Best Albums - 2009

These are the twelve albums I spent the most time listening to in 2009:

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion: The last great record of this decade, and probably one of the most important to start the century.
   
   
2. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic: A conceptual void that filled your mind with the infinite possibilities of the interstellar battles of good and evil.
   
   
3. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer: Nervous rock and roll that can lift your spirits.
   
   
4. Humcrush - Rest at World's End: Personally, it solidified Rune Grammofon as the greatest record label that isn't known; release the (robotic) hounds.
   
   
5. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest: Is starting to equalize Yellow House, which I didn't think could be done.
   
   
6. Dirt Dress - Perdido en la Suciedad: Seriously, how much fun can you have in 18 minutes?
   
   
7. Medeski Martin & Wood - Radiolarians II: Their finest in years.
   
   
8. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast: Bird is turning into the next musician that people will refer to a as a "troubadour."
   
   
9. Fever Ray - s/t: Fever Ray's debut was a fine example of videos and visuals supplementing an album and elevating it beyond what it could accomplish alone.
   
   
10. Black Mold - Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz: Not quite sure how this one fits into the grand scheme of things, but it does.
    
    
11. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs: They just keep getting better.
    
    
12. Califone - All My Friends are Funeral Singers: Like Yo La Tengo, they just keep getting better.

(2008 albums)