Dozens of albums and singles hit the local scene in 2008. Old favorites the Toadies and Erykah Badu came back stronger than ever, while acts such as Dove Hunter and Matthew and the Arrogant Sea made memorable first impressions.

JASON JANIK/Special Contributor

We heard golden voices (Sarah Jaffe, Fight Bite), discovered dynamic duos (the O's, Roy G and the Biv) and even learned some new dance steps (B-Hamp, Lil Wil).

It's safe to say that a few great releases have been overlooked here. But for different reasons, the ones I do mention are my personal favorites. Feel free to weigh in with yours at nightlifeblog.QuickDFW.com.

Top 10 local albums

1 Record Hop, Record Hop (myspace.com/recordhop) Ten unrelentingly heavy songs that all still manage to pack infectious grooves. This Denton rock band's CD stands above the rest because it's consistently brilliant.

2 Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Pt. 1, 4th World War (myspace.com/erykahbadu) Soul, jazz, funk and hip-hop come together beautifully in an album Ms. Badu refers to as her magnum opus. Give this one some prime headphone time.

3 Dove Hunter, The Southern Unknown (myspace.com/dovehuntermusiccom)

The Dallas band gets the award for most fitting album title: Its music is built from the elements of Southern rock, but the way it all plays out is completely unexpected.

4 Sarah Jaffe, Even Born Again (myspace.com/sjaffe) Her voice stunning and her

lyrics cutting, this young singer-songwriter could find her way into the hardest of

hearts.

5 Fight Bite, Emerald Eyes (myspace.com/ilyushindove) The Denton duo's celestial pop debut makes the perfect soundtrack for a drive home. Singer Leanne Macomber sounds like an angel.

6 Black Tie Dynasty, Down Like Anyone (myspace.com/blacktiedynasty) This popular local group still loves the '80s, but it took a satisfying leap into the new millennium on its third album. Bolder arrangements and less affected vocals.

7 Sorta, Sorta (myspace.com/sorta) Dallas' best country-pop band gave us some of its most melodious and joyful moments on its final album, despite the undercurrent of sadness and loss throughout.

8 Toadies, No Deliverance (myspace.com/toadies) It's apparent in the first few seconds of this album that these veteran rockers haven't lost a bit of bite. Three words about the Toadies' sudden return to form: Do it again!

9 Collin Herring, Past Life Crashing (collinherring.com) One of Fort Worth's shining stars turned his pain and struggles with addiction into a heart-wrenching collection of countrified rock. Love that raspy voice of his.

10 Matthew and the Arrogant Sea, Family Family Family Meets the Magic Christian (myspace.com/matthewandthearrogantsea) The must-have local vinyl release of the year came from a Denton folk crew whose lyrics are as strange as its melodies are dreamy. See this band live as soon as you can.

•Airline, Farewell Republica

•Calhoun, Falter, Waver, Cultivate

•The Cut-Off, Packaged Up for Beginners

•Elkhart, The Moon

•Faux Fox, All That Remains

•Daniel Folmer, A Leaf

•Mount Righteous, When the Music Starts

•New Science Projects, Crocodile

•Clint Niosi, The Sound of Dead Horses Beaten Against Cold Shoulders

•Pinebox Serenade, Let the River Take Them Home

•PPT, Denglish

•Stumptone, Gravity Suddenly Released

1 The New Year, The New Year (myspace.com/thenewyear) The rich, melancholy third album from the band led by Matt and Bubba Kadane (formerly of Bedhead) made waves locally and nationally.

2 Astronautalis, Pomegranate (myspace.com/astronautalis) The rapper-singer traveled to his former home (Dallas) from his current one (Seattle) and enlisted local talent on an imaginative set of history-themed tunes.

3 Centro-matic and South San Gabriel, Dual Hawks (myspace.com/centromatic) The two sides of Will Johnson's Denton-born band came together in a whopper of a double album. Night and day, it is the one.

4 Roy G and the Biv, Roy G and the Biv (myspace.com/roygandthebiv) One member lives in Denton, the other in Boston, but they found time to put together an ass-shaking EP of silly electro-dance gems. We want more.

5 Old 97's, Blame It on Gravity (myspace.com/theold97s) Rhett Miller no longer calls Dallas home, but he and his bandmates returned to their alt-country roots with the help of local producer Salim Nourallah.

1 "The Healer," Erykah Badu (above, from New Amerykah, Pt 1: 4th World War)

2 "Backwards/Forwards," Sarah Jaffe

(from Even Born Again)

3 "Slugworth," Record Hop

(from Record Hop)

4 "Bjorn Yesterday," Sorta

(from Sorta)

5 "No Deliverance," The Toadies

(from No Deliverance)

6 "Masterbook Theater," PPT

(from Denglish)

7 "Punches," Collin Herring

(from Past Life Crashing)

8 "Pretty Purple Top Hat," Matthew and the Arrogant Sea (from Family Family Family Meets the Magic Christian)

9 "Someone Else's Ride," Ghosthustler (released online)

10 "The Feeling You Bring,"

Mount Righteous (from When

the Music Starts)

11 "Black Market Value," the Cut-Off (from Packaged Up for Beginners)

12 "Swissex Lover," Fight Bite

(from Emerald Eyes)

13 "Jungle Fever," Roy G and the Biv (from Roy G and the Biv)

14 "Returning to the Air," the Slow Burners (from Returning to the Air)

15 "Vegetables and Coffee," Daniel Folmer (from A Leaf)

16 "You've Got Your Heart,"

The O's (from The O's)

17 "Dallas," the Tah-Dahs

(from Mein So Called Kampf)

18 "Do the Ricky Bobby,"

B-Hamp (single)

19 "Josephine Street," I Love Math (from Getting to the Point Is Beside It)

20 "Uncle Wayne," the Theater Fire (from Matter and Light){star}