Another great year for rock music just ended even as a new one begins. As usual, there was and is no shortage of talent out there — the trick is finding it.

Here are 10 albums that I liked a lot last year — most are of the indie rock or college rock persuasion. I’d never heard of half of these bands until I played these albums, which is what makes finding new music fun — both the discovery and the sharing.

If your watch stopped and you’re still listening to Led Zeppelin, the Ramones, Nirvana or Rancid, that’s fine — but there’s more out there for you to discover. Music doesn’t stop just because we might. I’ll try to keep the exposition to the minimum. The more you talk about music, the less sense it makes. I humbly suggest you check out these bands and make up your own adjectives.

1. My Morning Jacket, “Evil Urges” (Ato). At first, I figured, “Way too much Prince,” but that was only because the CD player was on repeat and the first song played 15 times. There are worse people to emulate, and these guys from Louisville, Ky., are such talented craftsmen that every song is different — so different, in fact, that each track sounds like it’s been recorded by a different band. Check out “Highly Suspicious” then “Librarian” and you’ll be getting American Radiohead flashbacks. You’re going to love Jim James’ voice.

2. Jesse Malin, “Mercury Retrograde” (Adeline). Ryan Adams’ pal Jesse Malin, to this writer, is 10 times better than his famous friend, not just on this live recording but anywhere. When Malin played in Ventura last year, this is essentially the set he played — just one great song after another, from “Wendy” to “Since You’re in Love.” Malin is one of the three or four best songwriters out there, with plenty of catchy hooks and cool lyrics. What else is there?

3. Old 97’s, “Blame It On Gravity” (New West Records). It’s another solid effort by these four Texans, peerless purveyors of hook-filled country pop, much of which is orchestrated by the best writer in rock, frontman Rhett Miller. If you’re collecting some Old 97’s to take on the road, you’ll add “The Fool” and “No Baby I” to the list. Bass player Murry Hammond’s tune, “Color of a Lonely Heart Is Blue,” is also a keeper. “Blame It On Gravity” may not represent the Old 97’s at their best, but it’s still better than almost everything else out there.

4. Snow Patrol, “A Hundred Million Suns” (A&M). Snow Patrol is another as-good-as-it-gets band. These guys are based in Glasgow and this lush, well-produced album is their fifth studio set. The chorus from the first song, “If There’s a Rocket Tie Me to It,” is so catchy that you’ll be singing along with frontman Gary Lightbody almost immediately.

5. Dandy Warhols, “Earth to the Dandy Warhols” (Beat the World). All the way from Portland, this band already gave us the best album of the new millennium (2000’s “13 Tales of Urban Bohemia”) and starred in one of the ultimate rock ’n’ roll flicks, “DIG.” Back on an indie label again, the group has tapped into a surreal stoner vibe that’s jam band-friendly and steeped in Velvet Underground-style pop, especially on the track “Wasp in the Lotus.” Frontman, writer and guitar player Courtney Taylor-Taylor knows what’s up.

6. Japanese Motors, “Japanese Motors” (Vice). This Costa Mesa band delivers twangy, down-and-dirty barroom rock that sounds sort of like some ’60s garage band hanging out with the Gun Club in the Velvet Underground’s studio. The tracks “B.N.E.” and “Better Threads” rock extra hard. With a handle like Japanese Motors, this group probably has zero future in Michigan, but don’t worry about that. Just wait for them to motor into a concert venue near you. Japanese Motors is a stellar live act.

7. Spiritualized, “Songs in A&E” (Fontana). Emphasizing the “spiritual” portion of their name, Spiritualized produces church music for those folks who’d rather sit at home on Sundays and tend to their pro football priorities. Guitarist Jason Spaceman and a couple of female background singers will take you on a surreal sonic ride that is sure to hypnotize you. Check out the song “Soul On Fire”; it will give you an idea what the band is about. And if you can catch Spiritualized live, do so — they’re a jaw-dropper.

8. Vampire Weekend, “Vampire Weekend” (XL Recordings). A bunch of Columbia students — who are way more talented than the school’s football team — have concocted a seamless collection of smooth, yuppie reggae rock. You’ll love “One (Blake’s Got A New Face)” and “I Stand Corrected.” Frontman Eric Koenig helps the group live up to its substantial buzz.

9. TV on the Radio, “Dear Science” (Geffen). I’ve seen this as the album of the year in a few places, and it’s definitely a contender. TVOTR is very accessible as well as soulful, spacey, techno, symphonic and jazzy. The one thing it’s not is boring. This is another band on top of its game with a pathological distaste for doing the same thing twice, so it’s all different all the time. Kyp Malone channels a little Prince as he sings up a storm on this album. Every song is cool.

10. Brightblack Morning Light, “Motion to Rejoin” (Matador). This band should be considered a certified road hazard because its ambient, out-there, slo-mo stoner pop will send drivers into slack-jawed vegetable mode within the first 30 seconds. The cops won’t understand that look.