I got an iPod for Christmas! I’m excited about all of my new listening options, but does having an iPod mean no longer buying albums? I’m not sure what sort of downloader I’ll become. Will I download entire albums, or will I just grab singles? I suspect I’ll download entire albums simply because I love the idea of an album. An album is (or, at its best, should be) a continuous, cohesive flow of thoughts and music, put together by the artist. The only problem with downloading albums is that some musicians no longer write for the long-play format - they can make more money by writing singles. I don’t know what the fate of the album will be, but I will certainly miss them if they die out. Since 2007 might be the last year of the album, I thought I’d list my personal top 5 (though I know there were others I just didn’t find the time to buy that likely would have made my list). And for all you single-song downloaders, I’m suggesting a song from each album that might pique your interest.

1. "Sky Blue Sky" by Wilco - beautiful lilting melodies over soaring ‘70s-sounding guitar - this band knows how to write an album (Download - "Either Way").

2. "The Reminder" by Feist - this album blew me away, way beyond the iPod commercial - after my first listen, I just wanted to keep playing it - it’s infectious in a good way (Download - "I Feel It All").

3. "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" by Spoon - love, love, love Spoon - they have a musical style all their own, and Brit Daniels delivers some of the best vocals out there (Download - "Don’t You Evah").

4. "Because of the Times" by Kings of Leon - this genre-hopping album features some U2ish guitar leads, a thumping rhythm section and an incredible mix of musical styles - all without straying from the sound that made us love them to begin with (Download - "Charmer" if you like punk or "On Call" if you like a more melodic sound).

5. "Neon Bible" by Arcade Fire - really like the big dramatic sound of this album and the early Springsteen sound that comes out on some of the tracks (Download - "Keep the Car Running").