Our Fave Albums of 2009

December 31st, 2009

fave-albums

Yeah, yeah. Everyone and their grandpappy is making lists of the best music of 2009. But if we didn’t you’d yell at us, and we hate yelling. It gives us nosebleeds. ANYWAY, we asked a few of our team members to throw in their two cents for albums of the year – after the jump, see what we recommend – including Jay-Z, Mute Math, The XX, Drake and more!

MEHEK – CORRESPONDENT
1. Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3
I found the collaborative work on this album to be phenomenal – Drake, Jeezy, Alicia Keys, Kanye, Cudi – and his lyricism/production work is fantastic. Seeing it performed live, well, kinda changed my life.
2. Mute Math - Armistice
The growth demonstrated from their debut to this disc was really underappreciated this past year. It seems the band chose to be more complex lyrically and instrumentally – not to mention that Paul Meany’s voice shocks you to the core. (Backfire, Pins&Needles, Clipping – listen, NOW)
3. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon
I have to applaud Cudi for being fearless on this record. His insecurities practically drip from the speakers into your ears, but his jump into a more electronic, synthpop sound may be the first of a new generation of hip-hop and rap artists. He’s not the best lyrically, but I can appreciate a risk taker.
4. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
Google the album cover – it pretty much defines the epicness of this album. Filled with fighting, loving, and saddening words – It’s Blitz! offers a remedy for everyone. Srs.
5. You Say Party! We Say Die! – XXXX
The gems that we have in this country do not get enough love – XXXX was the one album that really got me dancing in 2009, and will probably continue to do so in 2010.

JESSICA – CORRESPONDENT (in no particular order)
The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
After we ‘first-spun’ this one back in the summer, I caught them at V-Fest, and let me tell you, there are a few damn good reason the RAA are practically forming their own legion. With great catchy tunes about land slides, and getting drunk in Edmonton, Nils Edenloff actually makes Alberta seem like an interesting place (sorry Albertans!).
Elliot Brood – Mountain Meadows
Being one of the few Polaris-nomed albums that I actually went out and bought, the music on this disk always makes me think of black-and-white Western movies, and evil dudes with handlebar moustaches. Even, weirdly, on my fav track “I Miss You Now”, which is not about tying people to railroad tracks.
Franz Ferdinand – Tonight
This was a great shift for the Franz guys to take, way more dancey than their last album. I picked up this disk for the dirty swagger of “Ulysses”, and stayed for the gritty synth dance party that “Lucid Dreams” dissolves into. Just talking about it makes my feet tired!
Kings of Leon – Only By the Night
Not that I mean to be a bandwagon jumper, but this disk was gooooood. And not just for the incredible singles! This one time, I played “I Want You” on repeat for an hour, and I still can’t get enough of that track!
Mew – No More Stories
I have been raving like a lunatic about this album for months. This baby has everything: love songs, the tale of a troubled bromance, twitchy rock tunes, music played backwards, and a few instrumentals tacked on for good measure. You must listen to this album, the fate of the world depends on it.

ALBERTO – MAN OF FEW WORDS
5. The Big Pink – A Brief History Of Love
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
2. Julian Casablancas – Phrazes for the Young
1. The xx – xx

Honourable Mentions: Dinosaur Jr. – Farms, Pearl Jam – Backspacer, Dead Weather – Horehound

WENDY
1. Florence + the Machine – Lungs
It was love at first sight for me and Florence. After 8 bars of “Dog Days Are Over”, I was smitten. After the raw pulse of “The Drumming Song”, I fell even deeper. After the dreamlike crescendo of “Cosmic Love”, we got married in a small drive-thru ceremony in Vegas and ran away to the south Caribbean, later to welcome 2.5 children. I mean, uh, Lungs was THE soundtrack of my 2009.
2. The xx – xx
It’s rare for me to find an album that I declare a masterpiece upon the first listen, but BEHOLD: xx is a masterpiece. Gorgeous hooks and melodies with ghostly vocals and mellow beats. Brilliant.
3. Drake – So Far Gone
Dominating my ears in the first half of 2009, Drake’s clever wordplay, silky vocals and undeniable beats launched a path to superstardom that has rarely been seen in the music world – and So Far Gone isn’t even an album. It’s a mix tape. He’s a star because of a MIX TAPE.
4. K’Naan – Troubadour
Underappreciated in 2009, K’Naan will get his due in 2010 when his track “Waving Flag” will be used as the official World Cup anthem. Troubadour runs the gamut from party tracks, love songs, street tales and uplifting anthems – and it’s all beautiful.
5. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
The Parisian gentle-hommes finally got a taste of fame with this widely-revered tasty dish of an album. Danceable, sing-along-able and home to one of the best tracks of 2009: “Lisztomania”.