Brandon's 20 favorite albums of 2009

This has been floating around Facebook for a few days, but here it is on the blog. This is my no means meant to be definitive, but rather it's just my favorites of what I've listened to. It is in rough order. What'd I miss this year, what else would I like?

Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion

RIYL: Life; music


The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You

Recommended if you have a heart; or if you're the tin man and don't.


Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

RIYL: pop music


The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

RIYL: Indie pop music


Neko Case: Middle Cyclone

RIYL: Albums with great covers; fifteen minutes of swamp noise


Metric: Fantasies

RIYL: Songs that should be listened to at night


Tegan and Sara: Sainthood

RIYL: Two to three minute long indie rock songs; Canadians


Ha Ha Tonka: Novel Sounds of the Noveau South

RIYL: Missouri between St. Louis and Kansas City


Bill Callahan: Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle

RIYL: songs with birds in the title


Wilco: Wilco (the Album)

RIYL: 101.9 FM; bands that have songs about themselves


Thao and the Get Down Stay Down: Know Better, Learn Faster

RIYL: Asian Americans


Scotland Yard Gospel Choir: …And the Horse You Rode In On

RIYL: Belle and Sebastian; Chicago


Justin Townes Earle: Midnight at the Movies

RIYL: Country, folk, country-folk


Camera Obscura: My Maudlin Career

Recommended if you are twee


Andrew Bird: Noble Beast

RIYL: Andrew Bird


Dinosaur Jr.: Farm

RIYL: whatever alternative rock is


The Thermals: Now We Can See

Recommended if you're interested in hearing what a band who really hated George Bush sounds like now that George Bush is no longer president.


Marissa Nadler: Little Hells

RIYL: Reverb vocals


St. Vincent: Actor

RIYL: Songs about show business

The Mountain Goats: Life of the World to Come

RIYL: The Bible (probably as literature)