Albums of the Year 2009

10. Worker Bee Tangler I love a record that's moody, and this bay area quartet has released a moody masterpiece. At times confounding, the hooks peek out from behind reverb-ed, plucked guitars and barren soundscapes. All the while we are lead through a lyrical nightmare that's at once fucked-up fairy tale and inner examination by Evan's smooth baritone. I think ultimately Worker Bee has a better record in them, but Tangler is a fantastic debut.

9. Akron/Family Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free The way in which this record opens with the mesmerizing track "Everyone Is Guilty" to the short, sweet closer "Last Year," Akron/Family continually surprises in all the right ways. There may be a bit more freak folk, Animal Collective-ness than I usually prefer, but they tend to do it in a manner that combines those influences with old fashion rock and roll and sometimes a noisy freak out.

8. Richard Swift The Atlantic Ocean Grossly under-appreciated, Swift released a record every bit as good (if not better) than his previous two efforts. Sure, I have a soft spot for the guy, he sang at my wedding and played on my records, but hell, I've never liked 70s pop as much as when Swift does it. This album is packed from start to finish with tasteful, warm jams. And what Swift sometimes lacks in electricity he makes up for in swagger.

7. Black Mountain In The Future While it may be all the rage to sound like you are from another time, Black Mountain sound like they're from another rock dimension. The riffs sound as fresh and vital as they did when Led Zep was copping them off old Delta Blues artists, and the male female vocal delivery works especially well for them. The air-drums and air-guitar I am guilty of when I listen to this record should be enough to properly shame me, but I keep dropping the needle over and over. Let the judgers be damned!

6. Sunny Day Real Estate LP2 Reissue A record that was first released in 1995 is every bit as good today. This is my second favorite record of all time, hugely influential on my musical taste and playing. This remastered version includes some awesome bonus material that was previously somewhat difficult to find, plus very informative liner notes about the making of the record. The band was breaking up at the time of this recording and you can hear it in the way the songs disjointedly fall together before blowing apart. Jeremy Egnik's voice is a powerful instrument while the bass playing by Nate Mendel carries the melodies of the songs. A tour de force.

5. Brand New Daisy Brand New is certainly a guilty pleasure, but why should they be? Their newest record sounds ferocious, thanks to a searing mix by D Sardy. Sure, their lyrical content and delivery is soaked in sad sack emo self deprecation, but everyone needs to be reminded what it feels like to be 16 every now and again. Brand New just happen to do that better than anyone else out there.

4. Timber Timbre S/T Man, this guys has a strange and hypnotic way of putting together a folk song. His voice sounds like Randy Newman on cough syrup, his imagery recalls backwoods spirituals and his vibe is all muted organs, drums, and the occasional choir backing him up. This was the biggest surprise album of the year.

3. David Bazan Curse Your Branches Until this release, I was all but sure David Bazan's best records were behind him. An introspective turn in his lyrics and a mastery of melody has shown me I was absolutely wrong. Time will tell whether this album is his best ever, but for my money this year it didn't get much better. As a listener the album is at once painfully voyeuristic and heartbreakingly hopeful. It's a journey worth taking again and again.

2. Grizzly Bear Veckatimest The best parts of the Beach Boys and the best parts of symphonic bedroom pop, Grizzly Bear made a streamlined version of 2006's Yellow House. It's their first record written ad recorded like a band and the results are dazzling. Both singers brought intricate and addicting songs to the table, while producer Chris Bear gets all the right performances out of them. Grizzly Bear has the unique ability to travel in a variety of sonic trajectories simultaneously while remaining a cohesive unit. A triumphant statement from an important band.

1. Kissing Cousins Pillar of Salt Some may cry foul, but this is still my favorite record of 2009. POS sounds like a demon horde putting on choir robes and singing break up songs disguised as nursery rhymes accompanied by Black Sabbath. It sounds like cocaine without the price tag, like whiskey without the hangover, like pot without the munchies. POS is a desperate, haunting record, filled with yearning and invocation. If you don't own this on vinyl and you consider yourself a fan of music, shame on you. It's timeless; it sounds hyper modern and lo fi 60s without really sounding like either. The bass playing by Sean Stentz and the vocal performances by Heather and Kara stun me with their urgency. Produced by Richard Swift and recorded live directly to 8 track tape in two days this album is an instant classic.