favorite albums of 2009

In late November, I began to compile my end of the year music list. This is what I came up with then:

1. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
2. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
3. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
4. Titus Andronicus – the Airing of Grievances
5. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
6. Antlers – Hospice
7. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
8. Franz Nicolay – Major General
9. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
10. Sonic Youth – Eternal

After much rumination, here are my final albums — 19 albums, two EPs and one compilation album. Two albums that do not show up on my list — though they have incredible merit — are the Animal Collective and Decemberists releases. I figure, besides, that enough people have on their own lists. Consider them a tie for spot number 21.

As for my first pass — Titus Andronicus was technically released last year with a remaster issued in 2009 and Franz Nicolay, while a good album, doesn’t need to hold my 2009 love for the Hold Steady. And Antlers is a solid spin as well, but didn’t track as many listens as other 2009 albums in my iTunes.

1. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
2. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
3. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
4. Mos Def – the Ecstatic
5. Throw Me the Statue – Creaturesque
6. M.Ward – Hold Time
7. the Harlem Shakes – Technicolor Health
8. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
9. Destroyer – Bay of Pigs
9. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
10. HEALTH – GET COLOR
11. Sea Wolf – White Water, White Bloom
12. Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer
13. Jarvis Cocker (Further Complications, cameo in and song from Fantastic Mr. Fox)
14. Dark was the Night compilation
15. the Breeders – Fate to Fatal
15. Clues – Clues
16. Dan Auerbach – Keep it Hid
17. Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Links, Pt. 2
18. Port O’Brien – Threadbare
19. Sonic Youth – Eternal
20. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

And here’s the corresponding mixtape.

1. Port O’Brien – Tree Bones
2. Andrew Bird – Fitz and the Dizzy Spells
3. the Clues – Haarp
4. Sea Wolf – O Maria!
5. Mos Def – History (featuring Talib Kweli)
6. the Breeders – Fate To Fatal
7. Throw Me the Statue – Ancestors
8. Japandroids – Rockers East Vancouver
9. the Decemberists – The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid
10. Dirty Projectors – No Intention
11. the Harlem Shakes – Strictly Game
12. Sonic Youth – What We Know
13. HEALTH – Die Slow
14. Raekwon – Mean Streets
15. Jarvis Cocker – Fantastic Mr. Fox AKA Petey’s Song
16. Jarvis Cocker – I Never Said I Was Deep
17. Dan Auerbach – Whispered Words
18. Destroyer – Bay of Pigs
19. Neko Case – Polar Nettles
20. Grizzly Bear – While You Wait for the Others
21. Ruby Isle – My Girls (Animal Collective cover)
22. Sunset Rubdown – Paper Lace
23. White Denim – Regina Holding Hands
24. Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner – Big Red Machine (from Dark was the Night compilation)
25. Phoenix – Love Like A Sunset