The year is over and with New Year’s on the way, it’s time to reminisce on the music in 2009. I’m bringing you my Top 25 albums of the year. Some you’ve heard and some you have not, but all are worth checking out before the 2010 crop arrives.
25. “Beast Rest Forth Mouth” – Bear In Heaven
This album snuck onto the list at the last possible moment. It proves itself with songs like “Lovesick Teenagers” and “You Do You.” The Brooklyn-based band builds anticipation up to the chorus in every song, putting the listener on edge until it suddenly stops at the end of the song.
24. “It’s Frightening” – White Rabbits
As the first song on the album, “Percussion Gun,” suggests, White Rabbits and “It’s Frightening” are driven by percussion. The drums never cease their bombardment while the vocals remain ripe with emotion.
23. “The Blueprint 3” – Jay-Z
Arguably one of the top hip-hop releases of the year, Jay-Z formed a star-studded lineup to appear on “The Blueprint 3.” Featuring Rihanna, Kanye West, Drake, and Alicia Keys, the album mixes it up in every song. It remains strong throughout with hits like “Run This Town” and “Empire State of Mind” and the listener remembers what made Jay-Z one of the greatest hip-hop artists in the first place.
22. “Fantasies” – Metric
Metric’s first album since 2005’s “Live It Out” surpasses the expectations with the talented vocalist Emily Haines leading the way. With one of the most underrated voices in music, she pushes Metric to new heights with songs such as “Sick Muse” and “Satellite Mind.”
21. “Fall Be Kind” – Animal Collective
Animal Collective followed up January’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion” with a five song EP that could end up overshadowing “Merriweather” in the end. Nearly every song on “Fall Be Kind” incorporates some sort of unexpected element. “Graze” features Zamfir, master of the pan flute, “What Would I Want? Sky” features the first licensed Grateful Dead sample ever, and “On A Highway” name drops members of the band. It’s something totally different from “Merriweather,” but “Fall Be Kind” still lets the listener know that Animal Collective is always adapting and advancing.
20. “The Pains of Being Pure at Heart” – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Probably one of the most accessible albums of the year, TPOBPAH presented their music in a stripped down and almost “cute” style. “Young Adult Friction” highlights love in a library while “Come Saturday” and “Everything With You” describe simply wanting to be in love.
19. “Wilco (The Album)” – Wilco
Wilco continues to create music that musicians and music fans alike can appreciate with their latest release. The band continues to alter its sound without disrupting the chemistry or the musicianship that comes with it. Feist makes an appearance for a duet with Jeff Tweedy on “You and I,” while “Wilco (The Song)” and “I’ll Fight” showcase the full range of the band’s talents.
18. “Album” – Girls
Listening to “Album,” lead singer Christopher Owens’ voice evokes feelings along the entire emotional spectrum. Songs like “Lust For Life” and “Laura” strike a chord, as the songs on the album are easily relatable for anyone.
17. “Manners” – Passion Pit
Passion Pit teased listeners with small releases like the “Chunk of Change” EP before finally releasing a full length album. While “The Reeling” received the most airtime, “Little Secrets,” “Sleepyhead,” and “Let Your Love Grow Tall” showcase what Passion Pit does best with its synths and dance beats.
16. “Bitte Orca” – Dirty Projectors
Mixing male and female vocals, tribal percussion, and synthesizers, the Dirty Projectors interests the listener from the first notes of “Cannibal Resource,” through the hit “Stillness Is The Move,” and through the closer “Fluorescent Half-Dome.”
15. “Losing Feeling” – No Age
With just four songs, “Losing Feeling” manages to take the listener through the full spectrum of No Age’s capabilities. From lo-fi rock, looping instrumentals, and a heartfelt lament, No Age covers all bases.
14. “Actor” – St. Vincent
Former Polyphonic Spree member Annie Clark continues her rise through the indie rock world with “Actor,” the follow up to 2007’s “Marry Me.” Clark shows wicked guitar chops while still being able to croon about anything she wants to.
13. “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” – Phoenix
Largely unknown to the general public at the beginning of 2009, Phoenix burst onto the scene with hit singles “1901” and “Lisztomania,” both of which grabbed Top 10 spots in Pitchfork’s Top 100 Tracks of 2009. Phoenix has finally broken into the commercial mainstream, as “1901” is in the newest commercial for the Cadillac SRX.
12. “Now We Can See” – The Thermals
The Thermals have been one of the most reliable bands of the decade. The same thing can be expected from every album: three minute songs with simple sounding guitar riffs and lyrics about lost love and the sea. “Now We Can See” is the perfect follow up to 2007’s “The Body, The Blood, The Machine,” as it stays true to the formula that has made The Thermals successful.
11. “jj n° 2” – jj
No one really knows who jj is. The most information that anyone has on the band is that its members, Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander, are Swedish and the band’s music is released through the record label Sincerely Yours. “jj n° 2” showcases an early-90’s ambient electro-pop feel, but runs into modern hip-hop with the sample of Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” on hit track “Ecstasy.”
10. “Everything Goes Wrong” – Vivian Girls
After Vivian Girls released their self-titled debut album at the beginning of lo-fi’s comeback on the music scene, some critics questioned whether a similar record could elicit a similar effect from a large audience. Well Cassie, Kickball Katy, and Ali answered the call with “Everything Goes Wrong,” where everything actually goes right. Songs like “Walking Alone At Night” and “The End” capture the essence of the lo-fi genre, but still add something new and different to the typical song.
9. “Psychic Chasms” – Neon Indian
Alan Palomo’s work as Neon Indian and on “Psychic Chasms” has started the newest fad in the indie rock world, known as “chillwave.” The dripping synthesizers coupled with distorted and distant vocals create an intense, yet relaxing atmosphere. Tracks like “6669 (I Don’t Know If You Know)” and “Should Have Taken Acid With You” perfectly exhibit Palomo’s work.
8. “Chasing Hamburg” – Polar Bear Club
A quick follow up to 2008’s “Sometimes Things Just Disappear,” “Chasing Hamburg” shows Polar Bear Club’s move to an even more hardcore style, with the vocals taking on a more growling tone. However, the album still lives up to the band’s full-length debut lyrically with tracks like “Living Saints,” “Light of Local Eyes,” and “The Old Fisher Burial Ground.”
7. “Wavvves” – Wavves
Nathan Williams made a splash in the indie rock waves (pun intended) in 2009. From his freak out at Primavera in April, to playing the Pitchfork Music Festival in July, regardless that he had broken his hand skateboarding, to fighting Black Lips bassist Jared Swilley in September, Williams has made his presence known, sometimes for the wrong reasons. But in terms of the lo-fi resurgence, Wavves was up front. With simple songs like “Beach Demon” and “So Bored,” Wavves captured lo-fi at its core, while continuing to evolve as the year went on with singles like “Mickey Mouse.”
6. “The Eternal” – Sonic Youth
On its 16th studio album, Sonic Youth continued its impressive run of releases with the release of “The Eternal.” The songs on the album sound like they could be from any era of the band, while the influence of Thurston Moore’s recent solo work is also felt. Sonic Youth shows that its members are still going strong despite being around the proverbial block multiple times.
5. “Logos” – Atlas Sound
Bradford Cox is deeply personal in all his music with both Deerhunter and Atlas Sound. “Logos” is no different. While exploring love in “Shelia” or collaborating with Panda Bear in “Walkabout,” Cox is looking at things differently and doing a little soul-searching himself. Other highlights of the album include “Quick Canal,” which features Laetita Sadier of Stereolab, and the title track.
4. “Grand” – Matt & Kim
From the first notes of “Daylight,” the opening track of “Grand,” the listener can feel something different in the atmosphere created by Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino. A positive feeling. The album has a break neck pace felt in “Good Ol’ Fashioned Nightmare” and “Don’t Slow Down,” but knows where to pull the pace back with “Lessons Learned” and “I’ll Take Us Home.”
3. “Merriweather Post Pavilion” – Animal Collective
Released in January, it seemed like the power of “Merriweather” would not be able to hold up through the rest of the year, as many greater album releases were expected. However, the product of Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist withstood the test of time. With tracks like “My Girls,” “Summertime Clothes,” and “Brother Sport,” Animal Collective solidified itself as one of the best bands out there today.
2. “Veckatimest” – Grizzly Bear
Never has a band been able to combine as many unique musical talents into one product as Grizzly Bear has in “Veckatimest.” From four part harmonies, clicking keyboard riffs, and sweeping guitars, the Brooklyn-based band gives the listener something that they have most likely never heard before. Ed Droste, Daniel Rossen, Chris Taylor, and Christopher Bear use their musical chops unlike anything that has been heard recently.
1. “Post-Nothing” – Japandroids
This two-piece Vancouver-based band brings British Columbia straight to the ears of the listener. The rainy northwest is projected through songs like “Sovereignty” and “Rockers East Vancouver.” The band plays at a high energy and doesn’t stop until the slow burn of the final track “I Quit Girls.” Lyrically, this is one of the best albums as well, with “Young Hearts Spark Fire” as the high point with lines such as “Well you can keep tonight / After tomorrow we’re not gonna need it” and “We used to dream / Now we worry about dying” that reflect the members’ feelings. These lyrics, along with the non-stop tempo and original simplicity of the music, make it the top album of 2009.
Daniel Gallen can be reached for comment at [email protected]