It’s the first day of 2010! What a better time than now to make a post about my favorite music of 2009? Just a quick note, I am not making a claim that this is the ‘best’ of 2009. Just my personal favorites.

Top 15 Albums:

1. Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle. Bill Callahan (aka Smog) has been around for a while. I’ve always enjoyed his music. However, this one just put me in a trance. I found myself listening to it more than any other album that came out in 2009. It’s relaxing with a good hint of darkness to keep it interesting. Sadly he doesn’t have a video out, but you can listen to some tracks on the Drag City link above.

2. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion / Fall Be Kind EP. This was going to be number 3 on the list until Fall Be Kind came out. While technically it’s another album, I see it as a companion piece. Both the album and the EP are amazing and should be checked out.

3. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orcca. Another Domino release! I’m a programmer, not a writer. So, I’m going to end my descriptions here and just post the video :-)

4. Cass McCombs – Catacombs. Domino Again!

5. The XX – XX

6. Micachu – Jewellry

7. The Monks – Black Monk Time. Yes, this is a re-release.. but it needs to be appreciated. The founders of punk.

8. The Mantles – The Mantles. Sadly no video for these guys. But you can download their single off of their site here.

9. The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa. No clue if this is an ‘official’ video.

10. The Sandwitches – How to Make Ambient Sad Cake. No video for these gals either. But you can listen to the track ‘Back to the Sea’ here.

11. Girls – Album.

12. White Denim – Fits

13. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

14. NODZZZ – NODZZZ

15. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon

Well, it’s that time of year. The time of lists! Being a web developer, I’m tempted to try to do a list of geeky web things that came out or took place in 2008. However, my love of listening to music goes back further than my love of computers. So, since I’m only going to blog one list, it will be a list of my top 10 favorite albums that came out in 2008. In the list below, I’ll include links to a track or two as well as a link to their site to purchase it. If possible, I always try to purchase the cd’s straight from the band or their label.

1. White Denim, Exposion | Track 11: Sitting | Buy Album
2. The Walkmen, You & Men | Track 4: In The New Year | Buy Album
3. Spiritualized, Songs in A&E | Buy Album
4. The Dodos, Visiter | Track 2: Red & Purple | Buy Album
5. No Age, Nouns | Track 3: Teen Creeps | Buy Album
6. Fleet Foxes, Ragged Wood | Track 2: White Winter Hymnal | Buy Album
7. Diplo & Santogold, Top Ranking | Buy Album
8. Esau Mwamway & Radioclit, The Very Best Mixtape | Download the album for free
9. Department of Eagles, In Ear Park | Track 2: No One Does it Like You | Buy Album
10. Harlem, Free Drugs;-) | Track 3: South of France | Buy Album

Honorable Mentions:
Blitzen Trapper, Furr
Women, Self-Titled
Fuck Buttons, Street Horrrsing
Wavves, Self-Titles
Lykke Li, Youth Novels

Mark your calendars! October 21st is the date when record label Numero Group will release The Young Disciples. For those not familiar with Numero Group, they are a label out of Chicago that releases compilations. They don’t make compilations of the songs that charted. Rather they dig deep to find songs people only heard if they happened to be lucky enough to be in the club that night. In particular, I’m a fan of their Eccentric Soul series.

Often they’ll focus on small indie labels. Two of my favorites of the series are when they explored the Deep City Label and Outskirts of Deep City. However, with The Young Disciples they’ll focus strictly on Saint Louis.

Each album of the Eccentric Soul series has been amazing. And each album will usually have at least one or two songs that I end up putting on every mix tape I make (Am I a Good Man from Deep City, Don’t be Surprised from Outskirts and Home Schooled and I’m Not Ready for Love from The ABC’s of Kid Soul).