Music: Our Top 15 Albums of 2009

It’s unavoidable: Bitte Orca is a challenge. There’s absolutely no allegiance to traditional structures or signatures, and the three vocalists (Longstreth, along with Deradoorian and rhythm guitarist Amber Coffman) effortlessly play with each other’s voices through harmony and note-hopping gymnastics throughout. Still, Bitte Orca manages to be utterly listenable, lithe and concise. There’s no fluff here, no filler tracks. Rarely is such a brainy record so purely enjoyable.

Opener “Cannibal Resource” introduces the rest of the album as well as any lead track could. The off-kilter time signature, layers of vocal harmony and intermittent claps are pinned together by Longstreth’s guitar, which is remarkable considering the fact that the guitar only appears occasionally in the tune. Right away we’re asked to cope with the agility of the group’s songwriting, and yet here it is, track one, utterly melodic and memorable. “Temecula” and “The Bride” scream Jimmy Page immediately with both tune and production, slowing down the frenetic mood leftover from track one. Their ease and accessibility are sequestered for “Stillness Is the Move”, a jaunting, toe-tapping tune that introduces female lead vocals and a modest dose of four on the floor relief. “Two Doves” brings things even closer to earth with its loose homage to Nico’s version of Jackson Browne’s “These Days”. “Useful Chamber” — a sort of title track — brings Longstreth’s Page fantasy to fruition with a mid-song breakdown and fuzzed-out guitar chorus. Another highlight is transition-tune “No Intention”, a sweetly sung pop swash hoisted by intricate guitar noodling and soaring falsettos. All the while, Longstreth’s skills are met with remarkable technical precision from the rest of the band. As often as he is referred to as the driving force of this group, he’s been unbelievably generous with the group — they’re given the keys and asked to drive throughout.

At any point on this record, the ensemble is struggling between pop fancy and compositional esotericism, and though many will find the songs busy or overwhelming, careful listens reveal an astounding restraint in these arrangements. After years of burgeoning home recordings and rotating band members, Longstreth has released his most shining accomplishment yet — one that will earn him attention in circles that might surprise him. Longtime fans that are frustrated with increased accessibility take note: Bitte Orca might be more accessible than anything prior, but it’s certainly not any less dense. Easily one of 2009’s most gratifying and addictive listens. -Paige Maguire

2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

AC’s unlikely career arc brought them to a juncture at the end of 2008—the one-time über-obscure sound collagists found themselves about to release one of the most anticipated, and ultimately most rewarding, albums of the year. And while all the LSD-esque videos and trance-inducing live shows could lead one to believe this act is all fun and spacegames, behind all the sonic fireworks and flawless production was the sound of a group confident in their adulthood: as their most mature lyrics yet suggest, it was a time to reflect on family and loss, growing up and settling down. The proof is in almost every movement of the trio’s most refined and ambitious LP; for example, see how “My Girls” was one of the year’s most romantic singles, and “Brothersport” was a testimony to surviving the loss of a father. All that emotional intensity neatly locked in a day-glo package that acted more as a victory lap than a dirge.

In the end, despite debbie-downers’ best efforts to naysay Merriweather Post Pavilion (“they don’t play real instruments,” “Avey’s voice is annoying,” “the songs are too long,” “they aren’t as crazy as they used to be”), none of those sentiments managed to hold much water. Simply said, this album—with its depth and range, its unrelenting complexity and pop sensibility—is one of the few that lived up to ultra-high expectations, and it served not just as the culmination of a stellar discography, but also as a sign of more great things to come. -Nick Courtright

3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

The moment that spirited, catchy keyboard intro to "Two Weeks" hit our ears, we were in love. It hasn't left our "Top 25 most played" list on iTunes since May, but it still feels refreshing each time we press play. Grizzly Bear took a gutsy move and released the single long before the full-length record, which left critics and fans red-in-the-face with anticipation and with a laundry list of expectations. After the initial judgment of Veckatimest wore off, we were left with a dissected, but still amazing piece of work. It's true that some songs like "Dory" and "About Face" drown behind the radiant "Ready, Able" and "While You Wait for the Others". But the essence Veckatimest lacks is superseded by the fact that Grizzly Bear has now navigated into God-like rankings. Upon release the album reached No. 8 on the US Billboard 200 chart, showing that it's a bit more palatable than previous, less-polished work like Friend and Horn of Plenty. Luckily in this case, clearer, more accessible songs didn't equate to a formulaic, stripped-down version of what made them popular in the past (sorry, Kings of Leon).

Veckatimest isn't soaring the year-end charts just because of its hipster marketability, however. There's something more. It's resilient and timeless. This year, many were easily bored by the ubiquitous synth pop madness and hyper-electronic noise on the scene. Grizzly Bear's sound takes us back to a simpler, more genuine time in music and warms the heart with camp firey goodness. The chamber pop melodies peppered with a fluctuating backdrop of harmonies fill the soul with drunken sunshine. That omnipresent combination of simplicity and complexity is what many musicians attempt, where only a few—Grizzly Bear included—succeed. -Candace Birkelbach

4. Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Elvis Perkins in Dearland

With the sparse opening guitar notes of "Shampoo," Elvis Perkins looks as though he's headed toward another singer-songwriter record like debut Ash Wednesday. But then birds chirp, a second guitar joins in, an organ appears, and a crash of drums brings Perkins into panoramic, Grand Canyon widescreen. Fans of his debut knew that Perkins could write a great song, but what they might not have suspected was just how much a talented permanent band could push his music to new heights. Let us be clear: Perkins sounds bigger, brighter, and more polished than before, but the sense that melancholy lurks is still here at most times. The sheer range of instrumentation on display (harmonicas! marching band bass drums!) can sometimes mask the bittersweet sentiment, but also serves to emphasize the flashes of joy in this material. On a record that goes from "Black is the color of a strangled rainbow" to "I don't mind if you dream out loud!" in a matter of minutes, it seems oddly sensible to have an orchestra of sounds and styles bouncing around the album. What we love most is that Perkins can remind us at times of proven song craftsmen like Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and Leonard Cohen, but never for a moment is he aping them. Elvis Perkins In Dearland is the sound of a mature and talented songwriter finding his stride, and the panoply of emotion and sound here are cohesive and uniformly impressive. As Perkins sings on the record: "Raise the warning...the beginning is near." We can't wait to hear what's next. - Tom Thornton

5. Bill Callahan - I Wish We Were an Eagle

I Wish We Were an Eagle may be the comeback album of the year. That isn’t to say the long-rewarding Bill Callahan really ever went anywhere—he didn’t—but it seemed like this album, in a year of highly-anticipated releases, blew into awesomeness from that fine land known as “under the radar.” And while we can blame a continuing transitional stage between Callahan’s Smog project and going by his own name, there’s no doubt that Eagle embodies the full realization of a new incarnation, and is a testament to a lifetime of craft: without question, this album was one of the most subtly ambitious, haunting, and beautiful of the year. All that, plus Callahan’s role as a bona fide Austin resident, makes both his national acclaim and well-deserved placement on this list a particular pleasure.

Utilizing delicate yet deceptively ornate arrangements to lift up some of his most inspired lyrics (without ever threatening to drown them out), the nine tracks of I Wish We Were an Eagle fit together like a complete work, rather than a collection of independent efforts. Despite this unity, each track is in and of itself an example of attentiveness to songcraft: “Eid Ma Clack Shaw” may be the greatest song ever about waking up in the middle of the night and jotting down a brilliant idea, only to realize the next morning that what you wrote was gibberish, “All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast” has a hardness to it that is both unnerving and captivating, and opener “Jim Cain” is a stunning tone-setter. Capping it all off is the epic “Faith/Void,” an almost ten minute journey through the abyss that ties up this fantastic collection, ensuring that Callahan’s next album has exactly zero chance of slipping by unnoticed. Nick Courtright

6. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Phoenix have been kicking around indie-pop landscape for a decade, but Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has pushed them squarely into the public eye. The band have admitted working for ages to hone every last second of the record, and the meticulous work ethic shows. For starters, the record is sublimely catchy - to the degree that upon first listen, our toddler requested multiple repeats of "Lisztomania" from her car seat. Much like Spoon wowed us with "The Underdog" and "Don't You Evah", Phoenix have somehow revised their sound just enough that it represents something concurrently more mature, polished, and accessible. It's a subtle shift, to be sure - past tunes like "Long Distance Call" and especially "If I Ever Feel Better" were solid pop songs - but Phoenix have reached a career pinnacle here, and it is gratifying to see them find a big American audience as a result. Among the album's many highlights, the short three minutes of "1901" are just about perfect, with an insistent tempo coupling with keyboards The Killers wish they'd made up into a brooding and anthemic pop treat. The constant counterpunch of bright, perfect sonics with bittersweet lyrics works with consistency throughout the album, and moves Phoenix from 'the band who could' to 'the band who have'. Watching them at La Zona Rosa last week, there was an unmistakable sense of triumph and confidence on display, and rightfully so. Bravo and bien fait! - Tom Thornton

7. 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 Danish trio Mew have been perfecting their brand of prog-pop for years. On No More Stories, they work even harder at hinging the experimental to the more sublime and melodic, Jonas Bjerre's lilting vocals square in the middle of it all. They've hovered in this strange position in the U.S. for quite some time: well-liked and critically praised yet somehow remaining on the outside of the sort of feverish success they deserve. Each album builds on the last's theatrics, making the following of their work an investment of sorts -- they're not thumbing their nose at traditional pop music, they're simply reorganizing its parts for greater effect. -Paige Maguire

8. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms

Alan Palomo took a step away from his bright, hi-fi group Vega this year and reemerged as Neon Indian - a recording project wherein he re-imagnines the stock of smooth rock and dance from decades past and pumps it with a hazy, nonchalant sheen.

Psychic Chasms kicks off with the splintered pop stutter of "(AM)", collapses a Todd Rundgren sample into a tasty groove with "Deadbeat Summer," and pumps up the fuzzy jams with "Mind, Drips."

A clever and accessible record that expands on the best of Ariel Pink's broken discography, Psychic Chasms boasts charms with layer upon gauzy layer. -Adam Schragin

9. Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free With a sound perhaps best described as Bacchanalian, the dizzying Akron/Family’s constant is cock-eyed optimism. It certainly seems like every sonic phrase this mock-cult "family" touches takes on a bearded, barefoot life of its own, all of them scampering vertiginously onward in the practice of freak-folk’s highest ambition: musical animism. The lyrical phrase "sometimes things that are still sometimes appear to move" is a thesis statement for their new album, Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free, which, through the power of funk grooves, breathes life into an all too often flat and tinny genre.

Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free is Akron/Family’s first outing as a trio; Ryan Vanderhoof left late in 2007 to live in a Buddhist retreat. Further fanning fears of departure from their signature updated psychedelic rock was a parting of the ways with Michael Gira’s label, Young God Records—a champion of experimental Americana. But with this album, Seth Olinsky, Miles Seaton and Dana Janssen not only validate their self-produced vision; the scattershot, jam-band instincts of past Akron/Family records are reined in, resulting in less distracting musical shrapnel than 2007’s Love Is Simple. Structured tracks "Everyone is Guilty," "River," and "Set ‘Em Free Pt.1" show enough discipline to construct a solid platform from which listeners can survey undomesticated tracks like "Gravelly Mountains of the Moon," which reassures us that with Akron/Family, the more things change, the more they’ll stay the same.

Akron/Family revels in a kind of musical alchemy, most evident here on "Sun Will Shine," a rock anthem that eventually dissolves deliriously into an alcohol-drenched round of "Auld Lang Syne." If that doesn’t bring a smile to your face, you’re either a teetotaller or inconsolable. On the other hand, songs that can be used for mind-expansion often simply expand too far— too far, at least, to be enjoyed in a non-altered mood. For this reason, the bloated track "Creatures" fails, its horns sounding wheedling and needy. "MBF" is also a fatty low-point.

But bright, eager moments of effortless charm are plentiful on Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free. "River" is a highlight, starting with airy call-and-response that turns around on itself into the resolve of military drums. With the catchy lyrics "a wordless whisper sighs and pleas, little deaths envelop thee, you and I and a flame makes three," it’s one of those songs that become traveling companions.

In fact, the entire album has an outdoorsy feel to it; "They Will Appear" is a fleshy track with the essence of campfire promises, and the prominence of three-part harmonies throughout creates an intimacy that convinces the listener we’re running with a pack of friends. It’s no wonder, then, that Akron/Family once famously paraded its audience right out the doors of Emo’s and into the streets of Austin for a shirtless sing-a-long. Gauzy, simply entrancing songs like "Many Ghosts" allow them to play the role of a benevolent, Puck-ish Pied Piper, and we couldn’t be happier to follow along. -Rachael Sawyer

10. The Strange Boys - ...And Girls Club

Plenty of bands comb the annals of rock ‘n’ roll for inspiration but cream of the crop harbors that essential ability to refine those influences into a breath of fresh air. The Strange Boys have assimilated the sounds of years gone by into timeless melodies, assembling a highly addictive collection of garage-pop nuggets in the process. Elements of R&B, soul, psychedelia, and surf rock can all be found on their impressive debut full-length And Girls Club, released on In The Red records this past March. Ryan Sambol’s lackadaisical, nasal vocals fit in perfectly with the jangling guitars, irresistible hooks, and easy-on-the-ears grooves, and although deciphering the lyrics is no easy task, the tongue-in-cheek humor and slacker cynicism slowly reveals itself throughout the record, further augmenting the already enjoyable ditties. Their street cred checks out too -- they were introduced to their US label In The Red by Jay Reatard, are now with Rough Trade Records worldwide (The Arcade Fire, The Strokes), and have backed the legendary Roky Erickson on stage. The Boys’ have laid down a concrete foundation for their career with And Girls Club, and having enlisted a few new members already, we can safely say that the future looks bright. We’re especially excited at the prospect of the saxophone being utilized to add some extra spice to the retro flavors and we eagerly await the release of Be Brave next February. - Adi Anand

11. Girls - Album

If Album were a film, it would be hailed by critics as “one of the most life-affirming experiences of the year.” Even completely ignorant of the band’s insane backstory—frontman Christopher Owens had to flee the abusive ‘Children of God’ cult in which he was raised—you’d still hear unmistakably the sound of something beautiful being made out of something sad.

Out of little more than a guitar and Owens’ tumbling routine approach to vocals, Girls have created on Album a lusty, visceral, perpetually fertile stretch of surf in which forty years of American pop music frolic. Although there is little indulgence in their stripped naked-down-to-the-guitar sound, the entire album itself extends the listener an invitation to indulgence.

Although Girls certainly benefited from the element of surprise to their critical takeover, the more we listen to Album, the more we love it. The single “Lust For Life,” bewitched critics with hovering treble guitar riffs in one of the year’s biggest breakthrough stories.

Owens, in his choked croon, sings “I wish I had a boyfriend, I wish had a loving man in my life, I wish I had a father, maybe then I would have turned out right.” By the second verse, he’s pining for a suntan, pizza, and a bottle of wine. Then the effect of turning the ‘longing for simple pleasures’ pop formula on its head hits home. It’s a wrenching shoo-bop laced tune about deprivation. The rest of the album follows suit, with heartbreaking, straightforward lyrics expressing what dreamy pop does best: longing. It’s almost perverse that Album is just so fun to listen to. -Rachael Sawyer

12. Dan Deacon - Bromst

From the slow ramping up of opening track “Build Voice” to the last trickles of its final track, “Get Older,” Bromst is an example of an already-singular artist coming even further into his own, carving out a territory of accessible weirdness capable of brightening just about any situation. If his loopy, frustrating, yet sometimes-astounding previous release, Spiderman of the Rings, made anybody think Deacon wasn’t serious, the evolution present in Bromst offers ample evidence that while once upon a time Deacon could have been pegged as nothing more than a party favor of an artist, his mad genius/lunatic approach is now officially making good on the promise of his rapture-inducing live shows.

While every track here is universally Deacon-ish (rampantly energetic; could potentially give you a heart attack, etc.), thus making the album a bit of a bear to listen to all the way through, its immediate and lasting strength is found in its ability to thrill from any random jumping-in point. Because of this, highlights are abundant, such as the tellingly titled “Woof Woof,” which provides more than enough entertainment for everyone from the amped up college-goer to the age-old hippie to the toddler dancing in the way only toddlers can dance. And these types of sugar rushes can be found all over Bromst, proving that, when in thirst of a glee-filled jaunt through repetitive mania, there is no better place to go than to a certain bespectacled mastermind from Baltimore. Nick Courtright

13. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains

It’s difficult to imagine a more aptly titled album than Why There Are Mountains: its tracks shift underneath themselves, quake unexpectedly and crash into one another like tectonic plates. The scope and range of this young band’s talent is staggering; they make songs that are incredibly densely populated with musical ideas sound sprawling, spacious, and accessible- even magnetic.

Despite the wide expanse of terrain covered in its nine wildly diverging tracks, Why There Are Mountains is an incredibly cohesive album. Intoxicated as their guitars may sound, Cymbals Eat Guitars exude a clear-eyed focus throughout on the entirely organic and youthful project of reducing their creations to ruins, then briefly lamenting that before building them up again even grander than before, only to finally succumb to the temptation of imploding again.

Or, as the opening explode-right-out-of-the-gate track “And the Hazy Sea” puts it, “Why are there mountains/ then the last fire dies/we rebuild with foundations set just slightly higher/on compacted ash and bone.” The result is a collection of self-contained but fluid mini-epics that bleed into one another as naturally and inevitably as Continental Drift.

Why do we love this album so much? With Joseph D'Agostino affably howling
lyrics that read like lines of poetry from William H. Gass, musical nods to the likes of Pixies and Built to Spill, and reassuring strong melodic lines offsetting the cacophony, Why There Are Mountains barrels through tragedy and makes it a road trip sing-a-long. It’s the rare album that manages to be both intellectual and infectious. -Rachael Sawyer

14. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs

Creeping into the speakers with a warped eeriness of sound, Popular Songs doesn't waste any time reminding us who Yo La Tengo is (one of the best indie rock outfits in history) and what they bring to the table (bombastic jams that could very well be audible from outer space). This record is the twelfth full-length release from the Hoboken-based group but is just as mighty from their debut Ride the Tiger in 1986. Members Ira Kaplan (guitars, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, vocals), and James McNew (bass, vocals) show that they can still produce atmospheric, yet humble music time and time again. The experimental mix of orchestration is beautifully composed into 12 varied songs—some are dreamy and effervescent while others remind us that Ira Kaplan is an under-appreciated guitar God. "If It's True" presents a playful alternating sequence of male and female refrain and "By Two's" remains quiet and pulsating. Our favorite is probably "Nothing to Hide," which despite its title relays the ever-important message "we've all got something to hide." The jaunty "Periodically Triple or Double" shows Yo La Tengo's jazzier side and seductive lyrical ability. Throughout each piece, we grow fonder of YLT, as they casually tell us that all they know is they know nothing. Their music is incredibly attentive, but the group just doesn't try to be anything they aren't, which we find very commendable. -Candace Birkelbach

15. Mos Def - The Ecstatic

The same seven words were used over and over again to describe Mos Def’s return from Hollywood : “the best since Black on Both Sides.” May we venture two more? ‘Thank God.’ Most fans were looking for a reason to use the word comeback, and Mos delivered more than twelve of them in track form. In terse, bombastic lines Mos not only breathes life into the genre many critics claim to have located at death’s door this year, but captures street sounds with surprising realism and tenderness.

Though cinematic touches grace almost every corner of The Ecstatic, Mos Def presents himself not as an actor, or even as a rapper, but as a continent-skipping sounding board for street noises, shards of conversation, and beats from India, Africa, Turkey, and Brazil. As he sings on “Auditorium,” ‘my flow forever deep, and it’s volumes or scriptures when I breathe on a beat/ my presence speaks volumes before I say a word, I’m everywhere, penthouse, pavement, and curb.’ He really does seem to be everywhere at once, and yet at the same time, nowhere. Trading in his Emmy-nominee persona for an Everyman point of view that not only spans the globe but flits from psyche to psyche seems to have allowed Mos Def to once again plumb the dizzying depths of his talent. -Rachael Sawyer