Sarahindie

It has come to my attention that I totally forgot to post my best of 2009, even after I promised I would. So, without further ado, everything you hopefully didn’t miss in ’09 (I have even embedded the albums and songs so you can at least click the button and listen. I am SPOON-FEEDING YOU GREATNESS):

Albums of the Year

Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads: I was seriously peeved by the fact that the Sarahindie.com Best of the ’00s disallowed any album from 2009. Just because it was a recent year, didn’t mean that there weren’t albums that will totally stand the test of time. (Full disclosure: I made the rules.) I have always loved the Kaiser Chiefs. Their cheery, geeky, modern Britpop and their cheery, geeky personalities were too much to resist. But even as a true fan, I can admit that their sophomore effort, 2007′s Yours Truly, Angry Mob left some to be desired. It took a solid ten listens to get into the groove of it. It was possibly trying to be more “serious” rock, but that’s just not who they are. On this year’s album, they found a producer who understood them (Mark Ronson) and fused their two styles into something instantly wonderful. Plus, there’s some beautiful guest work, including the breathy sounds of Lily Allen on “Always Happens Like That.”

Essential Tracks: Good Days & Bad Days, Like It Too Much

Metric – Fantasies: Once again, a band that I have loved for quite some time came out with a record this year that I feel eclipses their previous work. Metric has a fairly reliable formula, with frontwoman Emily Haines singing in a lovely, sometimes angry voice about oppression and such and often you can dance to it. Fantasies doesn’t precisely flip the script, though it is much less about world horrors and the oppression of women and more about love and music. But still, despite Emily’s still sharp writing and the fantastic phrases she can turn out, the lyrics fall into the background, providing an interesting syncopation and melodies that highlight the really sharp instrumental work from the rest of the band. The words become an instrument. They are in service to the music. It’s a really interesting approach, and one that makes this probably my most played album of the second half of the year. (It’s especially good for shower dancing, which will likely lead to my death.)

Essential Tracks: Gold, Guns, Girls; Help, I’m Alive; Gimme Sympathy

The Kills - Midnight Boom: This was the first album after Hotel of The Kills became tabloid fodder, getting engaged to Kate Moss and whatnot. I admit that I wasn’t really interested. None of their albums had been 100% successes for me and I was turned off by their stage show. (Interestingly, the same is true of Metric. I found The Kills to be too eccentric and Metric too pretentious.) I probably wouldn’t have picked up this album at all, but then I heard “U.R.A. Fever” and my mind changed. I must have listened to that ten times in the first 48 hours after I heard it. This album feels like what New York underground indie rock was supposed to be in the 2000s, but at the same time, grungy and dirty and timeless. The songs are short and intense and furious, like something was bottled up and is exploding out of the bottle. The songs are masterfully crafted and exactly as long as they need to be, which is a dying trait.

Essential Tracks: Sour Cherry, Alphabet Pony

The Lonely Island – Incredibad: A “comedy” album shouldn’t be this musically good. That’s some kind of rule. You have to be funny OR good, not both. But The Lonely Island is special. Their songs work as parody because they combine hilarious lyrics with an encyclopedic knowledge of the music of the genre being spoofed. I will remind you here that “I’m On a Boat”, the goofiest song of the summer, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. If you want further proof, check out the album’s Wikipedia page and click around on the writers. “Ras Trent” was produced by the greatest production team in the history of reggae. “Punch You in the Jeans” was written by Kool Moe Dee. Plus, there’s the added joy from finding out that some of the most serious names in music (Julian Casablancas, Norah Jones) have senses of humor. Plus, did I mention that the songs are amazing?

Essential Tracks: Ras Trent, Boombox

Live Act of the Year

This is often a tough one for me, but this year, not so much. Green Day’s live show absolutely blew me away. I saw them in Madison Square Garden, which is far from my favorite venue, and I was probably a hundred yards from the stage. I hadn’t yet gotten familiar with but I would have happily stayed there all night. Plus, at the end of an absurdly high-energy two hour set, in which I felt I got my ticket price back and then some, Billie Joe Armstrong thanked us. He sincerely thanked us for coming out to see them, even though we had school and work and life in the morning, even though it cost money that is tight for everyone, he was sincerely grateful that we came. I almost cried. I think I’ve been waiting years for a band to say that.

A junior mention goes to Chicago band Company of Thieves, who I had the pleasure of seeing twice in ’09. Frontwoman Genevieve Schatz is a breath of fresh air. She absolutely loses it on stage and whips the audience into a frenzy. If you get the chance, please go see them. You absolutely will not regret it.

Obsession of the Year

Kings of Leon. Not sure what else to say here. They’re really interesting people who play really good music. I saw them somewhere in the neighborhood of three times last year in three states, none of which were the state in which I live. I didn’t fall in love with a particular album, but all year, their songs kept sneaking into my mixes and getting thumbsed-up on Pandora. As other bands I love fell apart or were obnoxious to their fans (which upsets me greatly), Kings of Leon kept trucking along, telling reporters about their personal struggles and sharing possibly too much of their home lives, loving good food and good music and fine wines, but still tailgating Oklahoma games and playing beer pong with brothers-in-law. If you’re in the market for a new obsession, go watch their 30 days of home movies on YouTube. Google them and read old magazine interviews where you will be blown away by their candor. Friend Nathan on Twitter and squee on the inside every time he says something lovely about his new bride (which is often). Fall down the rabbit hole, it’s lovely down here.

Song I Couldn’t Get Out of My Head

Sorry.