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 Albums of 2009: #9, fun.'s Aim and Ignite

Rank: #9

Album: Aim and Ignite

Artist: fun.

Label: Self-Released

The only self-released effort on this list, Aim and Ignite delivers what could be expected of an album by a band named fun. Riding the energy and excitement surrounding lead singer Nate Ruess's first recording venture since The Format's 2008 breakup, the album doesn't disappoint fans of his former band either. Ruess appears here with a newfound confidence and exhilaration. No, he wasn't overjoyed by the split with longtime co-conspirator Sam Means, but if there were any doubts beforehand, this release makes a clear statement that he's over any lingering hardship, and even those Dog Problems he lamented about so many times before.

Yes, as damaged as Ruess's quiet and unassuming voice appeared when singing for The Format, fun. is an entirely different animal. Tracks like "Benson Hedges" and "All the Pretty Girls" bleed exuberance and enthusiasm, sparked with optimism and a more mature outlook. Equally, the instrumentation remains creative and lively throughout, surprisingly even more so than Ruess's former band. And yet, there are also those moments of clarity and calm, when Ruess reflects on his feelings both good and bad more somberly, but with the same painstaking honesty we're used to by now. For those who want The Format back, I'm sad to say they're still gone, however this album may go along way in replacing the void.

Best Track: "All the Pretty Girls"

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Albums of 2009: #10, Girls' Album]

Best Songs of 2009: #31-40

Continuing our countdown of the best songs of 2009, today holds numbers 31 through 40. Be sure to look for articles popping up throughout the month about all of these tracks, in addition to album reviews, etc.

40. "Heartbeat Radio" -- Sondre Lerche

39. "Rain On" -- Woods

38. "Animal (Crookers Remix)" -- Miike Snow (via RCRDLBL)

37. "Right Round" -- Flo Rida

36. "Beggar's Bowl" -- Polvo (via Pitchfork)

35. "Island, IS" -- Volcano Choir (via Pitchfork)

34. "Beach Comber" -- Real Estate (via Pitchfork)

33. "All the Pretty Girls" -- fun.

32. "Relator" -- Scarlett Johansson & Pete Yorn

31. "To the Bells" -- The Swimmers

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Songs of 2009: #41-50]

Music Video Monday: "All The Pretty Girls"

Track: All The Pretty Girls

Artist: fun.

Album: Aim and Ignite

Year: 2009

The video for this fun.'s "All The Pretty Girls" came out fairly recently, so I figured it'd be worth giving a look for today's Monday feature.

Functioning mainly as an ironic commentary on both band life, and their own lives as well, "All The Pretty Girls" depicts the members of fun. running from a crazed group of females. Originally running away from separate crowds, members Nate Ruess (The Format), Andrew Dost (Anathallo) and Jack Antonoff (Steel Train) eventually meet in typical comedic fashion, and then proceed to run together, before being trapped in a building. Suddenly, the three are talking pinatas of themselves, and are subsequently beaten by the mob with sticks. This is where the irony vanishes, since the songs more works to convey a version this point, than the previous one.

The other brief point of interest is the band's selection of attire for the video. Really skinny jeans, moccasins, white pants, a jean jacket, a cut-off plaid shirt and a pseudo-Sgt. Pepper's jacket all make appearances-- perhaps a further commentary, or just random clothing selection? Regardless, the wardrobe choices do stand out, which I suppose is one of the points of a video to begin with. Check it out below if you haven't already.

[Previously on Animal Noises: Weekly Top 10: Album Closers]

Weekly Top 10: Album Closers

Nothing seems to make, or ruin, a great album like the last song. Something otherwise great can be sullied in your eyes (ears) if that final glimpse leaves much to be desired, and something a little above average can gain a much higher evaluation solely off of that last collection of notes. Here, we list our favorites of the ladder category-- our favorite album closers. Though Imeem does not have one of my top picks, Grizzly Bear's "Foreground," I'll forgive them for the most part, as the rest of the list is pretty solid. Enjoy below.

[Previously on Animal Noises: Weekly Top 10: Songs Featured on How I Met Your Mother]

Tuesday's Releases (8/25): Now Streaming

For those who've been wondering where we've been lately, see a lethal combination of vacation, work and tying up some loose ends. Now, though, we're behind all of that-- sort of. Please bear with us as we ease back into our normal schedule over the next week or so. To kick off that re-adjustment is this week's releases, streaming across the interwebs (but mostly on Spinner) for your enjoyment before buying. As always, credit for the original idea goes out to LargeHeartedBoy.

• Aim and Ignite, fun.
• No More Stories..., Mew
• Black River Killer EP, Blitzen Trapper (via Lala.com)
• Ellipse, Imogen Heap
• Youth, Matisyahu

Pre-Screening: fun.

Album: Aim and Ignite

Artist: fun.

Label: Self-released

Due Out: August 25th

I'll admit it right off the bat-- I've been looking forward to this one coming out ever since The Format's unfortunate break-up back in 2008. Fresh off my New York Giants' stunning victory in Super Bowl XLII, I happened to head over to The Format's website the following day. The news was shocking, a bit sobering and overall, quite depressing. As far as the future, it was up in the air, only with the slight promise that Nate and Sam would be pursuing their own releases separately. After such a long wait, I am proud to talk about this, Nate's project, fun. Teaming up with Steel Train's Jack Antonoff and Anathallo's Andrew Dost, the project seemingly picks up where The Format left off. Nate's obviously moved on, both from the situations intertwined within Dog Problems, and the band itself, but he's able to work that to his advantage on Aim and Ignite. It's a fresh start for him, and if this effort is any indication, he's going to make the most of it.

"Be Calm" begins rather aptly, appearing fairly calm, cool and collected-- a stark departure from most of The Format's work. The emotional damage is gone, and with its absence, the sense of desperation has dissipated for the most part. Still, the opener does not disappoint from an energy standpoint. Rolling in slowly, but surely, by the halfway mark, the tempo reaches its pinnacle, and is joined triumphantly by an extensive orchestration Format fans know all too well. Next is "Benson Hedges," which was the project's first track presented to the public, albeit in demo form many months ago. Bouncy and building, the song, which starts at a fever pitch, just continues to grow throughout. Nate's obviously excited about what he's singing about, and to me, that's a reward in itself. "All the Pretty Girls" jumps right in afterwards, seemingly taking a more-matured view of Nate's normal observations. As much as there's a ton of auxiliary percussion, horns and strings running rampant on the entire album, one can't help but notice the heavy rock influences, specifically rooted in the 1980s (is it just me?) Handclapping is also a necessity, as Nate puts his first real personal stamp on the record.

"I Wanna Be the One" is our first look into the goofy and corny side of the band. I don't look at it as a bad thing in any way. In fact, to me, these oboe solos, doowoop choruses and other niceties are actually the draw. Nate's at his best when he embraces raw and honest emotions, and though slower than most of the record, this one would qualify as a success. And then there's the first finished song which all fans heard. "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" signaled to me and so many others that Nate was, in fact, back in action. Any elements he's ever used over his career are on display throughout the fun (no pun intended) and active track that looks to personify the entire record. Triumphant is probably the best word I can come with, specifically when he sounds a bit like Freddie Mercury. Coming right off that, we reach the album's most relaxed and sentimental moment, "Light A Roman Candle With Me." Not a plea, as much as a request, it simplifies our narrator's feelings for someone in a simple action, amongst a collection of others he lists quite extensively.

"Walking the Dog" starts off a bit tropically, and for the most part, it maintains that aesthetic, though I'd never really categorize it as island music of any sort. Rather, it just plays on surf guitars and some caribbean keyboard settings, for another interesting trip inside Nate's head that includes questions about the "Boys of Summer." Then, if you didn't know any better, you'd think the album was coming to a close. "Barlights" is a celebration, if nothing else, about life. It's truly the type of thing you'd come to expect at the end of any album, specifically one such as this. Yet, it's just the warning shot, jazz hands, James Dean references and all. Unexpectedly, it gets very ballady on us, as we are rounding the final turn. The hypothetical tale of two lovers who promise each other they'll grow old together, until one is diagnosed with cancer. Obviously, Nate's not old enough for this to be about him, but it could possibly be about his own father (see The Format's "On Your Porch"). However, I digress. On closer "Take Your Time (Coming Home)," the band busts out all the stops to send us out with a bang. Rock piano, powerful riffs, positive introspection and even some solos create one of my favorite final tracks of the year. That's right, I said solos. It's true. To me, this nearly eight-minute monster is what the effort's all about, and I couldn't think of a better way to close the book on it.

All the anticipation was worth it. To me, at least. For the better part of the album, Nate channels his inner Billy Joel and makes quite a strong rock album that's just amplified by the alternative pop elements blended in. Every track bleeds confidence and determination. At times, it's breathtaking. I wish I wasn't being so sensationalist about it, but well, I can't help it. When you're such a huge fan of a band, you'll take whatever you can get, and in this case, I'm not just picking at scraps. I know that fun. is not The Format, and I'm not asking them to be. But as fun., they've thoroughly impressed me with their initial effort, even if it did allude to sounds of Nate's old band, and hopefully I'll be listening to these guys for quite awhile. If you'd like to reference some similarities, please check out The Format, Queen and All Get Out.

Rating: 8.5/10

Best Track: "Barlights"

fun.'s Aim and Ignite Now Streaming

We've finally arrived at the public's first official look at fun.'s debut, Aim and Ignite. I won't delve too far into it, since we will be talking about it here next Friday, but for fans of The Format, you won't be disappointed (or at least, I'm not). To me, it's a logical progression for Nate. I'll leave it at that and allow you to make the judgment for yourself. Stream it over on the Myspace. Aim and Ignite is out officially on August 25th. It is self-released.

New fun., "All the Pretty Girls"

As we get closer and closer to the highly-anticipated fun. debut, more tunes and updates continue to roll into various websites. This time around, it's "All the Pretty Girls" on Spinner. The track is bubbly and a bit of a throwback. Nate alternatively embraces Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, as well as his usually brash falsetto. Overall, it makes for a warm and engaging track which anyone who misses The Format as much as I do will definitely enjoy. Check it out over at Spinner.

New fun., "Walking the Dog"

I'm not afraid to admit that I am obsessed with fun. Not on the same level I was (still am?) wrapped up in The Format, but I will take anything in the form of music from Nate Ruess or Sam Means since their original band broke up. For those who may not be aware, Nate's got a whole new project with an album ready to go next month. fun. (hate the notation), which also features Anathallo's Andrew Dost and Steel Train's Jack Antonoff, is the gradual progression for Ruess. It's obvious from what I've heard thus far that he's shed the boyish skin he wore with pride on both of The Format's records, and instead, has taken to a more positive, less broken down approach. In a word, he's less damaged than before, and it works to the music's advantage. If you'd like to hear more, head over to their Facebook iLike page (who uses these?!) and check out new track, "Walking the Dog". And if you're more in the mood for the stuff the band themselves have given out for free, might I recommend their demo version of "Benson Hedges" that they gave to Spin last year.