Best Of: Music

In no way shape or form copying Klein’s blog (great minds just think alike, deal with it), here is my best-of 2009 list for the world of music.

Album of the Year –

Silversun Pickups – Swoon

I was surprised so many critics were not impressed with the group’s second album. I found it to be just as good, if not better than “Carnavas”. It is a bit more polished but I really don’t think that’s a bad thing as Carnavas, for all its pluses, had several times when it just sounded like noise. “Panic Switch” and “There’s No Secrets This Year” are thundering alt-rock forces, while “The Royal We” and the intimate “Catch & Release” incorporate a string arrangement to great effect, the latter being the best song on the album.

Runners up:
Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Muse – The Resistance


Worst Album of the Year –

Weezer – Raditude

I knew this was going to be bad going into it, but I picked it up anyway, just out of respect. I wished I hadn’t. Minus the opener “I Want You To” which oddly enough is one of the best songs they’ve done, this album is complete crap. Instead of explaining further, I’ll just say Lil Wayne is featured on a track. Done.

Runners up:
Nothing really else I picked up is even close to that bad. There are some albums I haven't listened to all of (cough... Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. ... cough) that I would put here, but as for whole albums:
Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
Eminem - Relapse


Best Song of the Year (that received radio play) –

“Audience of One” – Rise Against

Runners up:
“Kids” – MGMT
“Brother” – Pearl Jam
“Panic Switch” – Silversun Pickups
“Check My Brain” – Alice in Chains


Best Song of the Year (not on radio) –

“Antenna” – Sonic Youth

Runners up:
“Amongst the Waves” – Pearl Jam
“I Belong to You” – Muse
“Catch & Release” – Silversun Pickups
“Peacemaker” – Green Day


Worst Song of the Year –

“Boom Boom Pow” – Black Eyed Peas

Runners up:
“Meet Me Halfway” – Black Eyed Peas
“Just Dance” – Lady Gaga
(Creed and Nickelback apparently both had songs this year, so… them)
“Birthday Sex” – Jeremih


Genre specifics:

Best Alternative Album –

Silversun Pickups – Swoon

Runners up: Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, MGMT – Oracular Spectacular, Muse – The Resistance, Arctic Monkeys – Humbug


Best Rock Album –

Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures

Runners up: Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue, Pearl Jam – Backspacer, Rise Against – Appeal to Reason, Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound, Sonic Youth - The Eternal


Best Non-Rock Album –

Mos Def – The Ecstatic


Best New Artist –

MGMT

Runners up:
Phoenix
Gaslight Anthem
The XX
Airborne Toxic Event


Already looking forward to albums from these bands in 2010:

THE STROKES
THE ROOTS
DEFTONES
Radiohead (???)
Blink 182
Vampire Weekend
MGMT
Arcade Fire
Gorillaz
And more…

Coming soon, Best of: Sports