Top 10 local albums

1. Black Elk, Always a Six, Never a Nine
The loud, angular attack of Black Elk is undeniable, and this newest album shows the band at the top of their noise/metal/rock maxim.

2. Sapient, Letterhead
Easily the best local hip-hop record of ’08, Letterhead showcases both Spaient’s nimble flow and impressive production. The track “Rest of My Life” is a near-perfect consideration of insomnia.

3. Lackthereof, My Haunted / Your Anchor
Two albums, two sounds, both full of open-ended indie pop anthems that are as catchy as they are weird from Menomena drummer Danny Seim.

4. Grails, Take Refuge In Clean Living / Doomsdayer’s Holiday
Packing the sounds of world music into a heavily mystic package is a tall order, but both of Grails’ albums succeeded this year.

5. Trees, Lights Bane
Towering like a Douglas fir that’s about to topple over, the screeching doom metal of Trees is a creaking, terrifying omen of the end times. Me likey.

6. Red Fang, Red Fang
Riffs for days, head banging for the masses, Red Fang’s debut LP collects earlier recordings under an umbrella of awesomeness. Massive awesomeness.

7. Danava, Unonou
If Black Sabbath went prog, you’d have a band that sounds like Danava. This, their second album, proves they’ve come into their own.

8. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Real Emotional Trash
Ex-Pavement dude Stephen Malkmus has had a solo career of so-so albums, but this record finds him tightening up the strings with his band, giving his slacker mumble and jangley guitar a new tune.

9. The Helio Sequence, Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Another spirited album of pop-inflected indie rock, the guys in Helio Sequence prove their mettle as veterans of Portland’s growing scene.

10. Blitzen Trapper, Furr
Bring on the ’60s revival–as long as it sounds like Furr. Referencing the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and writing songs like these, is never a bad idea.