and definately the nicest artwork.)
• lambchop - is a woman (maybe even better than nixon was.)
• lincoln - mettle (an irish band that sounds more american that most american bands. if you like ida, low etc.)
• low - trust (this is good. it is low, what else could it be? the vinyl is really beautifully packed.)
• magyar posse - we will carry you over the mountains (finnish post-rock. better than most of the many similar bands around right now.)
• mountain goats - tallahassee (i don't know what to say about this album. except that it's damn good.)
• notwist - neon golden (stayed near the top through the year.)
• pere ubu - st arkansas (one of my favorites. i don't think i've heard anything better by this band since the 70's albums.)
• soft boys - nextdoorland (by leaving a couple of songs out this would've been the album of the year. it's like the 22 years since underwater moonlight never existed.)
• sonic youth - murray street (the album of the year and return to form after nyc ghosts and flowers.)
• sweatmaster - sharp cut (if you like rock'n'roll you should check this. they're better than the hives, the strokes and the white stripes.)

Ricardo Vicente (Salamanca, SPAIN)

1. Sigur Ros - ()
2. Godspeed you! black emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
3. Do Make Say Think - & yet & yet
4. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
5. Shalabi Effect - The Trial Of St-Orange
6. Low - Trust
7. Wolfstone - Almost an island
8. Fly pan am - Ceux qui inventent n'ont jamais vécu?
9. Notwist - Neon Golden
10. Mum - Finally We Are No One

Greg W. (New York City, NY, USA)

1. Sodastream — In Between Times
2. Hayden — Skyscraper National Park
3. Appendix Out — The Night Is Advancing
4. Goldenboy — Blue Swan Orchestra
5. Papa M — Whatever Mortal
6. Grandaddy — Concrete Dunes
7. The Streets — Original Pirate Material
8. The Devils — Dark Circles
9. Sigur Ros — ( )
10. Coldplay — A Rush of Blood to the Head
11. Nagisa Ni Te — On the Love Beach
12. Flaming Lips — Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
13. The Notwist — Neon Golden
14. Neil Finn — One All
15. Brendan Benson — Lapalco

Zach (New York City, NY, USA)

1. The Books, "Thought for Food"
2. ... And You Will Know Us by The Trail of Dead, "Source Tags & Codes"
3. Wilco, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
4. Interpol, "Turn On the Bright Lights"
5. Broken Social Scene, "You Forget It in People"
6. Flaming Lips, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"
7. Sonic Youth, "Murray Street"
8. Out Hud, "S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D. "
9. Sigur Rós, "( )"
10. The Streets, "Original Pirate Material"
11. Desaparecidos, "Read Music/Speak Spanish"
12. Ugly Casanova, "Sharpen Your Teeth"
13. the notwist, "Neon Golden"
14. Decembrists, "Castaways and Cut-Outs"
15. The Walkmen, "Everybody Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone"