21. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Feel good indie pop.
20. Buckethead - Slaughterhouse on the Prairie
His first of four in 2009, rocks as usual – even includes two songs about Lebron!
19. Lil Wayne – No Ceilings
A decent mixtape from Weezy F., nothing like last year, however.
18. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Trippy folk, good stuff.
17. Hot Chip – A Bugged Out Mix by Hot Chip
An excellent mix. Looking forward to their 2010 album.
16. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Up from Below
The best folk debut of 2009.
15. Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms
Great electropop.
14. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Sweet guitars, interesting vocals – great album.
13. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
They’ve been putting out albums since ’86 – good ones keep coming. Thick distortion, weird Karen O appearances.
12. Bear in Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Best experimental release of 2009.
11. Sunset Rubdown - Sunset Rubdown
Same singer as Wolf Parade – the song Idiot Heart rocks.
10. Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
Best electronic debut – some guy from New Jersey. The song Bicycle rocks hard.
9. The Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
Best folk release of 2009, hands down.
8. jj – jj no. 2
Hard to describe – deep-trippy-electronic-sweden-ecstasy.
7. Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
Great drone release – steady and won’t let you down.
6. The xx – xx
Seductive dream-pop. A great debut, even caused the keyboardist to split due to exhaustion. They’ll open for Hot Chip in 2010, I’ll see them in D.C. @ the 9:30 club.
5. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Product of The Knife – great stuff here. Saw them in Chicago in one of their few ’09 dates in the US.
4. The Antlers – Hospice
Love this album, some really powerful songs.
3. Phoenix –
Wolfgang Amadeus
These guys have been around for a long time in France. You’ve probably heard them on the Cadillac commercials. Powerful catchy synth driven songs.
2. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
A great follow-up to Strawberry Jam. I saw them live while in Vegas this past summer while on vacation with friends (had to go by myself, but well worth it).
1. Passion Pit – Manners
Best album of 2009.
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/lil-wayne-no-ceilings-cover-300×300.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-552″ title=”lil-wayne-no-ceilings-cover-300×300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/lil-wayne-no-ceilings-cover-300×300.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>18. <strong>Lil Wayne</strong> – <em>No Ceilings</em>
A decent mixtape from Weezy F., nothing like last year, however.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Grizzly_Bear_Veckatimest_Warp_1246381312_crop_300x300.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-551″ title=”Grizzly_Bear_Veckatimest_Warp_1246381312_crop_300x300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Grizzly_Bear_Veckatimest_Warp_1246381312_crop_300x300.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>17.<strong> Grizzly Bear</strong> – <em>Veckatimest</em>
Trippy folk, good stuff.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/VA-A_Bugged_Out_Mix_by_Hot_Chip.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-549″ title=”VA-A_Bugged_Out_Mix_by_Hot_Chip” src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/VA-A_Bugged_Out_Mix_by_Hot_Chip.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>16. <strong>Hot Chip</strong> – <em>A Bugged Out Mix by Hot Chip</em>
An excellent mix. Looking forward to their 2010 album.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/edward-sharpe-album1-300×300.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-548″ title=”edward-sharpe-album1-300×300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/edward-sharpe-album1-300×300.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>15. <strong>Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros</strong> – <em>Up from Below</em>
The best folk debut of 2010.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/neon-indian-psychic-chasms.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-547″ title=”neon-indian-psychic-chasms” src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/neon-indian-psychic-chasms.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>14.<strong> Neon Indian</strong> – <em>Psychic Chasms</em>
Good electropop.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/wild-beasts-two-dancers-70393183001.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-546″ title=”wild-beasts-two-dancers-$7039318$300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/wild-beasts-two-dancers-70393183001.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>13. Wild Beasts -<em> Two Dancers</em>
Sweet guitars, interesting vocals – great album.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Flaming-Lips-Embryonic-300×300.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-543″ title=”Flaming-Lips-Embryonic-300×300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Flaming-Lips-Embryonic-300×300.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>13. Flaming Lips – <em>Embryonic</em>
They’ve been putting out albums since ’86 – good ones keep coming. Thick distortion. Weird Karen O appearances.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/639.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-542″ title=”639″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/639.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>12. Bear in Heaven – <em>Beast Rest Forth Mouth</em>
Best experimental release of 2009.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Dragonslayer-Sunset_Rubdown_480.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-540″ title=”Dragonslayer-Sunset_Rubdown_480″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Dragonslayer-Sunset_Rubdown_480.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>11. Sunset Rubdown -<em> Sunset Rubdown</em>
Same singer as Wolf Parade – <em>Idiot Heart</em> rocks.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Memory-Tapes-Seek-Magic-480×480-300×300.png”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-539″ title=”Memory-Tapes-Seek-Magic-480×480-300×300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Memory-Tapes-Seek-Magic-480×480-300×300.png” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>10. Memory Tapes -<em> Seek Magic</em>
Best electronic debut – some guy from New Jersey. <em>Bicycle</em> rocks hard.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/gls_lostchannels_300x300.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-530″ title=”gls_lostchannels_300x300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/gls_lostchannels_300x300.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>9. The Great Lake Swimmers -<em> Lost Channels</em>
Best folk release of 2010, hands down.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/jj-jj-n-2-cd-album-art-53819.png”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-528″ title=”jj-jj-n-2-cd-album-art-53819″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/jj-jj-n-2-cd-album-art-53819.png” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>8. jj – <em>jj no. 2</em>
Hard to describe – deep-trippy-electronic-sweden.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><em><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Fuck-Buttons-Tarot-Sport-300×300.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-531″ title=”Fuck-Buttons-Tarot-Sport-300×300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Fuck-Buttons-Tarot-Sport-300×300.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>7. </em>Fuck Buttons – <em>Tarot Sport</em>
Great drone, steady and won’t let you down.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/the-xx.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-532″ title=”the-xx” src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/the-xx.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>6. The xx – <em>xx</em>
Seductive dream-pop. A great debut, even caused the keyboardist to split due to exhaustion. They’ll open for Hot Chip in 2010, I’ll see them in D.C. @ the 9:30 club.</p>
Product of The Knife – great stuff here. Saw them in Chicago in one of their few ’09 dates in the US.
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/hospice_antlers_the_album.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-534″ title=”hospice_antlers_the_album” src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/hospice_antlers_the_album.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>4. The Antlers – <em>Hospice</em>
Love this album, some really powerful songs.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/wolfgang-amadeus-phoenix-album-cover-300×300.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-536″ title=”wolfgang-amadeus-phoenix-album-cover-300×300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/wolfgang-amadeus-phoenix-album-cover-300×300.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>3. Phoenix – <em>Wolfgang Amadeus
</em>
These guys have been around for a long time but have finally made it big. You’ve probably heard them on the Cadillac commercials. Powerful catchy synth driven songs.</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><a href=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/146944146724merriweather_0-300×300.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-537″ title=”146944146724merriweather_0-300×300″ src=”http://shawnmariani.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/146944146724merriweather_0-300×300.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”300″ /></a>2. Animal Collective – <em>Merriweather Post Pavilion</em>
A great follow-up to <em>Strawberry Jam</em>. I saw them live while in Vegas this past summer while on vacation with friends (had to go by myself, but worth it).</p>
