January 2, 2010 | In: Music
My Top 20 Songs of 2009
Each year I’ve created my Top 10 Songs list and last year I added a Top 10 albums. I have decided to broaden myself and expand the list to include the Top 20 Songs of this past year. There was a ton of great music released in 2009 and even doubling the size of the list did not ease the painstaking process of boiling down all of the great tunes to a manageable list. I simply looked at the data. I analyzed my iTunes library, Last.fm charts and Rhapsody data to find out what songs were the stickiest. I also combed several sites for reviews and releases I may have missed, all to make sure that the best would rise to the top. I believe I’ve babbled long enough, so here it is: My Top 20 Songs of 2009. I hope you find something good.
#20
Pursuit Of Happiness
Kid Cudi (w/ MGMT & Ratatat) – Man On The Moon: The End Of Day
A lot of folks hate on Cudi. The reviews on the album were favorable, but hip-hop purists don’t seem to like the style of his delivery. In my opinion, his experimental style along with inspired contributions from Ratatat and MGMT make this song a true stand-out.
#19
Too Much Time
John Vanderslice – Romanian Names
Not much to say on this except it’s a pretty song. Yes, I said pretty. And it’s also sad. But good. Listen to it.
#18
Wind Phoenix
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
A mix of solid guitar, dreamy keyboards and vocals that I find similar to Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown) or that guy from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah . This song is layered and has a mix of indie-pop and pyschadelic rock that is sure to make you smile.
#17
Dreams Come True Girl
Cass McCombs (feat. Karen Black) – Catacombs
Cass McCombs is originally from the Bay Area, so I have to give it up for him. This album is solid throughout, but he truly shines on ‘Dreams Come True Girl’. It just has a cool old-school country feel to it that I find soothing.
#16
Fables
The Dodos – Time To Die
I read they introduced a vibraphone into their mix on this album, in addition to adding production from Phil Elk (The Shins and Fleet Foxes). This song still retains the heavy strumming and drum stomp sound from their last album, but the song seems more traditional with it’s harmonies and rhythms. Really nice.
#15
The Lonely Ones
Aceyalone (feat. Bionik) – Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones
Not since “All Balls Don’t Bounce” have I heard anything from the Fellowshop crew that I really liked. This song is a perfect mix of 50’s R&B and tight rhymes and flow.
#14
Walkabout
Atlas Sound (feat. Noah Lennox) – Logos
This song has the same addictive quality that I find in stuff from Panda Bear and Junior Boys. Some really catchy keyboard work and fluid vocals could put you into a trance if you weren’t too busy shaking your booty to the music.
#13
We Were Sick
The Thermals – Now We Can See
This would in my opinion, be categorized as Pop-Punk, which is a “genre” I normally poop on. This song has a very clean sound and is memorable for it’s 4 chords and simple 3-word pre-chorus (If I have misunderstood song structure with the last part, K&D will surely correct me).
#12
This Tornado Loves You
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Her voice is just intoxicating. This is bigger, with all of it’s layers, than some of her other memorable tunes. The soft guitar and piano are a perfect compliment to the long flowing verses of this song.
#11
Warm Heart of Africa
The Very Best (feat. Ezra Koenig) – Warm Heart of Africa
The heavy african influences of Vampire Weekend make Ezra Koenig the perfect compliment to The Very Best for this track,. World music meets bouncy Indie-Pop. So satisfying.
#10
Eden Was A Garden
Roman Candle – Oh Tall Tree in the Ear
This is just good old-fashioned indie rock with a country vibe. Nothing exotic or pretentious. This is one of my son’s favorite songs and after comparing it to the other songs in 2009, it definitely holds it own. Just listen.
#9
Young Adult Friction
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
For me, this song is all about the fast-paced keyboards. The vocals are so mellow that they are overpowered by the guitar, but in this case, that’s fine with me. The bridge is the best part.
#8
River
Akron/Family – Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free
This was a late addition to my list, as I slept on this release for quite some time. The solo’ish guitar parts throughout the song just do it for me.
#7
Friday XIII
Deer Tick – Born On Flag Day
After I saw the clip of them playing this live on KEXP, that sealed it. This is, to borrow from WIRED, country music with a small c; gritty and real. This song also has some nice vocals from Liz Isenberg and a great solo.
#6
Kiss the Ring
Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx Pt. II
I was a huge fan of Raekwon’s first album and it’s nice to see him return to form. It takes a brave soul to sample the legendary Elton John tune ‘Yellow Brick Road’ and turn it into something fresh. Raekwon hits it out of the park, with a powerful song on an album filled with gems.
#5
The Mountain
Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
Erika Wennerstrom’s kills it on this song. Her voice is just haunting. Another huge highlight on this song has to be the slide guitar and that chord progression, while hardly original, fits so well here.
#4
Whispered Words
Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
This song is total throwback. Dan Auerbach does the boogie-blues like nobody else and this song is a perfect example. It rambles along with a mellow but very catch rhythm and finishes with big guitar riffs and even bigger drums.
#3
While You Wait For The Others
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
For what it’s worth, I think this is the most rockin’ song on an incredibly solid album. ‘Two Weeks’ got more attention, and while it’s a lush, beautiful song, I believe this track showcases the true strengths of the group; infectious guitar, clever songwriting and harmonies for days and days.
#2
Lust For Life
Girls – Album
This songs represents everything I love about indie music: It’s catchy, guitar-driven with amusing lyrics and most importantly, the video has lots of attractive people in it (note: There is a NSFW version of the video, but I’m a family man now so I didn’t post it). Although ‘Lust For Life’ is over far too quickly, it builds within the first 45 seconds into something that will surely make you bounce around like an idiot.
#1
My Girls
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
This song and album are listed atop countless Top 10 lists for the year, so this is not by any means an original pick, but I don’t care. I have played this song so many times, I almost tired of it. Around 2:13 into the song it starts to hit hard. So dope. The best song of 2009.