So it's end-of-the-year-Go-time. That means writers at GoWild! are told to round up their "best of" list for whatever topic that's been labeled their "niche." This one is for pop music albums released this time last year through now. Here is a run-down of the best albums of the year so far that no one else will agree with but Kevin Smith and his followers in Zion.

Wake up reader · the Top 10-hype has you ·

Coldplay A Rush Of Blood To The Head
No other album released this year has been able to match this one's timelessness.

The White Stripes Elephant
If old-time, stripped down, bare-knuckle blues is your thing, but in a modern pop sort of way · this is as good as it gets.

Beck Sea Change
If you can't feel this album, go fall in love for a couple years, have an untimely break up and give it another listen.

The Vines Highly Evolved
Despite canceling their date here at Rialto (still bitter), these guys made a psychedelic, alt-rock thunderstorm. It's a shame most people only liked them for a week or so.

N.E.R.D. In Search Of·
This is The Neptunes' world · we only live in it.

The Hives Veni Vidi Vicious
This sophomore effort by the Swedish black-and-white clad five-piece should have been titled "This Is Garage Rock." Too bad they turned into a passing fad. Edge: The Vines.

Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Whoa, it's a concept album about losing your shit on high-powered, nitro-charged, the-cat-is-talking-to-me liquid acid. Err · that is, um, "Do You Realize?" is a great song.

The Streets Original Pirate Material
Mike Skinner's (The Streets) offbeat raps resemble the oft-taunted English foreign exchange student, Pip, on "South Park" rhyming over garage beats. Once the initial shock of someone other than a sixth-grade-educated former crack dealer rocking the microphone is over, this album is about as good as original hip-hop got this year.

Bruce Springsteen The Rising
Sure it was not the Boss' best, but it was not his worst either. Like it or not, "The Rising" was once of the greatest healing records manufactured this year.

Trey Anastasio Trey Anastasio
Simply because no one else admitted to throwing this baby on last summer and kicking back with a few cold ones after a tough work week, it gets included. Then again, no one else admitted to liking Phish much either.