Words of Wisdom

2009 was quite a year in the music world, one that was filled with superb high profile releases and great recordings by artists toiling under the radar. I purchased somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 new albums over the past year, most from either emusic or Amazon, and I have whittled that list down to 25 that I will present now as the best of the year. Yesterday we looked at five honorable mentions and today we will delve into the first 10 albums, those ranked 11-20 on our list.

20. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
I first came into contact with Jason Isbell’s music during his tenure with one of my favorite bands of the past decade, the Drive-By Truckers, so it goes without saying that I have also followed his solo career closely. This time around Isbell ratchets up the southern rock another notch, to a level that almost rivals his former band. It’s another great work from a real up-and-comer on the scene.
Download: Seven-Mile Island, However Long

19. The Raveonettes – In and Out of Control
The last album from The Raveonettes, 2007’s Lust Lust Lust, seemed to make the female-lead band an heir apparent to the shoegazing movement, that genre best defined by bands like Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. Like the aforementioned bands, their sound was an atmospheric blend of loud guitars and ethereal vocals that worked well and was a bit nostalgic to those of us who came of age in the 90’s. For their latest release, the band has taken a slightly different turn, making songs that can stand alone and do not need the album context to be recognized as good. To me this album sounds more like the band Garbage than it does pure shoegazing, and that’s a good thing.
Download: Bang!, Last Dance

18. Sonic Youth – The Eternal
These legends of noisy alternative rock have been relatively quiet over the past decade or so. Long gone are the halcyon days of the 80’s with their wild musical experimentation and the 90’s with their MTV video rotation, but after nearly 30 years Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon continue to plug away. This album marks a remarkable return to form for these oft-lauded figures, now well into middle age, and we are all better for it.
Download: Sacred Trickster, Leaky Lifeboat

17. Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
Throughout the decade, DMB continued to be one of the greatest live acts around, regularly performing to sold-out crowds around the world, but, despite this popularity, the quality of their studio recordings took a hit. It seemed as though they would never again capture the magic of their albums from the 1990’s, at least it did until they released this gem. Big Whiskey was recorded following the death of longtime saxophonist Leroi Moore and though that cloud of sorrow hung over the band, their creativity must have been rejuvenated because this is, without a doubt, their best album in a decade.
Download: Shake Me Like a Monkey, Why I Am

16. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
If there is a more unlikely success story than that of the Decemberists, I don’t know what it is. Their style is nothing like most mainstream artists and they have just released a second consecutive concept album telling a very strange story. Their last work, 2006’s The Crane Wife, was one of my favorites of that year and this later work, while not quite as good as Crane, is still very interesting and different. The Hazards of Love tells the story of a woman named Margaret who falls in love with a shape-shifting forest creature named William. It should also be mentioned that the best song on the album, “The Rake’s Song” is probably the catchiest song ever written about infanticide.
Download: The Rake’s Song, Won’t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)

15. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
I know it is cliché to say that you could listen to someone sing the phone book, but I truly feel as though I could listen to Neko Case, with her soaring vocals, take on anything and love it. I first began listening to her following the release of 2006’s Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and quickly fell completely in love with her voice. This album continues in the tradition of her other solo albums, telling dark tales with a Southern kick while employing her huge, room-filling voice. I had the chance to see her earlier this year at a show here in Memphis and let me tell you, this woman is amazing.
Download: This Tornado Loves You, People Got a Lotta Nerve

14. U2 – No Line on the Horizon
I’ve been listening to U2 for a long time now and I would definitely count myself a fan of their songs. But while I love several of their individual songs, I have usually found their complete albums lacking. I mean, even The Joshua Tree is terribly front-loaded. Now that that is out of the way, No Line on the Horizon is, without a doubt, their finest work since 1991’s Achtung Baby. There are some truly great songs on here, some that nearly rival the best of their past works.
Download: Magnificent, Moment of Surrender

13. Blakroc – Blakroc
The collaboration of rap and rock music has a spotty history. On one hand, you have a great genre-bending band like Rage Against the Machine or an inspired team-up like Anthrax and Public Enemy or an accomplished rapper like Jay-Z who seamlessly blends rock guitar into his compositions. On the other hand you have Limp Bizkit. Blackrock continues the tradition in a good way, this time teaming blues-rock aficionados The Black Keys with an assortment of rappers, including Mos Def, Q-Tip (from A Tribe Called Quest), Ludacris, and an assortment of Wu-Tang Clan members like ODB, Raekwon, and RZA. Some of the tracks may be better than others, but the great ones are truly great.
Download: Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo), Hope You’re Happy

12. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
With their latest release Wilco continues to hold their position as one of the best and most interesting bands in the music world today. There has been no greater voice in the alt-country world over the past 15 years than that of Jeff Tweedy and Wilco. This latest release harkens back to their first few albums, with happier, more joyful sounding songs than any we’ve heard since the release of their magnum opus, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Download: You and I, You Never Know

11. Metric – Fantasies
This Canadian indie rock band made a few waves this year with songs that ended up on the soundtracks of various television shows and movies. Their synthesizer-driven rhythms and danceable beats mix with vocalist Emily Haines in such a way that their music is irresistible. You definitely need to check them out. Between this band and government-run health care, Canada has a lot going for it.
Download: Help I’m Alive, Sick Muse

Stay tuned for the top ten…