2009's Greatest Hits

After voting in 5 or 6 music polls (I lost count), I thought I'd share my full lists of all the good albums and songs I heard this year. One thing I hate about the polling lists is that you just get to pick 10 records as if you didn't like anything else that particular year and anything that ain't included on your list is something that you didn't like enough.

One other thing that bothers me about voting on these lists is that we usually get asked to finish these just after Thanksgiving each year. That means that December releases usually get short-changed and that we have little time to process music from November or other albums that we're still finding out about. Even after December, I start finding out about great records that I didn't even know existed from the previous year and wish I could have included on my album or singles lists (and this happens even putting together an extended list like this). In the end, it's an inexact science at best, not just because it's subjective but also because our tastes change over time. And that's not even mentioning some things that I'm still trying to digest and figure out if I really like 'em or not (i.e. tUnE-yArDs, which I'm way behind on).

So from this list below, I hope you find out about and enjoy an artist that you didn't know before or get some confirmation about something you liked already or maybe even wonder about my taste in music.

ALBUMS

1. Titus Andronicus The Airing of Grievances (XL)
2. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead The Century of Self (Ricther Scale)
3. K'Naan Troubadour (EMI)
4. Telekinesis! Telekinesis! (Merge)
5. Dan Deacon Bromst (Car Park)
6. Living Things Habeas Corpus (Jive)
7. Neko Case Middle Cyclone (Anti-)
8. Wussy Wussy (shake It)
9. Roman Candle Oh Tall Tree in the Ear (Thirty Tigers)
10. Sonic Youth The Eternal (Matador)
11. Taggy Matcher Hip Hop Reggae Series Vol 1 (Stix)
12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz (Interscope)
13. Afro Classics The Classic EP (Legendary Music)
14. Mary J. Blige Stronger With Each Tear (Geffen)
    
15. Tom Waits Glitter and Doom Live (Anti-)
16. Japandroids Post Nothing (Unfamilar)
17. Red Holloway Go Red Go (Delmark)
18. Mission Of Burma The Sound The Speed The Light (Matador)
19. Brilliant Colors Introducing (Slumberland)
20. Open Strings- Early Virtuoso Recordings From The Middle East, And New Responses (Honest Jon's)
21. Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch and Lurrie Bell Chicago Blues: A Living History (Raisin Music)
22. The Sun Don't Let Your Baby Have All the Fun (Rockproper)
    
23. Summer Cats Songs for Tuesdays (Slumberland)
24. Skyzoo The Salvation (Jamla/Duck Down)
25. Bob Dylan Together Through Life (Columbia)
26. Abdullah Ibrahim Senzo (Sunny Side)
27. The Avett Brothers I And Love And You (Sony)
28. Egberto Gismonti Saudacoes (ECM)
29. Heavyweight Dub Champion Rise of the Champion Nation (Champion Nation)
30. Del The Funky Homosapien Funk Man (the stimulus package) (bandcamp.com)
31. Scratch Loss 4 Wordz (Gold Dust Media)
32. Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains (sister's Den)
33. Major Lazer Guns Don't Kill People Lazers Do (Downtown)
34. Group Bombino Guitars from Agadez, Vol. 2 (Sublime Frequencies)
35. The Heliocentrics Fallen Angels (Now-Again)
36. Tudo Ben: Jorge Ben Covers (Mr. Bongo)
37. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart The Pains of Being Pure At Heart (Slumberland)
38. An Horse Rearrange Beds (Q Prime)
39. David Serby Honky Tonk and Vine (Harbor Grove)
40. Acoustic Ladyland Living With A Tiger (Strong and Wrong)
41. Nellie McKay Normal as Blueberry Pie (Verve)
42. Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2 (ICEAL)
    
43. The Good Graces Bring on the Tambourines (Eskimo Kiss)
44. Ovens Ovens (tUMULt)
45. Minty Fresh Beats Jaydiohead (jaydiohead.com)
46. Benny Golson New Time, New 'Tet (Concord)
47. Tony Molina Embarrassing Times (650 Tapes)
48. Louisiana Red & Little Victor's Juke Joint Back To The Black Bayou (Ruf)
49. Joanne Shaw Taylor White Sugar (Ruf)
50. Fly Sky & Country (ECM)
51. Borg I:A (Phaserprone)
52. Riceboy Sleeps Riceboy Sleeps (XL)
53. Variant The Setting Sun (Echospace)
54. Phosphorescent To Willie (Dead Oceans)
55. Ólafur Arnalds Found Songs (Found Songs)
56. Shackleton Three EPs (Perlon)
57. Tresor.Atmospheres II (Tresor)
58. Alta Nova Xerrox Volume 2 (Rasta Norton)
59. Solo Andata Solo Andata (12k)
60. The Lost Fingers Lost in the 80's (Tandem.Mu)
61. Joel Harrison Octet Urban Myths (Highnote)
62. Datsuns Head Stunts (RED INT/RED INK)
63. Bill Callahan Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (Drag City)
    

SINGLES

1. Roman Candle "Why Modern Radio Is A-OK" (Carnival Recording Company)
2. Rye Rye "Bang" (Interscope)
3. Audio Push "Teach Me How To Jerk" (Geffen)
4. Japanese Popstars "Face Melter" (Gung Ho!)
5. Lisa Left Eye Lopes "Let's Just Do It" (Mass Appeal)
6. Green Day "Know Your Enemy" (Reprise)
7. The Decemberists "The Rake's Song" (Capitol)
8. Steinski "None Shall Be Afraid" (steinski.com)
9. Harlem Shakes "Strictly Game" (Gigantic)
10. Alan Wilkis "N.I.C.E." (Wilcassettes)
11. Anti-Pop Constortium "Capricorn One" (Big Dada)
12. XRABIT + DMG$ "Follow The Leader (Mexicans with Guns Remix)" (Rcrd Lbl)
13. Ghislain Poirier "Get Crazy" (Rcrd Lbl)
14. Golem! "Tucheses And Nenes" (JDub)
15. The Beatles "Revolution (take20)" (no label)
16. Del The Funky Homosapien "The Bombay" (delthefunkyhomosapien.bandcamp.com)
17. Dirtblonde "The Hangman" (dirtblonde.co.uk)
18. Tinariwen "Lulla" (World Village)
19. Kinky "Fuego En La Fabrica" (Kin Kon)
20. White Denim "I Start to Run" (Downtown)
21. Daddy "The Ballad of Martin Luther King" (Cedar Creek Music)
22. Bruce Springsteen "The Wrestler" (Columbia)
23. Dan Bull "Dear Lily" (no label)
24. Sun OK Papi K.O. Feat. MC Illreme "Radio Pirate Mix" (rbdx.com)
25. The Vines "Get Out" (Ivy League)
26. The Rumble Strips "London" (Ume)
27. The Handsome Family "A Thousand Diamond Rings" (Carrot Top)
28. A Sunny Day in Glasgow "Passionate introverts" (Mis Ojos Discos)
29. Las Palabras "Un Momento" (Fox Hollow)
30. Neko Case "Don't Forget Me" (Anti-)
31. Camera Obscura "French Navy" (4AD)
32. The New York Dolls "'Cause I Sez So" (Rhino)
33. Kid Sister "Get Fresh" (Downtown)
34. Aufgang "Channel 7 (You and Me) (John Talabot remix)" (Discograph)
35. Ying Yang Twins "Centipede" (Deep)
36. Stanley Clarke Trio "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Heads Up)
37. Gil Scott-Heron "Where Did The Night Go" (imnewhere.net)
38. Gena Featuring Chingy "Look at Her Go" (Slot-A-Lot)
39. Lucian Piane "Bale Out" (revolucian.com)
40. Girls "Morning Light" (True Panther Sounds)
41. Oni Ayhun "OAR003-A" (Oni Ayhun)
42. Death Cab For Cutie "I Was Once A Loyal Lover" (Atlantic)
    
43. Superchunk "Crossed Wires" (Merge)
    

REISSUES/ARCHIVES

1. 100% Dynamite! Dancehall Reggae Meets Rap in New York City (Soul Jazz)
2. The Feelies Crazy Rhythms (Bar/None)
3. Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson 1980 (Soul Brother)
4. African Pearls: Senegal 70 - Musical Effervescence (Syllart)
5. Ruby Braff For the Last Time (Arbors)
6. The Only Ones Baby's Got a Gun (Sony)
7. Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and
8. Photography 1890-1950 (Dust to Digital)
9. Nirvana Live At Reading (DGC)
10. Pylon Chomp Plus (DFA)
11. Dillanthology 1: J Dilla's Productions for Various Artists (Rapster)
12. Comet Gain Broken Record Prayers (Whats Your Rupture?)
13. Thomas Mapfumo Gwindingwi Rine Shumba (Water)
14. The Raincoats The Raincoats (Kill Rock Stars)
15. George Jones Blue & Lonesome (Righteous)
16. Lifter Puller Fiestas & Fiascos (LFTR PLLR)
17. Lydia Lunch Queen of Siam (Atavistic)
18. Optimo Presents In Order to Edit (R&S)
19. Grateful Dead Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings (Wake of the Flood/Rhino)
20. Gozalo Bugalu Tropical Vol. 3 (Vampisoul)
21. 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) Somebody's Been Sleeping/100 Proof Aged in Soul (Phantom Sound & Vision)
22. The Scene is Now Burn All Your Records (Lexicon Devil)
23. Tumbélé: Biguine, Afro and Latin Sounds from the French Caribbean, 1963-1974 (Soundway)
24. John Lee Hooker Live at Soledad Prison/Never Get Out of These Blues Alive (Beat Goes On)
25. Max Ritcher Memoryhouse (Fat Cat)
26. Studio 1 Studio 1 (Studio 1)
27. Muhal Richard Abrams Afrisong (Candid)
28. The Birth of Bossa (El/Cherry Red)
29. John Fahey Twilight On Prince Georges Avenue (Rounder)
30. Univers Zero Relaps (Cuneiform)
31. Wicked Witch Chaos: 1976-86 (EM)
32. Paul Chambers Quintet (Blue Note)
33. Lee Morgan Lee-Way (Blue Note)
34. Truth & Soul presents African Music Today (Truth & Soul)
35. Pamelo Mounk'a L'essentiel (Syllart)
36. Zanzibara 5: Hot In Dar - Le Son La Tanzanie 1978-1983 (Buda Musique)
37. Roedelius Wenn Der Sudwind Weht (Bureau B)
38. Bert Jansch Santa Barbara Honeymoon (Drag City)