On my current heavy rotation:

The Kinks - Arthur, or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire. "Brainwashed" may be the catchiest thing ever written. I highly suggest you check it out if you don't know the song already.

Drive-By Truckers - Brighter than Creation's Dark. I love pretty much everything these guys have ever thought about doing, but this new one is quite possibly their best yet. Layer after layer both lyrically and musically to dig through, but presented in the simplest manner possible just like all the best art. Plus all the guitar (including pedal steel) you can stand. When these guys are playing in your town, GO! I don't care what you're into - metal, jazz, punk, country, Northeast Indian ragas, whatever. If you like guitars, you'll walk out a fan.

The Dexateens - Red Dust Rising. This one's been out awhile, but keeps making its way into the CD player. Lock Chuck Berry, John Fogerty, and Hank Williams in a room with a bunch of speed and this is what comes out. They don't tour much outside the southeast (my neck of the woods) but are another not to be missed live act.

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky. Wilco's albums always take a few listens to grow on me. This one took maybe two times through before it clamped its beautiful pop claws into me. And it gets noisy as hell too, thanks to Nils Cline.

Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska and Darkness on the Edge of Town. Two albums that take me back to being a little kid listening to my uncle's records and stealing peaks at his Creem magazines while he was at work. If you are a young'un and decide to run out to the record store (or iTunes, I guess) be forewarned, Nebraska is one dark ass record. Emo kids may find themselves with a bad case of the explosive heads.

The Drams - I've been listening to some of the live shows from their tour(s) supporting their album, Jubilee Dive. Crunchy crunchy crunchy with a heavy Big Star influence. Another ridiculously good rock and roll band with kick ass guitars.

Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch. Formerly a third of DBT's three headed guitar-songwriting monster, Isbell is on his own now and his album brings the rock. This album is what the record of the year sounds like in my own little perfect world.