My Top 25 Albums of 2009 part 1

01. The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future

This excellent electronic pop duo delivered unto me an album that I did not find appealing on first listen, but thankfully I recognized how foolish I had been. While not as traditionally 'catchy' as their previous work, Ray Guns works in layers and mood to create sing-a-long songs that are far more creative than the norm.

02. Chatmonchy - Kokuhaku

One of my favorite discoveries from my first trip to Japan in 2006, my return in 2009 was made all the better upon learning that Chatmonchy had just released a new album. Since I hate to use the word 'mature' when describing albums, I'll simply say that Kokuhaku is a more focused and driven effort that still maintains all of the fun that I have come to expect from this excellent trio.

03. Converge - Axe To Fall

A contender for album of the year, Axe To Fall sees converge returning to a brutality we have not seen since Jane Doe. Kurt Ballou and Ben Koller are finally in an unstoppable synch and Nate Newton holds down the low-end while bellowing auxiliary vocals that bring to mind greats such as the Melvins and Karp. The riffs are more diverse, with metal, complex hardcore, and dare I say it, black as pitch country melodies tearing apart the air. But it is Jake Bannon who is as furious as ever, spitting venom across the soundscape that reminds me why I fell in love with this band so many years ago.

04. The Cool Kids - Gone Fishing

The only downside to this record is the length; at 21 songs, it certainly would drag if each tune was not so strong. The Cool Kids have one of the most simultaneously hysterical and fresh brands of Hip-Hop since Biz Markie and I hope the get the due soon.

05. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains

Is it wrong to put an album on here for purely sentiments sake? Screw it. I 'll do it anyways. Cymbals Eat Guitars is a group that pulls one of my favorite elements from the early 90's Alternative boom: melodic dissonance. Upon listening to this band, who gloriously channel Pavement, it occurred how radio-friendly and sanitized Indie Rock has become. They are not perfect by any means, and they walk the line between good and bad quite precariously here is to hoping that they err on the side of noise rather than of sound.

06. Dinosaur Jr - Farm

Speaking of the Alternative boom, the band more or less responsible for a portion of it returned for its second album since reforming in 2007. They are as loud as ever, grasping hold of the 'wall of sound' concept and running with it with reckless abandon. I'd like to say that this hearkens back to the very earliest of the Dinosaur Jr eras, but sadly that it not the case. However, conjuring their mid-90's eras is almost as good and hearing Barlow tunes on a Dinosaur Jr album once again more than makes up for it.

07. Future of the Left - Travels With Myself And Another

Ever so often, when the lingering corpse of Punk Rock begins to bore me, I will be introduced to a band such as this that revitalizes my belief in the genre. Not content to merely stand on the shoulders of who has come before them, they instead pull from many directions, touring literally dozens of sub-genres. The result is something that sounds always familiar, but is constantly out of reach. One could not ask for much more.

08. The Gossip - Music For Men

For one reason or another, I resisted liking this band the longest time despite the fact that I should automatically like anything that has Hannah Blilie as the drummer. Everything changed with Music For Men. They have finally perfected their blend of soulful indie funk and I could not be happier that I followed my whims and picked up the album.

09. Har Mar Superstar - Dark Touches

Here is another album that I just did not care for upon first listen and for the life of me, I am not sure why. His humor is intact, the beats and grooves are as funky as ever and the melodies are so spine-tingingly perfect that I can't imagine anyone disliking it.

10. - Japandroids - Post-Nothing

This album reminds me so much of my teenage years that I can't help but picture myself playing drums in Searching For Venus and discovering bands like Lync and Braid. If anyone has ever forgotten what Indie Rock used to be like, look no further than this album.