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Favourite Albums:

I was able to narrow it down to 20; the 20 albums that I enjoyed and listened to the most from this past year. Obviously, this list is by no means definitive to anyone but me, just a list of my personal favourites; hopefully you find something new, something to discuss, something you agree with, or something that infuriates you. Enjoy.

1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

2. Japandroids - Post-Nothing

3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

4. Attack In Black - Years (By One Thousand Fingertips)
5. Passion Pit - Manners
6. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
7. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
8. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
9. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
10. Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
11. Wax Mannequin - Saxon
12. The xx - The xx
13. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
14. Sunset Rubdown - Dragon Slayer
15. Girls - Album
16. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
17. Destroyer - Bay of Pigs
18. Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Health
19. Delorean - Ayrton Senna
20. Bon Iver - Blood Bank

Favourite Tracks:

1. Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire
2. Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky
3. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
4. Animal Collective - My Girls
5. Dirty Projectors - Useful Chamber
6. Dirty Projectors - Cannibal Resource
7. Destroyer - Bay Of Pigs
8. Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
9. Attack In Black - I'm a Rock
10. Phoenix - Countdown

Best Shows:

Everything about each of these shows is taken into account in my rankings, from who I went with, to the venue they were at. I also haven't included openers for all the shows, but rather only on occasions when the opener had a strong effect on the overall quality and general memorableness of the show.

1. Built to Spill - October 6th - Lee's Palace
2. Dirty Projectors - July 22nd - Lee's Palace
3. Japandroids - September 18th - Albion Hotel
4. Mogwai with The Twilight Sad - May 4th - The Phoenix
5. Animal Collective - May 16th - Sound Academy
6. Passion Pit with Harlem Shakes - June 16th - Lee's Palace
7. Beirut - July 9th- The Phoenix
8. Shad - November 26th - ebar
9. Wax Mannequin - November 7th - Maxwell's
10. Andrew W.K. - February 5th - Sound Academy

Most Anticipated:

Taking a look forward to the new year, I've also included my top 20 most anticipated albums that are currently announced for 2010 (January 26th is going to put the hurt on my wallet, apparently). Here they are, listed alphabetically by artist:

Arcade Fire - TBA - May
Band of Horses - Night Rainbows - TBA
Beach House - Teen Dream - January 26
Fleet Foxes - TBA
Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing - January 26
Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks - March 9
The Gaslight Anthem - TBA - Early 2010
The Hold Steady - TBA
Interpol -TBA - Early 2010
MGMT - Congratulations - Spring
The National - TBA
No Age - TBA
Panda Bear - TBA
LCD Soundsystem - TBA - March
Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring - January 26
Spoon - Transference - January 26
The Strokes - TBA - Late 2010
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks - March 9
Vampire Weekend - Contra - January 12
The Wrens - Funeral - Fall

100.) The Streets - A Grand Don't Come Around for Free
99.) Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
98.) The Clientele - Suburban Light
97.) Kanye West - Late Registration
96.) Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too
95.) The Strokes - Is this It?
94.) Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
93.) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
92.) Liars- Drums Not Dead
91.) The Notwist - Neon Golden

90.) Spoon- Kill the Moonlight
89.) mia- Kala
88.) Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat
87.) Boards of Canada - Geodaii
86.) The Rapture - Echoes
85.) Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
84.) Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
83.) King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader
82.) The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
81.) Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

80.) Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
79.) The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
78.) Daft Punk - Discovery
77.) The Microphones - It Was Hot We Stayed In the Water
76.) The xx - xx
75.) M83- Saturdays = Youth
74.) The National - Boxer
73.) The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
72.) Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings
71.) Eminem- The Marshal Mathers Lp

70.) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
69.) The Streets - Original Pirate Material
68.) Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
67.) Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird
66.) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
65.) of Montreal - Satanic Panic in the Attic
64.) The White Stripes - Elephant
63.) The National - Alligator
62.) Ms. John Soda - No P. or D.
61.) Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

60.) Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
59.) The Knife - Silent Shout
58.) Clinic- Internal Wrangler
57.) Feist- The Reminder
56.) Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
55.) Black Dice - Beaches and Canyons
54.) PJ Harvey- Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
53.) múm- Yesterday was Dramatic - Today was Okay
52.) Radiohead- In Rainbows
51.) OutKast- Stankonia

50.) Burial- Untrue
49.) The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
48.) Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
47.) The Walkmen - You & Me
46.) Man Man - Six Daemon Bag
45.) Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
44.) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
43.) Battles- Mirrored
42.) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
41.) No Age - Weirdo Rippers

40.) Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
39.) Sigur Rós - ()
38.) Interpol- Turn On The Bright Lights
37.) Atlas Sound - Logos
36.) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
35.) The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
34.) Brian Wilson - SMiLE
33.) Raekwon- Only Built For Cuban Linx Pt. II
32.) The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls In America
31.) Clipse- Hell Hath No Fury

30.) Deerhunter- Cryptograms
29.) Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
28.) ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
27.) Luomo- Vocalcity
26.) Deerhoof- The Runners Four
25.) Madvillain- Madvillainy
24.) Jens Lekman - Nightfalls Over Kortedala
23.) Portishead - Third
22.) Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
21.) Animal Collective - Sung Tongs

20.) The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike
19.) Joanna Newsom - Ys
18.) Jay-Z - The Blueprint
17.) Björk- Vespertine
16.) Japandroids - Post-Nothing
15.) The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
14.) TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
13.) No Age - Nouns
12.) The Avalanches - Since I Left You
11.) Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

10.) The Wrens - Meadowlands
09.) The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
08.) Junior Boys - Last Exit
07.) Radiohead - Kid A
06.) Sonic Youth - Murray Street
05.) Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
04.) The Tough Alliance - A New Chance
03.) Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in People
02.) Deerhunter - Microcastle
01.) Arcade Fire - Funeral

Sunny Day Real Estate - Seven
Nirvana - Love Buzz (Live)
Jawbox - Savory
makazoruki - Awake
Školjke - Rak kostiju
Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer
Suis La Lune - Quiet, Pull The Strings
Public Image Limited - Carrering
Early Humans - Early Humans: The Dawn of man
Didjits - Gold Eldorado
Sebadoh - Beauty of the Ride
laddio bollocko - Laddio's money (death of a pop song)
Fugazi - Epic Problem
Shellac - Song of the Minerals
Raein - 1 di 6
The Wrens - Down To The Service
The Jesus Lizard - Monkey Trick (Live)
Sonic Youth - Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style
Mogwai - Travel Is Dangerous
Get Up Kids - Don't Hate Me
One Last Wish - My Better Half
Young Widows - Feelers
Tornavalanche - Different Places, Different Ghosts
Converge - Worms Will Feed
Turing Machine - Bitte Baby, Bitte

moonwalkmcfly's top albums (overall)
1. The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs (450) 2. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (355) 3. The Mountain Goats - Ghana (260) 4. Elliott Smith - New Moon (240) 5. The Clash - London Calling (239) 6. The Onion - The Onion Radio News (234) 7. The Band - A Musical History (232) 8. Elliott Smith - XO (228) 9. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (220) 10. Guided by Voices - Alien Lanes (215) 11. Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat (211) 12. The Wrens - The Meadowlands (210) 13. Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits (200) 14. Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (200) 15. Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings (198) 16. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (196) 17. Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous (193) 18. The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree (192) 19. The Wrens - Silver (180) 20. Memphis Minnie - The Essential (180) 21. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde (179) 22. Elliott Smith - Either/Or (174) 23. The Kinks - The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (173) 24. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee (169) 25. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (165) 26. The Wrens - Secaucus (163) 27. Elliott Smith - Figure 8 (161) 28. Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things (161) 29. Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand (161) 30. Pixies - Doolittle (160) 31. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (158) 32. The Kinks - Muswell Hillbillies (157) 33. The Kinks - Something Else By The Kinks (157) 34. The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas (156) 35. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (153) 36. The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (149) 37. The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin (148) 38. Belle and Sebastian - Push Barman To Open Old Wounds (148) 39. The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & the Lash (148) 40. David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (145) 41. Bob Dylan - Biograph (144) 42. Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News (142) 43. Lou Reed - Berlin (142) 44. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces (141) 45. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy (139) 46. The Mountain Goats - Full Force Galesburg (139) 47. Belle and Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap (138) 48. Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica (138) 49. The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God (137) 50. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York (134)

Originally published in Epigram.



It's hard to believe that the joyous screams of opener 'And the Hazy Sea...' kick off an album without a single chorus, but then first impressions with Cymbals Eat Guitars are never a great idea. It's true that the band wear their influences on their sleeves- initially sounding like a rejuvenated incarnation of Pavement, they gradually reveal a mesh of influences ranging from Wilco to Built to Spill and from Sleater-Kinney to New Jersey power pop outfit The Wrens. Yet there's an underlying complexity to their music which isn't immediately apparent when you first find yourself humming along to the buoyant, Malkmus-esque intro to 'Wind Phoenix'. The band construct verses so familiar and engaging that they could easily rely on simple pop structures, but they'd rather rip their ideas apart by changing the tempo or the mood, by throwing in an organ solo or letting the bass guitar take the lead.

The lyrics jump out from all angles - each line seems to bear so much resonance yet when arranged around the song structures, the meaning becomes far more difficult to decipher. It's this approach to songwriting that makes lines like "Without use of a pole, she swings / Her thighs clamped round infinity" really strike a chord when you're able to pick them out. Factor in that the instrumental crescendos rarely match up with the emotional meanderings of the lyrics and you have a collection of songs that will continue to surprise and beg repeated listens. On paper, even the most ecstatic parts of the album come across like the bleakest prose on roadtripping across America - it's only when you're in the middle of screaming along to a song like 'Indiana' that you realise just how much anguish is present on this album.

In a world where subtlety is so often replaced with obtrusive and insubstantial sentiment, you'll welcome the feeling of adolescent nostalgia that washes over you with every hum of guitar feedback and murmur of the warm, crackling Wurlitzer organ. This is far from the best we'll see of Cymbals Eat Guitars, but their energy makes this album so much more than just an homage to the bands they seem so eager to pay tribute to.

Redux.

A
Fav: ASHES dIVIDE
First: A Perfect Circle
Last: Avenue Q

B
Fav: Tied... Boy Hits Car
First: Backstreet Boys
Last: Bush

C
Fav: Collective Soul
First: CAKE
Last: The Cure

D
Fav: Depeche Mode
First: D12
Last: Dry Kill Logic

E
Fav: Eminem
First: Eagle Eye Cherry
Last: Explosions in the Sky

F
Fav: The Fratellis
First: Faith No More
Last: The Futureheads

G
Fav: Guano Apes
First: Garbage
Last: Guns 'N Roses

H
Fav: H.I.M.
First: H.I.M.
Last: Hot Hot Heat

I
Fav: Incubus
First: Imogen Heap
Last: Iron Maiden

J
Fav: Jason Mraz
First: Jack Johnson
Last: Justin Timberlake

K
Fav: Kaiser Chiefs
First: K.T. Tunstall
Last: Korn

L
Fav: Lifehouse
First: Lacuna Coil
Last: Ludo

M
Fav: Modest Mouse
First: M.I.A.
Last: My Chemical Romance

N
Fav: Nick Drake
First: Natalie Merchant
Last: N'sync

O
Fav: of Montreal
First: Oasis
Last: Ozzy Osbourne

P
Fav: Primus
First: P.O.D.
Last: Puscifer

Q
First: Queen
Last: Queens of the Stone Age

R
Fav: The Raconteurs
First: R.E.M.
Last: Rush

S
Fav: System of a Down, Stabbing Westward
First: Saliva
Last: System of a Down

T
Fav: Tom Petty
First: T.I.
Last: Tracy Byrd

U
Fav: Ugly Casanova
First: UB40
Last: The Used

V
Fav: Vertical Horizon
First: V Shape Mind
Last: Von Blondies

W
Fav: The White Stripes
First: The Wallflowers
Last: The Wrens

X, Y
None

Z
First: Zeromancer
Last: The Zutons

#
Favorite: 30 Seconds to Mars
First: (hEd)p.e.
Last: 311

Remaining planned concerts for the year are Amy Milan, Metric, Mum, Dinosaur Jr, dd/mm/yyyy and Thunderheist. Maybe they'll make a difference but I don't think so. Will edit accordingly.

20. Monotonix @ Tubby Dog, June 26
This was a different experience in comparison to most of what I saw. Monotonix were one of the more ridiculously hyped artists at Sled Island due to a crazy live show. The crazy live show often follows a similar formula but Monotonix really captivated me because the tiny venue was packed and we were stuck outside. They came outside and played on the side, the singer standing on a large mailbox. Just thought it was awesome they cared enough to come out and from looking at the guy you could see he truly did not give a shit about restraint or his own safety.

19. Crystal Castles @ Sasquatch, May 23
Crystal Castles are not a fantastic live act. The crowd was insane, the volume was excruciating and the venue was a tiny crammed tent in a record hot Washington evening. Crowdsurfing and moshing were just about equal to the dancing going on. I was caught off guard completely and just had a blast trying not to die while the synths sirened and the beats blasted. Plus I got to boost the hot kid in the pyjamas for a crowd surf which was a treat after spotting him and giggling so many times.

18. The Rural Alberta Advantage @ Central United Church, June 24
Opening for Final Fantasy, The RAA were a band I'd been hearing about but predicted a mellow folksy set. The skill of the musicians and the seamless blend of folk with pop guitar, rock drums and warm synthesizers was exciting and the endless waiting for the headliner became forgetting everything but the performers in front of me. I was most impressed by the drummer.

17. Metric (Acoustic) @ The Grand Theatre, April 22
After frantic and dedicated calls to a radio station I hated, I secured the tickets to the winners only show. Most of the songs on Fantasies work equally well in an acoustic format and several were vast improvements. I've seen Broken Social Scene 5 times but this was the only time I caught Emily Haines on vocals for Anthems. Ended up in the first row. Got a little snubbed by the band after the show when we waited an hour or so for their exit but it was a very intimate and unique offering from a band I've long loved.

16. Fleet Foxes @ Sasquatch, May 25
Only listened to a bit of Fleet Foxes beforehand but the mainstage was stacked on this particular day so I wanted to check them out. Very pretty, captivating and managed to be mellow without being boring. Just very enjoyable and relaxing after dancing to Santigold and being crushed for Gogol Bordello.

15. The SSRIs @ Tubby Dog, June 23
The Sled Island warm up day held little of interest for me but The SSRIs were a very pleasant surprise. A nice blend of 90s style emo and experimental indie rock is something I rarely see (or seek out). A surprise and nice jolt out of my comfort zone was incredibly refreshing.

14. DeVotchKa @ Sasquatch, May 24
Gypsy indie buzz whatever that isn't the brash Gogol Bordello or the lush Beirut hits the mark more than either sometimes. I'd seen them once before and had a reasonable time. This was just one of the most pleasant times of the festival to experience music. It had finally cooled down, there was some much needed wind and the sun was just threatening to set. DeVotchKa had the right balance of beauty and exhiliration for their 45 minute set and I barely noticed changing from dancing to reflecting.

13. Thunderheist @ The Warehouse, I forget
I got very drunk and danced to Thunderheist soon after turning the legal age. It was at the peak of my interest in them and I got to dance on stage. Just a lot of fun with a friend that tops most of the partying I did this year.

12. Ghostkeeper @ Royal Canadian Legion #1, May 16
The evening was stacked with bands I like: Chad VanGaalen, Women, Azeda Booth and Julie Doiron. Ghostkeeper were new to me and such a cool blend of spooky roots and funky rock and roll. Ghostkeeper tell the kind of ghost stories you can believe and play the guitar riffs and basslines that keep you bumping along dying to know what happens next. Featured a few Calgary musicians known for work in several bands that are all at the top of their game.

11. Julie Doiron @ Royal Canadian legion #1, May 16
The only one to top Ghost Keeper at the show was my familiar, heartbreaking Julie Doiron. Miss Doiron recently switched from her solo electric guitar set-up to a band format. She was a guest of Chad's at the show and came out with just electric in the style I had missed. She performed the (for me) definitive version of Spill Yer Lungs with some other tracks off her latest album as well as some new and old tracks with Chad's band. The new ones were written that day and super fun! The live take on Dark Horse was so much more alive and upbeat. Mostly I was impressed with the dynamic she can create with the contrast of her gentle strums and unexpectedly gritty rock manouevres which come cheap easy with a band but impressively on their own. As always she was funny and charming and probably the most energetic I've seen her.

10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Osheaga, August 2
It was tough to beat the never-thought-I'd-see-it sunset performance at Saquatch but 50% more time and a much better spot with great friends I hadn't seen in ages, the YYYs were better the second time. Karen wore a mask out for the first song and the setlist was much beefier. There was Y shaped confetti and time for them to play more than just singles. Yeah Yeah Yeahs were the only major thrill at Osheaga this year and a band I've liked a lot for a long time with a surprise best record this late in their career really delivered.

9. Liars @ Sled Island, June 26
After feeling a bit let down by Holy Fuck on the mainstage, Liars gave way more intensity than I expected and blew me away with songs I'd never heard before. I have their last two records but the song selection was unexpected and more manic than I could have imagined. Angus is a brilliant frontman who played mostly to lame, bored mid afternooners and seemed not to notice. Their (mostly) one guitar set-up was so unbelievably thick and rich. The tribal drumming is incredibly hypnotic in a live setting. Their set the next day (with a larger time slot as the headliner) would have taken the cake if it weren't for a headache and a drunken frat crowd, but I have no complaints. It was irritating that they didn't have more time but it was also nice to be left wanting more.

8. Broken Social Scene @ The Orpheum Theatre, February 6
BSS are my favourite band and it was my 5th time seeing them. Instead of gushing and giving the same compliments I do for their every show I'll do a list of notable points.
-Fairly well chosen setlist
-Lisa Lobsinger, K-OS
-Too short timeslot (a common misfortune I've experienced)
-Had a terrible seat until someone gave me a front row ticket out of nowhere
-Tegan and Sara suck
-Met Brendan and Kevin

7. The Wrens @ Sasquatch, May 24
Shock highlight of the festival. Old guys, intense, powerful, mistifying energy and anthemic songs with no cheese factor. Had given a passive listen beforehand and was not prepared. The Wrens are a band that thrive on the stage.

6. Animal Collective @ Sasquatch, May 23
I'm not shy to admit that My Girls is my favourite AC song. I hated this band until shortly before MPP came out. My Girls is one of their worst songs but the show I expected from the MPP material did not matter at all in comparison to what they did. I'm not a person who goes to see music for a thoughtful, cerebral experience. I like some form of directness but Animal Collective refused to let you in easy. Other favourites Brothersport and Summertime Clothes were exactly as good and in the vein I had hoped for. Jams on What Would I Want Sky and Fireworks were what clinched it. WWIWS had me enjoying zoning out, uncommon for me. Fireworks was more or less the opposite which had me paying attention to each twist and turn for about 15 minutes. I don't know what song they use in the extended jam but it was spectacular. Merriweather Post Pavilion was one of my favourite albums this year, which I still listen to as much as when it first leaked, and the live experience is totally seperate but equally thrilling. Though it was the middle of the day, the intense heat helped the delusional quality of the music.

5. Grizzly Bear @ Sasquatch, May 24
I saw Grizzly Bear twice the previous summer, with acoustics on their side in a church and acoustics raging against them opening for Radiohead. Veckatimest is their live strong suit and they have improved greatly as performers between Yellow House and said album. Full rich dreamy sound which was also a catchy pop delight. Spot on vocals, excellent set choices and just fantastic song writers in their prime. I love Grizzly Bear and expected lots from them but they exceeded my expectations

4. Chromeo @ Sasquatch, May 25
You may have noticed that Sasquatch was the highlight of my year. This is the final entry of artists who were on the bill. I was disappointed to see Chromeo were DJing after being blow away with their live act a year beforehand. Their DJ skills are somehow equal to their live skills. Amazing tweaks on bizarre source material including hockey themes with a plenty of their own material and some crowd pleasing blog house. Probably the most fun I've had dancing, ever.

3. HEALTH @ Broken City, June 26
Health were the best of Sled Island this year and perhaps ever. Intense doesn't even begin to cover it. My love for noise or heavy music is quite limited but HEALTH was my testosterone outlet. Incredibly brash guitar, relentless drums (drummers were breathing like they'd run a triathalon) and electronic noise sampling. Dancing, thrashing, talking to the band and getting an amazing t-shirt. IT WAS SO LOUD.

2. Dirty Projectors @ Macewan Hall, May 28
I went to see TV On The Radio for my third time. I almost passed until I saw Dirty Projectors were opening who I'd heard a lot about and was reading more about than ever. I had not listened to any of their music before. The complexity of their instrumentation and bizarre vocals was so wrongly accessible. I had never heard anyone sing like Amber Coffman on Stillness is the Move or seen anyone play guitar the way Dave Longstreth does. I have never been so appreciative of skill until I saw Dirty Projectors. These guys upstaged TVOTR by a million miles and played one of the best shows I've ever seen. The awe didn't let up the entire time and the difficulty of keeping up with the complexity of the rhythm and melody was nearly equal to the fun I had dancing awkwardly along.

1. Final Fantasy @ Knox United Church, September 28
8th time seeing Owen Pallett play was the best. This was the first time I'd seen him with an accompanying musician which exposed a fascinating element of his music but it was really the strength of his new material and finally seeing his This Modern Love cover that made me nearly jump from the pew with joy. His looping is mesmerizing and never gets old, ever. The intricate keyboard riffs and textures are such a welcome turn in his music. I truly believe Heartland, due in January, will be my favourite album of next year. I just don't know what to say.

Final Fantasy
Dirty Projectors
HEALTH
Chromeo
Grizzly Bear
Animal Collective
The Wrens
Broken Social Scene
Liars
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Julie Doiron
Ghostkeeper
DeVotchKa
Thunderheist
The SSRIs
Fleet Foxes
Metric
The Rural Alberta Advantage
Crystal Castles
Monotonix

1) Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise! (2005)
2) The Microphones - The Glow Pt. 2 (2001)
3) Panda Bear - Person Pitch (2007)
4) Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
5) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (2006)
6) Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (2009)
7) The Notwist - Neon Golden (2002)
8) Four Tet - Rounds (2003)
9) Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
10) M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (2003)

11) Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It in People (2002)
12) Joanna Newsom - Ys (2006)
13) Deerhunter - Microcastle (2008)
14) White Denim - Fits (2009)
15) Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004)
16) Animal Collective - Feels (2005)
17) Beach House - Devotion (2008)
18) Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
19) The Avalanches - Since I Left You (2006)
20) Sigur Rós - ( ) (2002) *

Runners Up/Honorable Mention:

The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
13 & God - 13 & God (2005)
El Guincho - Alegranza (2008)
The National - Boxer (2007)
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala (2007)
The Postal Service - Give Up (2003)
Subtle - For Hero: For Fool (2006)
Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001)
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
The Knife - Silent Shout (2006)
Common - Like Water for Chocolate (2000)
The Wrens - The Meadowlands (2003)
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles (2008)
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver (2007)


*Note: Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun is on my best of the 90's list. It initially came out in 1999.