Editors' Picks

Top Twenty Albums of 2009

When we say 'album', we tend to hold that word to a pretty tough standard. More than just a collection of songs, the records chosen here spoke to us in a coherent fashion. They hang together as works of art, like a collection of short stories that are wildly different yet come from the same voice.

It's a very strong batch this year. Enjoy.

...This list reflects the musical hand wringing of Chelsea Girl, DJ Losaida, CoreyDu, KC Tinnitus, BBublick and JenCad with encouragement from MusicFile friends and followers around the world. Thanks!

(1). Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear. Warp Records.

12 tracks, 9 addictions, three thousand and four seconds of music magic. The super nerds from Brooklyn released one of the top 10 records of the whole  Y2K decade. From the first notes of "Southern Point" my jaw sort of dropped and just stayed there. What I love about this album is how many a-ha moments it has; little perfect points in time that you look forward to on each song and with every listen. And can we talk about the deep cuts? Yeah, "Two Weeks" is a killer track but the nuances of sound on songs like "All We Know" are what made me fall so deeply in love with this record. The breathing space in that song is simply off the charts.

If you don't have this album yet, get some good headphones and hole up somewhere no one can find you. Buy on iTunes
You can listen to nice long clips of each song on the band's Website

Here's the lead off track "Southern Point"

(2). Hospice by The Antlers. Frenchkiss Records.

An album that explores the deepest crevices of cancer, death, hospitals and despair and yet  makes you feel ALIVE on a truly cellular level. Friggin unbelievable. Buy on iTunes

(3). no. 2 by jj. Sincerely Yours Records.

Who? Just trust us on this one. Don't let the marijuana leaf on the cover fool you, this is not hippie music. It's Swedish electro pop and it might be the most perfect summer soundtrack you never heard. Fire it up for summer 2010. Buy on iTunes

(4). xx by XX. Young Turks Records.

You know that saying about having the 'x' factor? Here it is. Best debut album of the year. Sexy, smooth, original, addictive. Popping up on every mix we make. Buy On itunes

"Intro" kicks things off and it's  a fabulous two minute tease for what's in store.

(5). Middle Cyclone by Neko Case. Anti Records.

With all the  'pop' attention that Neko received this year, don't be fooled, this album glows because of all the deep cuts. Songs like "Fever", "Polar Nettles" and "Don't Forget Me" are what make this sparely recorded ode- to- nature collection such a standout. Oh yeah, and that voice. Buy on iTunes

(6). Ruminant Band by Fruit Bats. Sub Pop Records.

After a four year hiatus, Eric Johnson's time spent in other bands (The Shins, Califone, Vetiver)  seems to have launched him into a whole new stratosphere of excellence. This is one of the criminally underrated albums of the year. If you like 70's guitar driven melodies with big, lush harmonies-think CSNY mixed with The Allman Bros-you are in for a treat. The title track is our #1 song of the year. Buy on iTunes

(7). Hazards Of Love by The Decemberists. Capital Records.

The Decemberists brought back the rock opera in 2009. It wasn't supposed to work. It did. This is not about the songs-it's about the whole enchilada.Where the whole really is bigger than the sum of it's parts. I was lucky enough to see it the first night they performed it live and the memory of that night ranks up there. It was drama and theatre and music in one. Buy on iTunes

Here's a great video of the band rehearsing:

(8). Warm Heart Of Africa by The Very Best. Green Owl Records.

Worlds collide on this insanely inventive collaboration from Malawi's Esau Mwamwaya and UK DJ sensations Radioclit  proving that musical language is universal. An album that hasn't left heavy rotation in four months.Buy on iTunes

(9). Elvis Perkins In Dearland by Elvis Perkins In Dearland. XL Recordings.

There's a part of me that wishes Elvis Perkins had just called this album Doomsday. It might have gotten more people's attention as the whole record feels like a love letter to his mother who died on 9/11. This is one of those records that grows exponentially on you with every listen. It's like a funeral march down Bourbon street with costumes and umbrellas and dancing. It's smart and edgy and arty in just the proper dose. (If you don't know Perkins whole back story, I suggest you check it out-it  makes every listen more rewarding.) Buy on iTunes

(10). Catacombs by Cass McCombs.Domino Recording Company.

The wordplay of the album title and his name should give you a hint that you're in for some writing extraordinaire. Cass McCombs makes you feel like he is sitting in your bedroom singing a bunch of songs that he just wrote for you. That's how personal it feels. One of those records that has probably changed a few people's lives. Don't let it's initial simplicity fool you- these songs are like peeling back onions-layers upon layers of songwriting brilliance.iTunes

(11). Paranoid Cocoon by Cotton Jones. Suicide Squeeze Records.

God, the atmosphere on this record. It's dripping with it. Languid, smoky, lazy. I love every ounce of it. My favorite discovery of 2009.iTunes

(12). Album by Girls. True Panther Sounds.

Are they yanking our chain or not? Hard to tell if the 'I'm a free spirited, screwed up hippie kid from San Fran channeling Elvis Costello' persona is  for real but who cares. This is  the most balls out debut album of the year. Wickedly catchy. Buy on iTunes

(13). The Visitor by Jim O'Rourke. Drag City Records.

Thank God there are people like Jim O'Rourke who still have the integrity to even attempt this type of art. A 38-minute instrumental ode to some of O'Rourke's heroes (most notably here, Van Dyke Parks and Derek Bailey), it's worth the price of admission alone to hear Mr. O'Rourke negotiate the vast array of instruments that make up the piece -- every instrument is played by O'Rourke himself, and this is far from just a guitar/bass/drums record.

The album is only available on CD or Vinyl. No digital Mp3's thank you very much. Just the real deal. You can check out a five minute snippet below or here or buy on Amazon.

(14). Lungs by Florence and The Machine. Universal Island Records.

Belt it out little red headed sister! Florence Welch and her pipes (and moxy) provided one of the musical highlights of 2009. Her voice at times reminds me of Beth Orton with the swagger turned WAAAAY up. Gospel tinged R&B that makes even Adele seem a little mousy.Buy it on iTunes

(15). Wilco (The Album) by Wilco. Nonesuch Records.

A love letter from a band to its' fans. That's how I see this one. After 15 years and 6 albums, Wilco 'got big' with an album that feels like a greatest hits of entirely new songs. Each track could have fit snuggly inside one of their previous recordings. Not a bad one in the bunch. 'Wilco will love you baby!'

(16). Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Pheonix.Glassnote Recordings.

After a decade on the fringes of French pop, Pheonix nails a home run on their 5th release. Breezy, dance-pop that manages to thread the needle between  super accessible Vampire Weekend and the uber sonic Animal Collective. Buy on iTunes

(17). Keep It Hid by Dan Auerbach. Nonesuch Records.

The surprising thing about Dan Auerbach's debut release isn't that 1/2 of The Black Keys can stand on his own, or that he nails the rockier side of the blues, it's the quality of the god damn songwriting. One of my most listened to albums of the year.Buy on iTunes

(18). Reservoir by Fanfarlo. Atlantic Records.

Channeling my love of Talking Heads. And Beirut. And Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah. And...I'll stop. One of the standout debuts of the year. Yes, it's derivative but each song is as good as the best track from any of those aforementioned bands and that's saying a lot. Buy on iTunes

(19).Up From Below by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. Fairfax Recordings.

If it weren't so darn earnest, you'd hardly believe your ears. A remarkable debut that sounds like a super cool SoCal sixties album that's been lost in the desert for 40 years.Buy on iTunes

(20). I And Love And You by The Avett Brothers. Atlantic Records.

A major record label deal and an album produced by Rick Rubin? What a year these guys have had. I'll only say this-this album would have ranked a lot higher if we didn't think it was so overproduced. As long time fans of the Avetts, we like 'em served up just a bit more raw. Ten percent more of that Ben Folds-like piano tinkling and they'd have lost us. But the song writing is as stellar as always and they haven't lost a bit of their magic live.





Onto 2010! See ya there...