The list continues:

Elliott Smith - XO: It's a damn shame Elliott Smith killed himself. Unlike some of the bands/artists on this list, I feel as though Smith really could have topped himself. XO is a fantastic album -- sad, dark, and beautiful -- yet I can't shake the feeling that, if he had kept making music, I'd be picking a different album.

Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place: This is the first instrumental album on the list, and a necessary companion to the second instrumental album if you're new to the whole instrumental indie rock genre. It's only five songs, but it lasts forty-five and a half minutes. Epic.

Filmmaker - An Invitation to an Accident: I wish I could remember how, exactly, I discovered Filmmaker. I think I found their page on mp3s.com (or something) and took a listen to their songs. I discovered articulate rock songs with some impressive guitar work. I promptly ordered the only two CDs they ever released: an EP and a full-length. The Canadian record label, Farway Records, disappeared a few months later. I have never met another person who has heard of this band, which is an injustice. I still go to their Purevolume page in the hopes that they'll add mp3 versions of the 3 songs that are streaming there. It's been six years, and I'm still hoping...

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound: I love this album. When I first heard it, I thought the songs were catchy, but that they all kinda sounded the same. Then I kept listening to it. And I kept listening to it. And I kept listening to it. I was powerless against it. The songs just kept calling me back. And now, after countless listens, I'm proud to say that the songs, in fact, don't all sound the same. If you like blue collar, Bruce Springsteen-inspired tunes, then this is the band for you.

The Get Up Kids - On a Wire: Something to Write Home About is the album that hooked me on The Get Up Kids, but On a Wire is the one that I keep coming back to. They sound a little more mature on this one or something, I don't know. Can't quite explain it. But it's great stuff, whatever it is they're doing.

Lagwagon - Let's Talk about Feelings: The definitive So-Cal skate-punk album. Clocking in at around 25 minutes, it's short, it's fast, it's rockin'. And with the one-two punch of "May 16th" and "Owen Meany" to end the album, what more could you ask for?

The Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!: Picking my favorite Lawrence Arms record was the hardest choice I had to make on this list. But I settled on this, what could possibly be (though I really, really, really, really, really, really hope not) their last album. It's a perfect mix of Chris and Brendan's vocals (we all knew they needed to team up on more songs). It's got that gritty, Midwestern vibe. It's punk rock.

Okkervil River - The Stand Ins: If these guys don't get to the super stardom level of the Arcade Fire or the Decemberists, I will be very surprised. They have all the elements in place: catchy indie rock tunes that crowds can sing along to, and... well, let's be honest, what more do you need?

Osker - Idle Will Kill: I loved this album in high school. I loved this album in college. And I love this album even more now. Sure, it has snotty-sounding teenage vocals, but, goddamn, some of the lyrics are far beyond what a snotty-sounding teenager should be writing. On a side note: More than any other album, I think my voice sounds best when singing along to this CD. Either Devon's vocal range is exactly the same as mine, or I have just as bad of a voice as he does.