'Galaxy-spanning, sparkle-prog' and other such ridiculous hyperbole, still come nowhere near to accurately describing TVOTR’s sound. Dear Science, provided another addictive and unfathomable milestone for audiences and critics alike, with Dave Sitek and his merry band abducting and dominating every genre in sight.

Returning from a beatless wilderness after nearly a decade of struggles, the golden age stalwart returned in 2008 with a triumphant follow-up to Amplified in The Renaissance. Featuring a refinement of his trademark soul and jazz inspirations, effortless production and, of course, a master class in dexterous delivery.

2008 gave us a new paradigm for aspiring singer-songwriters. Go to a remote idyll on your tod, with nowt but a guitar and your skimpies and live off the land. We can’t see the majority of kids with acoustic pretensions doing such a thing – which is probably why this record sounds so special.

Of all the other unpleasant occurrences this year, you’ll be pleased to learn that we also got several new species of invasive insect. One of these is a strangely humanoid dub-producing monster, infesting dancefloors and sub cones the country over. Dark, menacing and very ‘moving’.

Like the Shire county band fired through space and time via the wide amber vistas of the depression-era Midwest and the Newport Folk Festival; when Fleet Foxes sprouted out of the sonic ether earlier in the year there was, quite rightly, widespread commotion and astonishment. Shimmering like the golden hue of a freshly cut wheat sheaf, this is beautifully pastoral.

Ladies, cars, cocaine and italo-disco - it’s all here in this nostalgic trip to the greedy, greedy 80s. Bryan 'Boom Bip' Hollon and Gruff ‘Super Furry Animals’ Rhyss, fuse talents to explore story of John Z DeLorean, the mischievous ‘Playboy Engineer’, who designed that bonkers car of the same name (minus the John Z bit). A cocktail so strong that even Club Tropicana would be forced to give it a price tag.

These smart, preppy new-wave types have gone and got rather big all of a sudden. They deserve it though, their Afro-Strokes pop makes for one of the cleverest and most enjoyable records of the year. Pop your chinos on, recline on the chesterfield and give it a listen.

Album number five saw Gonzalez ripping the rich, dense synth weave and 80s homage from the more claustrophobic Dead Cities... and Before The Dawn Heals Us, for a romp through new-wave and the sun-strewn, widescreen gardens of the Cocteau Twins. Crushing and euphoric in the best possible way.

School Of Seven Bells emerged from the delirious froth of Brooklyn late this year with their debut LP, Alpinisms and we're glad they did. A heady brew of achingly beautiful polyphonic mountain incantation, eddying computer ambience and percussive basslines.

Let these 80s hugging electro-progsters through your ears and they’ll tinker merrily, recklessly, mercilessly with that squishy, grey control centre within. Taking tweezers to the dance parts, fiddling under the fun flap and tickling your sanity nut until it barks like a pigeon, this is magic madder than Daniels and Blaine kissing in a cauldron. And love to Erol Alkan, producer Lord.