This is a tad late, but I wanted to share my Top 30 tracks of 2009 with you people. I was very busy for all of last year, so I didn’t get as much time to listen to whole albums as much as I’d like.
Given how crazy busy I’ve been working, this is almost a Top 30 list of songs that permeated my brain even during the insanity of production last year.
Not all of these are singles with music videos and indeed some of these singles don’t even have official videos. So have a peruse below at my very favourite tracks of 2009 and enjoy the videos that were available on the internet for them. I’ve tried to do a proper High Fidelity list and not repeat any artists too.
I also, obviously, didn’t include any older numbers on this list, even though I could honestly say Ennio Morricone’s ‘Rabbia e Tarantella’ from the ‘Inglourious Basterds’ album soundtracked many a walk to work back here in London.
Either way, here’s my 2009, starting with this catchy little number.
30 > 15 to 20 | The Phenomenal Handclap Band
29 > Tropical Disease | AIR
I loved Air’s LOVE 2 album and along with this track, I also especially liked ‘Be A Bee’, ‘Eat My Beat’ and ‘Sing Sang Sung’. Well worth checking out the whole album.
28 > Starting Over | The Black Lips
I love The Black Lips. I got to see them live a couple of years back and meet them all. I particularly like their commitment to writing a great melody and then recording it sounding completely hammered.
27 > Dead Bees | Graham Coxon
Always been a fan of Graham Coxon’s solo work, so great to have another excellent solo effort in the same year at Blur’s triumphant reunion tour (which I missed entirely while in Toronto).
26 > The Girl and the Robot | Röyksopp
This is maddeningly catchy, there’s an official video over on YouTube too.
25 > I Think I Like It | Fake Blood
I loved me some Mars by Fake Blood last year and this too is, to use the parlance, a ‘banger’.
24 > Mary Jane | Major Lazer
Another great album; I almost put Major Lazer’s Pon De Floor on this list, just to embed a clip of Eric Wareheim’s absolutely insane video. For that, head over to YouTube and have your mindeyes blownfried.
In the meantime, listen to this addictive little ditty. (*cough* about drugs).
23 > Mind Eraser, No Chaser | Them Crooked Vultures
Haven’t had a chance to listen to all of this album from the Grohl, Homme, Jones supergroup, but this single was a hard rocking earworm for me.
22 > Animal | Miike Snow
This is a great track that I first became aware of at Adam Buxton’s great BUG night at BFI Southbank. This very interesting video is by Anthony Dickenson with amazing effects achieved mostly in camera.
21 > Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat | Beck
An awesome Bob Dylan cover from Beck for the War Child album.
20 > Let’s Go Surfing | The Drums
Tipped to be huge in 2010, let’s hope their first album is all as catchy as this.
19 > Go Bananas | Joe Goddard
Joe Goddard from Hot Chip released a fruit based solo album ‘Harvest Festival’ which featured this fantastic dance track. Love his Bryan Ferry styling on the ‘whoa-whoa’ vocals.
18 > Surf Solar | Fuck Buttons
This is one of the few albums I listened to in full many times this year. Fuck Buttons’ second album Tarot Sport is just immense. Contact high music.
17 > High Together | Siriusmo
Speaking of contact highs, here’s another great piece of electronica that tickled me this year. Found this on one of the always great Kitsune compiltations, it sounds like a blissed out Blade Runner out-take, but with more five year olds singing on it. Love it.
16 > The Key | Speech Debelle
Haven’t had a chance to hear the whole of her Mercury award winning ‘Speech Therapy’ but this is joyous.
15 > White (Adem Remix) | Charlotte Hatherley
My good friend Charlotte Hatherley had a great year touring with Bat For Lashes and the best reviews of her solo career with her ‘New Worlds’ album. The remixes on her ‘White’ single from great too, my favourite being this one by Adem.
14 > Glass | Bat for Lashes
Bat For Lashes second album ‘Two Suns’ is just a great, beautiful piece of work. Saw her live in Toronto during filming with most of the cast and her voice was just incredible live. Loved the single ‘Daniel’, (check out the Official video on YouTube.) but this is my very favourite track from the album.
13 > Lisztomania | Phoenix
Have loved Phoenix since their United album ten years ago. Was very pleased to see them have their biggest hit last year with the brilliantly titled ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’.
The whole album is great; with special mentions to ‘Fences’, ‘1901’ and this, the first hit single to be named after an obscure Ken Russell film.
12 > 11th Dimension | Julian Casablancas
This track is way too much fun. I’m pleased to hear Mr Casablancas having such a ball. He revealed a goofy side as guest vocalist on The Lonely Island’s ‘Incredibad’ album and then released a solo album with tracks as poppy and awesome as this. I doff my cap to you sir.
11 > Anna | Charles Spearin
This is from The Happiness Project album, a side project from Broken Social Scene member Charles Spearin. On this album he recorded interviews with friends and neighbours, then played music in time with the cadence of their speech. It’s something like a music version of the techniques employed in Aardman’s ‘Creature Comforts’ shorts. Like the following track, its frequently beautiful and life affirming.
10 > Punch You In The Jeans | The Lonely Island
I am not going to lie, this is actually my most played song of 2009. I bought The Lonely Island’s ‘Incredibad’ album in January and listened to it in the car on the way to work many, many times.
I also have to give props to the following tracks that I know off by heart; ‘On A Boat’, ‘Who Said We’re Wack’, ‘Santana DVX’, the aforementioned ‘Boombox’ with Julian Casablancas and ‘Dreamgirl’ with Norah Jones singing about Chexmix.
This track is just great, like a Beastie Boys track that never was.
9 > Robbing Banks (Doin’ Time) | The Slew
This is a great track from the album ‘100%’ a scratch-rock collaboration between the amazing turntablist Kid Koala and Dynamite D. The whole album is fantastic, so if you like this, buy it. With immediate effect.
8 > Demons Out! | Art Brut
Some of my favourite lyrics of the year and a epic rhyming of ‘entertainer’ and ‘detain ya’. Eddie Argos is as witty as ever in this brilliant track from the also amazingly titled ‘Art Brut Vs Satan’.
7 > Bonkers | Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden
Many of you will know this very well. It was huge last summer. But what a track. And what a video.
Non UK readers, please enjoy the national institution that is Dizzee Rascal.
6 > Actor Out of Work | St. Vincent
I was late to the party on this song. In fact I had bought it on iTunes and not listened to it until the end of the year. And now it stormed its way into the Top 10 as I’ve played it on a loop of late.
5 > Angela | Jarvis Cocker
Love this glam single from Jarvis’ ‘Further Complications’ album. I haven’t had a chance to fully dissect the lyrics, but there would seem to be much filthiness. All power to that.
4 > My Girls | Animal Collective
Many people made ‘Merriweather Post Pavillion’ their album of the year and this track the song of 2009. I too adore ‘My Girls’ and being a big fan of Noah Lennox’s side project ‘Panda Bear’, I was pleased to see the neo Beach Boy vibes from that album carry over into the new Animal Collective disc.
3 > Zero | Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Tough to pick from all the great tracks on YYY’s ‘It’s Blitz’ album. It’s full of killer tracks like ‘Heads Will Roll’, ‘Little Shadow’ and this glorious anthem.
2 > Two Weeks | Grizzly Bear
So beautiful. I was already a big fan of their ‘Friend’ album, but this track and their new album is stunningly good. Love this video too.
Much like the next track, I was in love with this track before even the first chorus had kicked in.
1 > Help I’m Alive | Metric
Was already a big Metric fan before I got to work with them this year on Scott Pilgrim. The new album ‘Fantasies’ is their best yet, with amazing tracks all the way; ‘Sick Muse’, ‘Stadium Love’, ‘Front Row’, ‘Twilight Galaxy’ and more.
This, their first single, is my favourite track from the album and my favourite of the year. Many a trip to work was soundtracked by me yelling out ‘beating like a hammmmmmerrrrrr’.
So for that alone, it’s my song of 2009.
And there you go. Will try and update with clips for those that have none, if I can find something good.