My list so far...

Honorable Mentions - M. Ward, Tenacious D

10.The Tallest Man On Earth- There's No Leaving Now
9. Fun - Some Nights
8. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
7. The Ting Tings - Sounds From Nowheresville
6. John Mayer - Born And Raised
5. The Forecast - Everybody Left
4. Misser - Every Day I Tell Myself I'm Going To Be A Better Person
3. The Tower And The Fool - How Long
2. The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
1. The Early November - In Currents

I'm sure Purity Ring will fight its way in there too.

Every Time I Die - Ex Lives
Milhouse - It's All Coming Up Millhouse
Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood Of Colour
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Hoodlum Shouts - Young Man, Old Man
Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

grab the Milhouse Ep here http://milhouse.bandcamp.com/ such a fun EP and its FREE!

The Shins - Port of Morrow
Silversun Pickups - Neck of The Woods
The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
fun. - Some Nights
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Motion City Soundtrack - Go
Every Time I Die - Ex Lives
Now, Now - Threads
Good Old War - Come Back as Rain
Metric - Synthetica
Beach House - Bloom
Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is An Animal
Anthony Green - Beautiful Things
Daytrader - Twelve Years
Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix
Civil Twilight - Holy Weather
Sharks - No Gods

EDIT: I haven't listened to The Tallest Man On Earths or The Early November's new albums yet....but I will

1. Cursive- I Am Gemini
2. Grass is Green- Ronson
3. Right Away, Great Captain!- The Church of the Good Thief
4. Every Time I Die- Ex-Lives
5. Daytrader- Twelve Years
6. The Tallest Man on Earth- There's No Leaving Now
7. John K. Samson- Provinical
8. mewithoutYou- Ten Stories
9. Metric- Synthetica
10. Sharks- No Gods

Expected to see more Sharks - 'No Gods'.

1. The Bouncing Souls - Comet
2. The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
3. Motion City Soundtrack - Go
4. The Rocket Summer - Life Will Write The Words
5. The Sidekicks - Awkward Breeds
6. Anti-Flag - The General Strike
7. Eve 6 - Speak In Code
8. Pennywise - All Or Nothing
9. Hit The Lights - Invicta
10. Cheap Girls - Giant Orange

"Opinions aren't meant to appeal to everyone, and if they did, It wouldn't be opinion; It would be fact"

Great to see all these lists! I'm going to check out as much as I can. Hope you guys will check out some releases from my list to. For now this is my list:

1 The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
2 Make Do And Mend - Everything You Ever Loved
3 Driver Friendly - Bury A Dream
4 Daytrader - Twelve Years
5 Take One Car - It's Going To Be A Nice Day
6 Mickey Factz - Mickey Mau5
7 Strange Vaction - Chasm
8 Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory
9 Misser - Every Day I Tell Myself I'm Going To Be A Better Person
10 The Ghost Inside -Get What You Give
11 El-P Cancer 4 Cure
12 Every Time I Die - Ex-Lives
13 Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal
14 Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood Of Color
15 Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
16 Motion City Soundtrack - Go
17 Japandroids - Celebration Rock
18 Sharks - No Gods
19 Hands Like Houses - Ground Dweller
20 Moss - Ornaments
21 Hit The Lights - Invicta
22 Architects - Daybreaker
23 Silversun Pickups - Neck Of The Woods
24 Fun. - Some Nights
25 John Mayer - Born And Raised
26 You Blew It! - Grow Up, Dude
27 Death Grips - The Money Store
28 Hot Water Music - Exister
29 Big K.R.I.T. - Live From The Underground
30 Now, Now - Threads

My three FAVORITE favorite albums from this year so far:

Incidentally, two of them are from Bandcamp, so I'll link both of them just in case anybody's curious

Marc M. Cogman - Anthems
Best folk album I've heard...maybe ever. It's centered on love, but it's never cliched. I looked at this guy's site later and found out that this album was actually released three years late, but you'd never be able to tell: this album is depressing, uplifting, and incredibly honest. I think it's an all-time fave at this point--and the best part is that it came out of nowhere. The power of music!

Shnabubula - Free Play
Chiptune artist makes a free jazz record--this is a total ball of energy throughout. The instrumentation is gorgeous, not just taking from jazz but from rock, electronic, and even the 8-bit roots this guy comes from, and he plays some INCREDIBLE piano solos on this one.

Accents - Growth and Squalor
Beautiful indie-folk. Lyrics in particular ring really true to me. I'd have to say that this is probably one of the most satisfying listens of the year for me.

other noteworthy stuff that I have no idea how to rate:

Kris Allen - Thank You Camellia
I liked his first album, even though it was directly off the tails of his Idol win and felt overdone. This is much breezier but it's a flawless summertime album.

The American Dollar - Awake In The City
Took a while to grow on me, but I really enjoy this album now. Could see myself playing this a lot on morning walks.

Motion City Soundtrack - Go
This is actually the first album I've listened to by these guys (save for maybe one song on My Dinosaur Life), and it's great.

Linkin Park - Living Things
I did not see this coming after ATS, but I'm always happy when this band releases something new.

Shnabubula - Starbound
Yeah, two albums on this list from the same person! This is chiptune stuff, but the songwriting here is as grand and immersive as ever.

Greg Laswell - Landline
This music feels like drifting. Has a weird effect on me, but I think I love it.

fun. - Some Nights
At first, I LOVED this, then I just kinda liked it, but after revisiting it this week I'm in love again.

listened to these two today and both rock. need to consider them some more though
If These Trees Could Talk - Red Forest
cssc - Overgrown

House of Heroes - Cold Hard Want
Technically not eligible for the mid-year list but would be Top 5 if it were

Top EPs
4minute - Volume Up! EP
Ludovin - How To Find A Party
Bit Bit Orunge - Orbit EP
Nigel and the Dropout - Sections
Renaissance Sound - self-titled EP

Originally Posted by Nathan Lint

1. River City Extension - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger
8 piece folk group with cello and trumpet played on Gaslights old label, XOXO.
7. Alex Winston - King Con
Trained opera singer makes a pop record.

Thank you for these two recs! I'm curious to hear these now. Always great to find new music.

That River City Extension song, in particular, is amazing--I love the band Typhoon, and these guys really remind me of them.

Make Do And Mend-Everything You Ever Loved

Icarus The Owl-Love Always, Leviathan

Wow, I've really fallen behind in listening to albums this year. I'm guessing I've probably listened to maybe 25% of the albums suggested in here.

Also Torche- Harmonicraft is a pretty badass album.

I would post mine but I always seem to be a good 6 months behind releases. ONly albums I've properly listened to this year have been Say Anything's, MCS's and Japandroids. Oh and John Mayer's new one is rather good

To echo a lot of posts, so glad to see The Tower and the Fool on some lists. CD is great and should be heard by all.

Originally Posted by kennedyAM

To echo a lot of posts, so glad to see The Tower and the Fool on some lists. CD is great and should be heard by all.

word

Originally Posted by jdr2187

Justin Townes Earle - Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
Joe Pug - The Great Despiser
The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now
Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons - Old Believers
Glen Hansard - Rhythm & Response
Langhorne Slim - The Way We Move
Todd Snider - Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
Delta Spirit - S/T
Cory Branan - MUTT
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Diamond Rugs - S/T
Trampled By Turtles - Stars & Satellites
Heartless Bastards - Arrow
Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
Dr. Dog - Be The Void
Ben Kweller - Go Fly A Kite
JBM - Stray Ashes

Yes on Glen. Love R&R. Def AOTY lister for me.

Apparently I have to check out Japandroids. Doing that now.