10 Categories, 20 Albums, 1 End of Year List

1. Highest Pitched, and Scrambliest/Awesomest
Marnie Stern - This is it
Shugo Tokumaru - Exit

2. Prettiest Songs That Try To Not Be Pretty
Dan Friel - Ghost Town
Why? - Alopecia

3. Most Complementary Albums From The Same Artist
Mount Eerie - Black Wooden Ceiling Opening and
Mount Eerie - Lost Wisdom

4. Best Albums By Bands Who Have Done Better, and that's their main problem (also, two of the best shows all year)
Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie

5. Best Angry Growly Music
Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game in Town
Sunn o))) - Domkirke

6. Best Panda Bear Ripoffs And I Mean That in The Best Way (Other Than El Guincho)
Ruby Suns - Sea Lion
High Places - High Places

7. Guiltiest Pleasures That Came Out of Nowhere and Built A Nest in My Ears
Noah and The Whale - Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up Til It Was Light

8. Unexpectedest Surprises for Completely Different Reasons
Longwave - Secrets Are Sinister
Grampall Jookabox - Ropechain

9. Best Continued Exploration of Auteur Indie Lyricism Culled From Your Troubled Past
Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

10. Worthiest-The-Effort/Favorite Albums Of The Year
Women - Women
Department of Eagles - In Ear Park