3. Joy Wants Eternity  - Abide! Moment
Few debuts are as impressive as Joy Wants Eternity's Must You Smash Your Ears...., and "Abide! Moment" is the cherry on top of the decadent cake. Creating a natural mix of shoegaze and post-rock aesthetics, JWE is a band that is always reaching for the stars; "Abide! Moment" produces some of the best sounding ambient guitars in the U.S. and leads organically into one of post-rock's best climaxes. The track is an outrageous outpouring of emotion and sentimentality, and even the most jaded listener can't help but be swept up in the band's wondrous sound. As far as guitar-based post-rock goes, no other band performs the [bad word] with as much style and conviction as this Nietzsche-loving quintet. For a group of guys who responded to an ad in a local paper to start a band, they've surely exceeded all expectations. (Jordan Volz)