Top 10 Albums of 2009

Written by Ethan Sauers, Online Editor

10] Grizzly Bear– “Veckatimest”
Best Song of the Album – “Two Weeks”
In the era of indie music success, Grizzly Bear’s latest album, “Veckatimest”, illuminates the genre of crafty lyrics mingled with passionate vocals. They’ve managed to combine a Radiohead-esque sound with the alt-rock sound of Kings of Leon.

9] David Crowder Band – “Church Music”
Best Song of the Album -“How He Loves”
DCB is changing the “Christian Music” Business. This very slyly titled CD brings worship music to a new level. The only reason I couldn’t bring myself to rank this phenomenal album any higher is because I feel it’s merely a continuation of “Remedy” at some points. But it’s a very very tightly knit album with some great Crowder material on there.

8] Say Anything – “Say Anything”
Best Song of the Album – “Crush’d”
I think that one of the reasons this CD is so highly ranked on my list is because it really caught me off guard. I mean, we all know Say Anything as the “Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too” band. But this self-titled CD has much more depth. The catchy melodies are still in tact, and the clever lyrics are all over the place. This was the biggest shocker of the year and has an insane amount of mass appeal.

7] Phoenix – “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”
Best Song of the Album – “Lisztomania”
This is, without a doubt, the most underrated album of the year. I have a feeling that Phoenix will explode with their next CD. Especially if they promote it as smartly as they promoted this one. They allowed for the single “1901″ to be used in a car commercial, and also included it as an iTunes “Discovery Download”. It was being sold at Target for 7.99 and is laden with infectious synth. It’s a Summer-Time album that has done a fabulous job at infiltrating itself into the mainstream market, poising the band for a hit release come 2010.

6] Taylor Swift – Fearless [Platinum Edition]
Best Song of the Album – “You Belong with Me”
There are very few people who’ve attained such quick fame as Taylor Swift. Everything just sort of fell into place with this CD, which, despite the fact that it was a re-release with only 6 new songs, climbed to #1 on the billboard as well as the iTunes charts. Her charisma and talent are undeniable [regardless of what Mr. Kanye West may say] and the catchy songs showcase her impeccable songwriting for anyone, let alone a 20 year old. Bravo Miss Swift, Bravo.

5] Muse – “The Resistance”
Best Song of the Album – “Undisclosed Desires”
Quite honestly, any of these top 5 could have been #1. This release from Muse came under some scrutiny from die-hard fans, but all-in-all, I feel like the album is full of musical genius. The mainstream feel of “Resistance” and “Uprising” have Muse getting back into the media, but with songs like “Undisclosed Desires”, you get a deep cut from Muse that quite honestly, when I first heard it, completely blew my mind. Mixed in with the 3 Movement Exogenesis Symphony to close out the CD, I must say that I don’t think I could’ve asked for more from Muse. It’s a diverse album that is solid through and through.

4] Paramore – “Brand New Eyes”
Best Song of the Album – “Ignorance”
I was one of the people who wrote Paramore off after “Riot!” because I really didn’t think they could follow it up. Boy was I wrong. Haha, this could be one of the most well written and thorough rock albums that I’ve heard in the last 5 years. It’s another very diverse album that demonstrates tremendous growth from the band. Hayley Williams has the same unbelievable vocals as were on display on the band’s previous 2 CD’s and finally has an album that allows her to do exactly what she wants. It’s a poignant, classy, and tasteful blend of quality tracks. Very well done.

3] John Mayer – “Battle Studies”
Best Song of the Album – “Assassin”
A large part of me wanted to rank this #1. I mean it is insanely well written, very cohesive, and features Taylor Swift. What more could you truly ask for? haha, but seriously, this album is a very strong contender for Mayer’s best production to date [which says volumes]. It chronicles his character development, and shows a very real side of Mayer, that I don’t think the public gets a chance to see.

2] Relient K – “Forget and Not Slow Down”
Best Song of the Album – “Candlelight”
This is by far the best album ever released by Relient K. Every song on this CD has the capability of being a hit. In true Relient K fashion, the melodies are catchy, the lyrics are sound, and it’s just very well done. But something that RK seems to be toying with is the notion of “concepts”. I wouldn’t go quite as far as to say this is a concept album, but it’s as close as you’ll get without being one. I do believe this is the most cohesive album of the year.

1] Dave Matthews Band – “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King”
Best Song of the Album – “Why I Am”
This album is truly, the Album of the Year. Dedicated to fallen bandmate, LeRoi Moore, DMB produced a heartfelt disk with not a song to be skipped. Songs like “Seven” [named for its use of a time signature in 7], “Alligator Pie”, and “Shake Me Like a Monkey” will seem very familiar to Dave fans with their signature style woven all throughout. Other tracks like “Dive In”, “Baby Blue”, and “You & Me” will seem a tad more like something we’d hear on a Dave solo album. The whole CD is a conglomerate of soulful, passionate music that pierces you in a way you wouldn’t know possible. Not much else can be said about this epic piece of work.

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