Best of 2009: Music...

Unlike the spike in my personal movie attendance, album purchases were down for me this year. There was a dearth of great albums this year and you really had to dig for them. Not to take away anything from this list though because these albums are stellar and I highly recommend them to everyone. There were a few that were just disappointing like the new Weezer album and a 'new' Everclear album that was supposed to be a new take on old songs, but was really just the same take on an old song. Anyway, here are my top ten, I know I'm leaving something out but I can't remember what it was. If you think of anything I missed let me know...

10.) Album by Girls
I love this album. It's the first from this male duo (I think the name of the band is ironic? or it could be the San Fransisco in them coming out) and it's awesome. It's one of the most original sounds that I've heard in a while and no song sounds like any other on the album. My favorite song on the album is 'Laura' but it changes every time I listen to the whole thing.

9.) Everybody by Ingrid Michaelson
This is the third album of hers that I bought and while it's not quite as good as Girls and Boys or as catchy as Be OK, she still kills it. Once again she is at her best in front of the piano on tracks like 'The Chain.' I could listen to her sing all day and this album really doesn't have a song that I ever skip past which is more than I can say for her last two albums.

8.) A Strange Arrangement by Mayer Hawthorne



















I plugged this album a couple times this year and for good reason. Not only is he from Ann Arbor but he's really good. This album is the perfect soundtrack to a great summer day. There are a few tracks that are just good, there are some that are really really good, and the rest are just pitch perfect. My favorite track flip flops but usually it lands on either 'Just Ain't Gonna Work Out' or 'Your Easy Lovin.'

7.) I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers
I just heard this album for the first time a couple months ago. I can't really find a genre to place them in, it's kind of a cross between indie rock / country / folk and pop and it goes together so well. It Goes On and On is my favorite track but like most of these albums, that can change depending on my mood.

6.) Fortress 'Round My Heart by Ida Maria



















Ida Maria is one of my favorite new artists. She put out a great album that actually rocks without being too in your face. Her voice is so easy on the ears and her hooks are so catchy and fun to sing along to it's silly. I also love her style, I feel like sings so that I can sing along and it doesn't matter how bad my voice is, only that I have fun while I'm singing. The whole album is great - check it out right now.

5.) Touchdown by brakesbrakesbrakes
I heard this album for the first time this fall and I must say that it is a perfect fall album. It's probably the least catchy album on the list and you might not find yourself singing along to it, but from start to finish it's great. My favorite song on the album is 'Crush on You.'

4.) Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix
Nice to see Phoenix getting their dues. This album really put them on the map and got them on the radio. I had never heard a Phoenix song on the radio until Lisztomania and really I can't think of a better song to introduce them to the masses.

3.) Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors



















This is one of those albums that I know I'll be listening to forever. It's pretty timeless and really something you love more and more every time you listen to it. Now that I've heard them I don't know how I could own an iPod without them on it ever again. It's that good. This is by far the least accessible album on my list and you'll either love it or hate it, but if you like it keep listening to it and you'll love it before the end of it. My jam on it is 'Stilness is the Move.'

2.) It's Blitz by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Love this album. Love Karen O. Love every song on it. If you don't love them by now, give this a listen and you will. My favorite song is 'Hysteric' and if you're lucky enough to already own the album, go on iTunes and spend a dollar on the acoustic version - it's awesome.

1.) Yeah So by Slow Club
If you read this blog a lot, you've probably seen that this album has been up in my 'Currently Listening to' section for a long time. Mostly because despite the number of albums and songs I've listened to since first buying this album, I keep coming back to it every week. I've like folk for a while but this album launched a deep love of it and has me going down a very folky path for 2010.

As always, go big or go home. I'm out.

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - best songs list coming up next...