This post is late to the party, but it can never be too late to discuss good music. My criteria for good music really comes down to whether it is something that can be listened to repeatedly and enjoyed thoroughly, whether it is because of the music itself, the lyrical content, or a combination thereof. Yes, this is highly subjective, but why shouldn’t it be? Music means so much to me and I know what I like when I hear it, and that is simply enough for me. Without further rambling, and in no particular order, here are my top 10 albums of 2009:
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
This is schizophrenic sample-and-synthesizer-based music at its best. Probably best described as a post-modern pastiche of XTC and the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds”, Animal Collective’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion” grabbed my attention several months after its release, but I am very glad that it forced its way into my consciousness. The music demands patience to listen to initially, but the payoff is found while being submersed in layers and layers of sound and vocal harmonies. This is definitely a love it or hate it type of record, though, and is not the type of album to be pushed on a casual music listener.
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
It is hard to believe this band has been around for 18 years and nine albums. Considering the turmoil they have created for themselves throughout their career and the relatively short shelf-life their fellow Seattle grunge bands have had, it is no small feat that Pearl Jam released their strongest effort since 1994’s “Vitalogy”. “Backspacer” reflects the thoughts and feelings of a 40-something Eddie Vedder, all grown up and now a parent of two. Having reached a similar stage in my life, it is impossible for me to not relate to much of what Vedder has to say. Oh, and the band completely rocks out the music.
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Often labeled as an alt-country artist out of sheer laziness, Neko Case delivered a stunning album that runs deep with songs that use the power of nature as the metaphorical backdrop. The songs on “Middle Cyclone” are often hauntingly beautiful, but even when listening to one of the most sorrowful sounding songs, “Don’t Forget Me”, one can’t help but laugh at the dark sense of humor that Neko delivers within it:
In the summer by the poolside
While the fireflies are all around you
I’ll miss you when I’m lonely
I’ll miss the alimony too
Deadmau5 - For Lack of a Better Name
Making electronic/DJ music at its absolute finest, Deadmau5, aka Joel Zimmerman, has redefined the genre by incorporating samples, a chaotic mix of analog synths, and live vocals in a way that no one else has. Though his previous effort, “Random Album Title”, was great, “For Lack of a Better Name” is mesmerizing from start to finish. It is a complete effort without filler. Zimmerman keeps the beat moving and the music interesting with subtle changes that key the listener to something exciting to come next. This is the album that got me interested again in the branch of electronica that isn’t represented by The Chemical Brothers or The Crystal Method. Deadmau5 does it like no one else.
Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
See my full review here. Nothing much about my opinion of the album has changed. If anything, it is even more engaging than before. I continue to hear new things in the music and new angles to the lyrics. The musicianship just blows me away. Go get this album if you haven’t already.
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
The boys from Scotland returned in 2009 with a much more assured album than 2005’s “You Could Have Had It So Much Better”. With songs built from the bass line up, this is a solid New Wave revival dance album filled with hooks, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and plenty of surprises. The almost-eight-minute-long “Lucid Dreams” is reason enough to listen to the album as the last half of the song is an electronic dance instrumental. If you don’t get up and dance to this album you probably never dance at all.
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Kick-ass prog metal concept album concerned with Tsarist Russia, wormholes, and out of body experiences—what’s not to like? Add to that mix a four-part song cycle in the middle of the album that clocks in at over 10 minutes and you have the very definition of intense music. The members of Mastodon are some of the finest instrumentalists in the world of rock music, but until now much of that skill has been hidden in muddy production and limited to live performance. The sheer power and skill displayed on this album is what keeps me coming back for more.
Moby - Wait For Me
Moby’s return to power. It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the seminal “Play” was released, yet it had been a disappointing decade for new Moby records. It seemed like he was desperately trying to recapture the magic of that album with “18”, followed up by two less stellar efforts. With “Wait For Me”, Moby has crafted a very personal album filled with songs of melancholy, regret and mourning built around beautiful melodies. There isn’t a hint of electronic dance here, just some beautiful, reflective songs.
Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
With lyrics ranging from playful to melancholy to regretful, “The Album” represents the acceptance of the unpredictability of life. This album connected with me on a deeply personal level during the months of July through September when I needed this kind of connection most. Sometimes we all hear what we need to hear and get what we need to get at exactly the right time. Thank you, Jeff Tweedy, for capturing your thoughts and emotions and transforming them into universal truths.
U2 - No Line On the Horizon
Though I stated at the beginning that this list would be in no particular order, I admit to saving my favorite album for last. This is the U2 album I have been waiting, no, pining for since 1991’s “Achtung Baby”. Yes, I have enjoyed the intervening albums for what they were, but major faults could always be found with each. Whether it is due to the band giving over more of the production reins to Brian Eno or just serendipity, “No Line On the Horizon” finds U2 back at their experimental best. It is an album filled with layers of sound and moods and only the slightest missteps, but those are still a lot of fun to hear. This is what elevates the album to one of the very best U2 have ever made. “No Line On the Horizon” is bombastic when it needs to be, quietly unnerving at precisely the right moments, and revelatory throughout.
Monday, January 18, 2010 at 10:32PM 
The first time I heard a Vampire Weekend song two years ago, I was less than impressed and never gave them a chance, particularly after reading some unfavorable comments regarding how they ripped off some great Afro-pop and were just a bunch of rich kids from Columbia. Unfair? Sure, but that first song I heard simply didn’t appeal to me and that was really enough to make up my mind.
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