My Year In Lists

Top O' the new year to ya. 2009 is over and done and as always it is a good time to look back at the year that was, and also to look ahead at whats coming. I'll try to accomplish that the best I can, at least looking back at the years musical offerings and try to offer up what I felt were the songs, albums, and bands that might not have landed on your radar (but should have).
My intention was to look at every song that I added to my library this year and whittle it down to my top 20. Yeah, that's not going to happen. I was able to knock it down to about 59, but that doesn't a best-of list make. My next problem is that "best-of" doesn't really work. There were plenty of songs or albums that technically or musically or lyricly (is that a word) weren't the best but still found themselves as repeated listens on my ipod. So in an effort to cover most of the tracks that had an effect on me (for good or bad), I will alter the format slightly, to hopefully keep things a little lighter and turn you on to some fun stuff in the process. I present Woody's first official best-of best-oves.

Best Songs to make me laugh
Carol Brown - Flight of the Conchords. Every thing they do makes me laugh but something about this sweet little ditty that keeps a smile on my face and a tune in my ear.
DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshakes - Art Brut. Barely adequate musical skill, check. Voice from hell, Check. Juvenile lyrics, check. Loads of fun, check.

Best "Strokes" songs that weren't by the Strokes (just members on side projects).
Brand New Start - Little Joy. Sweet Retro Cool.
11th Dimension - Julian Casablancas. Strokes Front-man gettin' his groove on.
Miss Myrtle - Albert Hammond Jr. Technically this is a 2008 track but I was a little late to give it some love. This track off his second album really makes me want to revisit his excellent 2007 debut.
Best Female Vocals.
I like you so much better when your Naked - Ida Maria. I can't get enough of this track, can't really explain why, but there's somthing about the line "I like you so much better when your naked, I like me so much better when your naked", that I just love.
Kiss with a fist - Florence + The Machine. Nobody makes domestic violence sound as whymsical as this brittish firecracker.
Heads will roll - Yeah yeah yeahs. This is hard for me because I traditionally can't stand the yeah's but this track is infectious.
Hell - Tegan and Sara. Unquestionably the best lesbian twin-sister rock band on the planet, they deliver a little slice of heaven with this romp.
Dorchester Hotel - The Sounds. Home-girl rocks.


Best singer/songwriter meets hot young actress colaboration.
Sorry ScarJo and PeYo, but I've got to go with She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward). Favorite track, Why Do you let me stay here. Look for more from them later this year, also if you haven't checked out Zoey's movie "500 days of summer," I highly recommend it (Without question my Movie of the year).

Best Covers.
Love Vigilantes - Iron & Wine. His original material has never quite done it for me, not sure why, but it seems every time he chooses to cover, I'm all in. His version of The Postal Services' Such Great Heights is one of my favorite tracks of all time.
Can You Discover? - Discovery. Ok, so it's not exactly a cover, but it is just as, if not more, fun to listen to as Ra Ra Riots original.

Best Super Groups.
Monsters of folk. Was it just me or was there a new "supergroup" like every other week. Not sure how super any of them are, but I did mostly enjoy the debut from MOF, although it certainly wasn't perfect, or even great. What I did enjoy was that when these guys are ON, you can fully understand why they hooked up in the first place. Check out Losin yo head, Say please, whole lotta losin' and Baby Boomer.
The Dead Weather. One thing I'm starting to realize is that Jack White is the man. And although he's just a peice of this puzzle, it doesn't take long to realize that it's his puzzzle. The Addition of Mosshart on vocal is a spot-on pairing, that made this debut a pleasant supprise for me. I feel I need to go back and revisit Jack's other works, as for this though, check out Cut like A buffalo, Treat me like your Mother.

Best Toe-Tappin' Songs.
1901 - Phoenix.
Liztomania - Phoenix. I can't mention one of these without mentioning the other, both have sugary sweet grooves and fresh hooks I can sink my teeth into. Liztomania, about an ahead of his time, rock-star pianist is probably my front runner for song of the year.
No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand. When they're on, they're on.
Daylight - Matt & Kim. The years best driving song.
Do the Panic - Phantom Planet. It's been a long time since breaking through with "California", but PP can crank out a 3-minute pop/rock gem as good as anybody.
Kick Drum Heart - The Avett Brothers. This track makes my kick drum heart smile every time I hear it, maybe it's becase had I never heard this track I probably would never have given this band a fair listen. Man I'm glad I did, as they were one of if not my best find of the year.

Best Indie Rock
Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective. I can't imagine any die hard "Indie-Rockers" disagreeing with me that this is Indie Rock at it's finest.
Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear. See above but with a hint of the beach boys.
Fables - The Dodos. Gorgeous vocals, creative percussions. Great Song.
Now We Can See - The Thermals. Try getting this one out of your head.

Guilty Pleasures of the year.

For those that know me, you know I avoid "radio" like the plague and that mainstream music isn't really my thing. However, that doesn't mean I dwell in a cave, and every year there are a few songs that I really want to hate and don't want to admit I dig, here's this years' examples.
Animal - Mike Snow.
Tin Man - Animal Kingdom.
Fireflies - Owl City. This postal service meets fm radio meets 16 year old prep-school stomp diity, hits me in the sweet spot.
Sex on Fire - Kings of leon.
Poker face - Lady Gaga. Um, I don't want to talk about it.

Hey, Soul Sister - Train. Dang catchy Train. Sounded great on an episode of CSI New York this fall.

Under Control - Parachute. Can't avoid this one at the gym, and it always seems to "pump me up."

Best Buzz-Bands.
(Every year there is a bazillion bands that get a whole bunch o' buzz, usually before there album ever comes out. This year is no exception, and while there is no way I can keep up with them, here's a few of my favorite tracks)
Laura - Girls. Lovin' this track and there album, titled Album, had I been turned on to it sooner, might have been my album of the year.
Crystalized. The XX. See Above.
Dominos - The Big Pink. Not quite sure about their artwork, but love the big sound.
Percussion Gun - White Rabbits. One Drummer, Good. Two Drummers, Crazy Good.
I know what I am - Band of skulls. I really need to check out the rest of their album, this track's great.
Crush on You - Brakes Brakes Brakes. See above.

Young Adult Friction - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Lame band name, totally not lame tune.

Best love songs that aren't stupid but that are totally awesome.
The Gambler - Fun.. Written to/for his parents, this one almost manages to jerk a tear or two.
I and Love and U - The Avett Brothrs. Gorgeous song.
Furr - Blizten Trapper. This is one of the best songs to come out in 2008, but it took me awhile to get that. Shame on me.
Skinny Love - Bon Iver. This is one of the best songs to come out in 2008, but it took me awhile to get that. Shame on me. Yeah I know I said that twice, but it's true about both.

Best Song's I don't quite know how to Classify.

The Reeling - Passion Pit. Dance track of the year.

Sleepy Tigers - Her Space Holdiay. I've been playing this one for a year now and I'm not close to beeing tired of it yet.

Cannibal Queen - Miniature tigers. Maybe this should be in the best love song category.

Never Had Nobody like you - M. Ward. Monsters of folk could have used a little more M. Ward, and a little less Jim James. This track could use a little more Zooey.

A Balloon on a Broken String - The Boy Least Likely to. They make Sad sound so happy.

No Intention - Dirty Projectors. Usually they are a little too weird for me, but not on this one.

Fresh blood - Eels. Seriously, this song kind of creeps me out.

Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap. Hear it, love it, crave it.

Album Of The Year.

(Aim & Ignite by FUN. is in the pantheon and thereby not eligible for album of the year)

I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers. This Album surprised more than any other this year. For starters, I was surprised to find that I really liked it. Even more surprised to find that I loved it. Absolutely gorgeous from start to finish, the brothers meld honest lyrics with simple arrangements, lush production, spot on harmonies and a dash of fun. If you've never heard of these guys (I hadn't till about 8 months ago, although this is there 7th album), give em' a listen, you might be glad you did. I sure am.


Well for now this ends my Best-of list for 2009, I hope you enjoyed it and hopefully it turned you on to a few of your future favorite tracks. I try to get all these songs up on the blog so you can listen to them. I'll be blogging soon with a few new album reviews, so blog ya later.