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To celebrate the half-way point of 2009, this week Paste staffers are counting down their favorite albums and songs of the year (so far). Check out all of our lists here, and share your own favorites in the comments. 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.
Albums
1. Elvis Perkins In Dearland - Elvis Perkins In Dearland
2.
3. Joshua James - Build Me This
4. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything To Nothing
5. The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love
6. Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine
7. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
8. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - Beware
9. Keith Urban - Defying Gravity
10. Mirah - (a)spera
Songs
2. “The Trapeze Swinger” - Iron and Wine
3. “Lua” - Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch (from Dark Was
The Night)
5. “You Belong With Me” - Taylor Swift
6. “Best Days Of Your Life” - Kellie Pickler
7. “Why Modern Radio Is A-Ok” - Roman Candle
9. “When My Time Comes” - Dawes
10. “Train Song” - Feist + Ben Gibbard (from Dark Was The
Night)
Top 10 Best Debut Novels of the…
The 10 Best Video Game Characters of…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
The 50 Best Movies of the Decade…
Frightened Rabbit - Good Arms Vs. Bad…
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
B.O.B. - Put Me On
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
What is it with y'all and the Manchester Orchestra? I don't think I've ever heard a more nondescript rock band in my life.
Thanks for sharing your top 10. I've purchased only one album on your list -- The Decemberists' "Hazards of Love" -- and it might make the top 20 of my mid-year list. I'm not quite the indie lover that many paste readers are. I would probably even put the new Green Day album at No. 1. Some of my other faves so far include Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (s/t), John Doe and the Sadies' album of classic country covers, the new Elvis Costello, the Thermals' "Now We Can See," the Bon Iver "Blood Bank" EP, and yeah, maybe even Passion Pit.
But it's interesting to see other opinions. I've sampled the Elvis Perkins album but passed on the purchases. Maybe I'll have a second look.
The Connor Oberst & Gillian Welch version of Lua can't be beat. Thanks for tipping me off to the song.
I'm glad to see The Low Anthem be on several of these lists. It's an album that's executed so well.
Where's the love for Bill Callahan's "Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle" though? I'm surprised to see it's not shown up on any lists yet, as well as Andrew Bird's "Noble Beast".
My favorite track of the year so far is probably "Anne" from Josh Ritter's rereleased acoustic Golden Age of Radio album. It's a masterpiece.
I second your opinion of the new Keith Urban album. Personally, I think I liked Love, Pain, & the Whole Crazy Thing a tad better, but this one's still growing on me.
Other favorites: Gomez's "Airstream Driver," Andrew Bird's entire Noble Beast album, and I know this is cheating because it came out in 2008, but I just bought Sugarland's Love on the Inside and I haven't stopped listening to it in five days.
Nothing from Middle Cyclone by Neko Case?
I'm surprised no one has chosen "Paper Cities" by Other Lives for one of the Best Songs of the Year. It's absolutely Beautiful
Here's a second opinion on Best Albums at the halfway point of the year.
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Albums-of-2009-so-far/lm/R192WLN6RBXA0F/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full
Nice list, I Shall have to check out the new Elvis Perkins, I quite enjoyed "Ash Wednesday". Also, very glad to see Joshua James' soon to be released "Build Me This" (out in Sept.) high on the list. I managed to procure myself a copy several months ago and have been listening to it non-stop ever since. It is defiantly one the average Paste reader should seek out.
It's nice to see Loney, Dear getting some well deserved love. "Violent" is also on my top ten list of tracks for 2009.
i wish there was not a minority surrounding passion pit. I wonder if everyone who loves their album has ever seen them live...they fucking suck, a singer who cant sing a tune if his life depended on it and a band who cant come close to creating the sound of their album.
Oh ya and by the way, I know animal collective came out in the first week of january but lets not kid ourselves, it is an amazing album and should be in everyone's top 5
Great list. Love, love, love "Best Days Of Your Life" - Kellie Pickler!