I think that 2009 was a great year for music. So much so that for the first time, I ventured forth from artists I know and used Paste and NPR Music as a jumping off point. I listened to full albums for the first time in I don't know when, and developed my own list of songs that I don't just admire, but also enjoy.
(These songs are in playlist order.)
French Navy by Camera Obscura
Gasoline by The Airborne Toxic Event
This song (and album, for that matter) took me completely by surprise. I fell in love with this song. The tempo, intense vocals, and insistent guitar takes me back to the urgency of my adolescence, when my boyfriend and I just HAD to have sex with each other.
Starting Over by Black Lips
If the Kinks and the Troggs had a baby, this is what it would sound like.
My Body's a Zombie for You by Dead Man's Bones
I'm having a hard time describing why I love this song so much. Is it Ryan Gosling's silky vocals? Is it the chorus, shouted/sung by a choir of children? Is it the slightly eerie hummed intro? Seriously, just listen to this song.
Last Train Home by David Mead
Magpie to the Morning by Neko Case
There were a lot of superior songs on this album. Most people will pick "People Got A Lotta Nerve", but I thought this song was a little more poignant. Fewer sharks and man-eating.
Berkeley Girl by Harper Simon
Paul Simon's son knows how to write a song. This one is gorgeous. Plus, Harper sounds like his dad.
Tin Man by The Avett Brothers
Another tough choice from an album full of fantastic songs. This one just stuck out to me. It was playful and interesting, and the chord changes really compliment the emotion of the song.
On Her Own by Ben Kweller
A great, nearly anthemic song from Ben Kweller's foray into country music.
Black is the Color by The Dry Spells
Charlie Darwin by The Low Anthem
The harmonies on this song are absolutely stunning. To me, it sounds like you're listening to something personal, something private.
Pulling on a Line by Great Lake Swimmers
I can't get enough of lead singer Tony Dekker harmonizing with himself.
Oh No by Andrew Bird
Feeling the Pull by The Swell Season
First Days of Spring by Noah and the Whale
I would try to say something intelligent about this amazing song, but I'm too busy trying to keep my tears from falling on the keyboard and electrocuting me.
Tunnelvision by Here We Go Magic
This song's buzzy, thrummy, atmospheric air makes me feel like I'm floating through space. Or dancing in jello.
Light of Love by Music Go Music
This group sounds like Abba: The New Class. (But in a good way, not in the Saved By The Bell: The New Class kind of way.) It's impossible not to get into the awesomeness of this song.
The Rake's Song by The Decemberists
This song is merely a placeholder for every song on The Hazards Of Love. I couldn't decide.
Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Birds Encouraged Him by Jason Lytle
Blood Bank by Bon Iver
Be Calm by fun.
Do you like Queen? How about violins and stuff in your pop music? Techno and electronica? Tempo changes? Choral singing? Then this is the song for you!
Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl) by Green Day
Favorite line: "Little girl, you dirty liar, you're just a junkie preaching to the choir."
A Teenager In Love by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Kiss With a Fist by Florence and the Machine
I don't care if the lyrics to this song are cheesy. I love them.
Matthew 25:21 by The Mountain Goats
This song completely wrecked me when I first heard it, and with every subsequent listen. The imagery paired with lead singer John Darnielle's tentative vocals and the spare guitar strumming in the background makes for a beautiful and devastating song.
Honestly by Savoir Adore
California On My Mind
This song is so much fun. It's one of those rare times that you wish the song would last longer.
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