Tope Ten:
"Brand New Eyes" by Paramore ("All I Wanted" saved it. almost didn't make the top 10 otherwise)
"Things We Can See and Things We Cannot" by So Long Forgotten
"In Shallow Seas We Sail" by Emery
"Beggars" by Thrice (no big campaign. almost snuck up on me)
"The Listening" by Lights (physical US release. released in Canada end of 2008 and online)
"You Are My Sunshine" by Copeland (sonically mesmerizing)
"Travel II EP" by Future of Forestry
"Go Easy Little Doves" by Brooke Waggoner
"Strict Joy" by The Swell Season
"Broadcast" by Meese
The Ones That Just Missed The Cut:
"With Roots Above and Branches Below" by The Devil Wears Prada
"Armistice" by Mute Math (solid, but not quite enough to bump Paramore)
"When I Hit the Ground" by Ace Enders and a Million Different People
"Cycles" by Cartel (long-awaited)
"In the Unlikely Event" by Fall of Troy
"Absence" by Paper Route
Big Disappointments:
"In Search of Solid Ground" by Saosin
"Hell or High Water" by As Cities Burn
"Ocean Eyes" by Owl City ("Maybe I'm Dreaming" is just too good of an album to try to follow)
"Daisy" by Brand New
Releases to Look Forward to in 2010:
La Dispute
Andy Rhea & His Band
Damien Rice
Dear Future
Future of Forestry (Travel III EP)
Eisley
Of Time and Tide
Feel free to tell me how wrong I am and list your own.