#1 Album of 2009

Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Glassnote

Phoenix deserves the recent Grammy nomination and the worldwide recognition it’s getting for crafting 40 minutes of near-perfect ear candy for the synth-loving generation. On Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, the Parisians reveal how to transform ‘80s cheese into an album of spunky pop effervescence and experimental wonder.

#2

Japandroids – Post-Nothing
Polyvinyl

My love for this album is as vapid and shallow as its lyrics, which are passionate odes to lust and reckless young behavior. The loud, lo-fi debut, a messy mastery by two dudes from Vancouver, is ferociously alive with rollicking drum fills, biting guitar licks, and unison shouting.

#3

St. Vincent – Actor
4AD

On Annie Clark’s second album under the St. Vincent moniker, her angelic voice haunts and her cinematic orchestra recalls romantic French cinema. Then she pulverizes all that beauty with ferociously angry synths and irregular chord progressions, twisting Actor into one of the most thrilling, startling rides of the year.

#4

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Warp

Songs on Veckatimest build on 2006’s critically acclaimed Yellow House, adding a fourth dimension with layered vocals, hints of dreamlike ambient guitar, and swelling choruses. “Two Weeks” finds the four-member band at its best; frontman Ed Droste’s voice floats over bright, sparkling piano like a honey-sweet Jens Lekman.

#5

The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
American

Seriously: how often do you find a band that writes utterly sincere music, masters the spirit of Appalachian punk and folky balladry, and gets Rick Rubin to produce an absolutely flawless tribute to love? Once. Get your hands on this album.

#6

Dan Auerbach – Keep it Hid
Nonesuch

He’s no Barry White, but The Black Keys’ guitarist takes sexy to a new level on a solo album full of blues-ridden rock and soulful crooning, where the slow churning ballads are as hot as the barnburners.

#7

Metric – Fantasies
Metric Music International

Emily Haines continues her rein as hottest frontwoman of the decade. As she wails atop skittering drums and hooky electronics, your legs are prone to cramping from all the uncontrollable dancing you’ll be doing.

#8

White Rabbits – It’s Frightening
TBD

If the members of Spoon had a musical baby, it would sound a lot like White Rabbits. Boasting tribal dual drumming, spastic keyboard plunking, and scratchy, indier-than-though vocal stylings, It’s Frightening is a blast of hipster greatness.

#9

Bowerbirds – Upper Air
Dead Oceans

Months of my summer were devoted to Upper Air. I woke up to the delicate piano of “Northern Lights”, fell asleep to the harp-like finger picking on “Crooked Lust,” and spent countless hours in between telling all my friends about the spacious, natural beauty this North Carolina duo captured.

#10

M. Ward – Hold Time
Merge

Embarrassing secret: I was so stuck on the timeless energy of M. Ward’s latest masterpiece that, while listening to his Buddy Holly cover, it took me five listens before I realized he was not crooning “when you say I love you, I say Ray Vaughn.” It was “Rave On.” (Though I think a tribute to Vaughn would have been quite nice, as well.)

Ten Days of Top Albums

It's like the 12 days of Christmas, but better! It's the ten days in which I count down my ten favorite albums of 2009. The list will be featured in its entirety in the Cleveland Scene, but I wanted to... you know... give you guys some suspense, and uh, blog candy for the next week or so.

I'll just give you a two sentence summary of each album, unless I feel like getting extravagant. But I'm feeling extra short and snippy lately, so relish in the fact that you can be lazy and only need to read small amounts to learn about the greatest music of all time (of this year, at least).

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

P.S. Can you tell from my picture that I cannot contain my excitement?!
P.P.S. Can you tell from my picture that I cannot contain my hair?!
P.P.P.S. Can you tell from my picture that I have not re-decorated my room since the 5th grade?! Butterflies, thrilling!!