| Rank | Artist | Recording | Label |
| 1 |
OF MONTREAL |
Skeletal Lamping |
Polyvinyl |
| 2 |
I'M FROM BARCELONA |
Who Killed Harry Houdini? |
Mute |
| 3 |
TV ON THE RADIO |
Dear Science |
Interscope |
| 4 |
DEERHOOF |
Offend Maggie |
Kill Rock Stars |
| 5 |
JULIAN KOSTER |
The Singing Saw At Christmastime |
Merge |
| 6 |
SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS |
Alpinisms |
Ghostly International |
| 7 |
GANG GANG DANCE |
Saint Dymphna |
The Social Registry |
| 8 |
JENNY LEWIS |
Acid Tongue |
Warner Bros. |
| 9 |
DEERHUNTER |
Microcastle |
Kranky |
| 10 |
CRYSTAL STILTS |
Alight Of Night |
Slumberland |
| 11 |
JAY REATARD |
Matador Singles '08 |
Matador |
| 12 |
DEARS |
Missiles |
Dangerbird |
| 13 |
RISE AGAINST |
Appeal To Reason |
Interscope-Geffen |
| 14 |
DECEMBERISTS |
Always The Bridesmaid: A Singles Series |
Capitol |
| 15 |
SEBASTIEN GRAINGER |
Sebastien Grainger And The Mountains |
Saddle Creek |
| 16 |
VIVIAN GIRLS |
Vivian Girls |
In The Red |
| 17 |
COLD WAR KIDS |
Loyalty To Loyalty |
Downtown |
| 18 |
KINGS OF LEON |
Only By The Night |
RCA |
| 19 |
DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES |
In Ear Park |
4AD |
| 20 |
BLOC PARTY |
Intimacy |
Atlantic |
| 21 |
LOU REED |
Berlin: Live At St. Ann's Warehouse |
Matador |
| 22 |
ANATHALLO |
Canopy Glow |
Anticon |
| 23 |
DAVID BYRNE AND BRIAN ENO |
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today |
Todo Mundo-Todomundo |
| 24 |
BEN FOLDS |
Way To Normal |
Epic |
| 25 |
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN |
The BBC Sessions |
Matador |
| 26 |
SUPERSUCKERS |
Get It Together |
Mid-Fi |
| 27 |
THE CURE |
4:13 Dream |
Suretone-Interscope |
| 28 |
RIVERS CUOMO |
Alone II: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo |
Geffen |
| 29 |
STEREOPHONICS |
Decade In The Sun |
Fontana |
| 30 |
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE |
Something About Airplanes |
Barsuk |