Best Albums of 2009
2009 December 16
With all of my activity on social networks these days, I find it a waste of time to post consistently to a blog, but one post that defines me more than anything else is the one that announces my favorite albums of the year.
Please post a comment below to let me know what you think, and be sure to check out the Best Albums of 2009 playlist to the right!
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1) Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix This album made my year. Opening with my two favorite tracks, “Lisztomania” and “1901″, Phoenix brought a masterpiece that makes you want to dance, cry and celebrate all at once. Towards the end of the year, the songs “Lasso” and “Girlfriend” really stood out for me as well. All in all, this was a truly epic album, and I am glad that Phoenix is finally getting their due. |
| 2) Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca When I first heard “Stillness is the Move”, I was left with chills flowing down my spine. The voice arrangements in this records are unbelievable. Then seeing them live made me want to listen to this album for the rest of the year, simply to remind me of that experience. And that’s pretty much what I did. There really isn’t a bad song on the album, but “Temecula Sunrise” and “No Intention” stood out for me. |
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3) Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 Jay-Z came back in a big way this year, and as I planned my move to NYC, this record provided an energetic soundtrack. Next time you are walking through the streets of Manhattan, do yourself a favor and turn on “Empire State of Mind” as loud as you can. Nothing feels better. Other notables include “Run This Town” and “On To The Next One”. |
| 4) Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest This record really grew on me throughout year. I saw Grizzly Bear live more than any other band this year (7 times) so that probably didn’t hurt either. ”Two Weeks” is by far the best song, but I’d also recommend “Cheerleader” and “While You Wait for the Others”. |
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5) Dinosaur Jr. – Farm When I first heard this record, I didn’t even know Dinosaur Jr. was still a band. However, this turned out to be a great rock record, which doesn’t come around too often anymore. The guitar riffs brought me right back to the mid 90’s. Don’t miss “Plans” or “I Want You to Know”. |
| 6) Girls – Album Hailing from good old San Francisco, Girls takes my award for newcomer of the year. They came out of nowhere with an album that often captured my feelings pretty accurately whenever I heard it. Definitely worth a few listens all the way through. ”Hellhole Ratrace” is my standout. |
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7) The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns When I saw this band in a church at SXSW this year, I had no idea what to expect. Truth be told, I just saw them because I wanted to secure a seat for Grizzly Bear’s show afterwards. I am glad I saw them though because it turned out to be my favorite set of SXSW. Watching them perform “Drain the Blood” and “Don’t Haunt This Place” was a truly surreal experience. If you ever have the opportunity to see them live, take it. |
| 8) La Roux – La Roux This was the dance record of the year. Plain and simple. If you were lucky enough to see Elly perform live this year, you know what I mean. Don’t miss “Quicksand” or “In For The Kill”. |
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9) Antony & The Johnsons – The Crying Light I will admit: I had barely heard of Antony & The Johnsons when I agreed to check them out at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco this year. However, it was one of the most powerful performances I saw all year. Before you listen to this record, I would recommend checking out Antony’s biography. He’s a brilliant individual, and his music only seems more powerful once you know what he has been through. ”Kiss My Name” is my favorite track on the album. |
| 10) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart When I first heard “Young Adult Friction”, I knew that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart were here to stay. Noone can make music like that anymore so hearing them was a welcome surprise for someone like me who grew up listening to The Smiths and My Bloody Valentine. Their SXSW shows were also very good. Make sure to check out “This Love is Fucking Right”. |
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Other notables:
Passion Pit – Manners
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
Japandroids – Post-Nothing
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Raekwon w/ Ghostface Killah – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
I am not a good judge of albums because for me bands are colored too much by their live shows.
With that said, Phoenix played their entire 30 minute album verbatim on stage and nothing else. Lame.
Alternatively, Them Crooked Vulture owns it. The album is underwhelming, but once you’ve seen them live, you’re converted.
Sleeper best of: Built to Spill’s There is No Enemy, if nothing else for the track “Things Fall Apart.”
Yea I was only going off of albums for this list, but I agree about Phoenix’ live show. Underwhelming. Didn’t get into Them Crooked Vultures and didn’t see them live either, so it was hard for me to include them. Need to listen to the Built To Spill album more..
Thanks for the input!
okay wes – great list and i see some of my folks are in the honorable mention -
here are some of the others i enjoyed this year – and thought should make the cut – even though i pretty much agree w/ your list above. of course.
Atlas Sound – Logos
Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion
The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz!
The xx: The xx
Röyksopp: Junior
The Mars Volta: Octahedron
Moderat: Moderat
Passion Pit: Manners
Dan Deacon: Bromst
I may be in the minority here, but loved the Phoenix show, Warfield dickhead bouncers and all. They’re (sneak peek) also my favorite album of the year, and I thought their rendition of “Rome” was mind-blowing. Then again, I love every song on that album so wasn’t overly pissed about their lack of variance.
Coming up as a close second is of course “xx” by The xx. Amazing.
I totally agree with #4 & #8. I didn’t get into Grizzly Bear until too late, but love it now. I’ll check out the others on your list sometime.