50 Songs of 2009 (1 of 2)

December 15, 2009

(photo by Johannes G.)

As I did last year, I’ve decided to cap off 2009 by offering my top 50 songs of the year (in two parts). These are the tried-and-true songs that have stuck with me throughout this past year filling my days with joy and my mix CDs with, uh… songs. These are the ones that I love more than milk steak and jelly beans. The list is presented in a highly unscientific ordered list form, and as in past years, no artist will be listed twice.

There’s a link by each song choice where you can download/hear the song, but to make it even easier, you can download a complete zip of the songs listed below by clicking this link. If you like a song, do the right thing and go music buy by that artist. Part two will be posted in a few days. Enjoy!

50. Handsome Furs – I’m Confused MP3

I said: The wailing guitar riff and 80’s goth synths that are heard at the beginning of “I’m Confused” give you a good idea of what you’re in for here: a driving, angsty rock song with a mixture of lively rocking and retro cool.

49. Ola Podrida – Roomful of Sparrows MP3

I said: The lyrical imagery that David Wingo employs is incredibly vivid, exploring themes of desperation and loneliness while the music is both pretty and slightly unsettling. Wingo shows a true gift for this type of charged, cathartic storytelling.

48. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Stay Alive MP3

“Stay Alive” begins with lush, dreamy acoustic and builds to one of the most anthemic pop choruses of the year. While elsewhere on the album, the band’s unabashed optimism and sincerity may sound overly twee, on this track the fuzzy guitars and soaring guitars are irresistible.

47. Banjo or Freakout – Upside Down MP3

I said: The song layers summery acoustic guitars, ocean wave effects, and tinkering piano into a warm blanket of hazy noise with Allesio’s warbly vocals serenading the listener. The result is absolutely sublime, one of the most hypnotic tracks I’ve heard all year.

46. Loney Dear – I Was Only Going Out MP3

This wistful breakup ballad finds Emil Svanängen at his most contemplative as he sings mournfully about a lost love. Although beginning on a melancholy note though, the instrumentation builds to an uplifting climax with a chorus of whistlers that could warm even the most broken of hearts.

45. A.A. Bondy – I Can See the Pines are Dancing MP3

I said: The song opens with a rustic acoustic guitar and achingly pretty piano that sets the sepia-toned mood and it’s all elevated by Bondy’s highly engaging and tender vocals. The exquisite wordplay that’s displayed in the lyrics though which really make this track a thing of beauty.

44. The Decemberists – The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid Y2B

Not all of Hazards of Love works for me, but everything from the thunderous guitar riffs, to the spirited harpsichord, and the breathtaking solo (provided by Shara Worden) come together spectacularly on this song providing one of the band’s most effective and triumphant epics.

42. Anni Rossi – Wheelpusher MP3

Anni Rossi opens this track with a whimsical musing about what it’d be like “to be a beekeper in the himalayas”. The combination of her delicate vocals and the rich, multi-layered strings is mesmerizing. I said: ["Wheelpusher"] shows off Anni’s mastery of the viola…her ability to strum, pluck, and bow the instrument on this track approaches Andrew Bird-like virtuosity.

43. The National – So Far Around The Bend MP3

The National hint at a more full-bodied orchestral sound here and show that they’re just as potent with strings and woodwinds as they are with more traditional rock instrumentation. The arrangement is overwhelmingly beautiful as are the characteristically melancholic NYC-inspired lyrics.

41. Noah and the Whale – Blue Skies MP3

Noah and the Whale’s conversion from happy-go-lucky indie pop to heartsick folk ballads is one of the most striking left turns in recent memory, but the expanded emotional pallette of these compositions serve them very well. “Blue Skies” represents a turning point where singer Charlie Fink very eloquently lays out his emotions amidst gorgeous instrumental swells and and begins to look forward singing “this is the last song that I write while I’m still in love with you”.

40. The Mountain Goats – Psalms 40:2 MP3

John Darnielle finds himself in a solemn mood on the majority of his new album, but this stirring track sees him becoming the zealous street preacher intensely singing “He has fixed his sign in the sky / He has raised me from the pit and set me high”. The finale is an explosion of furious acoustic strumming and crashing cymbals that evokes all the fire and brimstone of the song’s literary source.

38. The Love Language – Providence MP3

This is a song that sucks you in immediately with chiming piano and a rollicking beat. The Love Language have oodles of swagger and there’s no better example then this song, which is the catchiest song in their repertoire and one the most exceedingly jubilant songs of the year.

37. fun. – Take Your Time (Coming Home) MP3

Nate Reuss proved that he could do a huge, twisting epic of a song with 06’s “Dog Problems” and now he’s stepped up his game on “Take Your Time (Coming Home)” The euphoric result is a culmination of Nate’s creative energy, with weaving tempos and an array of instruments from ukelele, piano, guitar, organ, and what sounds like a gospel choir all intertwined into the celebratory bar-room stomp. It’s a completely over-the-top and amazing musical extravaganza.

38. The-Dream – Rockin’ That S**t (Remix) ft. Fabolous, Juelz Santana, Rick Ross & Ludacris Y2B

The-Dream is best known as the hip-hop maestro who has writing / producing credits on tracks like “Umbrella” and “Single Ladies”, but it seems he saved some of his best work for himself on”Rockin That S**t”. The sublime, densely layered synths provide the hook and the transcendent vibe for the track with Dream’s pillowy smooth vocals on the chorus and a parade of VIP rappers knocking out the stellar verses. I said: This song is a straight-up banger, five minutes of pure bliss.

36. Windmill – Ellen Save Our Energy MP3

If “Ellen Save Our Energy” seems full of childlike wonder, it’s because the song, as well as the containing album, was inspired by a childhood trip that Matthew Dillon took to Disney’s Epcot Center (the Ellen in the song is this Ellen). The overwhelming sense of awe in the song is portrayed through the exhilarating production of sweeping piano, twinkling bells, and huge drum fills as Dillon’s uniquely high-pitched voice leads you on the wistful journey.

35. Miike Snow – Animal MP3

This Scandavian production team has produced hits for everyone from Britney Spears to Kylie Minogue, so they know a thing or two about pop music and it definitely shows on the infinitely catchy and seriously danceable single “Animal”. The production is sharp and crisp and the hook is like a breath of fresh air. If there was justice in the world, this would be the pop jam of the summer.

34. The xx – Crystalised MP3

The xx fall into the “less is more” camp when it comes to instrumentation with subtle, atmospheric guitar and bass providing a lift-off point for their hypnotic, effortlessly charismatic vocals to shine. The track is enthralling in its simplicity, and the finale, which builds momentum only to leave you with a stark, hushed sense of breathlessness, is spine-tingling.

33. The Thermals – Now We Can See MP3

For the title track on their latest album, Portland’s power-pop heroes, The Thermals, created a fist-pumping sing-a-long to end all fist-pumping sing-a-longs. The fuzzy three chord guitar riff and infectious “whoa-oh-oh-oh” chorus goes along way to show that the most simple and primal of melodies can be sometimes be the most meaningful.

32. The Very Best – Julia MP3

The Very Best seem to have perfected the art of mixing traditional South Africa and Malawian musical styles with Western pop sensibilities resulting in one boisterously fun party album. “Julia” is their most exuberant creation yet, utilizing the same hip-hop/afrobeat/electronica fusion that rose M.I.A. to stardom. The distorted bass beats and buzzy synths provide the rhythmic base while singer Esau Mwamwaya’s giddy vocals (sung in his native Chichewan) give the song its authenticity and flair. The socially-minded party jam of a chorus is one of the most effervescent things I’ve heard this year.

31. Islands – Tender Torture MP3

This song has everything that reminds me of why I fell in love with Islands in the first place. The breezy, futuristic sounding keyboards, breathtakingly dramatic vocals, and the cleverly romantic lyrics (”I was a windblown, cast-down, carved out watermelon without you”) all mesh together to create that exquisitely crafted sound that will happily be stuck in your head all day. Just another wonderful little pop tune you can rack up to the genius of Nick Thornburn.

30. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Hysteric MP3

Some people I know were unimpressed by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs more synth-pop direction, but I personally love it, especially when it provides songs as amazing as “Hysteric”. Karen O gives one of her best performances, her vocals are as light and sultry as ever and I’d venture to say the chorus has the band’s most memorable hook since “Maps”. This track gives you a bubbly, floating on air feeling and it’s as addicting as good champagne.

29. Taylor Swift – You Belong With Me (Single) Y2B

Technically this song was first released late in 2008, but the song first appeared on my radar when the single was released this summer and swiftly (wordplay!) became ubiquitous. The girl has charisma and passion to spare, and whatever your feelings are on teen power pop music, you have to admit that this song is superbly written and performed and just about impossible not to like. The lyrics, which could have turned out cliché, are actually pretty smart and the melody is obviously fantastic. This is definitely up there with “Since U Been Gone” on my list of the decade’s catchiest and best pop songs.

28. M. Ward – To Save Me MP3

At the beginning of this year, I only had a casual interest in M. Ward’s music, but after hearing this sprawling rocker I became a quick convert. I’m a sucker for songs that recall big orchestral 60’s pop and the instrumental flourishes in this song would make Brian Wilson’s head turn (or Phil Spector, take your pick). The joyous backing vocals and quick-strike mandolin line that’s sprinkled on top of the chorus is an absolute revelation. And that tympani! The lyrics are superb also, with M. Ward musing spiritually and contemplating his own mortality. This is a perfect song to burst out of your car speakers on a warm day.

27. Patrick Wolf – Hard Times MP3

Patrick Wolf has never been one for subtlety and “Hard Times” is perhaps his most bombastic musical statement yet. I said: The song showcases Wolf’s grandiose theatricality with instrumentation that includes ominous violin riffs, glitchy electronica, and acoustic rhythm guitar while his vocals soar through lyrics like “show me some revolution” and “the battle will be won”. By the climax, there’s a full choir backing him. Calling the song epic would be an understatement.

26. Wilco – Bull Black Nova MP3

“Bull Black Nova” is as adventuresome and daring as Wilco has been this decade. Jeff Tweedy sings about a violent murder-fantasy with Glen’s menacing drums, Mike’s machine-like keys, and Nels’ schizophrenic guitar all closing in on him. The frantic sound buildup is culminated in a whirlwind-like guitar solo as Jeff’s paranoia and guilt gets the best of him shrieking “It’s in my hair / There’s blood in the sink / I can’t calm down / I can’t think”. It’s a frighteningly intense song, escapism at its very best.

Download these songs in a zip HERE. Link Down (you can still download individual MP3s above)

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Click here to be see the jaw-dropping conclusion of this list, my 25 top songs of 2009

Posted by Taylor in Lists, Track Review