In a former life I was a music critic. It was a job with one impressive perk -- free CDs. The job also had its downside -- most of those free CDs weren't worth stuffing in my shoulder bag and dragging home.

Now that I'm a civilian, I don't have the luxury or responsibility of listening to hundreds of CDs a year anymore. Still, I love discovering new music. Every year I still put together a list of my favorite CDs by new and familiar artists.

Yes, I know that many of the artists I recommend aren't household names, but there's nothing listed here that isn't accessible to folks with a modicum of curiosity and patience.

Attentive readers will notice that rap and country music are missing from my Top 10 this year. Rest assured -- I heard lots of great music in those genres recently, but nothing stands out like the following discs:

"Stay Positive" by the Hold Steady. Remember how you felt when you heard "The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle" for the first time? Craig Finn and his band have bottled that sound and swill from it liberally. Only the Hold Steady can make the lives of screw-ups and working stiffs sound hilarious and Shakespearean. They're Springsteen without the earnestness or penchant for big statements.

"I Know You're Married But I Have Feelings Too" by Martha Wainwright. Martha Wainwright writes songs that can break your heart without even trying. With a haunting, but girlish voice that alternates between warbles, clear-throated arias and whispers, Wainwright has a knack for melodies and lyrics that are quirky, yet substantive.

"The Age of Understatement" by the Last Shadow Puppets. I love the retro-'60s movie soundtrack feel of this music. Alex Turner of the Artic Monkeys and Miles Kane of the Rascals have recorded a dozen songs that are far less gimmicky than anything their primary bands have put out. It feels "old" in a new way.

"Fleet Foxes" by Fleet Foxes. Sheer pop perfection -- like the Beach Boys crossed with the most mysterious folk and gospel choir in the world. It's impossible not to get caught up in the drama of its sweeping arrangements.

"Rook" by Shearwater. If I was forced to pick my "favorite" album of the year so far, Shearwater's "Rook" would have to do battle out with Fleet Foxes for the honor. Helmed by former Okkervil River sideman Jonathan Meiburg, this music is a study in dynamics. There's just as much tension and beauty in silence as there is in orchestral bombast in their capable hands.

"Mr. Love & Justice" by Billy Bragg. Everybody's favorite rabble rouser has recorded yet another perfect album. But instead of agitprop, the most righteous voice in rock turns his attention to love and, well, justice, proving radio-friendly pop isn't the sole province of capitalist stooges.

"Lay it Down" by Al Green. The world's greatest soul singer reclaims his crown with an album that updates and expands his vintage sound from the 1970s.

"Life Death Love and Freedom" by John Mellencamp. T-Bone Burnett produced what is arguably Mellencamp's best album in a decade. These stark, haunting songs are instantly memorable. It is reminiscent of Dylan's explorations of mortality minus the Master's claustrophobia and fatalism.

"The Felice Brothers" by the Felice Brothers. The musical influences on this eponymous album are hard to nail down, but you can start with The Band and make your way down from there.

"Rockferry" by Duffy. Forget Amy Winehouse -- Duffy is the future of blue-eyed soul in Britain. There's not a clinker on this confident debut by the chanteuse from Wales.

Honorable mentions: "When Life Gives You Lemons" by Atmosphere, "Blame It on Gravity" by Old 97's, "Rising Down" by the Roots, "Dirt Farmer" by Levon Helm, "Don't Do Anything" by Sam Phillips, "Modern Guilt" by Beck, "Tha Carter III" by Lil Wayne, "Evil Urges" by My Morning Jacket, "In Rainbows" by Radiohead, "Let's Stay Friends" by Les Savy Fav, "Boxer" by the National, "Hold On Now, Youngster" by Los Campesinos, "The Hard Way" by James Hunter and the self-titled CD by the noisiest band in the world, "A Place to Bury Strangers."

Local CDs: I enjoyed Joy Ike's soulful "Good Morning" and Daryl Fleming & the Public Domain's spooky "Blockhouse and Bloodhound Sessions."