10. The Books ft. Jose Gonzales. “Cello Song”
Sample-mavens The Books strip down their colossal production to just a beat and—you guessed it—a cello for a stunning Nick Drake cover. A highlight from the indie compilation Dark Was The Night.
09. Junior Boys. “Parallel Lines”
French-Canadian techno duo Junior Boys mix elements of house and pop vocals to great effect on Begone Dull Care. “Parallel Lines” is like Air but harder edged.
08. Akron/Family. “River”
New York-based Akron/Family makes beard-folk danceable on “River.” A jangly guitar line accompanies rice-shaker beats; the song explodes with the echoed chorus of “You and I and a flame make three.” Like a campfire? Sure, why not.
07. Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys. “Empire State of Mind”
Perhaps the only song from Blueprint III that stands up to the first two of the series, Jay’s tribute to his New York is the best top-40 song of the year. Alicia Keys’ gorgeous chorus begs to be shouted from dingy basements and stretch limousines alike. Check out her solo “Part II” on YouTube as well.
06. Atlas Sound. "Sheila"
Is Bradford Cox capable of making bad music? Deerhunter front man moonlighted as Atlas Sound for a second time, releasing the fantastic Logos. Blending electronic elements with straightforward indie pop, the album surpasses 2008’s Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel. “Sheila” is Cox at his morbidly poppy best.
05. Discovery. "Orange Shirt"
This is my song of the summer. Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles teamed up to produce the techno-funky Discovery LP (Take that Postal Service). I didn’t know these guys could get down like this. What screams teenage love like, “Can I sleep inside/I know you’re nervous though/So I promise to leave when your mother wakes up in the morning”? Roll your windows down and you’ll look so cool playing this song.
04. Phoenix. "1901"
The French band put out their best work yet in this year’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Being on an iPod commercial has made good bands world-famous before (see John, Peter Bjorn and), and the infectious beat and singalong chorus of “1901” is enough to propel Phoenix to the top of electro-pop. LDOC, anyone?
03. Girls. "Lust for Life."
The single from Girls’ stunning Album accomplishes a good deal in 2:25. Opening with Kinks-esque rhythm guitar, Christopher Owens packs in all his angst (“Yeah I’m just crazy/Fucked in the head”) while a dreamy SoCal beat floats along in the background. Girls are one of the most promising new bands of 2009.
02. Dirty Projectors. "Useful Chamber."
Many bands make do with a single vocalist, but Dirty Projectors has three. Winners. Uber-literary dude/musical genius Dave Longstreth’s stretchy falsetto is complemented by DP’s two soaring female voices. Surging synthesizer and finger-picked acoustic guitar gives way to a trip-hop beat and Longstreth’s inviting whisper. Then all hell breaks loose as he shouts “Bitte Orca, Orca Bitte!!!” You may not know what’s going on, but play it loud!
01. Animal Collective. "Brother Sport."
There are several songs that could occupy this spot from Merriwether Post Pavilion, Animal Collective’s nearly perfect 2009 record. But as am I partial to the influences of Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear), the closer “Brother Sport” barely defeats “My Girls.” The song builds frantically to a gorgeous final chorus, complete with Panda’s classic looping. By the time it finishes, your hair is unkempt and your shirt’s probably on backwards. Go ahead and start the album over.
--Jake Stanley
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