Top Ten Albums of 2009

11. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It

'The Way I See It' comes in at number 11 because it actually came out in the fall of 2008 but I didn't find it until this, er.. last year. Rapheal Saadiq has a storied career, first as a member of Tony! Toni! Tone!, then as a producer and collaborator with ATCQ, D'Angelo, Joss Stone, The Roots, Snoop, Ludacris, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston and tons of others. But now he's stepped out on his own and crafted some truely wonderful r&b in the vein of Motown and Stevie Wonder. The album even features Stevie (and Jay-Z!).

10.5. Realpeople - Holland

So I'm cheating, but Realpeople's 'Holland' get's a half nod as it was only an EP. Realpeople is a not-so-secret pseudonym for Zachary Condon/Beirut. These lush electronic songs are full of grace, sorrow and blips.

10. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

Brooklyn Cool meets Southern Charm. The Avett Bros are hard to categorize, being an amalgamation of rock, folk, pop, country, bluegrass and more, but are easy to love. Opening and title track 'I and Love and You' begins with an 'Imagine' like piano riff but becomes more dynamic as it progresses. A lovely album.

9. Grand Duchy - Petits Fours

See here for my previous review of this terrific Mr. and Mrs. Frank Black album.

8. Fever Ray - S/T

Erie electo music from Karin Andersson, on half of The Knife. The lyrics are strange, the pitch-shifted vocals creepy and the music haunting, but it all combines to create a darkly beautiful experience.

7. K'naan - Troubadour

Somolian born and raised K'naan has a story to tell and on 'Troubadour' he tells it all. We hear about the slums and poverty, guns and warfare, friends lost and family left behind. But the travelling minstrel hasn't let life's hardships get to him. It's truly amazing and gratifing to witness someone remain positive while overcoming true hardship in order to lead a successful life.

6. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - S/T

Fuzzy, pop rock that's not quite twee. Think Los Campesinos! meets the fuzz rock of The Big Pink or The Magnetic Fields. Anyway, they craft tight little songs that rarely reach the four minute mark. Other than the not that bad Teenager In Love, this album is great from front to back.

5. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

This piano driven album sounds like Leonard Cohen inhabiting Sarah McLachlan's body, but its actually just the British Natasha Khan. 'Two Suns' drips with emotion and artistry and manages to be dark, sad, haunting, beautiful and grand all at once. As I've said earlier, this is definitely nighttime music.

4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

These French rockers broke through to the mainstream, getting solid radio play and hawking old people cars. 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' doesn't bring anything new to the table or push any sonic boundaries, but it is clear that is not what Phoenix are aiming for. Instead, they deliver eminently danceable pop influenced songs.

3. Vetiver - Tight Knit

While many critics were going gaga over Grizzly Bear's snoozefest Veckatimest, I was chilling to the folksy stylings of Vetiver. To me this whole album falls somewhere between two standout albums from last year: the folksier sections of Plants & Animals' 'Parc Avenue' coupled with the songwriting charm of Sub-Pop label mates The Helio Sequence 'Keep Your Eyes Ahead'.

2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

It was a big year for YYY's Karen O, with her band getting some well deserved air play and composing the soundtrack to some kids movie. 'It's Blitz!' is shimmery dance tracks delivered in a punk fashion.

1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

At once arty and accessible, this unlikely album is so original but appealing its almost disgusting. Hailed by the most hipstery of hipsters to Kanye and Solange Knowles, Dirty Projectors struck paydirt with this poppy yet incredibly thought out album