Back in January we ran a list of the year's most anticipated records that included new releases from Radiohead, Wilco, the Arcade Fire, the Shins and the Fugees. For whatever reason, none of those saw the light of day in 2006. A handful of others on the list -- Outkast, Ray Davies and Prince, among them -- came and went without making much of an impression.

Still, there was no shortage of great music this year -- some of it coming from unlikely sources -- and there was no question that, even with downloading up and CD sales down, the album was alive and well.

1. ASTRONAUTALIS, 'THE MIGHTY OCEAN & NINE DARK THEATERS' (FIGHTING)
Yes, I know this is obscure, but it shouldn't have been. The rap poet from Florida, who played at Garfield Artworks twice this year, dropped a masterful coming-of-age record that used all of the studio and ran the gamut from electronica to alt-country, held together by hypnotic hooks. Listening to it, I thought: What if Eminem had grown up on indie-rock? What if Modest Mouse had grown up on rap? What would Dylan or Tom Waits sound like if they were 25? Download: "My Dinner with Andy."

2. THE DECEMBERISTS, 'THE CRANE WIFE' (CAPITOL)
On the band's fourth record and first for a major, Colin Meloy casts his folk tales in lush musical landscapes that move through territory tread not just by Fairport Convention, but prog and hard rock bands as well. "The Island," describing a heinous crime, is the most harrowing 12 minutes of music I heard all year, and while the album's violence is set in ancient times, it's clearly addressing the present day. Download: "Yankee Bayonet."

3. TV ON THE RADIO, 'RETURN TO COOKIE MOUNTAIN' (INTERSCOPE)
They had me from that first unexpected jolt of distortion. This Brooklyn band creates an intoxicating blur of guitar fuzz, looped effects, humming synths, horns, strings and explosive percussion to drive the soulful, falsetto vocals of former Pittsburgher Tunde Adebimpe. Download: "Wolf Like Me."

4. THE HOLD STEADY, 'BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA' (VAGRANT)
Finding the midway point between punk rock and Springsteen, Craig Finn thrusts the listener into a beat-inspired universe of seedy underground characters scrambling for comfort in booze, pills and flesh. Download: "Stuck Between Stations."

5. SONIC YOUTH, 'RATHER RIPPED' (GEFFEN)
The reigning kings of noise rock, back to a foursome again, toned down and cleaned up considerably on "Rather Ripped." With its slivers of four-minute glory, "Rather Ripped" could be a gateway to the band for all the people who were scared away by the noise. As Sonic Youth lite, it's still heavy duty. Download: "Incinerate."

6. GNARLS BARKLEY, 'ST. ELSEWHERE' (DOWNTOWN)
It's a joke name, but the end result is far from a novelty. The old-school soul and the offbeat, confessional writing style of the honey-voiced Cee-Lo and the thick, rattling beats of Danger Mouse are a groovy mix and "Crazy" had to be the best single of the year. Download: "Who Cares?"

7. MIDLAKE, 'THE TRIALS OF VAN OCCUPANTHER' (BELLA UNION)
This band from Denton, Texas, evokes the gentler side of '70s-era Neil Young or even the lesser America. With harmonies that will make you melt and musicianship that's lush and folky, while not afraid to get noisy, it should appeal to fans of modern chamber pop as well as oldsters who wonder why they don't make records like this anymore. Download: "Roscoe."

8. BOB DYLAN, 'MODERN TIMES' (COLUMBIA)
Dylan topped the charts for the first time in 30 years with this rollicking mix of blues romps, two-steps, ballads and country shuffles. The songs were designed with ample space for the 65-year-old Greatest Pop Songwriter Who Ever Lived to drop enough pearls to make a rope. Download: "Ain't Talkin'."

9. WOLFMOTHER 'WOLFMOTHER' (INTERSCOPE)
You'd have to look long and hard to find a more derivative record than this one, which, when it doesn't try to be a meeting of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, sounds like the White Stripes trying to sound like those metallic monsters. But if you're going to imitate someone, those aren't bad choices, and this Australian band's debut turns out to be a sonic blast of crunchy and even catchy stoner-rock. Download: "Dimension."

10. COMETS ON FIRE, 'AVATAR' (SUB POP)
This monstrously talented unit from Santa Cruz, Calif., ventures into the acid rock of the '60s as if Haight-Asbury were still in its heyday. "Avatar" is an expansive jam-rock explosion that will strike a chord with listeners whether their choice of jams is the Dead, Sonic Youth or Fu Manchu. Download: "Dogwood Rust."

BIGGEST LETDOWNS

1. Neil Young "Living With War": A protest album from Neil Young? Couldn't wait. But the well-purposed "Living With War" is weighed down with clunky lyrics and uninspired jams.

2. Jay-Z "Kingdom Come": Although it started strong, this comeback record fizzles as the over-confident Jigga doesn't have much more to say than he's back and he's rich.

3. Thom Yorke "The Eraser": Rather than a revealing departure, the solo debut by Radiohead's frontman is a joyless exercise.

4. The Secret Machines "Ten Silver Drops": The Austin band, so impressive on its debut, takes a back step with this dulled-down followup.

5. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead "So Divided": "Source Tags and Codes," the Austin band's major label debut, is one of the best records of the decade. Two albums later, this one continues the band's slide.

BEST LOCAL CDS

1. Girl Talk "Night Ripper" (Illegal Art): Surging through hundreds of samples without coming up for air, this is the booty-shaking party album of the year, whether you're into Boston or Biggie.

2. The Dirty Faces "Get Right With God" (Brah): You can hear the Stooges and the Stones in the brutal assault of these scuzzy art-punks.

3. Anti-Flag "For Blood and Empire" (RCA): Neil Young said he had to make a protest record because it wasn't coming from the younger generation. He should have heard this one from Anti-Flag, which jumped to a major label without pulling any punches.

4. Wiz Khalifa "Show and Prove" (Rostrum): Cameron Thomaz -- born in North Dakota and raised in Homewood -- sounds like a hip-hop heavyweight at the tender age of 18 and the rest of the country will find that out sooner than later.

5. Phil Boyd "Phil Boyd and the Hidden Twins": On his solo debut, the singer for Modey Lemon takes us on a surreal folk-psychedelic trip.