2009-12-23 - 4:57 p.m. My Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2009 1 Robyn Hitchcock - Goodnight Oslo No insects, fish, glass. Just a guy using his head to unscrew his heart. 2 I Was Totally Destroying It - Horror Vacui The guitars cry out "Do not forget us, youngsters!" Riff rock still rules all. 3 Brendan Benson - My Old, Familiar Friend Maybe not his best, But Brendan's most middling stuff is still swoon-worthy. 4 Heartless Bastards - The Mountain No gimmicks, no tricks No egos, no vanity. Rock from the heartland. 5 Tommy Keene - In the Late Bright In Power-Popville, the mayor is Tommy Keene. I am the sheriff. 6 Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career Phil Spector's in jail. Let the Scottish ladies make that wall-of-twee sound. 7 Thomas Function - In the Valley of Sickness Farfisa-driven, Good-time garagey hijinks, Like audible beer. 8 Foreign Born - Person to Person Exuberant boys! Make a clattering hoo-ha! and sing with gusto! 9 Half Zaftig - Life Like Luster The thing I value more than cleverness or skill is variety. 10 Erin McKeown - Hundreds of Lions Brainy and pretty, An accidental download that won me over. Honorable Mention (alpha order): Aviette - The Way We Met The Bats - The Guilty Office The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love British Sea Power - Man Of Aran Neko Case - Middle Cyclone The Dead Weather - Horehound The Dodos - Time To Die Extra Golden - Thank You Very Quickly Fever Ray - Fever Ray Rhett Miller - Rhett Miller Polvo - In Prism Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project Holly Beth Vincent - Minnesota-California Viva Voce - Rose City The Xx - The Xx thoughts? (0 comments so far) previous - next blog archive contact