Best Music of 2009 (So Far): Kate Kiefer, Associate Editor

You might notice that Passion Pit’s Manners isn’t on my list, and that’s because I don’t like
Passion Pit very much. (Apparently I’m in the minority.) I didn’t include Wild
Light’s “California On My Mind” either, but that’s only because Josh plays it
so many times a day that I feel like it’s his own personal song.

As for the music I did include…if
2009 were to bring us only Elvis Perkins In Dearland, I would still be a happy woman. Elsewhere: The Low
Anthem was my favorite discovery this year, Keith Urban is more awesome than
you think, and if I had a #11, it would be Loney Dear’s Dear John.

Choosing just 10 songs stressed me out, so I decided to
eliminate any song from an album on my first list—so some are from
compilations, and others are from records that didn’t make my top 10. Thank
goodness Sam Beam finally put “The Trapeze Swinger” on an album. I didn’t think
Conor Oberst’s “Lua” could get any prettier until I heard Gillian Welch sing
it, and I wasn’t a Kellie Pickler fan until I found myself in the car switching
from one country station to another, hoping they’d play “Best Days Of Your
Life.” Lastly, I’ll say that Bon Iver’s “Blood Bank” is so ridiculously
beautiful, I’m crying a little right now just thinking about it.