44. Atlas Sound - Kid Klimax (2009)

Every album that Bradford Cox releases, whether it's with his full band Deerhunter, or under his solo guise of Atlas Sound just continues to get better and better with each release. Last year's Deerhunter release Microcastle was one of the better albums of the year, and seemed like it might have been a pinnacle for Cox in terms of songwriting. This year he hit us with Logos, his new album as Atlas Sound, however, and he has shown everyone that he might just be able to keep this up for quite a long time. This song is just one of many great ones on the new album, as the music behind the filtered vocals is something different for Cox, although it retains his major gift of making creepy sounds seem beautiful at the same time.

30. Neon Indian - Should Have Taken Acid With You (2009)

The old 80's synth sounds that the band Neon Indian uses in their music may sound a little cheesy and may take quite a bit of getting used to, but once the sound sunk in for me I didn't want it to stop. At times sounding a little Daft Punk-ish, Neon Indian are part of a 2009 musical trend called glo-fi that features bands such as Washed Out and Ducktails which emphasizes sunny, 80's influenced electronic music. Although I'm usually one for darker sounds, this stuff is nice to listen to this time of year occasionally as it is almost like a brief glimpse of summer when the weather outside is anything but.

25. Animal Collective - Brothersport (2009)

Ever since the beginning, each successive Animal Collective release has leaned a little more towards the pop world than the album before it. Finally with this years Merriweather Post Pavilion, the band fully went for it and the result was amazing. Injecting a deep bass groove and sharp electronics into each song, this album was a breath of fresh air to start this year after a fairly stale 2008. Each song on the album is it's own journey, and is the sound of the band changing from their old ways, while still remaining Animal Collective through and through. This song, the final track on the album, has a real summery, tropical groove, and might be the most like the previous albums by the band, with it's repetition and strange vocal noises.

24. Big Boi - Shine Blockas (2009)

When the Outkast/UGK collaboration "Int'l Players Anthem" was released around this time of the year in 2007, it quickly caused me to do some re-arranging on my best songs of the year list. Well, it looks like Big Boi has done it again in 2009. This song, which is quite similar to the track I just mentioned in regards to the old soul sample and life-affirming beat, has quickly become one of my favorites of the year, and is one of the only songs that I've heard all year that I just can't stop hitting repeat on. If Big Boi's new album Sir Lucious Leftfoot ever sees release, it could quite possibly be amazing with this song along with the great Andre 3k featuring "Royal Flush" that has already been leaked.

21. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks (2009)

Grizzly Bear seem to come from another time period, but exactly which period that is can be hard to nail down. They're influenced by just about every time period, and it's amazing how well they're able to put all of those influences together to create something great. This song, which features Victoria Legrand (of yesterday's 'Song of the Day' band Beach House) in the chorus, is the pinnacle of those influences. With a piano sound straight out of the early 1900s, harmonizing out of the 60s, and a song structure that could only be modern, "Two Weeks" is one of the more beautiful songs I've ever heard. Only a few full-length albums into their career, this band just keeps getting better and better, and it's amazing to think of the music they might be making in a few years.

18. The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (2009)

The Very Best are a recently formed group consisting of Malawi-born singer Esau Mwamwaya and the production group known as Radioclit. Taking the African rhythms of Mwamwaya's homeland and mixing them with the heavy beats of Radioclit, The Very Best have created something fairly unique, while remaining true to the culture of African music. This song in particular, which features Ezra Koenig of the band Vampire Weekend, is one of the more upbeat, sunny indie-pop songs from a summer that was full of them. Vampire Weekend themselves delve into the African-influenced musical pool, so Koenig's vocal stylings are perfect for this sort of music. This song was the first single off of The Very Best's recently released Warm Heart of Africa album, which is also definitely worth checking out.

13. The Flaming Lips - Silver Trembling Hands (2009)

The new Flaming Lips album Embryonic isn't so much a return to form as an almost complete change in the sound they've perfected for the past decade. Seemingly gone are the happy sounds that dominated the past few records, replaced by songs that sound as if they're being shouted up from some dark hole in the ground. While it may sound strange, it works better than just about anything I've heard all year, or in the past few years. The Lips have been one of the best bands going for several decades now, and it's amazing how they've re-invented themselves this late in the game. This song, one of the final tracks on the soon to be released double album, is currently my favorite, as the chorus breakdown is just incredible. As great as every song is, however, I'm sure my favorite will be changing almost daily.

7. Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is the Move (2009)

I was never really a fan of Dirty Projectors until this year's album, Bitte Orca. The music was generally a little all over the place (which I don't typically have a problem with, I just didn't get it in their case), and seemed to be trying too hard. This song, however, is easily the most straight-forward thing they've ever done. Taking some African-sounding guitar lines, some nice orchestration and vocals that almost sound Mariah Carey-ish, this is also the BEST song on an altogether excellent album from this band. I sincerely regret not seeing them at Bonnaroo this year, but if I ever get the chance again you can bet I won't miss them again. Definitely expect this to be on my top songs of the year (and decade) list.

2. Bat for Lashes - Daniel (2009)

Natasha Khan (Bat for Lashes) is a witch. Well, not really (I don't think,) but she can sure sound like one. Sometimes sounding like a
modern day Kate Bush and at other times similar to Bjork, Khan
writes extremely atmospheric odes to love and darkness with the music to fit. This song is the best of many highlights on her newest album Two Suns, released this year.

1. Basement Jaxx - Raindrops (2009)

While never having fully loved a Basement Jaxx album from beginning to end, they've each contained a few tracks that I still listen to on repeat to this day. While it remains to be seen whether the recently released album Scars, containing this track will do what the others have failed to do, 'Raindrops' has joined the ranks of the likes of 'Where's Your Head At?' and 'Romeo' as songs I just can't get enough of.





Note: The album Scars was released on September 21st in the UK, and will be released on October 6th in the US