As to Neon Bible, I share your thoughts, Geoffrey, to some extent, re: the sound. But you can’t deny the art that the two albums manifestly are. Consider the powerful riff of the guitar with the choral crescendo of Funeral’s “Wake Up” matching the symphonic and choral crescendo of Neon Bible’s “No Cars Go.” The two albums, the more I listen to them, are as much meant as one in myriad ways, from the arrangement of scores to the eerily familiar lyrics, with Funeral’s relating as much to loss and mourning as Neon Bible’s, only in drastically different contexts.

That said, though, I would also agree with your opinions re: critics’ take on the album.

I’d hate for Ha Ha Tonka to fall off the list (and I expect Ha Ha Tonka would be even higher if I hadn’t discovered it around the last week of the year)–a highly recommended and little known band (in fact, I recommend just about everything on the Bloodshot label: http://www.bloodshotrecords.com.)

I liked Feist OK the first time through, but then I never found myself interested in listening to it again–a bad sign. Broken Social Scene I like a lot, but Feist solo, not so much.

By the way–note I also didn’t include Radiohead. I know a lot of people love it. I just can’t tell why. I mean it’s good–Radiohead at its worst is better than the great bulk of music out there. But it’s no Bends or OK Computer.

You are waaaaay more knowledgeable than I am in these things! I take your recs as my starting point for 2008.