3. The White Stripes Icky Thump (Third Man/Warner Bros.). Bagpipes, trumpets, synthesizers—oh my! Jack White continues to diversify without diluting the Stripes’ sound. Full review

4. Lil Wayne Da Drought 3 (Young Money). If this simile-laden extracurricular mixtape is any indication, other rappers might have to hide under their desks when school gets back in session with Weezy’s upcoming Tha Carter III.

5. Menomena Friend and Foe (Barsuk). A lot of fuss is made about Menomena’s use of the Deeler computer program in its recording process, but what matters is that the Portland, Oregon, natives write songs that can be both catchy and wandering at the same time. Full review

6. Animal Collective Strawberry Jam (Domino). The nightmare to Panda Bear’s dream, Jam represents the most accessible batch of songs ever from the perpetually great Animal Collective.

7. Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (Polyvinyl). The fact that Kevin Barnes made this sprawling pop epic—instruments, computers, songwriting and production—almost entirely by himself is nothing short of astounding.

8. Battles Mirrored (Warp). Call this cacophony of vocal variations, keyboard experimentation and explosive drumming math rock if you must. Just don’t underestimate Battles’ ability to string it all together.

9. Kanye West Graduation (Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam). Perhaps West is kind of a jerk, and maybe his rhyming skills fall short of ill. But his ability to basically do it all puts him at the forefront of the hip-hop game. Full review

10. Les Savy Fav Let’s Stay Friends (Frenchkiss). Longtime live favorites on the local scene, Tim Harrington & Co. show their studio prowess on their fourth full-length. Full review

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