Best Albums of 2009: A Recap

Below is the full list of albums we covered this December as our best of the year. If you missed any of these, feel free to just follow the links over, for a full review.

Animal Noises' Best Albums of 2009

1. Veckatimest -- Grizzly Bear

2. Merriweather Post Pavilion -- Animal Collective

3. Farm -- Dinosaur Jr.

4. Hometowns -- The Rural Alberta Advantage

5. Noble Beast -- Andrew Bird

6. Bitte Orca -- Dirty Projectors

7. Man on the Moon: The End of Day -- Kid Cudi

8. Manners -- Passion Pit

9. Aim and Ignite -- fun.

10. Album -- Girls

11. Hold Time -- M. Ward

12. Person to Person -- Foreign Born

13. People Are Soft -- The Swimmers

14. Wilco (The Album) -- Wilco

15. Wavvves -- Wavves

16. No More Stories... -- Mew

17. Bromst -- Dan Deacon

18. Now I Am Champion -- Sister Suvi

19. Hombre Lobo -- Eels

20. Welcome Joy -- The Cave Singers

21. Beast Rest Forth Mouth -- Bear In Heaven

22. Here We Go Magic -- Here We Go Magic

23. Get Color -- HEALTH

24. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix -- Phoenix

25. Dark Night of the Soul -- Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse

26. God Help the Girl -- God Help the Girl

27. Tentacles -- Crystal Antlers

28. The Blueprint 3 -- Jay-Z

29. Eskimo Snow -- Why?

30. Junior -- Röyksopp

Best of 2009: Album Artwork

Album artwork is arguably the most important aspect of a musical release next to the music itself. In many cases, it's our first impression of what we are about to hear, and a visual companion to the recording. Because of this, we have compiled the best of 2009. The selections below were chosen because of their visual appeal, in addition to how well they work alongside their sonic counterparts.

10. Person to Person, Foreign Born

9. Fluorescent Black, Anti-Pop Consortium

8. Scars, Basement Jaxx

7. Creaturesque, Throw Me The Statue

6. Merriweather Post Pavillion, Animal Collective

5. The Smith Westerns, The Smith Westerns

4. Farm, Dinosaur Jr.

3. Hold Time, M. Ward

2. Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear

1. Tentacles, Crystal Antlers

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best of 2009: Movie Soundtracks]

Best Albums of 2009: #12, Foreign Born's Person to Person

Rank: #12

Album: Person to Person

Artist: Foreign Born

Label: Secretly Canadian

If it weren't for the joyous, collective energy and sound of a few other artists, perhaps Foreign Born's Person to Person would have taken this year's top spot. Still though, with their second album, the band has managed to carve out a niche for itself amidst the stifling buzz of bands out in California. The group is fresh, uninhibited and unafraid to experiment. Mixing your basic indie rock with a tropical approach all their own, it shouldn't be too long before it's hard to miss these guys.

From start to finish, Person to Person plays like a fast-paced tropical vacation. It's not surf music, but rather, island-infused pop using indie rock as its distribution method. Starting with opener "Blood Oranges," the expert employment of auxiliary percussion plays a huge role in setting the mood for the jumpy, driving background. In fact, the first five tracks ("Blood Oranges" through "Early Warnings") might have you convinced that this is, indeed, the album of the year. The series' bright and boisterous presentation of the collection's main themes, combined with beach harmonies and steady drum rolls are truly something to behold, as the band transports you south of whatever currently snow-covered locale you're residing in. It was a perfect soundtracks for this past summer, and now, it's managing to brighten up the winter a bit too with its steady, infectious pop melodies.

Best Track: "Winter Games"

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Albums of 2009: #13, The Swimmers' People Are Soft]

Best Songs of 2009: #11-20

It's the homestretch of our countdown of the 50 best songs of 2009. Surely you'll be able to find a favorite or two of yours amongst the collection of tracks we've assembled. If not, sorry to hear it, but give the following a good listen.

20. "Die Slow" -- HEALTH (stream via Pitchfork)

19. "Vacationing People" -- Foreign Born (via Pitchfork)

18. "The Girl and the Robot" -- Röyksopp

17. "Wilco (The Song)" -- Wilco

16. "Repeaterbeater" -- Mew (via Pitchfork)

15. "What Would I Want? Sky" -- Animal Collective

14. "Stillness Is the Move" -- Dirty Projectors (via Pitchfork)

13. "Life In Marvelous Times" -- Mos Def

12. "While You Wait For the Others" -- Grizzly Bear

11. "Pretty Girls (Feat. Gucci Mane)" -- Wale

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Songs of 2009: #21-30]

Best Songs of 2009: #41-50

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Just as we did at the end of 2008, all of Animal Noises' coverage in December will be about the best music of the past year-- plus, we'll also be touching on best-of-decade material as well. Along with a day-by-day countdown of the top 30 albums of 2009 (which starts tomorrow, by the way), we'll be rolling out lists like this one, at 10 items per day. So stay tuned all December. It's going to get pretty busy around here.

50. "Buddy" -- Iran

49. "Fangela" -- Here We Go Magic

48. "Silver Trembling Hands" -- The Flaming Lips

47. "Winter Games" -- Foreign Born

46. "I'm On a Boat (Feat. T-Pain)" -- The Lonely Island

45. "Laura" -- Girls

44. "Autumn Beds" -- Modest Mouse

43. "Soundtrack 2 My Life" -- Kid Cudi

42. "Terminally Chill" -- Neon Indian (via Pitchfork)

41. "Lisztomania" -- Phoenix

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best of 2009 So Far: #1-5]

Weekly Top 10: Island Songs

As per usual on Thursdays, we've got a playlist of sorts. This week, due to us being on vacation in a fairly coastal area, we decided to use island songs as our theme. What constitutes an island song in this case? A song which is more of a stand-alone track from an artist who normally wouldn't be classified as reggae, surf rock or any other type of tropical music (though there is one artist here who could fall either way, but we decided to include him). Hopefully that clears up any concerns about the omission of certain artists. Enjoy below.

Weekly Top 10: Tracks of 2009 (So Far)

We're bringing back an old feature here that I think worked fairly well for the month or so we had it last summer. Basically, either Matt or I pick a theme, and then pick our "Top 10" songs that fit the bill. Sounds simple? It is. I wanted to kick off the relaunch of the column feature with a concept we can all enjoy/debate: the Top 10 Songs of the year thus far. Below is the Imeem playlist, which you can stream all of the tracks from. Usually, if you're an Imeem member, you can hear the song in full, but if not, it only previews-- so if you want to hear the full songs, you're probably going to have to register (it takes five seconds). Anyway, enjoy.

New Foreign Born Video, "Winter Games"

So what do 90s-styled hip hop dancers have to do with Foreign Born's "Winter Games?" Apparently quite a bit. Or at least, one would assume so after watching the recently released video. It's one of the better tracks, if not the best track, off of May's Person to Person, so it's a bit puzzling why a better, more relevant video was not put together. Still, I'll accept the artist's decision, and follow along. Hopefully the next single receives a more appropriate visual effort. Check it out below.

Best of 2009 So Far: #6-10

If you were with us yesterday, then you caught the first part of our commentary on the best albums of 2009. If not, check out #11-15 here before proceeding.

Below are albums #6-10 (in opposite order) for the year thus far. For the albums that have been reviewed here already, we've also included a link to the original review. Some things have changed. Others have not. Either way, all original reviews were left as they were.

10. Brother's Blood, Kevin Devine

Just like my commentary on Manchester Orchestra, I was impressed by Kevin Devine's progress and maturity as an artist here. He shed many of things that made his music either too raw or too naive, and the result was a colorful and dynamic effort I'm still pleasantly surprised by.

9. Heavy Ghost, DM Stith

I told you that you'd be hearing about this album again this week. Moving, and sometimes even a bit haunting, Heavy Ghost is a coming-out party of sorts for David Stith, and I'm honestly surprised we haven't heard more about it. Hopefully some more blogs pick up on this one before the end of the year, because it's definitely a must-hear album.

8. Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors

Calm down. It's still in the top 10. On top of that, it's an album that grows on you quite a bit with each listen, so who knows, maybe it'll continue to rise from the 8 out of 10 I originally gave it upon its release. Everyone's talked about this one, but I'll just say that it is one of the more unique and graceful records of the year, and one you need if you don't already have.

7. Person to Person, Foreign Born

Another one that people have seemingly slept on so far this year. The band's second effort is rife with bright spots and memorable tracks as it utilizes an infectious energy and brilliant sense of the moment to hook you, quite easily, into a record I can discover more about with each listen.

6. Hold Time, M. Ward

As Ward's newest collaboration suggests, he now truly is a "Monster of Folk". Building on all of the goodwill generated last year by She & Him, he puts together an album that has some impeccable flow to it, as well as a charming demeanor that feels more warm and inviting every time. To me, it's definitely his best effort to-date.

And then there were five. Hopefully you enjoyed parts of this second post of three. The final portion, numbers one through five, will be up on Friday, so be sure to stop back in for that, as well as our review of Discovery's LP.

John's Track of the Week: "Never Wrong"

Song: Never Wrong
Artist: Foreign Born
Album: On the Wing Now
Year: 2007

In light of Foreign Born's new album, Person to Person coming out yesterday, I decided to sit back down with their freshman effort, On the Wing Now again. It was definitely a good decision on my part. Here on the precursor to this year's great record, you can recognize the building blocks that weant into making their notable and intelligent sound. However, you can also see the point where they veer off from what appears to be their tried and true formula on the album. The sounds come the end of On the Wing Now provide hints as to where they're headed, and when you hear Person to Person, you'll both hear and appreciate the transition from simple and enjoyable indie rock, to something a bit more meaningful.

On an album full of great and spirited tracks, to me, nothing seems to epitomize what it's all about more than the closer, "Never Wrong". It's a fan favorite, but there's something undyingly triumphant about it. It's the period at the end of a great novel, the final trumpet blare in a symphony. Not to compare the song to any orchestral arrangement, of course, but stick with me on the metaphors. There's a sense of completion here which can, and does, lack on many an album, and you can't help but see the smile on the band's face at the end. Check it out below, and don't forget to get yourself a copy of Person to Person if you haven't already.

New Foreign Born, "Wander Aimlessly"

I know, I know- Foreign Born's new album, Person to Person hasn't even hit stores yet, so everything's "new". However, this track, "Wander Aimlessly," was not even on the record, so I figured it'd be worth noting. It doesn't have nearly as much energy as the tracks which do appear on PtP, which probably explains why it was left off, but still, I consider it a pretty good time. You can check it out over at Stereogum on The 'Gum Drop, and download for the price of an e-mail address. Also, if you haven't read our (my) review for Person to Person, feel free to check it out here.

Pre-Screening: Foreign Born

Album: Person to Person

Artist: Foreign Born

Label: Secretly Canadian

Due Out: June 23rd

Ever get a music tip from a friend that, no matter how much you try to thank them, it can never really do justice to the gift they've passed your way? That's borderline where I'm at with Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear. No, we're not actually friends, I just follow him on Twitter, but without his shout-out to Foreign Born back in February, there's almost no way I ever would have happened upon them. Mixing energetic folk rock with some popular indie rock sensibilities, the band created a fantastic effort with 2007's release of On the Wing Now. As good as it may be though, it pales in comparison to their latest work of art, Person to Person, which builds on those blocks set a few years back, and the results are an intelligent, and interesting flow of consciousness. Before continuing, I'd just like to thank Droste one more time. Really, for these guys, and of course, Veckatimest too.

"Blood Oranges" begins quickly with a fast-paced cadence and almost island-sounding riff. It really provides a nice introduction for those unaware of the band and its sound. The vocals tend to keep themselves in one range, but are very active, and trust me, it works out quite well in this instance. "That Old Sun" starts immediately afterward, as a bit of a change of pace, slowing it up a bit from the previous song. Still, even with the tempo change, you're taking in a similar amount of energy, and are reeled in by the very active guitar part. It almost reminds me of some of The Strokes work, but not enough to draw a direct comparison. "Vacationing People" kicks in next, speeding us up again to a quick run. Many fans may be familiar with the track, as the band released it to the public over a month ago to preview. The song is one of the best the record has at truly personifying the essence of Person to Person, so I'd say it was a good call making it everyone's first opinion.

"Winter Games" continues at a fast pace, bringing in a bit of a western feel as well during this very danceable, bouncy track that is almost guaranteed to get some airplay this summer, ironically. It's almost as if they're playing the drum part on pots and pans, or garbage cans in a back alley, which is, I guess, what makes this one memorable and likable too. No sooner is that over though, than you're caught by surprise on "Early Warnings" employs tropical drums, shakers, and some real beach-y guitar work to give us our second undeniably "beach-worthy" song on the album. Person to Person is at its best when the band's firing on all cylinders and pushing the tempo. This song has you thinking about an exciting vacation in the Bahamas from the get-go, and for me, for some reason, toucans and parakeets. Sadly, the image breaks, however, at the start of "Can't Keep Time"- a track that had me thinking Wolf Parade's "Shine A Light" throughout. There's tons of sound here, all steaming down the tracks at break-neck speed, but still quite easy and honestly enjoyable to take in as its careening off the walls.

And then "Lion's Share" finally allows for us to take a breath. Toned down, but still humming along, it does a great job of showing the real range of energy levels the band can maintain at a high level. Next, "It Grew On You" employs the first open use of electronics on the album, before heading towards a cowboy-esque vibe. The song, with its galloping percussion part in the background, picks up speed, and parts, as it runs. Its use of piano is also an excellent touch, as it provides for a more audible background part, and gives a different dimension to the track than the others may possess. Carrying on with the western theme, "See Us Home" makes it fairly obvious that we're headed toward the end. A ballad, of sorts, it adds a conservative string arrangement that provides some nice sunset imagery. Lastly, we have "Wait in This Chair". It's relaxed, and fairly stripped-down in comparison to the rest of the album, but is also very straight forward. It fades us out effectively, and easily. We're pleased with what we've listened to. It feels complete, but we're probably likely to just hit play all over again.

I've enjoyed quite a few records this year, but only a few have really made me sit back and admire what I'd just experienced. Foreign Born does not create a wall of sound, nor another world with Person to Person. There's nothing that you could jump to consider "ground-breaking" either. It's just good music. Not too emotional, never with too much intensity, and full of life, the entire album sends a comfortable message of ease, even with its frequent moments of very high energy. If you don't trust me, maybe you'll trust Droste. Either way, I'd say that anyone who's a fan of some good indie rock or folk could find themselves listening to this one on repeat. Similarities include the aforementioned Grizzly Bear, Annuals and Cold War Kids.

Rating: 8.5/10

Best Track: "Early Warnings"