When I started posting my 42 Favorite Finds of 2008 over at WNEW, I declined to say what I thought were the best records of the year. Instead I decided to write about my favorite listens of the year. That means anything from any year could be included thereby freeing myself myself from writing the gratuitous, overplayed, phone-it-in “Best Of” list.

Then Rolling Stone released their list of Records Of The Year.

Clearly, a bunch of caffeine-swilling, underpaid, cubicle-inhabiting, self-aggrandizing weenies sat around the Starbucks one day and set about making the most preposterous, starving-for-attention list of records they could possibly consider, largely for the purpose of getting someone (anyone) to read their behind-the-times, Britney-Spears-loving rag. Got knows, no one’s paying attention to their writing or the music they “cover” the other 11.9 months of the year.

I figure if all it takes to make a list of the Best of the Year is to be attention-craving dork, I can be as attention-craving and dorky as the next guy.

Hence, here are the Top 10 records in my iTunes library that say 2008 under “Year” and why they are the best the last 12 months have to offer:

10: Adele’s debut record, 19, because she’s the only neo-soul singer out of the UK in the past year who actually has soul (instead of a rap sheet)

Adele – Right As Rain

9: Danielia Cotton’s May 2008 release Rare Child, because she’s got the balls of Melissa Etheridge (without the lesbian baggage) and the across-all-genres style of Dionne Farris. Never heard of her? Now you have.

Danielia Cotton – Bang My Drum

8: Dr. Dog’s record, Fate, because I’ve always wanted to know what Paul McCartney would sound like if he didn’t sound so much like, well, Paul McCartney.

Dr. Dog – The Old Days

7: David Byrne and Brian Eno’s Everything That Will Happen Will Happen Today record, because Byrne is brilliant and Eno is weird and the world needs more of both of those qualities.

David Byrne And Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

6: Nils Lofgren’s ode to Neil Young, The Loner, because old guys alone with their guitar (or pinao) can teach something to the youngsters about wisdom, loneliness and rock and roll.

Nils Lofgren – I Am A Child

5: I See Hawks In L.A.’s Hallowed Ground, because they can talk about how we’re turning the beautiful earth into a sludge pot…and make you want to sing along.

I See Hawks In L.A. – Good And Foolish Times

4: Chatham County Line’s album, IV, because bluegrass isn’t dead but it needs to evolve…and Bill Monroe’s just a start.

Chatham County Line – Chip Of A Star

3: Glen Campbell’s revival, Meet Glen Campbell, because a 72-year old legend covering the Velvet Underground is far cooler than Axl Rose will ever be.

Glen Campbell – Sing

2: Ruthie Foster’s The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster because she is just that: phenomenal.

Ruthie Foster – Heal Yourself

1: Michael Franti’s All Rebel Rockers, because no one can make you dance and think about your life like he can.

Michael Franti – All I Want Is You

Remember that one from Music Man (one of my favorite Broadway shows)? My wife is the theater director at the local high school; she’s considering doing Music Man next fall so she can cast our 8-year old, Skyler, as Winthrip. (Eat his dust, Ronnie Howard.) They’re doing Pippin in a few weeks in which Sky is playing Theo. He’s gonna rock and I will be a proud papa.

Did I mention that we had band practice out in the Buddha Barn again this past Monday? Have I mentioned that we still suck?

OK: we still suck.

I’m trying to convince these guys that there’s nothing that will make a sucky band sound better than three chords and a straight four-on-the-floor beat. They, on the other hand, don’t seem to understand our true lack of talent: they’re thinking we can play Stevie Ray Vaughn songs and do justice to Summertime Blues (like I’m Keith Moon, or something). Even dead, Keith is a better drummer than I am.

I may have to pursue a solo project.

Skyler wants to start a record label, record his piano improvisations and sell the albums online. He’s already decided on the label and website name (Skaddio) and the division of profits. Since he’s 8 and I’m 46, he divided 8 into 54 and decided he should get 14% of the profits and I should get the other 86%. Spoken like a true artist! (Confidentially, I may give as much as 20%. Spoken like a true mogul!).

Recently I’ve been posting artwork with my articles but, today, I just can’t resist this one:

I love the fact that EVERY guy in this picture has the same HAIRCUT. And these guys, with their gauzy shirts rolled up to their biceps, are the perfect 70’s teenagers, pimple-faced versions of Peter Frampton. Best of all, you have to dig the posture of the guys on the immediate left and right of the kids with the sign, the classic pissed-off-at-your-parents slacker/stoner attitude. Those guys are probably Senators now.

So, the whole Marian, Librarian thing comes about because this post features some of the tunes I found at the library this week. I had about five minutes to grab my allotted 15 discs, so I scooped up someone else’s returns almost verbatim.

Ben Webster – Late Date – I’ve actually been a bit of a jazzbeaux at times in my life…in high school when all the marching band stoners were listening to Herbie Hancock and later in life when I spun Sunday night jazz at a station in Ithaca, NY. This one, which features Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown, is from Webster’s classic Soulville album.

Son House – Grinnin’ In Your Face – I’ve gotten to know Son House through a couple of contemporary women singers: Ruthie Foster and Rory Block. I saw Ruthie sing this at the blues festival in Portland and got to review Rory’s version for the current issue of Blues Revue. His version makes for a triumvirate of great interpretations.

Big Joe And His Washboard Band – From the second Northern Exposure soundtrack, a TV show my dearly departed Dad and I used to love watching together. My wife is convinced that living in a trailer, working as a poetry reading morning DJ in Alaska is actually my lost destiny.

Richmond Fontaine – $87 And A Guilty Conscience That Gets Worse The Longer I Go – I knew nothing about Richmond Fontaine when I grabbed this CD. I just liked the sophisticated sound of the name. Turns out they’re from nearby Portland and, with songs with titles like this, they have to be good.

Blood, Sweat And Tears – Lisa, Listen To Me – I’m a huge Sweat fan. Saw them in the park a couple of summers ago. (Coincidentally, the guy playing bass was a one-time member of a band led by a friend of mine in Long Island). I have most of the songs on this disc but, as it says in the opening graf of the liner notes: “…the two CDs you got as a bonus for buying this little booklet…”. Truly the liner notes are great reading in and of themselves.

David Bowie – Cracked Actor – No guitar banging band of any era compares with Aladdin Sane era Bowie. Period.

Frank Zappa – Can’t Afford No Shoes – Sometimes I wish I was Zappa. Not because I want to be a seriously ugly chain-smoking rock star or even that I like his music. It’s because he was weird, he was independent and he was fierce.

Feist – Brandy Alexander – Another artist I know little about but everyone seems to be pretty excited about her. This is a pretty good song to listen to after Zappa.

Daniela Cotton – Make U Move – In the “Wake Of Winehouse,” as I like to call it, I’m cynical about new soul singers. But Daniela Cotton sounds like she has some musical cajones. I’m excited to listen to this record. This is the only cut I’ve heard…and I like it!

Ahmad Jamal – My Heart Stood Still – Jamal’s version of Misty is one of my favorites. This cat is one of the most underrated out there.

King Crimson – Discipline - I should be as brilliant as any of them, even at their worst.

Yo-Yo Ma plays Dvorak – I haven’t even ventured into the classical section of the library yet; this was just sitting in the stack. Love the cello. Love Dvorak. And I think Ma is cool.

Coleman Hawkins – The Bean Stalks Again – Late era Coleman, second only to Richmond Fontaine in the cool title sweepstakes.

Kiss – Rock And Roll All Nite – The one, the only, the original Kiss Alive!

One For All, All For One

Time to give some propers back to an early Fusion 45 supporter, Jeff over at AM Then FM. One of the best music writers on the web rolls some R.B. Greaves, John Hartford and Dionne Warwick of late. A must have on your bookmark list.