75 Favorite Songs of 2009

1. Two Door Cinema Club - "Standing on Ghosts" (on the Four Words to Stand On EP.) Also in contention: "New Houses" (also on the Four Words to Stand On EP.)
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Hysteric" (on It's Blitz.) Also in contention: "Zero" (on It's Blitz, a single.)
3. Bishop Allen - "Oklahoma" (on Grrr....) Fun. Catchy. Sweet. Also in contention: "Dimmer" (on Grrr....)
4. The American Analog Set - "Anything Could Happen" (The Clean cover, on Not Given Lightly - A Tribute To the Giant Golden Book Of New Zealand's Alternative Music Scene.) So beautiful.
5. Phoenix - "1901" (on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, a single.) Omnipresent, used in ads, but stellar.
6. Metric - "Help I'm Alive" (on Fantasies.) Always liked the catchy drum riff in The Chemical Brothers' "Let Forever Be", so it's good to hear it again... and Metric builds upon it nicely, leading to one of my most-played songs of the year. Also in contention: "Gimme Sympathy (acoustic)" (on Plug In, Plug Out.)
7. Dominique Leone - "Cover Yourself" (on Abstract Expression.)
8. Pet Shop Boys - "Pandemonium" (on Yes.) Also in contention: "Vulnerable" (on Yes.)
9. Neko Case - "People Got a Lotta Nerve" (on Middle Cyclone.) Also in contention: "I'm an Animal" (on Middle Cyclone.)
10. The Radio Dept. - "David" (on the forthcoming Clinging to a Scheme, a 2009 single.)
11. Owl City - "Fireflies" (on Ocean Eyes.) Also in contention: "Dental Care" (on Ocean Eyes.)
12. Eulogies - "Day to Day" (on Here Anonymous.)
13. One eskimO - "Kandi" (on One eskimO, the One eskimO EP, and a single.)
14. Eels - "Beginner's Luck" (on Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire.)
15. Snow in Mexico - "Velvet" (on the Snow in Mexico EP.) You can download the entire EP on the official website. It's free, but Paypal donations are accepted.
16. Thom Yorke - "Hearing Damage" (on the New Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.) Edward Cullen looks like he's trying to convince people he's not a vampire, he's merely the president of the local Robert Smith Appreciation Society. It's curious that the Twilight soundtracks don't reflect his grooming choices, but why look good music in the ear, so to hear?
17. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Young Adult Friction" (on The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, a single.)
18. Depeche Mode - "Fragile Tension" (on Sounds of the Universe.)
19. The Bravery - "Slow Poison" (on Stir the Blood, a single.) Also in contention: "Slow Poison (Drop the Lime Remix)", which can be downloaded at RCRD LBL.)
20. Casiokids - "Fot i Hose" (a single.)
21. a-ha - "Riding the Crest" (on Foot of the Mountain.) Also in contention: "Foot of the Mountain".
22. The Decemberists - "Sleepless" (on Dark Was the Night.) Also in contention: "The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)" (on The Hazards of Love.)
23. Stephen Steinbrink - "When it's Easier" (on Ugly Unknowns.)
24. Miike Snow - "Black & Blue (Savage Skulls Remix)" (MP3 available at RCRD LBL.)
25. The Brunettes - "Bedroom Disco" (on Paper Dolls.)
26. Grizzly Bear - "While You Wait for the Others" (on Veckatimest, a single.)
27. Slow Club - "Giving Up on Love" (on Yeah So.)
28. mewithoutYou - "Every Thought a Thought of You" (on It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright.) Also in contention: "Goodbye, I!"
29. God Help the Girl - "I'm in Love with the City" (on the Stills EP.)
30. Annie - "I Don't Like Your Band" (on Don't Stop.)
31. Joel Plaskett - "Through and Through and Through" (on Three.) Although three is my favorite number, I found Three uneven and at times frustrating. But "Through and Through and Through" is irresistible.
32. The Clientele - "Never Anyone But You" (on Bonfires on the Heath.)
33. Maxïmo Park - "Calm" (on Quicken the Heart.)
34. The Raveonettes - "Suicide" (on In and Out of Control.)
35. Dan Black - "Symphonies" (on Un.)
36. Julian Casablancas - "30 Minute Boyfriend" (bonus track on Phrazes for the Young.) Not so into the album, but I dig this piece of synth-fueled brooding.
37. Idlewild - "Younger Than America" (on Post Electric Blues.)
38. Julie Doiron - "Spill Yer Lungs" (on I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day.) QTV live version:


39. Do Make Say Think - "Do" (on Other Truths.)
40. Fanfarlo - "The Walls are Coming Down" (on Fanfarlo, a single.)
41. We Were Promised Jetpacks - "Conductor" (on These Four Walls.)
42. Jesca Hoop - "Tulip" (on Hunting My Dress.)
43. Athlete - "Don't Hold Your Breath" (on Black Swan.) Also in contention: "The Getaway" (on Black Swan.).
44. Carrie Underwood - "Quitter" (on Play On.)
45. Delphic - "Counterpoint" (on the forthcoming Alcolyte, a 2009 single.)
46. Klaus Says Buy the Record - "New Dawn" (on Lights Out.)
47. Peter Bjorn and John - "Nothing to Worry About" (on Living Thing.)
48. Juan MacLean - "The Future Will Come" (on The Future Will Come.)
49. The Crayon Fields - "All The Pleasures in the World" (on All The Pleasures in the World.)
50. Sweet Trip - "Air Supply" (on You Will Never Know Why.)
51. Telekinesis - "Tokyo" (on Telekinesis!)
52. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "Wasted Summers" (on Pin Points and Gin Joints.)
53. Andrew Bird - "Oh No" (on Noble Beast.)
54. Built to Spill - "Hindsight" (on There is No Enemy.)
55. The Kickdrums - "Tell Me Stories" (on Just a Game.)
56. Rooney - "I Don't Understand" (on the Wild One EP.)
57. The Wombats - "My Circuitboard City" (on the My Circuitboard City EP, a single.)
58. Fol Chen - "Cable TV" (on Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made.)
59. Gary Go - "Life Gets in the Way" (on Gary Go.)
60. Noisettes - "Every Now and Then" (on Wild Young Hearts.) Also in contention: "Don't Upset the Rhythm".
61. Mads Langer - "The Beauty of the Dark" (on Mads Langer.)
62. Placebo - "Wouldn't It Be Good" (Nik Kershaw cover, B-side on For What It's Worth single.)
63. Snow Patrol - "Just Say Yes" (on Up to Now.)
64. Moby - "Mistake" (on Wait for Me.)
65. Muse - "Uprising" (on The Resistance.)
66. Sea Wolf - "Wicked Blood" (on White Water, White Bloom.)
67. The Swell Season - "The Rain" (on Strict Joy.) Also in contention: "In These Arms".
68. Mew - "Hawaii" (on No More Stories.)
69. Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck - "In the End" (on IRM.)
70. The Autumn Defense - "Paradise" (on Ciao My Shining Star.)
71. A Camp - "Stronger Than Jesus" (on Colonia.)
72. The Church - "Hounds of Love" (Kate Bush cover, on The Coffee Hounds EP.)
73. Mute Math - "Spotlight" (on Armistice.)
74. Pants Yell - "Someone Loves You" (on Received Pronounciation.)
75. The Thermals - "Now We Can See" (on Now We Can See.)

12/30 Update: Jinkies, I completely forgot a song I mustn't leave off the list. How did it happen? I don't know, but let's not worry about whether it's my fault or yours. Let's move on to the loveliness of the song itself, which for the sake of convenience we might as well consider #76:

76. Los Campesinos! - "The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future". It's lovely, and it's available as a free download. Hooray for band largess!