Top Ten Albums of 2009 + Highly Recommendeds

2009 was an absolutely exceptional year for music in general, with great albums coming out in a whole range of genres. So, although it is already halfway through 2010, here is my top ten albums of 2009, as well as a plethora of highly recommended albums that are definitely worth a listen.

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

No real surprise here. Animal Collective's eighth album is not only their most accessible, catchy, and cohesive album, but it will also no doubt go down as one of the definitive albums of the decade. The perfect alternative-indie-electronic-pop album.

Favourite Track: My Girls

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2. Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

Stephen James Wilkinson's fourth album as Bibio sees him going in a whole new direction. Pulling away from his previously analogue Boards of Canada-esque sound into a more "beatsy" direction, that has been criticized by fans of his older releases, this album melds elements of folk, instrumental hip-hop, and ambient electronic, that all comes together to make a truly brilliant LP.

Favourite Track: Fire Ant

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3. Clark - Totems Flare

Totems Flare is Chris Clark's fifth album, and his third under the Clark moniker. It is an intense and upbeat IDM ride that takes a series of twists and turns, all the while managing to maintain a somewhat experimental beat-oriented approach.

Favourite Track: Rainbow Voodoo

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4. Tyondai Braxton - Central Market

In 2009, Battles' main man, Tyondai Braxton, released what is one of the most unique albums I have had the pleasure of enjoying in a long time. Combining the intense math/post-rock of Battles, with an avant-garde compositional approach, Central Market sometimes sounds like Battles being performed by an obscure orchestra, while at other times sounding like the nightmarish soundtrack to an anti-Fantasia film. However, it is always completely unique, experimental, and awesome.

Favourite Track: J. City

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5. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II

The follow-up to his undisputed 1995 classic was always going to be another classic or a massive let-down. Luckily, Raekwon's sequel proved to be a "Terminator 2", rather than a "Highlander 2" . Featuring an all-star cast including producers such as J Dilla, Dr. Dre, Mathematics, RZA, and Pete Rock, as well as all the usual Wu-Tang MC guest spots (predominantly Ghost, of course), and even successfully using the hook from Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Pt. II is every bit as great as the original.

Favourite Track: House of Flying Daggers (feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Method Man & GZA)

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6. Dan Deacon - Bromst

Bromst is an absolutely ADD experimental electronic head-trip, that takes the ideas behind 2007's Spider Man of the Rings and runs with them. At times downbeat, and at others sounding like the soundtrack to an as of yet unmade drug-fuelled children's cartoon, Bromst is a whole lot of fun.
And his live show is an absolute must!

Favourite Track: Snookered

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7. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport

While some have criticised Tarot Sport (and Fuck Buttons' music in general) as being "boring" and "repetitive", they are not listening closely enough. The songs on this album do indeed consist of repeating loops, however they slowly build and add new elements and sounds so that each song develops into its own mini epic soundscape. Experimental electronic noisiness at its finest.

Favourite Track: Surf Solar

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8. Boxcutter - Arecibo Message

Barry Lynn's Boxcutter alias has been at the forefront of experimental dubstep for years, constantly pushing what has threatened to become a stale genre into new and exciting territory. Applying a decidedly more electronic sound to the dubstep genre , Boxcutter's music has constantly been a breath of fresh air, and Arecibo Message continues this progression.

Favourite Track: Sidetrak

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9. Dam-Funk - Toeachizown

Toeachizown is an epic double album of futuristic 80s electro-Funk (that makes sense if you have listened to it!). Combining an 80s boogie funk sound with old-school synths that manage to sound entirely modern, whilst maintaining a bass driven approach throughout, Dam-Funk's Toeachizown should appeal to not just lovers of funk, but also hip-hop heads and R&B fans. The first disc contains vocal tracks, while the second is all instrumentals.

Favourite Track: Disc 1: One Less Day (Featuring G-Shaft)
Disc 2: 10 West

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10. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

The "other" big indie/alternative release for 2010 was Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest. Everyone compared this to Merriweather Post Pavilion last year, so I guess I shall do the same. While Veckatimest is a terrific album, MPP proved to be better, in my opinion, due to its more experimental and unique approach, which while riskier, proved to be well worth it. Veckatimest is still better than most albums you are likely to hear in the indie-alt-folk genre, and I am excited to see where they take this sound next.

Favourite Track: Cheerleader

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Honourable Mentions:
Here is a list (in alphabetical order) of the rest of the albums that I enjoyed during 2009, that didn't quite make my top ten. (Generic genre in brackets).

Air - Love 2 (Electronic)

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast (Alternative)

Apricot Rail - Apricot Rail (Instrumental)

Bat For Lashes - Two Suns (Alternative)

Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand (Alternative)

Clubroot - Clubroot (Dubstep)

DOOM - Born Like This (Hip-Hop)

Dorian Concept - When Planets Explode (Beats)

Doves - Kingdom of Rust (Alternative)

Florence + The Machine - Lungs (Pop)

Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another (Alternative)

Hudson Mohawke - Butter (Beats)

J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid (Hip-Hop)

Kona Triangle - Sing A New Sapling into Existence (Beats)

Kromestar - My Sound (Dubstep)

Kryptic Minds - One of Us (Dubstep)

Lone - Ecstasy & Friends (Beats)

Martyn - Great Lengths (Dubstep)

Mastodon - Crack The Skye (Metal)

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (Alternative)

Naik - In The Shadow of Thunder Mountain (Instrumental)

Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest (Metal)

Nosaj Thing - Drift (Beats)

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Pop)

Prefuse 73 - Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian (Beats)

The Preytells - June Songs / Flood Songs (Alternative)

The Temper Trap - Conditions (Alternative)

White Lies - To Lose My Life... (Alternative)

The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules (Alternative)

The XX - XX (Alternative)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! (Alternative)

Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs (Alternative)

2562 - Unbalance (Dubstep)