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Another year, another crop of good to great music! More good this year than great, I think, as there were no albums that really, really thrilled me, but there were certainly a lot that I enjoyed. After four super-amazing records last year that I still listen to on a regular basis, I suppose it would be difficult for 09 to match 08 in terms of musical satisfaction. Overall I think I'd rank Phoenix, Alberta Cross, Malajube, St. Vincent, and the Phantom Band as my favourites of the year, though that could easily change from day to day. Although plenty of albums disappointed me, there's no sense in dwelling on those too much. As for shows, I didn't see too many but those I did see were generally very good. Frightened Rabbit, Murder By Death (1000th show spectacular), Andrew Bird/St.Vincent, Doves, Pinback, Malajube, and The Rural Alberta Advantage were all fantastic gigs.

The first mix here is made up of songs from albums that I really liked a lot, and the second is made up of songs from albums that I really liked. A few tracks could have easily ended up on either compilation, but I think I managed to separate them pretty well.



1. The Tragically Hip - Morning Moon
2. Joel Plaskett - Through & Through & Through
3. Phoenix - Lisztomania
4. Julian Casablancas - Out Of The Blue
5. Handsome Furs - I'm Confused
6. Mellowdrone - Esmerelda
7. Aidan Moffat & The Best-Ofs - Big Blonde
8. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust
9. Blackie Jackett Jr. - Whiskey And Tears
10. Alberta Cross - Broken Side Of Time
11. The Boy Least Likely To - The Boy Least Likely To Is A Machine
12. Malajube - Les Collemboles
13. St. Vincent - The Bed
14. Andrew Bird - Anonanimal
15. Ramona Falls - Russia
16. Systems Officer - East
17. The Twilight Sad - That Room
18. The Phantom Band - Island
19. Hayden - Slow Show

Download: http://sharebee.com/59107c63

1. Julian Plenti - Only If You Run
2. Girls - Lust For Life
3. Arkells - Pullin' Punches
4. Brakes - Crush On You
5. Tegan and Sara - Hell
6. Sea Wolf - Dew In The Grass
7. Lord Cut-Glass - I'm A Great Example To The Dog
8. Mew - Tricks Of The Trade
9. Dizzee Rascal - Dirtee Cash
10. Little Boots - Remedy
11. Annie - Songs Remind Me Of You
12. The xx - Teardrops
13. Malcolm Middleton - Box & Knife
14. Them Crooked Vultures - Gunman
15. Southeast Engine - Malcontent
16. Evening Hymns - Broken Rifle
17. Great Lake Swimmers - The Chorus In The Underground
18. Ayla Brook - Leave Anymore
19. The Wooden Sky - The Late King Henry
20. Bill Callahan - Rococo Zephyr
21. The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

Download: http://sharebee.com/b8b207df

2010 is shaping up to be a great year for music, with albums from Shearwater, Frightened Rabbit, Spoon, and Midlake on the way - and those are just the ones I know will be out in the first quarter! Expect more mixes in the new year!

50. Gliss - Devotion Implosion
49. The Black Heart Procession - Six
48. Camera Obscura- My Maudlin Career
47. Pet Shop Boys - Yes
46. Bob Dylan - Together Through Life
45. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
44. Noah and the Whale - The First Days Of Spring
43. Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts
42. The Felice Brothers - Yonder Is The Clock
41. Cerys Matthews - Don't Look Down
40. Brett Anderson - Slow Attack
39. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
38. PJ Harvey & John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By
37. Neil Young - Fork In The Road
36. Throw Me the Statue - Creaturesque
35. Bad Lieutenant - Never Cry Another Tear
34. Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers
33. Annie - Don't Stop
32. Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Through The Devil Softly
31. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust
30. Jarvis Cocker - "Further Complications."
29. My Sad Captains - Here & Elsewhere
28. Swan Lake - Enemy Mine
27. Soulsavers - Broken
26. Nudge - As Good As Gone
25. Lightning Dust - Infinite Light
24 Marissa Nadler - Little Hells
23. Immaculate Machine - High On Jackson Hill
22. Let's Wrestle - In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's
21. Richard Hawley - Truelove's Gutter
20.Speech Debelle - Speech Therapy
19.Hatchem Social - You Dig The Tunnel, I'll Hide The Soil
18.Mark Eitzel - Klamath
17. Kings of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence
16. The Gossip - Music For Men
15. Liechtenstein - Survival Strategies In A Modern World
14. Polly Scattergood - Polly Scattergood
13. Dawn Landes - Sweetheart Rodeo
12. Telepathe - Dancemother
11. Howling Bells - Radio Wars
10. A Camp - Colonia
9. William Elliott Whitmore - Animals In The Dark
8. Richmond Fontaine - We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River
7. N.A.S.A. - The Spirit Of Apollo
6. Emma Tricca - Minor White
5. The Horrors - Primary Colours
4. Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light
3. The Duke & The King - Nothing Gold Can Stay
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
1. The xx - XX

1. How did you get into 29? (The Veronicas)
I think they were on an episode of The Suite Life with Zack and Cody for SOME reason. But Untouched.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22? (Florence + The Machine)
Ummm, Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) I'm kind of figuring? I don't think I heard anything else earlier.

3. What's your favorite lyric by 33? (Röyksopp)
"Don't deny me, call me back, I'M SOOOOO AAAAALOOOOONE!" (The Girl And The Robot, with Robyn.)

4. How did you get into 49? (Animal Collective)
At gunpoint. But it was worth it.

5. How many albums by 13 do you own? (Vampire Weekend)
Vampire Weekend, their only. THOUGH WE ARE REALLY CLOSE TO CONTRA OMG.

6. What is your favorite song by 50? (The Pussycat Dolls)
Beep?

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad? (A*Teens)
No.

8. What is your favorite song by 15? (Demi Lovato)
Get Back, STILL, for some reason.

9. What is your favorite song by 5? (Annie)
Oy, Anthonio or Songs Remind Me of You. Don't make me choose.

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy? (Lady GaGa)
Boys Boys Boys makes me literally happy. Any happiness gained through most any of her other tracks is actually very sick and depraved.

11. What is the worst song by 40? (Shakira)
Having only heard She Wolf, Long Time.

12. What is your favorite song by 10? (Regina Spektor)
THEY'LL NAME A CITY AFTER Us.

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30? (Imogen Heap)
Giving a friend of mine the satisfaction of me actually appreciating her, lol.

14. What is your favorite song by 38? (Robyn)
With Every Heartbeat. (Also The Girl And The Robot. Girl's GREAT with handling electronica-melancholy.)

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy? (Natasha Bedingfield)
Most of her stuff, really. But there's also a bitterness attached to some of her songs because of how I attached them to some people, so.

16. Is there a song by 25 that makes you sad? (La Roux)
Cover My Eyes makes me want to kill myself.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23? (MGMT)
Figuring Time to Pretend, which either I got from a friend first or actually saw on VH1 while having no clue what it was.

18. What's your favorite lyric by 11? (Lily Allen)
*attempts to post all of The Fear, decides against*

19. Who is a favorite member of 1? (Girls Aloud)
Nadine. I decided.

20. Is there a song by 14 that makes you happy? (Duffy)
Stop, I think, is the closest thing to actual happiness I feel when I listen, and that's mostly due to the production and her attitude on it is fun to mimic. Cuz girl ain't happy.

21. What is a good memory involving 27? (Kelly Clarkson)
Oddly enough, I associate her with *gasp* SOCIALIZING, and *even gaspier* WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

22. What is your favorite song by 16? (Sugababes)
Hm. Either About You Now or Million Different Ways, I reckon.

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47? (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
You're a Zeroooooooooooooooooooooo.

24. What is your favorite album by 18? (Agnes)
Dance Love Pop...? The Swedish original kthxbye.

25. What is your favorite song by 21? (Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
China Heart! It's a weird choice, but I really love it more than anything else.

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26? (Alphabeat)
Fascination?

27. What is your favorite album by 3? (Kate Bush)
Hounds of Love, Hounds of Love, Hounds of Love, Hounds of Love, Hounds of Love, Hounds of Love, Hounds of Love, Hounds of Love, Hounds of Love. HOUNDS OF MOTHERFUCKING LOVE. (ed. note: This is the answer I used on the last edition. It's still true, even moreso actually.)

28. What is you favorite song by 2? (Britney Spears)
UGH. Stronger and Toxic are at the top of the list. As is Oops!...I Did It Again, If U Seek Amy, Heaven On Earth, ...Baby One More Time, Born To Make You Happy, etc. I love her so goddamn much, y'all. (ed. note: Ditto!)

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32? (Ladyhawke)
Magic. Pretty sure.

30. What is your favorite song by 8? (Dixie Chicks)
Top of the World.

31. How many times have you seen 17 live? (Patrick Wolf)
I would literally kill someone to see him live.

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy? (KT Tunstall)
A few.

33. How did you get into 12? (The Saturdays)
They're a) British, b) a pop band and c) girls. I mean, duhhhhhhhh.

34. What is the worst song by 45? (Christina Aguilera)
F.U.S.S.. The personal reasons for inclusion can go fuck themselves.

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34? (Paloma Faith)
Either Stone Cold Sober or New York; they were both around the same time.

36. What is the first song you ever heard by 48? (Passion Pit)
Sleepyhead, which I kinda guess is most people's.

37. How many times have you seen 42 live? (Shigeru Umebayashi)
Hm.

38. What is your favorite song by 36? (Solange)
Sandcastle Disco.

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28? (Beyoncé)
Crazy in Love, duh?

40. What is you favorite album by 7? (Little Boots)
Why do you have a habit of asking me this to one-album artists? *sigh* Hands.

41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy? (Carrie Underwood)
Flat on the Floor. SO EPIC.

42. What is your favorite album by 41? (Nelly Furtado)
Have only heard 2, but Loose of them.

43. What is your favorite song by 24? (The Ting Tings)
That's Not My Name.

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46? (M.I.A.)
Being able to scream "ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE M.I.A.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" for like, oh, almost a year now.

45. What is your favorite song by 35? (Feist)
I Feel It All I guess.

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy? (The Killers)
Read My Mind is probably closest.

47. What is your favorite album by 4? (Madonna)
I think American Life?! Confessions on a Dance Floor just seemed like such a strong bet...

48. Who is a favorite member of 37? (Phoenix)
The one who knocked up Sofia Coppola.

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43? (David Archuleta)
Crush.

50. What is your favorite song by 20? (Rihanna)
Disturbia or SOS.

On this last day of the year, I've taken a few moments to reflect on the music that I've enjoyed over the past 12 months. Here's a list of 20 songs that made me feel warm, fuzzy and good in 09.

1. White Hot Magic by The Polyamorous Affair
2. The Adventures of Pippi Longstrump by Fear of Tigers
3. Method of Modern Love by Saint Etienne
4. Agneta by Villa
5. warm in the shadows by Music Go Music
6. Williams Blood (Aeroplane remix) by Grace Jones
7. Anthonio (Berlin Breakdown Version) by Annie
8. Miracle by Sally Shapiro
9. Spirit of the Night by Tesla Boy
10. Los Feeling (rough mix) by Visitor
11. En hand i himlen by Jonathan Johansson
12. Samantha by The Crashlanders
13. Karate Kids by Futurecop!
14. Candle Lights by Cinnamon Chasers
15. You and Me by the Stereo by Cloetta Paris
16. The Girl And The Robot by Röyksopp
17. Lose You by Peaches
18. The Magnificent by Lindstrøm
19. Another Likely Story by Au Revoir Simone
20. Thursday [Acoustic] by Asobi Seksu


Happy New Year!

Write the top 20 artists of the year from your last.fm page. Then write the first song you heard, what song made you love them, and current favorite song.

1. The New Amsterdams
First: The Spoils Of The Spoiled
Love: When We Two Parted
Favorite: Without A Sound (Eleanor)

2. Black Kids
First: I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
Love: I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
Favorite: I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)

3. Taking Back Sunday
First: Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From The Team)
Love: This Photograph Is Proof (I Know You Know)
Favorite: Carpathia

4. The Boy Least Likely To
First: Monsters
Love: Paper Cuts
Favorite: The Boy Least Likely To Is A Machine

5. Shout Out Louds
First: Very Loud
Love: Very Loud
Favorite: You Are Dreaming

6. Annie
First: Crewing Gum
Love: Heartbeat
Favorite: Songs Remind Me Of You

7. The Beatles
First: I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Love: Hey Jude
Favorite: Penny Lane

8. Brand New
First: Seventy Times 7
Love: The Quiet Things That No-One Ever Knows
Favorite: Failure By Design

9. Morrissey
First: Suedehead
Love: Everyday Is Like Sunday
Favorite: Disappointed

10. Muse
First: Muscle Museum
Love: Hate This and I'll Love You
Favorite: Nature_1

11. Arctic Monkeys
First: A Certain Romance
Love: A Certain Romance
Favorite: Leave Before The Lights Come On

12. The Strokes
First: New York City Cops
Love: Last Nite
Favorite: Reptilia

13. The Big Pink
First: Dominos
Love: Dominos
Favorite: Dominos

14. Bloc Party
First: Banquet
Love: This Modern Love (Dave P & Adam Sparkles Remix)
Favorite: Two More Years

15. Fall Out Boy
First: Sugar, We're Going Down
Love: Sugar, We're Going Down
Favorite: A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch Me"

16. The Hold Steady
First: Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Love: Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Favorite: Stay Positive

17. Guided by Voices
First: A Salty Salute
Love: Everywhere With Helicopter
Favorite: Teenage FBI

18. Patrick Wolf
First: Tristan
Love: The Magic Position
Favorite: Damaris and/or Blackdown

19. Panic at the Disco
First: Time To Dance
Love: Time To Dance
Favorite: Camisado

20. The Replacements
First: Kids Don't Follow
Love: Here Comes A Regular
Favorite: Alex Chilton

100. “Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)” by Freemasons featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor
99. “Starstrukk” by 3OH!3 featuring Katy Perry
98. “Let It Go” by Will Young
97. “Beautiful” by Eminem
96. “My Love Is Better” by Annie
95. “No You Girls” by Franz Ferdinand
94. “Fire” by Kasabian
93. “Skeleton Boy” by Friendly Fires
92. “Get Sexy” by Sugababes
91. “Songs Remind Me of You” by Annie
90. “Oopsy Daisy” by Chipmunk featuring Dayo Olatunji
89. “Meet Me Halfway” by Black Eyed Peas
88. “If U Seek Amy” by Britney Spears
87. “Take Me Back by Tinchy Stryder featuring Taio Cruz
86. “Anthonio” by Annie
85. “Earthquake” by Little Boots
84. “Left My Heart In Tokyo” by Mini Viva
83. “Silly Boy” by Eva Simons
82. “Magic” by Ladyhawke
81. “Thinking Of You” by Katy Perry
80. “Dirtee Cash” by Dizzee Rascal
79. “New In Town” by Little Boots
78. “Ready For The Weekend” by Calvin Harris
77. “Notion” by Kings of Leon
76. “22” by Lily Allen
75. “Bodies” by Robbie Williams
74. “Number 1” by Tinchy Stryder featuring N-Dubz
73. “Brick By Boring Brick” by Paramore
72. “Heavy Cross” by Gossip
71. “Supernova” by Mr Hudson featuring Kanye West
70. “Breathe Slow” by Alesha Dixon
69. “Waking Up In Vegas” by Katy Perry
68. “Flashback” by Calvin Harris
67. “Never Leave You” by Tinchy Stryder featuring Amelle Berrabah
66. “Who’d Have Known” by Lily Allen
65. “Million Dollar Bill” by Whitney Houston
64. “Ignorance” by Paramore
63. “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz
62. “Funhouse” by P!nk
61. “Back Of The Van” by Ladyhawke
60. “Better Off As 2 by Frankmusik
59. “3 Words” by Cheryl Cole featuring will.i.am
58. “Please Don’t Leave Me” by P!nk
57. “Revelry” by Kings of Leon
56. “Beat Again” by JLS
55. “Paris Is Burning” by Ladyhawke
54. “Mama Do (uh oh, uh oh)” by Pixie Lott
53. “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson
52. “I’m Not Your Toy” by La Roux
51. “Broken-Hearted Girl” by Beyoncé
50. “4Ever” by The Veronicas
49. “Untouchable by Girls Aloud
48. “Doesn’t Mean Anything by Alicia Keys
47. “I Do Not Hook Up” by Kelly Clarkson
46. “Don’t Upset The Rhythm” by Noisettes
45. “Party In The U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus
44. “Russian Roulette” by Rihanna
43. “Spaceman” by The Killers
42. “Quicksand” by La Roux
41. “Uprising” by Muse
40. “She Wolf” by Shakira
39. “Day ‘N’ Night” by Kid Cudi vs. Crookers
38. “Untouched” by The Veronicas
37. “Daniel” by Bat for Lashes
36. “Love Sex Magic” by Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake
35. “LoveGame” by Lady GaGa
34. “Battlefield” by Jordin Sparks
33. “Sweet Dreams” by Beyoncé
32. “Holiday” by Dizzee Rascal featuring Chrome
31. “Remedy” by Little Boots
30. “Not Fair” by Lily Allen
29. “Knock You Down” by Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo
28. “Boom Boom Pow” by Black Eyed Peas
27. “TiK ToK” by Ke$ha
26. “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” by Florence + The Machine
25. “In For The Kill by La Roux
24. “Underdog” by Kasabian
23. “Red” by Daniel Merriweather
22. “Radar” by Britney Spears
21. “The Loving Kind” by Girls Aloud

20.

“Fight For This Love” by Cheryl Cole

If “Umbrella” taught us anything, it was that less is more. Simple lyrics, a catchy melody and (of course) repetition are the ingredients for perfect pop. Everyone’s favourite talent show judge takes a leaf out of Rihanna’s book with this deceptively simple slice of R&B-pop that gets better with every single listen.

19.

“Run This Town” by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West

And speaking of Rihanna… almost unrecognisable since her debut as a Barbadian teenager, Rihanna now appears as the ultimate urban pop princess. Allegedly this track was intended for her album, but Jay-Z liked it so much he decided to keep it for himself. The most hated rapper of the year Kanye West also appears, albeit pre-Taylor Swift controversy, on this declaration of Roc Nation’s hip-hop reign.

18.

“Sexy Bitch” by David Guetta featuring Akon

David Guetta must feel like the cat who got the cream. Not only did he produce one of the biggest hits of the decade (Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling”) but he had two UK number one hits of his own this year, this being one of them. Yes, “Sexy Bitch” is a track so infectious that even Akon fails to irritate. Although, when he claims that he’s “trying to find a word to describe this girl without being disrespectful” and then settles for calling her a bitch, you can’t help but feel that he didn’t try very hard, did he?

17.

“Bad Boys” by Alexandra Burke featuring Flo Rida

Following Alexandra’s Beyoncé assisted victory on 2008’s X Factor, there was always a possibility that she would fade away into obscurity like the previous year’s winner Leon Jackson. Thankfully, rather than turn her into a Leona Lewis clone, Cowell has allowed Alex to move away from ballads (mostly, anyway) and her debut album is a mostly up-tempo affair. “Bad Boys” is the best of the bunch, with it’s hard-talking verses into a sing-along chorus – this is one of the finest examples of urban pop this year.

16.

“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys

What’s this? Jay-Z outshone by the featured artist for a second time in one year? It’s fair to say that Jay’s rapping isn’t his greatest here – the lyrics are great, but his delivery is hoarse, raspy at best – but when Alicia Keys’ chorus comes in, frankly you won’t care less. An love song to their hometown, “Empire State of Mind” is the best US hip hop song of the year. It’s also worth checking out Alicia’s solo version on her album.

15.

“When Love Takes Over” by David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland

Poor Kelly Rowland. Throughout her solo career, she has shown flashes of brilliance (“Dilemma”, “Work”) but it seems she is always destined to remain in Beyoncé’s shadow. This is another such flash, Guetta provides the beats and Rowland delivers her best vocal performance to date – this is Euro-house at it’s finest, “When Love Takes Over” is heaven on a dance floor. Rightfully a number one in the UK, the single stalled in the US. Maybe if Beyoncé had been featured instead…

14.

“Jump In The Pool” by Friendly Fires

A dance rock masterpiece over tropical sounding drumbeats, “Jump in the Pool” is as infectious as it is well crafted. The finest track on Friendly Fires’ self titled debut may not have set the singles chart alight but definitely introduced the Mercury nominated group to a wider audience.

13.

“Just Dance” by Lady GaGa featuring Colby O’Donis

“RedOne… (insert artist’s name here)” is a sound that we’ve heard a lot this past year and it’s easy to forget that “Just Dance” is where it all started. It’s hard to imagine a world without GaGa, but just over a year ago she had yet to have set foot on our shores in the UK and no one had a bloody clue who she was. Fast forward 12 months later and she is the world’s most famous pop-starlet, what she wears (or perhaps more what she doesn’t) is headline news and she shoots out one hit after the other. “Just Dance” is the most pedestrian of her number one hits, but that doesn’t make it any less of an electropop classic.

12.

“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” by Beyoncé

It took Beyoncé six years to match the dizzying heights of debut solo hit “Crazy in Love”, but with “Single Ladies” and it’s simple but mesmerizing video (“One of the best videos of all time, man!” – Kanye West) Beyoncé near enough took over the world. The track bears a strong resemblance to “Get Me Bodied”, a little known late single release from her last album campaign, but repeated plays reveal a songwriting genius that were not apparent before. “Single Ladies” has more vocal and melodic hooks than an entire album of material from some of Beyoncé’s peers and paired with that dance routine… well, resistance is futile.

11.

“Release Me” by Agnes

Why can’t Cowell find a song like this for our reality stars? A soaring pop melody over synth-disco beats, Swedish Idol Agnes delivers a pleasantly restrained vocal for a singing competition winner – altogether this is a fine example of europop, thankfully not of the Cascada variety, this is a far classier affair. Leona take note – you could do (and have been doing) a lot worse than getting in touch with the Swedish team behind this. Hey, you and Agnes even look a little alike. Bonus!

10.

“Bad Romance” by Lady GaGa

By the time “Bad Romance” was released in the last few months of 2009, Lady GaGa already ruled the world. The lead single from her second album in just as many years (one year in some territories) and with an accompanying music video that featured GaGa being sold as a sex object (wonder if Smirnoff realized that before they product placed their vodka?), “Bad Romance” is “Poker Face” all grown up. Juvenile as the Rah-rah-rah-ah-ah/Roma-roma-mah/Gaga-oh-là-là” hook seems, by the time GaGa is wailing “I don’t wannabe friends!” at the end of the middle 8, you are feeling her pain, her longing, her desperation. The real revelation of “Bad Romance” is not that GaGa can knock out a cracking pop tune, we knew that already, it’s that she’s does emotional just as good as she does greed.

9.

“Sober” by P!nk

If P!nk couldn’t convince America that she had been criminally underrated in the past with her performance of “Sober” at the VMA’s this year, then she never will. Suspended high above the stage, singing every note live and being swung back and forth on a trapeze by her dancer, hers was one of the best performances of the night. It was also one of the best songs performed – P!nk has proved time and time again (“Who Knew”, “Just Like a Pill”) that a good song sung well is all you need and “Sober” is no exception. It’s little surprise when you take a look at who was involved. Aside from the lady herself, production and writing credits go to Danja, American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi and No Doubt’s Tony Kanal.

8.

“I’m Not Alone” by Calvin Harris

Moving away from more indie sound of his first album, Harris opts for a more European sound on his follow up with surprisingly impressive results. The juxtaposition of Harris’ melancholy lyrics and vocal delivery with the blaring, trancy synths is one of the song’s main strengths. According to Harris, the track deals with feeling too old to be going to nightclubs anymore. At just 25, it’s safe to say he doesn’t have anything to worry about just yet.

7.

“Halo” by Beyoncé

If it was ever safe to say that Beyoncé’s songwriting credits are not what they seem, 2009 was it. Knowles claims a percentage of Ryan Tedder’s “Halo” despite the fact that it’s common knowledge that the song was offered to Leona Lewis first (who, quite frankly, missed a trick). To add further insult to injury, Tedder offered a practically identical track to Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson was so annoyed by this that she fought her record label to stop the release of “Already Gone”, a track that even opens with the exact same word as “Halo” before following a suspiciously similar melody, but to no avail. But while Clarkson raged and joked about the “Already Halo” controversy, Beyoncé never even acknowledged the issue, which was probably the best thing to do – Clarkson’s All I Ever Wanted was hardly a flop but it certainly underperformed, while Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce has been an overwhelming success. Did Beyoncé have a hand in writing “Halo”? It seems that no one could care less.

6.

“I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas

Everything about this Guetta produced floor filler suggests that it shouldn’t really work. The vocals are terrible (well, not too bad for Fergie), there is a distinct lack of melody, the lyrics are hardly genius… but for some reason, “I Gotta Feeling” is just one of those moments in pop where everything comes together. To hear it and not dance is impossible, the infectious hook “tonight’s gonna be a good night” truly makes you feel that way. “I Gotta Feeling” helped to make the Black Eyed Peas one of the most successful groups in the world in 2009 at a time when a lot of people had written them off. Well done, the Peas.

5.

“The Fear” by Lily Allen

“I look at the Sun and I look in the Mirror, I’m on the right track, yeah I’m on to a winner.” Lily Allen has always been a witty lyricist, but this double entendre is possibly her best so far. In fact, “The Fear”, Lily’s ode to celebrity excess, is lyrically the greatest thing that she has ever written. As a song, it’s second only to “Smile” in her catalogue and it’s release definitely cemented her position as one of Britain’s greatest pop talents. If we are to believe that she is truly taking a break from the music industry, I sincerely hope she isn’t away for too long. Pop will be a very boring place without her.

4.

“Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal & Armand van Helden

Some scoff at Dizzee Rascal’s mainstream makeover, but “Bonkers” packs just as big a punch as his previous material. Over a throbbing, harsh dance beat, Dizzee raps about his crazy lifestyle. Admittedly, the content (as well as much of the album’s) is shallow in comparison to his early material. Inevitably though, he will return to his grime roots eventually. If the results of his “commercial experiment” sound this good, then he can have a little bit of fun beforehand if he wants.

3.

“Bulletproof” by La Roux

Less original than “In For The Kill” but much more listenable, “Bulletproof” became a number one single for La Roux in the summer of 2009. Ellie Jackson delivers a much less shrill vocal over a bouncy electropop backing, declaring her new found strength to an ex lover. Catchier than a cold and far more enjoyable, “Bulletproof” is brilliant on every single level.

2.

“Poker Face” by Lady GaGa

If one single defines 2009, “Poker Face” is it. Half-rapped verses, power pop chorus, so many synths it’s like the 1980s never left us – every woman (and some men) in pop wanted their very own “Poker Face”, which is why you hear that fateful “RedOne!” shout at the start of so many songs on the radio. GaGa claims that “Poker Face” is about masking her desire for women while sleeping with men, which is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the lyrics, but we’ll let her get away with that one. Whether it’s about sexy card games or bisexual fantasizing, one thing’s for sure: “Poker Face” is the song that made Lady GaGa into a superstar.

1.

“Paparazzi” by Lady GaGa

I didn’t want two songs by the same artist to top this list. I thought about whether I could give “Bulletproof” second place. I even swapped “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi” around a few times. In the end, it was best just to admit that these two were simply the best two singles of 2009.

As mentioned previously, “Poker Face” is definitely GaGa’s signature tune, but “Paparazzi” is the point where all her pretentious arty nonsense finally met up with her musical output and started to make sense. The epic video shows GaGa as a fading starlet who eventually kills her boyfriend – it was probably the best video of the year. Beyoncé may have claimed that less is more with “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” but GaGa is all about the excess. Her outfits, her music videos, even the music on The Fame is about the love of power, fame, money and men.

“Paparazzi” is the best song in her catalogue. Whereas most of GaGa’s songs smack you in the face with all the subtlety of sledgehammer, “Paparazzi” relies on a gorgeous melodic chorus. In particular, her vocals are at their best here, especially when she moves up a key to purr “Promise I’ll be kind, but I won’t stop until that boy is mine.” Lady GaGa is a criminally underrated vocalist.

And where would a GaGa song be without a double meaning? Seemingly a straightforward love song, the object of GaGa’s affection is playing hard to get. The other interpretation (that of the lady herself) is that “Paparazzi” is about GaGa’s flirtation with fame and fortune. She is courting the paparazzi, she wants them to love her. This theme is echoed throughout the rest of the Fame and with her performance at the VMAs (and the music video) “Paparazzi” began to lay the foundations for the follow up The Fame Monster at which point GaGa began to examine the darker side of fame.

All pretentious arty nonsense, of course. Great tunes though.

Singles artists of the year
1. Lady GaGa (featured on 5 singles in the Top 100)
2. La Roux (4)
3. Beyoncé (4)
4. Lily Allen (4)
5. will.i.am (4)

(songs are featured in their UK single release year)

In no particular order:

Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
Annie - Don't Stop
Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
Lightning Dust - Infinite Light
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
The Sounds - Crossing The Rubicon
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
Heartless Bastards - The Mountain
A.C. Newman - Get Guilty
Charlotte Hatherley - New Worlds
Blakroc - Blakroc
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Compilations and re-releases:
The Beatles - Remasters
The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines

So, now I'm on the other end of Christmas weekend and a full four-stone heavier (three Christmas dinners in as many days...!), I can carry on with my Top 100 countdown of 2009; hopefully one can expect a few more surprises before New Year's Eve when I'll be divulging my Favorite Album of 2009? If not, oh well, it's no bother... For posterity purposes, please find the next 20 long players to populate my list.

40. Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street by Jon Hassell

Pitchfork: "Melting geometrical structures with blur and bent pitches, turning breath to wind and cheating gravity with every updraft ... Wrapping your mind around this music is about as easy as grabbing a fistful of river, but that's precisely what makes it so rewarding." Link
BBC: "Last Night The Moon... offers up an impeccable soundworld which gradually reveals a sense of deeply meditative interaction from a group of individuals listening intently to one another. The music repays similar attention from the listener." Link
What I Said: "His fifteenth release plays like a troubled score for a lost film concerning a lonely figure wallowing in an alien world ... A beautifully tortured piece from an auteur long overdue for some breakthrough recognition."

39. LP by Discovery
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best R&B/Soul Album Of The Year

Pitchfork: "This could be your favorite or most-hated record of the year, and there aren't many records one could say that about ... The indie world can't live on fingerpicking and textural guitars alone, and a variety of sounds and multiculturalism in indie rock isn't the enemy here; shitty Jackson 5 covers are." Link
NME: "Where every indie band keen to separate themselves from their mono-race fanbase have been banging on about their second Missy Elliott-inspired record only to churn out one that sounds like the first, at least Rostam Batmanglij has actually gone through with it. And he’s done well to hold the eccentric mélange together." Link
What I Said: "Nestling themselves inside warm bass synths and Kleerup-style keyboard flourishes, it’s the kind of lo-fi delight that takes pleasure in its own humble nature and could likely spread like wildfire ... As a backhanded celebration to the autonomous joy of the current spate of electro R&B, it’s a subversive delight."

38. Temporary Pleasure by Simian Mobile Disco
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Special Prize For Most Glamorous 'Featured Guest' Roster

Pitchfork: "It becomes clear that for a distressingly large chunk of Temporary Pleasures, the duo has forgotten to do much of interest with the backing tracks in favor of roping in a rolodex's worth of singers and rappers and hoping the songs write themselves." Link
Drowned In Sound: "Okay, so Temporary Pleasure is unlikely to win any awards for longevity, but then the clue was in the title. Sometimes all that’s needed is a massive saccharine sugar hit – it’s all good for now, and the inevitable crash can wait." Link
What I Said: "The main misgiving here though is that the guest spots are that much better than the duo working solo, but as long as they're inspired, they're in fine fetter."

37. Manners by Passion Pit

Pitchfork: "It's extroverted, brash, and unconcerned with nuance, each synthesizer used for maximum melodic impact instead of texture ... it's the sort of heart-to-heart populist record that's every bit as sincere as it is infectious." Link
NME: "You can’t begrudge them for being happy little shits, and for now it looks like they’ve saved us from a summer airbrushed over by Empire Of The Sun. Just no more handclaps, please." Link
What I Said: "At once chock full of modern dance signatures and chopped up beats, whilst at the same time retaining enough funky melody lines and frankly adorable quirks to win over pretty much anyone within earshot ... the sheer amount of good feeling bursting through each of these songs is impossible to ignore."

36. Album by Girls

Pitchfork: "There's a pillowy quality to many of the sounds on Album, but this isn't lo-fi or glo-fi or whatever. Rather, every little production flourish is so much a part of the whole that you don't notice it until the 10th or 15th listen ... [it adds] up to something elusive and fascinating-- maybe even heartbreaking." Link
Onion: "It’s better to approach Album not as what its title offers, but a collection of singles. These are the new rock ’n’ roll 45s, variations of the same sad pop song shone through the prism of a guy who’s survived his own unique heartache." Link
What I Said: "As the quartet have gone and produced an almost-delicate alt-pop record awash in gorgeous feedback and timeless walls-of-noise. Described by the band themselves as a break-up record, it takes in serene psychedelic tropes as often as it does earthy ska punk."

35. Hands by Little Boots
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best Female Solo Album Of The Year
Best Pop Album Of The Year

Pitchfork: "So Little Boots, with her unabashed love of pop and her honest-to-goodness instrumental ability-- check the piano-driven hidden track-- has the right package for the current moment, and if Lady GaGa and La Roux can click with the public, maybe she will, too. Then again, calling yourself pop isn't guaranteed to bring you popularity." Link
Guardian: "The result is a surprisingly modern-sounding record from an artist who has been depicted as in thrall to a kitsch vision of 80s pop ... For the most part, Little Boots sounds impressively poised, built to withstand - indeed, even deserve - the hype." Link
What I Said: "Taken in perspective though, Hands is actually quite the fabulous pop gem of an album, one of if not the best of the year; if Girls Aloud released it, it would be hailed as their best album yet."

34. BLACKsummers'night by Maxwell
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best Single/Video Of The Year
Best R&B/Soul Album Of The Year

Pitchfork: "Music this effective is difficult, and only someone as passionate about music as they are the human heart could so successfully produce work that reflects well on both." Link
EW.com: "The Brooklyn-born crooner has changed surprisingly little in the near-decade interim ... But his sentiments rarely transcend the boudoir — and listeners lulled by the album's unvaryingly sleek, high-gloss beats may just drift off to dreamland before they get there." Link
What I Said: "The first of a duo-disc concept release, Maxwell ingratiates himself back into the upper echelons of nu-soul R&B with nary a bead of hot sweat broken."

33. The Crying Light by Antony and the Johnsons

Pitchfork: "Hegarty's use of orchestration for accent and emphasis creates undeniable power, the kind that increased sonic density likely would have lacked ... If Hegarty can craft an album this stunning about the path to paradise, just imagine how great the next one could sound, once he's actually there." Link
Guardian: "The album's big problem is not a lack of quality; it's the feeling that you've been here before, or you've been somewhere so like here as to make little difference. The Crying Light really works when it steps out of its predecessor's shadow, in every sense of the phrase." Link
What I Said: "This album has a touch more of an exultant soul than the others, and even contemplates reaching for something hopeful, which for an A&TJ album is nothing less than a surprise."

32. 11:11 by Rodrigo y Gabriela

Guardian: "There are more changes of mood and pace than in the past, with new textures provided by the addition of oud, sitar, piano, and even electric guitar." Link
Allmusic: "The very first moments of Rodrigo y Gabriela's sophomore effort, 11:11, hit the listener cold in the face, and not just because of the amazing guitar playing. Sure, it's there, but it's what anyone who heard the duo's astonishing debut would expect. No, it's the sound of the record: immediate, forceful, crystalline; it's in-your-face compelling and impossible to ignore." Link
What I Said: "Exclusively made up of the duo’s remarkable guitar playing, it transcends the commonly placed world music label to deliver something more passionate and alive than most music with hundreds more effects and sequences happening at once."

31. Yeah So by Slow Club
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best Country/Folk Album Of The Year

NME: "Dishing up a mish-mash of folk, country, skiffle and oh-so-cute indie-pop sounds ... in fact, there’s a certain type of person who’ll hate it. These people – for argument’s sake we’ll call them ‘idiots’." Link
Drowned In Sound:Overall, Yeah So is a more than competent if hardly unsurprising collection that while not quite matching the energy and enthusiasm of a Slow Club live show, offers a more than palatable insight into their continuing development as potent songwriters of some regard." Link
What I Said: "Surely it says a lot not only about the musical intelligence but also the warm chemistry between the duo when the slower, intimate moments on their sharply realised debut are just as swoonsome and listenable as their louder ones with all of the bells and whistles."

30. A Brief History of Love by The Big Pink

Pitchfork: "But while sometimes you fall for the art of seduction, there's the part of us that want to be overwhelmed-- A Brief History of Love is a study in the enormity of sound doing just that, each reverbed kick drum, phasers-on-stun guitar, and wastrel vocal refuting the idea that you need to talk about the passion to express it." Link
NME: "Beneath the dissonance, the artful posturing and the pop hooks is something far more enduring: these guys have got a soul and they’re not afraid to bare it." Link
What I Said: "Positively drenched in reverb and as anthemic and rousing as it can be mournful and disturbed, it’s the kind of album that has the music press practically salivating all over it but for once it’s almost entirely justified."

29. Hospice by The Antlers

Pitchfork: "It's as vast and empathetic as loneliness itself, a generous framework through which Peter Silberman can show us almost everything: The tiny figure on the horizon and his huge shadow on the mountain, the extreme weathers roiling about him at once symbolic and real." Link
BBC: "If Hospice is ultimately an exploration of sorrow and of guilt, it’s also a testament to the human spirit, and its lasting impression is one of cathartic, hard-won transcendence." Link
What I Said: "Boasting a production history so hideously melodramatic it inspires a certain kind of awe ... [creates] a sound that is mournful, angry, delicate, forgiving and ultimately very moving."

28. See the Light by The Hours
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best Rock Album Of The Year

Guardian: "Back for another crack (on Damien Hirst's label - hence the lovely sleeve), the exuberant but bitter anthems have been replaced by a bruised but definite optimism." Link
BBC: "There's something epic about it all, but it's never less than pointed and personal as surfaces splinter and edges fray under Slattery's tsunami-like piano lines and Glen's perfect storm vocals. In all: heartfelt, honest and heady." Link
What I Said: "See The Light still brims with enough songwriting dexterity, intelligence and downright gorgeousness to move the hardest of hearts."

27. The Revolution Presents: Revolution by The Revolution

Guardian: "The 50th anniversary of Castro's revolution finds Cuba's music scene isolated and stagnant. Importing seven hot-shot producers to work with local talent has produced this uneven but intriguing album." Link
What I Said: "The album can be qualified as nothing less than a success, adhering to each respective genre (tortured trip hop, sassy bossa nova, boisterous Latin hip hop) these producers throw at them with graceful ease.

26. Scars by Basement Jaxx
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Special Prize For Most Glamorous 'Featured Guest' Roster

Pitchfork: "Basement Jaxx may not have a strong brand identity, but their eagerness to toy with their formula and broaden the emotional range of their material is truly inspiring, and sometimes that matters much more than being popular and influential." Link
The Times: "Thirteen tracks, nine of them absolute corkers, the remainder edging towards the formulaic or flirting with Zero 7 levels of aural catatonia." Link
What I Said: "As a Jaxx album, it's their most emotionally downbeat yet, attested not just from the ruminative title track, but also how comparitively stripped down the arrangements are to albums past. It could even be their best..."

25. Two by Miss Kittin & The Hacker

Pitchfork: "As the next step in Kittin's conflicted evolution, Two is not that much different from (or more enjoyable than) what's preceded it. As a supposed remembrance of the heyday of electroclash, it's a nostalgia trip that's best left untaken." Link
Guardian: "[The Hacker's] skeletal beats have barely progressed since their debut, seven years ago; they certainly haven't inspired Miss Kittin to move out of autopilot." Link
What I Said: "It would appear that electroclash is aching for a return to the airwaves nearly a decade after its prominence on the UK club scene ... Sure, the beats sound that much more polished than they did eight years ago, but the slithering debauchery is still there, offset by some gorgeous electro ballads."

24. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best Rock Album Of The Year

Pitchfork: "Like plenty of other bands in the internet era, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart seem poised to attract an audience that will far outstrip that of their easily identifiable precedents ... [they have] made a slyly confident debut that mixes sparkling melodies with an undercurrent of sad bastard mopery, and you're just being a dick if you think the past has some kind of patent on that." Link
Onion: "It becomes clear they mean what they sing, and vice-versa: They’re sensitive and sublime." Link
What I Said: "What sets Pains apart from their peers (aside from their beautiful/cumbersome moniker), is that they have managed to strike the perfect balance between nonchalant guitar-led pop and buoyant hook-laden melodies."

23. Tarot Sport by Fuck Buttons
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best Electronic Album Of The Year

Pitchfork: "A record that is a hell of a lot easier to like than even fans of Street Horrrsing would have expected. That was a great record, but Tarot Sport is a cut above. Perhaps surprisingly, it's also a welcoming album-- and one of the best of this already fruitful year." Link
Slant: "Tarot Sport makes its mark: easy and challenging at the same time, a mix of harsh and smooth sounds that mirrors the prickly juxtaposition of classic jazz." Link
What I Said: "Please bear in mind that for those who don’t like their jams at once trance-like in their ambience and positively ear-ringing in their drones, Tarot Sport will be a little too hard to swallow... For the more adventurous listener though, it’s a sonic highlight of the year!"

22. Man On The Moon: The End of The Day by Kid Cudi
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best Debut Album Of The Year
Best Hip Hop/Rap Album Of The Year

EW.com: "The album surrounds his smash single Day 'N' Nite with an arcane story line, but you won't have to follow it to be impressed by Kid Cudi's introspective persona, ear for melody, and eclectic taste in beats." Link
PopMatters: "Kid Cudi’s take on hip-hop hedonism has as its purpose the escape from one’s own fears and neuroses. He escapes the creatures that haunt him at night by turning himself into a larger-than-life entity." Link
What I Said: "CuDi himself doesn’t disappoint, his rhymes and cadence a welcome breath of fresh air from the boisterous motor-mouthing prevalent in the less-inspired hip hop world."

21. Don't Stop by Annie
Vessalis Music Award Nominee = Best Female Solo Album Of The Year
Best Pop Album Of The Year

Pitchfork: "Not every song on Don't Stop is a classic, but Annie's good taste has yielded another fine crop of pop tunes." Link
NME: "Oh boy, was it worth the wait. Though production is split three ways between Xenomania, Paul Epworth and Timo Kaukolampi, the record is all Annie’s own." Link
What I Said: "This Norwegian popstrel’s sophomore effort arrives a little late to the party after the successes of Little Boots, La Roux and Pixie Lott. Which in the end, is more than a shame, because Annie’s album is arguably the better out of the four."

And that just leaves the Top 20 to come!!! Will get back to you on those in the next couple of days, followed by the awards thereafter...

Toodles!! XXX