Best Albums of 2009!

Well, now that 2011 is upon us, and the memories of 2010 are already melting into the ether, I figure it's a good time for me to share my "Best Albums of 2009." Please be aware that I can barely remember one thing that happened to me in 2009. I mean, I can remember lots of things from the past decade of my life, but I couldn't tell you what year they happened in. That's what being over 30 is like, I guess. So this list may be a little off. Here goes. . . .

11. Coldplay - LeftRightLeftRightLeft [live]
This is the free album that they gave out at their concerts, and eventually made available on their web site. I can be picky about the sound of live albums, and this one gets it right. It's a good mix, a good selection of material and performances, and a nice representation of what their live show feels & sounds like. I had a great time seeing them at the Bridgestone (was it Sommet then?), it was the best I'd ever heard them sound (I admit I missed that supposedly legendary show at Starwood back in '05). I'm particularly a fan of "42," Fix You," and "Death And All His Friends" on this live collection.

10. The Dead Weather - Horehound
I have been in love with The Dead Weather ever since being rollicked by Alison Mosshart and wooed by Jack White's drumming at ACL Fest in 2009. I bought the album afterwards and while I don't feel like it's as good as they are on stage, it still captures something deep, dark, swampy, and with a punch that will rattle your gut.

9. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
This is a satisfying amalgamation of Jim James, Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and M Ward. As their name describes, it's folksy in song style and instrumentation. James, Oberst, and Ward each bring songs to the table, and while the entire album is nice to listen to, it's Jim James' songs that stand out the most. His lovely "Magic Marker" is the gem of the bunch, but I also give a nod to Ward's "Say Please," which is the albums most energetic moment.

8. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Here is another album that won me over live, before I'd ever heard it on record. Okay okay since you asked, it was 10th row center at the Greek Theater in LA (Jason Schwartzman was in the row behind me) with Metric as the opening act. I cannot brag enough on how good Phoenix is live - I would not have predicted it, based on the composed, precise and mannered style of their studio albums. But their sound comes out and over you with a force that lifts and carries your spirit on a 2 hour high. This is a great summer album, so I am annoyed that I purchased it in late September, but I think I got some mileage out of it all through the following summer months. It glows from start to finish, but standouts are the exuberant "Fences" and the shimmering "Rome."

7. Various Artists - Dark Was The Night
A four album set on vinyl, each song here is wonderful, by artists ranging from David Byrne to Arcade Fire to Cat Power to Grizzly Bear. It was produced and overseen by The National's Dessner brothers. You get a lot of variety but a cohesive atmosphere throughout. My favorite track, and one of my favorite recordings of the entire year, is Sufjan Stevens' "You Are The Blood" - 10+ minutes of whacked out, electronica'd up, folk-tinged, melodic wunder-pop like only Soof can provide. It provided the first clue of what his 2010 output would sound like, and perhaps because it came first, it strikes me as more breathtaking than this past year's records (which I love).

6. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Now, I have to be in a very specific mood for this album (I guess that would be the mood to go sunbathing off the southern coast of St. Bart's to trip with the spider monkeys). But I am a huge fan of it. I think it was a wonderful directional shift after their last few (great) albums. Like a palette cleanser after several delicious courses of food. I see the Flaming Lips as a band who have taken and honed a free-spirited psychedelic sound, and used those tools and aesthetics to craft, not psychedelic music, but wonderfully constructed pop masterpieces. Now they have taken those psych-pop aesthetics of their own creation, and used them as tools to create a truly psychedelic record. And that's how I see Embryonic. The soundscape is enthralling! If the mood strikes you in the near future, start it spinning from the beginning, buckle up, and enjoy the tasty ride.

5. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
This was probably my biggest surprise of the year. Not that it should have been; apparently Yo La Tengo have been making solidly fantastic albums consistently since the mid-80s. On two vinyl discs, this first disc is filled on both sides with catchy, well-tempered creative pop songs (hence the title) played with the understated tastefulness of veteran indie rockers. There is mellow synth, textured guitar licks, elegant beats both real and electronic, and subdued orchestration adding to the album's rich palette. Disc 2 contains two long shoegazey compositions on side 1, and an even longer Krautrock burner on side 2. Each are full of lush sounds and hypnotic atmospheres. My favorite song is the wistful "When It's Dark," with its warm acoustic guitar and wispy harmonies.

4. Wilco - Wilco (the album)
Biased because they're just about my favorite band? Perhaps. But while it's certainly not my favorite Wilco album, I think this is another beautiful piece in a career of remarkable albums. I know some have fretted that this band, which found its feet in early days with bold experimentalism and genre bending, is making what could be described more and more as "dad rock." I, too, am not a fan of this directional veering, should it continue much further. But as Tweedy said himself of previous album Sky Blue Sky, he wanted to make music that his wife would enjoy listening to - something that people with less adventurous tastes in music could appreciate. That album was a success in its restrained beauty. And I think the band was still operating somewhat in that headspace when making Wilco (the album). Though this is a different album for sure - louder, less somber in tone, and yet safer in some respects. Here you don't find anything like the wild guitar solo explorations of "Impossible Germany" from the last record. To me this album is, more than ever, about how all of Wilco sound as a whole... the meshing of each instrument and part rather than the individuality of its members. Like the album title suggests, this is Wilco, nameless & faceless, more than it is Tweedy, Stirratt, Kotche, Cline, Jorgensen & Sansone. To some, this might sound a little less colorful than previous material, and I might agree. But they can achieve moments of thrilling power with seemingly little effort. Like the sudden crescendo in the final 20 seconds of "One Wing;" or the joyous chorus of "You Never Know," with its "ooohaaah" harmonies and subtle ride cymbal "bell" hits in the gaps (listen close!); or the lead-in to the bridge in "Wilco (the song)" at 1:40 that ever so slightly kicks it up a notch for that part of the song. I am hoping for a turn back towards the daring for their next release. But this still remains one of my favorite albums of 2009. Wilco will love you baby.

3. U2 - No Line On The Horizon
What can I say - I think U2 have made yet another truly great album. Again a slightly different sound than other albums. At first I was not sure about it, but quickly over repeated listens I fell in love. I like the enchanting atmospherics created by Eno & Lanios. I like the way this sounds in some ways like classic 80s U2, and yet in some ways like a U2 we haven't heard yet at all. I think Bono does a fantastic job with melody on this record. (I guess he always does doesn't he?) I like the synth used throughout the album. For me the standout on the album is "Moment of Surrender" with its gospel-like chorus and trance bassline.

2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
I guess everyone had this on their list and I too fell powerless before the fun, creative mix of sounds that pour out of this record from beginning to end. My first favorite moment is the opening track, as it gently teases you with soft washes of vocals and colorful synth strokes before crashing like a wave at 2:30... "if I can just leave my body for the night" -- and the rest of the song hits with an urgency that sets the stage for the rest of the record. My other highlight is the strange and pulsating "Bluish," which channels the ghosts of Cocteau Twins.

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
This is my number one, because it surprised & delighted me the most! I am perfectly satisfied by the aesthetic of this album, from the imaginative song structures, the unusual instrumentation, the ear-candy harmonies, the wonderfully clear and open and echoey recording technique, and not least the most infectious song of the year, the sumptuous "Two Weeks." Other songs that stand out to me are - well, none of them. This isn't one of those albums with a bunch of highlights for me. Other than the one already mentioned, I don't know songs by name. I just get lost in one after another perfectly executed chamber-pop gem. Perhaps it's all the more unexpected for me because while I liked their last album, Yellow House, it never really stood out to me. (Maybe I need to go back and listen to that again.) But I love when bands sort of hit a peak, or hit their stride, out of nowhere - like when Genesis lost Peter Gabriel, moved Phil Collins to lead vocals and unleashed Invisible Touch. I guess that's what I'm trying to say: Veckatimest is this generation's Invisible Touch. Happy New Year!

Honorable Mentions:

The Walkmen - Live Session (iTunes exclusive) - Best iTunes Release
Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange - Best EP
Thom Yorke - "Hearing Damage" - Best Single Release
Super Furry Animals - "Helium Hearts" - Best Album Track
Radiohead - "15 Step w/ USC Trojan Marching Band @ Grammys" - Best Live TV Musical Moment

Here's looking forward to another great musical year. Stay tuned for my top albums of 2010 - coming in January 2012.

Clay Headden
Bus Salesman