Top of '09

Here it is, my coveted best albums and tracks list of 2009. Renowned music critic Michele Agnew has to admit that it was very difficult putting these in order, but that's the way it goes. Without further ado, I give you my best of '09 list.

TRACKS:

20. Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - Home
Some random commenter described this song as "hipster June Carter and Johnny Cash". I think that is pretty accurate.

19. De Novo Dahl - 1918

18. Animal Collective - Brothersport
Your typical Animal Collective carousel underwater zany bullshit. I love this song.

17. Bear in Heaven - You Do You

16. Here We Go Magic- Fangela
Basically the "New Slang" of 2009 (totally coining calling this that)

15. The XX - Basic Space

14. Little Boots - New In Town (Fred Falke Remix)

13. Grizzly Bear- Ready, Able

12. Neon Indian - 6669 (I Don't Know If You Know)
Probably the biggest gem to come out of the chillwave scene that is exploding.

11. Lightning Dust - I Knew

10. Nelly Furtado feat. Flo Rida - Jump
Don't judge me!

9. Basement Jaxx - Raindrops (louis la roche rework)
It is all about the louis la roche rework... about a million times better than the original!

8. Fever Ray - I'm Not Done

7. Raekwon - House of Flying Daggers

6. Bibio - Fire Ant

5. Vitalic - Terminateur Benelux

4. Burial & Four Tet - Moth

3. Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
Basically just here because of how entertaining the video is to watch while under the influence of illict substances, but still a sexcellent song.

2. Destroyer - Bay of Pigs
I can't even go into words about how good this song is. "Free and easy/ Gentle, Gentle/ The wind through the trees makes you mental for me/ Nancy in a state of crisis on a cloud." might be the best Dan Bejar chorus of all time.


1. Antony and the Johnsons - Kiss My Name
Back in January 2009, I said this would end up being my top track of the year, apparently, I was totally right.

ALBUMS:

10. Mastodon - Crack The Skye



9. Vitalic - Flashmob
Okay, let's get the elephant in the room out of the way. Yes, this album has a song called "Chicken Lady" on it and yes, it is pretty much the worst song of all time. However, this album is one of the best, most super duper albums of the year. "Your Disco Song" and "Terminateur Benelux" are probably the biggest standouts, but even the so-so songs that act as somewhat lame transitions are still pretty good. Okay, I know it sounds like I'm shit talking this album so far, but it seriously rules. This review, if you can call it that, seems like it was written by a third grader with mild autism, but I gave it my best shot.



8. The XX - XX

Everything that needs to be said about this has pretty much already been said. I refused to listen to it for a long time because I had some bizarre dislike of it before I even listened to it, but then I saw Roger listening to it and I was just like, what the hay. I highly recommend this to anyone.



7. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
Jeph Jacques described this as song really great songs bookended by some okay songs. That is exactly how I feel about it, but luckily the really great songs are so great that this album is this high on the list.



6. Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

The first time I heard this album I was like "Cool, this Bibio dude has heard of Boards of Canada and can sort of do a good job of trying to sound like them", then, eventually, I realized this is one of the best albums of the year.



5. Washed Out - Life of Leisure EP



4. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
It is so infuriating when people think this album is better than Yellow House. I know that everyone is legally allowed to think what they want, but that point of view seriously boggles my mind. This album is lush and gorgeous, but it is certainly not as good as its predecessor.



3. Fever Ray - Fever Ray



2. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms



1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca



I am just as shocked as you are.

HONORABLE MENTION:



Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2
This album would have made it to the list if it were not for the song Gihad, which includes such horrific lyrics as

"This white chick wanna gargle my nuts
I put the Bailey's down, tapped the blunt out
Grabbed her by her hair, watched blondie love whip my dick out
Spit drippin' down my balls, she slobber me
That's right, suck that dick, get it hard for me
Pyrex in one hand, large amount of grams in it rocked up
And she pregnant, my lil' man got her knocked up
He popped up (oh shit!)
I'm like a crooked cop, Richard Gere
Big smirk on, getting' my cock sucked
He pulled the joint out, a bullet spun out
But it was too late
Already nutted on the side of her mouth
Side of her face and hair like Somethin' About Mary
I can't front, my son gun look scary
Chill, she's a whore
You knew it from the time we ran trains "

Okay, so yeah. Just so nasty. That song is so fucking unlistenable that there was no way I could put this album on the list. I'm not going to pretend I know anything about hip hop, but otherwise, this album is pretty good. I just could do without such appauling visual imagery.