thevoid99's Top 50 Albums of 2009 Pt. 1 (50-26) Jan 02 '10 (Updated Jan 04 '10)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Music The Dirtchamber Sessions, Vol. 1 by The Prodigy From $11 Jersey Boys [Original Broadway Cast Recording] by Original Broadway Cast From $8 The Bottom Line 25 Albums that Were Definitely Some of the Best of 2009. For many claiming that the album is dead is definitely hearing from the wrong source. The album is still alive and well as 2009 is definitely an incredible year for albums. There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of albums that came out this year. Some were good, some were bad, and some were just bloody awful. Yet, in the end. It comes down to the best of the best as the following 50 albums on this list are the highlights of what made 2009 so great and here are the 50 Best Albums of 2009: (Part 1: 50-26): 50. The Dead Weather-Horehound Jack White's new side project after forming the Raconteurs in 2006. The Dead Weather has White on drums and backing vocals for the most part as he's joined by Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence, guitarist Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, and on vocals, Alison Mosshart from the Kills. A mixture of blues, rock, punk, and indie, it is a dark record with Mosshart's growling, haunting vocals taking charge as it has a sexy presence. Truly one of the best rock albums that makes things clear that rock isn't dead. 49. Various Artists-5 Years of Hyperdub One of the leading labels to bring the burgeoning dub-step sound, the Hyperdub label released a two-disc compilation with more than two hours of music from the label. Featuring music by the label's founder Steve Goodman under his Kode9 moniker along with cuts by the Bug, Burial, Darkstar, Zomby, and various others. It is one of the most exotic and intriguing albums of the electronic music scene that truly fascinating and paving the way for something new to come. 48. Metric-Fantasies The fourth studio release by the Canadian indie rock band. The album finds the band making a more accessible record featuring catchy singles led by the song Help, I'm Alive. The record shows vocalist Emily Haines providing some of the best vocal work along with a mixture of indie and new wave to the band's sound as it is one of the most thrilling indie-pop records that truly deserved to break through into the mainstream. 47. Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions-Through the Devil Softly The first album in eight years by Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions, the album revels in Sandoval's dreamy, nocturnal vocals along with Colm O'Ciosoig's ethereal, folky arrangements with elements of shoegaze and dream-pop. A darker album than its predecessor, Bavarian Fruit Tree, the record's more down-tempo sound and atmospheric textures makes the album a chilling experience that harkens back to the days of psychedelia. Particularly for the fact that the music also reaches back to Sandoval's earlier work with Mazzy Star as her return is something worth celebrating. 46. Morrissey-Years of Refusal Morrissey maintains the comeback he achieved in 2004 with You Are the Quarry with another album that has him being fierce in his own dramatic way. The album was also the final album produced by Jerry Finn, who died of a cerebral hemorrhage in July of 2008 as it maintained a sense of raw energy and snarling lyrics. With the double guitar work of Jesse Tobias and Boz Boorer filled with wonderful intensity along with contributions by the legendary Jeff Beck. It's an album that showed that Morrissey still got it. 45. Wavves-Wavvves Surf-punk never sounded as noisy and as catchy from San Diego musician Nathan Williams and drummer Ryan Ulish. The duo's second album is a fierce, chaotic album that takes surf-punk to unimaginable heights. With elements of crazy guitars, swirling synthesizers, and subjects about teen angst, Goths, and all sorts of craziness. It is the most unhinged and most uncompromising album ever made but also one of the most fun. 44. Dan Deacon-Bromst Dan Deacon is one of the new leading figures of the American electronic music scene as his fourth album Bromst is his most complex record to date. A mixture of fast-paced electronic music with elements of psychedelia and Americana. Deacon's approach to electronic music with organic instruments and a wailing vocals that features Native American chants. It is probably a great example of what American electronic music can be. 43. Bibio-Ambivalence Avenue Stephen Wilkinson is an interesting personality in British electronic music as his sixth studio album Ambivalence Avenue is a record that mixes ambient, folk, jangle-pop, and electronic music. Featuring fragmented melodies but also weird folk arrangements that is mixed with ambient textures. It is an inventive and original album from Wilkinson in his Bibio moniker that proves that different musical styles can mesh without being dominated by one style. 42. Bill Callahan-Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle Though he's known mostly for his work under the Smog moniker, Bill Callahan remains one of the most talented singer-songwriters in the indie-folk world. For his second solo release, Callahan delves into the world of alt-country while taking a lot of his lyrical themes into dark humor. With a calm, baritone vocal style, Callahan creates a mesmerizing album that is dreamy as well as unconventional in its arrangements and sparse production. 41. Neko Case-Middle Cyclone A concept album about nature, Neko Case's fifth studio album shows the alt-country, indie-rock goddess taking on more traditional ideas of country with elements of folk and indie for this sprawling yet intimate album. With Case's soothing vocal taking charge, the album also featured guest appearances from the Band's Garth Hudson, M. Ward, Kelly Hogan, and Case's bandmates from the New Pornographers. The result is one of the most enchanting and ambitious albums to come from the wonderful mind of Neko Case. 40. Annie-Don't Stop/All Night EP Delayed for more than a year in its release, Annie's second studio release finally came out with five extra tracks as an EP. Featuring production work by Xenomania, Paul Epsworth, Richard X, and Tino Kaukolampi, it is thinking person's electro-pop album filled with lyrics about heartbreak, angst, and partying as it is a fascinating album that keeps the party going while being playful and full of personality. 39. Japandroids-Post-Nothing Garage rock is still going thanks to the Vancouver duo called the Japandroids. The band's first full-length album is one of the most intense and rocking albums with a simple, straight-to-the-point rock sound of guitar and drums. Featuring elements of noise-pop, it's a record that is chaotic but also catchy with a rough production that is really the antithesis of the polished sounds of mainstream rock. 38. PJ Harvey & John Parish-A Woman A Man Walked By PJ Harvey's second collaboration with John Parish since 1996's Dance Hall at Louse Point. The album has Harvey singing and writing lyrics as it reflects on a calm, reflective tone with elements of melancholia. Parish takes on a folk-rock sound with bits of blues as it is a versatile and adventurous while maintaining a simple yet layered sound. The result shows that PJ Harvey isn't softening her sound while being true to herself. 37. The Decemberists-The Hazards of Love A strange but amazing rock opera about woman falling for a mysterious forest dweller. The Decemberists' fifth album is a mixture of progressive rock, folk, and indie all into a sprawling, ambitious story. Featuring guest appearances from Robyn Hitchcock, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, and Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond. The album has the band's leading songwriter Colin Meloy along with Stark and Worden play various characters in this adventurous yet exciting album that proves that the rock opera is still alive and the fact that rock operas don't have to come from bands like Green Day. 36. ISIS-Wavering Radiant The experimental metal band's fifth album shows the band pushing the boundaries of metal with expansive musical suites that is a mixture of sludge, growling metal with melodic breaks and arrangements. Featuring contributions from Tool's Adam Jones on a couple of tracks, the record is metal at is its most atmospheric but also heavy without any songs that sounds like singles as it is definitely one of the year's finest albums in the world of metal. 35. Florence & the Machines-Lungs One of Britain's newest rising stars to emerge in the wake of the soul-diva revival led by Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and Adele. Florence Welch and her band the Machines created a sound that is truly original a mixture of folk, soul, indie, and orchestral music. With Welch's enchanting vocals that is a mixture of soul, blues, and folk, the band's debut album is definitely one of the year's best as a new star has emerged in the U.K. 34. Camera Obscura-My Maudlin Career The fourth studio release from the Scottish twee-pop band, the album shows Tracyanne Campbell's songwriting talents as she meshes the band's unique sound of orchestral pop, dream-pop, and country into a lush yet elegant style. Featuring superb yet layered production, it's definitely one of the band's most consistent and wonderfully crafted albums with many songs delving into many themes making Camera Obscura one of the best indie bands around. 33. Wilco-S/T Following the mixed reception of 2007's Sky Blue Sky, Wilco picks up the tempo a bit for a rocking yet laid-back album that is simply a self-titled release. Featuring a duet with Feist on one track, the record is mostly a mid-tempo album with some upbeat tracks with some songs inspired by the works of George Harrison. It is an album that shows Wilco having a good time again while Jeff Tweedy creates some more good songs that lives up to the band's catalog. 32. Antony & the Johnsons-The Crying Light The third album from Antony & the Johnsons shows Antony Hegarty and his band stripping their operatic, baroque-pop sound a bit for a more dramatic sound. While the album doesn't feature any special guests like its acclaimed predecessor I Am A Bird Now. It is still a gorgeous listening experience with Antony's operatic vocals and lush arrangements that keeps the momentum going as Antony Hegarty and company are definitely here to stay. 31. The Raveonettes-In & Out of Control After making a comeback with 2007's Lust Lust Lust, the Raveonettes returned with their fourth studio album where the bands strips away the noisy elements of their noise-pop sound for a more, light-hearted electronic sound. Though there's still a bit of noise played throughout, the band's dark, comical songs about drug overdoses, rape, and other eerie themes show the band still having a knack for catchy pop tunes. With noise-pop making a comeback of sorts, it's the Raveonettes that is really leading the way for that sub-genre. 30. Karen O & the Kids-Where the Wild Things Are OST For the music soundtrack of Spike Jonze's acclaimed adaptation of Maurice Sendak's famed picture book. Karen O brings a light-hearted folky sound with help of kids and members of her band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs along with Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence of the Dead Weather, and music composer Carter Burwell for this rich, uplifting soundtrack. Along with a cover of Worried Shoes by Daniel Johnston, it is a record that truly plays to the complex emotions of childhood while Burwell also provides a score piece of his own in the soundtrack making it one of the year's best film soundtracks. 29. Lotus Plaza-The Floodlight Collective From the band Deerhunter, guitarist Lockett Pundt created his own side project with Lotus Plaza. Featuring a bit of help from Deerhunter vocalist Bradford Cox on a track, the album is a mixture of Deerhunter's ambient-punk sound with elements of 1950s melodic guitar pop as Pundt truly creates his own identity as a vocalist and guitarist. The record is also a testament that there's a lot of great music that comes from the Atlanta-based quartet as its individual members show what they can bring to the band as well as to themselves. 28. Vivian Girls-Everything Goes Wrong With a new drummer, the Brooklyn-based noise-pop band Vivian Girls definitely didn't change their sound overnight but their second album did found inspiration for their second release. Notably for the fact that vocalist/guitarist Cassie Ramone's own break-up experience as the album is more intense and darker than its predecessor. With elements of melancholia and angst, it's a record that has the noise-pop trio of three rocking young ladies just going all out in their performance. It's definitely a record that young girls should be listening to instead of the over-produced schlock of Miley Cyrus. 27. Bob Dylan-Together Through Life Already in his 60s yet Bob Dylan refuses to slow down as 2009 saw him put two albums. The second of which was a hilarious Christmas album Christmas in the Heart. Yet, it was the Tex-Mex styling of Together Through Life that continues Dylan's winning streak since he made a major comeback with 1997's Time Out of Mind. With help from Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, and Los Lobos' guitarist/accordion player David Hidalgo. The record is a saucy, cool album that has Dylan playing in various music styles while adding a bit of Tex-Mex flavor from Hidalgo's accordion as Dylan also plays the dirty old man in what is certainly one of his most enjoyable albums of his long career. 26. The xx-xx One of the newest acts to come from London is in the form of a strange dream-pop band with a bit of a R&B sound. Featuring the soothing vocals of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, the xx's debut album is certainly one of the most stunning debut albums to come out this year. Featuring lots of smooth but down-tempo tracks with melodic guitar flourishes, it is truly a fascinating yet ethereal album that really changes the idea of what dream-pop can be. The Best of Music 2009: Top 10 EPs - Top 50 Songs of 2009 Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Top 50 Albums of 2009: Honorable Mentions - Pt. 2 - The Best & Worst of Music 2009

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