Top 5 Records
M83, “Saturdays = Youth” (Mute)
Frightened Rabbit, “The Midnight Organ Fight” (Fat Cat)
Sigur Ros, “Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust” (EMI/XL)
Cut Copy, “In Ghost Colours” (Modular)
Bound Stems, “The Family Afloat” (Flameshovel)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Records
TV on the Radio, “Dear Science” (Interscope)
Blitzen Trapper, “Furr” (Sub Pop)
Vampire Weekend, “Vampire Weekend” (XL)
Fleet Foxes, “Fleet Foxes” (Sub Pop)
She & Him, “Vol. 1” (Merge)
—Andy Seifert
Top 5 Albums
Amadou & Mariam, “Welcome to Mali” (Nonesuch)
Olivier Messiaen Complete Edition, 32 discs (Deutsche Grammophon)
Johnny Cash, “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Legacy Edition with DVD” (Columbia)
Ursula Oppens, “Elliott Carter Complete Piano Works” (Cedille)
René Pape, “Gods, Kings & Demons” (Deutsche Grammophon)
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Honorable Mention Records
The Notwist, “The Devil, You + Me” (Domino)
Vivian Girls, “Vivian Girls” (Mauled by Tigers/In the Red)
Silver Jews, “Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea” (Drag City)
Fucked Up, “The Chemistry of Common Life” (Matador)
Vampire Weekend, “Vampire Weekend” (XL)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Local Records
Bound Stems, “The Family Afloat” (Flameshovel)
Nachtmystium, “Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1” (Century Media)
Sybris, “Into the Trees” (Absolutely Kosher)
Local H, “Twelve Angry Months” (Shout! Factory)
Russian Circles, “Station” (Suicide Squeeze)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Hip-Hop Records
Lil Wayne, “Tha Carter III” (Cash Money)
Kanye West, “808s & Heartbreak” (Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam)
The Knux, “Remind Me in Three Days…” (E Pluribus Unum)
Flying Lotus, “Los Angeles” (Warp)
GZA, “Pro Tools” (Babygrande)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Metal Records
Nachtmystium, “Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1” (Century Media)
Harvey Milk, “Life…The Best Game in Town” (Hydra Head)
Wetnurse, “Invisible City” (Seventh Rule)
The Sword, “Gods of the Earth” (Kemado)
Disfear, “Live the Storm” (Relapse)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Underrated Records
Nada Surf, “Lucky” (Barsuk)
The New Year, “The New Year” (Touch & Go)
Constantines, “Kensington Heights” (Arts & Crafts)
Crooked Fingers, “Forfeit/Fortune” (Red Pig)
Counting Crows, “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings” (Geffen)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Songs
“New Country,” The Walkmen
“Couleurs,” M83
“Hearts on Fire,” Cut Copy
“One Pure Thought,” Hot Chip
“White Winter Hymnal,” Fleet Foxes
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Shows
My Bloody Valentine, Aragon Ballroom
Radiohead, Lollapalooza
The Notwist, Logan Square Auditorium
Crooked Fingers, Schubas
M83/School of Seven Bells, Bottom Lounge
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Viking Metal Song Titles
“Demonic Fleshtemple” from Behexen, “My Soul for His Glory” (Moribund)
“Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags” from Amon Amarth, “Twilight of the Thunder God” (Metal Blade)
“Entering the Hall of the Slain” from Unleashed, “Hammer Battalion” (SPV)
“Exile the Daystar” from Battlelore, “The Last Alliance” (Napalm)
“The Devil’s Milk Pail” from Asmegin, “Arv” (Napalm)
—Andy Seifert
Top 5 Bands That Broke Up That You Weren’t Aware Were Still Together
Quiet Riot
Hootie and the Blowfish
The Spice Girls
Toto
The Police
—Andy Seifert
Top 5 Best Parties/DJ Performances
DJ World at Carnivale’s Anniversary, Carnivale
DJ Limelight at Unity Party, Crobar
Mick Boogie, Crimson Lounge
DJ Kaos/DJ Torin at Black Alumni Reunion Party, Colonnades Club inside Memorial Stadium on the campus of University of Illinois
Biz Markie, The Manor
—Scoop Jackson
Top 5 Classical Concerts
Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, Tashi, Ravinia
Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, James Conlon & the Chicago Symphony, Ravinia
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Music of the Baroque
Stravinsky’s Firebird, Valery Gergiev & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Elliott Carter Complete Piano Music, Ursula Oppens, Ravinia
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Outdoor Performances
Radiohead, Lollapalooza
Andrew Bird, Millennium Park
Fleet Foxes, Millennium Park
Battles, Lollapalooza
The Dodos, Pitchfork Music Festival
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Wish-I-Made-It Shows
My Bloody Valentine, Aragon
James Murphy, Pat Mahoney, Smart Bar
Codebreaker, Sonotheque
2020 Soundsystem, Martyrs
Hum, Double Door
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Club Shows/Parties
Modeselektor, Sonotheque
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Empty Bottle
Stewart Walker, Cake (Loft Party)
Yaz, Chicago Theatre
Jeff Mills, Smart Bar
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Dance/Electronic Albums
DiskJokke, “Staying In” (Smalltown Supersound)
Hot Chip, “Made In The Dark” (Astralwerks)
Martin Eyerer, “Word of Mouth” (Kling Klong)
Portishead, “Third” (Mercury)
Syclops, “I’ve Got My Eye On You” (DFA)
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Rock Albums
MGMT, “Oracular Spectacular” (Sony)
Fleet Foxes, “Fleet Foxes” (Sub Pop)
The Jealous Girlfriends, “The Jealous Girlfriends” (Last Gang)
Vampire Weekend, “Vampire Weekend” (XL)
TV On the Radio, “Dear Science” (Touch And Go)
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Disco Tracks
Fan Death, “Veronica’s Veil” (Erol Alkan’s Extended Rework) (Phantasy Sound)
Michoacan, “Opiate Opus” (Tiny Sticks)
Holy Ghost!, “Hold On” (Mock & Toof Remix) (DFA)
Lusty Zanzibar, “For My Friends” (Bear Funk)
They Came From The Stars And I Saw Them, “Signals” (Emperor Machine Dub Remix) (This Is Not An Exit)
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Techno Tracks
Martin Eyerer, “Cave Canem” (Kling Klong)
John Dahlbäck, “Pyramid” (Pickadoll Records)
Daniel Steinberg, “Cobra Limbos” (Front Room Recordings)
Ryan Crosson, “Confiteria del Molino” (Wagon Repair)
Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, “They Only Come Out At Night” (Musique Risquée)
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Indie Remixes
Born Ruffians, “I Need A Life” (Four Tet Remix) (Warp Records)
Quixote featuring Lisa Li-Lund, “Before I Started To Dance” (Prins Thomas Diskomiks) (Versatile Recordings)
Vampire Weekend, “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” (Chromeo Remix) (XL Recordings)
Jamie Lidell, “Little Bit Of Feel Good” (Mr. Oizo Mix) (Warp Records)
Friendly Fires—Paris (Aeroplane Remix Feat. Au Revoir Simone) (XL Recordings)
—Duke Shin
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