Year End List: Top 20 Songs of 2009

(A note to record labels: Please email me at david.glickman5@gmail.com if you see any mp3 posted that you want me to remove. I will take them down, so there is no need to remove this post. Thanks)
I almost didn’t post this. Despite my new years resolution to start post posts on time, and am horribly behind on all my posts, especially with my year end lists. Still it would have been dumb to just leave you with two year end lists, so here is my 3rd of 4. Expect my albums of the year this Friday. Feel free to spam away as to why your favorite track deserves to be added to this list.

20.Japandroids-Wet Hair Japandroids would not be the front runners for “Lyrics of the Year Award”, but with noise-garage rock this good, they don’t need to. It still blows my mind that two kids from Canada are making all this noise, which actually manages to make the music sound interesting, but make the lyrics sound like the truest statements ever.

19.Micachu-Lips This song is less than 2 minutes long, but that’s all the time Micachu needs. Some of the weirdest instrumentation of the year, with everything sounding off-kilter, from the singing, detuned toy guitar, and kissing noise for the beat. But it all comes together in some unholy mess that is both quirky and glitchy.

18.Times New Viking-Move to California It is one of their longest songs to date. It has some of their cleanest production (that’s not saying much, but still), and features a semi-normal song structure. It is also one of TNV best songs to date as well. A simple tune about running away with/leaving your love, it’s sweet, even if it has the dark mood the band is famous for.

17.Neko Case-This Tornado Loves You As much as doesn’t show, I actually like music besides lo-fi indie rock. For example, Neko’s newest album was one of my favorites, as was this song. A weird love story between a girl and a force of nature , all guided by Neko’s incredible force of nature voice.

16.Screaming Females-Bell “Bell” is just addictive. The moment Marissa Paternoster strikers her guitar to jump start the song, you will be compelled to hit repeat over and over again till your finger hurts. It’s hardcore filtered through pop-punk and ‘77 style punk and that is meant in the best way possible.

15.The White Wires-Ha Ha Holiday Despite this being re-released on the great Douchmaster Records, this somehow managed to go right over everyone’s head. Which is a shame, because this is a modern day power-pop classic. Garage-y power pop with some the biggest and best guitar hooks ever, to hear it one is to listen to again and again until your ears fall off.

14.Atlas Sound-Walkabout/Shelia Ok I really chickened out on this one. There was no way I could pick between the two, so I choose both. But I would like to meet the person that could. From the youth and electro-beeps of “Walkabout”, to the love story and sweet post-shoegazeness of “Shelia” these are that really defy categorization, and that’s what is so great about them.

13.Wavves-So Bored Love him or loath him (as some people do), Nathan Williams put out some really catchy shit this year. None better than “So Bored”, a 16 year old’s anthem to drink, smoking pot, and doing nothing, backed by some very nice lo-fi guitar and drum machine.

12.Circulatory System-Round Again It’s the album no one expected to see. But finally after almost 9 years, Circulatory System blessed us with their second album, and it was well worth it for gems like this. Fuzz guitar and bass meet Will’s pencil sharp voice and 60's style arrangements, with a load of sound effects and noises for good measure. It is the most inperfect pop song done in the most perfect way.

11.Sonic Youth-Antenna It’s nice to know that after all these years, Sonic Youth can still be this good. 6 minutes of pure Sonic Youth-y goodness, switching between noise and hard hitting but great power chords, all while giving the cryptic story of a city goer. Just another day in the world of Sonic Youth.

10.Rain Machine-Give Blood Everyone was expecting Tv on the Radio lite from Kyp _ solo project Rain Machine, but what they got was so much more. Case in point “Give Blood”, off-kilter guitar with weird percussion and vocals that go from singing to chatting. A bit strange, but still great.

9.Eddy Current Suppression Ring-Anxiety I had never listened to Eddy Current Suppression Ring until this track got posted on The Great Pumpkin, as much good press as they had gotten. All I’ve got to say is I really need to make up for lost time. Garage rock that isn’t garage rock, with a spring-loaded bass and a simple yet addictive riff, all layered below Brendan Suppression’s smart lyrics about just not wanting to fuck up.

8.Cold Cave-Life Magazine My musical world was filled with lo-fi and garage rock this year, but thankfully Cold Cave appeared to add some needed synth and darkness to it. Fuzzy synth, hand claps, an actually good sounding drum machine, and Carlee McElorys’ sweet voice all mush together to make one grim and appealing song all at once.

7.Cloud Nothings-Hey Cool Kid In a 2009 sea of lo-fi guitar tones, “Hey Cool Kid” manage to rise above the rest. An extremely catchy guitar riff, lyrics that were ironic and intelligent, and a sound that was both familiar and new at the same time added up to one great song.

6.Fresh and Onlys-Peacock and Wing My friend said it the best, “If someone made a movie out of my life, and it had a montage of my childhood, this would be the song playing during that scene”.

5.No Age-You’re A Target Morphing from a ambience intro to a shredding guitar riff in a split second, No Age crafted one of the best punk songs of year. For the whole time, the song grabs you by the ears and won’t let go, not that you would want to with a song this great.

4.Girls-Lust for Life I didn’t fall as head over heels for Album as so many other people did, but “Lust For Life” was so insanely catchy I didn’t feel that bad about it. From the opening notes, your transported to the band’s slightly skewed world of sunshine and happiness, were the simplest things of life are the best, and you never want to leave.

3.Best Coast-Sun Was I (So Was I) My gosh, this isn’t the number one song of the year, I am as shocked as you are! But really, this was my first exposure to Best Coast and still one of my favorite to date. From the moment that shoegaze guitar kicks in, till it fades out, you are trapped in 2 and a half minutes of pure California bliss.

2.Nosferatu D2-Srpingsteen One guitar. One drum kit. One singer. That’s all it took to make one the greatest and vile spewing songs of the year. Originally recorded in 2007 but not released until now, this is one of greatest indie rock gems ever, period, and no I am not exaggerating. A wonderful cry against every wrong in this generation and the world around him, emotional without being emo, and the intro/build up is one of the best ever in a song.

1.Animal Collective-What Would I Want? Sky- Ok I’m going to just say it: “What Would I Want? Sky” is better than “My Girls”. I don’t care what you say, it’s true, and anyone who say’s other wise is LYING. From the 3 minutes of drug hazy drumming and jamming into the wonderful off-kilter pop that ends it, “Sky” is just perfect from beginning to end.