The Best Songs of 2009

Best Of 2009

While the playlist above says 1-10, it's actually in "Countdown" order, so that the best song is last. Also, it's important to note that KISS is stingy with their on-line finds, so just know that "I'm An Animal" should be on this list too. Let's begin. (song titles link to lyrics / artist links to awesome youtube videos)

10. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I - Them Crooked Vultures
The first of FIVE side-projects on the list. This one is by far the dirtiest. The tale of emotionless people having selfish filthy baseless sex. Full of clever entendres- single, double, and the rare trois entendre, the main draw is the full stoner jam. If you're not convinced at first, stick around to around till the end for the song to really deliver the full fist.

9. I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clarkson
I stopped being embarrassed of my love for Kelly a couple of albums ago. And its hard not to agree with me once you realize that she is singing directly to me on this one. Someone who will nurse this poor boy back to health from the mess left by the others before her. Perfect for a victim-card-playing drama queen like myself. Plus, how do you escape that hook?

8. Future In The Past - Chickenfoot
A real "kitchen sink" song. The last track on an awesome album, they really just tackle what the hadn't already on the rest. But like the rest of the album, the song is very cohesive. All parts moving equally. Sammy doesn't over-yelp, Joe doesn't over-shred, etc. It's got a really early '70s vibe, like Mountain or Cream. The track starts off with a near-ripoff of "Thank You" before quickly jumping to a swamp blues riff. Next movement goes into some middle east jungle boogie before ending on a huge arena-rock jam. It's simple- the points are not deep, but I still get the goose bumps.

7. Cornerstone - Arctic Monkeys
A pathetic story really. Rock star gets all the tail in the world and always blows it by asking if he can call them your name. We all have our days of pining and shouldn't be especially proud of it, but Alex Turner has a real way of describing his surroundings that brings a realness to the tale.

6. A Whole Lot Better - Brendan Benson
Simple pop awesomeness. I actually was not impressed with Brendan's album in whole, but this first song sticks in my head in a way that Paul McCartney was always trying to do in Wings, but failed. Plus, I like the indecisiveness of the song's protagonist. "I fell in love with you and out of love with you and back in love with you all in the same day" Exactly. Us crazies gotta stick together.

5. Peacemaker - Green Day
I thought in general, that Green Day's latest album was an attempt to capitalize on the stupid crazy huge (and deserved) success of American Idiot. It's still about youthful alienation and government control. Fine. But it's not as cohesive or hooky and there was just not enough reason to continue down the EXACT same path. Having said that, "Peacemaker" is high water mark in Green Day's creativity. Still tip-tapping on their punk roots but adding what, samba? I'm surprised Ennio Morricone is not a co-writer.

4. 15 - Marilyn Manson
No I'm not kidding. Manson very famously got dumped by Evan Rachel Wood in 2008. A so he makes an album filled with anger and disappointment. Typical. Then- he caps it off by ending with the most depressive thing this side of Joy Division. It's not "childish", but it is completely regressive of a dude with a broken heart. It's when a man really starts to admit that he needs things. Then he gets particularly stalky and dark. It's probably the best song of his career.

3. White Shoes - Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band
No real band on this one, but that's the official album artist. It's hard to say why I love this song so much. I generally like songs that mean specific things to me. This one, with its oblique lyrics and loose folk strumming can take me in a different direction each time I hear it. When Conor returns to the quote, "Anything you wanna do" I get to pretend. Even though I do have that desperation, I get to pretend that I have the commitment to follow through with such a request.

2. Hang You From The Heavens - The Dead Weather
This one is straight up about one of the most awesome drum licks in the history of rock. Jack White rarely misses his mark and this is no exception. Power and thick sticky goo all over this riff. The singer Alison, often left me not believing her on the album. But on this song, even though I really don't like any pain in my pleasure, I'd still let her drag me by the hair anywhere.

1. Aeon - Antony & the Johnsons
If the voice doesn't break your heart while at the same time bringing you a spiritual awakening, then I can't help you. Let's do something differently. Let's take our power back.

Monsters Of Folk

Monsters Of Folk is a an indie supergroup. Much more so than the Dead Weather, even. Singer-songwriters Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Jim James of My Morning Jacket join Conor's Bright Eyes partner Mike Mogis for this alt. country collaboration. Something must have changed in me, because I remember first hearing Bright Eyes, and thought that it was pretentious and bitchy. And now I see Conor as a pretty awesome songwriter. Jim James too, I was fortunate enough to get recently acquainted with having just heard the Evil Urges album. And since I saw She & Him as more of a Zooey showcase, I have little previous relationship with M. Ward.

The album kicks off with, "Dear God", which, with its electronic drums, began to remind me of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. However, by song's end, soaring harmony echos and string sections, I was more inclined to hearken this to some '70s adult-contemporary throwback. 10cc or the slow Hall & Oates. Also, tell me if you don't feel a little Dave Mason's "We Just Disagree" when listening to "Map Of The World".

A single, "Say Please", was much more of what I would expected from the supergroup principals. All it needs is a British voice like George Harrison to make this sound more like the Traveling Wilburys. Which is true also of "Whole Lotta Losin'", a fantastic country-blues dance jam.

I don't mind saying that sometimes, this album crosses further over into the country side than I need to be comfortable with. "Temazcal" and "The Right Place" are wrought with barroom piano and steel guitars. If this Wilco influence is your kind of style, then these tracks will probably be your favorites.

On the other hand, though (I AM a man of contradictions) "Goodway" is straight up country western, with some barely intelligible poem recitation at the end. "You taught me everything I know about takin' other people for a ride". It's a short blast of freakiness.

"My Master's Voice" is a great way to close the album. An ironically pseudo-gospel tune that infuzes all of the country/alt. country/indie pop/rock influences and rolls it into one. This album proved to be a great example what can be accomplished when some surely egocentric frontmen share the spotlight for the greater good. (4 of 5 stars)

Say Please - Monsters of Folk