Top 5 Albums of 2009

My Top 5 albums of the year are;


1.Rx Bandits - Mandala

Favorite Track : "My Lonesome Only Friend"


2.Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Favorite Track : "Temecula Sunrise"


3.Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist

Favorite Track : "Mornings"


4.The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Favorite Track: "Worm Mountain"


5.Big D & the Kids Table - Fluent In Stroll

Favorite Tracks: "Describing the Sky", "I I I", "Down Around Here"

Honorable Mentions;
Grizzly Bear - The Veckatamist
Soulive - Up Here
Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP
The Mars Volta - Octahedron
Everytime I Die - New Junk Aesthetic

Rx Bandits was my far and away favorite but the rest were kinda tricky. I wrestled between Dirty Projectors and Portugal. The Man, and although The Satanic Satanist has more staying power for me, I ultimately think Bitte Orca is the superior album. What initially caught my attention and ended up setting them apart for me was the excellent use of the human voice and harmony. The beautiful and intricate arrangements that David Longsreth and the crew put together in the name of pop music is just outstanding.

Embryonic was everything I didn't know I wanted from the Flaming Lips. They brought back their noisey past by way of kraut-rock inspired grooves. The fearless and dramatic turn that the Lips took really defines why they are one of my favorite bands.



The Veckatamist was close to making the cut but I had to give it to Fluent In Stroll. Big D really went for it with this record and it fucking payed off. Its a shame, but Big D is really the only band doing something new and creative with ska. But be warned, although ska influenced, it is by no means a ska record. What it is, is a record full of sunny and up-beat inventiveness.



Octahedron, which I thought was just ok at first, has grown on me quite a bit. Although not my favorite Volta, its a new side of them and makes for a great record in their long discography. The new Animal Collective EP is also great with "What Would I Want Sky" being down-right infectious.

What ended up winning me over this year were the bands that did something new and progressive with their sound. All the records in my top 5 are departures from the respective artists usual sound. This sense of freshness and exploration is what I love in music, and these bands really embodied it this year.