Top 20 Songs of 2009

I love lists and ranking things. I don't know why, I just do. I understand my opinions are different than everyone else's but I love doing it anyways. So here are my personal top 20 favorite songs that were released this year. I thought it was a fantastic year for independent music and the sub-genres it consists of. You'll find everything from haunting piano music to epic 13-minute long synth jams here. I only put one song per band on here, although a lot of bands had more than a few amazing tracks, I just put what I thought was their best. The list is followed by a playlist with all of the songs on it. Enjoy!

20. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - A Teenager In Love

This song would fit in the films of the late, great John Hughes. Although it was written in 2009, it doesn't sound a thing like it. For anyone that enjoys 80's songs that will break your heart, give this one a listen.

19. Destroyer - Bay Of Pigs

I don't know where to begin with this track. It's some of the most unusual music I've ever heard. Consisting of eerie synths, ambiance and vocals by Dan Bejar which borders more on narration than actual singing. It almost seems boring at first, but when the drums and pulsing keyboards kick in you realize that the beginning is just the calm before the storm. At 13 minutes, not one second is wasted.

18. Girls - Laura

This band came out of nowhere a few months ago with a back story that is almost unbelievable (check it out on your own, it would take awhile to describe here). Laura is one of the better tracks on the album (fittingly named Album) Their sound can only be described as 60's sunshine pop/punk? I think? Just take my word for it. Oh, and they released one of the most controversial music videos I've ever seen for their song Lust For Life. It's definitely not safe for work so check it out at your own risk. You were warned!

17. The Dodos - The Strums

The Dodos consist of two members, a guitarist/vocalist and drummer who goes to extreme lengths to get certain sounds and beats produced (like taping tambourines to his feet). Although their album Visiter was better than this years Time To Die, there are a few songs that really stick out. The Strums is very catchy and simple and sometimes that's all you need.

16. Peter Bjorn and John - Nothing To Worry About

I had a lot of trouble deciding which song was better, this or Lay It Down. I recommend both but this song has been around since late 2008 and is still stuck in my head. They have a habit of doing that (Young Folks anybody?).

15. Sunset Rubdown - Apollo And The Buffalo And Anna Anna Anaa Oh!

Sunset Rubdown is one of Spencer Krugs side-projects. For a man who has at least 4 different bands, he never runs out of great songs or ideas. Not only do I highly recommend listening to Dragonslayer by Sunset Rubdown but listen to his other bands Wolf Parade and Swan Lake. Apollo... is one of the highlights of one of my favorite albums of the year.

14. Woods - Rain On

Some of you will like Woods and most of you will hate them. Their album Songs of Shame was simple, produced with poor equipment and the singer has a very distinct high pitched voice which would make a lot of you cringe, but there's something about them that I love. Rain On is a well written song and that's all it comes down to.

13. Neon Indian - Terminally Chill

Jon hates Neon Indian. Neon Indian is a guy who uses old school synths and makes poppy, trippy music that you can dance to. Only cool people can enjoy Neon Indian so I guess that explains why he doesn't. You better listen to it below if you don't want to be a loser like Jon.

12. Foreign Born - Vacationing People

Grizzly Bear front man Ed Droste praised Foreign Born a lot earlier in the year and when I got around to listening to their album Person To Person, I was impressed. Vacationing People consists of a great verse with fuzzy bass, a call and response chorus and an incredible bridge with beautiful slide guitar. I never get tired of listening to it from start to finish.

11. Papercuts - The Machine Will Tell Us So

I'm not going to lie. I love every song on this album equally. It came down to what ones were available for me to use on the playlist below. Their music relies on organ, simple but effective drums and is drenched with nostalgia. Listening to Papercuts is like looking at an old photo you are in, but you can't quite remember it being taken.

10. Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers

Another song about teenagers that sounds like it was written in 1986? Well, okay!

9. Bowerbirds - Crooked Lust

Bowerbirds are usually associated with nature. Their songs are mostly about trees and animals. The two vocalists are a couple, and their songs reflect the love for nature and each other. Crooked Lust is full of plucking acoustic guitars, out of tune pianos and beautiful harmonies. So basically every Bowerbirds song.

8. Cass McCombs - Lionkiller Got Married

I had heard a lot about McCombs the past few years and finally decided to check him out. His album Catacombs (gotta love wordplay) is one of the better I've heard this year and although it holds a few great tracks that were released as singles, it's Lionkiller that stuck out for me most. It has the same chords and melodies throughout it's whole running time and is incredibly repetitive but there's something about it that I love. It's one of the only tracks this year where the words jumped out and grabbed my attention. His style is simple but unique and he approaches his lyrics in a humorous way like no one else I've ever heard.

7. Bat For Lashes - Daniel

A fun, but dark love song about Daniel LaRusso from Karate Kid. Do I have to say anything else?

6. The Antlers - Kettering

Kettering is one of the most heart wrenching songs I have ever heard. The Antlers Hospice is an album about a hospice worker who falls in love with one of his patients who is dying of bone cancer. Needless to say, it's dark. It's sad. It's one of the best concept albums I've heard. At the same time though, it's brilliant and beautiful.

5. Here We Go Magic - Fangela

I had the privilege to see these guys (and girls) open for Grizzly Bear in June, and I was blown away. They are one of the better opening acts I've seen and they released a great first album this year. Fangela is a fantastic song that sounds as though it was produced on an old computer in a shady basement. I heard it's about a baby vampire but I don't quite get that from the lyrics. Anyways, it's a lot of fun and will be stuck in your head for an uncomfortable amount of time.

4. Animal Collective - My Girls

If you've been following other music sites and blogs as much as I have (you haven't) then you should know that Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion is towards the top of everyones list this year. And for a good reason. After years of experimentation they've finally made an album that's approachable for most audiences. My Girls is a fun song with great call and response from singers Avey Tare and Panda Bear, great harmonies and amazing production (make sure you listen to it with the bass turned up). I first heard it well over a year ago and I still find little things I love about it, and it still feels fresh to me.

3. Atlas Sound - Shelia

Bradford Cox is the front man of the band Deerhunter and Atlas Sound is his solo project. His first album consisted of a lot of noise and ambiance which divided people in half as to whether they liked it or not. His followup Logos was put together much better and is more accessible. There are three standout tracks. Walkabout, Quick Canal and Shelia. Shelia is very simple with a loop of the same three chords, sloppy percussion and a repetitive chorus but it gets under your skin. It's a love story, sort of, about being with someone because it's better than dying alone. "Shelia, we'll die alone together." is what Cox expresses as the song fades to nothing.

2. Dirty Projectors - Useful Chamber

My favorite Beatles song is Happiness Is A Warm Gun. There are very few songs that consist of different segments, tempos and feels, and even fewer that succeed. Useful Chamber is one of those songs. It has a hypnotic verse with shifting oohs by the girls in the group while Dave Longstreth bears his soul. The first chorus consists of beautiful acoustic guitar and perfect, minimal drums. The bridge has an electronic drum loop while Longstreth speaks/raps. Then everything explodes into the second chorus as he shouts BITTE ORCA ORCA BITTE! Don't ask me what it means, something about whales. There's another bridge of amazing harmonies from the girls, then back to the beautiful acoustic guitar part and finally it wraps up with the Bitte Orca part again. It's a perfect song? No. Crazy? Yes. Listen to it.

1. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others

If you know me, you know that I praise and love Grizzly Bear. And for a good reason. They are one of the better bands out there today and people are starting to catch on to them due to the amazing song Two Weeks being plastered everywhere. I first heard While You Wait For The Others live on Conan Obrien a year and a half ago and I'll always remember it. I had heard them a few times at that point but never really sat down and paid much attention. I re-listened to their first few albums and instantly fell in love with them. Their 2006 album Yellow House is my favorite of the decade and their new album Veckatimest is incredible. While You Wait For The Others has Daniel Rossen on lead vocals with his rough vocals. He sings over simple toms and reverb drenched guitar throughout the verse. It's soothing, and relaxing but then the chorus comes in. Exploding three part harmonies over Daniel's questioning "And what was left? / The perfect cleft / We all fall through." At that point I didn't think it could get much better but the bridge holds incredible harmonies and a great build up to Ed Droste's oohs. The chorus comes in again and fades out on a beautiful note. It's a powerful song and the highlight of their already amazing career.