Taylor, Imma let you finish, but here are some of my favorite music videos of the past year:

Gimmie Sympathy by Metric

SOUR '日々の音色 (Hibi no neiro)'

We Are Golden by Mika

Oh My God, Charlie Darwin by The Low Anthem

Fireflies by Chris Garneau

Fitz and the Dizzyspells by Andrew Bird

French Navy by Camera Obscura

Vulture by Patrick Wolf

Change of Heart by El Perro Del Mar

A number of these just squeaked by for making it onto my top 10 list of 2009, and others were stand out tracks on underwhelming CDs. Either way, this was music that made up my 2009.

Patrick Wolf – Vulture

Camera Obscura – You Told a Lie

Boy Least Likely To – Saddle Up

Bon Iver – Blood Bank

Bell X1 – The Great Defector

Andrew Bird – The Privateers

Handsome Furs – All We Want, Baby, Is Everything

The Swell Season – Low Rising

St. Vincent – The Neighbors

Regina Spektor – The Calculation

Mika – Rain

Miike Snow - Animal

The Lovely Feathers – Long Walks

Junior Boys – Parallel Lines

An Horse – Camp Out

Fun. – All The Pretty Girls

Passion Pit – Moth’s Wings

Fever Ray – When I Grow Up

Fanfarlo – Harold T. Wilkins, Or How To Wait For A Very Long Time

Discovery – Orange Shirt

Death Cab for Cutie – My Mirror Speaks

You won't find a lot of the “favorites” of critics on my list. For some reason I can’t seem to get into Animal Collective or Bat for Lashes. They just are not my cup of tea. You can add a whole bunch of other bands to that list but I have found some very good albums this year and these 11 have stood out above the rest. Enjoy.

11) Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence

This was the most pleasant surprise of the year for me as I was/am a HUGE fan of two part male vocals and the Kings of Convenience are some of the BEST harmonizing vocalists around. I had originally thought they had broken up due to the formation of Oye’s other band, The Whitest Boy Alive (which also had a 2009 release). There is nothing crazy or out of the ordinary on this release. It is just straight acoustic tunes with some outstanding singing. It is a perfect lazy Sunday afternoon soundtrack.

10) Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

There has been a large amount of backlash with the latest Arctic Monkeys release as it is much, much darker than their previous two releases but I am in the camp that feels it is a big step forward in their development. It is not my favorite Arctic Monkeys disc by a long shot but it is still great for what it is, a brooding rock album. It is a disc that you have to really listen to 3 or 4 times before you really start to understand and appreciate the tunes. I recommend you give it that chance.

9) Royskopp - Junior

I loved Royskopp’s first release, Melody AM, but didn’t really care for their sophomore effort. Junior went back to what made Melody AM so good, very catchy melodies and danceable beats. You add in some great guest work from Lykke Li and Robyn and you have yourself one of the best overall releases of the year.

8) Fruit Bats – Ruminant Band

http://www.myspace.com/thefruitbats

Ruminant Band is an interesting release as it the first Fruit Bats disc without Gillian Lisee that I have heard (I never listened to their debut but I enjoyed Mouthfuls and Spelled in Bones). I didn’t have very high expectations for it but I was very pleasantly surprised as Eric Johnson’s songwriting ability has moved forward with this collection. I was also able to see these guys live this past year and that made me appreciate the band that much more as they put on a great show.

7) Sunbears! – Dream Happy Dreams

http://www.myspace.com/sunbears

I have to have at least one “off kilter” release on my best of list and this year it is the Sunbears! I saw this duo open for Mates of State and The Black Kids this past year and I honestly felt they were better than The Black Kids. They could be compared to a much more happy-go-lucky version of the Flaming Lips. Dream Happy Dreams only provides you with a glimpse of the joy that the Sunbears! bring to the table.

6) A Fine Frenzy – Bomb in a Birdcage

http://www.myspace.com/afinefrenzy

I enjoyed Alison Sudol’s/A Fine Frenzy’s initial release and it was one of those “unsung” diamonds in 2007. Bomb in a Birdcage builds on what Sudol did so well on her debut with a mixture of pop and ballads that are both accessible and fresh.

5) The Decemberists – Hazards of Love

Colin Meloy and company’s rock opera has been on a number of top 10 lists this year for one reason: It is awesome. Kyle already explained what makes this release so great. It is something that must be listened straight through a few times to really appreciate what it is and what is being done. I long for the day that I can see the Decemberists live and maybe I’ll luck out and see them perform this in full.

4) Islands – Vapours

Kyle has introduced me to a number of bands and funny enough 2 of them are in my top 5 this year (Islands and Andrew Bird). I was a very casual Islands fan up until Vapours came out but I loved it from the first day I streamed it on the Internet. I’m probably in the minority but I find this to be their best release yet as the songs are much crisper and not overly produced. Vapours has been a mainstay on my IPOD playlist since it has come out.

3) Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix

I started listening to Phoenix back when they were collaborating with Daft Punk and I thought they were writing some catchy melodies back then. However, Wolfgang Amaedus Phoenix is their apex and they are blowing up now. Rightly so as they are one of the top 3 best exports from France (Daft Punk and Air being the other two).

2) Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career

http://www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

I’m a sucker for happy music and sarcastic lyrics and no one does that better than Tracyanne Campbell and Camera Obscura. Cam Ob have been gradually improving with their releases and attained quite a good following in the USA after their 2006 disc, Lets Get Out of this Country (and they are one of those rare UK bands that are actually bigger in the USA than they are in the UK, or so I am told). My Maudlin Career is even better than the 2006 disc as it takes all of the things that were good on it and makes them even better. The strings and horns on select songs are tight and they do not take away from the solid lyrics of Campbell. I believe my taste in music has gotten a bit more “wussy” as I have aged but I’m perfectly okay to admit that if it means I get to listen to stuff as good as this.

1) Andrew Bird – Noble Beast

http://www.myspace.com/andrewbird

I don’t think this release should come as too much of a surprise to people. I believe that SPIN did a full write-up on Bird when Noble Beast came out saying this would be “the year of Bird.” Bird has always been an eclectic musical addition to the field as he really doesn’t fall into any category. He writes pop/rock/calypso/classical/jazz tunes that kind of mesh into his own genre. The fact that he can throw samples into songs along with violin, whistling and guitar just shows what kind of ability he brings to the table. Noble Beast is Bird’s most well-developed album as I had to listen to it 10 or 11 times before I really started to hear everything that is going on and I was able to peal the layers back of each tune. This is another release that is best when it is listened straight through the first few times. However, I love every song on here individually as each one is a little golden nugget for your ears.

Happy listening.

2009 was a year of great music. This year's top 10 list finds a lot of past top 10 winners just missing the list while some new names make debuts this year. Sad bastard songs beat out more upbeat tracks as my favorites this year. There were a lot of honorable mentions which I hope to spotlight in a post about some of my favorite songs this year! (As always, my list of albums that came out this year that I want to listen to but haven't yet is staggering!)

10. Glee Soundtrack Vol. 1 - Auto-Tuned like whoa, and maybe a bit overhyped, the Glee Soundtrack is still one of the most fun, put-it-on-in-the-background, sing-it-loud-in-a-gay-bar albums of the year. I can't stop going back to those Amber Riley songs. She's a star in the making.

Stand Out Tracks: Don't Stop Believing, Bust Your Window, Hate On Me

9. Metric - Fantasies - These Canadian rockers return with maybe their best album yet (although they are all so good) and Emily makes good on the fact that she is the sexiest singer of our friends up North. From the first track to the last, this album is winner after winner.

Stand Out Tracks: Help I'm Alive, Gimmie Sympathy, Stadium Love

8. Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds & A Sound - Blind Pilot was a surprise highlight at the 2009 Lollapalooza festival and I consider them this year's "Wild Sweet Orange" in that regard. Highly listenable music from a singer with a smooth as silk voice and a band that includes upright bass, trumpet and more. This year they completed a Ditty Bopsesque bike tour and also joined fellow Portland natives, The Decemberists for some shows. Oh yeah, and they stole my heart!


Stand Out Tracks: Oviedo, 3 Rounds and a Sound, I Buried A Bone

7. Freelance Whales: Sure, a number of the Freelance Whales songs are downright derivative of Sufjan Stevens, but I prefer to think that these young, banjo-plucking, infectiously upbeat kids are fans who took Sufjan's lead as a base on which to build something uniquely theirs. They are one band you don't want to miss live - seeing this energetic group hopping from instrument to instrument throughout the night will leave an ear-to-ear smile on your face.

Stand out Tracks: Generator ^ First Floor, Broken Horse, Hannah, Kilojoules

6. Phosphorescent - To Wille I'll admit it - at first I didn't realize that all of the songs on Phosphorescent's 2009 album, To Willie, were Willie Nelson cover songs until my coworker pointed it out - a tribute to Willie in the vein of Willie's own 1977 cover album To Lefty from Willie. I wasn't familiar with Willie Nelson music, but Phosphorescent's versions of these songs are heartbreaking and beautiful. I'm a fan now - which may be the best compliment one can give a cover album!

Stand Out Tracks: Reasons to Quit, Can I Sleep In Your Arms, I Gotta Get Drunk

5. Islands - Vapours Canada's second entry to the top 10 is Quebec's Islands. While they have tied their 2008 ranking for "In Arm's Way" at number 5 and dropped 2 spots from 2006's Return To The Sea at number 3 - Vapours is just as good, if not better! I do miss the band members from Return to the Sea and Arm's Way, the more electronic vibe on Vapours is extremely fun and probably more quickly likable than their previous work.


Stand Out Tracks:Switched On, Tender Torture, Everything is Under Control, Heartbeat

4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Phoenix managed to release an album so catchy and fun this year that it blew the band into the mainstream. Other than the fact that it has been a bit annoying hearing "have you heard this great new band, Phoenix" and the fact that this album means I get to hear far fewer songs live from my still favorite Phoenix album, Alphabetical, Phoenix deserves all the accolades they are receiving. It's great to see that they spent the last three years honing their craft and it has paid off!

Stand Out Tracks: Listomania, 1901, Rome

3. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love The Decemberists had a hard task in front of them, following up the astounding "The Crane Wife." One first listen, The Hazards of Love failed for me - an attitude of the album taken by a good number of reviewers. However, a day after the album was released online I was lucky enough to see the Decemberists play the Hazards of Love for the first time in its entirety at SXSW. Afterwards I saw the CD for what it is - an epic masterpiece. It is definitely an album that begs to be seen live, from cover to cover. The CD is a story, and listening to tracks individually is kind of like reading just a chapter in a book - once you know the book well that might be enjoyable, but you have to fall in love with the whole story first. I can't wait to see what they do next!

Stand Out Tracks: The Wanting Comes In Waves (Reprise), The Rake's Song, The Hazards of Love 4

2. Chris Garneau - El Radio 2007's #1 just barely misses out on the #1 spot for 2009. It was so close it was whatever the music equivalent of a photo finish is, because El Radio picks up where Chris Garneau left off, taking his music to whole new levels. While the CD has a number of more upbeat songs than his previous work, there are still quite enough tear-wrenching heartbreakers to keep me sad happy - with Cats and Kids appearing to be almost a sequel song to "Music For Tourists" song We Don't Try, about the death of a friend. I wouldn't kick a song off of this CD.

Stand Out Tracks: The Leaving Song, Hands On the Radio, No More Pirates, Cats and Kids

1. The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin: Like Chris Garneau in 2007 whose CD I listed as #1 was actually first released in 2006, The Low Anthem's CD Oh My God, Charlie Darwin was first released in 2008 and rereleased in 2009. The album moves from song to song with a beauty and grace and sends chills down my spine - from the opening falsetto ballad Charlie, to Cage the Songbird, all the way to the final OMGCD, this folksy Americana album is almost a religious experience and the songs seem reverent and spiritual despite the inspiration of the world's most famous naturalist. The lead singer describes the experience of listening to the album as being akin to "taking shelter during a lightning storm among nostalgic remnants in a water-damaged church, who’s new tenants – rats, owls, stray dogs and snakes – comprise a burgeoning, cacophonous, dog-eat-dog ecosystem." The CD has a common thread although as you listen to it you'll be constantly surprised at the variety in the singer's voice, from the Josh Ritter like "Ticket Taker" to the more raucous "Horizon Is A Beltway" and even the instrumental "Music Box" The variety of instruments played on the album and at their live shows is staggering, and help to build an album that elevates and craddles the lyrics and comprise an album that I feel will be timeless.

Stand Out Tracks: (Don't) Tremble, Charlie Darwin, To Ohio, Ticket Taker