Allison's Favorites of 2009

(Note: These are my favorites of 2009. They are probably not THE BEST by any means. But they are songs I discovered and loved throughout the past twelve months. When the song is from an album I thought was THE BEST, I put a double asterisk next to the artist name. Enjoy!)

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

"Ambling Alp" is a great example of how I should learn to be more patient. I had a complete Favorites of 2009 list and was ready to officially set it in stone. Then I woke up on a Monday morning and heard this. Then I walked to the train on that abnormally warm December morning and played it on repeat. I probably listened to it thirty times by the end of the day. The last song I absolutely loved in 2009 makes the perfect first track to this collection.

Jemina Pearl - Ecstatic Appeal

It's like this girl reached inside of my head, pulled out all of my thoughts, put them on paper as lyrics, and then wrote a fun pop song. Oh, the joys of being a Gemini! (NOTE: Ignore the images and just listen to the music. Why is there not a normal YouTube clip of this yet?)

Phoenix** - 1901

Certainly, this is the Song of 2009. "1901" was a staple to any good dance night or party; the perfect climax to a stiflingly hot, incredibly fun Phoenix show in DC; and gave three exhausted travelers the ability to shout "Phoenix in Phoenix!" on the last night of the whirlwind Square States trip.

Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy

Maybe this is cheating, but I don't care. A new - a better! - version of "Skeleton Boy" was released in 2009, and it gets a spot on my favorites list for the following reasons: a) an amazing video with the band as dancing skeletons (i.e. perfect in my book), b) seeing them play the Paradise a couple weekends ago was like watching three best friends throw an incredible party onstage, and c) I too harshly judged Friendly Fires in 2008 and would like to take back any disparaging things I said about their record.

Passion Pit** - Moth's Wings

The hype surrounding Passion Pit was (still is?) a little insane. When the record came out, I listened to it on repeat for a few weeks, which might have been too much of a good thing. "Moth's Wings" still stands out as my favorite song off of Manners, and it's the only one I listen to frequently - at times, daily. I'm happy I got to see them play a secret show at Great Scott earlier in the year. Now I don't feel bad about not forking over $30 to see them play the House of Blues in 2010.

Japandroids** - Sovereignty

The recipe to a disastrously hungover Tuesday morning: a Tremblay brother, an unknown number of PBRs, Japandroids at Great Scott, and being the last two people in the place besides the guy behind the bar. This show was awesome. This record is incredible. Maybe I should have picked "Young Hearts Spark Fire" or "The Boys are Leaving Town" for this list; either is a better, more accessible introduction to these guys. But you know what? It's raining in Vancouver, and I don't give a fuck.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart** - Contender

Simply put: wonderfully noisy indie pop.

Princeton - Show Some Love, When Your Man Gets Home

Their name sums up the first 1:45 of this song: sort of stuffy, kind of pretentious, ivy league tedium. Then, all I want to do is put on a cute little dress and have a little dance party alone in my room.

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

The consistent pounding of the keys, the vocal harmonies. Slightly sweeping effect. I like this song.

Bat for Lashes - Daniel

The sexiest song of 2009.

XX** - Heart Skipped a Beat

This song (and this record) wins the award for "Album I'm Most Likely Walking Around Listening To At Night On Backroads So I Can Lip-synch And No One Will Notice." Every song is so simple that they're complex. The perfect balance of guy/girl dueling. It's subtle and alluring, and something I still haven't been able to stop listening to for weeks now.

Metric** - Blindness

Emily Haines has officially become my idol. Metric is sneaking its way into my list of favorites ever.

Doves - Kingdom of Rust

On every album Doves releases, there are always one or two excellent movie-moment-esque songs that I latch onto and consequently forget to listen to the record of the record. "Kingdom of Rust" is that track.

Owen** - Good Friends, Bad Habits

Owen released an album this year. That's all you need to know, really. (Also, that he is perfect.)

AA Bondy - Mightiest of Guns

Possibly the most beautifully sad song of 2009. My favorite lyric of the year also comes from this: "tomorrow I'll be out of my mind / the bear will dance and the organ will grind / and I'm laughing because I know there ain't no sin / all the world on the head of a pin / turning fast beneath the mightiest of guns."

Noah and the Whale** - Stranger/Blue Skies

In a way, I kind of cheated again. I took the last two minutes of "Stranger" (which, oddly, is my least favorite song on this album) and stuck it onto the beginning of "Blue Skies." It just seems so much more cohesive that way. This record drove me to drink. For a week straight. It's that good and that depressing. (NOTE: This video does not have the "Stranger" beginning. If I give you a copy of the mix, you'll have to combined track. This video is a trailer for the movie the band made to go with the album. I've not seen it. I'm terrified that it will throw me back into another bender...)

Loney, Dear - I Was Only Going Out

Hands down: Favorite Song of 2009.