My Favorite 75 Albums Of 2009 — Dec. 25
Posted By Ben W. on December 25, 2009
Phew. We finally made it.
This was the most work I’ve ever put in getting through an Advent calendar.
But here we are. It’s Christmas. Which means, among other things, the top of the Great 2009 Album Countdown!
3. Years Of Refusal — Morrissey
This is the best Morrissey album since 1992’s Your Arsenal. Let me clear up some potential misconceptions that statement may cause, though. I do not mean to imply that his last two records were poor. They were not; they had some very nice moments. And I do not mean to imply that Years Of Refusal is significantly different than either of them. It’s not. This album does not represent any new directions for the Mozzer. He’s still churning out witty up-tempo rock based on chunky, layered guitars. The difference simply is in the songwriting quality. Whereas most Morrissey records start well and sag badly on the second half, Refusal starts strong and never lets up. Additionally, Morrissey seems to have a little extra bite behind his snarl. His lyrics betray a very specific personal injury more than his usual vague loneliness and ache. He’s 50 and still full of fire.
2. Travels With Myself And Another — Future Of The Left
I feel badly that Future Of The Left isn’t very popular. I really do. But man, if an infuriating lack of respect from an injust music business helps contribute to more records as good as this, I may like FOTL as my beloved underappreciated underdog. Andy Falkous is one angry man – spitting out intensely esoteric, hilarious and just plain odd lyrics over ferocious minimalist rock music. And while you can never quite be sure of these songs’ meanings, it’s clear that the unrecognized-genius, starving-artist routine is wearing thin on Falko. The irony here is that this is probably the poppiest music of Falkous’ career. It’s certainly more melodic than the first FOTL record. They employ more keyboards, more layered guitars and even harmonies! Great stuff.
1. Humbug – Arctic Monkeys
It is a fact that flew under the radar in a year when most critics were consumed with eccentric American indie pop, but the Arctic Monkeys are quickly establishing their place in the pantheon of great British pop. We’re talking the Who, Kinks, T. Rex, Clash, Jam, Smiths, Roses, Blur, Libertines pantheon. Yeah, that good. This is only their third album, and the guys are still only 22. Yet there’s no doubt Humbug is the work of a far more mature band than debuted on the scene so uproariously in 2006. This is a dark, dense record. The tempos are much slower than their previous work, and they have a much better handle on shading, mood and dynamics. What really elevates it beyond their Brit-guitar post-punk revival pals, though, is Alex Turner’s supreme gift for lyric. He has grown beyond the journalistic observation style he favored on the band’s first two albums. He’s now a full-fledged poet, using brilliant imagery and symbolism to paint an agonized world of life lived too fast and love gone too soon. Indie kids, don’t look down on this record as being too mainstream. You’ll be missing out. This is the work of a band operating on a higher level than everyone else.
Click DAY ONE to view Nos. 75-73.
Click DAY TWO to view Nos. 72-70.
Click DAY THREE to view Nos. 69-67.
Click DAY FOUR to view Nos. 66-64.
Click DAY FIVE to view Nos. 63-61.
Click DAY SIX to view Nos. 60-58.
Click DAY SEVEN to view Nos. 57-55.
Click DAY EIGHT to view Nos. 54-52.
Click DAY NINE to view Nos. 51-49.
Click DAY 10 to view Nos. 48-46.
Click DAY 11 to view Nos. 45-43.
Click DAY 12 to view Nos. 42-40.
Click DAY 13 to view Nos. 39-37.
Click DAY 14 to view Nos. 36-34.
Click DAY 15 to view Nos. 33-31.
Click DAY 16 to view Nos. 30-28.
Click DAY 17 to view Nos. 27-25.
Click DAY 18 to view Nos. 24-22.
Click DAY 19 to view Nos. 21-19.
Click DAY 20 to view Nos. 18-16.
Click DAY 21 to view Nos. 15-13.
Click DAY 22 to view Nos. 12-10.
Click DAY 23 to view Nos. 9-7.
Click DAY 24 to view Nos. 6-4.
MY FAVORITE 75 ALBUMS OF 2009 (THE COMPLETE LIST!!!)
75. Man Of Aran (Soundtrack) – British Sea Power
74. March Of The Zapotec/Holland EP – Beirut
73. Changing Horses – Ben Kweller
72. It’s Frightening – White Rabbits
71. Living Thing – Peter Bjorn And John
70. Working On A Dream – Bruce Springsteen
69. 21st Century Breakdown – Green Day
68. Grrr… – Bishop Allen
67. Let The Dominoes Fall – Rancid
66. Kingdom Of Rust – Doves
65. Get Guilty – A.C. Newman
64. Hands – Little Boots
63. Further Complications — Jarvis Cocker
62. Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future — The Bird And The Bee
61. The Love Language — The Love Language
60. The Crying Light — Antony And The Johnsons
59. Don’t Stop — Annie
58. My Way — Ian Brown
57. Post Electric Blues — Idlewild
56. Dragonslayer — Sunset Rubdown
55. Middle Cyclone — Neko Case
54. Tongue ‘N Cheek — Dizzee Rascal
53. Art Brut Vs. Satan — Art Brut
52. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand — Franz Ferdinand
51. Phrazes For The Young — Julian Casablancas
50. It’s Not Me, It’s You — Lily Allen
49. The Hazards Of Love — The Decemberists
48. Album — Girls
47. Manners — Passion Pit
46. Watch Me Fall — Jay Reatard
45. 200 Million Thousand – The Black Lips
44. Now We Can See – The Thermals
43. Scars – Basement Jaxx
42. Ghostdini The Wizard Of Poetry In The Emerald City — Ghostface Killah
41. Yesterday And Today — The Field
40. The Duckworth Lewis Method — The Duckworth Lewis Method
39. Merriweather Post Pavilion — Animal Collective
38. Love 2 — Air
37. I’m Going Away — Fiery Furnaces
36. Junior — Royksopp
35. Ignore The Ignorant — The Cribs
34. Wall Of Arms — The Maccabees
33. Ready For The Weekend — Calvin Harris
32. A Brief History Of Love — The Big Pink
31. Temporary Pleasure — Simian Mobile Disco
30. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix — Phoenix
29. West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum — Kasabian
28. UGK 4 Life — UGK
27. In And Out Of Control — The Raveonettes
26. Primary Colours — The Horrors
25. Goodnight Oslo – Robyn Hitchcock
24. Face Control – Handsome Furs
23. The Blueprint 3 – Jay-Z
22. Attention Deficit – Wale
21. It’s Blitz! — Yeah Yeah Yeahs
20. Mo Beauty — Alec Ounsworth
19. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart — The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
18. Popular Songs — Yo La Tengo
17. The Liberty Of Norton Folgate — Madness
16. Man On The Moon: The End Of Day — Kid Cudi
15. Wilco The Album — Wilco
14. The xx — The xx
13. Dark Days/Light Years — Super Furry Animals
12. My Maudlin Career – Camera Obscura
11. Grace/Wastelands – Pete Doherty
10. BLACKsummer’snight – Maxwell
9. Yes – Pet Shop Boys
8. Born Like This – DOOM
7. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. 2 – Raekwon
6. Two Dancers — Wild Beasts
5. Troubadour — K’naan
4. Veckatimest — Grizzly Bear
3. Years Of Refusal — Morrissey
2. Travels With Myself And Another — Future Of The Left
1. Humbug — Arctic Monkeys
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