Best of 2009: The Songs

In our digital day and age, the power of a song has never been greater: a song is a single key tap that can lead into years of spending—from whole album downloads to concert tickets and merchandise—or it can simply be a regrettable 99 cent purchase or more often, free download. Technology has also changed the way we listen to music, with more of an emphasis placed on mixes via iPods and CDs rather than whole albums.

For 2009, I've created two lists: one devoted to songs and another to albums. Many of the songs on this list may belong to excellent records, but they are chosen here because they can also stand alone as wholly conceived works of art. No example is better than my choice for the year's best: the 5:32 pastoral epic "Impressions of the Past" by Megafaun—a song that lazily drifts, grows dark and stormy, and then rips open like a shot of sunlight.

1) Megafaun -"Impressions of the Past" (from Gather, Form and Fly)
2) The Love Language - "Lalita" (from The Love Language)

3) White Denim - "Regina Holding Hands" (from Fits)
4) Brazos - "Day Glo" (from Phosphorescent Blues)

5) A.A. Bondy - "I Can See the Pines are Dancing" (from When The Devil's Loose)

6) Bon Iver - "Blood Bank" (fromBlood Bank EP)

7) Girls - " Hellhole Ratrace" (from Album)

8) Cotton Jones - "Blood Red Sentimental Blues" (from Paranoid Cocoon)

9) The National - "So Far Around The Bend" (from Dark Was The Night)

10) Throw Me The Statue - "Waving At The Shore" (from Creaturesque)

11) Dan Auerbach - "My Last Mistake" (from Keep It Hid)
12) Here We Go Magic - "Tunnelvision" (from Here We Go Magic)

13) Camera Obscura - "French Navy" (from My Maudlin Career)

14) Generationals - "When They Fight, They Fight" (from Con Law)

15) Dirty Projectors - "Stillness Is the Move" (from Bitte Orca)

16) Fanfarlo - "Finish Line" (from Reservoir)
17) JJ - "Things Will Never Be The Same Again" (from JJ N°)

18) YACHT - "Psychic City (Voodoo City)" (from See Mystery Lights)

19) Neon Indian - "Deadbeat Summer" (from Psychic Chasms)

20) Cass McCombs - "You Saved My Life" (from Catacombs)

21) Islands - "Vapours" (from Vapours)

22) Luke Top - "Friends" (from Friends)

23) Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - "Home" (from Up From Below)

24) Washed Out - "Feel It All Around" (from Life of Leisure EP)

25) Lands & Peoples - "Bad Habits" (from Lands & Peoples)

26) Molina and Johnson - "What You Reckon, What You Breathe" (from Molina and Johnson)

27) The Dutchess and the Duke - "Hands" (from Sunset / Sunrise)

28) Richard Hawley - "Don't Get Hung Up In Your Soul" (from Truelove's Gutter)

29) M. Ward - "Rave On" (from Hold Time)
30) Passion Pit - "Little Secrets" (from Manners)

Best of 2009: The Albums

Tom Petty: 27 Years of Live Music

Do you still remember your first time? The first CD I ever bought was by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. From the first chorus off 1991's Into The Great Wide Open—the effortlessly irresistible "Learning To Fly"—I was hooked. Never the most innovative or original, Tom Petty has nevertheless left an indelible mark on rock and roll as an unwavering anchor of simplicity and authenticity. Recording 10 albums with little more than the same five chord structures, Petty is in many ways the everyman's genius. His 51 song Live Anthology, released this past Monday, encapsulates his and the Heartbreakers' best moments from the last 27 years: a must have bookend for die-hard fans and a welcome mat to a younger generation. From quiet acoustic numbers ("Wildflowers") to screaming sing-alongs ("Breakdown") and obscure covers ("Friend of the Devil"), it's a dynamic collection from one of rock and roll's most consistently great sons.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Even The Losers" (from Live Anthology)

Headphones Make Everything Better, Sometimes

The right song on a pair of good headphones can be a transcendental experience. Seriously. Music, of course, is meant to be shared and heard amongst friends in large auditoriums and sun-drenched fields, but sometimes it's also solely an individual experience. Reflecting, daydreaming, or drowning out unwanted chatter, a pair of headphones is many ways a lens into a one-person world: one where the aperture is opened wide and shutter speed slowed, suspending time and space into a slow fluttering dance of tones and texture. Haven't tried it in a while? Cup your ears with one or all of these tasty sonic nuggets.

Megafaun - "Impressions of the Past" (from Gather, Form and Fly)

JJ - "Things Will Never Be The Same Again" (from JJ N° 2)

Molina and Johnson - "What You Reckon, What You Breathe" (from Molina and Johnson)

(Artwork by Luke Ramsey)

The Belle Game - "Shoulders & Turns"

Harmony has an incredible allure. Whether it's the Zombies or contemporary groups like Grizzly Bear and the Fleet Foxes, that combination of previously unconnected voices singing in unison produces an almost magnetic force. The Belle Game, a trio based out of Vancouver and Montreal, succeeds on that same platform. "Shoulders & Turns"—the first song off their first EP, Inventing Letters—is richly saturated with overlapping male and female vocals and performed with a deft balance of sounds both big and small.

The Belle Game - "Shoulders & Turns" (from Inventing Letters EP)

Support the band and buy their EP here.

Generationals - "When They Fight, They Fight"

Blowing brass, hand clapping, a down beat piano, and a rhythmic racket of banging bottles and tambourines lend New Orleans band the Generationals a Phil Spector-worthy wall of sound for "When They Fight, They Fight"—a lighthearted and endearing romp through doo wop and 1960s soul. Comprised of former Eames Era guitarists Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner, the Generationals are a lo-fi pop group with a large and variegated appetite tuned towards a rich past.

Generationals - "When They Fight, They Fight" (from Con Law)

Grizzly Bear's "Shift"—An A Capella Cover

To put it frankly: If you have any drugs, you should probably take them now.

Music: Levek - "Shift" (Grizzly Bear cover)
Video: Walt Disney's Melody Time

Grizzly Bear - "Shift" (acoustic)

Terrible Records: A Good Label

Brooklyn's Acrylics and Class Actress are part of a cast of young musicians signed to Terrible Records, a label recently launched by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor. Taylor, a talented multi-instrumentalist and producer, has previously proved his own immaculate taste with projects like Veckatimest, the Department of Eagles' In Ear Park, and Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson's debut—and now behind the desk at his own independent label, Taylor continues to help facilitate the creation of a diverse collection of excellent music.

Acrylics - "Lil Ivy" (from All of the Fire)

Class Actress - "Let Me Take You Out" (from Journal of Ardency)

Acrylics - "All of the Fire" (from All of the Fire)

Class Actress - "Careful What You Say" (from Journal of Ardency)

The Runaways - "Queens of Noise"

Celebrated as one of the first all-female hard rock groups, the Runaways were led by singers Cherie Currie and Joan Jett and the guitar shredding Lita Ford. Merely teenagers at the peak of their success, the band members were unfortunately marketed as jailbait (think Britney Spears circa "Baby One More Time"), but the Runaways nevertheless persevered as a group of bad ass rockers who could pen a classic tune or two (see "Cherry Bomb," "Midnight Music"). You can catch the whole story biopic-style next year with Kristen Stewart ("Adventureland") as Jett and Dakota Fanning ("Coraline") as Currie.

The Runaways - "Queens of Noise" (from Queens of Noise)

The Dirty Diamonds - "By Default"

A Chicago doo wop group that wears soulful love songs like a pair of worn, old and perfectly fitted jeans, The Dirty Diamonds are a small unsigned band that's worthy of plenty of praise. Dance, sing along or just sit back and take in that sweet polyphony: this band's for you. You can download the group's first EP here for free and below, the instant head buzz—"By Default."

The Dirty Diamonds - "By Default"

New Beach House: "Norway"

Once you've settled into the quiet, ethereal tones of Baltimore's Beach House, it becomes hard to take off that comfortable blanket of fuzzy textures and sound. After their overwhelming succes last year, the duo is now set to follow up Devotion with its Sub Pop debut, Teen Dream—due out January 26th. And yes, the album cover appears to be a bunch of zebra butts.

Beach House - "Norway" (from Teen Dream)

"Abel, come on. Give me the keys, man."

I like to make lists in that annoying Rob Fleming (High Fidelity) fashion: best Bob Dylan covers, top ten favorite films, greatest 80s songs not used on the Top Gun soundtrack or featured in a John Hughes movie, etc. But most important and dear to my heart is my top ten favorite songs of all-time list: a constantly evolving undertaking roughly eight years in the making. Last week I knocked off the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" at the tenth spot for a song by the National I haven't been able to shake since 2005—the deliriously crazed "Abel."

A loosely depicted narrative about the aftermath of a string of bad events that leads the narrator to loose all sense of control, "Abel" is a pounding whirlwind of emotion encapsulated by the simple and repeatedly screamed phrase "My minds not right." The song is anthemic in many ways, but it's not the type of chorus you can sing along to without seeming slightly manic or unbalanced—and yet that's precisely what makes it so perfect.

The National - "Abel" (from Alligator)

Brandi Carlile - "Dreams"

The first time I heard Brandi Carlile sing was in 2005 at a small advertising firm in New York City. Playing for about 30 or so creatives and ad persons in a conference room, Carlile's voice lit up the space with an explosion of unexpected sound, nearly rendering her and fellow bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth's acoustic guitars useless. It was a lot of noise from such a little person—and a beautifully battered sound at that, especially during her cover of Ray LaMontagne's "Jolene."

On her latest record, Carlile gets the Rick Rubin treatment as well as guest appearances from experienced talents like Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench. But what drives this record to its greatest moments is the same formula that has worked for Carlile all along: gut-wrenching vocal delivery teamed with the Hanseroth twins' timely harmonies and occasional songwriting contributions, the latter of which leads to the album's best song—"Dreams."

Brandi Carlile - "Dreams" (from Give Up The Ghost)

New Soft Pack: "Answer To Yourself"

Everybody Taste favorite the Soft Pack will be releasing their first record as the Soft Pack (not the Muslims) on Febuary 2 via Kemado Records. In preparation for the "debut," the band's already released a single—the stiff chord-strumming frenzy of "Answer To Yourself"—and a video for the song (watch it over at Stereogum). You can pre-order the album now at Insound.

The Soft Pack - "Answer To Yourself" (from The Soft Pack)

Previously:Look Out For: The Soft Pack

Live Review

Soft Pack cover Phoenix's "Fences"

Deer Tick to release four-song EP

The great rock and roll band that is Deer Tick is set to release a four-song EP on Dec. 1st to cap of a year in which they earned universal praise, from obscure taste makers to mainstream behemoths like NBC anchor Brian Williams and Rolling Stone. When I saw the band live earlier this year, it just clicked: this music is classic—something no trend or length of time can change.

The EP, More Fuel For The Fire, will include three new songs as well as a live take of their Chuck Berry-fueled barn burner "Straight Into A Storm." To celebrate the Tick, here's a cover John McCauley recorded two years back of the Sean Kingston chart-topper "Beautiful Girls."

Deer Tick - "Beautiful Girls" (Sean Kingston cover)

Trends suck, the Freelance Whales don't

The Freelance Whales song "Generator ^ 2nd Floor" is swelling orchestral pop music—unfortunately, a completely over-saturated style in contemporary indie rock (thank you Arcade Fire). However, if a song's good enough it can always stand on its own—and those meddling trends can be forgotten. Here, the banjo-plucking Freelance Whales make just that case.

Freelance Whales - "Generator ^ 2nd Floor" (from Weathervanes)

Must listen: Fat Freddy's Drop - "Boondigga"

A seven-piece concoction mixed with equal parts dub, reggae, funk, jazz and soul, Fat Freddy’s Drop is a dynamic and largely improvisatory group that plays what New Zealander’s call Aotearoa music—the native Māori people's name for New Zealand.

According to lore, the band came up with its name shortly after recording its first song—“Hope” in 1999—under the influence of LSD. The particular tabs featured the image of Fat Freddy’s Cat from the underground American comic strip, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. Comprised of former members of local acts like Bongmaster and The Black Seeds, Fat Freddy’s Drop could easily be cast aside as another hazy, half-baked idea of a band—but that’s nowhere near the case here.

The group's instrumentals are always inspired and delivered with uber-talent, from Mu’s layers of beats to the swinging three-pronged brass attack, keyboards, and an often wah-wah affected guitar. And then there’s Dallas Tamaira. Channeling soul legends like Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers, Tamaira's voice is an infectious honey-dripped instrument capable of no wrong—only right. Their latest record, Dr. Boondigaa & The Big BW, is their second full-length studio release.

Fat Fredd'y Drop - "Boondigga" (from Dr. Boondigga & The Big BW)

Digging For Covers: Camera Obscura gets Bossy

"Tougher Than The Rest" was released on Bruce Springsteen's 1987 album Tunnel Of Love. Because of the musical influence of the time period—cheesy synthesized organs and glossy production—the song was never a favorite of mine. But recently, under the guise of different artistic visions, its developed into somewhat of an addiction. First with Mike Vogel's remix—a dreamy landscape of texture—and now with Camera Obscura's—a performance brushed with fat strokes of reverb and loose swinging instrumentation. Camera Obscura's cover is featured on their "The Sweetest Thing" single as the B-Side. It's out now.

Camera Obscura - "Tougher Than The Rest" (Bruce Springsteen cover)

Bruce Springsteen - "Tougher Than The Rest" (Mike Vogel remix)

Vic Ruggiero: The Intersection of Ska and Old Time Jazz

Oftentimes, the best music travels by word of mouth from friends. For me, that's the case with Brooklyn ska band The Slackers—a band I might've never heard about if not played endlessly by a good friend. Fronted by the charismatic and often self-depricating singer Vic Ruggiero, the Slackers came about in the early 90s ska resurgence that saw bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish rise to soaring—albeit brief—heights. While the Slackers might not have caught on fire like those bands, they've also never suffered from a lack of inspiration. The group, so far, has hammered out 18 years of consistently great garage- and soul-friendly ska.

At the forefront is the distinctly Bronx-accented Ruggiero. Along with playing with the Slackers, the songwriter has spent the last ten years recording three solo records: all dominated by the acoustic guitar and a love for old-time big band music, the blues, and jazz. Perhaps Ruggiero's greatest solo accomplishment is the breezy "Lonely Nights"—a duet with fellow ska maestro Lisa Müller of the German group Black Cat Zoot.

Vic Ruggiero Ft. Lis Muller - "Lonely Nights" (from Something In My Blindspot)

The Slackers - "Rude and Reckless" (from Redlight)

Dawn Landes - "Straight Lines"

There are plenty of reasons to like Dawn Landes: she plays the glockenspiel, has a background in sound engineering, covers the likes of Peter Bjorn & John and Tom Petty, and is married to fellow folky Josh Ritter. Most importantly, she has a beautiful voice and sticks it to some pretty good tunes. I highly recommend Landes's excellent performance of "Straight Lines" on the Black Cab Sessions. Then dig into her brilliantly layered version of Harry Nilsson's "Life Line"—multi-tracked vocals and guitars shimmering with hypnotic and endearing quirk. (Photo by Wrapped In Piano Strings)

Dawn Landes - "Straight Lines" (from Straight Lines)

Dawn Landes - "Life Line" (Harry Nilsson cover)

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - "Death Cab For Cutie"

I'm not a Death Cab For Cutie fan. They're certainly talented, but not my cup of tea. However, I found it interesting to discover their name came from a song by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. A group who gained popularity performing in the British children's television show Do Not Adjust Your Set (which also featured future members of Monty Python). Paul McCartney was a fan and in 1967 asked the band to perform "Death Cab For Cutie" in the Magical Mystery Tour film. Big Star's Alex Chilton later recoreded a cover of the track for WLYX in Memphis in 1975.

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - "Death Cab For Cutie" (from Do Not Adjust Your Set)