[Editor's note: This is the first installment of a new Daily Planet music series penned by local music head Steven Steinberg. Steinberg, a die-hard fan who keeps on the verve of the ever-evolving world of music, will be enlightening readers biweekly about hot new tracks and albums. In his first column, Steinberg gives us a wrap of the best new music of the year. In alphabetical order]

Albums:

Ryan Adams — “Easy Tiger”
Starting with Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams has had a prolific, if inconsistent career. There have been many highs, and this is right up there with them. Starting with the Dead-influenced “Goodnight Rose”; this record shimmers and rocks with some of his best songwriting. This is one of those records you listen to from start to finish, and it has something for everyone, from the '70s big-rock of “Halloweenhead," to the beauty of “The Sun Also Sets," in which he writes "We are only one push from the nest ... we are only one argument from death.” You gotta love a guy who once said “The Grateful Dead were punk rock as [expletive]."

Avett Brothers — “Introducing Emotionalism”
Telluride will love this one. If you happened to catch their appearance at the Bluegrass fest this year, you will know what I mean. The instrumentation is bluegrass, the energy punk-rock. The album’s rich harmonies, smart lyrics that effortlessly strike an emotional chord, and live, one-take production make for an album perfect for parties, road trips or just sitting down and being moved by wonderful old-time melodies and thoughtful lyrics.

Devendra Banhart — “Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon”
Talk about diverse, this freak folk demi-god transcends even more boundaries with his latest record. Imaginative instrumentation with a spacey, mellow feel create a modern-folk classic. Do-wop meets tropicalia meets '60s rock. This album is like nothing else; engrossingly beautiful, catchy and diverse. Actor Gael Garcia Bernal contributes backing vocals, as does early 70’s psych-folk pioneer Vashti Bunyan. Amazing record

Battles — “Mirrored”
Is it prog? Is it math-rock? Is it what Rush would sound like if they came onto the scene in 2007 instead of 1973? This is genre-bending, complicated, awesome rock. It grabs you, energizes you. Put on your thinking cap and just try and keep up. If rock music with shifting time structures, loops, and backwards tape manipulation sound good to you, you have found nirvana.

Dr. Dog — “We All Belong”
I read somewhere that these guys sounded like a combination of the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Band. Sold. How bad could it be if they were compared to three of the most important and influential bands ever? Upon listening, I realized those comparisons were warranted, and was rewarded with an instant favorite. With a charming, backcountry-pop feel, these songs seem like you have heard them before, and I mean that in a good way. Also check out Beck’s remix of “The Girl."

Exploding Star Orchestra — “We Are All From Somewhere Else”
Wow! This recording just keeps amazing me. For fans of The Chicago Art Ensemble, who composer Rob Mazurek obviously has much respect for and is influenced by, and Sun Ra, this is free jazz at its finest and most accessible. At once catchy and abstract, this sounds fresh no matter how many listens you give it. Performed by some of Chicago’s best modern-jazz space travelers, including some of the players from Tortoise, this album is one of the most exciting of the year.

LCD Soundsystem — “Sound of Silver”
Electro-disco meets rock a la late ‘70s Talking Heads. James Murphy has put together an amazing, angular, rhythmic dance-fest. “Someone Great” shows he can write a good song, and “North American Scum” proves he can be political while furiously funky. Not being much of a dancer, I was moved to move when I recently saw his band play these songs live. Lots of furious percussion and on-stage energy combined with the punk rock influence of the songs had the crowd sweaty and begging for more. 

New Pornographers — “Challengers”
Despite some iffy press initially upon their newest release, (how could they possibly continue the run of excellent albums that consistently made numerous best-of lists?) “Challengers” turns out to be a solid, more mature and refined, less bombastic-sounding record than previous releases. The hooks are still there, but the songs are more sublime. Despite some members’ involvement in other projects (A.C. Newman’s and Neko Case’s solo careers, Kathryn Calder’s Immaculate Machine, and Dan Bejar’s Destroyer), the band comes together to make some of the sweetest bubblegum indie rock out there. Irresistible hooks and taut arrangements sound so good live or on record. Some of these songs are are as good as anything they have done. “Go Places” is a beautiful homage to a hopeful relationship, while the ending coda of “The Spirit of Giving” delivers a repetitive hook that is a near perfect album-closing climax.

Okkervil River — “The Stage Names”
Relentlessly literate indie-pop from a band that continues to write emotionally-charged songs and possesses electrifying live energy. The construction of a modern “Sloop John B” during the track “John Allyn Smith Sails,” is wonderful and fun, as is “The Plus Ones,” a song that name-checks many numerically-titled songs ("7 Chinese Brothers," "TVC15,"  "8 Miles High," etc.) Listen closely and see which ones you can recognize. Will Sheff’s writing and the band’s arrangements are more concise and less fragmented than past releases, which are all worth checking out as well.

Panda Bear — “Person Pitch”
Put the headphones on and take this all in. Melodic, beautiful looped soundscapes, lite-drones and bliss. “Comfy in Nautica” is a wonderful introduction the rest of Noah Lennox’s moody sonic collages. Uses just the right amount of late '60s Beach Boys influence to create big smiling chunks of psychedelia.

Rilo Kiley — “Under the Black Light”
This is a polarizing album. Some dismiss its poppy, young-L.A. sound and themes, but I love it. It is a pop album, albeit with dark overtones and mature subject matter. At times funky, at times Latin-flavored, all the time catchy, this is definitely something new from the band. With influences from all over the (literal and figurative) map, you are sure to discover things you like, and maybe things you don’t, but isn’t that the fun part?

Wilco — “Sky Blue Sky”
Jeff Tweedy and company seem to have mellowed a bit with this one, but the surprises are still there. The edginess of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and “A Ghost is Born” has been toned down, but Nels Cline’s incredible guitar playing provides enough thrills for the sonically adventurous. Seriously, this guy can sound like Duane Allman one minute (“Walken”), Jerry Garcia the next (“Shake it off”), and then provide mellow atmospherics or scratchy, nervous noise for the band’s schizophrenic compositions. Wilco have proven themselves one of the best bands of the last decade by being musically unpredictable enough to hold our attention, while at the same time maintaining a connection to the listener because the music contains many elements of great pop music. Their night show in town park during Bluegrass 2005 was one of that stage’s greatest moments.

Singles:

“Heart it Races” — Architecture in Helsinki
This song has gotten a lot of attention this year, as has Dr. Dog’s great a cover of it as well. Check out the cool DIY video at blogotheque.net/takeawayshows/.

“Direct Hit” — Art Brut
Unbelievably catchy and funny. Close to the perfect pop-rock song.

“Sourwood Mountain” — Carolina Chocolate Drops
Fresh sounding bluegrass from South Carolina youngsters (and one oldster). A standout in a genre full of the same old (time) thing.

“The Perfect Me” — Deerhoof
This music is so fun and adventurous, and has some amazing drumming. Making an overwhelming first impression, each listen reveals something different and exciting. Cute and heavy at the same time.

“9 Bullets” — Drive-By-Truckers
Technically this does not come out until the DBT release “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” on Jan. 22, but this fun southern-fried sing-a-long about an (ironic) shooting spree has been widely circulated on the bootleg circuit.

“Snakebit” — Mary Gauthier
Country-noir at it’s finest. The sound of this Joe Henry-produced record conjures dark, swampy images of poor, simple living in the lowlands. By using that gun, what does the female protagonist have to gain? What does she have to lose?

“Promenade” — The Gourds
Another Kevin Russell tear-jerker. These guys are such fun live and remain an Austin favorite, and that’s saying something.

“[I Don’t Need You To] Set me Free” — Grinderman
Has Nick Cave gone soft on us? His new project almost swings and jams on this track with a super funky bass line. More rhythmic rock and less noisy gloom than his previous work.

“On Call” — Kings of Leon
Not much to this song, but an undeniable hook. You will need play this more than once the first time you hear it. You will then need to play it again.

“Dry Town” — Miranda Lambert
Good country ain’t that hard to find these days, but new Nashville pop country is. This track proves an exception.

“Paper Planes” — M.I.A.
Militant electro sweetness that is groovy and instantly in your head. I love how her voice cracks a little when she sings “We pack and deliver like UPS trucks.” More records than the KGB?

“Burn My Shadow” — Unkle
The Cult’s Ian Astbury’s vocals are perfect for this driving electro-rock assault. Great primer for a big day on the ski hill.