December 18, 2009
Here they are. Our compilation of the best of what 2009 brought.
| 20 | La Roux La Roux The latest blew up-in-Britain electro-pop that’s just ready to breakthrough in the States. |
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| 19 | Iron & Wine Around the Well Alt-folk superstar shines even on his b-sides. |
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| 18 | The Dandy Warhols The Dandy Warhols Are Sound The way Welcome To The Monkey House was meant to be heard. |
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| 17 | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Guitar fuzz thankfully returns to pop music. Full review |
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| 16 | The Temper Trap Conditions Power pop with a distinctively sharp edge. Full review |
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| 15 | Duckworth Lewis Method Duckworth Lewis Method Who knew cricket pop could be so damn fun? |
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| 14 | The Postmarks Memoirs From the End of the World James Bond would dig this album. Full review |
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| 13 | Fanfarlo Reservoir This unique and highly innovative band puts together gentle, yet lively layers of mesmerizing sounds, creating incomparable pieces that stay ringing in your head even hours after. Full review |
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| 12 | Grizzly Bear Veckatimest Art rock at its absolute finest, Grizzly Bear have produced a collection of stunning, orchestral masterpieces. |
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| 11 | Peter Bjorn & John Living Thing Your favorite Swedish invaders are back in force. Full Review |
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| 10 | Matt & Kim Grand The infectious rhythm & cheer of Brooklyn’s favorite couple goes Grand. Full review |
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| 9 | Röyksopp Junior Eccentric, fun, and brain-massaging electronic gems. Full review |
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| 8 | Regina Spektor Far In following up her success of Begin To Hope, pop virtuosa Spektor straddles extremes and turns them into a devastatingly beautiful genre contradiction. Full review |
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| 7 | Passion Pit Manners Indietronica taken to lovely new heights. Full review |
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| 6 | The xx xx And against all odds, the only-just-post-adolescent South Londoners not only live up to the hype, but completely surpass it. Full Review |
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| 5 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz! Yeah Yeah Yeahs embrace their pop instincts, and have never sounded more at home. Full Review |
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| 4 | Mew No More Stories / Are Told Today / I’m Sorry / They Washed Away // No More Stories / The World Is Grey / I’m Tired / Let’s Wash Away The most artistic, powerful, and complex rock album of the year. Full review |
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| 3 | Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion Complex sounds taken with new ambition to breakthrough success. Full review |
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| 2 | Bat For Lashes Two Suns With rare elegance and mystery, Natasha Khan delivers a thoroughly engaging and challenging pop album while channeling great songstresses of the past. Full review |
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| 1 | Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Delivering on all levels with soaring vocals, playful yet insanely addictive melodies, witty lyrics and extraordinarily catchy & caffeinated choruses. Full review |
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