End of Year Music List

Seems a cliched topic, but kind of interesting. here's a list sent to me from Rhode Island, that's representitive:

john's 2003 faves
3 top faves, alphabetically:
1. Calexico - Feast of Wire
2. Cinematic Orchestra - Man with a Movie Camera
3. Postal Service - Give Up
Calexico's recording is a soundtrack-inspired collection of desert border crossing Tex-Mex themes, both as instrumental and vocal. Cinematic Orchestra's is a full on jazz heavy, electronica infused gorgeous instrumental soundtrack made 75 years after the theatrical release of the same name. Postal Service is the lyric driven up beat synth-pop homage of the year.
What do they all have in common? Repeated listens only served to make them better and repeated listens is what they got in my camp. Over and over and over. At work, in the car, at home: I love these records.
3 singer-song writers:
4. Devandra Banhart - Oh Me Oh My
5. Rufus Wainwright - Want One
6. Gillian Welch - Soul Journey
Devandra does his sincere, humble, spare lo-fi and totally oddball tunes. Rufus' songs are heavily written, crafted, played and produced pieces. And Gillian does her take on Neil Young's Harvest.. All three are potential sing-alongs, together filling three very different needs.
3 Indie Darlings:
7. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
8. TV On The Radio - Young Liars
9. V/A Extra Yard: Bouncement Revolution
The Pornographers are high energy well crafted pop: Full of catchy choruses and hooky harmonies. Very "feel good". TVotR are a 70's art rock inspired piece of down beat 80's style New York rock. An EP, that begs to be a full length. "Bouncement" showcases a British Hip Hop style that synthesizes Roots Reggae, Dance Hall, Electro, Techno, and Soul. Very cool, very fun.
3 Major Labellers:
10. Coldplay - Rush of Blood to the Head
11. Flaming Lips - Fight Test
12. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Coldplay's songs are solid, poignant and memorable, Flaming Lips fill the gap between full lengths with amazing amounts of creativity in cover songs, and Radiohead remain dominant in their strange synthesis of electronic paranoia and tradition anxiety.
also rans: Cat Power, V/A Wig in a Box, Mr Lif

I would add a proviso of Magnet, with their album On Your Side, possibly the best debut release of 2003, followed closely on the heels by Doves Lost Sides. Both extremely good and well recommended. I dont agree with all the suggestions above, but wanted a list that wasn't just my own personal taste.