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After masterminding some of the biggest hits of the past couple years (Rihanna's "Umbrella", Beyonce's "Single Ladies"...list goes on and on), The Dream showed he could hold his own musically. Enlisting the help of the likes of Kanye and Mariah, The Dream crafted some steamy futuristic R&B cuts that kept PA systems of clubs all over the globe under a bump-n-grind trance. That "Radio Killa" moniker is well earned.
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Listen: "Rockin' That Shit"
19. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
The Mars Volta make the list this year not because they added more static noise and maracas, but because they cut those sorts of excesses out. Don't get me wrong, Octahedron retains the psychedelic progressive Latin-spiced rock, but with a more tight composition, most obviously from their resident guitar freak Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. On the other spectrum, Cedric Bixlar-Zavala's vocals sound as impeccable as ever. From the depths of his cackling tenor to heights of his stratospheric falsetto (check: "Twilight As My Guide"), Cedric demands the majority of the attention and pushes this solid record onto another plane.
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Listen- "Since We've Been Wrong"
18. Therefore I Am - The Sound of Human Lives
A late winner for me, these Boston hardcore kids are huge in Beantown, and rightfully so. Pairing thundering drumming and flying guitar lines with throat-scraping barks and electronic-tinged loops, the band charges forcefully through the album from the spoken-word intro of "Death By Fire" to the final scream in "Big Blue". And if you wanna check them musically, the instrumental title-track is a silencer. The sheer force of this record compels you to listen regularly and you will...trust me.
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Listen - "I Am Only An Island"
17. Alexisonfire - Old Crows/Young Cardinals
Another album that dominated my head this summer. George Petit replaced his painful shrieks of the past with menacing slurring screams...and if were being honest, anything coupled with Dallas Green's amazing clean vocals will sound like gold. For my money, he's got one of the best voices on the music scene. Throw in crushing drumming and lyrics about nicotine babies, whores, and sons of priviledge...you got something cooking. Don't skip "Born and Raised", one of the best song of 2009 hands down.
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Listen- "Born and Raised"
16. Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be?
Hadn't give much listen to freak-folker Devendra Banhart before What Will We Be? until I heard the first single "Angelika", whose breezy harmonies and Beach Boy melodies plop you down on an exotic beach somewhere. The rest of the album's trippy folk song keep you at that mental beach party until the fun and games end with the album, leaving you begging to go back.
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Listen- "Angelika"
15. Wale - Attention Deficit
Knowing I live in the DMV it's easy to see why I give love to Wale. But now the entire nation is getting up with what he's been putting down thanks to Attention Deficit. Wale's energizing blend of go-go and hip-hop along with his unique lyrical wordplay may not bring a Grammy back to D.C. like he claims just yet, but this record is a good first step.
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Listen: Pretty Girls (feat. Gucci Mane and Weensy)
14. As Cities Burn - Hell or High Water
Sad the same year As Cities Burn released Hell or High Water, their finest work yet, they also break up. At least our last memories of them will be fond one. Standouts like the ripping feedback of "'84 Sheepdog" and the glimmering "Into the Sea" demonstrate a mature restraint more developed than their early days as a screamo act. We'll miss you guys!
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Listen-"'84 Sheepdog"
13. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
This North Carolina based quartet had a breakout year, including a stint opening up for DMB on their hugely popular summer tour. A lot of it is thanks to this record, filled with wholesome odes to hipster mecca Brooklyn ("I and Love and You"), sweet-and-sour piano pop ("A Perfect Space", "Kick Drum Heart"), and even a country take on fuzzy garage rock The Strokes would be proud to have penned ("Slight Figure of Speech"). Still their harmonic version of Appalachian Mountain music comes through beautifully in the way these guys vary their arrangements. Expect these guys to be praiseworthy regulars in the pages of Rolling Stone for the next five years.
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Listen: "I and Love and You"
12. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
Conor Oberst sighting #2 (and final). It wasn't long between the announcement of a folk supergroup including Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) and M. Ward and the release of Monsters of Folk, but these guys put out quality tunes. Heralded as the Traveling Wilburys of our generation, M.O.F. more closely resemble CSNY with their lush orchestration and swirling harmonies. The best part of the group's chemistry is that each person (except Mogis) leads a share of the tracks without their former project's style dominating the feel of the music. A true collaboration in every sense of the word and hopefully M.O.F. ain't a one time deal.
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Listen: "Say Please"
11. Drake - So Far Gone
In the remix of one of Drake's original cuts "Forever", he rapped "dropped a mixtape that shit sounded like an album". Yup, he got it right. Drake versatility on the mic lets him offer up swaggering party jams ("Best I Ever Had", "Uptown" (feat. Bun B and Lil' Wayne"), introspective crooners ("Houstatlantavegas", "Successful" (feat. Trey Songz and Lil' Wayne)), and sometimes both ("November 18th"). Thank Me Later will drop with serious expectations in 2010, but Drake's abilities shine through a truly great collection of music in So Far Gone.
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Listen: "Houstatlantavegas"
Keep grindin' it out. The real deal tomorrow, 10 to the all important #1 record of 2009. Until then, later.
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